Miyazato wins again on LPGA Tour

Japan’s Ai Miyazato made it two wins from two tournaments when capturing the $1.3million HSBC Women’s Champions tournament in Singapore. Miyazato, who last week won the Honda PTT LPGA Thailand, was joint overnight leader with United States’ Juli Inkster but saw off that rival and the remainder of the field with a final round 69.

Miyazato’s round gave her a 10-under par total of 278 and claim the winner’s cheque of $195,000. But for a sticky start where she bogeyed the first two holes, Miyazaot could have been well clear of the field early as Inkster faltered but the Japanese star sound found her range and birdies at the fourth, fifth and ninth saw her back in the hunt.

Miyazato then bogeyed the tenth before after a trio of consecutive birdies put her back in front.

American Cristie Kerr became Miyazato’s closest challenger but a pair of bogeys on the last two holes put paid to any chance and she eventually finished alone in second place, two shots behind the Japanese to collect the runners-up cheque of $123,739.

South Korea’s Shin Ji-Yai, the tournament defending champion and world number two put up a brave fight in defence of her title with five birdies to finish at seven-under par 281 and tie for third place with Yani Tseng, Jim Song-Hee and Suzann Pettersen.

Inkster, after sharing the lead going into the final round, fell away as the veteran America carded a two-over par round of 74, while Lorena Ochoa will be cursing a disastrous second round 79 which effectively ended all chance for the world number one. Ochoa finished on even-par for the tournament and a share of 38th place alongside United States’ Morgan Pressel and others.

Michelle Wie held slim hopes of adding to her sole LPGA win, having got to within six strokes of the lead going into the final round. It was a mountain too big for the young American to climb, however, and a final round 70 saw her tie for 15th place.

Snedeker takes Phoenix Open lead

Brandt Snedeker takes a one-shot lead into the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open after a third round 66.

On a day where the crowd numbers swelled to a raucous 121,000, Snedeker dropped one just one shot in his round which gave him a three-round total of 199 – 14 under par and a one shot advantage over Scott Piercy, who shot a 65.

A further shot behind are Rickie Fower, who shot 69 and Matt Every who went one better with a 68. Joint overnight leader Camilo Villegas is a further shot off the pace after an even par round of 71 left the Columbian 11-under par. However, Villegas required a pair of closing birdies to reach that mark after threatening to drop away.

A group of nine players, including veteran Mark Calcavecchia and Robert Allenby sit together at ten-under par. 43-year old Calcavecchia has won the Phoenix Open three times - in 1989, 1992 and 2001, with the last of his 13 PGA tour victories coming in 2007 in the PODS – now the Transitions Championship.

Snedeker, the 2007 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, will be hoping for a win to get his career back on track. The 29-year old American has a sole win to his name – the Wyndam Championship in his rookie year, and struggled with his form last year following a rib injury which kept him out for eight weeks. Snedeker’s poor form also saw him miss 12 cuts from the 26 tournaments he played.

Ian Poulter, bidding for back-to-back tournament wins following his WGC Accenture success carded a third round 70 to lie in a share for 23rd place at 8-under par while our pick for the tournament, JB Holmes, never got going in his third round and carded a level-par 71 to remain 5-under par. Sadly we won’t be collecting on him this week.

Holmes shares that mark with world number three Phil Mickelson, Ryder Cup star Anthony Kim and three others. Mickelson shot a one-over 72, while Kim – who was at the top end of the leaderboard stumbled to a 76.

Villegas maintains Phoenix Open lead

Camilo Villegas held onto his Phoenix Open lead but was tied at the top of the leaderboard by United States’ Mark Wilson. Villegas, who had started the day with a one-shot lead following a scorching first round 62 at TPC Scottsdale carded a second round 69 to share the half-way lead with Wilson, after the American shot 66.

Ryder Cup player Anthony Kim shares third place in an all-American trio alongside Ryan Moore and Rickie Fowler one shot behind; while a sextet of players are tied for sixth place a further stroke off the pace. Among the six are Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, United States’ Pat Perez and veteran Tom Lehman.

In a round suspended due to darkness, Ian Poulter shot a joint best-of-the-day 63 to move up the leaderboard and the Englishman lies tied for 16th place alongside countryman Justin Rose. A total of eight players make up the bracket which lies just four shots off the lead.

Phil Mickelson threatened the top of the leaderboard during his second round after carding four birdies on his front nine. A further birdie down the back was tempered by two bogeys and the world number three finished with a second successive 68 to lay 5 shots off the pace alongside 14 others, including Geoff Ogilvy, Mark Calcavecchia, Chad Campbell and US PGA champion YE Yang.

After recovering back to two-under par in his first round, our pick JB Holmes also made progress through the field with a 68 to add to his opening 69 for a five under total to sit six off the lead. United States’ Nick Watney was the other player to shoot 63 and equal Poulter’s round. The American was in danger of missing the cut after a first round of 74, but his equal best-of-the-day round sees him safely make the weekend’s play. The pair are among a group of 15 players on five-under par.

The delayed second rounds will be concluded early Saturday, with Matt Every among those who will need to complete their rounds.

Villegas to the fore in Phoenix Open

Columbian Camilo Villegas scorched TPC Scottsdale during the first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Villegas, who finished third behind Ian Poulter in last week’s WGC Accenture World Match Play posted a tournament-equalling nine-under-par round of 62 to take a one shot lead into the second round.

It was the Columbian’s lowest ever round in a PGA event and included three birdies on the front nine, with a further six birdies on the back nine as he took full advantage of his early start and ideal conditions.

Villegas, who twice won on the PGA Tour in 2008, is seeking his first tournament win since winning the Tour Championship that year.

United States’ Matt Every carded a 63 to lie one shot behind Villegas, while Englishman Justin Rose formed part of a five-man group including Mark Wilson, Ryuji Imada, Rickie Fowler and Pat Perez a further shot behind in a tie for third place. The quintet sits three shots off the pace, with Rose seeking his first PGA Tour victory. Rose could have been even closer to the lead if he hadn’t dropped shots on both the first and last holes.

Every, who had started at the 10th enjoyed a run of six successive birdies – the longest streak of the PGA Tour this year – from the 17th, and the round went a long way to banishing the events of the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Cancun last week where he signed for an incorrect third-round score and was subsequently disqualified.

Last week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play champion Ian Poulter endured a difficult day as he finished with a one-over-par 72. With afternoon conditions proving tricky for many players, Poulter found himself three-over at one point before clawing back to his one-over first round score which gives him a fighting chance of making the half-way cut.

Similarly, JB Holmes had also dropped to two-over par around the turn but fought back to two-under par and keep the tip alive.

Kenny Perry, the reigning champion, carded a three-under-par 68 while Phil Mickelson, making his return after skipping the WGC-Accenture Match Play to be with his family shot a similar score. Mickelson carded six birdies but tempered those with three bogeys as he continued to struggle with his putter.

Rosie Jones named 2011 US Solheim Cup captain

The victorious United States Solheim Cup team will have a new captain when they next clash with Europe in 2011 at Killeen Castle, County Meath.

13-time LPGA Tour winner and seven-time Solheim Cup veteran Rosie Jones will take over the reins vacated by Beth Daniel after being selected by a committee comprised of the past three US team captains, as well as the LPGA Board Chairman, President of the LPGA Executive Committee, and the LPGA Commissioner.

“The Solheim Cup has been a huge part of my career as a player and now it will be even more exciting as I prepare for what promises to be another great Solheim Cup in Ireland,” she said in a news release.

Jones played in the first US Solheim Cup team in 1990 and sank the winning putt for the United States in 2002. In a career spanning three decades, she has represented her country seven times and last played in the bi-annual match in 2005 where she went unbeaten in three matches as the US beat Europe by three points to win the Cup.

Jones has a haul of 12 points from her seven Solheim Cup appearances and has a 3-3-1 singles record.

The European team will again be captained by Alison Nicholas.

Europe have won all three Solheim Cup matches played on British soil, with the 2011 renewal being the 12th staging of the match. The US lead Europe 8-3 in the series.

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