Inland Waterways » season-opening Coates Golf Championship

Ocala, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Na Yeon Choi rallied to win the season-opening Coates Golf Championship on Saturday, but that didnt stop Lydia Ko from becoming the No. 1 player in the world. Choi carded a 4-under 68 to end the championship at 16-under-par 272, winning for the eighth time on the LPGA Tour and first time since 2012. I think I was so nervous out there, said Choi. Ive been waiting for this moment for so long. I played the front nine so well, but I think I was a little nervous. Im very honored to win for the first time in a long time. Ko made a costly double-bogey on the 17th hole to fall out of the lead. She scrambled for par at the last and closed with a 1-under 71, tied for second place at minus-15 with Jessica Korda (66) and Ha Na Jang (70). Despite the loss, the 17-year-old Ko will top the womens world rankings on Monday, making her the youngest golfer, male or female, to become the No. 1 player in the world. Obviously, it was a tough finish, but I played some really solid golf and there is a lot to take from this week, Ko said. Its just a huge honor to be world No. 1. Amy Yang also posted a 71 in the final round at Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club. She ended alone in fifth at 10-under-par 278. Alison Walshe (66) took sixth at 9-under 279, while Brittany Lang (70) ended alone in seventh at minus-8. Stacy Lewis, who also could have taken over the No. 1 ranking with a win this week, stumbled to a 3-over 75 to end at 7-under 281, tied with Sun Young Yoo (69) and So Yeon Ryu (72) in eighth place. Ko opened the round with a pair of birdies to push four strokes clear of the field, and it looked as though she would cruise to the title. She rolled in a birdie try from the fringe on No. 5 to stay two clear of Choi, who had caught fire, pouring in three straight birdies from the third to jump to minus-15. Choi inched closer to Ko with another birdie at No. 7 and Ko stumbled to a bogey at the eighth to slip into a share of the lead at 16-under. However, Choi bogeyed the ninth to give Ko the lead again and Ko ran off six straight pars from the ninth to stay at minus-16. Choi birdied the 12th to join Ko in the lead. At the 14th, Choi stuffed her approach to a foot and kicked it in for birdie and a 1-shot advantage. A two-shot swing at the 15th gave Ko the lead again. She poured in a long birdie putt from well over 50 feet before Choi missed a 6-footer for birdie. Choi also missed her par putt from about four feet, and just like that, she was one back. The 17th proved to be the difference. Choi was in the left trees, but had a shot. She missed the green to the right with her second. Ko was in the right fairway bunker and had to fade her ball around some trees. Kos second hit a tree and ricocheted into the woods. She pitched her third back to the fairway, then saw her fourth spin off the green and into the rough. She got up and down for double-bogey, which dropped her one back as Choi saved her par from off the green. Both players made par at the last as Choi walked off with the title. I was really nervous, especially on 17. I had a little spike mark in my line. I couldnt do anything about it, so I just trusted my line and it went in, said Choi. Jang, who played with Choi and Ko in the final round, bogeyed the first, but jumped within one of the lead with four birdies in a 5-hole span from the third. Like Ko, Jang bogeyed the eighth to stay one back. After eight straight pars from the ninth, Jang bogeyed No. 17, but she came right back with a birdie at the last to share second in her first official tour start. Korda had five birdies in the first 11 holes to move to 14-under. She parred six in a row from the 12th, then reached the green at the par-5 18th in two shots. Kordas eagle effort at the last rolled over the left edge and she tapped in for birdie, settling for a tie for second. NOTES: Choi earned $225,000 for the win. Her last victory came at the 2012 CME Group Titleholders ... Ko is four years younger than Tiger Woods was when he ascended to the top spot in the mens world rankings ... The tour heads to the Bahamas next week, where Korda will defend her title at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. A.J. Derby Jersey ." One game is checked off, 15 remain and the next one to get crossed out could come Tuesday night when the defending champion Heat host the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series. Walt Aikens Jersey . Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes, the bandleader of the beard brigade during Bostons run to the 2013 World Series title, said he will be shaving his off before spring training so that he can file it "in the archive" with his memories of the teams improbable championship. http://www.officialmiamidolphinsfootball...d-jersey-womens. -- Tony Finau won the Stonebrae Classic on Sunday for his first Web. DeVante Parker Jersey . The All Blacks played their best rugby of recent years when they beat South Africa 38-27 in Johannesburg two weeks ago, clinching the Rugby Championships in a match which has been hailed as one of the best ever played. Matt Haack Jersey . -- Jake Paterson made 39 saves as the Saginaw Spirit halted the Guelph Storms seven-game win streak with a 6-3 victory on Sunday in Ontario Hockey League action.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Javier Baez is learning, and Saturday was another good day for the touted prospect. Baez and fellow rookie Matt Szczur homered, and the Chicago Cubs snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Baez connected for a two-run shot in Chicagos three-run third, and Szczur hit a leadoff drive in the eighth for his first career homer. It was Baezs second homer in two nights and No. 9 on the season. Baez is 4 for 15 with two homers and three RBIs in his last four games after going 6 for 62 with 28 strikeouts during a prolonged slump for the 21-year-old infielder. "Im just trying to go up to the plate with a good approach," Baez said. "Ive been working with (hitting coach Bill Mueller) and trying to have better at-bats. Ive felt more comfortable the last few days." Felix Doubront (2-1) pitched six scoreless innings for the Cubs in his third start since he was acquired in a trade with the Boston Red Sox. Russell Martin hit a three-run double in the eighth for Pittsburgh, which had won seven of eight. The Pirates lead for the second NL wild card stayed at 1 1/2 games over Milwaukee, which lost 5-1 to Cincinnati. Travis Snider hit a leadoff homer in the ninth against Cubs closer Hector Rondon, who then retired three in a row for his 24th save in 28 chances. Arismendy Alcantara, another rookie prospect for Chicago, had two hits and two RBIs as the Cubs ended their worst losing streak of the season. Chicago also had lost seven straight games against Pittsburgh. "It was a good team win," Cubs manager Riick Renteria said.dddddddddddd "A lot of people contributed." Pittsburghs Jeff Locke (7-5) allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings, throwing just 62 of 106 pitches for strikes. He lost for just the second time in his last seven decisions. "I just didnt make pitches when I needed to in that (third) inning," Locke said. "It was the difference in the game because we came back and scored late." TRAINERS ROOM Cubs: 1B Anthony Rizzo missed his 17th straight game with a lower back strain but remains on course to return to the lineup Monday night when Chicago hosts Cincinnati. Pirates: LF Starling Marte sat out for the second game in a row with a bruised left arm and likely wont return to action until at least Tuesday for the opener of a three-game home series against Boston. UP NEXT RHP Jacob Turner (5-9, 5.84 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Cubs on Sunday against RHP Edinson Volquez (11-7, 3.36 ERA) in the finale of the three-game series. Turner is 1-2 with a 6.19 ERA in three starts since being acquired Aug. 8 in a trade with Miami. Volquez is 3-0 with a 2.29 ERA in his last nine starts and has not lost since July 21 to the Dodgers. HE GOT THE BALL, EVENTUALLY It seemed as if Szczur was in luck when a fan in the left-field bleachers threw his first home run ball back onto the field. Snider retrieved the ball and tossed it to the ball girl along the left-field line, but she gave it to a boy sitting in the stands. At the end of the inning, third base umpire Paul Schrieber gave the young fan another ball in exchange for the Szczur ball. China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Online Stitched Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Outlet College Jerseys For Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys For Sale Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '