GOLF

The 2009 Honda Classic started what in many ways was a breakthrough year for Yang, the Korean player who, until this week a year ago, was best known for holding off Tiger Woods at the HSBC Masters at Shanghai in 2006 and snapping a streak of six straight stroke-play wins by the world’s No. 1 player.

Former American amateur star Amanda Blumenherst shot a 6-under-par 66 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Katherine Hull after the first round of the ANZ Australian Ladies Masters. 

Tiger Woods is back after a week of family counseling in Arizona and is trying to get into a routine that includes golf and fitness. Woods returned to his home near Orlando and has been hitting balls on the range at Isleworth, not far from where he ran his SUV

Christina Kim began her golf season with a minor bus accident in Thailand, played okay in Singapore last week and missed her flight to Australia’s east coast because she got the departure time wrong. 

Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee is hoping his rich vein of form will carry him to a record-equaling third May bank Malaysian Open title which started Thursday.

South Korea’s K.J. Choi is eyeing victory at the two-million-dollar May bank Malaysian Open to complete a grand double in the country and enhance his Masters Tournament aspirations.

British Open champion Stewart Cink is delighted that Tiger Woods has decided to emerge from seclusion. “It’s encouraging that he’s coming back to at least be seen by the public, and the rest of us, too,” Cink said at the Accenture Match Play Championship on Wednesday. 

Steve Stricker crashed out of the Accenture Match Play on Wednesday, becoming just the second top seed to lose in the first round of the World Golf Championships event. 

Spaniard Alvaro Quiros’s consistent displays in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Dubai have caught the attention of European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie.

Divan van den Heever has not made a cut since October last year, but his game came back with a six-under 66 in the opening round of the Telkom PGA Championship on Thursday.