The question could have been asked by any number of young players preparing on Tuesday for the start of the 75th U.S. Women’s Open at Champions Golf Club. When you’re in your early 20s, Tiger Woods is as far back as the memories go and Jack Nicklaus might as well have played with hickory shafts.
But not knowing one of the game’s legends and all-time treasures could also be excused because of the genuine interest of the player who asked it. Sei Young Kim, currently ranked right behind Jin Young Ko in the Rolex Rankings and the hottest player in the women’s game, grew up in Korea where Se Ri Pak was as much history as you needed.
Kim is also incredibly bright and naturally curious. When she was told of Burke’s Hall of Fame career, including his two major championship titles in 1956, she said, “Oh, a long time ago. He built this course?”
Once told that, not only did Burke build Champions Golf Club, he also still comes to the club every day and will likely give a lesson or two before the week is out, Kim’s eyes widened. “Oh, wow, he’s still alive? I’d love to meet him.”
Given how she’s playing there’s a good chance Burke will find her. From holing an 8-iron out of the fairway to beat Inbee Park in a playoff in Hawaii, to setting an all-time LPGA Tour scoring record; from making a 22-footer on the final green at the CME Tour Championship to capture the largest payday in women’s golf history, to picking apart a difficult Aronimink Golf Club to win her first major title, Kim has always shown a flair for the dramatic. It would surprise no one if she was hoisting the U.S. Women’s Open trophy at the end of the week.
“I didn’t prepare to get myself into those dramatic situations but I’m glad I was able to overcome (the pressure) and perform,” Kim said in typical understated fashion.
As humble as she is, she loves the spotlight. She is our game’s Tom Brady and Michael Jordan, the latter of whom she does know; the former, not so much. But sports history aside, Kim is one of those rare athletes whose game gets better as the pressure mounts. She is the person you want holding the ball for the final shot, the one you want taking snaps on the final drive.
When she has a must-make 20-footer, she pulls the putter from the bag like drawing a sword from a sheath. She looks calm, committed and in command. She knows she’s going to make it; you know she’s going to make it; and she knows that you know she’s going to make it.
Her game is solid. But her gift is that second gear.
“There’s definitely pressure when it comes to those moments, but what I try to do is enjoy the moment, even during the pressure,” she said on Tuesday at Champions.
Two years ago, it wounded her not to make the Korean team in the UL International Crown. Back pain led to some inconsistency and she had to revamp her swing, getting a more rounded, old-school posture and adding some hip rotation to her takeaway – moves that will almost surely bring a smile and nod from Mr. Burke when he sees them.
The result has been five wins in 19 months, including two in her last two starts, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and then in Tampa at the Pelican Women’s Championship. Throw in three additional top-10s in this abbreviated season and it’s easy to see why Kim is a favorite every time she puts a tee in the ground.
“I think there’s a bit more pressure being a major champion coming to a major tournament,” she said. “But again, nothing is going to change with my preparation. I’m going to try and stay composed, try to finish strong.
“I feel like, previously, my game fluctuated quite a bit throughout each season. But this season what’s been different was I have been able to be consistent with my performance. And because I’m playing well, I just want to continue with this momentum and try to finish strong.”
She has won on some of the most difficult courses the women’s game has ever seen – Aronimink, for example, where she shot an astonishing 14-under – and she has won on courses where 22-under only wins by two.
Her record-setting 31-under performance hasn’t been sniffed since she set it in 2018. And her last eight competitive rounds have been a cumulative 28-under par.
As an added bonus, she loves what she’s seen of Champions.
“These are really good golf courses,” she said. “I actually came here two weeks ago to play two rounds of golf. That was good as far as the preparation.”
Jackie Burke will love hearing that. He’ll probably tell her as much when they meet. And given how Kim is playing, that meeting is almost certain to take place sooner rather than later.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.
ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.
Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.
His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.
Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
