Noh to soon begin military service in Korea

Viktor Hovland holds off Martin Kaymer to win the BMW International Open and become the first Norwegian player to earn a victory on the European Tour.

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Pat Perez proved Sunday that, on a PGA TOUR dominated by lithe, young superstars with physiques crafted in the gym and clubhead speed that can overheat a TrackMan, there is still room for a 41-year-old who prefers late nights with a beer (or a few) over early-morning workouts. He shot 24-under 264 at this week’s CIMB Classic to win by four shots over Keegan Bradley and finish seven shots ahead of Sung Kang and the reigning Rookie of the Year, Xander Schauffele. Perez started his 17th PGA TOUR season with the third win of his career, and his second in the past 11 months.  “I’m such a different person than I was 17 years ago, even like five years ago,â€� he said. “I’m learning how to play the game and learning how to play my own game and stay within myself and that kind of stuff. I’m a late bloomer.â€� Perez took the 36-hole lead at TPC Kuala Lumpur and never relinquished it. He started Sunday with a four-shot lead and won by that same margin. He shot four consecutive rounds in the 60s (66-65-64-69) and made just three bogeys all week. He hit 62 of 72 greens but said it was the putter that carried him to victory. “If I didn’t putt well I probably would have finished 40th,â€� he said Perez is coming off a career-best finish in the FedExCup (15th) and the first TOUR Championship appearance of his career. He’s second in this season’s early FedExCup standings, 56 points behind Safeway Open champion Brendan Steele. Steele followed last week’s win with a 13th-place finish in Malaysia. Perez, who’s been on the PGA TOUR since 2002, now has two victories in his past 25 starts after winning once in his first 378. He was one of just five players in their 40s to win last season. Compare that to a record-setting 18 victories by players under 25, a group that includes FedExCup champions Justin Thomas (2017) and Jordan Spieth (2015). Last year’s lengthy layoff after shoulder surgery has inspired his good play, giving him a new perspective on the game. Perez, who won the 1993 Junior Worlds over Tiger Woods, was always known for having tons of talent but also a hot temper. “It took me a lot longer to probably mature, if you can even use that word for me,â€� he said. He may give up yards off the tee to today’s young stars, but he makes up for it with a strong short game. His winning score this week was just two shots off Thomas’ tournament record. “It’s frustrating because I see these guys, perfect builds, they’re tall and they’re skinny and they’ve got all this strength, and then there’s me who kind of waddles around,â€� Perez said at the TOUR Championship. “I don’t like working out, I like to sit, kind of do nothing, so it’s kind of my own fault, I guess, on the strength. “But when those guys go, they just keep running, like Justin Thomas. They just have those extra gears that can get them on the par-5s in two. I can’t get to the par-5s in two so my short game’s got to be sharp.â€� This week’s win came a continent away from home, but at a place that is special to him. Last year’s CIMB Classic was Perez’s first start since surgery that March to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He’d been dropped by his equipment sponsor and thought his return to the PGA TOUR was still months away. Then the CIMB Classic’s executive director, Todd Rhinehart, called and offered him an invitation. Perez’s wise-cracking ways apparently have international appeal. A middle-of-the-pack finish (T33) may not have looked impressive on paper, but it was an encouraging return after several months on the sideline, and it set the stage for the best year of Perez’s lengthy career. He finished seventh in his next start, at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, and then won the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. His second win came nearly eight years after his first one, at the 2009 CareerBuilder Challenge “If he hadn’t given me the spot, the funny thing is I don’t know if I would have started the TOUR until January,â€� Perez said Sunday. “So all those chain of events might not have happened. So I can’t thank him enough for doing that. I really can’t explain it, it’s been an amazing 12 months.â€� Perez said he starts every season with two goals, to win and qualify for the TOUR Championship. He has the win under his belt. Now he wants to get back to East Lake. He estimates that he’ll need another 800 FedExCup points to accomplish that.  Today’s game emphasizes distance, but Perez has had success despite ranking 112th in driving distance (290.9 yards) and 130th in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee last season. He was fourth in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green and 37th in Strokes Gained: Putting. “They’re just different type of players than I am,â€� Perez said of the TOUR’s 20-somethings. “I try to get mine where I can and that’s what it is.â€�

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PGA TOUR star Bryson DeChambeau’s quest for a world long drive title remains alive after he surged to the final 32 of the Professional Long Drivers of America World Championships in Mesquite, Nevada. DeChambeau silenced the critics by breezing through from the final 64 to the final 32 competitors on Wednesday afternoon at the Mesquite Regional Sports and Event Complex. RELATED: The prototype driver DeChambeau is using for the World Long Drive Championship Fresh off helping the U.S. Ryder Cup team to victory, DeChambeau finished second in his 16-man group with 800 points, cruising to the next round by winning three of his five sets. The Open Division that began with 80 players, was whittled to 64 on Tuesday, and then slashed in half in tough gusting winds throughout Wednesday’s play. DeChambeau will now return Thursday in a bid to make the final 16 on Friday where a winner will be crowned. On Wednesday four 16-man groups competed in five four-man sets. A player earned 200 points for winning a set, 100 points for finishing second and 50 points for finishing third with the top eight of each group advancing. DeChambeau started impressively in his opening set, finding the grid with all six balls, topping out at 351 yards. It was good enough for second place, losing top spot to Ryan Steenberg’s final second 353-yard effort. But the eight-time TOUR winner smashed one 355-yards to win his second set, a result that put him on the road to advancement. A 351-yard drive in his third set to be second all but secured his place to Thursday but it was official with a 347-yard slap in his fourth set that was good enough to win. The fifth set was a mere formality, but DeChambeau pummeled a 328-yard effort into a stiff wind all the same for another set win to close it out. “What he’s doing is obviously wonderful for the sport. He’s a good guy. He has a very altruistic desire to help the sport out. It’s great to have someone appreciate what the guys can do out here,” former world champion and fellow competitor Kyle Berkshire said. “He took a big leap of faith and put himself in a vulnerable position to compete out here and he’s backed it up with his performance. He’s doing the PGA TOUR really proud.” Berkshire has been an advocate of DeChambeau’s quest to compete and says those expecting less of the former U.S. Open champion are way off base. He expects DeChambeau to seriously threaten making the final 16 and beyond. “The competition is going to get even more serious now which is great to see. I think Bryson has a gear we haven’t seen yet, I expect we will see him close to 220mph ball speed,” Berkshire, who also cruised to the final 32, said. “If he comes out and wins a set or two tomorrow, which I think he can do especially getting so many balls in play, he absolutely has a great chance to advance further.” The live-stream announcer alongside DeChambeau was gung-ho on DeChambeau’s chances of making it to the end. “We are close to Vegas and they’ve got odds on him making the final eight. I’m getting on it for sure,” he said. “He’s ruining our long-drive reputations because not only can he hit the long ball but he can chip and putt as well!” The announcers also confirmed DeChambeau will not take any money for his performance, donating anything he wins back into the purse for the other competitors.

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