Hull, Pettersen, Pace honoured

It was a fight to the finish in the race to win the 2013 Rolex Rookie of the Year Award on the Ladies European Tour, but 17-year-old Charley Hull prevailed finishing just above Holly Clyburn on the ISPS HANDA Order of Merit, thereby earning a Rolex watch.

Hull finished in a tie for eighth at the season-ending Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, while Clyburn ended in joint 39th position.

The young English pair has one of the tightest rookie battles ever seen on the LET, finishing sixth and seventh on the ISPS HANDA Order of Merit with earnings of €135,994.36 and €116,100.83 respectively.

"It's an honour to win it," said Hull. "I think I've had tough competition in Holly, she's a great player and you can see in the future, me and Holly battling it out, which I think is good. Means a lot and it's been good fun. Solheim was great and all my second place finishes, so it was good to top it off with that."

The award capped an outstanding first year on Tour for Hull, who is the LET's youngest member. Hull turned professional in January 2013 and was started her first year as a pro with a run of five straight second places. She was then selected by Captain Liselotte Neumann to represent Europe in The Solheim Cup and was part of the first European team to beat the Americans on home soil in The Solheim Cup in Colorado. The youngest ever Solheim Cup player then defeated Paula Creamer 5&4 in the singles. She posted 10 top ten finishes in 15 appearances on the LET this year.

Hull is now looking forward to Christmas at home before heading to Australia and on her future goals, she added: "It would be pretty awesome if I could win a major next year. I think that's any golfer's dream.

"At the moment I'm just concentrating on golf. But I think it's amazing to see all different cultures on stuff which you see on the Ladies European Tour, because you go to different countries every week, which is fantastic."

Meanwhile, Suzann Pettersen has won the ISPS HANDA Order of Merit for the first time in her 13-year membership of the Ladies European Tour.

The 32-year-old Norwegian effectively sealed the race with her victory at the inaugural Evian Championship in September.

The prestigious award caps off a year for Suzann that included five tournament victories and 11 additional top 10 finishes around the world, highlighted by her participation in Europe's first away victory in The Solheim Cup.

On the Ladies European Tour, Pettersen played in three events and won two: the Mission Hills World Ladies Championship and the Evian Championship. She also tied for fourth at the Ricoh Women's British Open.

On the LPGA, she earned four victories, including the Evian Championship, notching 11 further top ten finishes to end the season ranked second in the world.

South African Lee-Anne Pace has been voted as the 'Player's Player of the Year by her fellow professional golfers on the Ladies European Tour, three years after last winning this award in 2010.

Pace was the only player to win three titles on the LET in 2013, taking her career total to eight wins.

A model of consistency throughout the season, she earned the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open in May, the Open de Espana in July and the Sanya Ladies Open in China in October. She notched six additional top ten finishes - including a second place at the Allianz Ladies Slovak Open - and ended the year ranked second on the ISPS HANDA Order of Merit with season's earnings of €250,927.42, behind Suzann Pettersen with €518,448.81.

"To win an award is always great but to be recognised by your peers for your achievements is a huge honor. I feel very proud and humbled and would like to thank everyone that voted for me," said the 32-year-old from Mossel Bay.

"I had a lot of fun this year and played very consistently which put me in contention many times. I was very happy to win again and to do it three times just turned it into an amazing and unforgettable year.

"I think my attitude and demeanour this year was the same as in 2010. I felt very focused, relaxed and in control. My shot making ability is probably better now but all in all it's very similar."

Pace won the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open at National Golf Club and Open de Espana at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid by a stroke and triumphed in a play-off against Yu Yang Zhang at Yalong Bay Golf Club.

"Every single win is very special and some of the shots I hit to achieve them will always stand out in my memory. It's a really good feeling to wake up in the morning and know you have a chance to win and then to pull it off it feels very rewarding," she said.

Looking ahead, Pace said: "For the moment I am only longing for my vacation with my family and friends when I get home in a week. I need a bit of TLC with a braai, a glass of red wine and my own bed!

"I would like to thank my two coaches, Val Holland and James Petts who have both played a major part in my success this year.

"I would like to thank and congratulate my caddy Mark Britton for a great and unforgettable year. I loved the way we played golf this year and it was such a pleasure to work with him. He gave me confidence and belief and did an exceptional job this year.

"I would also like to thank my sponsors Investec, Puma/Cobra, First Car Rental and Oakley for their ongoing support and for making this year possible for me. Thank you to the LET and all the staff for all their hard work. A big thanks to all my supporters and all the messages and tweets this year. It's always great to be supported and to receive words of encouragement.

"Thank you to all the sponsors, promoters and volunteers for supporting the LET and making it another successful year for ladies' golf in Europe."

LET continues to grow in 2014

The 2014 Ladies European Tour schedule, features a minimum of 22 tournaments, retaining all of the destinations from the 2013 calendar and including 18 countries and regions across the world.

The 12-month golfing odyssey hits the road at the end of January with the ISPS HANDA Women's Open hosted by Christchurch and travels across all five continents before the season comes to a thrilling climax with the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters in the UAE in early December.

Ladies European Tour Chief Executive Officer Ivan Khodabakhsh said: "I am delighted to present today a full and flowing schedule which will give the Ladies European Tour members the best opportunity to display their skills and talents on the international stage.

"By working closely with fellow Tours, Federations, venues and sponsors, we have been able to ensure that the players' schedules will not conflict, for the good of women's golf and the fans who will be able to watch the players compete at some of the best international venues

"The LET is delighted to have the continued commitment and dedication of all of our tournament promoters and sponsors. Their conviction in our brand and support of our players will allow us to grow women's professional golf further and we are in negotiations with fellow Tours, Federations, venues and sponsors regarding additional tournaments in 2014. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our current and future business partners for a fantastic 2013 season and look forward to sharing another exciting 12 months with our colleagues across the world."

In 2013, an amazing 12 months on the LET was highlighted by Europe's first Solheim Cup victory on US soil. With the final result 18-10, this was the competition's biggest ever margin of victory and it showed the strength and talents of the European golfers.

The Tour also welcomed 17-year-old Charley Hull who made her Solheim Cup debut and took the race for the rookie of the year award down to the wire with a close battle against fellow Briton Holly Clyburn in Dubai.

Norwegian Suzann Pettersen topped the ISPS HANDA Order of Merit after winning the Evian Championship, but it wasn't only the Europeans who did well.

With members from 40 different countries, the Tour had an increasingly global flavour. Moroccan Maha Haddioui became the LET's first full-time Arab member while the inclusion of players such as Maria Salinas from Peru and Namibian Bonita Bredenhann reflected the Tour's popularity in different regions.

With the Olympics on the horizon, The Tour has taken on special significance for players from a multitude of different countries who aim to qualify when golf returns to the programme in 2016 after a 104-year absence.

In 2014, the Tour will once again showcase the facilities in each country to a global audience, driving inbound tourism, with increased television coverage and live broadcasts from 11 tournaments, in addition to the majors: the VOLVIK RACV Ladies Masters in Australia, Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, Turkish Ladies Open, ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters, Ladies German Open, HONMA Pilsen Golf Masters, The Helsingborg Open in Sweden, Open de Espana Femenino, LACOSTE Ladies Open de France, South African Women's Open and Omega Dubai Ladies Masters.

Highlights include the ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters at Buckinghamshire Golf Club in England, the home of the LET, on July 3-6. Following the tournament's success in 2013, the event will be played over four rounds instead of three with an increased prize fund of 500,000 euro.

The Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, on March 13-16, will celebrate its 20th anniversary and carries a significantly increased purse of 450,000 euro.

The Tour tees off on 31 January in New Zealand and makes three stops in Australasia before visiting Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The season concludes on December 7 when it comes to a fitting climax in Dubai, one of the most popular destinations of the year.

The 2014 Ladies European Tour Schedule:

ISPS HANDA New Zealand Women's Open hosted by Christchurch, Pegasus Golf Club, Christchurch, New Zealand Jan 31-Feb 2

VOLVIK RACV Australian Masters, RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia Feb 6-9

ISPS HANDA Women's Australian Open, Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Black Rock, Victoria, Australia Feb 13-16

Mission Hills World Ladies Championship, Vintage Course, Mission Hills Hainan, Haikou, Hainan, China March 6-9

Lalla Meryem Cup, Golf de l'Ocean, Agadir, Morocco March 13-16

Turkish Ladies Open, National Golf Club, Belek, Antalya, Turkey May 8-11

Deloitte Ladies Open, The International Amsterdam, Netherlands May 23-25

Ladies Slovak Open, Golf Resort Talé, Brezno, Talé, Slovakia June 20-22

ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters, Buckinghamshire Golf Club, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England July 3-6

Ladies German Open, Wörthsee Golf Club, Wörthsee, Germany July 17-20

Pilsen Golf Masters, Golf Park Plzen-Dý¿ina, Czech Republic August 7-10

Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scotland Open presented by EventScotland, Archerfield Links, East Lothian, Scotland August 29-31

The Helsingborg Open, Vasatorp Golf Club, Helsingborg, Sweden Sept 4-7

The Evian Championship, Evian Resort Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France Sept 11-14

Open de Espana Femenino, Venue TBC, Spain Sept 18-21

Lacoste Ladies Open de France, Chantaco Golf Club, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Aquitaine, France Oct 2-5

South African Women's Open, San Lameer Country Club, Hibiscus Coast, South Africa Oct 16-19

Suzhou Taihu Open, Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club, Suzhou, China Nov 7-9

Sanya Ladies Open, Yalong Bay Golf Club, Sanya, Hainan, China Nov 14-16

Hero Women's Indian Open, Venue TBC, India Nov 28-30

Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, Emirates Golf Club (Majlis Course), Dubai, UAE December 4-7.

Johnson keeps Tiger honest

Tiger Woods maintained his two-shot lead at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, but Zach Johnson is ready to pounce if the world number one slips up in the final round.

Having carded a brilliant 10-under-par 62 in the second round to move to the top of the leaderboard in California, Woods survived a tough day at the office that saw him produce a level-par 72 in the third round for a total of 11-under-par 205.

With Johnson keeping up the pressure throughout the day, Woods needed birdies at two of the final three holes to keep give himself some space ahead of Sunday's finale.

He birdied the par-five second hole, but with conditions causing havoc at Sherwood Country Club he dropped shots at four and eight before salvaging things late in the day.

"I'm pleased at having the lead - not real pleased with the way I putted today," Woods said. "I left a few out there today."

He added: "(Winning on Sunday) it would be special not just for myself but for the foundation and everyone who's involved with us and what we're trying to do."

Johnson made sure he kept the pressure on Woods as he also finished the day with a level par, which was one shot better than the average score of 73.

"Zach's not going anywhere," Woods said. "He's consistent, he's tough and he's proven that he can win major championships."

Bubba Watson is another two shots off the pace after carding a two-over-par 74 while he is followed by Matt Kuchar at four under.

"This golf course is very difficult," Watson said.

"Right now, there's a pretty good player leading. He's won here before. He knows this golf course pretty well. But I'm just going to come out there and play. I've shot under par my last few rounds. I want to keep doing that. If I can shoot in the 60s, give myself a chance, we'll see what happens."

World number six Rory McIlroy shot a four-under-par 68 that left him at 13 shots off the pace.

Jason Day rises at Tiger's tournament

THOUSAND OAKS: Jason Day has continued to climb the leaderboard on a day when Tiger Woods's even-par 72 was enough to keep the tournament host in the lead at the World Challenge tournament.

Day mixed six birdies with two bogeys and a double bogey in blustery conditions to shoot a 70 - one of just four players to break par - and finish the third round in a tie for sixth place in the elite 18-man field.

However, the Australian was still nine shots behind Woods.

A day after he hit every green in regulation en route to a 10-under par 62 that equalled his own Sherwood Country Club course record, Woods found the going a lot tougher in the difficult conditions.

Woods notched the last of his four birdies at the par-4 18th, balancing four bogeys as he built a 54-hole total of 11-under par 205 and maintained his two-stroke cushion over fellow American Zach Johnson.

Johnson briefly took a one-stroke lead after a birdie at the ninth, but two-double bogeys -- at the par-three 12th and 15th -- kept him from applying more pressure.

He, too, birdied 18 to cap an even-par 72 for 207.

Bubba Watson was alone in third after a 69 for 209.

Last week's Australian Open winner Rory McIlroy shot a 68, an impressive low round of the day, but was still 13 shots off the lead after his struggles in the first two rounds.

World Challenge: Woods holds 2-shot lead on tough day at Sherwood

THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF. (AP) Tiger Woods birdied two of his last three holes Saturday to salvage an even-par 72 at windy Sherwood Country Club, keeping his two-shot lead over Zach Johnson going into the final round of the World Challenge.

The score might have looked routine. The third round was not.

Wind that pushed away some light rain at the start of the round created havoc in the canyons of the Santa Monica mountains, creating indecision from the fairways and making the fast greens even tougher.

Woods hit his tee shot into the water on No. 4 and had to scramble for bogey, and he briefly lost the lead to Johnson. But no one was immune from bogeys, and Woods finished strong to atone for his bogeys. He drilled his second shot into 15 feet on the par-5 16th for a two-putt birdie, and then holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole after twice backing off his shot in the fairway.

Woods was at 11-under 205.

Johnson, who gave away the lead with two bad holes early on the back nine, also had a good finish. He got up-and-down for his birdie on the 16th and made a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 72 that put him in the final group with Woods on Sunday.

Johnson has twice been runner-up at the World Challenge, both times to Woods.

Woods is a five-time winner at Sherwood, and he's the best closer in golf. He has a 48-5 record worldwide with the outright lead going into final round, including four of his wins this year. The last time he lost a lead was at Sherwood three years ago, when Graeme McDowell came from four shots behind on the last day.

And while Woods was 10 shots worse than his course record-tying 62, it wasn't all bad.

Blame that on the wind, and the par-3 15th hole was the best example of that. With a large creek in front of the green and the wind dancing all over the place, the par 3 played to an average score of 4.17. Steve Stricker and Keegan Bradley each made a 7. Rory McIlroy's best round of the day, a 68, was spoiled by a double bogey.

Woods managed to escape with a bogey, though he made up for it over the last couple of holes.

Bubba Watson three-putted the 18th, missing his par putt from about 4 feet, for a 69 and was four shots behind. No one else was closer than six shots.

Johnson briefly took the lead with a birdie on No. 9, though Woods caught him with a birdie on the 10th. Johnson lost momentum with one bad shot, a fairway metal for his second shot on the par-5 11th that went right into a bed of leaves under a small cluster of trees. He tried to punch under the trees and onto the green, but his shot hit one branch and led to bogey.

Johnson made a double bogey on the par-3 12th and just like that was three shots behind. He got back to within one shot on the next hole when Woods three-putted from 6 feet for bogey and Johnson made bogey.

But on the 15th, Johnson's tee shot never had a chance. It was like so many shots on the treacherous par 3. Not only did shots find the creek, some of them bounced into the creek, some 20 yards short of the target.

The forecast was for more wind Sunday, and groups will be starting slightly later from both tees.

Woods is trying to end the season with six wins for the ninth time in his career, and he is going for his sixth win at Sherwood. The tournament for 18 top players is moving next year to Isleworth, the course where he honed his professional game near Orlando, Fla.

Day rises at golf's World Challenge

Jason Day has continued to climb the leaderboard on a day when Tiger Woods's even-par 72 was enough to keep the tournament host in the lead at the World Challenge tournament.

Day mixed six birdies with two bogeys and a double bogey in blustery conditions to shoot a 70 - one of just four players to break par - and finish the third round in a tie for sixth place in the elite 18-man field.

However, the Australian was still nine shots behind Woods.

A day after he hit every green in regulation en route to a 10-under par 62 that equalled his own Sherwood Country Club course record, Woods found the going a lot tougher in the difficult conditions.

Woods notched the last of his four birdies at the par-4 18th, balancing four bogeys as he built a 54-hole total of 11-under par 205 and maintained his two-stroke cushion over fellow American Zach Johnson.

Johnson briefly took a one-stroke lead after a birdie at the ninth, but two-double bogeys -- at the par-three 12th and 15th -- kept him from applying more pressure.

He, too, birdied 18 to cap an even-par 72 for 207.

Bubba Watson was alone in third after a 69 for 209.

Last week's Australian Open winner Rory McIlroy shot a 68, an impressive low round of the day, but was still 13 shots off the lead after his struggles in the first two rounds.

Tee times, pairings: World Challenge, final round

Here are the tee times and pairings for Saturday's final round of the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif. (all times Pacific):

Final round

OFF TEE NO. 1

10:15 a.m.: Bill Haas, Ian Poulter

10:25 a.m.: Graeme McDowell, Jim Furyk

10:35 a.m.: Webb Simpson, Jason Day

10:45 a.m.: Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar

10:55 a.m.: Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson

OFF TEE NO. 10

10:15 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley

10:25 a.m.: Hunter Mahan, Lee Westwood

10:35 a.m.: Steve Stricker, Jason Dufner

10:45 a.m.: Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth

Rory McIlroy almost lost his grip in 2013

The tee shot soars across a cold morning sky, carrying down the left side of a long par-five, leaving Rory McIlroy a good look at the green.

It is a reminder of what he can do, the talent that once carried him to the top of his sport.

The young man from Northern Ireland follows with a decent second shot and a chip, then a lengthy putt for birdie on the fifth hole of Sherwood Country Club.

"I feel like for me to be happy," he says, "I need to play sort of pretty golf."

His game has looked slightly more attractive, his mood on the upswing, since he out dueled Adam Scott to win the Australian Open last week.

But at 13 strokes behind Tiger Woods going into Sunday's final round of the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, he isn't going to add another title before the season ends. Nor is he likely to walk away from 2013 with fond memories.

There have been too many missed cuts and ugly scorecards. A long winless streak. His personal life dragged through the tabloid gutters.

All in all, a year to forget. As McIlroy says, "I'm happy this is the last event."

Woods, the host of this week's tournament, knows something about slumps.

"That's just part of playing golf," Woods says. "Try and get out as fast as you can."

There were no quick fixes for the 24-year-old McIlroy, who faced high expectations after a 2012 season in which he won four PGA Tour events — including the PGA Championship (his second major title) — captured the European Tour crown and reached No. 1 in the world rankings.

Heading into 2013, he expected to pick right up again.

But the new season began with a missed cut in Abu Dhabi and a tie for 33rd at the Match Play Championship. In March, after stumbling through the first eight holes of the second round at the Honda Classic, he walked off the course.

His initial explanation — a painful wisdom tooth — did not go over well. McIlroy apologized: "It wasn't the right thing to do. No matter how bad I was playing, I should have stayed out there."

Much was made of the fact that he had switched to new clubs and a new ball, signing with Nike for a reported $200 million to $250 million.

McIlroy acknowledged fighting through an adjustment period, but he now sees other reasons for troubles that deepened through summer.

Bad habits had crept into his swing, his upper and lower body falling out of sync. Just as important, he was struggling with the mental game.

"I'm very hard on myself," he says. "I feel like I'm emotionally connected to my golf game in terms of, if I play bad, I'll be in a bad mood."

And if he's in a bad mood, his game suffers.

Woods endures wind, still leads World Challenge

A day after Tiger Woods shredded Sherwood Country Club for a course-record-tying 10-under 62, red numbers were hard to find Saturday at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge.

Cold temperatures and light rain greeted players Saturday morning in Thousand Oaks, Calif., before windy conditions kept low scores at bay.

But by day's end, it was still Woods who held the lead after he managed an even-par 72, one of just eight scores of par or better. At 11 under, the tournament host and five-time winner of the event leads by two shots over Zach Johnson, who also carded a third-round 72.

Woods struggled with his iron play Saturday, and his putting wasn't nearly as sharp as it was a day earlier. He made four bogeys and was 2 over through 15 holes, at one point relinquishing the lead to Johnson. But two birdies in his final three holes, couple with two double bogeys on par 3s on the back nine for Johnson, allowed Woods to keep his lead entering Sunday's final round, where he'll again be grouped with Johnson.

Bubba Watson closed with a three-putt bogey at the par-4 18th. His third-round 69 has him in solo third at 7 under. Matt Kuchar is alone in fourth at 4 under after he shot 76.

Rory McIlroy notched the best round of the day, a 4-under 68 to push his total to 2-over 218.

Woods Survives Tough Scoring Day at Sherwood CC in World Challenge

On a chilly day that was even windier than the first two rounds at Sherwood Country Club, Tiger Woods managed to hold serve and stay atop the leaderboard in the $3.5 million Northwestern Mutual World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Coming off a second round in which he tied his own course record of 10-under 62, Woods shot an even-par 72 Saturday. The five-time winner in the event, a fundraiser for his Tiger Woods Foundation, remained at 11-under.

His 205 total is two strokes lower than third-round playing partner Zach Johnson, who also shot a 72. Woods had four birdies - including two in the final three holes - and a like number of bogeys to maintain the two-stroke lead he enjoyed entering the round.

"It was a tough day . . . the winds were coming from all over the place," Woods told reporters. "I'll try to get it done (Sunday) . . . Hopefully the wind is out of here."

Johnson carded three birdies and two bogeys through 11 holes. But the Iowan couldn't overtake Woods after encountering problems at the two tough par-3s on Sherwood's back nine - Nos. 12 and 15, which he both double-bogeyed. His tee shot on the 192-yard 15th found a creek.

But the 2007 Masters champion also carded three birdies on the home half to earn a repeat pairing with the tournament host in the final round.

Four behind Woods is Bubba Watson, who carded a 3-under 69, while seven back is the normally steady Matt Kuchar, who uncharacteristically had a 76 that included six bogeys and only two birdies.

Webb Simpson had a 69 and is at 3-under 213 heading into Sunday, and another stroke back are Jason Day (70) and two-time World Challenge winner Graeme McDowell, who posted a 75.

Jim Furyk and Bill Haas both carded 74s to share eighth at 1-under 215. Rounding out the leaderboard in the 18-player field are Ian Poulter, who carded a 73 and is at even-par 216, and Rory McIlroy, who fired Saturday's low round of 68 and is now tied for 11th with Keegan Bradley (75) at 218. 

Hunter Mahan rebounded from an 8-over 80 Friday with a 72 to rise into 13th place at 222. Another stroke back are Lee Westwood (74), Steve Stricker (74) and Jason Dufner (78). 

Dustin Johnson got off to a rotten start in the event with rounds of 74 and 79, but carded a 72 to get to 9-over 225. 2013 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Jordan Spieth, has posted a 72 and two 77s to fall to the bottom of the board at 10-over 226.

Golf Capsules

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Tiger Woods birdied two of his last three holes to salvage an even-par 72 in the wind and keep his two-shot lead over Zach Johnson in the World Challenge on Saturday.

The score looked routine. The third round was not.

Wind that pushed away some light rain at the start of the round created havoc in the foothills of Sherwood Country Club. Woods hit a tee shot in the water and three-putted from about 6 feet on a par 5. But he finished strong and was at 11-under 205.

Johnson also finished with two birdies, including a 20-footer on the 18th for a 72.

Bubba Watson three-putted the 18th for a 69 and was four shots behind. No one else was closer than six shots of Woods.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE

SUN CITY, South Africa (AP) — Jamie Donaldson maintained his three-shot lead through the third round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, putting the Welshman in sight of his biggest career payday in his Sun City debut.

Donaldson had six birdies and a bogey in a 5-under 67 to stay ahead of American Ryan Moore and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn. Donaldson had a 16-under 200 total.

Moore had a 67, and Bjorn shot 67.

Sweden's Henrik Stenson, playing for the first time since ending last season with the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup and European Tour's Race to Dubai titles, was five strokes back along with Spain's Sergio Garcia and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee. Stenson had a 69, and Garcia and Jaidee shot 66.

The European Tour is sanctioning the event for the first time.

HONG KONG OPEN

HONG KONG (AP) — Wales' Stuart Manley moved into position for his first European Tour title, shooting a 4-under 66 to take the third-round lead in the Hong Kong Open.

Manley had a 10-under 200 total in the event also sanctioned by the Asian Tour.

Australia's Wade Ormsby and India's Shiv Kapur shot 66 to pull within a stroke.

Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain had a 65 to top the group at 8 under. Last year, Jimenez became the oldest champion in European Tour history, winning at 48 years, 318 days. He also won the event in 2005 and 2008.

DUBAI LADIES MASTERS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum rallied to win the Dubai Ladies Masters, hitting a 54-degree wedge to 2 feet on the par-5 final hole for a birdie and a one-stroke victory over American Stacy Lewis.

The 24-year-old Phatlum closed with a 6-under 66 to finish at 15-under 273 in the Ladies European Tour's season-ending event. She also birdied the par-4 17th at Emirates Golf Course.

The third-ranked Lewis, a three-time winner this year on the LPGA Tour, bogeyed the par-3 15th and closed with three pars for a 69. She missed a 40-foot birdie putt on No. 18.

Spain's Carlota Ciganda was third at 7 under after a 71.

LPGA TOUR QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Jaye Marie Green increased her lead to nine strokes in the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament, reaching 25 under after four rounds.

The 19-year-old Green, from Boca Raton, had a 5-under 67 on LPGA International's Hills Course. She has gone 57 holes without a bogey since dropping a stroke on her 15th hole Wednesday in an opening 62.

South Korea's Mi Rim Lee was second after a 69, also on the Hills Course. She had a course-record 61 on Friday on the Jones Course.

The top 20 after the final round Sunday will earn Category 12 status, Nos. 21-45 and ties will receive membership in Category 17, and the other players who made the 72-hole cut will get Symetra Tour status.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/12/07/5980252/golf-capsules.html?#storylink=cpy

Woods keeps two-shot lead on tough day at Sherwood

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Tiger Woods birdied two of his last three holes Saturday to salvage an even-par 72 at windy Sherwood Country Club, keeping his two-shot lead over Zach Johnson going into the final round of the World Challenge.

The score might have looked routine. The third round was not.

Wind that pushed away some light rain at the start of the round created havoc in the canyons of the Santa Monica mountains, creating indecision from the fairways and making the fast greens even tougher.

Woods hit his tee shot into the water on No. 4 and had to scramble for bogey, and he briefly lost the lead to Johnson. But no one was immune from bogeys, and Woods finished strong to atone for his bogeys. He drilled his second shot into 15 feet on the par-5 16th for a two-putt birdie, and then holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole after twice backing off his shot in the fairway.

Woods was at 11-under 205.

Johnson, who gave away the lead with two bad holes early on the back nine, also had a good finish. He got up-and-down for his birdie on the 16th and made a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 72 that put him in the final group with Woods on Sunday.

Johnson has twice been runner-up at the World Challenge, both times to Woods.

Woods is a five-time winner at Sherwood, and he's the best closer in golf. He has a 48-5 record worldwide with the outright lead going into final round, including four of his wins this year. The last time he lost a lead was at Sherwood three years ago, when Graeme McDowell came from four shots behind on the last day.

And while Woods was 10 shots worse than his course record-tying 62, it wasn't all bad.

Blame that on the wind, and the par-3 15th hole was the best example of that. With a large creek in front of the green and the wind dancing all over the place, the par 3 played to an average score of 4.17. Steve Stricker and Keegan Bradley each made a 7. Rory McIlroy's best round of the day, a 68, was spoiled by a double bogey.

Woods managed to escape with a bogey, though he made up for it over the last couple of holes.

Bubba Watson three-putted the 18th, missing his par putt from about 4 feet, for a 69 and was four shots behind. No one else was closer than six shots.

Johnson briefly took the lead with a birdie on No. 9, though Woods caught him with a birdie on the 10th. Johnson lost momentum with one bad shot, a fairway metal for his second shot on the par-5 11th that went right into a bed of leaves under a small cluster of trees. He tried to punch under the trees and onto the green, but his shot hit one branch and led to bogey.

Johnson made a double bogey on the par-3 12th and just like that was three shots behind. He got back to within one shot on the next hole when Woods three-putted from 6 feet for bogey and Johnson made bogey.

But on the 15th, Johnson's tee shot never had a chance. It was like so many shots on the treacherous par 3. Not only did shots find the creek, some of them bounced into the creek, some 20 yards short of the target.

The forecast was for more wind Sunday, and groups will be starting slightly later from both tees.

Woods is trying to end the season with six wins for the ninth time in his career, and he is going for his sixth win at Sherwood. The tournament for 18 top players is moving next year to Isleworth, the course where he honed his professional game near Orlando, Fla.

The 2014 Ladies European Tour Schedule Announced

The 2014 Ladies European Tour schedule, announced today, features a minimum of 22 tournaments, retaining all of the destinations from the 2013 calendar and including 18 countries and regions across the world.

The 12-month golfing odyssey hits the road at the end of January with the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Women’s Open and travels across all five continents before the season comes to a thrilling climax with the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters in the UAE in early December.

Ladies European Tour Chief Executive Officer Ivan Khodabakhsh said: “I am delighted to present today a full and flowing schedule which will give the Ladies European Tour members the best opportunity to display their skills and talents on the international stage.

“By working closely with fellow Tours, Federations, venues and sponsors, we have been able to ensure that the players’ schedules will not conflict, for the good of women’s golf and the fans who will be able to watch the players compete at some of the best international venues

“The LET is delighted to have the continued commitment and dedication of all of our tournament promoters and sponsors. Their conviction in our brand and support of our players will allow us to grow women’s professional golf further and we are in negotiations with fellow Tours, Federations, venues and sponsors regarding additional tournaments in 2014. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our current and future business partners for a fantastic 2013 season and look forward to sharing another exciting 12 months with our colleagues across the world.”

In 2013, an amazing 12 months on the LET was highlighted by Europe’s first Solheim Cup victory on US soil. With the final result 18-10, this was the competition’s biggest ever margin of victory and it showed the strength and talents of the European golfers.

The Tour also welcomed 17-year-old Charley Hull who made her Solheim Cup debut and took the race for the rookie of the year award down to the wire with a close battle against fellow Briton Holly Clyburn in Dubai.

Norwegian Suzann Pettersen topped the ISPS HANDA Order of Merit after winning the Evian Championship, but it wasn’t only the Europeans who did well.

With members from 40 different countries, the Tour had an increasingly global flavour. Moroccan Maha Haddioui became the LET’s first full-time Arab member while the inclusion of players such as Maria Salinas from Peru and Namibian Bonita Bredenhann reflected the Tour’s popularity in different regions.

With the Olympics on the horizon, The Tour has taken on special significance for players from a multitude of different countries who aim to qualify when golf returns to the programme in 2016 after a 104-year absence.

In 2014, the Tour will once again showcase the facilities in each country to a global audience, driving inbound tourism, with increased television coverage and live broadcasts from 11 tournaments, in addition to the majors: the VOLVIK RACV Ladies Masters in Australia, Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, Turkish Ladies Open, ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters, Ladies German Open, HONMA Pilsen Golf Masters, The Helsingborg Open in Sweden, Open de Espana Femenino, LACOSTE Ladies Open de France, South African Women’s Open and Omega Dubai Ladies Masters.

Highlights include the ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters at Buckinghamshire Golf Club in England, the home of the LET, on July 3-6. Following the tournament’s success in 2013, the event will be played over four rounds instead of three with an increased prize fund of 500,000 euro.

The Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, on March 13-16, will celebrate its 20th anniversary and carries a significantly increased purse of 450,000 euro.

The Tour tees off on 31 January in New Zealand and makes three stops in Australasia before visiting Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The season concludes on December 7 when it comes to a fitting climax in Dubai, one of the most popular destinations of the year.

The 2014 Ladies European Tour Schedule:

ISPS HANDA New Zealand Women's Open, Clearwater Golf Club, Clearwater, New Zealand Jan 31-Feb 2

VOLVIK RACV Australian Masters, RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia Feb 6-9

ISPS HANDA Women's Australian Open, Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Black Rock, Victoria, Australia Feb 13-16

Mission Hills World Ladies Championship, Vintage Course, Mission Hills Hainan, Haikou, Hainan, China March 6-9

Lalla Meryem Cup, Golf de l’Ocean, Agadir, Morocco March 13-16

Turkish Ladies Open, National Golf Club, Belek, Antalya, Turkey May 8-11

Deloitte Ladies Open, The International Amsterdam, Netherlands May 23-25

Ladies Slovak Open, Golf Resort Talé, Brezno, Talé, Slovakia June 20-22

ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters, Buckinghamshire Golf Club, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England July 3-6

RICOH Women's British Open, Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Lancashire, England July 10-13

Ladies German Open, Wörthsee Golf Club, Wörthsee, Germany July 17-20

Pilsen Golf Masters, Golf Park Plzeň-Dýšina, Czech Republic August 7-10

Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scotland Open presented by EventScotland, Archerfield Links, East Lothian, Scotland August 29-31

The Helsingborg Open, Vasatorp Golf Club, Helsingborg, Sweden Sept 4-7

The Evian Championship, Evian Resort Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France Sept 11-14

Open de España Femenino, Venue TBC, Spain Sept 18-21

Lacoste Ladies Open de France, Chantaco Golf Club, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Aquitaine, France Oct 2-5

South African Women's Open, San Lameer Country Club, Hibiscus Coast, South Africa Oct 16-19

Suzhou Taihu Open, Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club, Suzhou, China Nov 7-9

Sanya Ladies Open, Yalong Bay Golf Club, Sanya, Hainan, China Nov 14-16

Hero Women's Indian Open, Venue TBC, India Nov 28-30

Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, Emirates Golf Club (Majlis Course), Dubai, UAE Date TBC.

MANLEY WELL PLACED FOR MAIDEN VICTORY

Stuart Manley will take a one shot lead into the final round of the Hong Kong Open as the Qualifying School graduate chases his first European Tour title.

The Welshman fired a four under par 66 on day three at Hong Kong Golf Club to reach ten under par, a stroke ahead of Australian Wade Ormsby and India’s Shiv Kapur.

Manley, whose best finish on The European Tour came when he was ninth in Mallorca in 2010, made headlines last month when he followed a hole-in-one at the ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf with an 11 on the next hole.

On that occasion Manley thought he had won a car for his ace, but was then informed that the prize was only available during the final round.

And the 34 year old had another near miss today when his tee shot at the eighth finished millimetres from the cup for one of six birdies.

“I wanted to be last group so I’m delighted,” said Manley. “I’ve led quite a few times on the Challenge Tour so hopefully that will put me in good stead for tomorrow.

“There will be a few nerves early on I think but I’m swinging so well that if I can be committed to the golf shot I’ll be fine and just enjoy it.

“Pretty much from the first hole onwards, every iron shot was right down the pin.

“If it had been a good day on the greens it could have been a really low round, so it was disappointing not to capitalise, but I feel very confident the way I'm playing and I’m really excited about tomorrow.

“Winning would mean the world really. Obviously there is a lot of golf to go and I’ve just got to enjoy tomorrow and see what happens. To be a winner on The European Tour would be great.”

Like Manley, Ormsby and Kapur are yet to win on The European Tour, and both also carded rounds of 66.

While the top three are all chasing a first success, the three players tied for fourth all know what it takes to win – and two of them have done so in this event.

Defending champion Miguel Angel Jiménez, his fellow Spaniard and the 2007 winner José Manuel Lara and England’s Steve Webster all shot rounds of 65 to reach eight under.

Jiménez became the oldest winner in European Tour history when he triumphed here last year, and he added: “I hope I can keep hitting the ball the way I'm hitting it and knock in some putts to get the victory here, I would love it. I love this golf course.”