Choi is ready to slam door on Park at British

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland >> Inbee Park caught the bad end of the draw at St. Andrews, made worse by not having her best golf.

Before she can think about a chance to make history as the first golfer to win four professional majors in the same season, Park faced a more immediate concern Friday afternoon in the Women’s British Open — how to make up an eight-shot deficit against Na Yeon Choi.

"I’m so far back," Park said after a birdie on the final hole to salvage a 1-over 73. "We need some tough conditions."

The last time there was talk about a Grand Slam in this area of Scotland was 11 years ago, across the Firth of Forth at Muirfield, where Tiger Woods was going for the third leg of the slam. A nasty storm that arrived without warning blew him off course to an 81 in the third round and that was the end of it.

This wind at St. Andrews was the strongest of the week, though nothing out of the ordinary.

Choi played four groups behind Park and turned in a command performance, making six birdies for a 5-under 67 that gave her a one-shot lead over Miki Saiki of Japan going into the weekend. Saiki set the Old Course record for the Women’s British Open with a 66 in the morning, when the only nuisance was a few bursts of showers.

Romero leads Woodland by one

RENO, Nev. >> Andres Romero birdied his last four holes to take the second-round lead in the Reno-Tahoe Open with 22 points in the modified Stableford scoring format.

The Argentine player who finished third last year had nine birdies, a bogey and a double bogey on Friday for a one-point lead over Gary Woodland.

Rodgers wins Western Amateur in record fashion

ROLAND, Ark. >> Stanford’s Patrick Rodgers topped the 16 match-play qualifiers in the 111th Western Amateur, shooting a 3-under 69 at The Alotian Club for a record 18-under 270 total.

Carlos Ortiz, a North Texas graduate from Mexico, was second at 15 under after a 67.