SPORTS / N.W. JOB MARKET
August 7, 2017
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 13
Asians in American sports w Asian Americans in world sports
Young Asian golfers
take turns atop LPGA
Find general information about the
city and employment opportunities at:
<www.hillsboro-oregon.gov>
By Mike Street
Special to The Asian Reporter
o major American sport has
seen more rising Asian
talent than the Ladies Pro-
fessional Golf Association (LPGA),
and this year is shaping up to be one
of the most exciting Asian-dominated
seasons ever. Already, three different
golfers of Asian heritage have cap-
tured the top spot in the LPGA’s
Rolex Rankings and eight of the top-
ten golfers are also of Asian descent.
This season began with Lydia Ko at
number one in the Rolex Rankings,
after just missing winning the top
spot for the second-straight year in
2016. That near-miss inspired the
Korea-born New Zealander to change
her clubs, caddie, and instructor at
the start of this season, and Ko
promptly finished in the top ten in
three of the first four tournaments.
Then she missed the cut at the Kia
Classic in March and fired her new
caddie in April, shortly before an eye
infection forced her to withdraw from
the Texas Shootout. Top-ten finishes
in her next three events suggested Ko
was back on track, but she hadn’t won
any of the season’s first 11 events,
and that’s not the way to hold onto the
number-one spot in the LPGA.
Breathing down Ko’s neck has been
21-year-old Ariya Jutanugarn, the
Thai golfer who edged her out for the
top spot in 2016. Jutanugarn not only
won the 2016 Rolex Rankings, she
also won the money title and the Race
to the CME Globe — all in just her
second season on the tour. Only one
other player has taken all of those
three awards in the same year: Lydia
Ko in 2015, also in her second LPGA
season.
Jutanugarn built on her 2016
finish with a strong start to 2017. In
her first 11 tournaments, she finished
in the top ten of eight of them, three of
those in the top three. Heading into
the Manulife LPGA Classic in June,
Jutanugarn stood just a hundredth of
a point behind Ko, so close that an
LPGA miscalculation had mistakenly
put her in first before the error was
discovered.
But instead of a dramatic
showdown at the Manulife, Ko chose
not to play, and Jutanugarn won the
tournament in a playoff, placing her
correctly atop the Rolex rankings. It
was the first time a Thai golfer —
DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
N
The Oregon State Bar is looking for someone to
provide strategic direction, administration, &
oversight for the acquisition, development, operation,
& integration of all IT resources & services.
Please visit <www.osbar.org/
osbcenter/openings.html>
for job details.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Join Our Team!
Why work with PPS Nutrition Services?
• Work with kids and food
• Day shifts, no nights, regular work schedule
• No weekends or holidays
• Training provided
SUPERIOR STROKES. South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu (top photo) hits out of a sand trap on the
fourth hole during the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open Golf tournament in Bedminster, New
Jersey. In the bottom photo, Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand hits off the 14th fairway during the first
round of the same tournament. (AP Photos/Seth Wenig)
male or female — had reached
number one in the world.
Jutanugarn’s reign would not last
long, however. The following week,
she tied for 22nd place in the Meijer
LPGA Classic — a respectable finish,
but not good enough to stay in first
place after South Korea’s So Yeon
Ryu won the Walmart NW Arkansas
Championship.
Now Ryu stands at the top of the
Rolex Rankings, a move that has
surprised few LPGA fans. Another
excellent young golfer, Ryu won the
2011 LPGA U.S. Women’s Open
before even joining the tour, and then
she took the Rolex rookie award the
following season.
Though Ryu had only won three
other LPGA events before this
season, she consistently finishes in
the top ten of tournaments thanks to
her very precise game. In 2016, she
ranked second on the tour in greens
in regulation, sixth in scoring
average, and 10th in rounds under
par. She began this season with an
active streak of making the cut in 55
consecutive tournaments.
Ryu has continued her consistency.
Though she broke the streak at 64
straight tournaments in June by
missing the cut at the ShopRite
LPGA Classic, Ryu has still notched
five top-five finishes this season
(including a victory at the ANA
Inspiration in March) and four more
finishes in the top ten.
Since ascending to the top spot,
Ryu has played well while Ko and
Jutanugarn have struggled. Ryu tied
for 14th at the KPMG Women’s PGA
Championship and tied for third at
the U.S. Women’s Open. Ko,
meanwhile, tied for 59th at the PGA
Championship and tied for 33rd at
the Open, starting strong in both
events before faltering over the final
rounds.
Continued on page 16
Call (503) 916-3271 for more information.
Applicants must be fingerprinted,
pass criminal record check and obtain
Multnomah County Food Handlers Certification.
Portland Public Schools
501 N Dixon St., Portland, OR 97227
Phone: (503) 916-3399
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
SERVICE DISPATCHER
Closing Date/Time:
Sun., 08/13/2017, 11:59pm Pacific Time
Salary: $17.95 - $25.88 Hourly
This position is NOT affiliated with
911 Emergency Services
The City of Portland is seeking a Service Dispatcher
in the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT).
Service Dispatchers perform activities related to the
dispatch of equipment and crews in a public utility
setting (Transportation and Water Bureaus) during
the normal course of day-to-day activities and during
emergencies. Duties include operating a base radio
transmitter to maintain radio contact with mobile
units; dispatching units to work sites; forwarding
messages and instructions between crews, super-
visors and representatives from other City agencies;
receiving radio calls from field units; and communi-
cating with employees using radios and cell phones.
For more information, or to apply, please visit
<www.portlandoregon.gov/jobs>
O PGR
O REGON PROBLEM GAM BLI N G RESOURCE
Tu Phan
Call for:
Refinances
Purchases
Offering:
FHA/VA/Conventional
Mortgages
NMLS # 2289
MLO # 7916
12817 S.E. 93rd Avenue
Clackamas, OR 97015
(503) 780-6872
<tu.phan@fairwaymc.com>
<www.LoansNow.com>