2012.5.25 Weekend Picks

K-League

Suwon Samsung Bluewings (9-2-2) at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (7-3-3)

Jeonju World Cup Stadium, North Jeolla

Saturday, 3 p.m.

The league’s top team, Suwon, hosts defending champion Jeonbuk in hopes of securing its position. The Bluewings have won their last two matches, but Jeonbuk is also on a two-game winning streak. The two teams drew in both league encounters last season.

Jeonbuk’s Brazilian midfielder Eninho and Suwon’s Montenegrin striker Dzenan Radoncic will be under the spotlight. The two were candidates to receive Korean citizenship through special naturalization, but failed to get recommendations. Radoncic has netted seven goals so far, while Eninho has scored six.

KBO

SK Wyverns (19-14-1)at Samsung Lions(16-19-1)

Daegu Baseball Stadium

Friday 6:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 5 p.m.

This is the second time this season that the two teams from last year’s Korean Series will meet. In their first three-game series, the Wyverns beat the defending champion Lions twice.

The Wyverns, led by legendary Lions player Lee Man-soo, were thought to be in troubled waters as their starting pitchers have suffered a series of injuries. But they are so far pushing through with strong bullpen pitchers such as Park Hee-soo, who is currently the league leader in holds. The Incheon-based team is also No. 1 in ERA.

The Lions are trying to regain championship caliber form, but so far their pitchers have not been consistent. The team has sent last year’s home-run and RBI king Choi Hyung-woo and Rookie of the Year Bae Young-seob to the minors for failing to produce.

KLPGA

2012 Doosan Match Play Championship

Ladena Country Club, Chuncheon, Gangwon

Thursday to Sunday

This is the only match play tournament in the KLPGA. Entering its fifth year, the event started with the top 64 golfers. With all previous winners from the tournament having gone home after the first round yesterday, last year’s MVP Kim Ha-neul, current prize money leader Lee Rye-jung and Kim Char-young, who collected her first KLPGA victory last week, have survived.