Weekend Picks

GOLF

U.S. LPGA Tour

Marathon Classic

Friday-Monday, Highland Meadows Golf Club, Sylvania, Ohio

The Marathon Classic is the next stage on which Korea’s women golfers hope to show their dominance. On the U.S. tour, local talent has won 10 times in 17 events; in the Marathon, Park Inbee, Choi Na-yeon and Ryu So-yeon all have shots at the title. Park came in third at the U.S. Open, and Choi won her second title of the year in June. Kim Sei-young may be another contender, with the best performance so far of this year’s tour rookies. Stacy Lewis, Lydia Ko and Brittany Lincicome will try to stem the Korean tide, they are tuning up for the British Open next week.

Last year Ko won this event by beating Ryu, who took the crown in 2012.

The championship will be aired by JTBC Golf.

KLPGA

BMW Ladies Championship 2015

Thursday-Sunday, SKY72 Golf Club, Incheon

The championship is the 16th event on the KLPGA Tour this season, and 144 players teed up on Thursday. The winner’s share is 300 million won ($261,000).

Two top money leaders, Chun In-gee and Lee Jung-min, are entered. Chun is fresh off her win at the U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday.

Ko Jin-young, the winner of the Chojung Sparkling Water-Yongpyong Resort Open last week, are also on hand. Veteran golfer Kang Soo-yun and Seo Hee-kyung, an 11-time KLPGA Tour winner, are in the tournament as invited players.

After Thursday’s round, Lee Sion, Park Se-yeong, Yoon Chae-young and Chung Ye-na were atop the leaderboard. Among the money leaders on this year’s KLPGA tour, Chun placed 43rd and Lee Jung-min 80th. Ko, at 11th, was the leading performer of the trio.

VOLLEYBALL

KOVO Cup, Women’s Semi-Final

Friday-Saturday, Cheongju, North Chungcheong

Four women’s volleyball teams remain to contend for the KOVO championship.

Hyundai E&C Hillstate and the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders will square off in one semifinal match tonight, Friday.

After defeating Gimcheon Hi-Pass and KGC Pro Volley Club, Hyundai E&C led the qualifiers in Group A. The Pink Spiders were second in Group B after beating GS Caltex Seoul Kixx and losing to the IBK Altos. On Saturday the Altos and KGC will match up in the other semifinal. KGC placed second in its group, and the Altos led theirs.

Hyundai E&C’s Hwang Yeon-joo and the Pink Spiders’ Lee Jae-young have scored 32 points each, tying them for second place in the tournament so far.

Through Thursday, Kim Hee-jin of the Altos was by far the leading tournament scorer, with 63 points. In Thursday’s game alone, against Kixx, she scored 41 points. She also leads in three other statistical categories, including back-row attacks.

BY NAM YOON-SEO [nam.yoonseo@joongang.co.kr]