Sports Briefs

GOLF

Park In-bee still world No. 3, but slightly closer to No. 2

Korean LPGA star Park In-bee has inched closer to the No. 1 ranking in women’s golf.

Park remained in third place in the latest women’s world rankings announced Tuesday, trailing Feng Shanshan and Lexi Thompson.

But Park now sits just 0.38 of a point behind Feng. The Korean improved from 6.33 points to 6.67 points, while Feng went up from 6.89 points to 7.05 points.

Thompson is at 6.75 points.

Park has been on a nice roll this year, after missing the last month or so of the 2017 season with back issues. She has finished in the top three in three of her past four tournaments, including a victory at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup last month. Park is also leading the LPGA in money and the Player of the Year points so far in 2018.

ICE HOCKEY

Korean ice hockey team faces tough challenge at IIHF

Korea will face a couple of top-10 nations in its run-up to the men’s world hockey championship.

Coached by former National Hockey League (NHL) defenseman Jim Paek, Korea is set to compete at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship scheduled for May 4 to 20 in Denmark.

It is the highest tier among the IIHF’s world championships, and Korea will play at this level for the first time after earning a promotion with a runner-up finish at last year’s Division I Group A tournament.

Korea will train at home this week and depart for Slovakia next Monday.

Yonhap