Greg Norman has hinted at a women's series being introduced by LIV Golf.

Norman, chief executive officer of LIV Golf, confirmed he has had discussions with players from various tours to gauge interest, and said there has been plenty of it.

The Saudi Arabia-backed tour began a men's series last year, with the inaugural event taking place in London, with high-profile players such as Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith and Bryson DeChambeau leaving the PGA Tour to take part.

"[A women's tour] is a discussion we have internally on a regular basis," Norman said ahead of LIV Golf's first Australia-based event in Adelaide.

"I have personally had discussions with individual LPGA Tour players, LET Tour players, Ladies European Tour. They love what our product is showcasing. They ask all the time, 'How can we get involved?' We'd love to see a LIV ladies series."

The creation of LIV Golf caused a rivalry to develop in the sport between it and the PGA and DP World Tours, with the latter recently winning a legal battle against members who played in LIV Golf tournaments over a dispute around imposing fines for playing in competing events.

Much of the controversy stems from being backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, but Norman said it is not his job to question the human rights record of the Saudi government.

"Why not? Because I am the chairman and CEO of LIV Golf Investments, and that's where I focus, I focus on golf, I stay focused on golf," he said.

"My job is to build out LIV and the product and the platform we have on the global front.

"Golf is a force for good. I've built golf courses in third-world countries, in communist countries. So golf is a force for good, it goes everywhere with the right platform."

Kathy Whitworth, the record-breaking former LPGA Tour player, has died at the age of 83.

Whitworth, who passed away suddenly on Christmas Eve, won 88 LPGA titles during her career – the most on any professional tour.

The six-time major winner was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976, a year after winning the last of her three Women's PGA Championship crowns.

Five years later, Whitworth became the first woman to reach career earnings of $1million on the LPGA Tour and, in 1990, was the United States' first Solheim Cup captain.

"The golf world and the world in general lost one of its most incredible women with the passing of Kathy Whitworth," LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said in a statement.

"Kathy was a champion in the truest sense of the word, both on the golf course and off."

Her partner Bettye Odle added: "It is with a heart full of love that we let everyone know of the passing of the winningest golf professional ever, Kathy Whitworth.

"Kathy passed suddenly Saturday night celebrating Christmas Eve with family and friends. Kathy left this world the way she lived her life, loving, laughing and creating memories."

Jessica Korda might have been wearing the wrong trousers, but the American strode purposefully into contention on day one of the Women's Open as former winner Hinako Shibuno led the way at Muirfield.

Korda's suitcase failed to make it to Scotland, meaning she has been borrowing clothes all week, but the 29-year-old from Florida shot a five-under 66 to ease her stress.

She could call on her sponsor to kit her out with emergency supplies on Thursday, but it has been a frustrating few days.

"On Monday I wore Megan Khang's pants. Tuesday, I wore my sister's pants and Wednesday I wore Alison Lee's pants," Korda said, quoted on the tournament website.

Playing for a top prize of $1,095,000 (£900,000) this week, Korda sat one shot behind 23-year-old Japanese star Shibuno, who marked her maiden major three years ago at Woburn by landing the Women's Open title.

It has not been all plain sailing since for Shibuno, who missed the cut at Troon when defending the title in 2020 and finished only 34th last year at Carnoustie, but a round of 65 containing eight birdies and two dropped shots was a terrific start to this week's quest.

Scotland's Louise Duncan, who finished 10th as an amateur at Carnoustie, joined the paid ranks last month and a sparkling 67 put her in a tie of third with Mexican Gaby Lopez.

Korda's sister, world number three Nelly Korda, sat in a tie for 13th on one under through 18 holes, while last year's winner Anna Nordqvist had a round to forget, a three-over 74 leaving the Swede with a battle to make the cut.

World number one Ko Jin-young had an even worse day, with a five-over 76 following her recent miserable tie for 71st at the Scottish Open.

This is the first time Muirfield has staged a women's major, with members having only voted to allow women to join the club five years ago.

Brooke Henderson remains in the lead at the Evian Championship, but a round of 65 from Ryu So-yeon on Saturday saw the South Korean move within two shots at the top of the leaderboard.

After back-to-back rounds of 64, Henderson carded a steady 68 on the third day in France, opening with a bogey before making four birdies and 13 pars to finish on 17-under overall.

Henderson, who won her first major at the Women's PGA Championship aged 18 in 2016, missed a chance to give herself an extra cushion as she slightly pulled a birdie putt on the 18th hole.

Ryu had managed a 67 and 66 on the first two days in Evian-les-Bains, and saw improvement again on Saturday as she carded eight birdies, despite also bogeying the fifth and 10th holes.

World number three Nelly Korda, who had been in second place overnight, struggled to replicate her positive start as the American carded an even-par round of 71, tied for sixth overall.

Sophia Schubert sits two shots further back in third after going round in 66, while Carlota Ciganda and Kim Sei-young are tied for fourth after carding 67 and 68 respectively.

World number one Ko Jin-young produced six birdies and two bogeys for a round of 67, sitting on 11-under-par in joint-sixth place heading into Sunday.

The only player to best Ryu's 65 was Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland, who produced an impressive round of 64 to move from tied for 30th to tied for 11th.

 

Brooke Henderson produced a second successive 64 to surge into the lead at the Evian Championship.

The Canadian world number 10 had been one shot behind overnight leader Ayaka Furue going into the second round.

But Henderson, who won her first major at the Women's PGA Championship aged 18 in 2016, maintained her momentum with another seven-under-par effort.

She made the turn in 33 before going five under for the back nine, carding three consecutive birdies to close an outstanding round.

At 14 under par, Henderson went three strokes clear of world number three Nelly Korda, the American carding a 67 to improve to 11 under through 36 holes.

South Koreans Kim Sei-young and Ryu So-yeon sat tied fourth on nine under, while a group of six players were eight under par at the halfway stage.

Furue, meanwhile, slipped seven shots back after failing to build on her superb eight-under first round, the Japanese posting a one-over 72.

Defending champion Minjee Lee made it through to the weekend after a two-under 69 put her three shots inside the cut line.

Japanese rising star Ayaka Furue was the pace-setter at the Evian Championship as the 22-year-old shot a 63 to edge one clear of the field.

The eight-under-par first round from Furue saw her finish the day narrowly clear of American star Nelly Korda and Canada's Brooke Henderson, who both went round in 64 to share second place.

Henderson had an eagle three at her final hole, the ninth, to stake her early claim as the 24-year-old world number 10 bids to win a second major, six years on from landing the Women's PGA Championship as a teenager.

Korda had a clean round of seven birdies and no dropped shots, with the Olympic champion saying on Fox Sports: "I was just making putts. That's typically what I struggle with the most on this golf course. I've always figured out where to miss and where to not, in a sense, but the birdie putts are key out here and they were just rolling in today."

The 23-year-old Korda had a blood clot removed from her left arm in April and has gained a different view on her golf career, saying: "I think I'm a little bit more chill about it. I'm trying to remind myself I'm lucky to be out there and enjoying every moment."

Furue will be looking over her shoulder, but she has plenty of experience of winning on the Japanese tour so may not be intimidated by the prospect of leading going into Friday, even if she sits only 48th on the money list in her first full year on the LPGA Tour.

She also finished fourth at this tournament in 2021, having qualified due to her success in Japan. Ai Miyazato was Japan's last winner of the Evian Championship, carrying off the 2009 and 2011 titles.

Defending champion Minjee Lee had a one-under 70 to be tied for 39th place, while American Cheyenne Knight was fourth on her own after a six-under 65, one shot better off than a group including 2015 winner Lydia Ko and Charley Hull.

South Korea's Chun In-gee has managed to hold on and win the Women's PGA Championship by one stroke, despite finishing her week with back-to-back 75s on Saturday and Sunday.

Chun finished on five under to win her third major championship, but she entered the weekend with a massive lead after rounds of 64 and 69 had her at 11 under, six strokes clear of the chasing pack.

Only nine players finished the tournament under par, illustrating the difficulty of the course and conditions at Congressional Country Club.

In a tie for second was Australia's Minjee Lee – fresh off her U.S. Open win – along with American Lexi Thompson at four under.

Thompson entered the day at five under and shot a 73 to drop one stroke, while Lee came in at two under – and bogeyed her first two holes of the day – but went four under across her final 16 holes for a Sunday 70.

Thailand's Atthaya Thitikul claimed outright fourth place at three under, two strokes clear of the five-woman pack tied for fifth at one under.

That group had three South Koreans – Kim Hyo-joo, Kim Sei-young and Choi Hye-jin – to give the country four of the top nine.

In a notable performance, Australian Stephanie Kyriacou posted four consecutive even-par 72s and finished tied for 10th.

A third major title remains in play for Chun In-gee but she opened the door for the rest of the Women's PGA Championship field in Saturday's third round at the Congressional Country Club.

Chun was in control after the opening two rounds with respective scores of 64 and 69 on the Blue Course, but finished Saturday with a three-stroke lead from a three-way tie for second after a three-over 75.

The world number 33 was leading by four strokes when her second shot on the par-five 16th faded sharply into the tall wire grass, before a shank into the trees on the other side of the fairway resulted in a drop, finishing the hole with a double-dogey.

A three-putt from Kim Sei-young on the par-four 17th put her level with Lexi Thompson and Choi Hye-jin on five-under for the tournament, minimising the damage for Chun.

Meanwhile, Hannah Green remains in striking distance coming into the final round, despite bogeys on the 10th and 18th holes to put her back to even-par for the day, and four-under for the tournament.

Chun In-gee shot a three-under 69 on Friday to extend her leading score at the Women's PGA Championship to 11 under – six strokes better than anyone else through two rounds.

The South Korean, who is a two-time major winner, led by five strokes after the first round, and extended that by one more with five birdies and two bogeys in her second trip around the course. In doing so, she is the only player to shoot both rounds in the 60s.

Leading the chasing pack at five under is Australian Lydia Ko and American Jennifer Kupcho, with Ko's 67 tying for Friday's round of the day along with Lexi Thompson.

Thompson sits in a tie for ninth at three under, along with recent U.S. Open winner Minjee Lee and China's Xiyu Lin.

Heading into the weekend there are 26 women below par, including representatives from Thailand, Northern Ireland, Japan, Finland, England and South Africa.

Chun In-gee coasted with an eight-under 64 on Thursday, to take a five-stroke lead after the opening round of the Women's PGA Championship.

Scoring a bogey on the opening hole of the Blue Course at the Congressional Country Club in Maryland, the world number 33 quickly responded with four birdies over the rest of the front nine.

Birdieing the par-five 11th, Chun then closed the round out with four consecutive birdies to post a 64 for the day, putting her ahead of compatriot Choi Hye-jin, who finished Thursday with three-under 69.

In an otherwise challenging day in wet conditions on the Blue Course, following heavy rain overnight, the world's top three players finished some way off as Chun blitzed the field.

Ko Jin-young ended Thursday with an even score of 72, while world number two and defending champion Nelly Korda finished on one-under.

After taking out the U.S. Women's Open earlier in the month, Minjee Lee had a tough day out, posting three bogeys to eventually finish on one-over.

Minjee Lee claimed the second major tournament of her career on Sunday, winning the U.S. Women's Open by four strokes from Mina Harigae.

The 26-year-old shot an even-par 71 on Sunday at Pine Needles, extending her one-stroke lead from Harigae coming into the final round.

The world number four coming into this weekend, Lee started strongly with birdies on the opening two holes of the round, giving her a healthy buffer from the chasing pack.

Lee broke the record for the lowest total score over 72 holes with 271, beating the scores of 272 set by Chun In-gee, Juli Inkster and Annika Sorenstam.

She also became the third Australian to win the US Women's Open after Jan Stephenson and Karrie Webb, who also won at Pine Needles in 2001.

Minjee Lee is threatening to run away with the U.S. Women's Open, taking a three-stroke lead heading into the final round on Saturday.

Lee fired a four-under 67 to move to 13-under after 54 holes, breaking the U.S. Women's Open 54-hole record of 201 set in 1999 by Juli Inkster by a single stroke.

The world number four started the third round slowly, scoring a bogey on the fifth hole to fall two shots behind Mina Harigae.

Lee responded quickly with a birdie on the sixth, before breaking the round open with four consecutive birdies between nine and 12.

Playing alongside Lee in the final group, Harigae faltered meanwhile, firing consecutive bogeys on the 11th and 12th hole respectively.

The past three third-round U.S. Women's Open leaders at Pine Needle have all gone on to win the tournament, including Lee's fellow Australian Karrie Webb in 2001.

Australian Minjee Lee and American Mina Harigae are tied for the lead at nine under after two rounds of the U.S. Women's Open played at Pine Needles.

Harigae was tied for the lead after Thursday's first round, and followed it up her 64 with a solid 69, while Lee posted a 67 on Thursday and then followed it with Friday's second-best round of the day, shooting a 66.

The actual round of the day went to South Korea's Choi Hye-jin, who shot a seven-under 64 after entering the day at even par to sit in a tie for third heading into the weekend.

She is tied two shots back from the lead at seven under with Sweden's Anna Nordqvist, one shot ahead of fellow Swede, amateur Ingrid Lindblad, who posted a one under score on Friday after setting the U.S. Women's Open record for lowest score by an amateur with her opening round 65.

Lindblad is tied with world number one Ko Jin-young at six under, with South Korea's Kim Sei-young and Thailand's Moriya Jatanugarn one stroke back at five under.

Rounding out the top-10 are the American trio of Ryann O'Toole, Megan Khang and Andrea Lee, along with England's Bronte Law and South Korea's Park Sung-hyun, tied for ninth at four under.

American Mina Harigae is the outright leader after the first round of the U.S. Women's Open with a seven-under 64, but she was arguably outshone by Swedish amateur Ingrid Lindblad.

Harigae had nine birdies with two bogeys – becoming the sixth player to shoot 64 in tournament history – but leads by just one stroke from Lindblad, who shot the best score by an amateur in U.S. Women's Open history with her 65.

Lindblad was spectacular, particularly on the front-nine, where she birdied the first three holes, as well as the eigthth and ninth, before finally registering her only bogey of the round on the 10th. She responded to that adversity in fine fashion, collecting birdies on 12 and 13.

The chasing pack sits two back from Lindblad, with Swedish compatriot Anna Nordqvist tied at four under with Australia's Minjee Lee and America's Ryann O'Toole.

Keeping with the Swedish theme, Lindblad was partnered with legendary three-time U.S. Women's Open champion Annika Sorenstam, who gave the 22-year-old some glowing praise after their round.

"She's authentic," she said. "She's got a special look, but she's a fearless player.

"She's confident in her own game. I know she doesn't shy away from the limelight that maybe I did as a young girl."

American duo Lexi Thompson and Ally Ewing are tied for sixth at three under, and there is an 11-woman logjam sitting inside the top-10, tied for eighth at two under.

Europe retained the Solheim Cup and secured just their second win in the United States on Monday, prevailing 15-13.

The visiting team held a 9-7 lead heading into the final day's action and protected that advantage to see out a stunning success.

Team Europe were comfortable in the end, although victory was sealed in rather untidy fashion in Ohio.

With the score at 14-11, Danielle Kang's poor putting left Emily Pedersen three up with three to play, guaranteed at least half a point, which would be enough for the win.

Matilda Castren had already ensured the holders would take the trophy home again, though, sinking the decisive putt to finish 1 up over Lizette Salas and clinch at least a draw.

Salas has twice finished second at majors this season, while Castren only made her LPGA Tour bow last year, yet it was the European star who held her nerve.

"It feels amazing. I can't believe I made that putt," Castren told Sky Sports. "It's such an amazing feeling and I'm so proud to be part of this team."

Suzann Pettersen had holed the winning putt two years earlier at Gleneagles, and she was a source of inspiration for Castren.

"We have Suzann's photo in the locker room, and there's a part of me that thought I wouldn't be able to do it," she said. "The pressure made me focus a bit more."

First-time Team USA captain Pat Hurst told NBC Sports: "It is what it is. We played hard and with heart. That's all we were asking for.

"Both sides are awesome players. The level of women's golf is unbelievable now, and it's just getting better."

Pedersen held on to beat Kang, while there were also European wins for Madelene Sagstrom, Leona Maguire and Celine Boutier. Maguire finished with a sensational 4.5 points as the only unbeaten player.

World number one Nelly Korda at least went down fighting, ending 1 up over Georgia Hall.

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