Stephenson Raps Asian Players

Jan Stephenson, who became the first woman to play on the Champions Tour on Friday, said Asians are “killing” the LPGA Tour and their numbers should be limited.

Stephenson, who won 16 tournaments -- including three majors -- during her LPGA career, is playing in this weekend’s Turtle Bay Championship at Kahuku, Hawaii.

Her comments appear in an article in the November edition of Golf magazine, due out Tuesday.

“This is probably going to get me in trouble, but the Asians are killing our tour. Absolutely killing it,” she told the magazine. “Their lack of emotion, their refusal to speak English when they can speak English. They rarely speak.

“We have two-day pro-ams where people are paying a lot of money to play with us, and they say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye.’

“Our tour is predominantly international and the majority of them are Asian. They’ve taken it over.”

Four of the top nine players on the LPGA money list this year are of Asian descent -- Se Ri Pak, Grace Park, Hee-Won Han and Candie Kung.

“If I were commissioner, I would have a quota on international players and that would include a quota on Asian players,” Stephenson told the magazine.

“As it is, they’re taking American money. American sponsors are picking up the bill. There should be a qualifying school for Americans and a qualifying school for international players. I’m Australian, an international player, but I say America has to come first. Sixty percent of the tour should be American, 40% international.”

South Korean native Park, playing in the Samsung World Championships at the Woodlands, Texas, took exception to the comments.

“She has her own opinion. I just don’t like the fact she picked on Asians and I’m Asian,” Park said.

“She should come and play with me. I have great emotions. She made her points and if that’s how she feels, well ... everybody has their own opinions and Jan stated her own and that’s what was published.”

Pak said she doesn’t think Stephenson meant what she said.

“There are a lot of talented players coming from all different kinds of countries,” Pak said. “The LPGA is getting better. I think it’s a better thing for the LPGA.”

Stephenson shot an eight-over 80 in the opening round. She had only one birdie.

Defending champion Hale Irwin, Dana Quigley and Rex Caldwell were tied for the lead with four-under 68s.

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Steve Flesch and Scott Verplank shared the lead at the Las Vegas Invitational with one of the lowest 54-hole scores in PGA Tour history.

Verplank shot a 66 at the Southern Highlands course to join Flesch, who shot 66 at the TPC at Summerlin, at 23-under 192. That ties for the third lowest 54-hole total at a tour event.

Stuart Appleby was one shot back after a 63, while Scott McCarron (64), Tim Herron (66) and Woody Austin (65) were at 21-under 195 in the 90-hole event.

Both the 72-hole tour record of 256, set by Mark Calcavecchia at the 2001 Phoenix Open, and the 90-hole record, 324 by Joe Durant at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in 2001, are in jeopardy.

Jerry Kelly tied the PGA Tour record with eight consecutive birdies. His run at Summerlin was part of a 65, but at 18 under he was still five shots off the lead.

So is Bill Glasson (63), who had two eagles and shot 29 on the front side at Summerlin.

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Annika Sorenstam played a historic round of golf that qualified her for the LPGA Hall of Fame. But it left her tied for second place in the Samsung World Championships.

Pak finished the rain-delayed 36-hole day at seven- under 137, two strokes in front of Sorenstam and four others.

Sorenstam needed to complete 18 holes in her 10th year on the LPGA Tour as the last step in adding the Hall of Fame to her illustrious career.

She got that with a two-under 70 in the first 18 holes and followed with a 69 for a five-under 139. Pak opened with a 69 and then improved one stroke in the second round.

Tied with Sorenstam were Rachel Teske (70-69), Beth Daniel (70-69), Park (70-69) and Angela Stanford (72-67).

Tennis

Top-seeded Kim Clijsters and second-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne each had straight-set victories in the quarterfinals of the Porsche Grand Prix at Filderstadt, Germany.

Clijsters defeated Amelie Mauresmo, 6-4, 6-3, and Henin-Hardenne beat Elena Dementieva, 7-5, 6-0.

Henin-Hardenne’s semifinal opponent will be Elena Bovina, who upset third-seeded Lindsay Davenport, 6-3, 6-2. Clijsters plays Mary Pierce, who beat Magdalena Maleeva, 7-5, 7-6 (6).

Motor Racing

Paul Tracy won the provisional pole for Sunday’s CART Telmex Gigante Gran Premio in Mexico City. Driving a Team Forsythe Lola, Tracy clocked an average time of 112.893 mph on the 2.786-mile track. Bruno Junqueira was 0.06 seconds behind Tracy with a lap time of 1:28.905.

The NASCAR Busch Series Little Trees 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., was postponed because of rain. It was rescheduled for today.

Passings

Walter Elcock, a former U.S. Tennis Assn. president who equalized prize money for men and women at the 1973 U.S. Open, died Thursday in Brookline, Mass. He was 81.