RIO DE JANEIRO -- Se Ri Pak could hear the burst of noise from 500 yards away and it wasnt hard to figure out what was causing the commotion.Inbee Park had made one last birdie.Pak could hear it from the back of the 18th green at Olympic Golf Course. She was the team leader for South Korea at the Olympics, the player who inspired a nation that has become the most formidable in womens golf. Park with a gold medal around her neck only affirmed that.Long ago, in another big moment for womens golf in South Korea, their roles were reversed.Park was fast asleep in her apartment outside Seoul when she was jarred awake in the middle of the night. The 9-year-old girl came downstairs to find her parents in front of the TV, cheering wildly as Pak won the 1998 U.S. Womens Open at Blackwolf Run, a landmark moment for golf in South Korea.Two days later, Park wrapped her hands around a golf club for the first time.Ten years later, she was the youngest U.S. Womens Open champion ever.That was the first of seven majors for Park, and a big reason why this year she became the youngest player (27) to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame. Her most recent major was the Womens British Open last year to complete the career Grand Slam.And now shes an Olympic champion.Ive won majors, but I havent won a gold medal, Park said after her five-shot victory over Lydia Ko, the No. 1 player in womens golf. So this feels very, very special, nothing I want to exchange. ... Being able to receive the gold medal on the golf course was an unforgettable moment.She had been coping with a ligament injury in her left thumb that led her to take two months off from the LPGA Tour -- including the U.S. Womens Open and her title defense at the Womens British Open -- to get ready for the Olympics. She wanted to test her thumb in competition, so she played a Korean LPGA event and missed the cut.All that did was spark chatter that she should give up her spot in Rio to another South Korean, and it created unnecessary confusion and doubt for Park.She responded with a quiet determination.I really wanted to do well this week to show a lot of people that I can still play, Park said.But this victory was more than just validation.An Olympic gold medal, particularly under these circumstances, should allow Park to take her place among the best in LPGA history.Think about it. She had not faced top competition in two months and had not broken par in any round since April, the last time she even finished a tournament. She wasnt sure she could play the Olympics amid speculation she might not ever play again, especially after she fulfilled her final requirement in June for the Hall of Fame.There was nothing guaranteed because I havent played that well this season, and I havent really played that many events with the injury, Park said. So I had to overcome a lot of obstacles.And then over four days in Rio, it was as if she had never left.She was one shot behind after the first round to Ariya Jutanugarn, the No. 2 player in the world with four victories and a major this year. She had a one-shot lead over Stacy Lewis, her rival from two years ago. She played in the final group with Ko, another four-time winner and major champion this year.None had a chance.Park kept the ball in play and let her putter to do the rest.Inbee Park is the coolest individual, said Peter Dawson, the former R&A chief who now is president of the International Golf Federation. And I think she is the best putter in the world, male or female.Park wants to start a family, so maybe retirement is closer than she lets on. She said on a couple of occasions last week that she had no retirement plans.Then again, how much longer Park plays is no longer relevant.She already has earned a spot in the same conversation as Pak. There will never be another like Pak, whose legacy goes beyond her five majors and 25 victories on the LPGA Tour. She was the pioneer, whose exploits woke up a little girl in South Korea and inspired greatness.Just to be alongside her speaks to what Park has achieved. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . 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Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys For Sale . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. HOUSTON -- Tampa Bays All-Star closer Alex Colome hadnt allowed a run in more than a month.That changed with his first pitch Friday night, and soon he gave up a second run that allowed the Houston Astros to rally for a 5-4 victory.Mikie Mahtooks first homer this season, a towering shot with two outs in the ninth inning, had put the Rays on top in the top of the ninth.Carlos Correa connected on the first pitch in the ninth inning from Colome (1-4) with a home run to the seats in right field to tie it 4-4.Evan Gattis then fought through eight pitches before sending the ninth to right field for his 21st homer that gave Houston the win.It was too high, Colome said. I tried to be down, but I lost my location today.His tough night ended a stretch of 11 straight scoreless appearances. It was just his second blown save of the season and the first time he had given up a run since his other blown save on July 23 against Oakland.It was just one of those nights. All the great closers have them, manager Kevin Cash said. Hopefully, he gets an opportunity to go back out there tomorrow. When he gets the ball and we have a lead, we couldnt feel any more confident that were going to have success.Corey Dickerson hit a career-high three doubles, drove in a run and scored twice on wild pitches to help Tampa Bay come back from an early 3-0 deficit.Corey had a tremendous day, Cash said. We did a lot of things right today, but weve got to correct some of our base running.The game was tied 3-3 with two outs in the ninth when Mahtook sent a pitch from reliever Ken Giles (2-3) onto the train tracks atop left field.Jake Marisnick homered in the second inning to help Houston build an early lead.Rays starter Drew Smyly allowed three hits and three runs -- two earned -- while striking out eight in six innings.Houstons Mike Fiers yielded six hits and three runs in 6 1/3 innings.Jose Altuve drove in a run on a force out in the first. He then went from first to third on an error by first baseman Brad Miller when he missed the throw on a pickoff attempt. The Astros took a 2-0 lead when Altuve scored on a single by Gattis with one out.Marisnicks homer with one out in the ssecond extended Houstons lead to 3-0.dddddddddddd.Smyly settled in after that, retiring the next 14 batters. The Astros didnt have another baserunner until Yulieski Gurriel singled off Kevin Jepsen with no outs in the seventh.Dickerson doubled in the third inning and took third on a wild pitch with two outs. The Rays cut the lead to 3-1 when Dickerson scored on another wild pitch.Dickerson opened the fifth inning with another double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bobby Wilson. After that, another pitch got away from Fiers and Dickerson scored for the second time on a wild pitch to get Tampa Bay within 3-2.Dickersons third double of the night came with one out in the seventh to drive in a run and tie it 3-3.TRAINERS ROOMRays: 2B Nick Franklin played in a rehab game at Class-A Charlotte on Friday night and was activated from the seven-day concussion list after the game.Astros: OF Colby Rasmus worked out on the field on Friday for the first time since having surgery to remove a cyst in his ear on Aug. 10. Rasmus said hes finally starting to feel normal again, but isnt sure when hell come off the DL.JENNINGS TO BE RELEASEDThe Rays will release OF Desmond Jennings on Saturday. The team announced the impending move before Fridays game.It was time, Cash said. Best for him. Best for us going forward ... unfortunately it just didnt work out. Couldnt quite get him on the field as much as we would have liked. We had to make a decision.Jennings has been on the DL with hamstring and knee injuries for all but five days since July 4. He is currently on the 15-day DL with a bruised left knee.UP NEXTRays: Blake Snell (4-6, 3.17) is scheduled to start for Tampa Bay on Saturday. Snell has struggled with control in his last three starts, walking 13 batters in that span, including a career-high five in his last outing.Astros: Dallas Keuchel (8-12, 4.64) will start for Houston on Saturday. Last years AL Cy Young Award winner allowed five hits and two runs in eight innings of a 5-3 win over Baltimore in his last start. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '