The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Ryder Cup: Love's game plan fizzles on final day
- Pedrosa wins on his birthday weekend in front of home crowd
- Ryder Cup glory comeback for Europe
| Ryder Cup: Love's game plan fizzles on final day Posted: 30 Sep 2012 06:10 PM PDT CHICAGO (Illinois): A sombre US skipper Davis Love was reeling from Europe's shock upset Sunday at the 39th Ryder Cup saying his team may have suffered from a case of overconfidence. "We're all kind of stunned," Love said. "We know what it feels like now from the '99 Ryder Cup. "It's a little bit shocking. We were playing so well. Everybody on our team was playing so well, we just figured it didn't matter how we sent them out there. "But we put who we thought was our hot players up front and we put who we thought was our steady players in the back that would get us points." Love's game plan started to unravel from the start of Sunday's singles. Europe came out with plenty of fire and went on to win eight of 12 singles matches for a 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 total to equal the greatest final-day comeback in Ryder Cup history. Europe was able to turn the tables on the Americans who recorded a similar comeback in 1999 in Brookline, Massachusetts by overcoming a 6-10 deficit. But this one stings because it happened on US soil. "Anytime you lose a segment that badly, it is going to cost you the Ryder Cup," Love said. "It's exactly the same, same score. They came back and won. "Give them a lot of credit; they played very, very well. "They had a couple hot streaks the first two days that kept them in it. Ian's (Poulter) hot streak at the end there yesterday gave them some confidence, and I know they built on that." Love was given the captain's job after winning six caps and serving as one of Corey Pavin's assistants two years ago. He faced European captain Jose Maria Olazabal and the late Seve Ballesteros in his first three Ryder Cup games. Love said they didn't get the start they had hoped for Sunday from their big guns, Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson and Keegan Bradley, who all lost their singles matches. "Guys that started hot the first couple days did not start hot today," Love said. "We all thought it would come down to Jason Dufner, and he played very, very well. We just got a couple matches flipped there in the middle that cost us." Love, who played in six Ryder Cups, knows he will be second guessed for some of his decisions this week, including benching the red-hot duo of Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley in the Saturday afternoon fourballs. "We all went to plan. We were four ahead. The plan worked the first two days, it just didn't work today," said Love, who played in the 1999 Ryder Cup. "I wouldn't have done anything different." - AFP |
| Pedrosa wins on his birthday weekend in front of home crowd Posted: 30 Sep 2012 04:52 PM PDT ALCANIZ (Spain): Dani Pedrosa gave himself a timely birthday present with a dazzling victory in the Aragon Grand Prix MotoGP race here on Sunday. The Spanish Honda rider, who turned 27 on Saturday, came home clear of compatriot and overall series leader Jorge Lorenzo, on a Yamaha, while Andrea Dovizioso was third on a Yamaha a whisker ahead of team-mate Cal Crutchlow. Pedrosa, who was winning his third race in the last four MotoGPs, narrowed the gap on Lorenzo in the standings to 33 points with four races to go and made up for his disastrous outing at San Marino a fortnight ago where he went out on the first lap. Pedrosa admitted that the cloud of the San Marino race was still affecting him entering the weekend. "It was a tough weekend because of the cold conditions and rain yesterday and I had all the things in my head from the last race," said Pedrosa, a former 125cc and two-time 250cc world champion. "It was hard to keep calm in the weekend but today it was good for me and a good race. "Immediately I could see I could go faster and then open a gap. "I am very happy to win in front of my fans and family and on my birthday weekend." Lorenzo, who has still not won here, said that he realised soon after Pedrosa overtook him that he would not catch him and he played safe. "I make a mistake on the first corner after he overtook me and I almost crashed and then realised I couldn't go at the same pace as I had done on the first few laps. "It was impossible to follow Pedrosa so I raced for the championship after that. No risks." Dovizioso said that it was great to get back on the podium. "I wanted to stay in front of Ben (Spies) and Cal even though I wasn't so fast," said the 26-year-old. "I was so slow in some pIaces. I knew Cal would try and overtake me and I tried to shut the door. Cal is really aggressive but really clean in the battle. It was a good battle with him and very important to get onto the podium again." Crutchlow wasn't too disappointed as he was able to extend his lead in his points battle with Italian superstar Valentino Rossi. "Its nice for Dovi and myself and the team," said the 26-year-old Briton. — AFP Results MotoGP: 1. Dani Pedrosa (Spa) Honda 42:10.444; 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha 6.472 secs behind; 3. Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Yamaha 11.047; 4. Cal Crutchlow (Bri) Yamaha 11.184; 5. Ben Spies (US) Yamaha 13.786; 6. Alvaro Bautista (Spa) Honda 28.166; 7. Jonathan Rea (Bri) Honda 32.290; 8. Valentino Rossi (Ita) Ducati 44.432; 9. Karel Abraham (Cze) Ducati 57.417; 10. Aleix Espargaro (Spa) ART 58.525. Overall standing (After 14 of 18 races): 1. Lorenzo 290 points; 2. Pedrosa 257; 3. Casey Stoner (Aus) Honda 186; 4. Dovizioso 179; 5. Crutchlow 135; 6. Rossi 128; 7. Bautista 128; 8. Stefan Bradl (Ger) Honda 115; 9. Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati 93; 10. Spies 88. Moto2: 1. Pol Espargaro (Spa) Kalex 40:25.260; 2. Marc Marquez (Spa) Suter 1.447 secs behind; 3. Scott Redding (Bri) Kalex 1.743; 4. Andrea Iannone (Ita) Speed Up 1.825; 5. Bradley Smith (Bri) Tech 3 2.193. Overall standings: 1. Marquez 258; 2. Espargaro 210; 3. Iannone 178; 4. Thomas Luthi (Swi) Suter 166; 5. Redding 131. Moto3: 1. Luis Salom (Spa) Kalex KTM 40:56.391; 2. Sandro Cortese (Ger) KTM 0.155 secs behind; 3. Jonas Folger (Ger) Kalex KTM 0.362; 4. Danny Kent (Bri) KTM 1.115; 5. Efren Vazquez (Spa) FTR Honda 1.160. Overall standings: 1. Cortese 245; 2. Salom 194; 3. Maverick Vinales (Spa) FTR Honda 179; 4. Romano Fenati (Ita) FTR Honda 120; 5. Alex Rins (Spa) Suter Honda 106. |
| Ryder Cup glory comeback for Europe Posted: 30 Sep 2012 04:20 PM PDT CHICAGO (Illinois): Europe produced the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history to reel in the United States and retain the trophy at Medinah Country Club on Sunday. Trailing by 10-6 going into the closing 12 singles, Jose Maria Olazabal's men thrillingly won the first five matches out and went on to make sure of victory when Martin Kaymer defeated Steve Stricker 1 up in the penultimate match. He clinched it with a six-foot putt at the last, 21 years after his fellow German Bernard Langer missed from a similar distance to hand victory to the United States at Kiawah Island. That gave the Europeans the 14 points they needed to make sure of keeping the small, golden trophy for another two years, and then minutes later Tiger Woods missed a four-footer at 18 against Francesco Molinari to hand overall victory to Europe 14 1/2 to 13 1/2. "This is indescribable," Kaymar said. "I was so nervous in the last two or three holes. Olazabal came up to me on the 16th and told me we needed my point to win the Ryder Cup. I loved that feeling. Loved it. "You cannot compare the pressure of winning this to winning my major. I won that for myself. But today I could hear my team and hear all the people. My season hasn't been good but today I made a huge step for my confidence." The Americans had started the 12 closing singles 10-6 ahead and needing just 4 1/2 points to win the cup for just the second time in the last decade, the other time being at Valhalla, Kentucky four years ago. They got to that position by dominating the foursomes and fourballs play on Friday and Saturday, taking two sessions 3-1 and splitting the two others 2-2. Jose Maria Olazabal's team were left with the mammoth task of winning eight out of the 12 singles to put the overall match score at 14-14, thus ensuring Europe retained the cup as holders. No European side had ever managed to comeback from 6-10 down in the Ryder Cup and no US team had ever lost more than a two-point advantage on the final day since the competition began in 1927. Olazabal loaded his top guns at the start of the singles slate and there was some early momentum as Luke Donald quickly went 2 up on Bubba Watson in the lead match and Europe were ahead in three of the first five matchups with one all-square. But gradually the US team settled in with some strong middle-order players and it became increasingly clear how huge the task on hand was for the Europeans. First point home was a blue one as Donald led from start to finish to see off crowd-pleaser Bubba Watson 2 and 1. The Englishman was four up with five to play, but missed a four-footer to win on the 14th. Watson took the 15th and then chipped in to nick the 16th before Donald clinched it with a superb bunker shot at 17. Then Paul Lawrie, Europe's oldest player, pulled off an upset by trouncing Tour Championship winner Brandt Snedeker 5 and 3. And when world No.1 Rory McIlroy, who nearly missed his tee-time due to a mixup over time zones, completed a 2 and 1 win over the previously unbeaten Keegan Bradley, and Ian Poulter finished a perfect 4-0 by defeating Webb Simpson 2 up, the overall match was tied at 10-10. Dustin Johnson beat Nicolas Colsaerts 3 and 2 to put the Americans back ahead only for Justin Rose to win the last two holes with monster putts to defeat Phil Mickelson 1 up. Zach Johnson edged Graeme McDowell 2 and 1, but Sergio Garcia won the last two holes to stun Jim Furyk and Lee Westwood completed a 3 and 2 win over Matt Kuchar to make it Europe 13 United States 12. Jason Dufner defeated Peter Hanson 2 up and it was level at 13-13. It all came down to the last two matches and they were both all square. Woods moved one up on Molinari, but Kaymer took the 17th against Steve Stricker and he sunk the nerve-jangling six footer at the last to ensure Europe had the 14 points they needed. By the time Woods flopped at the last, Europe had taken the singles by an unthinkable 8 1/2 to 3 1/2. An emotional Olazabal paid tribute to the late Severiano Ballesteros, his great friend and Ryder Cup playing partner, who died from a brain tumour last year. "Seve will always be present with this team," he said. "He was a big factor for this event, for the European side, and last night when we were having that meeting, I think the boys understood that believing was the most important thing, and I think they did." Love said that he would not have done anything different in his tactics or selections. "They played great," he said. "We had a couple of matches that got flipped there at the end that made it a little bit easier on them. This is a great team and we had a great week." - AFP |
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