The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Wi takes one-shot PGA Tour lead at Disney
- Wie shares LPGA lead with Kung, Stanford
- ATP Tour Finals: Del Potro crushes Tipsarevic to stay in semis race
| Wi takes one-shot PGA Tour lead at Disney Posted: 08 Nov 2012 05:31 PM PST LAKE BUENA VISTA (Florida): Charlie Wi got off to a quick start Thursday and will try to make his one-stroke, first-round lead stand up in the US PGA Tour's season-ending event at Walt Disney World Resort. South Korea's Wi had an eagle and eight birdies in an eight-under 64 on Disney's par-72 Palm Course, the easier of two lay-outs in use for the tournament called the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. Wi, who took the first-round lead for the third time this season, closed his round with back-to-back birdies to gain a one-shot edge on Colombian Camilo Villegas and Tommy Gainey. While interest this week is focused on players trying to gain or preserve full playing privileges for next season by finishing in the top 125 on the money list, Wi has aims of his own: securing a first victory in his 184th career start on the US tour and thereby moving into the top 30 on the money list to book a first trip to the Masters. "Top 30 is definitely a goal," Wi said. "I'm not just showing up to play. You've got to have goals. I at least want to give myself a chance." Gainey nabbed his first career victory three weeks ago at Sea Island, where he closed with a superb 60. However, he was so far down the money list that even a win this week wouldn't get him into the Masters. The American would still like to build on the momentum of his first title and close the season on a high note. Villegas, whose US career has stalled since he won consecutive FedEx Cup layoff events and reached seventh in the world back in 2008, finds himself among those fighting to retain his tour card. He didn't qualify for any of the majors this season and has dropped to 214 in the world rankings. He came into the week at 150 on the US money list. If he falls below 150, he will have to go through the second stage of qualifying school. Villegas said an attitude adjustment has helped his game, as he has determined to enjoy his job and stop allowing frustration with his game to fester. "The game comes and kind of bites us, and the last year and a half hasn't been pretty, I can tell you that," he said. "Even though I kept putting in the hours, sometimes it doesn't matter. You put those hours in and if you're not having fun, you're not going to get much out of it. So I've definitely changed a little bit the attitude. And, yes, I've been playing a lot better." Brian Harman, Scott Stallings and Scotland's Russell Knox were tied on 66, with another half-dozen players on 67. Sweden's Henrik Stenson and Charles Howell were among five players whose 68 was the best score at Magnolia, the tougher course that will be used by all players for the last two rounds. - AFP |
| Wie shares LPGA lead with Kung, Stanford Posted: 08 Nov 2012 05:29 PM PST GUADALAJARA (Mexico): Michelle Wie had six birdies in a six-under 66 on Thursday to seize a share of the first round lead in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational alongside Candie Kung and Angela Stanford. Wie, whose 2009 triumph here was the first of her two LPGA tour victories to date, opened with back-to-back birdies at Guadalajara Country Club, and strung together four successive birdies from the 10th through the 13th. It was a great start for a player who has struggled to just two top-20 finishes this season and needed a sponsor invitation to get into the 36-player field after failing to qualify. Taiwan's Kung and American player Stanford both had seven birdies and one bogey in their six-under efforts. World No. 2 Stacy Lewis, who won her fourth title of the season last week in Japan, was one shot off the pace on 67, tied with Evian Masters winner Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu of South Korea, France's Karine Icher and Cristie Kerr. Lewis has a 58-point lead over Park with two events left in the LPGA Player of the Year points race. She is bidding to wrap up the honor this week and become the first US golfer to win the award since Beth Daniel in 1994. Tournament host Lorena Ochoa, the Mexican superstar who won 27 LPGA Tour titles before retiring in 2010, opened with a 71. This time last year Ochoa, 28, was expecting the birth of her son Pedro, who was born in December. - AFP |
| ATP Tour Finals: Del Potro crushes Tipsarevic to stay in semis race Posted: 08 Nov 2012 04:02 PM PST LONDON: Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro crushed Serbian eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic 6-0, 6-4 on Thursday to keep alive his hopes of securing a place in the semi-finals of the ATP Tour Finals. After both players lost their opening Group B matches, this clash at London's O2 Arena had become a must-win encounter and it was former US Open champion del Potro who seized his chance to avoid an early exit with a brutal display of power hitting. Del Potro, seeded sixth, has lost just twice indoors in 2012 and he blew Tipsarevic off the court in just one hour and 16 minutes. The Argentine still needs a win against Roger Federer in his final group match on Saturday to reach the last four and even that may not be enough depending on the result of David Ferrer's meeting with Tipsarevic. At least del Potro still has a chance, unlike Tipsarevic who is destined to crash out after losing both his matches without even winning a set. "I'm so glad to be part of this amazing tournament. I'm trying to play my best tennis," Del Potro said. "It's not easy to win a set 6-0. Janko was fighting. He's a very good player. "I have a high step up against Federer on Saturday but I will try to beat him. "I have worked a lot every day to be here after my injury problems. I'm back in the top 10 and I really want to enjoy this week." Only Federer, Novak Djokovic and Ferrer have amassed more than del Potro's career-high total of 65 match wins this year and, with recent titles in Basle and Vienna on his CV, he is clearly determined to finish the year on a high. Del Potro, who was Tour Finals runner-up in 2009, had won all three of his previous encounters with Tipsarevic and the result was never in doubt after he made the perfect start with a break in the opening game. The Argentine saved a break point on his own serve before seizing control of the set with a second break, secured with a forehand bludgeoned with ferocious power. Leading 3-0, del Potro refused to take his foot off the gas and he broke again in the fifth game before closing out the set. Tipsarevic had been struggling with a virus before the start of the tournament and he looked short of energy and inspiration here. He finally stopped the rot by holding serve at the start of the second set, but del Potro was striking the ball too well to be denied for long and he landed the decisive break in the fifth game. - AFP |
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