The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Quintana wins Tour of Catalonia third stage
- Vonn's boyfriend Tiger tries to dethrone No. 1 McIlroy
- New No. 1 Lewis ready to enjoy ranking supremacy
| Quintana wins Tour of Catalonia third stage Posted: 20 Mar 2013 05:57 PM PDT MADRID: Colombia's Nairo Quintana won the 180km third stage of the Tour of Catalonia from Vidreres to the Vallter 2000 ski resort on Wednesday. Quintana pipped Spaniards Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez in a tough uphill finish to claim the win. The Colombian's Movistar team-mate Valverde took over the leader's jersey from Belgium's Gianni Meersman and sits four seconds ahead of both Joaquim Rodriguez and Bradley Wiggins. Last year's Tour de France winner Wiggins had attempted to break clear and win the stage with one kilometre remaining, but was quickly pegged back by Quintana. Thursday's fourth stage is the longest of the race, a 217.7km ride from Llanars to Port-Aine which will again conclude with a mountaintop finish. The seven-stage race concludes on Sunday. - AFP |
| Vonn's boyfriend Tiger tries to dethrone No. 1 McIlroy Posted: 20 Mar 2013 05:41 PM PDT ORLANDO, Florida: Tiger Woods, who can overtake Rory McIlroy for World No. 1 by defending his title this week at Bay Hill, says he and ski star Lindsey Vonn went public as a couple to combat "stalker-azzi." A day after Woods and Vonn told the world they were dating and shared photos on their Facebook pages, Woods explained why they made that decision at a news conference on the eve of the $6.2 million US PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational. "We're very happy where we're at, but also we wanted to limit the 'stalker-azzi' and all those sleazy websites out there, paparazzi following us," Woods said. Photographers seeking a valuable picture of the couple had put at risk the health of Woods' two children with ex-wife Elin Nordegren - five-year-old daughter Sam Alexis and four-year-old son Charlie. "I've had situations where it has been very dangerous for my kids, the lengths paparazzi will go to," Woods said. "We basically devalued the first photos. Unfortunately that's just the way it is in our society right now. We felt it was the best thing to do and I'm very happy about it." Woods, a 14-time major champion who will try to close the gap on the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus when he plays at next month's Masters, has spent a record 623 weeks atop the world rankings, but none since October of 2010 after injuries and an infamous sex scandal saw him stumble from the top 50. "I fell to 50-plus there for a while," Woods said. "To gradually work my way back is something I'm proud of. It's not easy to get there in the first place and to sustain it isn't easy at all. "I'm very pleased where I've come from - 50-plus to where I'm at is no small task." World No. 2 Woods has won five titles in the past year, a run that began at Palmer's event last year when he won his first PGA title since the scandal. This year, Woods has already collected triumphs at Torrey Pines and Doral. But doubters say he will not be fully back to the form of glory days until he ends a major title drought that dates to the 2008 US Open. "I feel like I'm headed in the right direction from where I have come from," Woods said. "I'd like to get to 19-plus myself." Woods, whose return to success has coincided with his romance with Vonn, seeks his eighth career title at Bay Hill. He would become the first man to win the same PGA event eight times, although he already has eight career victories on the same course from seven PGA titles and the US Open at Torrey Pines. "It has been a long process," Woods said. "I was hurt for a long time. I had to make swing changes that were drastically different than what I was doing before. It has taken some time." After Nicklaus offered earlier this month that he thought Woods would pass his major title total but that at age 37 he had "better get with it", fellow golf icon Palmer said he gives Woods a chance but one that shrinks every year. "I think right now looking at him and watching him play, he looks probably as strong and as good from a golf perspective as I've ever seen him," Palmer said. "His swing and his posture and his attitude is far better than it has been in some time. "I give him a chance. I suppose that every year it's a little more fleeting, however, and he will have to really work hard to keep himself up and keep his mental attitude if he's going to do it." Top-ranked McIlroy, who is dating ninth-ranked women's tennis star Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, is idle this week but the field at Bay Hill still offers more than a few challengers who could deny Woods despite his history there. Woods will be paired alongside England's Justin Rose and reigning British Open champion Ernie Els of South Africa, who won at Bay Hill in 2010 and 1998. Brandt Snedeker is making his first start since straining a rib muscle in a victory at Pebble Beach last month. Reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson and reigning US Open champion Webb Simpson are also in the field, as is 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley. - AFP |
| New No. 1 Lewis ready to enjoy ranking supremacy Posted: 20 Mar 2013 05:39 PM PDT CARLSBAD, California: Coming off LPGA victories at Singapore and Phoenix, American Stacy Lewis plays her first event as the World No. 1 of women's golf starting Thursday at the $1.7 million Kia Classic. By winning her seventh career title at last week's LPGA Founders Cup, 2012 LPGA Player of the Year Lewis overtook Taiwan's Yani Tseng for the top spot in the new rankings last Monday. "It was a little strange definitely to see myself there," Lewis said. "I don't think it's really kind of hit me over the last two days. I didn't realize it was such a big deal at the time, but it has kind of hit me the more I've talked about it and the more people that have said congratulations." Lewis will try to continue her success streak at Aviara Golf Club in quest of a $255,000 top prize in an event that serves as the final tuneup for the first women's major of the season, the $2 million Kraft Nabisco Championship. "I don't know what I'm looking forward to. I just know that I'm going to have fun," Lewis said. "I know there's a lot of people that would love to be in my position right now and that's why I just want to have fun and enjoy it." Tseng, the defending Kia Classic champion seeking a 16th career crown this week, set the rankings pace for 109 weeks and sent Lewis a congratulations message that was special. "The coolest one I think is the one I got from Yani," Lewis said. "I know she may have said that she wanted to lose that spot to kind of help her, but I know she didn't want to lose No. 1 and she was very just very nice to me - congratulations, you played awesome - and kind of added at the end that she was coming after me now and to watch out. "We kind of have a cool relationship built over the last few years and I think it's something that's going to continue over the next couple." Lewis is not setting any goals for how long she might reign. "I'm not going to say I want to be in this position for a certain number of weeks or years because you can't do that - there are too many other good players out here," Lewis said. "So I'm going to just enjoy this position and keep trying to win golf tournaments." Lewis also spoke to the growing globalization of the LPGA, whose 28 events include 14 at US venues, one fewer than last year's American total. "The whole game is becoming more global just because of the players that we have," Lewis said. "We have players from Thailand, so we have a tournament in Thailand. We have players in Japan, so we have a tournament in Japan. I think it's fair to say we go play where our players are from, and I think that's only fair to them. They come and play here, so we should go play there, too. "At the same time, it's a US-based tour and we want to keep it that way, so I think the more events we can get in the US is definitely always better. We've added some domestic events. I feel like we're moving in the right direction but I think it would be unfair if we didn't go play where all our stars are from." - AFP |
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