Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Thursday 21 June 2018
Spieth, others try to bounce back after missing U.S. Open cut

By PAT EATON-ROBB ship winners: Brooks Ko-
AP Sports Writer epka, who won his sec-
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — ond straight U.S. Open last
Some of the biggest names week; Spieth; Masters win-
in golf missed the cut at last ner Patrick Reed; and PGA
week's U.S. Open. They're Championship winner Jus-
spending this week in Con- tin Thomas.
necticut looking to fix what- Thomas said he, like most
ever might be wrong with others, isn't just using this to
their game before next tune up their game for the
month's British Open. next major. They are here
Jordan Spieth, the defend- to win.
ing champion at both this "I'm not here thinking about
week's Travelers Champi- the (British) Open. I'm not
onship and next month's playing this to get my game
Open Championship, will ready for the Open," he
try to avoid missing the said. "It's totally, completely
weekend for the third different golf. But that be-
straight tournament. ing said, any time you have
"In order for (my game) to the opportunity to get into
be ready, major champi- contention, you can learn
onship ready for the Open from that and use it in fu-
Championship, I think be- ture events. Hopefully I'll be
ing in contention this week able to learn from a posi-
would be a big key," he tive experience of some
said. "It's tough to go win sort this week."
a major championship if Spieth has nothing but good
you're not at least coming In this June 14, 2018, file photo, Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches his approach shot memories of this event, cre-
off of top 10 finishes in tour- from the rough on the third hole during the first round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship, in ating one of last summer's
naments where you had a Southampton, N.Y. most memorable moments
chance to win." Associated Press when he holed out from a
A year ago, a previously greenside bunker to beat
struggling Spieth shot a Spieth be joined this week course, unlike Shinnecock play a golf course that you Daniel Berger on the first
7-under 63 in his first-ever by plenty of others who Hills, is set up for pin hunt- can make birdies; you can playoff hole, sparking one
round at TPC River High- played just two days last ing. The average winning get on runs. That's a nice of the year's most replayed
lands and went wire to wire, week, including Rory McIl- score since Travelers be- thing." highlights: a rake-throwing,
winning the tournament roy, Jason Day and Bubba gan sponsoring the tourna- The Travelers was selected chest-bumping celebration
in a playoff. That started a Watson. ment in 2007 is a 16-under by the PGA last year as its with his caddie.
memorable summer that "Missing the cut is definitely par 264. Spieth won last "Tournament of the Year" "There are tournaments on
included his first Claret Jug. disappointing," Day said. year by shooting 12 under. and the "Players Choice." the PGA Tour that could be
He's looking to become this "But, to be able to come "Having this tournament That has helped attract great fits for me and this is
tournament's first repeat back and hopefully do right after the tournament a 156-player field that in- one of those," Spieth said.
champion since Phil Mick- what Jordan did last year last week, I think it gets guys cludes five world's top 10 "I just regret I hadn't been
elson won in Connecticut would be nice." back into the normal rou- ranked golfers and all four playing here my entire PGA
in 2001 and 2002. The TPC River Highlands tine," McIlroy said. "They reigning major champion- Tour career."q

ended the match as a again showed her liking ond set," Rybarikova said.
contest. for this surface with a fine "That's the way I am try-
Cornet nevertheless con- recovery against Kristina ing to play on grass. I am
tributed plenty to some Mladenovic. thankful that I have the
fierce baseline exchanges. The Slovak accelerated game to do that."
With a long-term base in toward victory against the The third set of a match
London, Svitolina said she former top 10 player from which lasted nearly two
is "a little bit English," includ- France with an array of hours took only 22 minutes.
ing a recent decision to slice ground strokes, clev- Rybarikova next faces
acquire a home "so close, er approaches and sharp Slovenian qualifier Dalila
next door" to Wimbledon. volleys. Jakupovic, who on Tues-
There is no doubt where Rybarikova last year day overcame a differ-
her immediate ambition reached the Wimbledon ence in rankings of almost
lies. semifinals. She is a former 100 places and saved four
She next plays Mihaela champion here, winning match points while beat-
Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova returns the ball to France's
Kristina Mladenovic on day three at Edgbaston Priory, Buzarnescu, a 30-year- the title in 2009. ing seventh-seeded Elise
Birmingham, England, Wednesday June 20, 2018. old Romanian, who is at a In the first round she beat Mertens of Belgium.
Associated Press career-high No. 30, having third-seeded Karolina Plis- Jakupovic followed up
been ranked 267th a year kova for the loss of only five Wednesday by getting
Birmingham ond set, when she broke ago. Buzarnescu beat Pe- games but found it tough- past 18th-ranked Naomi
Continued from Previous Page again. A third break two tra Martic of Croatia 4-6, er against Mladenovic. Osaka of Japan, who re-
Second-seeded Svitolina games later — assisted by 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday. "I think I'd been a bit pas- cently beat four former
made a similar net ap- Cornet's decision to stop a Magdalena Rybarikova, sive. The key was when I top-ranked opponents.
proach, concluding it with rally and seek an out call who rose almost 90 places played more cross-court Osaka was forced to re-
a tidy drop shot volley in to a ball which landed on last year to reach a career- slices and drops and made tired injured after losing the
the third game of the sec- the baseline — effectively high No. 17 in March, once an early break in the sec- first set 6-3.