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SPORTS Thursday 18 July 2024
Great golf and being on the good side of the draw go a long way

at the British Open

By DOUG FERGUSON In recent times, Louis Oost-
AP Golf Writer huizen caught the good
TROON, Scotland (AP) — side of the draw in St. An-
Justin Thomas made his drews. It was relatively calm
British Open debut at Royal all of Thursday McIlroy
Troon eight years ago, and opened with a 63 in 2010
it taught him everything he and then the wind became
needs to know about what so fierce in the afternoon
can make this major so that McIlroy shot 80.
maddening. Oosthuizen finished his 65-
It had nothing to do with 67 start right before the
gorse bushes or pot bun- wind came through. His
kers. It was about weather name stayed atop the
and tee times. leaderboard for 11 hours
“I was in the bad one,” that day and he led by
Thomas said. five when it was over and
By that he meant the bad wound up winning by sev-
side of the draw, and it’s en shots. Good golf and a
part of the charm or curse good draw go a long way.
of the Open. “It’s part and parcel of the
It was fairly benign in the Open. There’s always good
opening round at Royal draws and bad draws,”
Troon in 2016, all the way Tommy Fleetwood said.
through Friday morning until Rickie Fowler, left, Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland, right, of the United States walk down from “Generally if you get un-
30 mph (48 kph) wind and the 13th tee during a practice round ahead of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Troon lucky and there is a good
a driving rain made players golf club in Troon, Scotland, Wednesday, July 17, 2024. side and a bad side, that’s
in the afternoon feel they Associated Press wiping out half the field al-
were on a different course worst part was Saturday play a massive role. That (32 kph) range early in the ready. The good news is if
than those who played and Sunday. The morn- happens elsewhere, but it afternoon about the time you’re on the good side.
early. ing was the worst and you is more pronounced in links Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm That’s half of them gone

So severe was the change couldn’t gain any ground.” golf. are finishing their rounds and you only have to beat
in weather that the leading Summer daylight hours in Sometimes the worst of it is and then easing late. And half the field.
14 players going into the the U.K. enable players to in the morning, as in 2008 then more gusts Friday af- “But that’s always been
weekend, including Henrik start off one tee for the en- when Rich Beem and San- ternoon. part of the Open and that’s
Stenson and Phil Mickelson, tire day. Justin Leonard will dy Lyle walked off Royal It’s worth noting the fore- the beauty of it,” he said.
came from one side of the hit the opening tee shot on Birkdale after nine and 10 cast seems to change by “You have to be ready for
draw. Thursday at 6:30 a.m. (0530 holes, respectively. the day. No one will really whatever the conditions
“I’ve never in my life grind- GMT). Sam Horsfield is the The forecast for the start of know until they’re in the bring, along with the golf
ed so hard to finish 50th,” last to play. He will tee off the 152nd Open is for off- clear, or feeling like they course. It’s very important
Thomas said. “I shot 77 and about 4:30 p.m. and-on rain during the day are being blown into the to embrace what can hap-
made the cut by one. The That allows the weather to with gusts in the 20 mph Irish sea. pen.” q

Carapaz earns his first Tour de France

stage win

SUPERDEVOLUY, France Bayard and Col du Noyer. race gold medal at the
(AP) — Richard Carapaz Carapaz and Simon Yates Tokyo Olympics but missed
claimed his first Tour de led an early breakaway out on being selected for
France stage win after of 50 riders. As they ap- the Paris Olympics. He fin-
showcasing his climbing proached the final climb, ished third in the Tour de
prowess in the final ascents Carapaz launched a deci- France in 2021 and won the
on Wednesday in the Alps. sive attack on Yates before 2019 Giro d’Italia.
Two-time champion Tadej reaching the summit of Col British rider Simon Yates was
Pogacar kept the overall du Noyer. second on Wednesday, 37
race lead. “For me today is very spe- seconds behind Carapaz.
The 17th stage, covering cial,” the EF Education- Pogacar slightly increased Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz celebrates as he crosses the finish
178 kilometers (110 miles) EasyPost rider said after the his lead over Jonas line to win the seventeenth stage of the Tour de France cycling
from Saint-Paul-Trois-Châ- race. Vingegaard to 3 minutes, race over 177.8 kilometers (110.5 miles) with start in Saint-Paul-
teaux to Superdévoluy, “Winning a stage was the 11 seconds, by launching Trois-Chateaux and finish in Superdevoluy, France, Wednesday,
July 17, 2024.
started with a gradu- biggest objective for me two attacks on the Col du Associated Press
al 130-kilometer climb and my team and we final- Noyer and a few meters
through the Drôme region ly managed to do it.” before the finishing line. more seconds overall. tion,” Pogacar said about
and presented no major The 31-year-old Carapaz Vingegaard, currently sec- “The climb was really steep his repeated attacks in the
challenges for the pelo- also became the first man ond in the general classifi- today so I wanted to test Col du Noyer climb. “It was
ton. However, the last part from Ecuador to win a Tour cation, was once again un- my legs and see if they a good day.”
of the race was a different stage. able to match Pogacar’s were still in good shape in Biniam Girmay kept the best
story with the climbs of Col He won the men’s road pace and conceded two the third week of competi- sprinter’s green jersey.q