Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Thursday 3 May 2018
Woods ready to return to work at Quail Hollow

By DOUG FERGUSON in New York, to a Houston
AP Golf Writer Astros game and even to
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — fast-food restaurant.
Tiger Woods spent three Just don’t get the idea that
months working toward he is satisfied with his year.
one week in April. Reed won’t even buy into
The Masters has come and the notion that no matter
gone. what happens the rest of
Woods took a small step the year, this will be his best
back at Augusta National year. He won twice in 2014.
when he misfired with his He only has one trophy this
iron play, didn’t break par year. That’s how he mea-
until the final round and sures success.
tied for 32nd. He finished 16 “I’m never going to settle,”
shots back, his widest dis- Reed said. “I’m not the type
tance from the lead in 19 that just because I won one
appearances at the Mas- major means I’m done. I
ters. want to go out, compete
It was a big step forward and get that feeling more
for Patrick Reed, who slept and more and try to win as
three hours after winning many golf tournaments as I
his first major, woke up at 5 possibly can.”
a.m. because he couldn’t Tiger Woods watches his tee shot on the 11th hole during the pro-am of the Wells Fargo Champi- This would be a big one,
sleep and responded to onship golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, May 2, 2018. because of the quality of
155 text messages and Associated Press the golf course and the
about 180 emails. necock.” said after his pro-am round above the hole, I hit it in field.
“Every one,” he said with a Woods put a new set of Wednesday. “It’s longer, the wrong spot. I had de- Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickel-
big smile. irons in his bag for Quail Hol- but it’s also more difficult.” fensive putts for most of the son and Rickie Fowler all
This is no time to rest. Golf low, and in some respects, Woods wasn’t sure what to days. I needed to be more are playing for the first time
shifts into overdrive start- the course feels new. make of the Masters except precise and I wasn’t. Still since the Masters. Justin
ing Thursday with the Wells He hasn’t played the Wells that his irons were off. He need to continue to work Thomas has a chance to
Fargo Championship at Fargo Championship since had been building toward on it and try to get sharp, go to No. 1 in the world,
Quail Hollow, a course that 2012, and while he won April, a phrase he used on and hopefully this will be a and Quail Hollow is where
hosted the PGA Champi- in 2007, he has missed the more than one occasion good week.” he won the PGA Champi-
onship last summer and cut the last two times he from the onset of his return Woods said he put his golf onship last August.
boasts enough star players played. It’s the only golf following a fourth back sur- clubs in the closet for 10 Woods is coming off a
to make it feel like the next course where he has missed gery. He was in the hunt on days after the Masters, did three-week break, his lon-
best thing to a major. the 36-hole cut twice. the front nine of the final some moderate weightlift- gest since he returned to
The Players Championship Since then, and mainly for round at the Honda Classic ing while staying flexible the PGA Tour in January,
is the following week. Three the PGA Championship, and came within one shot and then went back to and it was a welcome re-
major championships, start- Quail Hollow combined of a playoff at the Valspar work on his golf muscles spite.
ing with the U.S. Open at the opening two holes into Championship. He was one and the speed of his swing. “I played a lot of golf head-
Shinnecock Hills, are played one long par 4 and built shot out of the lead with “And I got them all back,” ing into Augusta, more golf
in a nine-week span. two new holes on the front three holes to play at Bay he said. than I thought I would be
“Building toward next nine. Since the last time he Hill until hitting his tee shot Reed returned last week at able to play,” he said. “It
week,” Woods said. “Hope- played, the 16th hole has out-of-bounds. the Zurich Classic, a team was nice to shut it down, re-
fully, I can have every- been overhauled so that And then he never fea- event he played with Pat- flect, analyze, sit back and
thing peak for this week the green sits by the water. tured at Augusta National. rick Cantlay, and tied for try and figure out what’s
and next week, but mainly “The golf course is much “I didn’t hit my irons very seventh. He was in awe of the best course of action
next week. And after that, harder than it used to be, good,” Woods said. the green jacket, which he going forward so I can win
it’s getting ready for Shin- that’s for sure,” Woods “If I did hit a green, I hit it wore during a media tour events.”q

Tennis umpire says he was fired for discrimination complaint

NEW YORK (AP) — A black up about a racist environ- nis was an encounter with - including my diversity du- Commission investigation
former tennis umpire said ment in the world of tennis a white umpire at the 2013 ties and travel to the Grand found there was “credible
in a lawsuit that he was officiating. It seeks unspeci- U.S. Open in New York City Slams tennis tournaments evidence” that Nimmons
forced out of the sport fied damages. who allegedly taunted him (e.g., the Australian Open, was discriminated against
because he complained The USTA “strictly prohibits by by saying, “Hey Tony, if French Open-Roland Gar- and issued a “right to sue”
about racial bias, including discrimination and retalia- you were a hungry monkey ros, Wimbledon and the letter on his behalf.q
that another umpire called tion in its workplace,” orga- and I told you there was U.S. Open), to promote
him a “monkey,” allega- nization spokesman Chris a watermelon in the tree diversity, and where I had
tions that the United States Widmaier said Wednesday. — go get it! — how would otherwise officiated with
Tennis Association denied. “We categorically deny you feel?” At a lower-level approval for decades,”
The suit filed last week in the claims of Mr. Nimmons tournament in in Dallas in Nimmons said in a state-
federal court in Brooklyn and will vigorously defend 2012, he claims another ment included in the suit.
against the USTA contends the suit,” he added. white umpire yelled, “Tony, He added: “I love tennis
Anthony Nimmons, who Among the incidents Nim- you should go back to the and want my job back at
started umpiring in 1994, mons says he reported ghetto!” the USTA.”
was demoted and ulti- to the nation’s governing As a result of his complaints, The suit says that an Equal
mately fired for speaking body for professional ten- “I was stripped of my work Employment Opportunity