Page 54 - MIN ECEM

A18 SPORTS
Wednesday 19 July 2017

Spieth feeling rested, sharp in pursuit of another major

By DOUG FERGUSON er than 30th in the other go,” he said. “And last year
AP Golf Writer three British Opens he has I was pretty caught in 2015.
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) played. This year I’m not. Hopefully,
— With a chance to close So much of his mystique we can have another one
out the match, Jordan Spi- is built around that 2015 or two like that. But if we
eth fired his second shot season — the Masters and keep on trying to improve
into the par-5 15th at Royal U.S. Open, five victories, each part of the game,
Birkdale and it never left the FedEx Cup. So many of stick to the process, then
the flag, bounding onto the the expectations of Spieth we’ll have the results we
green about 20 feet behind now are measured against want.”
the hole. that season. Those are rare Tuesday brought more
His partner Tuesday was Jus- even for the greatest play- sunshine to the Lancashire
tin Thomas, who watched ers, and it might be Spieth’s Coast and only a light wind
the flight of the ball and bad luck that it happened that came out of a differ-
said, “I like having him on to him so early in his career. ent direction. The course is
my team when he’s play- Jordan Spieth of the United States gestures during a press He still wouldn’t trade it. fast, and balls are bounc-
ing like this.” conference ahead of the British Open Golf Championship, at Asked to measure his game ing high when landing,
Everyone is on their own Royal Birkdale, Southport, England Tuesday, July 18, 2017. now compared with two which is links golf at its best.
when the British Open be- Associated Press years ago, Spieth said his In any conditions, Birkdale
gins on Thursday, and Spi- Championship. And when courses like Royal Birkdale. long game is better, but he is not a course that leads
eth is looking sharp enough his putter is working — it re- What stands out is St. An- hasn’t been making putts. to low scoring, certainly
to be listed as a co-favorite ally hasn’t been this year — drews in 2015, when the Such is golf. not like what Henrik Sten-
with Dustin Johnson, the he is regarded as a favorite 23-year-old Texan was go- “I recognize that being five son had last year at Royal
No. 1 player in the world. at just about any tourna- ing for the third leg of the years in now ... and five Troon when he set the ma-
Spieth is coming off his ment. Grand Slam and missed the years doesn’t make me jor championship record of
second victory of the year Still to be determined is how playoff by one shot. Even a veteran, but it helps me 264 in his brilliant duel with
last month at the Travelers much he thrives on links so, he hasn’t finished high- realize kind of how things Phil Mickelson.q

Jerry Jones That’s not what I’m talking

about. I’m talking about
Continued from Page 17 in the NFC playoffs with just learning that your ev-
ery move will be scruti-
a 13-3 record, can get
Authorities in Columbus, suspended without any nized and how in this day
Ohio, declined to prose- convictions, although the and time it will be looked
cute the former Ohio State now-mandatory six-game at from many vantage
star over a domestic dis- ban without pay for a do- points.”
pute with his ex-girlfriend mestic incident is unlikely Elliott was a star before
before Elliott’s first training without legal involvement. the Cowboys drafted him
camp with the Cowboys “Because of his style, per- fourth overall last year,
last year. But the NFL’s in- sonality, (he’s) like a rock having led Ohio State the
vestigation continued , star wherever he goes in first championship in the
and the league hasn’t terms of attention,” Jones four-team playoff. He ran
cleared Elliott. said. “Certainly Zeke is for an Ohio State bowl-
Elliott also drew unwant- evolving and being sub- record 246 yards and four
ed attention last season ject to needing to learn touchdowns in the title
when he visited a legal how to deal with the me- game on his future home
marijuana shop before a dia and social media the In this Jan. 15, 2017, file photo, Dallas Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott field in the NFL.
preseason game in Seat- way it is today.” (21) walks off the field after a 34-31 loss to the Green Bay Packers With 1,631 yards rushing
tle. Last spring, he pulled Jones said he had dis- in an NFL divisional playoff football game, in Arlington, Texas. last season, Elliott powered
down a woman’s shirt dur- cussed Elliott’s latest in- Associated Press the Dallas offense along-
ing a St. Patrick’s Day pa- cident with the running the scrutiny he faces. But good the others,” Jones side fellow rookie sensation
rade. back but declined to pro- now he’s had another in- said. “That’s not to be con- Dak Prescott, who took
The 21-year-old Elliott, who vide details. Elliott said dur- cident. fused with tolerating bad now-retired Tony Romo’s
led the NFL in rushing as ing the offseason program “Like all of us, we do good behavior or illegal behav- job with the best debut
a rookie and helped the that he was going out less some days and don’t do ior. season for a quarterback
Cowboys to the top seed while understanding more in franchise history.q