Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Wednesday 25 OctOber 2017
Golf’s big-money Asian swing is worth the travel

By DOUG FERGUSON in the FedEx Cup marked
AP Golf Writer real progress.
SHANGHAI (AP) — Shad- “I don’t talk about it
ows are rare in Shanghai, so much,” Glover said of the
a clear blue sky and abun- yips. “I’m still going to miss
dant sunshine only added some — everybody does.
to a happy mood Tuesday I missed some last week. I
at the HSBC Champions. made them all in Malaysia.
Not that Lucas Glover I’m hitting it good enough,
needed any kind of emo- and putting consistently
tional lift. enough, that it doesn’t
Or Pat Perez, for that mat- shine like it did. I don’t get
ter. as anxious. It’s been try-
They are among 17 play- ing. But it’s also gratifying.
ers who have shown up I played my way into the
for all three weeks of the PGA Championship. I semi-
Asian swing on the PGA played my way into here.
Tour. Perez is among six For five years, I didn’t do
players from that list who anything on my own merit.”
was at East Lake for the Those five years were from
Tour Championship, which his U.S. Open victory, and
ended two weeks before the exemptions expired just
the CIMB Classic kicked off Pat Perez of the United States hits a ball on the fourth hole during the first round of the CJ Cup at as Glover was pulling him-
this stretch in Malaysia. Jho- Nine Bridges, as the first official PGA Tour in South Korea, on Jeju Island, South Korea, Thursday, self out of his slump. He had
nattan Vegas had it tough- Oct. 19, 2017. to go through the Web.
er. He made it to the Tour Associated Press com Tour finals to get his
Championship and then happened,” Perez said, ish Open and a World Golf developed the putting yips. card back two years ago.
played the Presidents Cup, referring to his four-shot vic- Championship in Ireland. “Oddly enough, the only There was little chance he
giving him one week off tory in Malaysia. “And now three out of my thing I could do when I was was going to turn down no-
before three events half- He followed that with a tie first four events are literally recovering from my injury cut tournaments no matter
way around the world. for fifth in the CJ Cup at halfway around the world,” was putt,” he said. “It’s al- how far from home they
Too much golf? Nine Bridges in South Ko- he said as a matter of fact most like I had too much were.
That’s one way of look- rea. Perez already has 590 without a hint of complaint. time to think about it.” This is his first World Golf
ing at it. Perez and Glover points, which would be the Glover, the U.S. Open His five-year exemption Championship since 2011.
chose a different point of equivalent of 75th place champion in 2009 at Beth- from winning the U.S. Open “It is a category to have the
view. last year in the FedEx Cup page Black, is on the road expired just as Glover was luxury to feel as though you
These three tournaments if he never plays another back from some dark plac- pulling himself out of a don’t have to come here,”
were short fields (78 play- tournament. es in golf. Coming off his wretched slump, and he Glover said. “I couldn’t af-
ers) with no cut that offered So it’s been a good start, third career victory in 2011, had to go through the ford to pass it up.”
a combined $26 million in and he still has a World Golf he was on a paddle board Web.com Tour Finals to get Perez didn’t want to miss it.
prize money. They were Championship to play this in the Pacific just days be- his card back two years He still can’t believe that a
guaranteed a paycheck week. fore the start of a new ago. year ago he got on a plane
and FedEx Cup points, the Glover never imagined season when he took an He ended 2014 at No. 606 to Malaysia for his first tour-
currency for everything this kind of itinerary when awkward spill and injured in the world. He spent five nament since shoulder sur-
from keeping a tour card to he joined the PGA Tour in his right knee. He didn’t years out of the top 100 gery, knowing he had only
making it to the FedEx Cup 2004. The season went from play for three months, and until September, when he 15 events to earn enough
finale at East Lake. Hawaii in January until East didn’t play very well for the tied for 12th at the BMW money to keep his card.
“We get off to a good start, Lake in late October and next four years. Championship. Glover fell Now he has two victories.
who knows what can hap- never ventured out of North Only part of that was be- short of reaching the Tour He has earned nearly $6
pen? And then the best America except for the Brit- cause of o his injury. He also Championship, but No. 43 million in the last year. q

Venus beats Ostapenko, Pliskova

reaches semis at WTA Finals

By SANDRA HARWITT dropped her serve nine kova capitalized on a
Associated Press times, while the 20-year-old fourth match point to eas-
SINGAPORE (AP) — Ve- French Open champion ily beat Garbine Muguruza
nus Williams needed three conceded serve 11 times. 6-2, 6-2. Pliskova, at 2-0 in
match points and more “I don’t know if there was the round-robin, is guaran-
than three hours to defeat any luck for me tonight, I teed a place in the semi-
Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 6-7 just had to work for every finals. “I’m just happy that
(3), 7-5 at the WTA Finals point,” the fifth-seeded Wil- I don’t have to play the
on Tuesday. The match, liams said. “It’s not easy to next match (against Os-
lasting 3 hours, 13 minutes, lose the first match, and tapenko) for qualifying,
featured 20 service breaks, both of us were in the same because last year it was
In this Sept. 7, 2017, file photo, Venus Williams, of the United with neither player finding situation. What else can pretty stressful to do that,”
States, returns a shot from Sloane Stephens, of the United States, much confidence on their you do but fight to live an- Pliskova said. “If I win a few
during the semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New service games. other day?” matches in a row it gives
York.
Associated Press The 37-year-old Williams By contrast, Karolina Plis- me confidence.”q