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A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 7 January 2020
Justin Thomas grabs a win he thought he had lost

By DOUG FERGUSON on the second extra hole.
AP Golf Writer Reed missed them both,
KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — and Thomas finished him
Justin Thomas began the off on the final hole before
new year mildly disap- darkness.
pointed by not having won "That's what happens when
more than he already has you win," Thomas said. "Ob-
on the PGA Tour. viously, you have to play
That's not to suggest he well and make some putts
ever thought it was easy. and hit some shots. But at
Sunday at Kapalua was the end of the day, you
proof of that. need stuff to go your way.
Thomas won the Sentry And it definitely did today.
Tournament of Champi- And it feels great."
ons in a three-man playoff It was more crushing for
over Patrick Reed and Xan- Schauffele than for Reed,
der Schauffele for his third even though Reed had the
victory in his last six starts last chance to win.
on the PGA Tour, and the Schauffele had a one-shot
12th of his career. Thomas, lead going into the final
26, now has more victories round and was two shots
than any active players ahead through seven holes
younger than 30. when Thomas went on his
That took time to digest, Justin Thomas holds the champions trophy after winning the Tournament of Champions golf event, big run with golf so pure
Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. Thomas won after a three-
mainly because of how he hole playoff. that Schauffele said, "I'd
got to No. 12. Associated Press like to see anyone else try
He birdied six out of eight it."
holes to turn a two-shot it. He made bogey. removed and his head ment moved to Kapalua in But it was right there for him
deficit into a two-shot lead "I botched it up pretty bad- bowed anticipating de- 1999. at the end when Thomas
with three holes to play. ly," he said. feat, suddenly had another "I got very lucky to even chopped up the 18th hole.
"Through 15 holes, it was Schauffele became only chance. It also gave life to have that opportunity," The wind on the Plantation
one of the best rounds I the fourth player in the fi- Reed, who nearly an hour Thomas said. Course is most treacherous
had played," he said. nal round to reach the earlier had made a 20- Schauffele was eliminated on the greens, with players
He fell into a playoff by hit- 18th green, a 3-wood that foot birdie putt for a 66 — with a three-putt par from having to guess if a 30 mph
ting at toe-hook off the tee left him a 35-foot eagle at- matching the best score of 100 feet on the 18th in gust will knock putts offline
at the par-5 18th, followed tempt. He three-putted for the tournament — that he the playoff. Thomas had or give them too much
by a 3-wood that landed par, missing a 7-foot putt figured would fall short at to watch Reed have two speed. That's what cost him
in knee-high vegetation so for the win. 14-under 278. putts at the win, a 30-foot on the 18th in regulation,
thick that a nine-member Thomas, who had stood It was the first three-man eagle putt on the first extra and it cost Reed on the last
search party couldn't find off the green with his cap playoff since the tourna- hole, a 12-foot birdie putt two playoff holes.q

Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki win 1st doubles match

By STEVE McMORRAN took what may be their last for a long time and to get
AP Sports Writer opportunity. to play with Serena was
They're friends, they've Wozniacki is playing the amazing. "It wouldn't be
both been ranked No. 1 New Zealand tournament the same if I didn't at least
in singles and on Monday for the sixth straight year once get to play with her
they became doubles as a prelude to the Austra- on the same side. She's
partners for the first time as lian Open, after which she beaten me a lot of times
Serena Williams and Caro- will retire from competitive on the other side so it's ac-
line Wozniacki teamed to tennis. She was diagnosed tually nice that we can win
win a first-round match at with rheumatoid arthritis together for once."
the ASB Classic in Auck- shortly after winning the Williams said Wozniacki
land. title at Melbourne Park in was in good form.
Williams and Wozniacki 2018 and has decided to "It's cool. I can't let the rest
overwhelmed Japan's Nao make the Australian Open of both of our amazing ca-
Hibino and Mikoto Ninomi- her last professional tour- reers go without playing
ya 6-2, 6-4 in a match Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki plays a backhand as Untied nament before retirement. with her. With her doing
States' Serena Williams looks on during their first round doubles
which was both historic match against Japan's Nao Hibino and Makoto Ninomiya at the Wozniacki and Williams will so well as a Grand Slam
and poignant. ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, Monday, Jan. 6, 2020. face each other one last champion and a long-time
The pair jointly have won Associated Press time in an exhibition match No. 1, of course I want to
24 Grand Slam singles titles in Copehagen in May. share the court with her."
— 23 for Serena — and nus. in 2002. In Auckland, they formed a Earlier, American teenager
102 WTA singles titles. Wil- Serena Williams hasn't Wozniacki hasn't played relaxed and intuitive com- Coco Gauff beat Slova-
liams additionally has won played doubles with any- doubles at all in the last bination, laughing and ex- kia's Viktoria Kuzmova 6-3,
23 doubles titles, including one other than Venus three years. changing high-fives. 6-1 in 61 minutes to stay on
13 Grand Slam and three since 2015 and last played But the pair have long "It was so much fun, I really course for a quarterfinal
Olympic titles, mostly in a WTA tournament with harbored a desire to take enjoyed that," Wozniacki meeting with Williams in
partnership with sister Ve- anyone other than Venus the court as a pairing, and said. "I've been around the singles draw.q