Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

A19
SPORTS Friday 4 august 2017

Thomas Pieters takes 1-shot lead at Firestone

By DOUG FERGUSON Spieth rehearsed his swing
AP Golf Writer with a pitching wedge and
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Rory pulled it off.
McIlroy had his best friend “I split a hole that was 60
on the bag and his best yards in front of me and cut
start on American soil in 18 it to get onto the green,”
months. For Jordan Spieth, Spieth said.
it was more of the same “It was really a cool shot. I
with two long putts and an- was shocked I pulled it off.”
other comment filled with Greller smiled, bumped fists
bravado directed at his with his boss and handed
caddie. him the putter.
Both of them opened with The opening round was
a 3-under 67 at the Bridge- no place to lose ground in
stone Invitational, leaving such good scoring condi-
them two shots behind tions.
Thomas Pieters of Belgium. Dustin Johnson did his part
Pieters, playing only for the with a 68. He hasn’t won
sixth time since he chal- since the Match Play just
lenged briefly at the Mas- two weeks before his stair-
ters this year, holed a 30- case injury that knocked
foot birdie putt on his final him out of the Masters.
hole at Firestone to finish a Johnson only wants to give
day of good scoring with a himself a chance to win,
one-shot lead over Russell and he says all the parts
Knox. are in working order for
The opening two rounds that.
were moved up to the Jordan Spieth, right, and Rory McIlroy, from Northern Ireland, talk before teeing off on the 14th Bubba Watson, also show-
morning because of a fore- hole during the first round of the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament at Firestone Country ing signs of getting his
cast of thunderstorms in the Club, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017, in Akron, Ohio. game turned around, was
afternoon. Associated Press also in the group at 67 that
McIlroy split with J.P. included Kevin Kisner and
Fitzgerald, his caddie of bit more about. It’s been est player to complete the of the lead with a 30-foot Jon Rahm.
nine years, after the Brit- a while since I’ve paced Grand Slam. birdie putt on No. 5 and a The surprise might have
ish Open. He decided to yardages off and written Winning a major turned this 50-foot birdie putt on the been Knox, who has missed
use Harry Diamond, who notes in my book.” into a great year for Spieth, next hole that got him to 3 his last three cuts and is in
played amateur golf for One of them was at No. 9, regardless of what happens under. But he was in trouble danger of falling out of the
Ireland and was the best his last hole, when he went at the PGA Championship. at No. 8, well right of the top 50 in the world for the
man at McIlroy’s wedding, some 50 feet long on his He is feeling as good as fairway with trees block- first time since he won the
for the Bridgestone Invita- approach and three-putt- ever about his game, par- ing his view of the green. HSBC Champions in Shang-
tional and the PGA Cham- ed for bogey. ticularly the way he finished He couldn’t punch under hai in the fall of 2015. The
pionship next week. Even so, it was a solid start, off Royal Birkdale with the them because he had too difference was a change
It didn’t have much bear- and that’s what has held amazing escape on the much rough to cover with in the shafts of his irons, and
ing on McIlroy’s game, back McIlroy in recent 13th hole and the birdie- a punch shot beneath the a change back to the put-
which was fine. McIlroy months when he missed eagle-birdie-birdie stretch branches. But he did see ter he used when he won
won at Firestone the last three cuts in four tourna- that followed. about a 3-foot gap way in Shanghai.
time he played it in 2014. ments, and then started The biggest putt was the up in the trees. And he was The question is why he
“We both did the numbers poorly at the British Open. eagle from 50 feet on the feeling it. would ever take that put-
and I sort of consulted him Spieth has no such con- par-5 15th at the Open, His caddie, Michael Grel- ter out of play.
a couple of times. cerns, having won two now famous for Spieth ler, got the yardage and “Golfers are sick,” Knox
Yeah, it was good,” Mc- straight events going into playfully barking at his cad- came over to see what Spi- said. “You always blame
Ilroy said. “There was a this World Golf Champion- die, “Go get that!” when it eth had in mind. your equipment rather
couple of shots that I hit ship with an eye toward dropped in. “I said, ‘Michael, just put than yourself. So maybe I
or a couple of clubs that I next week at the PGA Thursday brought another the bag over there, stand just have to take the blame
pulled that I maybe should Championship and his shot such moment. over there and watch and say I (stunk) and the
have just thought a little at becoming the young- Spieth got back into range this,’” Spieth said. putter worked.”q