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A18 SPORTS
Thursday 12 december 2019

Presidents Cup

Continued from Page 17 much. At Royal Melbourne,
Woods has taken on a little
That’s where they meet more.
for perhaps the final time, The charter flight from
as captains at Royal Mel- the Bahamas arrived on
bourne. Monday a little later than
The Presidents Cup starts planned, leaving the U.S.
Thursday, and Woods is at- team with only two prac-
tracting all the attention tice rounds. Woods played
as the first playing captain 18 holes Tuesday. The next
in 25 years. As much as he day, he played for a little
refers to the Big Easy as a more than an hour before
“giant of a man,” no one peeling off to watch the
casts a larger presence in rest of his team play.
golf than Woods. He can rely on his assis-
Els saw it coming a long time tants — two of them, Fred
ago. In one of their great- Couples and Steve Stricker,
est duels, they matched previously were captains —
eagles and birdies on the but he doesn’t want to miss
18th hole at Kapalua in out on all the captain’s du-
2000 before Woods won ties. Everyone on the team
the playoff with a 40-foot has portrayed Woods as International captain Ernie Els, left, and USA captain Tiger Woods shake hands during a press
birdie. It was another kick relentless in detail, some- conference ahead of the President’s Cup Golf tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Dec.
in the gut for Els, who said times texting at all hours of 10, 2019.
that day: “He’s 24. He’s the night when he has a Associated Press
probably going to be big- thought about strategy or
ger than Elvis when he gets pairings. we have a system we are U.S. team has not trailed af- on, and he’s going 100%
into his 40s.” “You definitely get more following, and I can’t let ter any of the sessions since on that. And I love that,”
By the end of the year, Els texts between 1 and 4 anything out of the bag the second round in 2005. Scott said. “I can get be-
was runner-up to him in a.m. than any captain, more than that.” Now it’s up to his players. hind someone who is
consecutive majors by a that’s for sure.” said Justin Whatever secrets he is hold- Els, unlike Woods, has no 100% in on something. If it
combined 23 shots. Thomas, who plays with ing, his team still has to chip influence on the outcome doesn’t work, I admire the
The 50-year-old Els sat on Woods in the opening four- and putt, to win holes and except for his plan and his fact he’s gone all in. I don’t
one side of a long table balls match against Marc win matches, to get the leadership. think we’ve ever done that
Wednesday, wearing Leishman and Joaquin crowd on its side early. The “He told us his plan early before.”q
reading glasses to go over Niemann. “He takes it very
ing session. Woods, who captain that has a great Cole mine: Gerrit, Yankees strike
seriously. He wants to be a
his pairings for the open-
month, was on the other Tony Finau was teammates record $324M, 9-year deal
turns 44 at the end of the winning record.”
side of a 2-foot-high board, with Woods in his Ryder Cup
announcing he would be debut last year and saw his By RONALD BLUM even $36 million annually along Boone, new pitch-
playing in the first match. influence as a player. AP Baseball Writer and can opt out after the ing coach Matt Blake and
The International team is As captain, he sees anoth- SAN DIEGO (AP) — Gerrit 2024 season. He also has special adviser Andy Pet-
desperate to end two de- er level. Cole quickly ended Ste- a full no-trade provision. titte. After helping Hous-
cades of failing to beat the “The detail ... I think he phen Strasburg’s tenure After finalizing the agree- ton beat the Yankees in
Americans, who are going could probably do the as baseball’s highest-paid ment for 31-year-old a six-game AL Champi-
for their eighth consecutive weather here and the wind pitcher. Strasburg, agent Scott onship Series, Cole joins a
victory and already lead direction for all of us,” Finau Cole agreed to a $324 Boras predicted he would rotation that includes Luis
10-1-1 in the series. said. “It doesn’t surprise million, nine-year contract go even high for Cole, a Severino, Masahiro Tana-
For Els, it’s another large me just how prepared he is with the New York Yan- 29-year-old right-hander. ka, James Paxton and
task. because that’s the reason kees on Tuesday night, a Cole was baseball’s most J.A. Happ or Domingo
By now, he’s used to it. why he is who he is. To have person familiar with the dominant pitcher for Germán, who may be sus-
“No one of this genera- him captain the team, a agreement told The Asso- much of 2019 and helped pended at the season’s
tion has gotten the credit huge part of it is just learn- ciated Press. the Houston Astros come start under baseball’s do-
they probably deserve ing from him. You can’t top Cole’s deal established within one win of their mestic violence policy.
because Tiger has been Ti- that type of experience.” marks for pitchers in total second World Series title In other moves on the
ger,” Adam Scott said. “It’s Els has gone about his busi- dollars, topping the $245 in three seasons. second day of the winter
the same for Phil (Mickel- ness more quietly, not will- million, seven-year con- “Obviously, when you are meetings:
son) and Ernie. They have ing to share specifics on his tract Stephen Strasburg talking about a player at — Shortstop Didi Grego-
played second fiddle be- use of analytics to develop finalized a day earlier to the level of Gerrit Cole, rius is joining manager Joe
cause Tiger has got the pairings. He has encour- remain with the World Se- in a lot of ways that’s a Girardi in Philadelphia,
great record he has and aged his players to spend ries champion Washing- game-changing type tal- agreeing with the Phil-
he beat them quite often, time in practice rounds dur- ton Nationals. ent,” Yankees manager lies on a $14 million, one-
too.” ing tournaments. But he has Its $36 million average is Aaron Boone said earlier year contract, a person
Scott paused briefly, add- been unusually guarded in a record for any player, in the day. “This is a guy familiar with the deal told
ing with the slightest of his comments, wanting to beating the $35.5 million that’s really hungry, really the AP. That person also
smiles, “I think Ernie is may- keep everything inside the in outfielder Mike Trout’s driven.” spoke on condition of
be using that as some moti- team for now. $426.5 million, 12-year Yankees general manag- anonymity because the
vation this week.” “I’ll tell you Sunday night deal with the Los Ange- er Cashman visited Cole agreement, first reported
In most team events, the what exactly has been les Angels that started and wife Amy in Califor- by the New York Post, had
captain can only do so transpiring,” Els said. “But last season. Cole gets an nia last week, bringing not been announced.q