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sports Diamars 19 Juli 2022

Cameron Smith a British Open champion and man for any course

(AP) — Cameron Smith who played with Smith and
made eight birdies on finished one shot behind
the final day of the Brit- him.
ish Open. His 8-under
64 was the lowest clos- “I think it’s just another ex-
ing round at St. Andrews ample of why he’s one of the
by the champion golfer very best,” Young added. “He
of the year. His name on made a really good decision
the claret jug includes his and executed it perfectly. To-
score of 268, the best ever day kind of just is more proof
on the Old Course. that he is that good, and he
is one of the very, very best
What defined this tough-as- players in the world.”
nails Australian in his greatest
moment was a par. And now Smith has a trophy
to show for it.
Smith already had done the
hard part by running off five McIlroy couldn’t make a 15-
straight birdies to start the foot birdie putt in the group
back nine Sunday, ending the behind him — he couldn’t
amazing streak with a two- make anything all day — and
putt from 90 feet over a mas- Smith effectively ended it
sive mound that fed to the with two putts from 80 feet
hole on the par-5 14th, giv- on the final hole to claim his
ing him a one-shot lead over first major.
Rory McIlroy.
Even with the claret jug on
That was the score when the table next to him, it all felt
Smith was on the 17th hole. so surreal to the 28-year-old grass, where Smith won The the greens. big greens with high wind.
He was in the fairway some Smith. He was working hard Players Championship, and He beat Jon Rahm, the No. 1
65 feet from the pin with the on his fitness and his game. the Old Course? But he also explained his player in the world.
notorious Road Hole bunker He was hopeful of results. quality as a player.
in the way. Smith used his He just wasn’t necessarily ex- It might be greater than the “I think that’s just where I’m
magic touch with the putter pecting three wins this year, difference between filet mi- “I think you have to be two at at the moment,” Smith
to run it along the edge of the each one raising his profile gnon and haggis. completely different golfers said. “Towards the end of last
bunker onto the green and that speaks to his No. 2 world to contend at both of those year, I had a lot of chances
made the 10-footer for par. ranking, a career-best. Smith did his best to go along golf courses,” Smith said. and really didn’t get over
in describing the Stadium And he won on both of them the line. I think that made
“He had to be very deci- The question put to him Course, with its island green — one the strongest field in me more eager, I guess, at
sive with that one, because Sunday evening made him and deceptive shots, and a golf, the other the oldest ma- the start of the year to really
if you’re wondering about if laugh. Assuming someone centuries-old links course jor in golf. His third win this knuckle down and try and get
the play he’s making is cor- knew nothing about golf, that this week was so brittle year came at Kapalua on the over the line.
rect, I think it’s a really hard could he explain the differ- and brown the balls rolled Plantation course with its
one,” said Cameron Young, ence between the TPC Saw- faster on the fairways than wild changes in elevation and

Kershaw to start All-Star Game for NL, McClanahan for AL

(AP) — Dodgers ace Clay- Stadium since 1980, and Los Angeles Angels two-way the DH in the AL’s 5-2 win at 2/3 innings. Two years ago,
ton Kershaw will start for Tampa Bay’s Shane Mc- star Shohei Ohtani will lead Denver. he helped Los Angeles win its
the National League on Clanahan will be on the off for the AL as the designat- first World Series title since
Tuesday night in the first mound for the American ed hitter. Last year, he was the Ohtani is 9-4 with 2.38 ERA 1988.
All-Star Game at Dodger League. starting pitcher and led off as on the mound this year, strik-
ing out 123 in 87 innings. “It’s hard, because obviously
The reigning AL MVP shut Sandy Alcantara, Tony Gon-
down Houston in his last solin, Max Fried, all these
outing Wednesday, and there guys have better numbers
was speculation he might than I do and they should
start this Southern California be starting this game and I
showcase. get that,” Kershaw said. “But
all that to say, I am just so
“From the information that excited I get to do it here at
we received from Ohtani’s Dodger Stadium.”
camp was that, you know,
he probably shouldn’t or Kershaw, who passed Don
wouldn’t start, and so then Sutton in April for the team
that’s why we chose Shane,” career strikeouts lead, will
AL manager Dusty Baker of become the third Dodgers
the Astros said Monday. pitcher to start in the last sev-
en All-Star Games, follow-
“They just said they preferred ing Zack Greinke in 2015 at
that, you know, he doesn’t Cincinnati and Hyun Jin Ryu
pitch,” Baker said. in 2019 at Cleveland. He will
be the 13th pitcher to start in
The 34-year-old Kershaw, a his home ballpark, the first
three-time Cy Young Award since former teammate Max
winner, is 7-2 with a 2.14 Scherzer in 2018 at Washing-
ERA and 75 strikeouts in 71 ton.