Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY
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A18   SPORTS
              Wednesday 23 august 2017

            FedEx Cup playoffs



               Continued from Page 17    Grand Slam.
                                         The Jack Nicklaus Award is
            His  two-shot  victory  in  the  determined  by  votes  from
            PGA  Championship  fea-      the players, and majors typ-
            tured  a  rally  that  began  ically go a long way when
            with  a  35-foot  birdie  putt,  they submit their choices.
            a  twist  of  fortune  when  Sergio  Garcia  had  one  of
            his  ball  hung  on  the  edge  the  most  popular  victo-
            of  the  cup  for  the  longest  ries  this  year  at  the  Mas-
            time  before  dropping  and  ters,  though  that  remains
            a  7-iron  over  the  water  to  his  only  PGA  Tour  victory.
            a peninsula green that will  Ditto  for  U.S.  Open  cham-
            be  the  signature  moment  pion  Brooks  Koepka,  even
            of his young career.         though his name was never
            But  that  doesn’t  compare  too far from the top of the
            with  what  happened  a  leaderboard at all four ma-
            month ago.                   jors.
            Jordan  Spieth  was  on  the  Over  the  last  decade,
            verge of losing another big  Nicklaus  Award  winners
            lead  in  a  major  when  he  who  didn’t  win  a  major
            had  the  savvy  to  ask  the  did something exceptional   This July 22, 2017, file photo shows Jordan Spieth of the United States playing out of a bunker on
                                                                      the 17th hole during the third round of the British Open Golf Championship, at Royal Birkdale,
            most  important  question  that year.                     Southport, England.
            of  the  year:  “Is  the  driving  Adam Scott won the Mas-                                                                     Associated Press
            range out of bounds?”        ters and a FedEx Cup play-   the Tour Championship for    He has one more PGA Tour  world ranking, Dustin John-
            The  answer  was  no,  and  off event in 2013, but even   his  third  victory  and  cap-  title  than  Spieth  this  year.  son and Hideki Matsuyama.
            Spieth  began  his  rally  at  he  didn’t  think  that  could   tured the FedEx Cup.   Spieth  would  regain  the  Johnson  was  the  most
            the British Open with a blind  stack  up  to  Tiger  Woods   Players won’t lack for good   edge if he were to add a  dominant  player  in  golf
            shot over the dunes, a deli-  winning five times.         choices this year.           fourth victory based on the  with three straight victories
            cate  pitch,  a  clutch  putt  Luke  Donald  in  2011  be-  Odds  are,  how  the  candi-  quality of his wins.      —  at  the  time,  they  were
            and a bogey.                 came the first player to win   dates  perform  in  the  play-  As for those scores?    against the three strongest
            What  followed  was  a  the  money  title  on  both       offs  will  decide  who  gets   Thomas  shot  a  59  at  the  fields of the year — until he
            stretch  of  golf  that  even  sides of the Atlantic, along   the Nicklaus bronze.     Sony  Open  —  with  Spieth  decided to rent a two-story
            Nicklaus   applauded     —  with having the lowest scor-  What    sets   apart   the   in his group, no less — and  house at the Masters.
            birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie  ing average on tour.          24-year-old  Thomas  going   while  it  no  longer  is  a  re-  A spill down the stairs that
            —  for  a  three-shot  vic-  And  in  2010,  another  year   into the PGA Tour’s version   cord score, it’s still a magic  caused  him  to  wrench  his
            tory  at  Royal  Birkdale  and  in which no one stood out   of  a  postseason  are  three   number.                 back  cost  him  practice
            the third leg of the career  in the majors, Jim Furyk won   scores  and  four  trophies.   More  relevant  than  his  59,  time and momentum.
                                                                                                   however, was that Thomas  If he were to win two play-
                                                                                                   capped  off  that  week  at  off  events  and  the  FedEx
                                                                                                   Waialae with rounds of 64-   Cup,  the  question  be-
                                                                                                   65-65  to  set  the  tour’s  72-  comes whether two World
                                                                                                   hole scoring record at 253.  Golf  Championships,  two
                                                                                                   He  also  became  only  the  playoff  events  and  a  Fe-
                                                                                                   fourth player to shoot 63 in  dEx  Cup  title  would  trump
                                                                                                   a  U.S.  Open,  and  this  one  a major.
              Located in the Riu Antilles Resort (Formerly the Westin Resort)                      got  even  more  attention  The  same  logic  might  ap-
               FREE TRANSPORTATION TO THE CASINO FROM ALL                                          because  he  was  the  first  ply to Matsuyama, who has
              HIGH RISE AND LOW RISE HOTELS AND TIMESHARES.                                        player to do it on a par 72.  earned more world ranking
                 CALL 525-7777 FOR MORE INFORMATION                                                That’s  why  Spieth  would  points from PGA Tour event
                                                                                                   need  another  victory  to  than anyone else this sea-
                                            LIVE POKER                                             take  over  the  role  as  the  son.
                                                                                                   betting favorite.
                                                                                                                                He has three victories (two
                                                                                                   What he has in place of a  World     Golf   Champion-
                              GAMES START 8 PM TO THE WEE HOURS                                    record score is that winning  ships),  but  he  went  four
                                                                                                   moment  from  the  Travel-   months without a top 10.
                                                                                                   ers  Championship  when  Four tournaments could go
                               1-2.....2-5......5-5            1-3.....2-5......5-5                he holed a bunker shot to  a long way in making this is
                                  $100 HIGH HAND BONUSES EVERY HOUR                                win a playoff, and brought  a logical choice.q
                                                                                                   a new form of celebration
                      OVER $20,000 PER WEEK GIVEN OUT IN HIGH HAND BONUSES                         — the body bump with his          Like us on
                                                   CRAPS                                           caddie  —  onto  the  PGA       Facebook
                                                                                                   Tour.  He  also  has  been
                              ONLY CASINO IN ARUBA TO OFFER 3, 4 & 5 TIME ODDS                     more consistent.
                                                                                                   Thomas has missed six cuts
                                                                                                   this year, including a major,
                                              SPORTSBOOK                                           and  he  never  contended
                                                                                                   unless he was winning. Spi-
                                        LIVE SIMULCAST OF ALL MAJOR TRACKS                         eth was runner-up at Colo-
                                                                                                   nial by one shot.
                                           THROUGHOBRED AND HARNESS                                Not  to  be  overlooked  are   facebook.com/bondianoticia
                                                                                                   the  top  two  players  in  the
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