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Diahuebs 5 Mei 2022

‘Good vibes’ for McIlroy as he defends at soggy Wells Fargo

“It’s just a solid golf course. injury and has fallen to 45th
You can’t really fake it around And if McIlroy was a bit in the rankings. He said he’s
here,” McIlroy said. “You’ve overlooked heading into the roughly tripled his time in
got to hit the ball really Masters, the roars that ac- the gym before rounds to
well. Green complexes are companied his final shot on keep his neck loose. He’s also
tricky, pretty small targets. Sunday — a hole-out from a missing the easy commute
The rough maybe isn’t up as greenside bunker — remind- to Quail Hollow, his home
much as they usually have it ed everyone of his star quality club.
here because of the time of and still-immense potential.
year, but overall, really solid “It was 20 minutes this
test.” “It gives me comfort know- morning, versus two,” Simp-
ing that my game is there,” son said.
And a wet one, thanks to McIlroy said. “I got a lot of
an inch of rain that fell in confidence from that round NOTES: Morgan Hoff-
the early morning hours on Sunday. I did a lot of great mann, who put his career on
Wednesday. More rain is ex- things. It’s something to defi- hold after he was diagnosed
(AP) — Wearing black ‘That looks like Congres- pected Friday and Saturday, nitely build on over the next with muscular dystrophy, is
rain pants on a soggy, sional. Oh, that is Congres- along with cool temperatures few weeks.” making one of two remain-
foggy Wednesday morn- sional,’” McIlroy said. “So, and strong wind this week- ing starts on a major medi-
ing, Rory McIlroy still had good vibes, obviously, from end. He will be grouped Thurs- cal extension. He needs the
a bounce in his step and this area.” day and Friday with veterans equivalent of a two-way tie
plenty of reasons to smile McIlroy won his four major Webb Simpson and Fran- for second to secure full sta-
as he chatted with report- McIlroy, who turned 33 on championships in relatively cesco Molinari, who has his tus for the rest of the season.
ers, signed autographs and Wednesday, has a more recent soggy conditions, cementing own good memories around ... Howard University senior
posed for selfies outside title to defend this week at a reputation as a mudder that here. Molinari shot a final- Gregory Odom Jr. received
the clubhouse at TPC Po- the Wells Fargo Champion- he thinks is a bit unfair. round 62 for an eight-shot a sponsor exemption. Odom
tomac at Avenel Farm. ship, although he’ll have to victory in the last PGA Tour won his first collegiate title
do it on a course where he’s “I’ve won 30 times around event at TPC Potomac, the last November at TPC Saw-
He is coming off a career- never competed. His vic- the world. Not all those 2018 Quicken Loans Nation- grass. Golden State Warriors
best runner-up finish at the tory last year was his third at weeks were wet and rainy,” al. Three weeks later, he won star Stephen Curry is funding
Masters, thanks to a brilliant Quail Hollow in Charlotte, he said. “I think I’m pretty his only major at the British the golf program at Howard,
closing 64, and he has plenty North Carolina, but the good in most conditions.” Open, both times holding off a historically Black school
of good memories from the tournament is making a one- a contending Tiger Woods. in Washington. ... TPC Po-
Maryland suburbs of Wash- year detour to TPC Potomac He’s the chief attraction tomac was previously known
ington. A mile to the east while its regular venue pre- at TPC Potomac during a The following year at the as TPC Avenel and hosted
at Congressional, McIlroy pares to host the Presidents stretch of the PGA Tour Masters, Molinari’s tee shot PGA Tour events from 1987-
played what he still describes Cup in September. schedule when top play- into the water on the par-3 2004, in 2006 and from 2017-
as the best golf of his life, an ers are choosy about where 12th allowed Woods to seize 18. Rory Sabbatini, the 2003
eight-shot victory in the 2011 McIlroy professes himself a they play, with three major control. That was the start of winner, is in the field. ...
U.S. Open. fan of the tree-lined, trou- championships looming in a precipitous decline for the David Lingmerth, who won
ble-heavy layout that’s had a the next 10 weeks. McIlroy at Italian, who comes in ranked at TPC Potomac in 2012 on
“I was driving in here yester- mixed reputation during 35 No. 7 is the highest-ranked 203rd in the world. what is now the Korn Ferry
day morning and going along years as an on-and-off PGA player in the field, followed Tour, earned a spot via Mon-
whatever road that is and I Tour venue. by Tony Finau (No. 18) and Simpson missed seven weeks day qualifying.
looked left and I thought, Abraham Ancer (No. 20). early this year with a neck

‘It was just fun’: Backup Domingue backstops OT win for Pens

(AP) — The Pittsburgh til postgame, whenever that York, buying his teammates “You dream about that your 2020-21 season in the minors.
Penguins poured into the might come. He wasn’t sup- enough time to win it on Ev- whole life, you’re playing in More of the same awaited in
dressing room after the posed to play. Not with start- geni Malkin’s deflection 5:58 overtime in the playoffs, are Pittsburgh, which was set at
first period of overtime er Casey DeSmith match- into the third overtime. you kidding me?” Domingue the top with All-Star Tristan
against the New York ing Vezina Trophy favorite said. “You think you’d be ner- Jarry and DeSmith.
Rangers spent. Their legs Igor Shesterkin save for save Pittsburgh will carry a 1-0 vous in a situation like that, Still, Domingue threw him-
heavy and the outcome through four periods. lead into Thursday night’s but it was just fun for me.” self into his work. He posted
still undecided, they dove DeSmith wouldn’t make Game 2 thanks in large part a solid .924 save percentage
headfirst into the fruit and it through five periods. A to a journeyman who hopes The kind of fun that was hard playing for the Penguins’
sports drinks laid out by lower-body injury sent him he may finally have found for Domingue to find when AHL affiliate and played
the team’s training staff. skating toward the exit in the a sense of place. With De- the Penguins signed him to a well in two spot starts in the
middle of the second over- Smith’s status uncertain, one-year contract on the eve NHL, the second a 39-save
Well, not everyone. time. Suddenly, the player Domingue appears headed of training camp last Septem- performance in a loss to Phil-
who wondered if his love of for his first career playoff ber. He’d spent most of the adelphia two weeks ago.
Louis Domingue wasn’t the game would return as his start.
spent. Just hungry. The kind 30th birthday approached
of gnaw in the stomach that was thrust into the spotlight He can only hope to pull off
comes from nervously sitting just a few blocks from Broad- a repeat of his unlikely Game
around for three-plus hours way, belly filled with spicy 1 cameo. He thought the
watching your teammates pork and all. referees were joking when
trade wild swings of momen- they skated over to the bench
tum with the Rangers. What happened next will live and told him to get loose.
on in Penguins lore, no mat- They weren’t. So Domingue
So Pittsburgh’s well-traveled ter how their first-round se- stretched a little, threw on his
backup goaltender looked ries with the favored Rangers catcher and blocker and then
over the options available goes. settled into the crease. It all
Tuesday night and settled on happened so quickly, there
a spicy pork dish. Just some- Domingue turned aside all was no time to get jittery.
thing to tide him over un- 17 shots he faced from New