Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Friday 22 September 2017
Stanley opens strong at East Lake, and so does Spieth

By DOUG FERGUSON as it bounded down a hill.
AP Golf Writer He turned to his caddie
ATLANTA (AP) — Kyle Stan- and said, “We might have
ley and Jordan Spieth got to hit a provisional,” fearing
off to strong starts in the the ball would leave the
Tour Championship with property.
entirely different goals in Instead, he took two shots
mind. to reach the green, the
Stanley ran off four straight second a daring flop from
birdies on the front nine, the Bermuda rough to a
one of them from 40 feet, pin that ran away from
and then added two him. He hit that to 2 feet for
more late in his round on a bogey.
steamy Thursday afternoon That was the last of his
at East Lake for a 6-under blunders. He settled in with
64. In his Tour Champion- three straight birdies and
ship debut, he had a two- a tough par from the bun-
shot lead over a group that ker on the par-3 ninth, and
included U.S. Open cham- then couldn’t make a putt.
pion Brooks Koepka. Spieth missed four birdie
Spieth had a 67, and while chances inside 12 feet on
it was a grind, he had no the back nine.
gripes about that. “I get done and look back
He is the No. 1 seed in the and I’m surprised we’re at
FedEx Cup, and no one 3 under,” he said. “I felt
from the top five had a like it was really a grind out
lower score. That kept Spi- there, and it’s just because
eth on track in his bid to the first four, five holes of
join Tiger Woods as the only the round, I was all over the
two-time winners of the $10 Kyle Stanley makes his par putt on the first hole during the first round of the Tour Championship golf place tee-to-green. And
million bonus since the Fe- tournament at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017. Associated Press then my whole back nine,
dEx Cup began in 2007. I had a chance to birdie all
The top five seeds only but one of the holes and
have to win the Tour Cham- a weird scenario teeing off on the 16th. players at 67 that included only made one of them.”
pionship to claim the FedEx last when it’s the first round “I don’t have too good of two other top seeds, Justin The good starts by Spieth,
Cup, though there have and there’s only 30 guys.” a game plan for this golf Thomas (No. 2) and Jon Thomas and Rahm are
been three occasions And it didn’t help to see course seeing it for the first Rahm (No. 5). Rahm made not helpful for most of the
where someone else won what Stanley was doing. time,” Stanley said. “But I eagle on the par-5 sixth, players around them. Ko-
at East Lake and walked Stanley, the No. 22 seed felt like maybe that would and he nearly ended his epka is the No. 9 seed, with
away with golf’s biggest and a long shot for the Fe- be key, just hitting a lot of round with another eagle. Casey at No. 10, so they
payoff when the leading dEx Cup, thought East Lake fairways and giving myself For Spieth, it was a struggle. would need the top seeds
players faltered. was plenty tough during chances on second shots.” He spent most of the week to stumble over the next
That explains why Spieth the practice rounds. He Stanley isn’t too wrapped trying to eliminate the right three days.
spent more time looking at just didn’t make it look that up about the $10 million bo- side of the golf course and Dustin Johnson, the No. 3
the leaderboard than he way, stuffing a wedge into nus, though Bill Haas won it thought he had that ironed seed, is not out of the pic-
typically does in the open- 2 feet on No. 3 to start his in 2011 as the No. 25 seed. out. And then he pulled ture after his bogey-free
ing round. run of four straight birdies. He was two shots ahead his opening tee shot Thurs- round. His problem was
“I don’t know the scenarios, He extended his lead by of Koepka — who played day and was happy just to that he made only two
so it really doesn’t make a hitting a tee shot over the bogey-free — Webb Simp- reach the green on East birdies, the first one on the
difference for me to watch water to a front pin on the son, Paul Casey and Daniel Lake’s toughest hole for par-3 11th hole and the
the scoreboard other than nervy par-3 15th and mak- Berger, who made eagle par. He hit a sharp draw on other with a two-putt birdie
to figure out how to get to ing his 18-foot birdie, and on the final hole. the par-3 11th, turning and on the par-5 18th. He had
the leaders,” he said. “It’s then holing a 10-foot birdie Spieth was among five swinging his club in disgust a 68.q
Barbora Strycova advances to

quarterfinals at Pan Pacific Open

TOKYO (AP) — Barbora Strycova was playing in her Defending champion Car-
Strycova advanced to the second match at the tour- oline Wozniacki, Caroline
quarterfinals at the Pan nament, while Konta had a Garcia and Dominika Cib-
Pacific Open by beating first-round bye. ulkova also reached the
fourth-seeded Jo Konta “I didn’t feel I was as match quarterfinals.
7-5, 7-6 (5) Thursday. fit as I would like, but given Wozniacki rallied to beat
At 31, Strycova is the oldest it was my first match in a Shelby Rogers 4-6, 6-1, 6-4,
singles player in this year’s while I didn’t think I did that while the fifth-seeded Cib-
tournament and is making badly,” said Konta, who is ulkova defeated Katerina
Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic returns a shot to Jo- her eighth straight main ranked No. 7. Siniakova 6-2, 6-2. Garcia
hanna Konta of Britain during their second round match of the
Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo, Thursday, Sept. draw appearance in To- The victory was Strycova’s beat Kurumi Nara 6-1, 6-3
21, 2017. kyo. She will next play An- first over a top-10 player in and will next face top-seed-
Associated Press astasia Pavlyuchenkova. seven attempts this year. ed Garbine Muguruza.q