Page 18 - aruba-today-20200111

A18 SPORTS
Saturday 11 January 2020
Morikawa handles the wind and takes lead at Sony Open

HONOLULU (AP) — The wind different from last week on
blew so hard that palm Maui, except it was a much
trees looked as though easier walk on a relatively
they were made of rubber. flat surface.
The Pacific looked angrier Patrick Reed, who lost in a
than usual. Some of the playoff to Thomas last week
sights Thursday at the Sony in the Sentry Tournament of
Open made it clear that Champions, was at 3 under
playing golf in Hawaii was midway through his back
no vacation. before dropping shots from
Collin Morikawa managed the water (No. 2) and the
better than everyone. He sand (No. 4) and having to
learned enough about the settle for a 69.
wind last week on Maui to Those who know Waialae
cope with it on Oahu, get- well from playing so many
ting through the relentless years could not remember
30 mph wind without a bo- this much wind for so much
gey for a 5-under 65 and a of the day.
two-shot lead. "We've all probably expe-
"It's tough out here," Morika- rienced wind like this at
wa said. "If you have a 20- some point, but it's rare,"
foot birdie putt, you've got Zach Johnson said after a
to factor in the wind, the 69. "I've not experienced it
rain, everything. So playing Collin Morikawa hits from the 11th tee during the first round of the Sony Open PGA Tour golf event, here."
last week got me prepared Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Morikawa can't claim to
for today in the wind, and Associated Press feel at home, even with so
I look forward to the next much family living on Oahu.
few days." "Just trying to find some- year. and found a bunker. His He had never played Wai-
Ryan Palmer was among thing where it's easy to get "It was hard work out there," next shot caught the top alae until a practice round
four players at 67, with in play and on the green. defending champion Matt of the lip, leaving him 189 on Tuesday, but he had
Marc Leishman and Corey It was a grind, which was Kuchar said after a 69. "This yards away. enough recent experience
Conners among those at what last week was, so it I don't recall in a long time. "At that point, I was trying in the tropical gusts to get
68. was really hard to stay fo- What a challenge. The to get out with par," Mori- the job done.
Justin Thomas, who won cused. Felt like I didn't do wind is blowing as hard as kawa said. He didn't make everything,
a playoff last week in Ka- a good job of that to start, I recall it blowing." He went with a 4-iron — the but he made the right putts
palua, struggled early in but then played pretty well It was so strong that even next longest club in his bag — two birdies on par 3s,
the wind and had to keep the last 13 or so holes." with the tee moved forward is a 2-iron — and hit it so well both par 5s and a wedge
it together for a 72. A year A year ago, Adam Svens- on the par-3 fourth hole at the wind didn't move it. The to 8 feet on No. 5. He also
ago, that might have been son of Canada opened Waialae so that it played ball came down about 6 holed a 10-foot par putt af-
the first step toward a with a 61, and all that gave 162 yards, Morikawa still hit feet from the cup for his fi- ter finding a bunker left of
weekend off. On this day, it him was a one-shot lead. 4-iron. It was one of his bet- nal birdie. the green on No. 14.
was inside the cut line. Seventy-five players broke ter shots, 7 feet right of the Rain pounded the course "I think the harder condi-
Maui was hard work in the par. This year was a little flag, for birdie. about an hour before the tions, the better for me,"
wind. This week might be different. Only 30 players The best was his finish on first tee time, making the Morikawa said. "Ball-strikers
worse because Waialae is broke par when play was the par-5 ninth, 504 yards greens even softer. The just want to control every-
so exposed. suspended by darkness. and typically the easi- wind never stopped, and thing — control the ball —
"Not exactly what you're The scoring average was est scoring hole. His drive even in sunshine, show- and I had complete con-
looking for after a week like 72.04, compared with 69.64 peeled to the right into a ers popped up out of no- trol today. That's what you
last week," Thomas said. in the opening round last hurting, left-to-right wind where. It was not much want to do."q
Salt Lake City, Barcelona among Winter Olympic host options

By GRAHAM DUNBAR the mountain region, in- to an IOC vote seven years "Sport is recognized by ev- Japanese Olympic com-
AP Sports Writer cluding Andorra, and out- before the games. eryone as a strong reunify- mittee leader Yasuhiro
LAUSANNE, Switzerland side the area to find sliding Salt Lake City and Sapporo ing factor," Morariu said. Yamashita got only one
(AP) — There are already and ski jumping venues. previously hosted Winter Also, South Korea was cho- "no" vote, while Internation-
three possible bidders to The contenders have been Games in 2002 and 1972, sen to host the 2024 Winter al Tennis Federation presi-
host the Winter Olympics in in talks about hosting a Win- respectively. Youth Olympics as the only dent David Haggerty, who
the future, the IOC said Fri- ter Games in 2030, 2034 or Sapporo also stepped in candidate. The Gangwon is American, received four
day. even 2038, said Octavian last year to host marathon region will use many of the "no" votes.
Previous Winter Games Morariu, the IOC member and race walk events at same venues used at the IOC members seemed to
hosts Salt Lake City and heading a new panel that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 2018 Pyeongchang Olym- lack enthusiasm for explor-
Sapporo have been joined seeks future candidates. when the IOC decided the pics. ing closer ties with video
by 1992 Summer Games A new process for find- heat in August in the capi- FIFA president Gianni In- gaming in the booming eS-
host Barcelona, where ing and choosing Olympic tal would affect athlete fantino was elected as an ports industry.
temperatures rarely drop hosts began a constant, safety. IOC member in a 63-13 "We can get taken to the
below 7 degrees Celsius rolling dialogue with poten- Barcelona is in talks despite vote with notable oppo- cleaners in a major hurry
(45 degrees Fahrenheit) in tial bidders which can be tensions between Spain's sition from an electorate if we're not very care-
February. chosen many years in ad- national government and which includes sports lead- ful about this," said Dick
A Pyrenees-Barcelona bid vance. Previously, a two- a separatist movement in ers and royal family mem- Pound, the longest-serving
would spread events across year campaign would lead the Catalonia region. bers from Asia and Europe. IOC member.q