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20
SPORTSFriday 8 April 2016
Jordan Spieth picks up where he left off at Augusta National
DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Jor-
dan Spieth atop the lea-
derboard might be the
latest tradition at Augusta
National.
One year later, he’s still the
man to beat at the Mas-
ters.
Six tough par saves and
six birdies sent Spieth to
a 6-under 66 on Thursday
and a two-shot lead in a
strong wind that made Au-
gusta National play tough
for just about everyone ex-
cept the defending cham-
pion.
Coming off his wire-to-
wire victory last year, Spi-
eth now has five straight
rounds in the lead, and six
out of the last seven when
he was tied or leading.
One more and he would
match the longest streak
since Arnold Palmer in
1960 and the opening two
rounds of 1961.
And just like last year, now
it’s time for the rest of the
field to try to catch him.
“We’re through one
round,” Spieth said.
“There’s going to be a lot
of different changes. There
are going to be a lot of dif-
ferent birdies, bogeys and
everything in between. We
know how to win this golf
tournament, and we be-
Castro, Teixeira power Yankees to 16-6 win over Astros
The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Star-
lin Castro homered and
drove in five runs and Mark
Teixeira had four RBIs as the
Yankees trounced Houston
for their first victory of the
season.
Teixeira and Castro each
hit a three-run homer. Car-
los Beltran also went deep
and Castro finished with
four of the 17 hits for the
Yankees,
who chased Collin McHugh
(0-1) in a six-run first inning land got its first win of the
that lasted 36 minutes.
Michael Pineda (1-0) ben-
efited from the offensive
outburst, taking home a
win despite allowing six
runs and eight hits in five in- four and striking out five.
nings.
Carlos Correa went 4 for
5 with two home runs and
George Springer had his
Jordan Spieth watches his putt on the seventh green during the first round of the Masters golf tour-
nament Thursday, April 7, 2016, in Augusta, Ga. back. I know I can catch
lieve in our process. And
if the putts are dropping,
then hopefully it goes our
way.”
They were dropping, which
is why Spieth had the only
bogey-free round on a day
where the wind made that
seem unlikely.
He had a two-shot lead
over Danny Lee and Shane
first career grand slam for
Houston, a 5-3 winner Tues-
day in the frigid opener (36
degrees at game time).
This one started with the
temperature at 43 degrees
and took 3 hours, 45 min-
utes to complete.
New York’s bats were hot
all night, though.
ATHLETICS 2, WHITE SOX 1
OAKLAND, California (AP)
— Sonny Gray pitched
seven strong innings, Mark
Canha homered and Oak-
season.
Gray, scratched from the
opening-day start because
of a stomach flu, gave up
a run on three hits, walking
John Axford pitched a
scoreless eighth and Ryan
Madsen got the final three
outs for his first save. Mad-
in three holes, I’m only six
up.”
Associated Press Right when Day was fall-
ing apart, McIlroy holed
Lowry. The battle among par-5 15th, pulled his tee an 18-foot eagle putt on
the modern “Big Three” shot into the water on the the 13th and looked to be
and other top players ex- par-3 16th and made triple on his way in his bid to win
pected to contend did not bogey, and then sailed the a green jacket and com-
take shape. green on the 17th for an- plete the career Grand
Jason Day, the No. 1 player other bogey. Just like that, Slam. He was within two
in the world and Masters the Australian was back to shots of the lead until he
favorite, was on the verge even par. three-putted the 16th for
of catching Spieth until a “It could happen to any- bogey and missed the
mini-meltdown. He three- one,” Day said. “Even 18th green to the right, was
putted for bogey on the though I gave up five shots plugged in a bunker and
dropped another shot for a
70. Even so, it was his best
start since 2011.
“If somebody had given
me a 70 on the first day, I
would have taken it,” Mc-
Ilroy said. “I’m a little dis-
appointed in the way I fin-
ished.”
Bubba Watson, a two-time
champion, had a 41 on the
back nine and shot 75. He
wasn’t even low Watson —
66-year-old Tom Watson,
in his last Masters, shot 74.
Adam Scott, coming off
two victories in Florida last
month, opened with a 76.
Rickie Fowler had his worst
score ever at Augusta Na-
tional by posting an 80,
with 44 of those shots com-
ing on the back nine.
Spieth simply picked up
where he left off a year
ago.q
New York Yankees Starlin Castro reacts as he crosses home lins drove in a run for Chi-
plate after hitting a solo home run against the Houston Astros cago.
during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, April 7, Adam Eaton singled twice
2016, in New York. and walked, reaching
base safely in 25 consecu-
Associated Press tive games dating to last
Sept. 9.
sen’s last four saves have on seven hits over seven in- ORIOLES 4, TWINS 2
come against the White nings. He walked one and BALTIMORE (AP) — Chris
Sox. struck out six. Davis homered to back an
Chicago starter Carlos Jed Lowrie also had an RBI effective pitching perfor-
Rodon gave up two runs for the A’s and Jimmy Rol- mance by Yovani Gallardo
in his Orioles debut.
Davis,
the reigning major league
home run champ, hit a
solo shot to deep center
off Kyle Gibson (0-1) in the
third inning to put the Ori-
oles ahead for good.
Davis also scored the win-
ning run in the season
opener and is off to a
strong start after receiving
a $161 million, seven-year
contract in January.q