Page 21 - Aruba Today

SPORTS A21
Thursday 3 December 2015

ON THE GREEN Spieth’s big lesson on closing paid off

Woods still big presence at DOUG FERGUSON the Shell Houston Open off a runner-up finish in the
AP Golf Writer when he lost in a playoff. Australian Open, and he
his annual golf tournament NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — “It just clicked right at the is helped by some course
Jordan Spieth ends 2015 end of that season to lead knowledge. He has had
DOUG FERGUSON with two majors, the No. into ‘15,” he said. “But it a home in Albany the last
AP Golf Writer 1 ranking and no doubts
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — PGA Tour Commissioner about his ability to close Jordan Spieth speaks during a press conference at the PGA
Tim Finchem met with Tiger Woods on Wednesday out tournaments. Tour’s Hero World Challenge golf tournament in Albany, Baha-
and was happy to see him alive. That wasn’t the case at this mas, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015. (AP Photo/Doug Ferguson)
“I kidded him because based on media reports I read time a year ago.
before I came down here this morning, I thought he Not only was he winless, was tough. Those Sunday four years and holds the
was actually dying. ‘Tiger, you’re supposed to be but Spieth three times had evenings were tough for course record (65). “Look,
dead.’ I just saw him,” Finchem said. “He’s alive.” failed to convert at least a me when I didn’t close winning is getting more dif-
Woods, the tournament host of the Hero World Chal- share of the 54-hole lead them out. Makes you really ficult, certainly when you
lenge, got the week off to a sobering start in a press into a trophy, including appreciate now that you have some dominant play-
conference Tuesday in which he said he had no idea the Masters and The Play- can. You wonder, ‘How in ers,” Scott said. “And you
when his back would be healthy enough for him to ers Championship. With the world was I not able to had two really dominant
do anything more than walk, much less think about two events left on his 2014 back then?’ But it’s just the players this year in Jordan
playing golf. schedule, he rallied to win way the game is.” and Jason (Day) winning
He said if his 79 wins on the PGA Tour and 14 ma- the Australian Open and Indeed, it’s tougher than five times each. And then
jors is all he wins, “I’ve had a pretty good run.” He then went wire-to-wire for ever to win on the PGA the depth of the game of
also said he wants to play again and that anything a 10-shot victory in the Tour. The Hero World Chal- golf is stronger every year
he achieves beyond what he already has “will be Hero World Challenge at lenge, which starts Thurs- at the moment. And just
gravy.” Isleworth. day at Albany Golf Club, is getting one win is tough.”
It sparked speculation of retirement, or at least the “I had four or five leads go- an example of that. This is the fourth location
end of a career that golf fans once knew. ing into weekend in 2014 The 18-man field, which for the World Challenge,
Jordan Spieth, who said Woods was a major influ- in the PGA Tour season, does not include injured which Woods began in
ence on him as a teenager, didn’t see it that way. and each time you don’t host Tiger Woods, consists 1999 in Arizona. It was at
“Obviously, it’s frustrating for him. You can tell that,” come through you won- only of players from the Sherwood Country Club
Spieth said. “But I think we certainly haven’t seen the der what’s wrong. Is it me? top 50 in the world ranking. in California until moving
end of him, even if he does say that if the sun sets on Is it my game?” he said And yet there are five of to Isleworth in Florida for
the career now, it’s still good. I think we can all read Wednesday. “And then those, including three from last year, and now The Ba-
between the lines there, that he’s ... I think he’s still you hear the noise of, ‘He’s the top 20, who have yet hamas were Woods has
got some really good years left out of him.” a good player but he can’t to win anywhere around property, along with Scott
Adam Scott didn’t see the press conference and close,’ and this and that. the world this year. and Justin Rose. The task
said he can only hope that Woods recovers. Whether you try to hear it One of them is Adam Scott, facing the 22-year-old Spi-
“We don’t want Tiger checking out of the game any or not, it still comes in. And at No. 10 in the world, who eth is what he does for an
time soon,” Scott said. that’s a tough thing to get is trying to avoid his first win- encore, though Spieth will
Scott first played a practice round with Woods on the over.” less year since his first as a have the rest of December
Sunday before Woods headed off to Pebble Beach Those doubts are gone. pro in 2000. Scott is coming to figure that out.q
for the 2000 U.S. Open, which he won by 15 shots. Those two wins at the end
Scott once said that round nearly persuaded him of last year served as a
not to turn pro. He wonders if the next generation will springboard to a spectac-
have any appreciation of Woods at his peak. ular season in which Spieth
“It’s hard to explain to Jordan coming out now how won the Masters and U.S.
he (Woods) was just so much better than everyone at Open among his five titles,
that point,” Scott said. “We’re all quick to forget that captured the FedEx Cup
sometimes.” and its $10 million bonus,
The Australian offered another example of the Tiger swept all the major awards
effect, this time related to apparel. and showed that he can
“He inspired all of us to play golf like he did, and it was be tough to beat with the
kind of at that point a transition from having a ward- lead.
robe full of Shark clothes to Nike swooshes,” he said. He was 4-1 this year with
Finchem said his take in seeing Woods was that he at least a share of the lead
was frustrated by not being able to do anything, going into the final round,
which included water sports. the exception coming at
“He’s like any of us. He’s going stir crazy,” Finchem
said. “He’s kind of matter-of-fact about it. He’s kind Song, Feng leading LPGA Tour Qualifyer
of a matter-of-fact guy.”
PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said the board DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) on the Jones Course. “I definitely want to be
has approved a new policy that will require players to — Christine Song and Chi- The top 20 finishers Sun- back out there,” Song said.
compete in new tournaments starting with the 2016- na’s Simin Feng each shot day will earn full LPGA Tour “I can play out there and I
17 season. That doesn’t mean adding tournaments to 7-under 65 on Wednesday cards, and Nos. 21-45 and can win out there and I re-
the schedule, rather playing one where they haven’t to share the first-round lead ties will receive conditional ally want to get back there
been in the previous four years. in the LPGA Tour Qualifying status. ASAP.”
More details were expected later in the week, but Tournament. Song, from Fullerton, Cali- The 20-year-old Simin bird-
Finchem said it would apply more to the younger Song and Feng opened on fornia, made seven starts ied four of her final five
players. It would not have an effect on lifetime mem- LPGA International’s Jones on the LPGA Tour this year holes.
bers (Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, Vijay Course. South Korea’s Ju- while recovering from “I hit all of the fairways and
Singh) or players at the end of their careers, presum- lie Yang was third after a a back injury. She also only missed two greens so
ably age 45 or older.q 66 on the Hills Course, and played 11 tournaments on that was the key,” Feng
Cydney Clanton had a 67 the Symetra Tour. said.q