Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Tuesday 19 sepTember 2017
Leishman wins BMW Championship and sets sight on $10 million

By DOUG FERGUSON another good week, who “Once you reach goals,
AP Golf Writer knows what might hap- you make new ones,” he
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — pen?” said. “And I’ve been mak-
Marc Leishman put the fin- So after 46 tournaments, ing a lot of new ones.”
ishing touches on his best the FedEx Cup comes Patrick Cantlay, another
year in golf and already down to one week. PGA Tour rookie, had been
was looking ahead to British Open champion Jor- out of golf for three years
make it even better. dan Spieth, PGA champion with a back injury he feared
With his wire-to-wire, five- Justin Thomas, Dustin John- might end his career, along
shot victory in the BMW son, Leishman and Jon with the emotional scars of
Championship — his first Rahm of Spain are the top seeing his best friend and
tournament after losing a five seeds. caddie, Chris Roth, struck
two-shot lead on the back For some players, they were and killed by a car as they
nine at the TPC Boston — just happy to be there. walked to dinner.
Leishman now is in range Xander Schauffele started He picked a light schedule
to capture the FedEx Cup the year by missing six of 11 this year to ease his way
and its $10 million bonus this cuts and finishing inside the back into golf, and to cope
week at East Lake in the top 25 just once — he tied with an ankle injury from so
Tour Championship. for 24th at the Wells Fargo much play. In just 11 tour- Marc Leishman watches his tee shot on the second hole during
All he has to do is win. Championship in early naments, he made it to the the final round of the BMW Championship golf tournament at
Leishman not only won for May. Back then, he was Tour Championship, and it Conway Farms Golf Club, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, in Lake For-
est, Ill.
the second time this year, only thinking about keep- wasn’t easy. Cantlay was Associated Press
he has the No. 4 seed this ing his card in his rookie outside the top 30 com-
week for the FedEx Cup fi- season. ing to the par-5 18th and down, he would fall out of the green into the grand-
nale. While everyone in the He tied for fifth at the U.S. needed a birdie when he the top 30 after one of his stand, got more relief, and
30-man field has a math- Open. He won The Green- reached the green in two. best rounds of the year. He then got up-and-down for
ematical chance of claim- brier Classic. He was in posi- But his 50-foot eagle putt chipped in for birdie and his par. The whole process
ing golf’s richest prize, the tion to achieve a lofty goal came up 10 feet short. is on his way to East Lake took 30 minutes, but he
top five seeds only have to — East Lake — at No. 32 in He calmly rolled that in for the first time.The fourth was relieved.
win to capture the cup. the FedEx Cup until he be- to barely moved into the player to move into the top Thirteen players from the
The way Leishman has gan the final round with 10 top 30.Along with playing 30 was Masters champion 30-man field last year
been playing, it doesn’t pars and two bogeys. the Tour Championship, Sergio Garcia, who inject- made it back.
seem out of reach. “I told my caddie, ‘I re- Cantlay is assured a spot ed more drama into the That doesn’t include Rory
At his side were two tro- ally don’t want the year to in the Masters, U.S. Open, final hole than was neces- McIlroy, who ended his inju-
phies — one from the BMW end, we’re having so much British Open and most likely sary.He thought he need- ry-filled season in America
Championship, the other fun,’” he said. the PGA Championship. ed a par to get into the top at No. 58 in the FedEx Cup,
from the Western Golf As- And then golf got really “I figured a birdie would 30 when a bogey would extending a strange trend.
sociation, which has run this fun. Schauffele birdied the be close,” he said. “I didn’t have worked. His second Only two FedEx Cup cham-
tournament since 1899. next two holes, drove the know it would for sure get shot was on the rocks in the pions, Spieth and Brandt
“I had my sights set high for 15th green and made a me in, but I knew it was re- stream, and his plan was to Snedeker, made it back to
the FedEx Cup and trying 30-foot eagle putt , birdied ally close and I definitely bounce it off the flat side of the Tour Championship.
to get into the top 5 and the 16th and then added a needed it.” a rock. That allowed him a Also missing is Phil Mickel-
with these sitting here,” he final birdie on the 18th for a Tony Finau was behind the drop because the grand- son, though it wasn’t from
said, pausing to glance at 4-under 67 that moved him 18th green in three, and if stands are on top of a haz- a lack of effort or excite-
the silver trophies, “if I have into the top 30. he failed to get up-and- ard. He smacked it over ment. q
Judge: NFL concussion victims hit with ‘deceptive practices’

By Michael Rubinkam with significant brain dam- ter by Aug. 7.A notice to at least one former player - day that he’s providing a
Associated Press age.In a court order, Brody eligible players, approved who was not named - and valuable service to players
A federal judge overseeing said she will weigh the le- by Brody earlier this year, wrote that Howard might who need it.
the NFL’s $1 billion concus- gality of contracts signed said that some players had have made similar state- Siler said the claims pro-
sion settlement with former by former players who signed contracts with third- ments to more than 200 cess wasn’t as easy as
players said she’s con- were duped by “deceptive party providers for up to other players he represents. advertised, especially for
cerned about “deceptive or misleading solicitations.” 15 percent of their even- In a statement, Howard told men suffering cognitive
practices” by claims service The settlement, which took tual award. The providers The Associated Press on impairment.“I don’t mis-
providers, lawyers, lenders effect in January, resolved offered to guide players Monday, “We are pleased lead. I don’t take advan-
and other groups seeking thousands of lawsuits that through a claims process that there is an effort to tage of my guys. I am there
a share of the money.U.S. accused the NFL of hiding they advertised as difficult. ensure retired NFL play- for them,” he said.
District Judge Anita Brody what it knew about the risks In reality, the notice said, ers receive the maximum Legacy charges 10 percent
will hold a hearing in Phila- of repeated concussions. “none of the steps are com- amount for their injuries. ... of any future award.
delphia on Tuesday to hear It covers retired players plicated,” and a court-ap- We look forward to ad- At the judge’s behest,
from Christopher Seeger, who develop Lou Gehrig’s pointed claims administra- dressing any clarity need- Seeger has been demand-
who represented the class disease, dementia or oth- tor helped players register ed as to communications ing communications be-
of more than 20,000 former er neurological problems or file claims free of charge. with class members.” tween third-party provid-
NFL players now eligible believed to be caused by In a court filing, Seeger ac- Former NFL linebacker ers and former players,
for payments. Seeger has concussions suffered dur- cused one attorney, Timo- Brandon Siler, who runs as well as copies of con-
been investigating claims ing their pro careers, with thy Howard, of Tallahassee, the company Legacy Pro tracts or retainers. Some
that unscrupulous third-par- awards as high as $5 million Florida, of making “serious Sports, which helps guide companies have resisted,
ty providers have been tak- for the most serious cases. misrepresentations about retired players through the arguing Seeger lacked a
ing advantage of players Participants had to regis- the settlement program” to claims process, said Mon- subpoena.q