Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Thursday 2 augusT 2018
Long history at Firestone, 1 man who's seen it all

By DOUG FERGUSON don't know anybody here.
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Would you like to have a
Deemed to be too young few beers?'" Lazoran said.
and too small for work, Paul "To this day, he still knows
Lazoran turned to walk my name and he's a great
away when the Firestone friend."
Country Club pro told him The South Course was ex-
he could sit in a corner of panded for its first major,
the golf shop and clean the 1960 PGA Champion-
clubs for $2 a day. ship, when Robert Trent
That was 1951. Lazoran was Jones added some 50 bun-
9. And he never left. kers, two ponds and 500-
He was there in 1954 to plus yards, along with re-
watch Tommy Bolt win the ducing par to 70 for cham-
Rubber City Open, the first pionship golf.
tournament at Firestone. But it's always hosted the
He was the caddie for Ar- world's best, even before
nold Palmer, his hero, in the it became a World Golf
1964 World Series of Golf, Championship where play-
and for Gary Player the fol- ers now compete for $10
lowing year when Player million in prize money, with
won the four-man exhi- $1.7 million going to the
bition and paid Lazoran Paul Lazoran poses for a photo inside the golf locker room at the Firestone County Club in Akron, winner. And to think Player
$2,500, enough for a down Ohio on Aug. 4, 2010. earned $50,000 for his 1965
payment on a house. Associated Press victory.
He drank beers into the "Tiger probably has taken
night with Nick Price when cause the clubhouse area his 14th major in 1975 at "I've been there for 67 $11 or $12 million from Fire-
the 26-year-old from Zim- was not out-of-bounds, Firestone — the Rubber City years, and the area has stone," Lazoran said with a
babwe won his first title in Woods received a free Open, the American Golf always supported golf," he laugh.
America. drop, made bogey to end Classic, the CBS Golf Clas- said. Sharp memory. Woods has
Tiger Woods? the second round and sic and the World Series of His favorite memory was earned $11,060,525 in his 16
Lazoran was there for all went on to win in a playoff. Golf, which preceded the working for Player because appearances at Firestone.
eight of his victories at Fires- Woods returns to Firestone World Golf Championship. they won, and for Palmer This will be the last one, and
tone, and one stands out in one last time. This is the final It has plenty of history. because he was the King. it was a big deal for Woods
particular. edition of the Bridgestone Lazoran has lived every bit "He was my idol," Lazoran to get back. He tied for
"I could hear the ball go- Invitational because the of it. said. "I was a nervous wreck sixth at the British Open, al-
ing over the roof," Lazoran, World Golf Championship He went from cleaning on the first tee. I could feel lowing him to move to No.
now 76, said Tuesday as will have a new sponsor clubs to selling sandwiches my hands shaking. I'm cad- 50 in the world.
he geared up for his 89th (FedEx) on a different golf at the halfway house to dying for the King. And he Woods hasn't won this year,
event at the 90-year-old course (TPC Southwind) in working as a caddie. He looked over at me and though it shouldn't be a sur-
club in northeast Ohio. "It Memphis, Tennessee, next was an assistant pro under said, 'I'm nervous enough prise if he does. He had the
crossed over the roof down year. Bobby Nichols and worked for the two of us. Just relax.'" lead for a short time in the
to where we keep all the It will not be the end of golf in the locker room for three Firestone often served as final round at Carnoustie.
trash. One of the cooks at Firestone. decades. He retired from an introduction for inter- He missed a playoff by one
there thought he found a Filling the void will be the full-time work in 2010, but national stars to an Ameri- shot at the Valspar Cham-
golf ball." Senior Players Champion- Lazoran still drops in for a can audience, whether it pionship in March.
That was Josh Stuber, who ship, which gives one of the few hours each day during was Jose Maria Olazabal His last victory was five
was delivering a batch of five majors on the PGA Tour the tournament to work in in 1990 when he won by 12 years ago this week at the
crunchy cream pies when Champions a sense of sta- the golf shop. shots, or Price winning by Bridgestone Invitational.
he stumbled across the golf bility, if not nostalgia. He feels no sense of de- four shots over Nicklaus. Lazoran wouldn't be sur-
ball. Apparently not notic- There is deep history at Fire- spair that Firestone is losing "Nick Price, when he won prised to see him win again
ing "TIGER" in small, block stone, which has hosted the the world's best players, re- the tournament, he looked this week, because he's
letters, he stuffed it in his PGA Championship three placed by the world's best over at me and said, 'I'm seen just about everything
pocket and drove off. Be- times — Jack Nicklaus won players 50 and older. from Zimbabwe and I else at Firestone.q

Milan, Turin, Cortina to launch joint bid for 2026 Olympics

MILAN (AP) — Italy will Sala, however, has criti- tina would have the same athlon, freestyle and Nordic Italy was forced to suspend
launch a three-city bid to cized the decision and says number of competitions, skiing would be staged in Rome's bid for the 2024
host the 2026 Winter Olym- that while his city would with the sliding sports (bob- the Valtellina region, which Summer Olympics because
pics in Milan, Turin and Cor- still be willing to host Olym- sleigh, skeleton and luge) is between Milan and Cor- of staunch opposition from
tina. pic events, it will not be in- and Alpine skiing, while the tina. Other possible candi- the city's mayor.
The Italian Olympic Com- volved in the governance Nordic combined and ski dates for the 2026 Olympics It was the second time in
mittee announced the of the bid. jumping would be held in are: Stockholm; Erzurum, four years a Rome bid was
move on Wednesday, hav- According to CONI's 'Olym- nearby Val di Fiemme. Turkey; Calgary, Canada; withdrawn or suspended.
ing decided a joint bid was pic Masterplan', Milan Speed skating and men's and Sapporo, Japan. In 2012, then-premier Ma-
more cost effective. It was will host four events: curl- ice hockey would take International Olympic rio Monti scrapped the
unanimously voted for by ing, women's ice hockey, place in Turin, with slalom Committee members will city's bid for the 2020 Olym-
the CONI board. short track speed skating Alpine skiing in nearby Se- pick the host in Milan in Oc- pics because of financial
Milan Mayor Giuseppe and figure skating. Cor- striere. Snowboarding, bi- tober 2019. Two years ago, concerns.q