Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Wednesday 21 February 2018
Woods, Stricker to be vice captains at Ryder Cup

By DOUG FERGUSON Tuesday. "Whether that's Tiger and I want to do what's
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. the best thing for the team, best for the team, and that
(AP) — Tiger Woods will be we'll see." would be a bridge we cross
in France this year for the Woods is returning from a when we got there," Furyk
Ryder Cup as a vice cap- fourth back surgery that said. "If he could be valu-
tain. has limited his golf to just 19 able as a player, I'm sure
Still to be determined is tournaments since the first we would want him playing
whether he gets to play. of those surgeries a week on this team. But there's so
U.S. captain Jim Furyk ap- before the 2014 Masters. much time to go."
pointed Woods and Steve He last played in the Ryder Woods tied for 23rd last
Stricker as two more of his Cup in 2012 at Medinah, month at Torrey Pines, and
vice captains for the Sept. where he went 0-3-1. then missed the cut last
28-30 matches at Le Golf Woods was a vice cap- week at Riviera. He is play-
National. Furyk previously tain at Hazeltine for the ing the Honda Classic this
selected two-time Ryder 2016 Ryder Cup, when the week, and likely has one
Cup captain Davis Love III Americans beat Europe for more start at Bay Hill ahead
to assist him. the first time in eight years. of the Masters. He is No. 544
Woods has said he'd like to He also was an assistant at in the world ranking and
play and be a vice cap- the Presidents Cup last fall. not eligible for World Golf
tain. Furyk hasn't ruled that Players and other assistants Championships, which of-
out. He will have five assis- have described him as be- fer higher Ryder Cup points.
tants with him at the Ryder ing heavily involved. "I think the good news-bad
Cup, and there are only Stricker, the Presidents Cup news for someone like Ti-
four matches on the course In this Sept. 27, 2016, file photo, United States vice-captain Tiger captain last year, will be ger Woods is: He's played
at any time until Sunday Woods watches a practice round for the Ryder Cup golf tourna- a vice captain in the third what? Three or four events?
singles. ment, at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. straight Ryder Cup. And we're already talk-
"It's possible," Furyk said Associated Press Woods has a 13-17-3 re- ing Ryder Cup," Furyk said.
cord in his seven appear- "That's the nature of being
ances as a player in the Tiger Woods and obviously
Kerber easily advances to 2nd Ryder Cup. He has played being one of the great-
on only one winning team, est players or the greatest
in 1999 at The Country Club player of all time. I'm anx-
round in Dubai; Bellis wins in Brookline, Massachusetts. ious to see how he plays, so
He was a captain's pick see how things go and we'll
only in Wales in 2010. do what's best for him and
"I want to do what's best for the team."q
DUBAI, United Arab Emir-
ates (AP) — Sixth-seeded
Angelique Kerber needed Hall of Famer
less than an hour to beat
Barbora Strycova of the Orlando Cepeda
Czech Republic 6-2, 6-1
Tuesday in the first round of hospitalized in Bay Area
the Dubai Championships.
Fifth-seeded Caroline
Garcia of France also ad-
vanced, beating Lucie SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —
Safarova of the Czech Re- Hall of Famer Orlando
public 6-3, 7-5. Cepeda has been hospi-
Kerber was broken in the talized in the Bay Area.
opening game but had no The San Francisco Giants
trouble the rest of the way said Tuesday the 80-year-
against the 2016 runner-up. old Cepeda had been
She broke back immedi- taken to a hospital late
ately and earned another Monday. The team had no
break in the fourth game to Angelique Kerber of Germany returns the ball to Barbora Stryco- further details.
take control of the match. va of Czech Republic during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Cham- Cepeda has been a regu- In this Sept. 16, 2017, file
She will next face Italy's pionship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. lar at Giants home games photo, Hall of Famer Orlando
Sara Errani. "I played a solid Associated Press and attended an 80th Cepeda waves to fans prior
match," Kerber said. "It's al- birthday event for Hall of to the San Francisco Giants'
ways tough to play against Famer Willie McCovey last baseball game against the
her. You never know what's on Garbine Muguruza next. the top players." Saman- month. Arizona Diamondbacks, in
going to happen. She's al- "I've never played her be- tha Stosur, one of the four Cepeda was a first base- San Francisco.
ways a fighter." fore. It's definitely going to Grand Slam champions in man during his 17 big
American 18-year-old be a new experience for the field, lost 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 to league seasons, beginning NL Rookie of the Year with
Catherine Bellis followed me," Bellis said. "She's an the hard-hitting Anett Kon- with the Giants. He also San Francisco and NL MVP
up her quarterfinal appear- unbelievable player and taveit of Estonia. played for St. Louis, Atlan- in 1967 with St. Louis. In
ance in Doha by beating has been at the top of the Qiang Wang of China was ta, Oakland, Boston and 1961, he led the NL with
Elise Mertens of Belgium game for a while now. It the quickest winner of the Kansas City. 46 homers and 142 RBIs.
6-3, 6-3. Bellis, who lost to will be great for me just to day, beating Belgium’s Kiki A seven-time All-Star who Cepeda was a .297 career
Simona Halep in Doha, will see where my game lines Bertens 6-3, 6-0 in just 55 played in three World Se- hitter with 379 home runs.
face Wimbledon champi- up against another one of minutes. ries, Cepeda was the 1958 q