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Wednesday 11 december 2019

Patrick

reed

still the

talk of the

Presidents

cuP

By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)
— As if being the first play-
ing captain in 25 years at
the Presidents Cup weren’t
enough, Tiger Woods filled
yet another role Tuesday
at Royal Melbourne.
Woods had Patrick Reed
in his group for the first full
practice round for a U.S.
team still trying to shake off
the jet lag from a 23-hour
flight from the Bahamas.
“It’s always great play-
ing with Tiger because he
kind of frees you up,” Reed
said. “Everyone’s focused
on what Tiger’s doing.”
Woods got plenty of love
from the fans, many fear-
ing they might never get a
chance to see him Down
Under after his career was
in jeopardy from four back
surgeries. Woods won the
Australian Masters at near-
by Kingston Heath in 2009
and made the clinching
putt in 2011 the last time
the Presidents Cup was at
Royal Melbourne. He was
the biggest topic on the
first day of interviews be- Duclair has 3-point game,
cause of his rules violation
last week at the Hero World
Challenge when he twice Senators beat Bruins 5-2
scooped away sand be-
hind his ball while playing
from a waste area. Reed
was penalized two shots
after seeing the video. He
says it wasn’t intentional
and he wasn’t helped; he
didn’t feel or see his club
scrape back the sand; and
the camera angle didn’t Ottawa Senators' Nikita Zaitsev holds off Boston Bruins'
show his club far enough Brad Marchand during third period NHL hockey action in
behind the ball. Ottawa, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.
Fans didn’t wait until the Associated Press
start of the matches Thurs-
day to needle him. Page 22

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