Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Thursday 18 July 2019
Continued from Previous Page a little bit more, enjoy the
"If we get the result we want time I have left out here. I
on Sunday, we may not started to kind of get less
close the lounge until Oc- frustrated and start to, like
tober," said Robb Doherty, I say, start to enjoy the act
a retired police detective of trying to pull myself out
who serves as the club's of the hole I dug for myself.
treasurer. "It's very much And it's weird, the fog start-
a rags to riches story for ed to lift a little bit."
Graeme, through both tal- For McDowell returning
ent and hard work." home means he can't walk
The British Open is back in two steps without someone
Northern Ireland for the first offering him encourage-
time in 68 years, with a trio ment or asking for a selfie.
of local players in the field. He said he was stunned
Rory McIlroy lives nearby, by the noise made when
and 2011 champion Darren he walked onto the first
Clarke now lives in Portrush tee Tuesday for a practice
itself. round, and the crowds will
But it is McDowell who is the be even bigger when he
true hometown hero. The tees off for real on Thurs-
son of a grammar school day. His expectations for
shop teacher, he honed the week go far beyond
his game at Rathmore and just making the cut.
on the adjoining Royal Por- "If I can somehow get out
trush links. Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell hits his net shot off the 12th during a practice round ahead of of the blocks tomorrow, get
the start of the British Open golf championships at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, Wednesday,
And, out of the three, it July 17, 2019. myself settled down, and
is McDowell who came Associated Press get into the mix this week-
precariously close to not end, it would be pretty cool
making an Open he des- It would have been espe- why can't we go back to a curling 30-footer on the to be coming back down
perately wanted to be in. If cially tough because Mc- Portrush," McDowell said. "I final hole at the Canadian on Sunday," he said. "That's
not for a rebounding game Dowell was one of the Irish think The R&A couldn't ig- Open to secure his spot. the vision. That's the goal
and one extraordinary players who kept pestering nore the fact that this could It came only after the and I can't wait to hear
putt he might have been the R&A to bring the Open be a commercial success. 39-year-old had a talk with what it sounds like."
moping at home in Florida back to Portrush for the first The jokes became very seri- himself about the state of That's the vision at Rath-
instead of teeing off Thurs- time since 1951, something ous. It was like, we can do the game he's loved since more Golf Club, too, where
day morning with a legiti- that was once impossible this, we can pull it off." he was a kid. business in the lounge was
mate chance of winning a because of "The Troubles" Thankfully for McDowell the "I said, hey, if you continue brisk on a rainy Wednesday
tournament he wants more and fears that there was work he began putting into to play the way you're play- as golf fans stopped for a
than any other. not enough infrastructure his game after dropping off ing, this game is going to be pint or two to get out of the
"It would be too bitter- to handle 200,000 fans in the golf radar paid enough gone a hell of a lot quicker rain. Mostly, though, they're
sweet," McDowell said four days. dividends to get him in the than you thought it was go- just happy he's home and
about his close call. "It Their perseverance paid Open after not qualifying ing to be gone. What's that teeing it up when it counts.
would be too tough to off five years ago when for the last two. He won a going to feel like?" McDow- "It wouldn't have felt the
watch the guys go out the R&A announced that it secondary tournament in ell said. "I think coming to same at all without Graeme
there and compete on had awarded the Open to the Dominican Republic that realization helped me in the field," Doherty said.
this place where I kind of Royal Portrush. early this year to move up because it made me start "Here, Graeme is still one of
learned the game." "It started out as a joke, in the rankings, then made to embrace the challenge the boys."q
Canadians Henderson, Sharp lead LPGA Tour team event

MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) — played a lot of team events know what to expect and ton and Amy Yang-Mirim son opened with a 71.
Canadians Brooke Hender- together, so it's nothing we had a lot of adrenaline, Lee shot 67. "We chatted Rookies Jennifer Kupcho
son and Alena Sharp shot new for us to be able to and then we calmed down pretty much the whole way and Maria Fassi also had a
a 5-under 65 in alternate- come out here," Creamer and played really nicely around," Lee said. "We usu- 71. They staged a memora-
shot play Wednesday to said. "We haven't played together." The 21-year-old ally don't get to get this op- ble duel that Kupcho won
take the first-round lead in alternate shot for a little Henderson won the Meijer portunity to play with our at the Augusta National
the Dow Great Lakes Bay while, and when we have LPGA Classic a month ago friends too much, so I think Women's Amateur.
Invitational, the LPGA Tour's played it in the past, it's al- in Grand Rapids to break that was the best part." "Alternate shot's always re-
first-year team event. ways match play and you the Canadian record for The sister duo of Nelly and ally hard. We knew that
Henderson and Sharp had never have to finish. Out tour victories with nine. Also Jessica Korda topped the coming in and we didn't re-
seven birdies and two bo- here you actually have to the Lotte Championship group at 68. ally know how it was going
geys at Midland Country shoot a score, which is a winner in April in Hawaii, "Start of the round, kind to go because we didn't
Club. little bit different." Henderson broke a tie with of just getting used to ev- try it," Kupcho said. "It went
"We really got it going, kind The teams will play best- Sandra Post for the Canadi- erything, the new format," better than what I thought
of fed off each other," Hen- ball Thursday, return to al- an record on the LPGA Tour Nelly Korda said. "Gave it was going to go, so I was
derson said. "She hit some ternate shot Friday and and also moved ahead of each other some good pretty happy." Suzann Pet-
good shots, I made some close Saturday with a best- George Knudson and Mike opportunities on the back tersen, making her first tour
putts and vice versa. So it ball round. Weir for the overall country and took advantage of start after a 20-month break
really worked out nice and "It's intense, but then we mark. The 38-year-old Sharp a couple. Anything under for the birth of her first child,
it's a good way to start." got out our tension and is winless on the LPGA Tour. par for alternate shot is and European Solheim Cup
Paula Creamer and Mor- then we played and we The teams of Minjee Lee- good, so we're happy with captain Catriona Matthew
gan Pressel were a stroke were free-wheeling it," Jin Young Ko, Robyn Choi- that."Sisters Ariya and Mori- had a 73. Pettersen will be
back. Sharp said. "I think the first Jaclyn Lee, Jasmine Su- ya Jutanugarn shot 70, and a vice caption for the Euro-
"We're best of friends we've few holes we didn't really wannapura-Cydney Clan- Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thomp- pean team.q