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A18 SPORTS
Monday 6 February 2017

Garcia completes wire-to-wire win at Dubai Desert Classic

DUBAI, United Arab Emir- Monday. an up-and-down for a bo-
ates (AP) — Sergio Garcia The 37-year-old started gey and a two-shot swing.
shot a final-round 3-under- the day with a birdie and Stenson then got a closing
par 69 to win the Dubai increased his lead to birdie while Garcia missed
Desert Classic on Sunday four shots, a cushion that his from 12 feet, narrowing
after holding the tourna- seemed necessary given the gap to three shots.
ment lead since the open- how tough the front nine of “I’ve been fortunate to
ing round. the golf course was play- have some really good
The Spaniard, who had ing due to cross winds. He ball-striking tournaments,”
never posted a top-10 fin- held his nerve throughout said Garcia, who led the
ish in his previous seven before making a critical greens in regulation stats
Desert Classic appearanc- par save on the eighth hole for the week and was sec-
es, finished on a 19-under after hitting his tee shot into ond in driving accuracy.
269, three strokes ahead of the right desert, and then “This definitely was one of
Open champion and top- made another birdie on them. I felt like my iron play
ranked European Henrik the tough par-4 ninth to en- was really, really good. Ob-
Stenson (69). sure he stayed four ahead viously my driver was very
Denmark’s Lasse Jensen, of Stenson. good, a couple of shots
whose 65 was the low The Swede made his move here and there. But you
round of the day, finished on the back nine, with know, on a course of 72
tied for third with England’s three birdies and a bogey holes, it’s going to happen.
Tyrrell Hatton (67). on the first five holes, while “Nobody can go without
It was Garcia’s first Europe- Garcia kept churning out missing a shot but this week
an Tour win since the 2014 pars. Heading to the 15th was definitely a week
Qatar Masters. In the inter- tee, Garcia’s lead was where I felt very comfort-
im, he also won the Byron Sergio Garcia of Spain poses with the trophy after he won the down to two shots. able with my game. I felt
Nelson Classic on the PGA Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament in Dubai, United Arab But the Spaniard held firm like I was in good control of
Tour last year. Emirates, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017. on the par-3 15th hole. He what I wanted to do with
With his 12th European Tour Associated Press hit a stunning tee shot to my ball flight and stuff. So I
victory, Garcia became the sixth Spaniard to lift the move up to No. 9 from his two feet for a birdie, while guess it showed up.”
the sixth wire-to-wire winner “Dallah” trophy. current 15th place when Stenson hit his over the Stenson, who won the
of the Desert Classic and Garcia is expected to the rankings are released green and failed to make tournament in 2007, said:
“Obviously, I was chasing
U.S. completes 5-0 Davis Cup sweep of Switzerland all day and I was trying to
push, even though I didn’t
play my best.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — day in doubles with Jack meeting 3-1 in Australia in “With that birdie on 14, I
Sam Querrey and Steve Sock, won his Davis Cup the 2016 World Group First was hoping I was going
Johnson won their singles singles debut over Antoine Round. Switzerland was to be able to make it a
matches Sunday to com- Bellier, 6-4, 6-3. without the country’s two bit interesting coming into
plete the United States’ The U.S. won 5-0 and will top players, 18-time Grand the last couple of holes. If
second straight Davis Cup travel to play Australia for Slam champion Roger Fe- you’re one or two behind,
sweep of Switzerland. the World Group Quarterfi- derer and three-time major with 17 and 18, a lot of
Querrey defeated Adrien nals on April 7-9. The U.S. is champ Stan Wawrinka. things can happen . you
Bossel 6-3, 7-5. Then John- 26-20 all-time vs. Australia Switzerland will compete in can eagle and someone
son, who clinched the in a rivalry that dates back the World Group Playoff on else can end up in trouble.
Americans’ victory Satur- to 1905, winning their last Sept. 15-17.q “We picked the wrong
wind and I hit the wrong
shot at the same time. Air-
mailed the green on 15
and led to bogey. And Ser-
gio hit a good shot to three
feet and then it was pretty
United States’ Sam Querrey re-
turns the ball to Switzerland’s much game, set, match.”
Adrien Bossel during a Davis After completing its des-
Cup tennis match, Sunday, ert swing, the European
Feb. 5, 2017, in Birmingham, Tour next moves to Kuala
Ala. Lumpur for the Maybank
Associated Press Championship.q