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A18 SPORTS
Friday 17 May 2019

Koepka off to record-setting start at PGA Championship

By DOUG FERGUSON “I saw that on Tuesday
AP Golf Writer when I played with him. I
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) — actually congratulated him
Brooks Koepka delivered on his win.”
on the biggest stage again, But it’s far from over, even
this time with Tiger Woods before Lee made his after-
at his side. noon move to cut into the
At times overlooked even lead. Fowler was bemused
after winning three majors when asked how close he
in the last two years, Koep- would have to be to Ko-
ka gave thousands of fans epka heading into the final
a round to remember Thurs- round Sunday.
day morning at brawny “What makes you think
Bethpage Black with a re- he’s going to be leading?”
cord-setting start to his title Fowler said. “I would say
defense in the PGA Cham- there’s no lead really safe
pionship. here.”
He had a 7-under 63, mak- Woods is the only player
ing him the first player in 101 to win back to back at
years of the PGA Champi- the PGA Championship in
onship to shoot that score stroke play — he did that
twice. He broke the course twice — and Koepka had
record at Bethpage Black an ideal start in a bid to
and became the first play- catch him. He won at Bel-
er to post 63 at a major in lerive in steamy St. Louis last
consecutive years. Brooks Koepka reacts after sinking a putt on the ninth green to finish the first round of the PGA August by two shots over a
“That was one of the best Championship golf tournament, Thursday, May 16, 2019, at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. hard-charging Woods. Ko-
rounds I’ve played prob- Associated Press epka played in the group in
ably as a professional,” Ko- since his nine-hole practice Make no mistake: A gal- shots better than the aver- front of Woods at Augusta
epka said. “This golf course round Monday, and had lery that trudged through age score in the opening National and finished one
is brutal.” not played a tournament muddied walkways to the round. back. This time they were
Danny Lee was nearly as since he won the Masters. 10th tee in the early morn- Tommy Fleetwood had a together, along with British
impressive and made eight He opened with a pair ing was there primarily for 67, while the group at 68 Open champion Frances-
birdies in the afternoon, in- of double bogeys on the Woods, who created a included Pat Perez, who co Molinari (72), and it was
cluding the final two holes. back nine and ruined a tor- new era of Tigermania with played a practice round a one-man show.
He finished with a 64 to rid start to the front nine — his stirring comeback fol- with Koepka on Tuesday. It began with a 40-foot bird-
close the gap to one shot, two birdies and a 30-foot lowing four back surgeries Jordan Spieth overcame a ie putt from just off the back
exceeding his own ex- eagle in a four-hole stretch to win a 15th major. double bogey on the 10th of the 10th green. It ended
pectations. “My mindset — with a pair of three-putt What they saw was a major hole for a 69 and was in a with a birdie putt from just
was honestly some kind of bogeys. That gave him a performance. group that included Dustin inside 35 feet on the ninth
under-par round would be 72, leaving him nine shots Just not from him. Johnson, Phil Mickelson, hole for the 17th score of 63
good,” Lee said. “I did a lot behind and ending 12 con- So special was Koepka’s Rickie Fowler and Jason in the PGA Championship.
better than that today.” secutive rounds at par or round, even on a course Day. “I think that was probably
That wasn’t the case for better in the majors dating still soft from rain earlier in “The course is not easy, but the highest score he could
Woods, who had not to the U.S. Open last sum- the week, that only 16 play- Brooks obviously made it have shot today,” Woods
played Bethpage Black mer. ers broke par. He was 10 look real easy,” Perez said. said.q

League of her own: woman in Puerto Rico baseball tournament

By DÁNICA COTO eers play a key game Sun- her. She quickly advanced
Associated Press day, and Quiles is expect- through the ranks of soft-
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) ed to make her debut with ball, playing girls ages 17
— A woman in Puerto Rico jersey No. 53, manager Ra- and 18 when she was just
is set for the first time to play fael Juarbe said. 13 and a starting player.
in an otherwise all-male The team has won four na- She joined the island’s fe-
baseball tournament orga- tional championships and male national baseball
nized by a popular semi- is in second place in a five- team, and two World Cups
pro league. team division in Puerto Ri- later, someone told Juarbe
Diamilette Quiles is to take co’s northern region. about her talent.
over at first base in the fifth The Mountaineers are try- Quiles has 11 hits in 18 at-
inning for the Mountaineers ing hold home-field advan- bats for a .611 average on
of Utuado. tage in the opening round Puerto Rico’s national team
“I’m leaving it all in God’s of the playoffs. this season. She is only one
hands,” she said. Quiles has come a long of a handful of women
The 33-year-old woman way from when she first signed by all-male base-
joined the team Thursday took to the game. ball leagues around the
just days before the last First baseman and member of the National Women’s Baseball As a young teenager, she world, said Kat Williams, a
games of the season in the Team, Diamilette Quiles Alicea, center, is presented as the first would grab a broomstick history professor at Marshall
Superior Double A League, female player to sign with The Utuado Highlanders, one of the and hit malt-beverage University and president of
teams that participate in the Superior Double A Baseball League,
which has 42 teams around in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, May 16, 2019. bottle caps that her broth- the International Women’s
the island. The Mountain- Associated Press er and father would lob at Baseball Center. q