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A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 9 OcTOber 2018
Kevin Tway wins Safeway Open playoff for 1st PGA Tour title

NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Kevin out sometimes, so this was
Tway made a 10-foot birdie a bonus. I hit some good
putt on the third hole of a shots in the playoff, birdied
playoff Sunday to win the a couple holes and today
season-opening Safeway just wasn't good enough."
Open at windy Silverado Luke List eagled the 18th for
for his first PGA Tour title. a 67 to finish a stroke out of
The son of eight-time PGA the playoff with Troy Merritt
Tour winner Bob Tway, the (68), Sam Ryder (69), Aaron
30-year-old former Okla- Baddeley (69) and Sungjae
homa State player beat Im (71).
Ryan Moore on the par-4 "Obviously, we all kind of
10th after Brandt Snedeker knew the wind was going
dropped out on their first to be crazy warming up this
extra trip down the par-5 morning," List said. "There
18th. was debris flying every-
"It was nice to get hot at the where. I was just anticipat-
end," Tway said. "I wasn't ing a really tough day and
really in it on the front nine. it was."
Brandt made a couple bo- Phil Mickelson tied for 17th
geys starting the back. I at 8 under after a 72.
was kind of right there, but "It was challenging but yet
kind of hanging around. very playable conditions,"
Birdied 17, 18 to get into Mickelson said. "Actually,
the playoff and then kept it I played pretty good. I hit
going in the playoff — and two balls out of bounds on
here I am." the fifth hole trying to go for
After the wind died down the green, but other than
in the late afternoon on the Kevin Tway poses with his trophy on the 18th green of the Silverado Resort North Course after win- that, I played pretty well."
tree-lined North Course, ning the Safeway Open PGA golf tournament Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018, in Napa, Calif. Tway won the Fred Couples had a 75 to
Tway birdied the final two tournament on the third playoff hole. tie for 41st at 5 under in his
holes in regulation for a Associated Press final start in a regular PGA
1-under 71, then birdied all Tour event.
three holes in the playoff. play, had four back-nine in places you can't do it. know I gave that one "For a while I didn't think
"I was just trying to put the bogeys in a 74. Didn't make any putts." away," Snedeker said. "I we were going to play
ball in the fairway, which "Really disappointing," Sne- The nine-time PGA Tour had that full control." and then when we played,
was very difficult," Tway deker said. "Played a really winner bogeyed the first Moore birdied three of the I didn't really play," the
said. "I knew the last few good front nine in tough three holes on the back last four in a 67. 59--year-old Hall of Famer
holes were a little bit easier, conditions and made the nine, birdied the par-5 16th, "I didn't even expect to be said. "Then I just started
so tried to just keep making turn on the back nine and bogeyed the par-4 17th in this position," Moore said. hitting and hoping for the
pars until then." actually drove the ball real- and parred the 18th, miss- "When I finished my round, I best."
Snedeker, three strokes ly well. Had a lot of oppor- ing from 9 feet. really didn't think there was Two-time defending cham-
ahead entering the day tunities, just hit some really "I'm going to look at that a chance of this. Golf is fun- pion Brendan Steele had a
and five in front with 11 to poor iron shots, left myself one in a few years and ny and it can work its way 75 to finish at 3 under.q

Phoenix Suns fire general manager Ryan McDonough

By BOB BAUM evaluation of our basket- cord was the worst in the day that those losing days Phoenix hit it big with the
AP Sports Writer ball operations." NBA and second-worst in were over and the goal drafting of Booker 13th
PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoe- "There's no perfect time to franchise history. was to make the Suns "the overall in 2015, but other
nix Suns fired general man- make a change," Sarver Sarver said he'd been look- most improved team" in draft results were sporadic.
ager Ryan McDonough on said in an interview on Ari- ing at the last five years, the NBA. But the team That could well change
Monday, nine days before zona Sports 98.7 FM radio. "more recently the last six has been unsuccessful in with Ayton, the Suns' first
their season begins. "For me it's just about mak- months," in an ongoing acquiring a proven point No. 1 overall pick.
James Jones and Trevor ing consistent progress and evaluation of McDonough. guard to supplement its The Suns hired McDonough
Bukstein will share the GM with any leader it's an on- "It culminated when we otherwise improved lineup. after three seasons as as-
duties on an interim basis going evaluation process. were heading into the McDonough and Sarver sistant general manager
for the Suns. Jones is the And, ultimately, I just de- summer," Sarver said. "We oversaw the hiring of Igor of the Boston Celtics. He is
team's vice president of cided we needed to make discussed a number of op- Kokoskov as coach in the the son of the late Boston
basketball operations and a change." portunities I felt were real- offseason. Globe columnist Will Mc-
Bukstein was assistant GM The Suns took Deandre Ay- istic in terms of what prog- The Suns won 48 games in Donough. His brother Sean
under McDonough, who ton with the No. 1 overall ress would look like. And McDonough's first season is a sports broadcaster and
had been in Phoenix since pick in this year's draft and ultimately to me the rate on the job, Phoenix's last brother Terry is vice presi-
2013 and was under con- gave Devin Booker a $158 of progress wasn't there winning season, but they dent/player personnel of
tract through 2020. million extension during the where I thought it needed just missed the playoffs. the NFL's Arizona Cardinals.
Suns owner Robert Sarver offseason. to be." Things went downhill with The NBA season begins a
said in a statement an- Phoenix has had four With the addition of Ayton a successive of bad sea- week from Tuesday. The
nouncing the firing that he straight losing seasons and some other offsea- sons, culminating with 23, Suns' first game is Wednes-
made the decision "after and no playoff berth since son moves, McDonough 24 and 21 wins each of the day, Oct. 17, when they
much thought and a long 2010. Last year's 21-61 re- said at the team's media past three years. host the Dallas Mavericks.q