Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Wednesday 7 august 2019
A U.S. Open, and a summer of stress for Gary Woodland

By DOUG FERGUSON The U.S. Open, his greatest
AP Golf Writer achievement in golf, didn’t
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — feel real at all.
Gary Woodland made sure Woodland went home to
plans were in place for him Florida, and soon there-
to leave tournaments be- after brought his family to
fore he even arrived. Kansas, where Jax had
And when he did show up, been born. He went to To-
just the sight of officials in peka, Kansas, so his home-
a golf cart made him ner- town could celebrate his
vous. Most of the time, they U.S. Open victory with a
were on their way to ad- block party. Gabby was in
minister a ruling. Woodland the hospital that day and
always assumed they were couldn’t make it.
coming to tell him his wife “It was awesome to win,”
had gone into labor. Woodland said, “but I
It was like that for the last six haven’t really enjoyed it.”
weeks. That was a time to wait and
So the smile that never left to hope. Woodland antici-
him Tuesday at Liberty Na- pated the twins being born
tional Golf Club had noth- prematurely and having to
ing to do with the $15 million spend a month or two in the
prize at stake as the FedEx neonatal intensive care. He
Cup playoffs begin. It was In this Sunday, June 16, 2019 file photo, Gary Woodland posses with the trophy after winning the tried to keep playing, and
all about his twin daughters U.S. Open Championship golf tournament in Pebble Beach, Calif. golf never felt so hard. He
Maddox and Lennox born Associated Press missed the cut in Detroit. He
Thursday, making his best Woodland handled those “That was the hardest part didn’t think there was any missed the cut in the British
year in golf the greatest with ease, no small task for Gabby and I, the uncer- chance she’d make it to 36 Open. There was no cut
year of his life. with two-time defending tainty.” weeks. That was almost as at the FedEx St. Jude Invi-
“I feel 100 pounds light- champion Brooks Koepka It was at the Dell Match much a miracle as her get- tational, where Woodland
er,” Woodland said as he chasing him all the way to Play two years ago when ting pregnant.” failed to break par in any
walked off the course dur- the finish line. He drilled a Woodland learned that Her last trip was to the PGA round and tied for 55th.
ing a weather delay in a 3-wood from 263 yards onto one of the twins his wife Championship at Beth- “Detroit, I shouldn’t have
practice round Tuesday the 14th green to set up Gabby was carrying had page, where she was sick played. I wasn’t ready to
for The Northern Trust. “Ob- a pivotal birdie, and then died. Their son, Jax, was and never made it out to go and I got into bad hab-
viously, I had a huge win turned to another high-risk born at 30 weeks and spent the golf course. She stayed its,” Woodland said. “The
and that was great. But it’s shot by using a 64-degree six weeks in the neonatal in- up late at home in Florida to British, and even Memphis,
been stressful every week wedge to pitch the ball off tensive care unit. watch Woodland hold off it was like I wasn’t there.”
because every cart I see one end of the green to a The following April, she had Koepka at Pebble Beach, He had a plane ready to
... ‘Are they coming to get pin some 90 feet away on a miscarriage. and she saw that rare burst go in Memphis that would
me? Is Gabby going into No. 17, a shot that will take So imagine the surprise — of emotion when he made have taken him the just
labor?’ The last month has its place in U.S. Open lore. and trepidation — when a 30-foot birdie putt on the over an hour to get to the
been stressful for both of That still didn’t equip him for they learned in January 18th to win by three. hospital in Kansas. Wood-
us.” six weeks of nerves that fol- that she was pregnant with With the silver trophy at his land saw plenty of carts
That huge win was the U.S. lowed. twins. side that evening, Wood- at that week on the golf
Open at Pebble Beach, “At Pebble, I felt in control. “One, they told us she land thought about the course and held his breath
which was filled with plenty The last month, I’ve had no couldn’t get pregnant,” next two months and said as they drove past. No
of tense moments. control,” Woodland said. Woodland said. “Two, they life was about to get real. news was good news.q

Kerr D’Angelo’s scoring and it’s
up to us as a staff to figure
Continued from Page 18 goes about it differently. out how best to use him to
But it didn’t surprise me shake the team, shake the
Kerr said locking Green that Draymond signed. He offense. And we’ll figure it
into a new deal has been wanted to be here. He’s out.”
a talking point between talked about it all along.” The other change Golden
he and Warriors general So Green, Thompson and State is dealing with — be-
manager Bob Myers for a Stephen Curry remain from sides a move from Oak-
long time. He wasn’t sur- the core of Golden State’s land to San Francisco —
prised that Green took the three titles in the last five will be on the expectation
deal now instead of wait- years. Durant, Iguodala front. No longer are the
ing a year for a more lu- and Livingston are key Warriors the overwhelm-
crative one. championship-team parts ing preseason favorites
“I think every player sort who are gone, and the to win the NBA title. Some
of faces these moments newest Warriors stand- In this June 5, 2019, file photo, Golden State Warriors head oddsmakers say Golden
where they’ve got to de- out should be D’Angelo coach Steve Kerr speaks at a news conference after Game 3 of State is no better than the
cide, ‘Am I going to miti- Russell — brought in from basketball’s NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors in Oakland, fifth-best bet just to win the
gate risk and sign some- Brooklyn, the team that Calif. West behind the Los Ange-
thing now or play it out?’ now employs Durant. Associated Press les Clippers, Los Angeles
That’s up to them,” Kerr “He’s a great young talent right in with our group,” Kerr him desperately. Without Lakers, Houston Rockets
said. “Obviously, everyone and I think he’s going to fit said. “We’re going to need Klay, especially, we’ll need and Utah Jazz.q