Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Tuesday 30 May 2017
Extra parity in women’s golf helps Ko keep No. 1 ranking

NOAH TRISTER of-the-year honors, but
AP Sports Writer she’s without a victory
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) this season. Ko, who is
— So Yeon Ryu and Ariya from New Zealand, hasn’t
Jutanugarn each had a won either and is only
chance to take over the 17th on the money list.
No. 1 ranking in women’s None of the top players
golf over the weekend. in the Rolex Rankings was
Instead, all they did was much of a factor in Ann
switch places at No. 2. Arbor, with fourth-ranked
Lydia Ko remained atop Lexi Thompson finishing
the Rolex Rankings on tied for 65th. Shanshan
Monday for the 84th Feng of China won the
consecutive week. She’s tournament , giving the
managed to stay at No. LPGA 12 different winners in
1 despite being winless so 12 events this year. The last
far in 2017 — and despite time there were no repeat
skipping last week’s LPGA winners this long into the
Tour event in Michigan. In a season was in 1991, so
season of unusual parity in the tour appears to have
women’s golf, nobody has an impressive amount of
been able to catch her. depth right now.
Ryu was second and Of course, with nobody
Jutanugarn third else able to dominate for
heading into the Volvik any extended period, Ko
Championship at Travis has been able to keep the
Pointe Country Club, and Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, left, and Marina Alex playfully lean on each other as they wait to No. 1 ranking despite only
putt on the 17th green during the final round of the LPGA Volvik Championship golf tournament at
there were a number of the Travis Pointe Country Club, Sunday, May 28, 2017 in Ann Arbor, Mich. one top-five finish in 2017.
scenarios in which one of Associated Press Ryu, who is from South
them could have moved to Korea, won the ANA
No. 1 by finishing near the Jutanugarn ended up tied enough to overtake Ko. want to improve my game, Inspiration after Thompson
top in that event. Instead, for 21st. Jutanugarn moved “I think that is not really and go out and have fun.” was penalized four strokes
Ryu finished tied for 56th, past Ryu and is No. 2 in important for me,” Jutanugarn, who is from following a rules violation
snapping a streak of 11 the new rankings, but her Jutanugarn said Sunday. “I Thailand, won five times reported by a television
straight top-10 showings. performance wasn’t nearly think, to be honest, I really in 2016 and took player- viewer. q

played at Stanford, was at Riviera because of his

Continued from Page 17 empathetic. Begay was back.
arrested for aggravated He was at the Masters, but
Woods apologized to his drunken driving in 2000 only to attend the dinner
family, friends and fans when he ran into a car out- for past champions.
and said, “I expect more side a bar in New Mexico. Woods, who had been No.
from myself, too.” He was sentenced to 364 1 longer than any other
“I will do everything in my days in jail, with all but sev- golfer, has not been a fac-
power to ensure this never en days suspended. tor since his last victory in
happens again,” he said. “It’s embarrassing for Tiger, August 2013 as he battled
Woods, whose 79 victo- something that you can’t through back surgeries
ries rank No. 2 on the PGA go back and change,” from a week before the
Tour’s career list, has not Begay said on Golf Chan- 2014 Masters until his most
competed for nearly four nel from the NCAA men’s recent fusion surgery on his
months. He is out for the golf championship in Sugar lower back a month ago.
rest of the season while he Grove, Illinois, where he It was the first time Woods
recovers from fusion sur- was working for the net- has run into trouble off
gery performed April 20 in work. “I’ve been there my- the golf course since he
Texas. In this Dec. 4, 2016, file photo, Tiger Woods reacts after a putt self. ... But it was a turning plowed his SUV into a tree
In an update posted during the final round at the Hero World Challenge golf tourna- point in my life. Hopefully, and a fire hydrant outside
Wednesday on his website, ment, in Nassau, Bahamas. Associated Press it’s something his Windermere, Florida,
he said the surgery provid- he’ll learn from, grow home in the early morning
ed instant relief from pain The jail released a booking The Associated Press seek- from, take responsibility for after Thanksgiving in 2009,
and that he hasn’t “felt this photo of Woods in a white ing comment. PGA Tour and use it to make some which led to revelations
good in years.” T-shirt. spokesman Ty Votaw said changes.” that he had multiple extra-
Police said Woods was ar- Rightler, the police spokes- the tour would have no Woods has not been seen marital affairs.
rested on Military Trail, a six- woman, said she did not comment. at a golf tournament since A police report then
lane road, south of Indian have details about the Woods said in his statement he opened with a 77 at the showed that a Florida
Creek Parkway. Woods circumstances leading that he fully cooperated Omega Dubai Desert Clas- trooper who suspected
did not say in his state- to Woods’ arrest, nor did with law enforcement and sic in February, withdraw- Woods was driving under
ment where he had been she have any information thanked Jupiter Police and ing the next day because the influence sought a
or what he was doing at about whether the arrest the Palm Beach County of back spasms. He was in subpoena for the golfer’s
that hour. Jail records show involved drugs or alcohol. Sheriff’s Office for being Los Angeles for the Gen- blood test results from the
that the 41-year-old was His agent at Excel Sports, professional. esis Open, run by his Tiger hospital, but prosecutors
booked into jail at 7:18 a.m. Mark Steinberg, did not re- Notah Begay, a room- Woods Foundation, but he rejected the petition for in-
and released at 10:50 a.m. spond to a voicemail from mate of Woods when they did not come to the course sufficient information.q