Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 16 april 2019

Tiger a major champion again, and race to Nicklaus back on

By DOUG FERGUSON U.S. Open except for a put-
AP Golf Writer ter that refused to cooper-
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — No ate. And then it’s the U.S.
comeback by Tiger Woods Open in June at Pebble
was ever going to be com- Beach. If the Masters is the
plete without a major. most memorable of his 15
Now the question becomes majors, Pebble Beach re-
how many more he can mains his greatest perfor-
win. mance. Woods won there
So much appeal of that red in 2000 by a record 15 shots,
shirt beneath a green jack- even with a triple bogey in
et involved looking back the third round. Ten years
at all Woods had to over- later, he tied for fourth at
come to reach that mo- the U.S. Open at Pebble,
ment — a Masters cham- three shots behind.
pion once again — that so The courses are familiar.
many thought would never Woods is familiar with win-
happen. ning majors.
The fourth surgery to rebuild But it’s not that simple.
his left knee. The private af- Woods was 24 when he
fairs that became public, won the U.S. Open at Peb-
shattering his image. The ble, and 26 when we won at
balky back that required Bethpage Black. Now he’s
four more surgeries, the 43. As dynamic as this Mas-
last one out of desperation ters was for Woods, it was
because he could barely Tiger Woods smiles as he wears his green jacket after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday, hard work and he needed
walk, much less play golf. April 14, 2019, in Augusta, Ga. help — from Molinari on the
And a new generation of Associated Press 12th and 15th holes, from a
stars he inspired who were Whether the record is in cal Tiger fashion, by build- lead when the final group couple of good bounces
younger, stronger and ca- play, Nicklaus can expect ing a lead on a tough, fast was in the 15th fairway. out of the trees. That’s not
pable. plenty of questions. For course at East Lake and It was anyone’s game un- unusual. Every major cham-
That’s why Woods cel- years, he could rarely get not giving anyone much til Francesco Molinari, who pion needs a break or two.
ebrated his 15th major like through any conversation of a chance to catch him. earlier hit 8-iron in Rae’s “We’re on 14 and I said,
never before — fist pumps without someone asking He also briefly led Sunday Creek on the 12th hole for ‘Let’s get to 15.’ You can’t
without a club in his hand, him whether he thought in the British Open, and double bogey, hit a wedge be on 14 and thinking
because he couldn’t help Woods could top his mark. was one shot behind on off a tree limb and into the about 18,” LaCava said.
himself walking off the 18th “I thought for a long time the back nine at the PGA water on the par-5 15th “But now we can start talk-
green. that he was going to win Championship. that led to double bogey. ing about 16. So we’re get-
“Overwhelming,” he said again,” Nicklaus said Sun- “The win at East Lake was a And then it became ting closer.”
with a voice still hoarse day night on Golf Channel. big confidence booster for Woods’ game — a two- Nicklaus can only watch
from all that screaming. “The next two majors are at me because I had come putt birdie to take the lead, and admire, which he has
He went 28 majors over 11 Bethpage, where he has close last year a couple an 8-iron that rolled down done all along. And part of
years without winning, and won, and at Pebble Beach, times,” Woods said. “Still the slope next to the hole him is cheering.
no sooner did he stretch where he has won. So, he have to get it across the for a signature moment at “I don’t ever pull against
his arms into that familiar has got me shaking in my finish line, and I didn’t quite this Masters. anybody,” Nicklaus said.
green jacket — “Ah, it fits,” boots, guys.” do it.” “Well, I can win majors “Nobody wants their re-
he said in Butler Cabin — The last part was delivered So, imagine the effect of now,” Woods said with a cord to be broken. But I
was he asked about the 18 in jest. winning the Masters, es- laugh. certainly wouldn’t want Ti-
majors Jack Nicklaus won The first part was factual. pecially the way this one The PGA Championship is a ger to be hurt and not to
to set the gold standard in Woods winning his fifth played out. Six players had month away at Bethpage be able to do it. Of course,
golf. Masters was not entirely out at least a share of the lead Black, where Woods was he is now pretty healthy
“I don’t know if he’s worried of the blue. He capped the at one point on the back dominant as ever in going and playing well. I wish him
or not,” Woods said. “I’m year of his great comeback nine — four of them major wire-to-wire in the 2002 U.S. well, I always wish the guys
sure he’s home just chilling last year by winning the champions — and there Open, and was right there well and I want them to
and watching.” Tour Championship in typi- was a five-way tie for the with a chance in the 2009 play their best.” q

Dakar Rally moves from South

America to Saudi Arabia

PARIS (AP) — The Dakar Rally is swapping South America for Saudi Arabia.
Dakar Rally organizers say next year’s race will be held in “the deep and mysterious des-
erts of the Middle East, in Saudi Arabia.”
Created by Thierry Sabine after he got lost in the Libyan desert in 1977, the Dakar Rally
was raced across Africa until terror threats in Mauritania led organizers to cancel the
2008 edition. The rally was then held in South America.
In this Jan. 16, 2019 photo, competitors ride their motorbikes Details of the 2020 race will be announced later this week in Saudi Arabia.
across the dunes during stage nine of the Dakar Rally in Pisco, Dakar Rally director David Castera says “it’s a grandiose challenge, with this blank page,
Peru. with unlimited possibilities.”q
Associated Press