MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015 SPORTS

Packed leaderboard Walters outpoints Marriaga NEW YORK: Nicholas Walters heard the crowd take two weeks to consider a move up to 130 Considered by many as the next major Puerto in Memphis booing the lack of action and waiting for him to pounds. His next fight is expected to come Rican star fighter after Felix Trinidad and Miguel live up to his “Axe Man” nickname. against Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko. Cotto, Verdejo went the distance for the first MEMPHIS: Englishman Greg Owen and quick and the wind tends to swirl Then again, he had not fought an opponent Nicknamed “Axe Man” for his ability to “chop time in his 18 professional fights. He remained Fabian Gomez of passed the around here. as tough as Miguel Marriaga until Saturday down” or knock out opponents, Walters did not undefeated with a unanimous decision: 100-88, overnight leader to take the lead after “But I’m very happy. I cleaned up night’s WBA featherweight fight in which he did get his 22nd career knockout and only dropped 100-88 and 99-89. the third round at the FedEx St. Jude around the green. I’m hitting the fair- enough to remain unbeaten with a unanimous Marriaga (20-1) once. That came in the final sec- Verdejo said he got hurt in the first round, the Classic in Memphis on Saturday. ways. I’m putting the ball in play and decision. onds of the ninth round when Walters landed an same round that each of his previous four fights Owen and Gomez both shot three- taking advantage of my opportunities. Walters (26-0) did not retain his title because overhand right on Marriaga’s ear. It was a similar in New York ended. This was only the fourth time under 67 at TPC Southwind for a 54-hole “I still have 18 holes to go. I just have he was stripped of it Friday when he failed to punch that knocked out Nonito Donaire in the an opponent got past the fourth round. total of nine-under 201, good enough to to keeping doing the same stuff.” Gomez make weight. He was originally 127.4 pounds at sixth round last October in California, but this Verdejo dropped Najera twice with his left share aone-shot lead entering the final does not have a top-10 showing on the the weigh-in, and two hours later, he was still a time it did little overall damage. hand in the fifth and seventh, but each time round of the PGA Tour event. PGA Tour, although he has won on the pound over the 126-pound limit. “I know I hurt him. I hurt him in the ninth and Najera got up and the fight continued. With American Brooks Koepka, the 36-hole Web.Com tour. Walters did not “chop down” or knock out in the last round, too,” Walters said. “I threw a about a minute left in the fifth, Verdejo landed a leader, birdied the final hole, but had to One player in the pack to watch on Marriaga but his performance was enough to body shot and (thought) he was done. I was try- hard uppercut to the face, and in the final sec- settle for a 71. The winner of the Waste Sunday will be two-time champion get scores of 119-108, 118-109 and 117-110. In a ing to get him (down), I just couldn’t get him.” onds of the seventh he got Najera again with his Management Phoenix Open earlier this David Toms. The 13-time PGA Tour win- rematch from their 2008 amateur bout that Earlier in the fight, the Colombian landed an left hand. “He is one of the toughest opponents I year is one shot behind the co-leaders ner fired a 69 and is in a pack of eight Marriaga won in Guatemala, the 29-year-old overhand right that briefly stunned Walters in have faced,” Verdejo said. “He’s the first opponent along with American Scott Brown (68) players four shots back. landed 34 percent of his overall punches and 52 the fourth round. “I got tired at the end,” I dropped and he kept coming back.” on a packed leaderboard. Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson will enter percent of power punches. “The crowd is used to Marriaga said. “He’s very strong for a fighter his After going down twice, Najera hung in, and Only four shots separate the top 14 the final round six shots behind. In his Nicholas knocking out people a lot,” Walters said. size. It felt like I was fighting a welterweight. I by the final round both were trading wild shots players. Owen and Gomez and Owen are tune-up for next week’s US Open at “I’m coming off eight months rest and it was a tried my best and he was just too good. before embracing when the fight ended. seeking their first PGA Tour wins. The Chambers Bay, the left-hander figures tough fight. I hurt him. Maybe some of the guys Walters’ victory followed a lightweight bout “He’s tough, he’s very technical,” Najera said. best finish for the 43-year-old Owen, 10-under will be the winning score this who go down (get hurt), but he was tough and between Puerto Rico’s Felix Verdejo and “He’s slick. He counters good and his punches who won on the secondary Web.com week. stood up.” Mexican-American Ivan Najera that entertained come out of nowhere. I never saw either knock- Tour a year ago, was a runner-up show- Mickelson, who needs a US Open title After getting the win, Walters said that he will the announced crowd of 3,321. down punches.” —AP ing at the 2006 Bay Hill event, when he to complete a career , likes went three-over in the final two holes in the direction his game is headed. “I feel an infamous meltdown. like I’m a lot closer, but I’ve been saying Owen said he started having some that for months now and it hasn’t quite good swings thoughts two weeks ago at clicked,” he said. “But these last five days the Bryon Nelson, and they have stayed I’ve had the biggest strides in my game. with him. “It was tough out there,” he I’m controlling my misses better and I’m told reporters. “The greens are firm, hitting a lot more good shots.”—Reuters Park surges ahead at Women’s PGA

HARRISON: World number two Park In-bee birdie putt to remain tied for the lead slid is on track for a triple treat after making four feet by and she missed the par putt birdies at the final two holes on Saturday to and bogeyed to shoot 69 for 207. take a two-stroke lead going into the final The final round is shaping up as a possi- round of the KPMG Women’s PGA ble two-player duel. Leader Park is six Championship. strokes clear of third-placed former cham- Park’s late surge propelled her past fel- pions of (71), low South Korean Kim Sei-young, who Australian Karrie Webb (72), and 17-year- stumbled by four-putting from just off the old Canadian (71). green at the final hole at Westchester Park will be gunning for her sixth major Country Club in suburban New York. and is virtually assured of reclaiming world Park, who shot seven-under-par 66, is in number one from of , position to tick several boxes late yester- needing only to finish 29th to top the rank- day. A win would be her third in a row in ings. this major event. She would also reclaim Victory over Kim would also provide the world number one spot and exact some payback for Park. They are paired to revenge for a startling playoff defeat earlier play together in the final round. Kim this year. chipped in to force a playoff with Park at “I don’t know how to describe in words the Lotte Championship in in April, how I’m going to feel tomorrow if I ended and won by holing out an eight-iron from up winning it,” Park, 26, said after posting a the fairway for eagle in sudden-death. 14-under 205 total. “But definitely it will feel “I have to say my history with her is not BIRMINGHAM: Deontay Wilder punches Eric Molina during the WBC heavyweight boxing match. —AP very good.” great,” acknowledged Park. “I lost in a play- LPGA Tour rookie Kim, who led by one off to her in Lotte, and she won in the after Friday’s second round, held a one- Bahamas when I played with her. “So she shot lead until Park tied her with a birdie at probably feels like, ‘I win when I play with Wilder retains WBC 17. The par-five 18th was nothing short of In-bee,’ because it’s twice she won.” disastrous for the 22-year-old Kim, who Kim said she did not have to rely on almost reached the green with her second magical shot-making to conquer Park. shot, but took four more to hole out. “That’s a past story,” she said through a Her long eagle putt from just short of translator. “I want to write a new story heavyweight title the green left her eight feet away. Her tomorrow.” —Reuters

BIRMINGHAM: Deontay Wilder gave his (23-3) in the fourth and twice again in the fifth, He proclaimed afterward this title defense will Alabama fans what they expected in his first practically running across the ring after him be the “first of many.” Wilder, who had surgery on WBC heavyweight title defense: a knockout. It before Molina went down the third time. The his right hand after the Stiverne fight, delivered just came later than many expected, including Texan withstood barrages to the head in the some of his best blows with the left hook. He Wilder. sixth from Wilder, and then came back strong landed 141 of 303 punches (47 percent). Molina Wilder successfully defended his WBC heavy- two rounds later, landing some hard body shots. had connected on about three-quarters of his weight title with a ninth-round knockout of Eric But the fight ended 1:57 into the ninth. power punches in his last fight, but was 49 of Molina on Saturday night at Bartow Arena, a Wilder had become the first American heavy- 188 overall (26 percent). short drive from his hometown. weight to claim a piece of the title with a Jan. 17 More known for his powerful right hand, Wilder (34-0) delivered a right hand that unanimous decision over Bermane Stiverne. That Wilder knocked Molina down with a left hook in turned Molina around and sent him falling on came after Wilder had recorded 32 consecutive the final seconds of the fourth moments after his back. The referee quickly signaled that the knockouts within the first four rounds. the crowd began chanting “Deontay.” fight was over, probably several rounds later This one went deep, too, against Molina, The match about an hour from Wilder’s than many observers anticipated with Wilder a whom some oddsmakers had installed as a 50- hometown of Tuscaloosa was his first fight in heavy favorite. to-1 underdog. He was trying to become the first Alabama since 2012, and the state’s first title “I was really surprised he kept coming and Mexican-American heavyweight champion. fight in any weight class. Not surprisingly, the hanging in there,” Wilder said. “A lot of people “I brought everything I’ve got and I tried my sellout crowd on the UAB campus was almost said he wouldn’t even be around, he wouldn’t hardest,” he said. “Not the result I wanted but exclusively cheering for Wilder, booing Molina last. There were a lot of doubters, but he showed what can I do? I’m just blessed that I got this whenever he was shown on the video screen a lot of heart and I needed that kind of guy to opportunity to come out and fight for the before the fight. fight here in Alabama. heavyweight championship of the world. Don King, Molina’s 83-year-old promoter, “A lot of people at the fight tonight were first- Deontay, to me, is a great fighter and I hope and stood in the center of the ring waving a number timers so I wanted to put on a good show. When want him to do great things as the heavyweight of flags in the air during the pre-fight introduc- you have a tough guy with a lot of heart in front champ.” Wilder is hoping to fight twice more in tions. Four-time heavyweight champion Evander of you, that’s what you’re going to get.” 2015, ultimately seeking a matchup with Holyfield, who was born in Atmore, Alabama, The 6-foot-7 Wilder knocked down Molina Wladimir Klitschko, who owns the other belts. watched from the stands.—AP Nadal clinches clay-grass double STUTTGART: earned his sec- now 17-2 in Stuttgart, where he last com- ond title of the season and his fourth on peted eight years ago. grass as he defeated Serb Viktor Troicki 7-6 “I’m not bothered by the expectations of (7/3), 6-3 yeterday to become the first man others,” said the 29-year-old. “I’m only moti- to triumph on both clay and turf at the vated by my own goals, There is no pres- HARRISON: Kim Sei-Young of plays her tee shot during the final round Stuttgart Open. sure on me “It’s fantastic to win here on of the 2015 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. —AFP The Spanish top seed set another minor grass after winning on clay. Victor is a record, as he won the inagural grass edition tough opponent. “But I’ve been gaining Kim triumphs in Thailand after taking clay trophies here in 2005 and confidence over the past month and a half 2007. Stuttgart made the switch to grass after a very poor first three and a half THAILAND: South Korean Kim Kyung-tae told reporters at the Siam Country Club in starting with this edition as part of the new months of this season. won the battle of nerves in his final-round Pattaya. Wimbledon pre-season. “I’ve been feeling my game better since duel against younger compatriot Wang “The last three years I did not do well Nadal’s 66th career title marked his sec- after my first match in Monte Carlo (mid- Jeung-hun to win the Thailand Open by because I wanted to go to America and I ond in 2015 after claiming a trophy on April). It was mentally tiring for me to play three strokes yeterday. thought if I had 20 more yards (in length) I South American clay last February. The in the first part of the year. I was not Kim carded a seven-under-par 65 in the would have a chance to win over there. Spaniard now owns two grass titles at feeling comfortable on court. final round to surge ahead of Wang (67) in “I changed my swing and my rhythm Wimbledon plus 2008 Queen’s Club, “I was not able to play the way that I the closing holes for a final total of 21- and it changed my results. From there, I London and now Stuttgart. The 14-time wanted. I didn’t feel confidence. But that under in the $1 million tournament co- tried changing back to my usual swing but grand slam champion who is ranked 10th, has been changing and my focus now if to sanctioned by OneAsia and the it took quite a while. polished his record against eighth seed prepare as best as I can for Wimbledon.” tours. The Korean led by a single stroke “This year I asked my coach to help me Troicki to 5-0, last facing the Serb in a Tokyo Nadal added: “My level has always been going into the final hole but while his 19- and he reminded me of the swing I had last semi-final nearly five years ago. Nadal took there, I’ve not forgotten how to play tennis. year-old opponent succumbed to a bogey, time. Now I have a good mental image of victory as he played his his 95th career But now things are coming together for Kim calmly holed his putt for a birdie. my swing-so that is why I am doing well.” final, now standing 66-29 in finals. me.” Nadal spent 48 minutes in winning the All week the 28-year-old showed Wang was a stroke ahead of Kim before he His last grass final came at Wimbledon opening set, which he took into a tiebreak- glimpses of his form that helped him made the turn, with six birdies on the front in 2011 when he lost to Novak Djokovic. er with a love game. The top seed grabbed become the first Korean to win the Japan nine, but could add only another stroke on Troicki was playing his seventh career final - the early 4-2 lead in the decider and fired a Golf Tour money list in 2010. the back with bogeys on 14th and the final and first on grass - and now stands 2-5 in ninth ace to wrap up the opener. “Today I had luck with me that made me hole. Overnight leader Joshua Younger of title matches. In the second, the Spaniard broke for 3- Nadal’s victory boosted him to 33-10 1 and took victory on his third match point, STUTTGART: Rafael Nadal of poses with his trophy a champion,” Kim, who had six birdies, one could only manage a 73 to claim this season as he prepares for what he ending with 11 aces in the 88-minute con- after winning the final match against Viktor Troicki of eagle and a lone bogey in the last round, the third place on 14-under. —Reuters hopes is a better second half of 2015. He is test. —AFP Serbia at the Mercedes Cup ATP tennis tournament. —AP