SPORTS SATURDAY, MAY 24, 2014 Johnson leads; top-ranked Scott struggles

FORT WORTH: American Dustin Johnson fired a bogey. Three-time winner this season Jimmy Walker a little patient. “Sometimes on a course like this, you bogey-free five-under par 65 on Thursday to claim the was among a group of 10 players tied for sixth at three- need to be. Even with a short iron or wedge in your first-round lead at the USPGA Tour’s $6.4 million under 67. hand you can’t force it because bogeys are easy to Colonial tournament. Johnson, who has already col- Walker was joined by Jason Dufner, Jordan Spieth, come by.” lected one victory this season, at the WGC-HSBC Tim Clark, Brice Garnett, Freddie Jacobson, Bo Van Pelt, Scott bogeyed his second hole, the par-five 11th, Champions in October, hit 16 of 18 greens in regula- Ken Duke, David Hearn and Wes Roach. Defending after he needed two strokes to get out of a fairway tion and nabbed five birdies to take a one-stroke lead champ Boo Weekley posted a one-over par 71 and is in bunker. He added bogeys at the 15th, 17th and 18th over New Zealand’s Tim Wilkinson and Americans a large group of players tied for 64th that also included before he stopped the bleeding with a two-putt birdie Hunter Mahan, and Robert Streb. Australian . Scott is playing for the first time at the par-five first. He made a three-footer for birdie at Mahan was on fire on the front nine at Colonial since taking over the world number one ranking from the second, and picked up one more stroke at his Country Club, making the turn at six-under, thanks in on Monday. The 2013 Masters winner penultimate hole, the par-three eighth. He said he did- part to his eagle-birdie start. But he couldn’t keep the teed off on 10 and endured a tough opening nine n’t feel any extra pressure to live up to the number one momentum, and ended his round with a double-bogey holes, but managed to turn it around with three birdies ranking, although the regular nerves were there on the at 18 to join the group on four-under 66. Wilkinson, coming in. “It is a testing golf course,” said Scott, who opening tee. “I managed to tighten up on the back and making his first start at Colonial, played without a had four bogeys in his first nine holes. “I just had to be make a couple of putts,” he said. — AFP

Disgraced cricketer Vincent expects more fixing charges

WELLINGTON: Disgraced former New Zealand cricketer yesterday denied striking a plea bargain with match- fixing investigators and said he expected to face more cor- ruption charges on top of the 14 already laid against him. The England and Wales Board on Thursday charged Vincent and his former Sussex team-mate Naveed Arif with fixing the outcome of a 40-over county match between Sussex and Kent in August 2011. Vincent, who is also accused of fixing a Twenty20 match between Sussex and Lancashire in the same month, said in a brief statement issued by his Auckland lawyer that the charges stemmed from evidence he had provided authorities. “(Vincent) confirms the charges arise from matters he has disclosed to the authorities and he remains accountable for his actions of the past,” the statement said. “The fact of the charges, and more are likely, dispel any notions of a plea bar- gain having been done as unfortunately appears to be wrongly suggested by others.” Evidence from Vincent to International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption investiga- tors was leaked to the media last week, including allegations of fixing in five countries between 2008 and 2012. Vincent, 35, also testified that a “world-famous interna- tional” dubbed “Player X” recruited him into the murky world of match-rigging. New Zealand Brendon McCullum told the ICC that the same player, whom he described as “a hero who became a friend”, unsuccessfully attempted to lure him into fixing in 2008 with lucrative offers to underperform. Former New Zealand great has acknowledged his identity has been linked to Player X but denied any WENTWORTH: Danish golfer Thomas Bjorn chips onto the 4th green during the second round of the BMW PGA involvement with corruption or match-fixing, challenging the Championship at Wentworth Golf Club in Surrey, England yesterday. — AFP ICC to produce evidence.

String of leaks The ICC probe’s focus on Vincent, Cairns and another New Bjorn retains lead as McIlroy Zealander, , was first revealed in December. Tuffey has also denied any wrongdoing. Since then, there has been a string of leaks which have left the ICC red-faced and struggles at rainy Wentworth forced it to unequivocally clarify that Blacks Caps skipper McCullum was not under investigation. If Vincent and Arif are WENTWORTH: Denmark’s Thomas move after Thursday’s 65 when he yesterday. found guilty, it would be the first proven case of a English Bjorn maintained his advantage in the eagled the par-5 fourth but dropped Sweden’s Jonas Blixt had got to five- county match being fixed. Vincent, who played in 23 Tests early stages of the second round of the shots at the sixth, eighth and ninth under with Denmark’s Anders Hansen and 102 one-dayers for New Zealand, will almost certainly European PGA Championship at holes before clawing a shot back on a further shot back after completing a face a life ban over his admissions. Whether he and Arif also Wentworth yesterday without having the 15th to be three shots off Bjorn’s 69 whilst Shane Lowry on eight-under face criminal charges will be a decision for British prosecu- to hit a ball. Bjorn shot a first round pace. and Frenchman Gary Stal were yet to tors. After Vincent’s international career ended in 2007, he course record of 62 - 10-under par - but Rory McIlroy was having an up and start on eight and six-under respective- travelled the globe playing in numerous domestic leagues none of the morning starters could down day after his opening 68. The ly. Scotland’s Chris Doak had a run of before retiring from all cricket early last year. make inroads into his lead. The Dane Northern Irishman bogeyed two of his three birdies in five holes after a bogey He has previously spoken publicly about his battles with had a lunchtime tee off time but was first three holes and double bogeyed at the first to get himself level with Blixt depression and the loneliness of being on the road, which his still sitting pretty at the top of the the seventh before hitting back with an as the rain started to fall. But defend- former team-mate said this week could have leader board before he embarked on eagle at the par-5 12th. McIlroy has ing champion Matteo Manassero was left him vulnerable to exploitation by match-fixers. In more his second round. been the centre of attention at the looking at having a free weekend and ICC testimony leaked to the media, his ex-wife Eleanor Riley said Vincent engaged in match-fixing partly because he However with rain lashing the European Tour’s flagship event after set to miss the cut. After a disastrous believed had let him down. “He felt that course the former vice-cap- announcing the break-up of his rela- opening 80 the Italian was nine-over he didn’t owe them anything,” she told investigators. “He tain was set to start his round in the tionship with tennis player Caroline for the tournament with four holes to said that New Zealand had picked him, dropped him, picked worst conditions of the day as he Wozniacki on Wednesday. He has a play in his second round. England’s Lee him, dropped him, paid him shit money and so now this was attempted to hold onto his lead and poor record on this course - he has Westwood and US Open champion his chance in the years he had left to make as much cash as strengthen his claims for a Ryder Cup missed the last two cuts here but Justin Rose were both two-under with he could.”— AFP playing spot in September. Spain’s Rafa looked to have buried his demons with four to play and Ian Poulter, a group in Cabrera-Bello looked primed to make a his first round until the course hit back front, was on the same mark. — AFP