THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 SPORTS Alonso leaves hospital, to miss final test

BARCELONA: McLaren Formula One driver McLaren issued a detailed statement on Monday Toto Wolff’s holding. Speaking at a media briefing ee trust. Hollinger, the chairman and chief executive Fernando Alonso will miss this week’s final pre-sea- blaming gusting wind and ruling out any mechani- attended by Hollinger and Williams chief executive of Vibra Healthcare and a motor racing enthusiast, son test in Barcelona after leaving hospital yester- cal failure but that explanation, and Alonso’s Mike O’Driscoll, Wolff said the private transaction said he “would not preclude” increasing his involve- day following a big crash three days ago. lengthy stay in hospital, has failed to silence all of left him with “just short” of five percent in the for- ment further but had no plans to put branding on The Spaniard, a double world champion, smiled the doubters. The car did not appear significantly mer champions. the car. The American entrepreneur, who owns and and waved to reporters and fans as he left the hos- damaged after the impact and Ferrari’s Sebastian “I have no plans to change it,” added the races historic cars including a 1997 Williams, said he pital at around 1430 local time. McLaren said in a Vettel, Alonso’s replacement at the Italian team, told Austrian, who led Mercedes to both titles last year was investing for financial reasons and felt the sport statement that the 33-year-old would return to his reporters the Spaniard’s crash had appeared while Mercedes-powered Williams climbed from could be “on the cusp of another major explosion” family home in northern Spain for further rest and ‘strange’ to him. ninth in 2013 to third. The deal was expected after in growth. “I am never in business not to make mon- recuperation and would not be back in the car McLaren, whose racing director Eric Boullier ini- Wolff sold an initial five percent stake to Hollinger in ey,” he said. before the Australian season-opener on March 15. tially played down the crash as a “just one of those June last year as part of an agreement with “I think there is a huge opportunity in Formula “He will sit out this week’s final winter test, at things that happens in testing”, have rejected spec- Mercedes parent company Daimler to reduce his One. “It has not really tapped significantly the whole which he was due to share driving duties with ulation that Alonso might have been rendered shareholding over time to a purely investment level. social media route in terms of streaming informa- Jenson Button,” the team said. “Kevin Magnussen, unconscious by an electrical fault. Wolff was previously executive director at tion out to the masses on whatever medium you McLaren-Honda’s test and reserve driver, will The team, who have had a difficult pre-season Williams, where his Scottish wife Susie is a test driv- might choose,” he added. “Formula One has been replace him.” Button will be first in the car at the with new partners Honda, said that rumour was er, before moving to Mercedes in January 2013. incredibly successful despite the fact it has not real- Circuit de Catalunya on Thursday. Denmark’s “simply not true”. They have not said how fast he The latest deal puts Hollinger level with Williams ly taken hold significantly in the US and I think the Magnussen raced for the team last season when was going at the time of impact or given a precise co-founder Patrick Head as owner of 10 percent of opportunity exists...I think the future is really bright they had Mercedes engines rather than the current reading of the G-forces he sustained, however. the team with principal Frank Williams having a 52 in the United States.” Formula One now has an Honda power unit. Alonso has been in hospital Meanwhile, American healthcare executive Brad percent stake and Wolff five. established U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, with since the crash on Sunday, with speculation run- Hollinger has increased his stake in the Williams Of the remaining shares, 20 percent are listed on commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone eager to ning wild about what really happened when he hit Formula One team to 10 percent after exercising an the Entry Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange add another venue, possibly in Las Vegas after the wall at the high speed Turn Three. option to buy more of Mercedes motorsport head and a further three percent are held by an employ- failed attempts by New Jersey. — Reuters Love’s second term restores US Ryder Cup team unity

LOS ANGELES: The appointment of Davis AZINGER’S TAKE Love III as United States Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger, who captained the U.S. to for the 2016 match against Europe at victory in the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla Hazeltine will be viewed by many as a and had initially been tipped as a candidate chance for American redemption after for 2016 until he took his name out of con- what happened at Medinah in 2012. sideration due to personal and business Three years ago in his first stint as skip- reasons, agreed. “Davis is an excellent per, Love orchestrated a commanding 10-6 choice for many reasons,” Azinger told Golf lead for the U.S. heading into the final day Channel. “He’s still connected to the play- before Jose Maria Olazabal’s European ers, he was very prepared and thorough in team stormed back to win by 14-1/2 points 2012 and he will bring much needed conti- to 13-1/2. So yes, the re-appointment of nuity to the process. “There is no magical Love will give the 50-year-old American a formula. The captain creates the right envi- shot at atonement for the ‘Meltdown at ronment to get everyone invested.” Love, Medinah’ but far more significantly his sec- who clinched his sole major crown at the ond term in charge will restore for the US 1997 PGA Championship, played in six con- players a sense of investment in the whole secutive Ryder Cups from 1993 and tasted process. victory twice, on his first appearance and The Americans were beaten by 16-1/2 also in 1999. However, he faces a daunting points to 11-1/2 in last year’s Ryder Cup at challenge in his second term as captain as Gleneagles in Scotland where five-times the Americans bid to end a dismal stretch major winner Phil Mickelson was scathing of eight defeats in the last 10 editions of of the often aloof approach used by US the biennial team competition. captain Tom Watson. That demoralising run prompted the Aged 65, Watson was viewed by many PGA of America to appoint an 11-member as totally out of touch with his players and task force last October to examine the he made some curious selections for the entire Ryder Cup process from a US per- four-ball and foursomes matches with his spective. Among those on board were ‘old-school’ style of captaincy. Love, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jim Under the immensely popular Love at Furyk, who is a veteran of the past nine INDIANAPOLIS: Indiana Pacers forward Solomon Hill (44) gets between Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston (left) and Warriors Medinah, the American team felt fully Ryder Cups as a player. forward Draymond Green in the second half of an NBA basketball game. — AP involved with every aspect of that year’s Furyk believes the Americans are only Ryder Cup and, to a man, they agreed their now playing catch-up to the Europeans, captain had done everything in his power who he believes have benefited from hav- to create a winning strategy. ing a highly effective Ryder Cup committee Warriors see off Wizards “He took it very seriously at Medinah,” for well over a decade. Brandt Snedeker, who made his Ryder Cup “They’ve done a good job as far as an debut under Love’s 2012 captaincy, told organizational standpoint,” Furyk told WASHINGTON: Stephen Curry returned from a Reuters. “He did a lot of research, he had Reuters. “We are just trying to give our one-game absence to lead all scorers with 32, Klay NBA results/standings great assistant captains and he really team the best opportunity to succeed and Thompson added 17 more and the Golden State empowered the players. do well, and it shouldn’t be about what has Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 114-107 “He really made it a team effort. It wasn’t happened in the past. “It should be a fresh Tuesday night. Curry missed Sunday’s loss at Golden State 114, Washington 107; Cleveland 102, Detroit 93; Oklahoma City 105, Indiana 92; about Davis being the captain, it was actu- start in what we are trying to accomplish. Indiana with a sore right foot and played nearly 34 allas 99, Toronto 92. minutes, hitting 11 of 18 field goal attempts, ally about everybody else but him. We need to set goals which are 20 years in Eastern Conference Western Conference including five of nine from 3-point range. Everybody on that team will tell you, that’s the making, take a look-ahead into the Atlantic Division Marreese Speights added 16 points off the bench Northwest Division why the Medinah loss was so bad ... future and hopefully be successful for the W L PCT GB for the Warriors, who have won five of six. Paul Pierce Portland 36 19 .655 - because we all wanted to win one for him.” next 20 years.” — Reuters Toronto 37 20 .649 - led the Wizards with 25 points, 18 in the second half. Oklahoma City 32 25 .561 5 Brooklyn 23 31 .426 12.5 Marcin Gortat added 16 points and 11 rebounds, Utah 21 34 .382 15 while John Wall chipped in 16 nd 11 assists. Boston 21 33 .389 14.5 Denver 20 36 .357 16.5 Washington has lost four straight and nine of 11. Philadelphia 12 44 .214 24.5 Minnesota 12 43 .218 24 NY Knicks 10 45 .182 26 Pacific Division CAVALIERS 102, PISTONS 93 Central Division Golden State 44 10 .815 - Chicago 36 21 .632 - Kevin Love tied a career-best with eight 3-point- LA Clippers 37 20 .649 8.5 Cleveland 36 22 .621 0.5 ers for 24 points and LeBron James added 19 Phoenix 29 28 .509 16.5 Milwaukee 31 25 .554 4.5 points and 11 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers ral- Sacramento 19 35 .352 25 lied in the second half. Detroit 23 34 .404 13 Indiana 23 34 .404 13 LA Lakers 14 41 .255 30.5 Love fell just one short of teammate J.R. Smith’s Southwest Division record of nine 3-pointers against Detroit. Love Southeast Division Memphis 41 14 .745 - missed both his two-point attempts. Atlanta 44 12 .786 - Houston 38 18 .679 3.5 James nearly had an odd triple-double, turning Washington 33 24 .579 11.5 the ball over nine times, one short of his career Miami 24 31 .436 19.5 Dallas 39 20 .661 4 high. Kyrie Irving added 18 points for Cleveland, Charlotte 22 32 .407 21 San Antonio 34 22 .607 7.5 which has won 17 of its last 19 games. Orlando 19 39 .328 26 New Orleans 29 27 .518 12.5 Reggie Jackson had 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in his second game with Detroit, Enes Kanter added 15 points for the Thunder. Toronto Raptors. while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 21. Oklahoma City won its third straight without Kevin The victory was Dallas’ third straight, its longest Tayshaun Prince started at small forward in his first Durant. The reigning MVP had a screw replaced on winning streak since early January, and pulled the game as a Piston since he was traded to Memphis his surgically repaired right foot on Sunday, and he Mavericks within one game of first-place Houston in January 2013. is to be re-evaluated within a week. in the Southwest Division. CJ Miles scored 21 points, George Hill scored 13 DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 18 points. THUNDER 105, PACERS 92 and David West and Solomon Hill each added 11 Toronto closed a stretch of four road games in five Russell Westbrook had 20 points, 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who had won three straight. days with its third consecutive loss, one short of its and 10 assists, and the Thunder picked up their season high. The Raptors are second in the Eastern PALM BEACH GARDENS: Davis Love III sits beside Pete Beacqua the CEO of the PGA of seventh straight win. Westbrook claimed his third MAVERICKS 99, RAPTORS 92 Conference, their lead over No. 3 Chicago shrinking America and Co-Chairman of the Ryder Cup Task Force during his announcement as triple-double of the season and the 11th of his Monta Ellis scored 20 points and Dirk Nowitzki to one game. Dallas’ Rajon Rondo sat the final 20 the 2016 United States Ryder Cup Team Captain as Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson career, despite resting for the entire fourth quarter. had 18 as the Dallas Mavericks hit seven of their minutes after having words with Mavericks head player members of the Ryder Cup Task Force look on. — AFP Serge Ibaka had 23 points and 10 rebounds and first 10 shots of the fourth quarter to defeat the coach Rick Carlisle during a timeout. — AP look to cut Giants down to size for once

LEEDS: It has been seven matches and more than three how much pride they have in the jersey,” added that when the league splits we are not scrapping to get years since last beat their local rivals Cuthbertson, who played against the Rhinos in the 2009 into the top eight.” - not that Adam Cuthbertson has to while he was with Manly. “The Elsewhere, remain winless this shoulder any of that blame. Giants are a local rival, we have won two from two and season and when they host Hull FC on Thursday they The 29-year-old only arrived at Headingley this off- they haven’t won yet so they will be gunning for us and could have already said goodbye to star full-back Kevin season from and has wasted little we want to keep our early momentum.” Last year’s Locke. The former New Zealand Warrior seems set for a time in settling into his new surroundings. uncharacteristically early exit from the play-offs was a switch of codes and nationalities with the Scotland A try for the prop in their victory over disappointment for a Leeds side that between 2007 and Rugby Union team interested in his services. last time out means the Rhinos are sitting pretty in sec- 2012 won five of the six titles on offer. “I’ve made it very clear to Kevin if he wants to stay he ond in the early standings of the Super League table But it was not all doom and gloom for the Rhinos could stay but if he wants to leave I’m not going to with two wins from two. Huddersfield are still winless who lifted the for the first time this cen- stand in his way,” said Salford owner Marwan Koukash. this season but have been the Rhinos’ nemesis in recent tury and Cuthbertson admits he and his teammates are Mark Dodson, chief executive of Scotland RFU, con- years with a winning run stretching back to the 2011 feeling confident. firmed the interest, saying: “When a world-class player play-offs.That is all set to change this Thursday accord- “Of course the league season didn’t finish how they like Kevin Locke comes onto the market place, we will ing to Cuthbertson however, as he is adamant he and wanted but it gave the lads added incentive to get into certainly have a look at him.” travel to his new teammates are a different proposition this sea- pre-season and put it right,” he added. on Friday and Wolves skipper Joel son. “It is only once you are here that you start to under- “We have had longer together, it was gruelling in Monaghan admits his side must learn their lessons fol- stand how big a fanbase Leeds have got,” said pre-season but now we are not learning on the job and I lowing defeat to St George Illawarra Dragons in last Cuthbertson. “This is a one-team town and you can see am really enjoying my footy. “We want to start well so week’s World Club Series. —AFP Adam Cuthbertson