MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2014 SPORTS Gilbert wins Amstel Gold Probe into IPL scandal Westwood bags Malaysian Open VALKENBURG: Belgium’s Philippe Gilbert surged clear on the final Cauberg MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India will propose a panel to KUALA LUMPUR: Lee Westwood ended a two-year winless drought with a climb to win his third Amstel Gold Race yesterday. investigate corruption allegations in the Indian Premier League during the seven-shot victory at the Malaysian Open yesterday. The 31-year-old-winner in 2010 and 2011 — made his move inside the next hearing of an ongoing case in India’s Supreme Court. The names of After a four-hour delay due to the threat of lightning in the middle of the final 4km following a dummy-attack by BMC team-mate Samuel Sanchez former India allrounder Ravi Shastri, former Central Bureau of Investigation final round, Westwood went on to shoot a 4-under par 68 to complete an and by the top of the climb, 1.8km from the finish, he was well clear. chief RK Raghavan and retired Calcutta High Court judge J.N. Patel have 18-under 270 at the Kuala Lumpur Country Club course for his 36th career Belgian Jelle Vanendert escaped from a group of chasers to take second been doing the rounds in local media reports but the BCCI refused to con- victory. Westwood led from start to finish in the co-sanctioned European while Australia’s Simon Gerrans out-sprinted Spain’s Alejandro Valverde and firm the members of the panel. and Asian Tour event that he also won in 1997. Pole Michal Kwiatkowski for third. “We will give the names of the persons to the Supreme Court only,” BCCI “It’s a golf course that suits my game; it’s very tight in certain areas. I Gilbert’s attack on the final climb was reminiscent of the same move he secretary Sanjay Patel was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India after played well, I putted well, and the short game is good,” Westwood said. South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen (68), the 2012 champion, along with made to win the 2012 world title here in Valkenburg. He had a working committee meeting. The matter will come up for hearing tomor- Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts (70) and Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger (67) shared showed his form in the lead-up to this race by winning row. The BCCI was asked by the court last Wednesday to work out the investigation into the spot-fixing scam after BCCI chief Narainswami a distant second place on 11 under. Wednesday’s Brabantse Pijl and when he kicked for home, no- The win will not only improve Westwood’s ranking but also one could live with him. Srinivasan was forced by the court to step aside last month because of the alleged involvement of his son-in-law in a spot-fixing scam during the 2013 help him improve on his current 20th place in the European He is now second only to five-time winner Jan Raas of the tournament. The Supreme Court said it was not ordering an independent Ryder Cup standings. Netherlands for Amstel victories and on this kind of form, probe immediately because it respected the autonomy of the cricket body. “I feel like I’ve got a short game back and I’m start- Gilbert could be forgiven for aiming a tilt at a second Srinivasan’s position as BCCI chief became untenable when a three- ing to roll a few putts in,” he added. “It makes a Ardennes treble, having already added Fleche Wallonne member committee headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal found Srinivasan’s helluva difference if you can get up-and- and Liege-Bastogne-Liege wins to his Amstel son-in-law, Gurunath Meiyappan, guilty of being in contact with illegal down if you miss a few greens as it keeps success in 2011.—AFP bookmakers in a report to the Supreme Court.—AP the momentum going.” —AP Donald leaves pack behind HILTON HEAD ISLAND: Luke Donald with low wedges,” he said. “If you miss put himself in the best position to make greens, you need to be pretty good at up for so many near-misses at the RBC the short game. Certainly a course that Heritage by shooting a 66 on Saturday favors my style of play.” to take a two-stroke lead into the final Huh shot a 68 and was at 6 under. round. Major champions Charl Schwartzel (68) Donald had an eagle and six birdies and Jim Furyk (71), Nicholas Thompson at Harbour Town Golf Links, where he (68) and Ben Martin (71) were tied for has regularly challenged for the title third at 5 under. but never got his hands on the silver- Matt Kuchar, ranked sixth in the ware. world, shot 70 as part of a group of five The Englishman fell in a playoff to golfers another shot back at 4 under. It Brandt Snedeker in 2011, and has four was a long day at soggy Harbour Town, top-3 finishes in five years. At 11-under where 65 golfers had to finish the sec- 205 and with a two-shot lead over John ond round before the third could begin, Huh, he’s poised to finally win. with KJ Choi, Furyk and Ben Martin tied “If I can go out as relaxed and confi- for the lead. dent as I was today tomorrow,” he said. But by midafternoon, the moisture “If I can control the trajectory (of shots) had softened things and competitors as well as I did today, then hopefully I’ll were treated to slick greens easily be sitting here as the winner.” accepting approach shots. Once the world’s top-ranked golfer, Thompson, whose sister Lexi won Donald has changed coaches and the her first LPGA Tour major earlier this transition back to the top has not come month, got things going with five as quickly as planned. The last of his birdies on the front nine to lead at 7 five PGA Tour wins came in 2012, his under. But bogeys at the 16th and 18th best showing this year was a tie for holes dropped him back into the group fourth at the Valspar Championship last at 208. Schwartzel jumped into the month and he did not make the cut at chase with a third-round 68 to move to the Masters after shooting 79-70. 5 under. He has not won on the PGA PITTSBURGH: Columbus Blue Jackets’ Matt Calvert (11) puts the puck over Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) for the game-win- “I was the former world No. 1 and Tour since the 2011 Masters. ning goal in the second overtime period of a first-round NHL playoff hockey game. —AP was there for a long time and obviously Furyk, the 2010 winner at Harbour slipped down,” said Donald, currently Town, made birdie on his second hole 29th. “But I haven’t felt my game had to take the lead at 6 under. He failed to gotten that much worse.” build on that hot start, but held on to Blues, Avalanche lead His round got started with a 25-foot- stay in the hunt. er for eagle on the par-5 second hole. Kuchar followed his fifth-place show- Donald then tied leader Nicholas ing at the Masters last week with a PITTSBURGH: St. Louis and Colorado took 2-0 Backes, who had to be helped off the ice, went Scandella had made it 3-2 with 1:19 remaining. Thompson with a birdie on the 14th strong bogey-free 66 on Thursday to leads in their NHL first-round playoff series with straight to the locker room and did not return Charlie Coyle also scored early for the Wild. before stretching his lead with a final take the lead. wins on Saturday while Columbus won a post- for the extra period. Minnesota’s starting goalie Ilya Bryzgalov was one by rolling in a 15-foot putt on the Things went the other way quickly season game for the first time in franchise histo- Vladimir Tarasenko forced overtime with his replaced in the second period by Darcy ry as they squared their series against second goal of the series, beating Corey Kuemper, who stopped all 14 shots he faced, par-3 17th. Friday, with Kuchar posting a pair of Pittsburgh. Crawford with a wrist shot that banged off the giving the Wild a selection dilemma for the Donald nearly closed with a flourish double bogeys before the rains came St. Louis notched its second-straight 4-3 over- right post and in with 6.4 seconds to go. Kevin games ahead. when his approach on the closing hole and suspended play. Kuchar struggled time win over Chicago to leave the Blackhawks Shattenkirk had a goal and two assists for the Columbus’ Calvert banged home a rebound nearly landed in the cup on the fly some more with a bogey on the eighth with an uphill task of successfully defending the Blues. Duncan Keith, Seabrook and Michael 1:10 into the second overtime to secure the 4-3 before bouncing to the edge and set- hole once he restarted Saturday. Then Stanley Cup. Rozsival scored in a span of five shots to put the win over Pittsburgh and a squared series. tling for par. he made four birdies on his back nine Colorado teenager Nathan McKinnon was Blackhawks up 3-2 early in the third. But Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury “I feel like I can plot my way around to climb back in it.—AP irrepressible as the Avalanche won 4-2 at home Seabrook’s penalty proved costly, and he could blocked the initial shot by Cam Atkinson but against Minnesota to also take a strong grip on a be suspended for Game 3 in Chicago on Calvert stood all alone at the left post and wrist- passage to the next round.