MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2015 SPORTS PSV end title drought Merritt leads RBC Heritage Toure targeted by City AMSTERDAM: An emphatic win for PSV Eindhoven to clinch the Dutch league HILTON HEAD ISLAND: Unheralded American Troy Merritt moved one step LONDON: Yaya Toure is being made a scapegoat for Manchester City’s poor sea- title on Saturday confirmed their dominance this season and brought a great closer to his maiden PGA Tour title by claiming a three-stroke lead after son and underfire boss Manuel Pellegrini is a “weak manager”, according to the sense of relief to the club. PSV beat Heerenveen 4-1 at home to move out of Saturday’s third round of the RBC Heritage in South Carolina. Merritt, ranked Ivorian midfielder’s agent Dimitri Seluk. reach of second-placed Ajax Amsterdam and reclaim the crown they last won 249th in the world and making his 86th tour start, followed his course record- Champions City have faded dramatically since the turn of the year, falling to in 2008. The victory ended a frustrating run of six season without success and tying 61 in the second round with a 69 for a 54-hole total of 14-under-par 199 fourth in the Premier League, and were knocked out of the FA Cup, League Cup on the Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island. was heartily celebrated in Eindhoven yesterday, with the city again able to and Champions League without reaching the quarter-finals. Toure, a dominant proclaim to be the capital of Dutch football following a 22nd league title for The 29-year-old began the round with a four-shot lead and birdied the sec- ond and third before running into trouble at the par-four eighth. force in City’s title march last season, has borne the brunt of the criticism and PSV. Although the achievement of taking a largely home-grown squad of inex- Pellegrini said last week he was unhappy with the 31-year-old’s performances. perienced youngsters to the title was cause to celebrate, the post-match focus “I was hitting the ball just fine all day and then I tugged a six-iron and “Some people at City are trying to blame Yaya for what has has been on the club ending a long period of under achievement. watched it sail into the water and make a sensational splash,” said Merritt, who “PSV shake off years of frustration,” said the website of the made double-bogey. happened this season,” Seluk told the Sunday Mirror. “The Algemeen Dagblad newspaper while the De Volkskrant said “I felt good over the putts and I hit some good ones that didn’t go in. It was problem is that City want Yaya to do everything. They want pretty stress free for the most part.” Tied for second on 11 under par were there was “intense relief after seven years’ drought”. PSV coach him to score goals, they want him to assist goals, and they defending champion Matt Kuchar, who shot a 68, and fellow Americans Phillip Cocu engineered this success less than two years after want him to defend. Brendon Todd (63) and Kevin Kisner (67). “It is also interesting that City could not win a match initiating risky change. Kuchar, who made six birdies, was held back by a bad ricochet at the par- At the start of last season he adopted a policy of using as when Yaya was away at the African Nations. He cannot do it three seventh. “I played some pretty good golf but got a bad break,” he said. “I all on his own. It seems the answer for everything at City is many players as possible who were developed within the hit a beautiful shot in but it caught a limb and it ended up costing me a dou- club’s youth structures. The move threatened to ble bogey.” One more shot back were 2010 winner Jim Furyk (68), Brice to blame Yaya.” implode as PSV struggled but suddenly they Garnett (65) and Branden Grace of South Africa (66). Seluk said some blame for City’s struggles, which gelled and the team finished last season strongly, Masters champion Jordan Spieth stayed in the hunt, shooting a 68 for a have brought just four wins from their last 10 league even after Cocu had to take the final months off 204 total, five shots off the pace along with Bo Van Pelt (67), despite starting matches, should be attributed to the club’s senior man- to undergo surgery on a back tumor. —Reuters the tournament with a 74. — Reuters agement. —Reuters Cubs edge Padres, Phillies roll CHICAGO: Kris Bryant drew a standing ovation after hitting an RBI single for his first major league hit, and reached base five times Saturday as the Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 7-6 in 11 innings. A day after the Cubs’ prized prospect went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in his Major League Baseball debut, Bryant went 2 for 3 with three walks. Bryant let Wil Myers’ bouncer leading off the game to kick off his glove at third base for his first major league error. In the 11th, Bryant reached on an infield single against Craig Kimbrel (0-1), moving Anthony Rizzo to third with one out. Pinch-hitter David Ross walked to load the bases, bringing up Starlin Castro. San Diego brought in Myers from center field as a fifth infielder and, with all five playing in, Castro singled past third baseman Will Middlebrooks. Zac Rosscup (1-0) allowed one hit in two score- less innings. PHILLIES 5, NATIONALS 3 Odubel Herrera had three hits and scored MESA: Michael Phelps competes in the 200m Individual Medley Final during day four twice, Aaron Harang pitched six innings and the of the Arena Pro Swim Series at the Skyline Aquatic Center. — AFP Philadelphia Phillies ended a six-game losing streak, beating Washington. Phelps, Lochte win at Mesa Freddy Galvis had two RBI singles for Philadelphia, which had scored 13 runs over its MESA: Michael Phelps closed out the ond behind Phelps in the 100 free. last six games. Bryce Harper hit a long home run Arena Pro Swim Series meet with a win in “Tonight was the best night of racing I for Washington, which had won three straight. the 100 meter freestyle on Saturday, and think I’ve had since I was here (a year ago),” Ian Desmond added three hits, but the short- also finished third in the 200-meter individ- said Phelps. Phelps is competing for the stop continued to struggle in the field, making ual medley behind fellow Olympic champi- first time since last August with an eye his eighth error. on Ryan Lochte. toward returning to glory at the 2016 Harang (2-1) gave up three runs and seven Phelps, competing for the first time this Olympic Games in Rio. CHICAGO: Kris Bryant No. 17 of the Chicago Cubs†hits his first MLB hit during the fifth inning hits. Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field. — AFP week following a six-month ban for a drunk In the 200 individual medley, he finished third save. Jordan Zimmermann (1-2) allowed driving conviction, finished strong over the third, behind Lochte and Conor Dwyer. two earned runs and four hits over 6 1-3 innings. METS 5, MARLINS 4 first 12 game. Yordano Ventura (2-1) gave up all final 50 meters of the 100 to finish in 49.72 Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of Jacob deGrom (2-1) struck out eight in seven five runs in the fourth inning, right before hitting seconds at the Mesa, Arizona meet. Lochte, all time, with 18 golds and 22 total medals, CARDINALS 5, REDS 2 shutout innings, Travis d’Arnaud and Wilmer Brett Lawrie with what appeared to be a retalia- who won the 200 individual medley in while Lochte has eleven medals, five of Carlos Martinez pitched six strong innings Flores homered and New York won its seventh tory pitch for an incident the previous night. 1:58.70, finished five-hundredths of a sec- which are gold. — Reuters and Jason Heyward hit his first home run, lead- straight, the Mets’ longest since an eight-game Lawrie slid hard and late into second base and ing the St. Louis Cardinals over Cincinnati for run in June 2010. Juan Lagares and Eric wiped out Alcides Escobar. their fourth straight win. Campbell each had an RBI single to help the The Royals shortstop sprained his left knee in Davis gives Ding Zack Cozart homered for the Reds, who have Mets (9-3) open their home schedule with six the collision and said before Saturday night’s lost three in a row and six of seven. Billy wins in a row, equaling the club record set in game that he thought the slide was dirty. The A’s Hamilton left in the eighth inning after beating 1985. Alex Torre struck out Christian Yelich with a have outscored their opponents 47-1 in their six world title advice out an infield single, and is day-to-day with runner aboard for his first major league save. victories. groin irritation. Dee Gordon went 5 for 5 with three RBIs for Martinez (1-0) gave up one run on three hits. the Marlins, who lost their third straight and DODGERS 6, ROCKIES 3 LONDON: Snooker great Steve Davis you,” Davis said yesterday. “He could do dropped to 3-9. Mat Latos (0-3) gave up two runs Zack Greinke (2-0) won his 14th straight deci- believes China’s Ding Junhui can become with having a mate with him, like me and Trevor Rosenthal picked up his fourth save in as many opportunities.