Sports 8/19 Pg. 8

FREE PRESS Page 8 Colby Free Press Monday, August 19, 2002 SSSPORTSPORTS Tiger comes up one stroke Getting ready for the new season short at PGA championship By ALAN ROBINSON an even-par 72, Woods came out charg- AP Sports Writer ing, holing a pitch shot to save par on CHASKA, Minn. (AP) — Of all the No. 1. Birdies followed on No. 4, 6 and remarkable things Tiger Woods has 7 on a Hazeltine National Golf Club accomplished on a golf course, this course that played much easier with- was the first time he charged from be- out Saturday’s wicked winds. hind Arnold Palmer-style on the final Then came a remarkable flop shot on day of a major. 8 from along the grandstand, with He’s also never done this before in a Woods deftly dropping the ball onto major: He blinked. the edge of the green so it could roll Despite a dramatic four-birdies-in- within a foot of the cup. four holes rally Sunday in the PGA But every time Woods threw up a Championship, one that might have birdie, and his fist in celebration, Beem been remembered as one of the great- answered. est finishes ever in a major, Tiger Playing in the final twosome just Woods went toe-to-toe, shot-for-shot behind Woods, Beem birdied No. 3 and — and lost. 7. Contending in a major for the first Not to Sergio. Or Phil Mickelson, Or time and uncertain how he would re- Ernie Els. To Rich Beem — yes, the spond to it — he takes a swig of stom- fun-loving, fast-talking, invisible-to- ach medicine before every round to most Rich Beem — a man who seven calm himself — Beem didn’t get dis- years ago wasn’t playing golf, a man tracted. who less than 24 hours before openly “Honestly, I was too concerned with questioned if he had the stuff to win. myself than I was about Tiger,” Beem Remarkably, he did. said. It wasn’t because Woods wasn’t For good reason. Beem was only good enough; Woods shot a 5-under 67 73rd in the world rankings, the lowest that tied Tom Watson for the low round of any major winner in the last five of the day. It’s because, believe it or not, years except 1999 British Open cham- Beem was better. pion Paul Lawrie. Better than the world’s best golfer, “I don’t want to sound pompous, but better than Beem was in winning The I was trying to control what I was do- DARREL PATTILLO/Colby Free Press International a couple of weeks ago, ing and not control what he was doing,” The Colby High School volleyball worked out at a pre-season camp School football teams also started today, but the volleyball players don’t better than even Beem knew he could said Beem, who led Woods by two recently. Practice started for real today for the high school volleyball start until Wednesday. All practices start at 4 p.m. except for the high be. shots as the round started and never teams, cross country, tennis, golf, and football. The Colby Middle school football team, which has two practices a day this week. “I had no expectations of playing trailed. “I didn’t know if I had what it this good,” Beem said after holding off took to win it. Obviously, I found out Woods’ frantic rally to win by one shot, today that I do.” becoming the most improbable PGA He may have found out on No. 11. winner since John Daly in 1991. “I Beem hit a 5-wood to within 6 feet Broncos’ running back Terrell Davis announces retirement know I could, but not under the pres- on the par-5 and sank the putt for an sure and the scrutiny. I was nervous, eagle, moving him from 8 under to 10 DENVER (AP) — Terrell Davis Saturday, “there’s a good chance I’ll Davis decided to end his career after people there if he could.” but I found a way to control my under and pushing his lead over Woods wanted to keep playing. His knees just never see the field again.” just seven seasons. He will go on in- Davis’ longevity leaves his place in nerves.” from one shot to three. wouldn’t cooperate. He considered trying to work jured reserve Tuesday, allowing him to history in doubt. His 6,413 yards over More importantly, the former cell Coincidence or not, Woods After struggling with injuries for through his latest ailment — a degen- walk out in front of the fans one final his first four years in the league are the phone salesman found a way to control promptly bogeyed No. 13 and 14 in nearly four years, Davis announced erative condition in his left knee — but time Monday. second-most in history over that span. Woods, who was trying to go 3-for-4 succession, as many bogeys as he had that Monday night’s preseason game doctors could not guarantee further “He wanted to go out on his own He finished his career with 7,607 in majors this year and win his ninth in his previous 48 holes. Suddenly, he against the San Francisco 49ers will be treatment would alleviate the pain and terms and he wanted some finality,” yards, putting him ahead of five mod- major overall, all while leading on the was down by five, as Beem also bird- his final appearance in a Denver Bron- swelling. Davis’ agent Neil Schwartz said. “It ern-day running backs already in the final day. ied 13. cos uniform. So instead of enduring another means a great deal for him to walk out Hall of Fame — Leroy Kelly, Hugh This time, Woods was in the unac- Still, Woods knew he wasn’t out of “Unless some new technology round of rehabilitation and wondering of the tunnel at Mile High one last time. McElhenny, Lenny Moore, Gale Say- customed role of trailing by five shots it. comes along real soon,” Davis said if he will play again, the 29-year-old He would shake the hands of all 75,000 ers and Doak Walker going into the final round. But that big “I was on 15 and, walking down the margin didn’t last long and neither did fairway, I told Steve (Williams, his third-round leader Justin Leonard, caddy), ‘If we birdie in, we’ll win the whose double bogey on No. 8 led to a tournament,”’ Woods said. 77 that dropped him into the fourth- From then on, Tiger was Tiger — E-mail your sports news to [email protected] place tie. birdies on 15, 16, 17 and 18. After playing conservatively on a “I didn’t miss a shot coming in,” he wind-swept Saturday and settling for said. nwkansas.com Get connected to the Internet with us! We have local technical support. Get connected today! Call 462-3963 Check out our low rate of $1650 per month.* (*When you pay $198 for eight months we give you four months free.).

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