SPORTS SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014 Scott eyes Masters repeat, world’s top ranking

AUGUSTA: Before winning his first major title defeat Angel Cabrera last April, achieving a “I take a lot of positive stuff out of it,” Scott reads,” Scott said. “You need to be certain and I at last year’s Masters, endured the dream that narrowly escaped his boyhood said. “I somewhat achieved what I wanted. It just wasn’t 100 percent on.” Scott led by a frustration of squandering a four-shot lead in idol, Greg Norman, numerous times. Now the was good to be back in the mix. “My short tournament-record seven strokes at Bay Hill the last four holes to lose the 2012 British Adelaide-born defending champion will try to game just wasn’t there (in the last round) so after 36 holes, having made several putts from Open to Ernie Els. So after squandering a last- become the first repeat Masters winner since that needs to be tightened up and probably beyond 20 feet, and he led by three entering day lead to lose at Bay Hill when a win would Tiger Woods in 2002. The only others to shows that I need to do a bit more work on it the final round, although he was level with have made him world number one for the first achieve the feat were Jack Nicklaus and Nick to hold up under the pressure.” Learning that eventual winner Matt Every by the time he time, the 33-year-old Australian now comes to Faldo. lesson at the Arnold Palmer Invitational was made the turn on Sunday. Augusta National hoping the top ranking spot “I feel like this should be the peak time in humbling, but better there than at Augusta It was the second painful 54-hole edge is also a dream that has been only delayed, not my career,” Scott said. “I have got to create National. “Everyone is just excited to go,” Scott Scott had squandered in the past few months, denied. “If nothing else, it’s a good reminder these chances more often and I’ve got to take said. “We don’t know what it’s going to hold also losing the Australian Open late last year on how much putting practice I need to do for them more often than I have. I’ve got to start and it always produces something. “It will be when he led by four as the last round began. “I going to the Masters and just how important it closing at a better rate than ever before. So exciting for me going there feeling like I’m need to do a little more work on my putting is,” Scott said. I’m very hungry.” And while Scott failed to playing pretty good. Who knows what can because the last couple of times in this posi- “If I think back to last year, I made every dethrone 14-time major champion Woods happen again?” tion it has not been as sharp as I would like,” putt that you expect to in that last round and from the top spot by winning at Bay Hill, it’s As Scott prepared to challenge the leg- Scott said. “It was nice the first couple of days ultimately that’s maybe what gave me the clear with Woods absent following surgery for endary undulating greens at Augusta National, but it’s a different story when you’ve got to hit chance to win.” Scott became the first Aussie a pinched nerve in his back, and Scott playing he pondered how he handled reading greens a lot of six- and 10-footers with the pressure to capture the green jacket symbolic of solidly, claiming the top spot might be, as was under pressure at Bay Hill with the top ranking on. “I’m taking confidence anyway from just Masters supremacy when he sank a 12-foot winning a major after a heart-breaking near at stake. “After missing a couple putts over the some good play, but some opportunities you birdie putt on the second playoff hole to miss, only a matter of time. last couple of days, doubts creep into your have got to take.”—AFP

New generation Haas and Hoffman size up Masters share Houston lead HOUSTON: Bill Haas and Charley Hoffman green jackets topped a jam-packed first-round leader- AUGUSTA: Top-ranked Tiger Woods is injured and absent, reign- board at the US PGA Tour’s Houston Open ing Masters champion Adam Scott has squandered his past two on Thursday on seven-under par 65. Haas’s 54-hole leads and 2012 Masters winner Bubba Watson needed 22 round was highlighted by an eagle at the months to win again. So it’s no wonder a rising generation of par-five fourth hole at the Golf Club of young stars, many of them seeking their first major crown, like Houston. He added six birdies and one their chances to challenge for a green jacket at next week’s 78th bogey while Hoffman had seven birdies . and no bogeys as the two afternoon Of the past 19 major champions, 15 were first-time winners, starters took a one-shot lead over Matt including the past three to claim green jackets-Watson, Scott and Kuchar, , JB Holmes, Erik South African Charl Schwartzel, who birdied the last four holes to Compton and Jim Renner. win in 2011. World number one Woods, a 14-time major champi- Kuchar hit all 18 greens in regulation on on chasing the career record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, will his way to a bogey-free six-under 66. miss the Masters for the first time since his 1995 debut as an ama- teur following surgery to repair a pinched nerve. But he can take Bradley also played without a bogey-as did credit for inspiring the new breed, the very people who might the other two players in his group, five- prevent him from ever catching Nicklaus. time major winner Phil Mickelson and for- “We all grew up watching Tiger and you are seeing his genera- mer US Open champion Webb Simpson. “It tion play now and they are not afraid to go win tournaments,” was the first time I remember that happen- 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley said. More than ing, certainly in my career,” Mickelson said. 20 players are set to make their Masters debut this year, what “Not to have any bogeys in the group is could be the largest such group since the 1960s. US prodigy pretty special.” Jordan Spieth, PGA season money leader and treble winner The group teed off on 10, and Bradley, a Jimmy Walker and US standouts Harris English, Matt Every and former US PGA Championship winner who Billy Horschel are in their first Masters. So are such global talents notched a runner-up finish at Bay Hill last as Sweden’s Jonas Blixt, Dutchman Joost Luiten, Canada’s month, nabbed his first birdie of the day at Graham DeLaet, Frenchman Victor Dubuisson and Zimbabwe’s the 13th, then added three in a row from Brendon de Jonge. Few courses provide a better benefit for experience over the the 15th. “I hadn’t been making any putts, layout than Augusta National, where undulating greens and local and it seems like the putter just kind of knowledge figure to make this year’s practice rounds a schooling woke up right about now, which is really a session for newcomers hungry for advice on targets, and places good time of year for it to do that,” said to avoid, from Masters veterans. The only debut winner since the Bradley, who is among many in the field second Masters in 1935 was Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979, but that does using this tournament to hone their games not keep newcomers like Patrick Reed, a self-proclaimed world for the first major of the year, the Masters top-5 player with three PGA wins since mid-August, from think- at Augusta National next week. ing they might be adding to their wardrobe collection on April After the group of five players sharing 13. “I don’t put it past myself,” Reed said. “I’m definitely not third place on 66, another 10 players were going to say I don’t have a chance of winning. I feel like I do, but tied on five-under 67, a group that includ- I’m going to have to put four really good rounds together. ed 2011 Masters champion Charl “Whoever shows up at an event nowadays has a chance to win.” Schwartzel of South Africa, 2009 British Tiger ‘pushed us harder’ Open winner Stewart Cink and Spain’s So where did he get such confidence? From watching Woods Sergio Garcia. Simpson and Mickelson since his record-smashing 1997 Masters triumph. “We grew up were among a big group on 68. Mickelson, watching Tiger, what he has done. That has pushed us harder to who will be seeking a fourth Masters green want to reach our goals,” Reed said. “We basically want to play jacket next week, got his final tune-up off the game how he has done in the dominant fashion that he has to a solid start. He said the injury to his done. “Just that killer instinct and the will to win-I’ve worked right oblique muscle, which had forced really hard on becoming mentally strong and not letting things him to withdraw from the Texas Open last around me distract me as much. That’s something he has been SAN DIEGO: Jordan Spieth reacts as his tee shot flies to the left of the week, had responded well to treatment. “I amazing at and something I’m really working on. I’ve tried to take fairway on the fourth hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines during feel a lot better four or five days later,” the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament in San from him.” No stage in golf offers better drama than Sunday’s Mickelson said. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. It back nine at Augusta National, a crucible that brought Woods Diego. The rookie class at Augusta National might be the strongest just feels sore as opposed to a kind of and reigning British Open champion Phil Mickelson their first ever for the Masters, from Jimmy Walker and Patrick Reed to Victor major titles.— AFP Dubuisson and Jordan Spieth. — AP painful experience.”— AFP