THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2016 SPORTS Clark hopes to have solution for long putter HONOLULU: Tim Clark hopes he has found No player was more vocal against the Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said the the solution to the anchoring ban for longer ban on the anchored stroke than Clark, tour opposed the rule. The USGA and Royal putters, even if it makes it feel as though he whose six victories worldwide include The & Ancient passed it anyway and it went to is starting over. Players Championship and the national effect at the start of this year. Clark and Carl “I feel like this is my rookie season opens in Australia, Scotland, Canada and Pettersson of Sweden have used long put- because I don’t know what to expect,” Clark South Africa. ters their entire careers and argued said Tuesday at the PGA Tour’s Sony Open. For 19 years, the American golfer used a they could never regain so many years of Clark is using a putter from BioMech called long putter that he anchored to his chest. practice. But with the rule giving them no “AccuLock” in which the shaft leans forward Clark has a congenital problem with his choice but to change, Clark said his new put- and allows the grip to rest against the fore- arms in which he can’t supinate his wrists, ter appears to be the best alternative for arm during the stroke. It’s a large, square and the long putter was the perfect solu- HONOLULU: Nick him. Because of his arm problems, he can- head with a hole the size of the golf ball in tion. Instead using it like a pendulum, he Taylor of Canada not properly grip a short putter. The new the middle, and the shaft is attached to the used a short putting stroke with the long plays a shot during putter allows him to use a “claw” grip with rear to give it a forward lean. putter. Frustrated by the US Golf practice rounds prior his right hand. “I’m looking forward to the He said he has worked with it off and on Association’s lack of empirical evidence that to the Sony Open In challenge. Who knows? Maybe it will be bet- for about six months and it still feels differ- an anchored putting stroke created an Hawaii at Waialae ter,” Clark said. “But that was 19 years with ent. “I could have gone with a shovel and it advantage, he traveled to San Diego on his Country Club on the long putter, and one putter that I used would have felt the same,” he said. “I went own for a players meeting and gave an ele- Tuesday in Honolulu, for 14 years. I wouldn’t say I’m worried. It with what felt the most comfortable. This gant speech that helped shape of the opin- Hawaii. — AFP either works or it doesn’t. But you can’t wipe method felt the best.” ion of several players. A month later, PGA away 19 years of habits.” — AP Spieth beat winners-only field, faces Rory McIlroy HONOLULU: Fresh off an eight-shot victory, Jordan Spieth gets one week of rest before step- ping back into spotlight. He leaves this weekend for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and his first meeting of the year with Rory McIlroy. “I didn’t know he was playing. I’ll probably withdraw now,” Spieth jokingly said Tuesday dur- ing a conference call for the Valspar Championship. McIlroy was in Spieth’s position a year ago - No. 1 in the world (by a greater mar- gin), a multiple major champion, a great start to the year. What he never saw coming was an ankle injury while playing soccer that kept him out for two months and kept him from defend- NAIROBI: Kenya’s 800m world record Olympic champion David Rudisha (2nd-R) and ing titles in the British Open and Bridgestone other Kenyan athletes run during a training session in Iten in the Rift Valley, 329 kms Invitational. He ended the year with a victory in north of Nairobi, yesterday. — AFP the DP World Tour Championship to win the Race to Dubai. Kenya’s Rudisha going The ankle injury slowed what could have been an interesting year between Spieth and McIlroy. Three weeks after Spieth won the for repeat Olympic gold Masters, McIlroy answered with victories in the Cadillac Match Play and Wells Fargo ITEN: World 800 metres record-holder David a tough one to overcome physically and mental- Championship. Spieth won the US Open. And Rudisha told AFP yesterday he had fully recov- ly,” Rudisha said, adding that he still sometimes then McIlroy put on soccer shoes. ered from injury and was ready to defend his feels “that nagging pain”. “In a season that he considered lost, he still Olympic title in Rio De Janeiro this summer. Rudisha’s coach, Colm O’Connell, said the came back and ended up winning the Race to “This is what I’m looking forward to,” Rudisha runner’s confidence was also back. “I think 2015 Dubai, the final event. It proves what a player he said in Iten, a high altitude training ground for was important for Rudisha, in the sense that the is,” Spieth said. “I’m sure there’s very few people some of the world’s best distance runners. “I victory in Beijing did re-establish him,” he said. working harder than he is to make this season know it’s going to be tough, nothing is easy and O’Connell said Beijing was “a stepping stone to his best season yet, which is scary. Hopefully, I everybody is looking for that title, but we are Rio” and that Rudisha was now “certainly in the can help prevent that to an extent.” going to do our best.” mix” although he conceded that the runner “has Spieth is playing Abu Dhabi for the first time After dominating the race for two consecu- to fight to regain his position as the king of before going to the Singapore Open. He returns KUALA LUMPUR: This handout photo taken and received by the World Sport Group yesterday tive years, a knee injury took Rudisha out of con- 800m running”. for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and shows Ian Poulter of England hitting a shot out of a bunker during the first practice day at the tention for the whole of 2013 and cast doubt on Hot on Rudisha’s heels-or perhaps in front the Northern Trust Open at Riviera before head- EurAsia Cup golf tournament at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Shah Alam, west of his Olympic defence. But he bounced back last of him-are contenders including former world Kuala Lumpur. — AFP year to reclaim the world title in Beijing in and Commonwealth champion Nijel Amos of ing to Florida for the World Golf Championship August. Botswana, Mohammed Aman of Ethiopia and at Doral and his title defense at the Valspar physical ailment. Pepper was an analyst for NBC “We would have had dinner every night of Rudisha, 27, said his recovery and training Amel Tuka of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who Championship. Sports after she retired, served on the PGA of the week - a group of Irish guys - and practice were going well. “So far so good. My body has set the fastest 800m time in the world in That playoff win at the Valspar Championship America board of directors for two years, went to rounds,” he said. “They were a big influence. The responded very well. That problem was actually 2015. — AFP seems like a long time ago considering all Spieth ESPN and recently was signed by CBS Sports, year I came out, there were six or eight rookies, has done. He mentioned Tuesday that it was his where she will be the first female to be part of and these were the elder statesmen. They first professional victory when he had to make a the CBS team at the Masters. Along the way, she looked after us and put us right. If you stepped big putt on the final hole, in this case a 30-foot been a strong promoter of junior golf. out of line, you were told.” birdie on the third extra hole. Holmes had two operations in 2011 after Harrington said he often referred to Smyth as That remains true. He won the Masters by being diagnosed with brain defects in his cere- “Dad” because if there was an issue, he would be four shots and the U.S. Open with a two-putt bellum. One surgery was to remove part of his the one to sort it all out. The social aspect to golf birdie. He won the John Deere Classic when Tom skull. He has won twice since and played on the is important, especially for young Europeans Gillis hit into the water in a playoff. He won the Presidents Cup team last year. coming to America. Tour Championship by five shots. And he won at “It’s a great feeling to be recognized for over- Harrington said he felt lucky have the Irish Kapalua by eight shots. coming adversity,” he said. “I am also proud to be connection. “It was a big bunch of us at the time, affiliated with the great Ben Hogan, whose lega- nearly 12 of us at dinner every night,” he said. CADDIE RACE cy is one that I admired.” They will be honored at “Socially, it was brilliant. A big part of having the Jordan Spieth wasn’t the only one at Kapalua the GWAA’s annual awards dinner April 6 in elder guys is we weren’t going to get too cocky who turned in a remarkable performance.