Leishman Takes Early Control at Firestone

Sports SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014 Efforts made to return Jordan Rally to WRC calendar KUWAIT: Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Attiyah, President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) is hoping to convince FIA to return the Jordan International Rally in the World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar. The last time a WRC round took place in Jordan was in 2011 when the race took place in the Dead Sea region for the third straight year. Higher costs generated by FIA’s request to move the race to Aqaba and the official sponsor’s abandonment forced a deci- sion to stop hosting the race. Attiya, who is also FIA’s Vice President and head of the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), met recently with Prince Faisal bin Al-Hussein, head of Jordan Motor Sports, who expressed interest in hosting the event again in his home country. Attiya promised to work in order to persuade the FIA to include the Jordan Rally in next season’s calendar, and a return for the Prince Faisal bin Al-Hussein WRC to the MENA region. Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Attiyah McIlroy savors life on Leishman takes early and off the course LOUISVILLE: Tiger Woods is still chasing Jack Nicklaus even as control at Firestone he finds more to life than competition, while red-hot Rory McIlroy is content to enjoy each victory as it comes. Both stars tee off Thursday at Valhalla in the 96th PGA Championship Woods opens title defense with a 68 with very different momentum. McIlroy claimed his third major title at the British Open following a breakup with tennis-star AKRON: Australian Marc Leishman, maintaining his recent title at the British Open earlier this month, and Masters winner fiancÈe Caroline Wozniacki in May while Woods, who missed good form, upstaged the game’s biggest names as he Bubba Watson opened with matching 69s. Among those who three months after back surgery, shared 69th at Royal Liverpool charged into a one-shot lead in the opening round of the elite did not fare well in the first round at Firestone were US Open in his worst 72-hole professional showing in a major. WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio on Thursday. champion Martin Kaymer of Germany, who struggled to a 77, McIlroy, 25, needs only win the Masters to complete a career While eight-times winner Tiger Woods launched his title and former British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen of South Grand Slam after also taking the 2011 US Open and 2012 PGA. defense with a two-under-par 68 at a rain-softened Firestone Africa, who carded a 75. — Reuters Former world number one Woods, a 14-time major winner Country Club, Leishman surged to the top of the leaderboard chasing the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, has not won with a sizzling 64. a major title since the 2008 US Open. Woods, who won his first Leishman, whose only PGA Tour win came at the 2012 major at age 21 at the 1997 Masters, is now 38 — the age at Travelers Championship, mixed eight birdies with two bogeys which Nicklaus won his 15th major. Although his pursuit has on the heavily tree-lined layout to finish a stroke in front of been stalled, Woods says breaking the record remains as impor- tant a goal as ever. “I’ll tell you what, it’s a hell of a lot closer now American Ryan Moore, South African Charl Schwartzel and than I was in ‘97,” Woods said. “These 14 weren’t easy. I’ve England’s Justin Rose. “I feel like I’ve been playing pretty well passed a lot of people on the way to get to this point. You look for the last few months at least, and the results have been fair- at the who’s who and the history of the game and the fact ly good,” Leishman, who tied for fifth at the British Open 11 there’s only one person ahead of me, it’s not too bad.” Ulster days ago, told reporters. prodigy McIlroy, however, says topping Nicklaus has never been “I drove the ball well. It makes this course a lot easier when his goal the way it was for the California son of a military dad you’re on the fairway. It’s pretty tough when you’re playing who was swinging a golf club on television at age two. from the rough,” said the 30-year-old, who has recorded top- “It’s not something I ever thought about or dreamed of,” 11 finishes in three of his last four PGA Tour starts. Italian McIlroy said. “The next number in my head is four. I’ve won Francesco Molinari, Americans Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler three of them. I’d like to win my fourth and that’s it, just try and and Canadian Graham DeLaet opened with 67s in the third keep going like that, one after the other. “You need goals, but World Golf Championships (WGC) event of the year. Most obviously that’s too much of a long-term goal. I don’t want to eyes, however, were focused on former world number one put that pressure on myself. I don’t want to put that burden of Woods, who has compiled an astonishing record of success at a number to try and attain.” Comparisons to legends has not Firestone and romped to victory last year by seven shots. been a priority for McIlroy. “I know how many majors the greats of the game have won but I never wanted to compare myself,” Progress shown McIlroy said. “At least at the end of my career, there’s not going Though still tournament rusty after spending much of this to be a disappointment. “‘Oh, I wanted to get to 15, but I only season recovering from back surgery, he was satisfied with the got 12, bummer.’ I just don’t want to end my career like that. I’d progress shown in his game after carding six birdies, two love to end my career with 12 majors, but I don’t want it to be a disappointment.”—ÅFP bogeys and a double at the par-four ninth. “I hit a lot of good shots today, I hit a few not so solid but I kind of got it around a little bit,” Woods told Golf Channel after covering the back nine in two-under 33. “Every time I dropped a shot, I got it right back the very next hole so bouncing back like that feels nice. It’s just progress. I just need to get (repetitions) in. “Coming (back) off surgery, it takes time. (My form) has been building and today was a lot better.” Woods, who missed the cut at last month’s Quicken Loans National and finished 69th at the British Open in his only two events since his surgery in late March, said his strategy had been very simple in the opening round. “You’ve just got to keep making birdies out here, keep the ball in play,” he smiled. “It’s soft right now and you can see a lot of guys under par. “With the wind cropping up this afternoon, not a lot of guys went low but it certainly was gettable,” said Woods, who double-bogeyed the ninth after missing the fairway to the right off the tee and hitting tree branches with his second AKRON: Rory McIlroy looks over his putt for birdie on AKRON: Marc Leishman, from Australia, chips to the ninth shot. the 13th hole during the first round of the green during the first round of the Bridgestone Invitational Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament. — AP Australian world number one Adam Scott, second-ranked golf tournament Thursday, July 31, 2014, at Firestone Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, who clinched his third major Country Club in Akron, Ohio. — AP .

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