MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2015 SPORTS Rose blooms at Memorial

DUBLIN: England’s Justin Rose took a 34-year-old made no bones about the ini- three-shot lead after the third round of the tial win being critical. “If you look at my Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village career, to be honest with you, you could on Saturday as he looked to become the say it’s gone from strength to strength event’s seventh multiple winner. The 2010 since getting the monkey off my back and champion fired a six-under 66 to catapult winning here,” he added. to 15-under-201 for the tournament. That “As time ticks on, it becomes harder and put the 2013 U.S. Open champion three harder so to finally do it and do it at a place clear of Italian Francesco Molinari (69) and like this and a tournament of this stature Swedish overnight leader David Lingmerth was fantastic.” (72) who shared second at 12-under. Rose opened strong with four birdies in American veteran Jim Furyk (70), also a his first seven holes and while he bogeyed former U.S. Open and Memorial winner, the ninth, three further birdies on the back sits fourth at 11-under. Tiger Woods, a 14- side set up his comfortable buffer. time major champion, carded the worst Woods’ round marked just the third round of his professional career, a disas- time in his professional career he has failed trous 13-over 85, to balloon to 12-over and to break 80. He had an 81 in the 2002 last place. British Open and an 82 earlier this year at “Obviously a lot has been going right,” the Phoenix Open. said Rose. “I guess I played a good, solid, The former world number one, who patient round of golf that ended up turn- has slumped to 172nd in the global rank- ing into a great round of golf. ings, found water hazards four times. He “I made my birdies when I had a chance struggled to find fairways, getting just and I limited the mistakes. Kind of sur- seven of 14. Just a day after making a prised to play my way into a three-shot clutch par putt to make the cut on the lead. I was looking just to keep pace, but number, the five-time event champion it’s a fantastic position going into late yes- managed just one birdie while carding six terday.” Rose kick-started his American bogeys, two double bogeys and the career with a victory here in 2010 and the quadruple bogey.—Reuters Pettersen leads in Ontario

ONTARIO: Suzann Pettersen saved par of dried up a little bit towards the end,” the after a deft bunker shot at the final hole to former world number two told reporters. TAMPA: defenseman Victor Hedman (middle) shoots under pressures from defenseman Niklas hold a one-stroke lead after the third round “Overall very happy and in a good posi- Hjalmarsson (left) and defenseman during the third period in Game 2 of the NHL hockey Final. —AP of the Manulife LPGA Classic in Ontario on tion, but there’s a job to be done tomor- Saturday. row.” Whatever the outcome, her game is She carded a six-under-par 66 on the rounding into form at an ideal time head- Whistle Bear course in Cambridge to move ing into a major next week, the KPMG Lightning strike back to within sight of a 15th LPGA title and her Women’s PGA Championship in first since 2013. But the 34-year-old Westchester, New York. Norwegian will not be planning her victory Uribe, the 2007 US Amateur champion, level Stanley Cup Final speech just yet, not with two classy players has not won an official LPGA event and breathing down her neck on a course that knows that only a victory on Sunday will is yielding heaps of birdies. make news back home. TAMPA: Jason Garrison slapped in the game- the Lightning but broke out of his slump with period leaving questions about his health. Colombian Mariajo Uribe (67) is just one “In Colombia they only follow soccer winner in the third period as the Tampa Bay his 13th of the post-season to set a Tampa Bishop first departed with the score 3-3 with stroke behind, while veteran American really,” she said. “The only way I can make it Lightning avoided another late collapse to beat Bay record. 12:43 to play to be replaced by 20-year-old rook- Cristie Kerr (67) trails by two after draining to the TV in prime-time is if I win. “Top 10 is visiting Chicago 4-3 and even the Stanley Cup Brent Seabrook made it 3-3 for the ie . He returned with 11:11 a 20-foot birdie putt from off the putting not good enough for them. Final at 1-1 on Saturday. The Lightning, who let Blackhawks in the third on a shot that saw remaining after Tampa Bay took the lead but surface at the final hole. “I’m a pretty aggressive player, so I didn’t in two third-period goals in a 2-1 loss on Chicago’s Marian Hossa shielding was again replaced with 7:41 left. Pettersen got off to a rousing start with have to change my strategy here. I feel real- Wednesday, did not panic this time after the Ben Bishop, drawing complaints from Tampa Vasilevskiy finished with five stops and was birdies at the first three holes and she ly confident right now. My driver’s pretty Blackhawks levelled at 3-3. Bay. The winning goal was set up by a high-stick- the winning goaltender. The Lightning offered picked up all of her shots in the first 11 straight.” Kerr, meanwhile, has won 17 LPGA Instead, Garrison capitalized on a power-play ing from Chicago’s who no explanation, instead focusing on Vasilevskiy’s holes to finish with a 19-under total of 197. events, including a US Women’s Open, so chance with 11:11 remaining, his shot rebound- had just come out of the penalty box for a slash- relief performance. “I got off to a fantastic start today, every- she knows what it takes to get the job ing off the skate of Chicago’s Andrew Desjardins ing call. “I can’t really tell you too much (about Bishop thing went my way at the start (but) it kind done.—Reuters and fooling goaltender Corey Crawford. “I don’t think I’ve ever done that before, but it leaving). He had to get out, but (Vasilevskiy) “We were more aggressive tonight. In Game happened,” Sharp said. “We’ll move on from it. I came in and he did big things for us,” Lightning One we sat back a little bit,” Tampa Bay center take responsibility and apologize to our penalty- center Tyler Johnson told reporters. Tyler Johnson told reporters. “We played our killers for putting them under such stress.” “We have a lot of confidence in (Vasilevskiy). style. The Blackhawks pushed hard for another We’ve seen him all year.” The mystery may be “It’s a best-of-five series now. Chicago is a equaliser, but this time Tampa Bay killed off a explained by a third-period collision with great team, it’s going to be a battle.” The series power play and survived an extra Chicago attack Chicago’s Antoine Vermette. The Blackhawks moves to Chicago for Game Three today. in the final minutes. center was skating by the net in the first few The Blackhawks, who are seeking their third Backup Lightning goaltender Andrei minutes of the third when he made contact with Stanley Cup title in six seasons, appeared set to Vasilevskiy ensured the victory by saving all five Bishop’s upper body that seemed to inflict dis- take a 2-0 series lead home when they struck for shots he faced after replacing starter Ben Bishop comfort. two quick scores in the second period to erase a late in the third. Bishop did play on, however. The Lightning 1-0 deficit. Andrew Shaw netted the first before Meanwhile, tThe Tampa Bay Lightning cele- netminder was been pivotal in Tampa Bay’s play- 20-year-old Teuvo Teravainen had his second brated a series-tying victory over the Chicago off run, recording a pair of Game Seven goal of the series to put the visitors ahead 2-1. Blackhawks on Saturday but were tight-lipped . Tampa Bay fought back in an action-packed about the fitness of Ben Bishop after the starting Bishop had held opponents scoreless for a second period with Nikita Kucherov and Tyler goaltender was replaced. Bishop, who made 21 total of 113:28 before Chicago broke loose dur- Johnson each beating Crawford to grab a 3-2 saves in Tampa Bay’s 4-3 Game Two win over the ing the third period of the Lightning’s Game One lead. Johnson had not scored in five games for Blackhawks, left the game twice during the third loss. —Reuters ONTARIO: Cristie Kerr, of the blasts out of the sand on the third hole during the third round of the 2015 Manulife LPGA Classic. —AP Dixon dominates IndyCar race Lynx beat Fever 78-69 FORT WORTH: Scott Dixon was still moaning 30 minutes before INDIANAPOLIS: Lindsay Whalen scored 17 Emma Meeseman finished with 16 points the race about the extra downforce planned for his car. points, Maya Moore and Rebekkah Brunson and nine rebounds to lead the Mystics (2-0) , After his dominating victory at Texas, in a crash-free and each had 16 points and 10 rebounds and the making all four of her shots from the line, record-setting race with new aero kits, Dixon certainly had no Minnesota Lynx beat the Indiana Fever 78-69 including a clutch pair in the final minute to complaints with his No. 9 Chevrolet that he said was “basically on in the WNBA on Saturday. The Lynx (2-0) nev- extend Washington’s lead to four. Ivory Latta rails.” Dixon won by 7.8 seconds over Chip Ganassi Racing team- er trailed after the opening minutes but added 10 points, and Lawson - who had just mate Tony Kanaan on Saturday night in the fastest IndyCar Series needed a 6-0 run late in the fourth quarter to two made field goals in the game, both in the race ever at high-speed, high-banked Texas track. The New surge to a 68-59 lead with 2:58 left. final two minutes - finished with eight. Zealander led 97 of 248 laps and won with an average speed of Seimone Augustus added 11 points for New York, which won its home opener 191.940 mph. “In hindsight, I’m glad,” Dixon said. “They under- Minnesota, which scored 13 straight in a run Friday night, got 18 points and eight stood what they were doing. That’s why they do what they do spanning both halves to take a 40-27 lead. rebounds from Tina Charles. Carolyn Swords and I just drove the car.” Indiana (0-2) cut it to 60-57 on Shenise added 11 points off the Liberty bench, and After anxiety about how the cars would handle on the 1 1/2- Johnson’s 3-pointer with 7:09 left in the Tanisha Wright had 10 points, going 6 for 6 mile track with the new aero kits, especially after three Chevrolets fourth quarter, but would get no closer. from the line. Odyssey Sims scored 23 points went airborne during practice for the Indianapolis 500, there Marissa Coleman led the Fever with 16 points, and had five assists to lead the Tulsa Shock were no accidents. There was only one caution, excluding the first Johnson added 15, Natalie Achonwa had 14 over the Chicago Sky 101-93. Skylar Diggins lap of the race when the initial start was waved off because the and Briann January 11. finished with 20 points and eight assists. 23-car field wasn’t properly aligned. The yellow flag came out on The Fever had a better night shooting Elena Delle Donne scored 40 points for lap 84 for debris on the frontstretch. Dixon got his 37th career from the field, but the Lynx had a 26-9 edge Chicago (1-1), hitting 13 of 24 shots from the win. He also won in 2008 at Texas, which has now hosted 27 in points scored from the foul line. field and going 11 for 11 from the line. Cappie IndyCar races. Brazilian drivers and longtime friends and competi- Kara Lawson hit a 14-foot jumper with 42 Pondexter finished with 26 points. Elsewhere, tors Kanaan and Helio Castroneves were in a close race for second seconds left to give Washington the lead and Renee Montgomery scored 19 points and place. “It was a great race. At the beginning of the race, we’re added two free throws in the Mystics’ 67-62 Crystal Langhorne had 18 to help the Seattle looking at each other, I’m looking at Helio’s setup, like downforce- victory over the New York Liberty in their Storm beat the Los Angeles Sparks 86-61 in wise, they’re looking at mine, and we were like, somebody’s going home opener. the season opener for both teams. —AP to get it right,” Kanaan said. “We had a great battle. It reminded me, this guy, we’ve been racing together for 25 years.” Castroneves, whose four IndyCar wins at Texas are the track record, responded, “From the early age, now to the old age.” After the airborne cars at Indianapolis, IndyCar this week man- dated the use of closure panels on the rear wheel guards. Those are designed to eliminate lift when an Indy car is traveling back- ward at a high rate of speed during an accident, and will also be required at California and Pocono. Dixon indicated there was no noticeable difference to how the car drove with the panels. “I don’t think that it affected the race, as you saw tonight, in any way whatsoever,” said Mike Hull, the strategist for Dixon’s team. “It was a positive gain really because we really didn’t have anything against the fence tonight. So if you look at it that way, I think it was a great success.” Ryan Hunter-Reay had the only crash all weekend in Texas, in the first practice Friday when his No. 28 Honda spun and headed backward toward the outside wall. His left rear slammed hard before sliding down the track, but the car never went airborne. Hunter-Reay finished 18th, seven laps behind Dixon. Will Power started from the pole at Texas for the third year in a row, but finished 13th, four laps off the pace. His only win in Texas came in the second race of a doubleheader in 2011 when he started third. Defending race champion Ed Carpenter was done after only 147 laps because of mechanical issues. He had already fallen a couple of laps off the pace in his No. 20 Honda when it parked it and finished 22nd in the 23-car field. “We’ve got to go home and get this figured out. Haven’t had cars this bad in a long time,” said Carpenter, the car owner who drives the oval races. “I’m part of the problem because I’m not helping get a solution. We’re underachieving big-time.” There was a big surprise before the race. James Hinchcliffe gave the command for drivers to start their engines on video from his home in Indianapolis, where the driver is recovering after SEATTLE: Seattle Storm’s Ramu Tokashiki (7), of Japan, tries to drive past Los Angeles his left leg was pierced in a crash during Indianapolis 500 prac- TEXAS: Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, holds up the winner’s trophy in Victory Sparks’ Jantel Lavender in the second half of a WNBA basketball game. —AP tice. —AP Lane after the Firestone 600Indy Car auto race at Texas Motor Speedway. —AP