TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014 SPORTS Woods quits Classic with back injury

FLORIDA: World number one Tiger Woods His early exit from on withdrew from the Honda Classic during Sunday was probably a precaution more the final round on Sunday at Palm Beach than anything else, and it would be prema- Gardens in , citing a back injury. ture to speculate that his back will hinder Woods retired on the 13th hole at PGA his preparation for the Masters. National, where he was five over par for the Nevertheless, the recovery period from day and level for the tournament, having back injuries is notoriously unpredictable. struggled to the turn in five-over 40. “If you’re hurting, you don’t need to risk “It’s my lower back with spasms,” Woods, injuring yourself even more,” said Luke 38, said in a statement. “It started this Guthrie, who played with fellow American morning warming up.” He said it was the Woods for the last two rounds at PGA same feeling he had during The Barclays National. tournament last August, where he finished “He’s had his share of problems with in obvious discomfort. injuries (so) there’s no reason to chance it.” His withdrawal comes less than six Guthrie observed that Woods hit a couple weeks before the first major of the year, the of uncharacteristic shots during the final Apr. 10-13 Masters at Augusta National. round. Woods, whose career major tally of 14 is “The drive on three was the first I second only to Jack Nicklaus, said it was noticed he wasn’t feeling the greatest (but) too soon to know whether he would be I didn’t think much of it maybe until 11 able to defend his title at the WGC-Cadillac (where) I noticed he was bending down Championship, starting in Miami on gingerly,” he said. Thursday. Guthrie felt that Woods had given maxi- “It’s too early to tell,” he said. “I need mum effort. “He was battling out there,” he treatment every day until Thursday to try to said. “It’s not like he was throwing in the calm it down and we’ll see how it is.” Woods towel.” last withdrew from a tournament at the Woods has competed in only one 2012 Cadillac Championship, citing an other event on the 2013-14 PGA Tour, Achilles injury which did not prove to be failing to make the 54-hole secondary serious. He bounced back two weeks later cut at the Farmers Insurance Open in to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational. January. —Reuters Fisher reels in title

PRETORIA: Ross Fisher ended a four-year many, many years, but I loved the greens PALM BEACH GARDENS: Russell Henley celebrates with the trophy after winning The Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and European Tour title drought with a three- here and got the lines correct most of the Spa. —AFP stroke victory on Sunday in the Tshwane time.” Open. The Englishman, ranked 82 in the world, The 33-year-old Englishman finished was a model of consistency over the course Henley wins Honda Classic with a two-under-par 70 on a wet, murky west of Highveld city Pretoria, shooting afternoon to win from Northern Irishman rounds of 66, 65, 67 and 70 for a 20-under FLORIDA: American Russell Henley under-par 272. Hawaii. “Just hanging in there and a little bit underserved. If I had won Michael Hoey and South African Danie van 268 total. emerged as the last man standing to Henley sounded as if was still in trying to enjoy every step.” today, I would have counted myself Tonder. He trailed compatriot Simon Dyson and win his second PGA Tour title in a shock as he spoke of his victory. “I very lucky.” Fisher, whose last triumph came at the South African Trevor Fisher junior by one four-way playoff for the Honda hope I can have a bunch more LAST-DAY PRESSURE A double-bogey at the par-four 2010 Irish Open, sealed first place with an shot following the opening round, took the Classic at Palm Beach Gardens in Sundays just like that in my career,” Henley was not the only one to 16th was the Northern Irishman’s eagle three on 15, his medium-distance second-round lead and was never headed Florida on Sunday. he told Channel. “It was a rush feel nervous. None of the four play- undoing. After yanking his drive into left-to-right putt always on course for the during the weekend. Henley, 24, birdied the first extra to be out there playing with Rory ers who made the playoff negotiat- a fairway bunker, he hit a six-iron fat pin. Hoey did slash the five-stroke overnight hole, the par-five 18th, from two feet and the crowd. ed the difficult back nine in less than and came up short in the water in It gave him a four-shot cushion at the advantage of Fisher to a single shot after 11 in fading light to edge out Northern “I’ve never been part of a crowd 37 strokes as a firm course and the front of the green. par-72, 7,281-metre (7,964-yard) The Els holes by sinking a long birdie-three putt. Irishman Rory McIlroy, American so big cheering for me. It was an pressure affected all the contenders. “It’s a good finish, second runner- Club Copperleaf, the longest European cir- But the Irishman found water with his and Scotland’s Russell amazing feeling. It was so much fun.” Palmer had the best chance to win up of the season, but obviously it’s cuit layout. approach shot at the next hole, was pun- Knox on a dramatic afternoon at Henley appeared to have thrown in regulation, but he missed a five- going to be hard to get over “My target was a sub-70 final round and ished with a double-bogey six and slipped PGA National. away a chance of winning when he footer for par at the 72nd hole. because I had a great chance to win I fell just short after a bogey five on the three strokes off the pace. McIlroy surrendered a big lead dunked his six-iron into the water at McIlroy, however, had even more my first tournament of the season last,” Fisher told reporters. “It was testing Hoey closed with a 68 and Van Tonder with an error-strewn 74 in the final the par-three 15th for a double- to rue. The double major champion and I didn’t,” he said. out there owing to the weather conditions had a six-birdie 66 — the lowest score of round, though he made a birdie at bogey. led by three strokes after six holes Four weeks ago, McIlroy had a so I am thrilled to be champion. I had a the final round of the last of eight the 72nd hole to qualify for the But he steadied his apparently but played the next 11 in six over as similar if less dramatic fade during couple of wobbles but always believed the European Tour tournaments hosted by playoff after hitting a superb sec- sinking ship with pars on the final his swing deserted him and he the final round of the European trophy would be mine. South Africa. ond shot to 11 feet, only to miss three holes, which was enough to pulled a series of shots well left. Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic. “The 15th was the key hole. It was my Spaniard Carlos Del Moral (68), seeking the eagle putt. Henley (72), Palmer make the playoff. “I was so nervous “Seventy-four today wasn’t good He started the final day just two second birdie of the tournament there and a maiden European victory, also came with- (69) and Knox (71) also made mis- coming down the stretch,” said enough today to get the job done,” a strokes off the lead but slipped back I felt confident about the putt after taking in a shot of Fisher, but his inconsistency takes over the closing stretch to Henley, who won his maiden PGA stunned-looking McIlroy told NBC. with a closing 74 to finish joint my time reading the line. prevented a sustained challenge and he finish level with McIlroy at eight- Tour title at last year’s Sony Open in “Even if I had won it would have felt ninth. —Reuters “Putting has been my Achilles heel for came fourth. —AFP

Red Bull air race returns, Bonhomme beats old rival

ABU DHABI: The Red Bull Air Race World podium, and his old nemesis Arch in the penulti- such as the introduction of standardized engines Championship returned from a three-year break mate round of the high-speed, low-altitude rac- for all 12 pilots, would make the field more com- with a spectacular three-way battle for the victo- ing over the turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf petitive and that is exactly what happened with ry in the bright blue skies over Abu Dhabi with but managed to fly nearly two seconds faster in McLeod, of and of Britain’s prevailing in front of the final round with the day’s best time - 56.439 Britain, and Martin Sonka of the Czech Republic thousands of spectators. seconds with Arch a blink of an eye behind in all flying within a second of each other in Britain’s Paul Bonhomme won the 2014 Red 57.776. It was a fittingly thrill-filled start to the Friday’s Qualifying session. Bull Air Race World Championship season open- 2014 season of the world’s fastest motorsport Results: 1. Paul Bonhomme (GBR), 2. Hannes er in Abu Dhabi on Saturday with a clutch per- series. Arch (AUT), 3. Pete McLeod (CAN), 4. Matt Hall formance in a pressure-packed finale ahead of “There was huge pressure out there and it (AUS), 5. Nigel Lamb (GBR), 6. his perennial rival Austria’s in sec- was so much work to get back here,” said (GER), 7. Martin Sonka (CZE), 8. ond and Canada’s Pete McLeod in third. Bonhomme, who won the 2009 and 2010 cham- (FRA), 9. (JPN), 10. Peter The defending Champion had fallen behind pionship ahead of Arch. Besenyei (HUN), 11. (USA), 12. both red-hot McLeod, who got a career-first But both were worried that rule changes, (USA). Williams look to put barren Formula One years behind them PARIS: It’s been 17 years since Williams last two Mercedes cars of Lewis Hamilton and Nico as performance, it was good for the mileage those came way back in 1997 courtesy of ing split with Renault as their engine partner, won a world title, but Formula One’s grand old Rosberg. and reliability of the car which we know is Jacques Villeneuve and 2013 saw them collect are now powered by Mercedes with the men are showing unexpected signs of life after “We had a very good day Saturday doing needed for Australia. “You can never be sure just five points with a ninth-place finish con- German giant massaging Massa’s undoubted long, barren seasons in the wilderness. almost 100 laps,” said Brazilian driver Massa, that you are 100 percent ready for the first race, firming their worst ever season. speed with their trademark reliability. When four days of testing wrapped up in whose move to Williams has also seen his long- but I feel that what we have done in these days Bottas collected four of Williams’ five points They too will be key to a Williams rebirth in Bahrain on Sunday, it was Felipe Massa topping time race engineer Rob Smedley decamp from testing has been important for making sure last year and stays with the team after Lotus- 2014 and the indications over winter testing the time charts with the rejuvenated British Ferrari. that we have a car that can not only get to the bound Pastor Maldonado was dropped. were promising. In Bahrain, the most laps were team. “I’m really happy with the car and feel we end of the race, but that will have good per- It was Maldonado who was responsible for completed by Mercedes-powered teams- Massa, having left behind some trying found a good balance. We did so much work formance as well.” Williams’ most recent success at the 2012 Williams with 421 laps, Force India did 388 times with Ferrari where he was replaced by on the set-up but it is very important that we Such confidence has been rare at Williams Spanish Grand Prix, their first since Brazil in while the factory Mercedes team of Hamilton Kimi Raikkonen, clocked the best time at Sakhir, go to Australia prepared (the first race of the in recent times. A fixture in the world champi- 2004. and Rosberg completed 350. Of the 12 test 1min 33.25sec after an impressive 202 laps. season is on March 16 in Melbourne). “Of onship since 1977, Williams have appeared in “I think with this amount of testing we are days in the winter-four in Jerez and eight in Teammate Valtteri Bottas was fourth fastest course you are always happy when you see over 600 races, capturing nine constructors as prepared for Melbourne as we can be,” said Bahrain over two spells-Mercedes-backed cars overall with the Williams men sandwiching the your name at the top in first place, but as well titles and seven drivers crowns. But the last of 24-year-old Bottas. Interestingly, Williams, hav- topped the times on 11 of them. —AFP