TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2015 SPORTS Bowditch wins Nelson for second career win

IRVING: certainly has a Texas trend going in his career. The Australian will stop short of calling it a Tour trend. “I’m obviously not at the superstar level,” Bowditch said, trying to explain how he went from eight missed cuts this season and a disqualification a week earlier at Colonial to winning the AT&T Byron Nelson on Sunday. “I just go out there and do my best and hopefully every now and then I get a chance to win.” Bowditch rode his best birdie binge on the PGA Tour to a 5-under 64 and a four-shot victory in the Nelson, making him two-for-Texas in career titles after winning the Texas Open in San Antonio last year. A Dallas-area resident for 10 years, Bowditch had 27 birdies while becoming SAN DIEGO: Harriette Thompson, then 91, starts the 2014 Suja Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon the seventh player to lead all four rounds of the in San Diego, which she completed. Thompson is scheduled to compete in the 2015 event. Playing next to the resort hotel where he edition in San Diego on Sunday, May 31, 2015. If she completes the race she would got married, the 31-year-old Bowditch finished become, at age 92, the oldest woman to ever complete a marathon. —AP at 18-under 259 on the rain-altered TPC Four Seasons layout. Holding the large trophy, he posed for photos 92-year-old becomes oldest on the 18th green - just as he and his wife, Amanda, did four years ago. “It’s definitely the woman to finish marathon second best time I’ve had on that green - since we got married,” Bowditch said in the interview SAN DIEGO: A 92-year-old cancer survivor training woes, she nearly matched her fin- room while his wife watched from the back. rocked her way into the record books ish time of last year, which was 7 hours, 7 Charley Hoffman (65), Texan Jimmy Walker Sunday, becoming the oldest woman to minutes, 42 seconds. That set a record for a (66) and Scott Pinckney (66) tied for second at 14 finish a marathon. Harriette Thompson of woman 90 or older, shattering the old one under. Zach Johnson shot a 63 to finish alone in Charlotte, North Carolina, completed by more than an hour and a half. fifth at 13 under. Sunday’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San A classically trained pianist who played Hometown favorite and Masters champion Diego in 7 hours, 24 minutes, 36 seconds. three times at Carnegie Hall, Thompson Jordan Spieth stayed at 7 under after an even- She was mobbed by well-wishers as she says she mentally plays old piano pieces par 69. Playing with Bowditch in the final group, crossed the finish line. she had performed to help her get through Dustin Johnson briefly overtook him early in the “I’m fine, they’re really pampering me the 26 miles, 385 yards. round before making an 8 at the par-4 sixth. He here,” Thompson said in a firm, joyful voice She didn’t begin running marathons finished at 11 under with a 69. as people all around her shouted congratu- until she was in her 70s, after a member of A sunny day wrapped up two otherwise sog- lations. This was her 16th Rock ‘n’ Roll her church approached her about being gy weeks of golf in Dallas-Fort Worth starting Marathon and, by far, the hardest. one of her sponsors in the marathon to with Colonial. A 5-inch overnight downpour “It’s always harder but this year has been raise money to fight leukemia and lym- after the first round of the Nelson turned one of a bad year for me,” she said, adding her hus- phoma. the toughest holes on the already-saturated band died in January following a lingering “At that time I had lost several people in course - the par-4 14th - into a pitch-and-putt illness and she battled a staph infection in my family to cancer and I said, ‘Oh, maybe I par 3 of barely 100 yards for the final three one of her legs. should do that,” she recalled. “When I got rounds. “I couldn’t train very well because my out there the first year I just planned to While birdies were the norm after easy wedge husband was very ill and I had to be with walk it, but everybody else was running so I shots from what might normally be a drop area him for some time and then when he died started to run with them.” in front of a greenside pond, Bowditch had to in January I had some treatments on my She isn’t sure if she’ll run again next save par from about 12 feet to keep a three-shot leg,” she said. “I was just really thrilled that I year. But after last year’s race she wasn’t lead, pumping his right fist after the ball could finish today.” The oldest woman to sure she’d run this one either. She added dropped in. previously complete a marathon was she enjoys raising money for cancer The temporary tee box was about 20 yards TEXAS: Steven Bowditch poses with the trophy after winning the Byron Nelson golf tourna- Gladys Burrill, who was 92 years and 19 research and figures the competition has farther back Sunday, and tour officials believe ment. —AP par of under 70 was a first according to records days old when she completed the 2010 helped keep her healthy. “I don’t think I’d biggest thrill by almost hitting the pin on the fly the erratic start caught up with him at No. 6. Honolulu Marathon. be living today if I didn’t do this running,” going back to 1983. The overall par total was 277. on the 198-yard hole. Johnson went out of bounds to the right off the Thompson is 92 years, 65 days old, the cancer survivor said. “I’m helping them After getting within three shots of the lead tee, then way left into tall grass off the rough according to race organizers. Despite her and they’re kind of helping me.” —AP Up by three at the spectator-friendly 17th, Bowditch leaned like he thought his tee shot on halfway through the tournament, Spieth never with his second tee shot. the par 3 might go in the water to the right of did threaten and ended his streak of second- It took him three swings to get out on his way the green. Instead, the ball flew over the pin and place finishes in all three previous Texas events to a quadruple bogey. Walker, who won the Vietnamese gymnast eyes landed safety on the back, and Bowditch raised this year. The 21-year-old Dallas player tied for Texas Open not far from home in March, also his putter as the putt rolled in to punctuate the 30th five years after finishing 16th in his first tour held the lead on the front nine but missed short win. “I was trying to hit it 30 feet left of the stick,” event as a 16-year-old amateur. “I really tried to putts for par on 11 and 12. He tried to make a big haul at SEA Games Bowditch said. “It was eyes closed and stomach soak it in today,” Spieth said. “I was getting frus- late run with an eagle chip at the par-5 16th and to the floor a little bit.” Spieth had an opening trated this week just trying so hard, which is a birdie on 17, but Bowditch answered with SINGAPORE: Patience, as much as skill and A year later, she won her first Asian title birdie but quickly gave it back at the par-3 2nd. what I’ve done in past years as well. I don’t know birdies on both holes. “I had told myself going flexibility, has become a necessary part of in the vault, denying a Chinese sweep of He went in the water twice for bogeys on the if that’s going to stop in the future.” into 15, you know, birdie, eagle would be big,” the armoury of Southeast Asia’s top-ranked the women’s gold medals at the Asian back nine, including on 17 a day after he gave Johnson birdied two of the first three holes Walker said. “But Steven played great today and gymnast, Vietnam’s Phan Thi Ha Thanh. championships. big galleries that followed him all week their even though he missed the first four greens, but hats off.” To the groom. —AP Despite its universal appeal, gymnastics Tranh was twice named Vietnam’s ath- has not been a permanent fixture on the lete of the year but hopes of another big Southeast Asian Games programme, an haul at the SEA Games were again put on inconsistency that has both frustrated and hold when gymnastics was left off the 2013 tested the resolve of the region’s leading programme, in part because not all of the Anna wins LPGA Classic competitors. Few gymnasts have suffered 11 competing countries enter athletes. more from the sport’s infrequent inclusion “For Southeast Asia, gymnastics is a at the SEA Games than the 23-year-old sport that needs long-term investment,” GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP: Anna on the LPGA Tour and one of my to 8 feet to the left of the hole and sprayed with champagne by some Thanh, one of Vietnam’s most celebrated Thanh said in a recent interview with Nordqvist gave her visiting mother family members were there with drained that putt as well to move to fellow players, and then looked for female athletes. Vietnam television. “It is quite difficult in the perfect gift Sunday, which also me, so it’s definitely special,” two strokes in front. her mother. “I tried to find her but it She won her first SEA Games gold medal practice, so some countries not having ath- happened to be Mother’s Day in Nordqvist said. “It’s Mother’s Day in “I thought I hit a lot of good was quite a bit of people,” she said. in 2007, on the vault, as a precocious 15- letes participating is understandable. Sweden. Sweden, so I couldn’t have given putts” all day, Nordqvist said. “Just “I saw her after 17 after I just made year-old, but had to wait another four years “Hence we always prepare ourselves The 27-year-old Nordqvist her a better present than to spend knowing that I hit good putts two straight birdies. And then on before her next appearance after gymnas- mentally and mostly focus on big competi- birdied the 16th and 17th holes to the day with her. helped me. I hit a real good putt on 18 I had a short putt to win and just tics was scrapped for the 2009 edition of tions such as the Asian and the World break out of the pack and win the “I’m just speechless right now. I 16 and even on 17 to give me a lit- in my line I saw my mom.” the biennial multi-sports gathering. Championship to aim for the Olympics.” ShopRite LPGA Classic by a stroke. fought hard today and I can’t tle bit of space there at the last. I Boeljon, who played for Purdue When gymnastics was re-included in Thanh, who took up the sport when she She closed with a 2-under 69 in believe I’m sitting here with the tro- felt like I played really well and I put and was the second in the 2007 2011, Thanh had already established her- was just six years old, has continued to windy conditions to finish at 8- phy.” A stroke behind leader myself in a position to win.” NCAA tournament, was a career- self as the region’s leading light. A few enjoy success at international level while under 205 at Stockton Seaview’s Morgan Pressel entering the round, With Boeljon, winless in five best second after a 68. Pressel, who months earlier, she finished third in the patiently waiting for her next chance at the Bay Course. Nordqvist made her move on the years on the LPGA Tour, missing an fell out of the lead following a vault at the world championships in Tokyo, SEA Games. She won a silver medal in bal- The former Arizona State player closing three holes - a stretch she 18-inch birdie putt at the 18th bogey-double bogey stretch on the becoming the first Vietnamese gymnast to ance beam and a bronze in vault at last has five career LPGA Tour titles, played in 5 under the first two days. while playing in the group ahead, front nine, tied for third at 5 under medal at that level, a feat which earned her year’s Asian Games. Earlier this year, she winning twice each in 2009 and She sank a 12-foot birdie putt at Nordqvist was not hurt by a bogey after a 73. Rookie Kelly Shon got automatic qualification for the 2012 won gold in the beam and silver in the 2014. And none of those victories the par-4 16th to break a tie with at the last. She finished her round, within one stroke of the lead, but a London Olympics. vault at the Doha round of the World could have been any sweeter than Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands played in steady afternoon wind, tough finish dropped her to a 70 At the SEA Games, she won three gold Challenge Cup. Now she is targeting anoth- Sunday’s, with mother Maria in the and get to 8 under. Nordqvist hit with five birdies and three bogeys. and a tie with Pressel. medals and a bronze. She won the All- er big haul in Singapore. gallery. “It’s the first time I’ve won her tee shot on the short par-3 17th After she putted out, she was Nordqvist picked up her first Around title, as well as medals in three of “Returning to the SEA Games after four birdie of the day at the par-4 fourth the four different apparatus disciplines- years, we feel very happy,” she said. “I’m just with a 5-foot putt. She moved into gold in the vault and floor exercise, and aiming to maintain what I have achieved at a tie for first after Pressel bogeyed bronze on the balance beam. the previous SEA Games.” —Reuters the sixth hole and lost the lead to Boeljon after she missed the eighth green and made bogey. Kjeldsen clinches Nordqvist picked up two shots with birdies at the par-5 ninth and short par-4 10th, draining putts of 8 NEWCASTLE: Soren Kjeldsen held his nerve and nerve-wracking as it’s been a long time and 6 feet. She dropped back into a to become the third Danish-born winner of since I’ve been in contention”. Kjeldsen tie for first after a three-putt bogey the Irish Open on Sunday in winning with a earned a first prize cheque for 586,444 euros on the difficult par-3 15th but ‘horse-shoe’ birdie at the first extra play-off as well as a two-year Tour exemption. There surged into the lead for good with hole on the Royal Count Down course. The was the added bonus for Kjeldsen in securing her birdie at 16. 40-year old London-based player went into a place into July’s Open Championship at St. Pressel, who birdied the par-5 the final leading by two shots but saw that Andrews with three places available to three third, ran into her worst stretch of disappear in starting his final round with players not otherwise exempt who finished the weekend at the sixth and sev- back-to-back bogeys. the Irish Open in the top-10. enth holes. After her approach at Kjeldsen then slipped further behind with “I have not played in the bigger tourna- No. 6 ran into the collar, she chun- a double bogey at the eighth before coming ments like the Majors and the WGCs for a very ked her chip shot and made bogey. to the last hole and needing to hole a short long time and while I have played in all four Then at the par-3 seventh, she par in an eventual round of a five over par 76 Majors back in 2008, 2009 and 2010, but then came up well short with her tee to join England’s Eddie Pepperell (69) and not much happened. ball, hit a bad pitch and three- Austrian Bernd Wiesberger (73) in a play-off. “But then you reach 40 and you start to putted. Kjeldsen then holed a four-foot birdie putt wonder will you ever get back to playing The three lost shots dropped her at the first extra hole, but only after the agony those bigger events like playing the Masters from 8 under to 5 under, trailing by of seeing his putt loop around the cup before or will I ever play The Open again. two, and she never held as much of disappearing to also end a six-year winless “But then I kept waiting and kept working a share of the lead the rest of the drought in capturing a fourth Tour victory. hard on my game so this win is a huge step day in her bid for her first LPGA And there was the added bonus for Kjeldsen back towards playing in all those big events Tour win since 2008. in securing a place into July’s Open again.” “I just didn’t make anything Championship at St Andrews. Joining Kjeldsen in earning an Open today,” Pressel said. “I didn’t hit it Among the first to greet Kjeldsen was Championship place was Pepperrel and quite as well. I certainly made a world number one and tournament host Rory South African Tyrrell Hatton (74) who shared mess of 6 and 7 and got behind the McIlroy who had missed the halfway cut. “It is fourth place at one under par. 8-ball early, and these greens are amazing to be holding the trophy but then I Tyrrell denied Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello just a little bit too bumpy to make a felt good coming into the tournament,” he (75) who also finished on one under par by ton of putts out here, even with said. “I played well in my last two tourna- virtue of his higher World Ranking, albeit by good strokes. “I just had way too ments and while I was not in contention I had six spots from the Spaniard with the South many putts and you’re not going to the chance today to change all that. African ranked 142nd and Cabrera-Bello GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP: Anna Nordqvist, of Sweden, holds the trophy after winning the ShopRite LPGA win a tournament hitting 2 over on “But then I have to say it was both exciting 146th. —AFP Classic golf tournament. —AP Sunday.” —AP