Sports FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2014 Teen Aussie sensation sets sights on Olympics

HAIKOU: Teenage sensation Minjee Lee said she is in no rush to fol- coaching and management set-up. And Lee said this year, she plans low New Zealand’s Lydia Ko by turning professional as she plots a to restrict herself to a handful of professional events and the top ama- path to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. teur tournaments before taking the plunge into full-time golf. She The 17-year-old Australian has assumed Ko’s former crown by said the ultimate goal is Rio 2016, where golf will return to the becoming the world’s top-ranked amateur and making waves with Olympic programme for the first time in more than 100 years. her performances at professional events. Last month, Lee won the Victorian Open by six strokes and was runner-up to Tiger Woods’s Big future in the game niece Cheyenne at the Australian Ladies Masters. “Well, you’d be representing your country and what else could you She tied for fourth in a star-studded field at last week’s World hope for as an athlete?” said Lee. “Going to the Olympics, playing for Ladies Championship in China-and was then invited to her first major, your country and playing the sport that you love-it doesn’t get better next month’s Kraft Nabisco Championship in California. than that.” At the $600,000 World Ladies Championship, Lee was only It’s a run which, together with warm praise from the likes of world out-scored by three women, all top 10 players and major-winners: number one Park In-Bee, could tempt Lee to leap into the profession- Park, Suzann Pettersen and Ryu So-Yeon. Paired with Park over the al ranks at the first opportunity. But the level-headed Lee, who comes first two days on Mission Hills’s Blackstone course, she was a study in from Perth, said she is not about to abandon her plan to turn profes- concentration, following the world number one’s every move. HAIKOU: This handout photo taken on March 4, 2014 and sional late this year and build towards the next Olympics. “There’s no “(This event) definitely gives me confidence that I can mix it with released by Mission Hills yesterday to AFP shows Minjee rush,” she said at Mission Hills Haikou, during the World Ladies the pros and compete with them,” said Lee, who learned the game at Lee of Australia, the world’s No 1 amateur player, teeing Championship. “I am happy with my game but I still feel I have a lot to the Royal Fremantle Golf Club. “I feel like I have got a chance in any off at the 15th hole during an official practice round for learn. The aim is to get my card at the end of the year and turn pro tournament I play now.” She added: “I want to keep learning and the World Ladies Championship golf tournament at then.” Ko has started her first professional season in solid if unspectac- gaining experience and tournament such as this are giving me the Mission Hills Hainan in Haikou, on the southern Chinese ular fashion as she makes the big adjustment to life on tour and a new opportunity to do that. I am learning every round I play. —AFP island of Hainan. — AFP

NHL results/standings Varlamov helps Avalanche

Results from the NHL games on Wednesday (home team to 3-2 win over Blackhawks in CAPS); Boston 4, Montreal 1; 3, Winnipeg 2 (So); Colorado 3, Chicago 2; Calgary 7, Anaheim 2. DENVER : stopped 37 shots for his 100th NHL win and Brad Malone scored his first goal of the season to help the Canucks 3, Jets 2 (Shootout) WESTERN CONFERENCE hold off the 3-2 on Chris Higgins scored the only goal of the shootout, deking PACIFIC DIVISION Wednesday. and Ryan O’Reilly added goals as the Winnipeg Ondrej Pavelec, and the W L OTL GF GA PTS Avalanche took four of five from the Blackhawks in the season series. handed the Jets a fifth straight defeat. Struggling Vancouver left They also moved a point ahead of the defending champi- winger Alex Burrows scored his first two goals of the season, tying the Anaheim 43 16 7 210 167 93 ons for second place in the Central Division. Patrick Kane and Brandon game on both occasions. Vancouver improved to 30-28-10 and now San Jose 42 17 7 205 159 91 Saad scored for Chicago. Varlamov became the fourth Russian-born have 70 points, bringing them to within four points of the , Los Angeles 38 22 6 162 139 82 goaltender to record 100 wins, joining Evgeni Nabokov (347), Nikolai who have the second and final wild-card playoff spot, though Dallas Phoenix 31 24 11 184 189 73 Khabibulin (333) and (213). This also was Varlamov’s have played three fewer games. The Jets slipped to 30-28-9 and now 33rd win, second-most in the league behind Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre have 69 points. Vancouver 30 28 10 160 183 70 Fleury (34). Calgary 26 33 7 159 196 59 Flames 7, Ducks 2 Edmonton 23 35 8 166 215 54 Bruins 4, Canadiens 1 The thrilled their fans at the Scotiabank Second period goals by Carl Soderberg, Patrice Bergeron and Saddledome by scoring a season-high seven times against Anaheim. Milan Lucic led the Boston Bruins to a season-high sixth straight win Mikael Backlund scored twice and had a three-point night for the CENTRAL DIVISION with a victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Goalie Tuukka Rask made Flames (26-33-7), who will miss the playoffs for a fifth straight sea- St. Louis 44 14 7 213 148 95 35 saves for Boston (43-17-5), who are on their longest winning streak son.Andrew Cogliano and Nick Bonino replied for the Ducks (43-16-7), Colorado 43 18 5 202 174 91 since a six-game run last season from Feb. 17 to March 2. Defenseman who still sit top of the Pacific Division but are now winless in their past Chicago 38 14 14 225 175 90 Zdeno Chara scored his 15th goal 23 seconds into the third to put the four with only two points over that span. Ducks starting goaltender Bruins up 4-0. Montreal goalie Peter Budaj stopped 27 of 31 shots. The was pulled after allowing three goals and five shots, while Minnesota 34 22 9 161 161 77 Canadiens (35-25-7), who returned from a four-game trip to California Frederik Anderson surrendered four on 20 shots after entering the Dallas 32 23 10 188 181 74 and Arizona, have lost four of five. game. — Reuters Winnipeg 30 28 9 184 195 69 Nashville 28 28 10 160 195 66

EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION Boston 43 17 5 208 144 91 Toronto 35 24 8 198 205 78 Montreal 35 25 7 167 170 77 Tampa Bay 34 24 7 186 171 75 Detroit 29 23 13 172 183 71 Ottawa 28 25 12 185 213 68 Florida 24 34 7 157 209 55 Buffalo 19 38 8 129 192 46

METROPOLITAN DIVISION Pittsburgh 44 17 4 206 159 92 NY Rangers 35 27 4 172 165 74 Columbus 34 26 5 190 179 73 Philadelphia 33 25 7 184 190 73 New Jersey 29 24 13 163 168 71 Washington 30 27 10 193 202 70 Carolina 28 28 9 163 185 65 NY Islanders 25 33 9 188 228 59. CALGARY: Mikael Backlund #11 of the Calgary Flames chases Cam Fowler #4 of the during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. — AFP