MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017 SPORTS Matsuyama eager to deliver Augusta joy to Japan

TOKYO: During a normal week on the “Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to report World Challenge to begin the 2016-17 a strong rapport with the Masters, finish- “Look at his swing, look at his game PGA Tour, Hideki Matsuyama might find back to (the media) every day,” campaign, Matsuyama has since fought ing fifth in 2015 and tying for seventh and look at the body that he has. It’s himself shadowed by five-to-10 Matsuyama told Reuters through a his game and hardly factored over the last year. It is his exceptional ball-striking built for a workload and it’s built to han- Japanese media outlets tracking his translator last month at the Arnold last month and a half. “My preparation ability that translates well at Augusta, dle the test of time.” Matsuyama’s most every swing like unofficial scorekeepers. Palmer Invitational where he was (for the Masters) is going slowly,” and any venue for that matter. stern test, though, has always come on But the US Masters is no more ordi- flanked by reporters after an uneventful Matsuyama said. “I’m not quite where I And when Matsuyama is at his best the putting green which is the only nary a week than world number four second round. want to be yet but I’m working toward he can dissect a golf course with place he can appear powerless. Matsuyama is a player, so Augusta “But we’re all family. I’m grateful it.” With four PGA Tour wins and eight on machine-like precision while flashing his Augusta National’s undulating greens National will be swarmed with Japanese they’re here. They are doing their job the Japan Golf Tour, Matsuyama has signature move - a backswing featuring are the course’s greatest defense, and coverage documenting golf’s best hope and I’m doing mine.” Matsuyama is long seemed destined to realize a major a pronounced pause before transition- one Matsuyama knows he must solve if of a first ever Asian-born winner at steadily improving at his craft, but golf- victory. He won the 2010 Asian amateur ing forward with effortless strength. he wishes to challenge for a Green Augusta. The expectations are a lot to ing form, like his anonymity on the championship to earn his place at “He’s going to be one of the top guys Jacket. “Augusta National is so demand- shoulder, even for the sturdy ones of 25- course, can be elusive. Augusta National in 2011 where he fin- to beat for a very long time,” Woods said ing on and around the greens,” year-old Matsuyama who has reluctantly After earning two wins along with an ished in a tie for 27th in his Masters after watching Matsuyama dominate his Matsuyama said. “That’s where I’m going learned to live with the attention. unofficial victory at Tiger Woods’ Hero debut. Matsuyama has since developed tournament in December. to put a lot of work in.” —Reuters

GOLF Soggy Augusta boosts McIlroy’s bid for elusive Green Jacket

LONDON: Rory McIlroy’s bid for an elusive years. McIlroy tied for eighth place in 2014 first US Masters title and the grand slam of and shot a closing 66 to finish fourth in golf’s major championships has received an 2015, six shots behind champion Jordan unexpected boost from the long-range Spieth. Twelve months ago he rebounded weather forecast. from an ugly third-round 77 to close with a Heavy rain and storms are predicted to solid 71 which earned him a share of 10th, batter the Augusta National course, hand- again six strokes adrift of the winner, Danny ing a potential advantage to the Northern Willett. Although McIlroy’s preparations for Irishman whose four major titles have all the Masters have been hampered by a six- come at tournaments afflicted by adverse week injury layoff, he has finished second, weather conditions. seventh and fourth in his three strokeplay McIlroy, the world number two, is long events this year. overdue a Masters triumph on a course He suffered an early exit from the WGC- perfectly suited to his long driving and cre- Dell Match Play in Texas last week, provid- ative shot-making. ing the opportunity to travel to Augusta Six years ago, the 27-year-old took a early to get in some practice rounds. four-shot advantage into the final round “It’s giving me a chance to prepare a lit- and shot 37 on the front nine to hold on to tle bit better,” McIlroy told reporters. the lead. But he made triple-bogey on the “I feel like I’ve worked a lot on my short 10th hole and four-putted for a double- game. If anything I feel like that part of my bogey on the 12th en route to a final-round game is as sharp as it has been ever going 80 that left him 10 strokes behind champi- into Augusta, so that’s a good thing.” on Charl Schwartzel in a tie for 15th place. McIlroy has played only 10 competitive The experience hardly scarred McIlroy. A rounds since returning to action following few weeks later he surged to his maiden his rib injury. “Right now I can’t see a down- major title with an eight-stroke victory in side to not having played as much as I the US Open at a rain-sodden Bethesda, planned to. I feel really healthy. And fresh- Maryland. McIlroy won the 2012 US PGA ness could help, especially mentally. Championship and took that title again in Mentally, going in there and not being 2014 two months after claiming his first drained is a good thing as well.” OUDENAARDE: (From L) Second-placed ’s of BMC Racing Team, winner Belgium’s of Quick-Step Floors British Open triumph at Royal Liverpool. A glance at the weather forecast and third-placed Netherlands’ of Quick-Step Floors pose on the podium after the 101st edition of the ‘Ronde van Vlaanderen - Tour But the former world number one has nev- should lift McIlroy’s confidence even fur- des Flandres - Tour of ’ one day cycling race, 260km from Antwerp to Oudenaarde, yesterday. — AFP er conquered Augusta. ther and with the Augusta greens unlikely Moderate performances came in 2012 to be as lightning quick as usual he will CYCLING and 2013, when he finished 40th and 25th, fancy his chances of donning the Green before top-10 finishes in the past three Jacket at last. —Reuters Gilbert finally wins

OUDENAARDE: Belgian champion Philippe catching Gilbert and their crash left the Belgian Gilbert was tiring but with only two men Gilbert carried his bike over the line above his free to ride to victory. Van Avermaet did manage working behind to try to catch him, the gap was head as he won the prestigious Tour of Flanders to climb back on his bike and form a chase trio too much to close. Van Avermaet took the sprint for the first time yesterday with a remarkable with Dylan Van Baarle and Terpstra, who was finish for second leaving him to wonder what solo breakaway. merely sitting in behind the other two chasers. might have been without his crash. — AFP Gilbert, 34, attacked alone with 55km of the 261km race to go and held on to win as world champion and Olympic gold medal- BADMINTON list Greg Van Avermaet crashed 17km from the end of the cobbled classic. Van Avermaet, the in- form rider this spring, picked himself up to take Sindhu beats Marin to lift second place ahead of Gilbert’s Quick Step Floors team-mate Niki Terpstra but the crash with Sagan and potentially India Open badminton title robbed the race of a grandstand finish. Instead, Gilbert’s audacious solo breakaway NEW DELHI: India’s PV Sindhu defeated top second game and maintained a five-point paid dividends. Victory in Flanders added to the seed Carolina Marin of Spain in straight lead at 15-10. She locked the game at 21-16 2012 world champion’s impressive resume that games to win the final match of the India to lift the title. Open badminton tournament in New Delhi The maiden title win helped the Indian Rory McIlroy includes stage wins at all three Grand Tours and victories in two other ‘Monument’ races-Liege- yesterday. Third seed Sindhu beat the shuttler narrow down her head-to-head Bastogne-Liege and the . Spaniard 21-19, 21-16 in a match that lasted record against the Olympian Spaniard to 4-5. Thompson takes 2-shot lead to Gilbert has also won major one-day classics 46 minutes at the Siri Fort Sports Complex. Sindhu had last defeated Marin in the BWF including Amstel Gold, Fleche Wallonne and The 21-year-old Olympic silver medallist took Super Series in Dubai last year. final round of ANA Inspiration Clasica de San Sebastian, but this victory tops an early lead in the match and continued to She won her semi-final clash against sec- the lot. It was his seventh participation at dominate the game throughout in front of a ond-seeded Sung Ji Hyun of South Korea on Flanders and first for five years having previously cheering home crowd. Saturday. In the men’s singles final, Viktor RANCHO MIRAGE: One day after Lexi we’re used to, but it’s a major week,” Sindhu took a crucial 5-1 lead in the first Axelsen of Denmark clinched the title beat- Thompson couldn’t even tee off until short- Thompson said. “We have to deal with the come third in 2009 and 2010. But while a BMC team-mate of Belgian com- game but a fight back by Marin left the score ing Chinese Taipei’s Tien Chen Chou in ly before sunset, she had to get back to the wind conditions and whatever weather we 11-9 at the mid break. Marin came back straight games. Dinah Shore Course before dawn to start a get.” Pettersen shot a third-round 68 to patriot Van Avermaet’s he was forced to ride the rather than the cobbled ones. strongly after the change of ends to take a Third seed Axelsen took just 36 minutes to 28-hole day. reach 11 under, while Australia’s Minjee Lee one-point lead 18-17 before Sindhu rallied to edge past Chou 21-13, 21-10 to claim his Thompson is excelling under unusual joined a South Korean trio - Inbee Park, So AFTER-BURNERS seal the game at 21-19. maiden India Open title at the Siri Fort Sports conditions at the ANA Inspiration, and it Yeon Ryu and Mi Jung Hur - at 10-under The lanky Indian raced to a 4-0 lead in the Complex.—AFP has put her in prime position to play for her 206. Michelle Wie, Cristie Kerr, world No. 2 He was part of a group of 14 riders who broke second major title. Thompson claimed the Ariya Jutanugarn and France’s Karine Icher clear of the peloton around 90km from the finish tournament lead while completing her are five shots behind Thompson at 8 under. as another team-mate, three-time Flanders win- wind-delayed second round Saturday “I think I’ve always said since the first ner , accelerated up the iconic Muur climb. Both Van Avermaet and Sagan were before moving two shots ahead of time I saw this place, it really fits my eye,” caught out and left in the peloton, which quickly Norway’s Suzann Pettersen with a third- said Pettersen, a two-time major champion. lost a minute. round 67 . After an extra-long day of play in “I’m driving the ball well, and that’s a They had started to close in when, with 55km wind and sun, Thompson is at 13-under major key on this golf course. I’ve got a big 203 heading into Sunday’s final round. to go and on the second ascent of the 2.2km- job to do (Sunday). The leaderboard is long Oude-Kwaremont climb, Gilbert turned on “I struggled a little bit off the tee and packed behind me as well. You’ve got to had a few more rough shots than I wanted, the after-burners and broke clear on his own. expect to go out there and shoot low. A crash took out Belgian Sep Vanmarcke, but you can’t ever complain about a 5- There’s a lot at stake, but I’m all in for it.” under round,” Thompson said. The 22-year- third in 2014 and last year, also taking down Thompson debuted at the Dinah Shore Briton Luke Rowe and forcing Maciej Bodnar off old Thompson’s victory here in 2014 is her Course as a 14-year-old amateur in 2009, only previous major victory, but the US the road. It slowed the breakaway allowing Van and she won in 2014, the tournament’s Avermaet and Sagan, amongst others, to catch Olympian simply excels at Mission Hills final year as the Kraft Nabisco Country Club. She smashed her drives and the breakaway group. Championship. She has finished seventh But Gilbert remained out front on his own got great results from her inconsistent put- and fifth in the two years since the major’s ter on the way to six birdies in the third with a little over 30 seconds. The Belgian cham- name change. round, keeping a competitive field squarely pion stretched out his lead to over a minute but Thompson immediately took charge behind her. he had a long way to go solo to try to hold off a Saturday morning with back-to-back “I just love this golf course,” Thompson group containing many of the favourites and said. “I get to hit a lot of drivers, and it just birdies, claiming the outright lead and strongest riders in the race. sets up nicely for me all over.” Thompson surging to a second-round 67. After follow- On the climb at 37km from the and Pettersen stayed ahead of a field post- ing two birdies with a bogey early in her finish, Boonen suffered a mechanical problem ing unusually low scores, with the 2-over third round, she settled in and finished the that ended his chances while Sagan and Van 146 cut matching the lowest cut score in final 14 holes at 4 under. Avermaet went on the offensive. tournament history. Wie battled to a third-round 71 while They formed a seven-man chase group just They did it despite intermittent returns struggling with a nagging back injury dur- under a minute behind as Gilbert hit the third of the desert wind that called an early halt ing her own 28-hole day. She repeatedly and final ascension of the Oude-Kwaremont to Thursday’s play and forced two days of saved par to stay in contention. climb with 18km left. catch-up, forcing 56 golfers to complete “I just hit one shot that was a little bit Sagan attacked on that climb with only Van their second rounds on Saturday morning. out of sync and kind of threw my hips out Avermaet and Naesen able to follow but sud- The field got all caught up on a postcard- of place,” Wie said. “I think it was just a lot denly, the world champion clipped the barriers perfect desert Saturday, and warm weather of golf. The two full warmups (and then) 28 separating riders from fans and went down, tak- is expected. holes. Just not a young stallion anymore, I ing his two companions with him. PV Sindhu “It’s definitely not a usual week, what guess.” —AP Those three looked the only ones capable of