TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2013 SPORTS Vettel on course to rewrite F1 record books

SUZUKA: With Sebastian Vettel’s fourth since the summer break, which is an Juan Manuel Fangio as the only drivers played the thinking game ... he got passed by two cars. successive Formula One title now just a incredible achievement. There’s still to have won four successive titles, or watched, he waited in that first stint. He “So this time we did it the other way formality, the more intriguing question four races to go,” Red Bull principal win every race on the calendar, Vettel preserved the tyres. around.” The title will have to wait a few is whether the Red Bull driver can go on Christian Horner told reporters. said he preferred the second option. “He knew he wasn’t going to get pri- more days but it was always a long shot to match a record that has stood for 60 “Our target is to try to carry this “You know, I love racing,” he said. “It’s ority at that first stop because we had for Suzuka, depending on Vettel win- years. The 26-year-old should become momentum into the last four races. I incredible what has happened over the discussed it before the race and the ning and Alonso finishing outside the the sport’s youngest quadruple cham- don’t think any of us could have imag- last couple of years but nothing has lead car would get priority. So he was top eight, even if Red Bull’s domination pion in India next week with the ined that he would have had the run of changed in the way that I still love rac- very, very smart in the way he handled this season has been such that some German 90 points clear of Ferrari’s success that he has. The way he’s driv- ing. I love the challenge.” the race.” observers clearly felt they should have Fernando Alonso, the only man still ing at the moment is quite supreme.” The German had dropped to third at Sunday’s win was Vettel’s fourth in wrapped it up. mathematically in contention, and four Vettel is only the sixth driver to win the first corner of the race at Suzuka, five years at Suzuka and that wealth of “I am absolutely gutted to have races remaining. five times in succession, the most after being pipped to pole by Australian experience also paid off. In 2011, when achieved a one-two finish in one of the After winning Sunday’s Japanese recent being Michael Schumacher with team mate Mark Webber and then over- he won his second title at the Japanese best races strategically and operational- Grand Prix, Vettel needs only to finish Ferrari in 2004 when the seven-times taken at the start by Romain Grosjean’s circuit, he had led only to be reeled in ly ... the whole team is massively pissed fifth at the Buddh Circuit to be sure of champion went on to win seven in a Lotus while having a brush with late in the race by those who had more off,” joked an incredulous Horner when the title and will not need to score row. Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton. left in their tyres. Vettel ended up third. it was put to him that he might be feel- another point if Alonso fails to finish Schumacher also holds the record of A two-stop strategy, with Webber “We lapped slower than the others ing disappointed. first or second. 13 wins in a season, another milestone switched to three, then brought the who were on fresh tyres in order to “We came here to try and win the The champion has won the last five that Vettel can match after taking his race to him. “He picked up a bit of dam- push them later in the race,” he said on race today and the championships will races and is on track to close out the current tally for the year to nine with a age from the incident with Hamilton Sunday. take care of themselves. We’ll go to season with nine successive victories, a performance that Horner hailed as that took about 20 points of downforce “We had a similar race in 2011, India and we’ll attack that weekend as feat only one driver has ever managed - exemplary. off the front wing, so he had a dam- where I think I came in always as the we have here and if we score more Italian Alberto Ascari with Ferrari in Asked whether he would rather join aged car,” said Horner. first and I was under enormous pres- points than the others then we’ll win 1952-53. “Sebastian has won every race Schumacher and the late Argentine “And he just managed to adapt. He sure towards the end of the race and the championship.”—Reuters Walker wins trip to Masters

SAN MARTIN: Jimmy Walker never had more fun in such miserable weather. The temperature was just above freezing, and it felt worse in a light rain. It was the kind of day to stay indoors, except that he was with his father and a long- time business supporter. And they were playing Augusta National. “I think that’s the only place on the planet you will go out and play when it’s 38 and driz- zling,” he said. “What a great experience - my dad, staying in the cabins, played the Par 3 course. We did it all. It was ridiculous.” Thanks to a steady hand Sunday in a tense duel at the Frys.com Open, Walker gets to go back in even better circumstances. Walker finally took the lead with a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 15th hole at CordeValle and closed with three pars for a 5-under 66 to win for the first time in his 188th start on the PGA Tour, and earn his first trip to the Masters. Not that he needed a reminder, but tourna- ment officials stuffed a yellow “Masters 2014” flag into the silver trophy. “It’s cool,” Walker said. “To be able to go back and play in the tourna- ment, it’s another dream come true. It’s going to be amazing.” SAN MARTIN: Jimmy Walker poses with the winner’s trophy after winning the Frys.com Open at Sunday proved to be little more than a learn- the CordeValle Golf Club. —AFP ing experience for Brooks Koepka, the 23-year- between stops on Scotland and Shanghai. go to Maui in January for the Tournament of old from who helped make it easier on He was close to earning a PGA Tour card. Champions, another place he has never been, Walker over the final two holes. Koepka had Koepka wound up tied for third, which gets him and he is assured a spot in the PGA BEIJING: Intxausti Elorriaga Benat of the Movistar team celebrates on the podium control of the tournament all weekend, even into Las Vegas next week before heading back Championship for only the fourth time in his after winning the fourth stage of the 2013 Tour of Beijing cycling race.—AFP building a four-shot lead with 11 holes to play, to Shanghai and the BMW Masters. career. when he missed a 3-foot par putt on the ninth “I can’t get too down on this week,” Koepka “I felt like I was good enough to be in them, hole that changed the dynamics of the final said. “I know I’ll be criticized. But this year has play in them,” Walker said. “There’s always this Intxausti wins Tour stage round and eventually led to his demise. Koepka been amazing. This week I played well. It hap- big pressure to get into Augusta, and I would missed a 6-foot par putt on the 11th hole to lose pens to the best of them.” press here, press there. You want to be playing BEIJING: ’s Benat Intxausti son very well,” Intxausti said, according the outright lead. He made a few short putts to Vijay Singh closed with a 68 and wound up in the big stuff. That’s what I’m aspiring to do - launched a dominant attack on the long to a statement put out by the event settle his nerves - 3 feet for birdie on the 12th, 6 with the 27th runner-up finish of his Hall of play against the world’s best.” The Masters flag Fame career, and his best result since he sued in the trophy was a subtle reminder of the new final climb of the day to win the fourth organisers. feet for par on the 14th to stay tied - but the crucial moment came on a 6-foot birdie at the the PGA Tour in May over its procedure in inves- season. stage of the Tour of Beijing yesterday He said he was dedicating his win to a 15th that again missed to the left. tigating Singh’s admission that he used deer The Frys.com Open previously was part of and seize the leader’s red jersey. friend who died after being crushed by a Trailing for the first time, Koepka pulled his antler spray. the Fall Series, a chance for most players to The Movistar rider made his move garage door in 2011. Intxausti was with tee shot on the 16th and had to scramble for Koepka tied for third with Kevin Na (64), chase their PGA Tour cards after the FedEx Cup just over two kilometres from the finish him at the time of the accident. bogey, and then hit 3-wood on the 297-yard Puerto Rico winner Scott Brown (64) and Hideki was over. The winner wasn’t given a spot in the in Mentougou, in the hills northwest of The team plan had been to put both 17th hole into the water, making another bogey Matsuyama, the 21-year-old Japanese star who Masters. Now, it’s the first official event of the the Chinese capital. world champion Rui Costa and himself and ending his hopes. has joined the PGA Tour. Matsuyama, who tour’s new 2013-14 season, treated with equal With some of the competition’s top in contention on the final climb, Koepka tried not to let the back nine ruin played in the Presidents Cup last week, birdied weight as the Phoenix Open and Pebble Beach, contenders, including world champion Intxausti said. what has been - and still is - an amazing season. his last three holes for a 66. the Honda Classic and Open. Walker Rui Costa of and Germany’s “Yes at the start of the day the plan He had no status on any tour, and then won Billy Hurley III closed with a 68 and NCAA also cracked the top 50 in the world ranking for defending title holder Tony Martin in the was for Rui Costa and for me, so we had three times on the Challenge Tour to earn a champion Max Homa from Cal birdied two of the first time in his career. “Highest I’ve ever chasing group, Intxausti had to put in both options. In the last two kilometres, I European Tour card. He showed so much prom- the last three holes to tie for ninth. That gets been ranked,” Walker said. “I feel like I’ve got a everything, grimacing with effort and tried to attack so that I could win the ise that the Frys.com Open offered him an them in Las Vegas. nice trend curve going, and I just want to keep regularly glancing behind. stage. Also, we worked hard to take the exemption without him asking, and he played Along with the Masters, Walker also gets to going up.”—AP In the event it was Ireland’s Daniel bonifications, because they were also Martin who mounted the most effective important.” counter-attack, and looked for a time as He continued: “It was a very close fin- though he could reel in the Spaniard but ish; I could see Daniel Martin was very Cochran clinches SAS Championship the 27-year-old held on to cross the line close to me. I went full gas to the end so three seconds ahead. I could raise my hands with enough CARY: Russ Cochran holed an 8-foot With a 10-second time bonus for win- time.” The other placings also mirrored putt on the final hole Sunday for his ning the 150.5-kilometre stage, the win the stage result, with his fellow country- fourth straight birdie and a one- sent Intxausti straight to the top of the man David Lopez, of Team Sky, in third, stroke victory over David Frost in the SAS Championship. overall classification, holding a virtually Movistar teammate Costa fourth, and “David played a great round, and I unassailable 10-second lead on Daniel Romain Bardet of France (Ag2r-La knew someone was going to play Martin (Garmin-Sharp) with only the flat Mondiale) in fifth. well,” Cochran said. “I was hoping to final stage in Beijing to go. Tony Martin, the London Olympics sil- hang around there and kind of catch “I am really happy this is my first win ver medallist who won both the first two fire. And it took every hole to do that. since the Giro, because the Vuelta didn’t editions of the Tour of Beijing, stood “We knew we needed to make go really well. I am now ending the sea- sixth. —AFP birdies, especially after the bogey on 13.” The 54-year-old Cochran, also the 2010 winner at Prestonwood Country Club, closed with a 5-under 67 to finish at 17-under 199. The left- hander won the Principal Charity Classic in June in Iowa. He has five Champions Tour victories after win- ning once on the PGA Tour. Frost finished with a 66. He missed a short birdie putt on No. 17 and also settled for par on 18. “It’s such a hard tournament to win, especially from the lead because you know everyone is back there firing at the hole,” Cochran said. “The drive on the 18th hole was a big deal because CARY: Russ Cochran holds the trophy after winning the SAS Championship held at Prestonwood Country you’ve made these birdies now, and Club.—AFP you don’t ever want to give a guy like David Frost another chance. “He’s a tremendous player, one of World team bags the best putters and short game guys I’ve ever seen. He is unbeliev- NASHVILLE: Australia’s Jan team this week, and the passion , , able.” Kirk Triplett was third at 14 Stephenson made a 30-foot birdie was so strong. This is just going to , and under after a 68. putt for the deciding points make this competition even better, Mieko Nomura won matches for Gary Hallberg (66) was fourth at Sunday in the World team’s first to grow in the future.” the World team. Johnson beat 13 under, and Michael Allen (70) and victory in the ’s ISPS JoAnne Carner captained the 66-69, Alfredsson Anders Forsbrand (69) followed at 11 Handa Cup. Stephenson shot a 1- US team. “You hate to lose, but the topped 66-69, under. With the top-10 finish, under 71 to edge by a way the World team played this Nicholas defeated 72- Forsbrand qualified for the Greater stroke, and the World team went week I have no repercussions, 75, Kane edged Hickory Classic next week at Rock on to beat the United States 27-21 whatsoever,” Carner said. “They just 69-73, and Nomura beat Pat Barn. in the 45-and-old competition at outplayed us.” Bradley 68-76. Bernhard Langer, the 2012 winner, Hermitage Golf Club. The The World team took a 14-10 For the United States, Cindy tied for eighth at 9 under. Langer, Americans won the event the first lead into the 12 singles matches, Rarick beat 74-78, two strokes behind Cochran entering six times and retained the cup last with each match worth two points. topped Jane Crafter the round, had a 73. Charles Schwab year with a tie in Orlando, Fla. In the best match of the day, 67-72, edged Cup points leader Kenny Perry shot a “It took a few years for the American beat Laura 72-73, and PARIS: France’s Jason Lamy Chappuis poses with his national flag in Paris after 72 to tie for 11th at 8 under. With the World team to practice and get Davis 66-67. “It was like a boxing Cindy Figg-Currier beat Alicia being chosen as his countryís flag bearer at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi yes- victory, Cochran moved into sixth better and better and better,” World match out there - really good golf Dibos 68-73. American terday. —AFP place in the Schwab Cup race. —AP captain said. “We were a shots and a lot of fun,” Daniel said. tied at 71 with Gail Graham. —AP