SPORTS SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2015 Holmes tames Blue Monster with record-tying 62

MIAMI: American JB Holmes tied the tournament record Fellow American Ryan Moore was alone in second place with a sizzling 10-under 62 to surge into a four-shot lead after firing a six-under 66. Moore was tied for the lead with over a world-class field in the opening round of the WGC- Holmes late in the round, but he found water off the tee at Cadillac Championship on Thursday. The 32-year-old from the 18th and that led to a closing double-bogey. Until Kentucky tamed Doral’s Blue Monster course by hitting 15 then he was nearly flawless, with five birdies in his first of 18 greens as he goes for his first title of the season. “You nine holes, followed by three birdies at 10, 11 and 12.His get a lot of adrenaline and everything going in a round drive at 18 bounced in the fairway but hit the water and like this,” Holmes said. “I am pretty sure it is pretty good he was in a bunker with his third shot. “I controlled my ball right now.” Holmes, who shared second place at the beautifully today and putted great on top of that,” he said. Farmers Insurance Open in early February, started on the “I made a lot of 10- to 15-footers. Honestly, I haven’t done back nine.He got off to a flying start with two birdies fol- that a lot lately and that’s probably the best round of golf lowed by an eagle on the par-five 12th. I’ve played in a little while,” said Moore. He two-putted for a birdie on the 10th then drained a Rickie Fowler, former runner-up Dustin Johnson and 35-foot birdie putt on the 11th. His approach at 12 landed France’s Alexander Levy share third place at four-under. a foot away from the cup for an eagle. “We had a game Henrik Stenson of Sweden and Brooks Koepka of the US plan,” Holmes said. “I hit all my shots where I needed to. “I were a further stroke back at three-under 69. Former made sure I tried to stay below the hole. I had a day where Masters champion Adam Scott, who is making his first I made a lot of putts. I hit great shots. My tee ball was right PGA Tour start of the season, carded a two-under 70. The where I wanted it to be and I just didn’t have that many Australian was joined in eighth place by Jim Furyk, Charley bad swings. “I had a couple of bad swings with the driver,” Hoffman, Gary Woodland and Jamie Donaldson, who he added, “but I made birdie on those two holes.” shared second place last year. World number one Rory Holmes’s 62 matched the tournament record on the McIlroy bounced back from a tough opening nine holes to FLORIDA: JB Holmes plays a shot on the seventh hole during the first round of redesigned Blue Monster set by Bubba Watson in the sec- post a one-over 73. He is tied for 27th with 11 others, the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship at Trump National ond round in 2012. including Keegan Bradley, Matt Kuchar, Justin Rose, Sergio Doral Blue Monster Course on March 5, 2015. — AFP Stephen Ames fired a 61 on the old layout in 2000. Garcia and Graeme McDowell. — AFP ’s Zou confident High hopes; African minnows of ‘dream’ world title take on Tour de France elite : China’s Zou Shiming declared yester- IBF belt back to Thailand because my family day that he would achieve his “dream” of come here to support me,” he said. Amnat won JOHANNESBURG: MTN-Qhubeka’s ambi- focus the African riders on the second part becoming world champion against Amnat once and lost twice to Zou in their amateur days tions are modest in their maiden Tour de and the mountains.” MTN-Qhubeka are Ruenroeng, predicting that the IBF and said that he would even up the lifetime France but team manager Douglas Ryder reaping the benefits of investment in bout in Macau would be a “great show”. Both record, despite being on Chinese soil. “I feel OK predicts the African outfit will be on the Africa by cycling’s governing body UCI fighters made the 112lb flyweight limit with no about the fight even though it is in Macau, in podium of the world’s most famous and Ryder believes the continent can drama and promised an explosive 12-round China,” Amnat said. “I went to fight in the cycling race within five years. The first become a cycling power. “What’s happen- contest between the two undefeated men at Olympic Games in Beijing so I’m used to it. And African team to compete in the Tour de ing in running will definitely happen in Cotai Arena today night. “My body’s in good the people here have been very good to me.” France which gets underway in Utrecht in cycling. I don’t think so, I know so. But shape,” said challenger Zou after tipping the One of the men will lose their unbeaten record July, Ryder believes Africans can be as suc- cycling is not that simple, it’s more techni- scales at 111.6lb. “So I hope I will perform well on Saturday and Zou is the more inexperienced cessful in cycling as they are in world ath- cal, tactical, there’s many things to learn.” and I’m hoping Amnat will also so we put on a with only six professional fights and one knock- letics. “Stage wins are the big objective for great show for all the fans.” out since his debut in the same Cotai Arena ring us (this year) and to try and wear a leader’s ‘Experience you can’t buy’ Zou confidently predicted that he would add in April 2013. jersey,” said Ryder. Team leaders will be counting on the a professional world title to his three amateur His Hall of Fame trainer said “We don’t have a rider that can go for experience of the European riders to con- global crowns and two Olympic gold medals that his transformation from top amateur to the overall classification, but we are hop- struct a winning team. “Will we ever be “This is my dream. It also the dream of all the world professional title contender has been ing that in two to three years we can have 100percent African, the answer is no,” boxers in China and tomorrow I will realize this rapid but there was still improvement to come a rider that can potentially stand on the Ryder said. “Because if you look at them, dream and become world champion,” said the for the 33-year-old. “He’s punching a lot better podium. “It has been a European sport for Boasson has been on two Tour de France man from Guizhou, in the vast country’s south- and he’s developed more power,” Roach said. 100 years but why can’t we get African rid- winning teams, that’s experience you west. Amnat, who weighed in exactly on the “But I want him more defensive. I think he gave ers to break through and to make a big can’t buy. “You can only learn from people 112lb flyweight limit, agreed that the contest up too much for going on the offensive and impact in world cycling.” One of five wild- like that if we want to move forward could turn into a classic. “We will put on the best he’s gotten hit a little bit too much in previous card teams chosen to race in this year’s quickly. The European riders have a lot of fight,” he said. But he vowed there was no way fights. “So we’ve been working on putting both event, MTN-Qhubeka already have experi- value to add. “They can really help teach he was going to relinquish his crown, especially those aspects together for this fight. “He won’t ence of top level international cycling hav- the African riders the way it is to be living as his family had travelled from Thailand to see sit in the pocket too long anymore and let the ing competed in last year’s Vuelta a in Europe and to race on those roads.” his third world title defense. other guy fire back at him. This fight will be: Espana. They have several promising Former South African rider Jean-Pierre van “I would like to confirm that I will bring the score, get out.” —AFP young African cyclists and reinforced their Zyl believes that although there is a sym- ranks by signing Norwegian sprinter bolic aspect in allowing a young African Edvald Boasson Hagen, one of the top team compete, they can also make an names in the successful Sky team. impact. “Surely it’s marketing, but I also But it is the home-grown African talent think that the riders in the Tour de France starting to emerge that is striking at will be competitive,” said van Zyl. Qhubeka, whose name means progress in “They’ve showed themselves that zulu. “We’ve taken the best talent we they were good in the Vuelta Espana so I could find in Africa into our team and I can’t see it being a problem. I can’t see it think the Eritrean riders could make a big being bad for either.” Qhubeka’s rise has impact on the Tour in 2015,” Ryder pre- been meteoric since being created in dicted. Climber Natnael Berhane, who 2007. In 2013 they became the first pro- won the Tour of Turkey in 2013, has joined fessional African team when joining the the group and will race alongside fellow second division of cycling and being Eritrean Daniel Teklehaimanot. Another included on the Continental Tour. “Their Eritrean, 20-year-old Merhawi Kudus, is participation in the Tour will help accel- considered a promising prospect, along erate the progression of African cycling,” with South Africa’s Louis Meintjes, 22. the Tour’s director Christian Prudhomme “The first part we will focus on our said. “The opening up to the world (of European riders in a classic style racing on the Tour) continues.” Qhubeka will also the cobblestones in France and in north- take part in June’s Criterium du ern Europe too,” explained Ryder. “Our Dauphine, which alongside the Tour of MACAU: China’s double Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming (left) poses with Thailand’s African riders are very good at climbing, Switzerland is one of the two main pre- Amnat Ruenroeng for photos during the weigh-in for their IBF flyweight title boxing match at they are very light, very strong, so we’ll Tour warm-up events. — AFP the Venetian Macao in Macau yesterday. Zou waited until his 30s to begin his career, and he has been in a hurry ever since. — AP