MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014 SPORTS Bowditch takes three-shot lead at Texas Open

TEXAS: Australian Steven Bowditch a pulled abdominal muscle. His decision Hopefully tomorrow I will hit a few more chipped in at the first two holes on his way seemed purely precautionary, only two fairways and a few more greens.” to a three-shot lead after the third round at weeks before he shoots for a fourth green Bowditch was a champion junior in his the $6.2 million Texas Open on Saturday. jacket at the Masters. homeland but it has taken him a while to Boosted by the hot start, Bowditch con- Bowditch had never held an end-of- find his feet on tour. He is ranked 339th in tinued to display an exquisite short game, round lead in 110 starts on the PGA Tour the world and while he will start the final recovering from some poor long shots to before Friday, so his start to the third round round the man to beat, world number 11 notch just one bogey on his way to a four- was a perfect tonic to calm the nerves. Kuchar is brimming with confidence. under-par 68 at the TPC San Antonio. “I did- He chipped in for birdie from 25 feet at Kuchar, the only player among the tour- n’t hit the ball real well today at all,” the par-four first and then holed out from nament’s top seven with more than one Bowditch told reporters after posting a 12- nearly 30 yards for eagle at the par-five sec- tour victory, had eight birdies in his round. under 204 total with one round left. ond, leading comfortably for the rest of the He sank a bunker shot at the first hole for Matt Kuchar (65) carded the lowest day. birdie and also closed in style with a tap-in round of the week to storm into a tie for “The chip on the first was pretty simple birdie at the last. second on nine-under with fellow but the one on the second I was just trying “It’s an exciting position to be in,” said American Andrew Loupe (70), who to get around the hole and luckily it Kuchar, who has won five times on tour. bogeyed the par-five 18th. dropped in,” said the 30-year-old, who hit “My game’s in really good shape. The first The event lost its biggest attraction only eight greens in regulation. two days I left a number of shots out there SAN ANTONIO: Steven Bowditch tees off during the Valero Texas Open when five-time major champion Phil “I don’t even want to know how many (but) today was a much better perform- Mickelson withdrew on his 11th hole, citing greens I hit but I know it wasn’t many. ance as far as scoring.” —Reuters at TPC San Antonio AT&T Oaks Course. —AFP braced for historic drop

BERLIN: Hamburg have just six games left to avoid a historic first relegation from the as they dropped to second from bot- tom after yesterday’s 3-1 defeat at Borussia Moenchengladbach. As the only Bundesliga side to have never been relegated, Hamburg took a step closer to the second division at Gladbach after losing ten of their last 15 league matches. Cameroon right-wing Jacques Zoua gave Hamburg a first-half lead : Parma’s forward Raffaele Palladino (left) tries to score against Lazio’s before Borussia equalised when goalkeeper Federico Marchetti (center) and Lazio’s French defender captain Filip Daems tapped home a Abdoulay Konko during the Italian football match. —AFP penalty after goalkeeper Rene Adler saved his initial poorly-hit effort. Gladbach made sure of the three points with two goals in the Lazio stun Parma final five minutes when Brazil for- ward Raffael fired home a deft chip through from striker Max Kruse, as Fiorentina slip then Spanish centre-back Alvaro Dominguez scored from a corner. MILAN: Lazio defender Antonio Candreva posed, but said: “A draw was a fair result The defeat saw Hamburg struck late to secure a 3-2 win over Parma and although we’re disappointed not to take more replace VfB Stuttgart, who lost 3-2 maintain their Europa League hopes as given the chances we had, especially from at home to on Fiorentina’s Champions League bid was dent- Vargas’s effort.” Saturday, in 17th of the league’s 18 ed in a scoreless draw away to Sampdoria yes- Mihajlovic’s expulsion came after he teams on goal difference while terday. protested a late decision vociferously into the Gladbach are sixth. GERMANY: Moenchengladbach’s Norwegian midfielder Havard Nordtveit (center) and Earlier, goals in either half from Mattia face of the linesman. But he, too, was satisfied Hamburg are on their third Hamburg’s Turkish midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu (right) vie for the ball during the German First Destro and helped Roma to a with a draw: “We were up against a side which coach this season after Mirko Division Bundesliga football match. —AFP cagey 2-0 win away to Serie A strugglers plays the best football in the league. “Credit to Slomka took charge last month fol- Sassuolo to close the gap on leaders Juventus Fiorentina, they played well but we also had lowing Bert van Marwijk’s dismissal Despite the draw, Bayern still guests’ goals. minute winner. to 11 points. our chances in the second half.” in February while Thorsten Fink was remain 23 points clear at the top of Bayer Leverkusen hold on to Freiburg are unbeaten in their Juve are at third-placed Napoli later yester- Elsewhere, 10-man Verona kept in the hunt sacked in September. the table and extended their record fourth place despite drawing 1-1 at last four games as they enjoyed a 3- day when they will be looking to restore their for Europe’s second-tier club competition with Elsewhere, Werder Bremen’s unbeaten Bundesliga run to 53 home to bottom side Eintracht 2 win at home to Nuremberg to 14-point lead as they stride towards a likely a 3-0 home win over Genoa, with veteran strik- Austria defender Sebastian Proedl matches. Braunschweig as Sami Hyypia’s side move five points clear of the rele- third consecutive scudetto. er grabbing a late brace. headed home a 90th-minute win- Germany winger Marco Reus struggle for form with one win in gation zone. At the Olympic Stadium Senad Lulic gave Marco Donadel opened the scoring with a ner to seal their 2-1 victory at netted a hat-trick as second-placed their last 11 games. Mainz remain seventh but in the Lazio a 15th minute lead and after Jonathan low strike from outside the area and then Hanover 96 to keep his side 12th Borussia Dortmund fought back Braunschweig took a shock lead hunt for a European place with a 3- Biabiany had levelled barely 10 minutes later Verona were reduced to 10 men when and eight points from the relega- from two goals down to win 3-2 at through defender Ken Reichel just 0 win at home to Augsburg while put the hosts within sight of a Michelangelo Albertazzi picked up a second tion places while hosts Hanover ten-man Stuttgart. after the break before Stefan on Friday Schalke 04 were 2-0 win- precious win with a 67th minute strike. booking on the cusp of half time. drop to 13th. Dortmund, who face Real Kiessling slotted home a 53rd- ners against Hertha Berlin. Lazio suffered a blow when a defensive Genoa did little to capitalise on the advan- On Saturday, champions Bayern Madrid away on Wednesday in the minute penalty to spare Bayer’s Nigerian Chinedu Obasi put mix-up saw Michael Ciani intercept a cross tage and Toni made the visitors pay with two Munich dropped points for only the Champions League quarter-finals, blushes. Schalke in front after 16 minutes intended for Antonio Cassano with the ball late goals inside the space of six minutes to third time in the Bundesliga this found themselves 2-0 down after Fifth-placed VfL Wolfsburg are with Dutch star Klaas-Jan Huntelaar spinning away from the defender and out of take his tally for the season to 15, just three season as they were held 3-3 at just 20 minutes. Christian Gentner just a point behind Leverkusen adding the second goal just after reach of ‘keeper Federico Marchetti and into shy of leader Carlos Tevez. home by Hoffenheim. and Martin Harnik took advantage after their 2-1 win at home to the interval. It was Huntelaar’s 11th the Lazio net. Verona sit in ninth, only two points behind Hoffenheim ended Bayern’s of poor defending to net for the with Brazil goal in 13 matches in a campaign Parma looked to be heading for a share of Lazio and one ahead of Torino who secured a record run of 19 consecutive hosts before Reus scored all of the defender Naldo scoring their 89th- disrupted by knee surgery. —AFP the spoils but when Spanish striker Keita 2-1 win over Cagliari, but Toni said the Europa Bundesliga wins, giving the Munich drove a daisycutter into the area Candreva ran League is now only a distant dream. giants a wake-up call ahead of their in to volley beyond and into “We’re trying not to think about it. We’re Champions League quarter-final German League results/standings the net for a welcome injury-time winner. coming off a really bad period and a lot of first leg at Manchester United Parma remain sixth with a game in hand people thought we were already on holiday,” tomorrow. Spain midfielder Thiago Borussia Moenchengladbach 3 (Daems 37-pen, Raffael 75, Dominguez 78) Hamburg 1 (Zoua 28); Hanover 96 1 (Huszti 43) Werder but are only one point behind fifth-placed said Toni. “But despite being a man down we Alcantara has been ruled out of Bremen 2 (di Santo 57, Proedl 90). Inter who occupy the first Europa League knuckled down today and got the win.” —AFP both quarter-final legs against qualifying spot ahead of their visit to Livorno United with a knee injury and is Played Saturday today. expected to miss the next six to Bayern Munich 3 (Pizarro 31, 40, Shaqiri 34) Hoffenheim 3 (Modeste 23, Salihovic 44, Firmino 75); Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Kiessling 53- Lazio’s 12th win of the campaign kept eight weeks. pen) 1 (Reichel 47); VfB Stuttgart 2 (Gentner 9, Harnik 19) Borussia Dortmund 3 (Reus 30, 68-pen, 83); VfL them in eighth although Edy Reja’s men are Bayern leaked three goals in a Wolfsburg 2 (Olic 69, Naldo 89) Eintracht Frankfurt 1 (Aigner 11); Mainz 05 3 (Bungart 23, Hitz 38-og, Geis 83) FC Augsburg 0; now only two points off Parma and three Matches on TV Bundesliga match for the first time Freiburg 3 (Krmas 23, Mehmedi 53-pen, Klaus 65) Nuremberg 2 (Pogatetz 7, Drmic 45-pen). behind Inter. (Local Timings) this season after throwing away a Lazio’s win was tempered by a fans’ boycott 3-1 first-half lead following goals by German Bundesliga table after all yesterday evening’s match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): veteran striker Claudio Pizarro and in protest at current president Claudio Lotito, English Bayern Munich 28 25 3 0 82 16 78 Hanover 28 8 5 15 36 51 29 meaning the club’s home games have been Swiss winger Xherdan Shaqiri. Borussia 28 17 4 7 62 31 55 Freiburg 28 7 8 13 33 50 29 Bosnia midfielder Sejad sparsely attended. Sunderland v West Ham 22:00 Schalke 28 16 6 6 53 37 54 Nuremberg 28 5 11 12 34 52 26 Reja played down Lazio’s Europa League beIN SPORTS 4 Salihovic curled in a 44th-minute Bayer 28 15 3 10 47 34 48 free kick to make it 3-2 at the break Stuttgart 28 6 6 16 42 57 24 hopes and admitted his side are suffering beIN SPORTS 4 HD Wolfsburg 28 14 5 9 48 42 47 Hamburg 28 6 6 16 43 59 24 from the boycott. “It would be a minor miracle after striker Anthony Modeste gave Borussia 28 13 6 9 49 34 45 Eintracht 28 5 7 16 25 50 22 if we qualified for Europa,” he told Sky Sport the guests an early lead. Mainz 28 13 5 10 41 43 44 Note: Top three qualify directly for the Champions League, Italia. Italian Calcio League Hoffenheim equalised on 75 Augsburg 28 11 6 11 40 43 39 fourth goes into the play-offs, while fourth and fifth play in the “We’re still suffering from the absence of Udinese v Catania 20:00 minutes when Brazilian left winger Hoffenheim 28 9 9 10 63 62 36 fans, although we did hear the fans who did darted on to a Europa League. The bottom two sides are relegated and the beIN SPORTS 7 Hertha Berlin 28 10 6 12 36 39 36 turn up. Thanks to them, it gave us the extra through ball and his shot beat both Eintracht 28 8 8 12 35 48 32 team finishing 16th has a two-legged play-off against the side spur for the win.” beIN SPORTS 7 HD Bayern centre-back Dante and Werder Bremen 28 8 8 12 33 54 32 which finishes third in the second division. Fiorentina’s bid for a top three finish and Livorno v Inter 22:00 goalkeeper Tom Starke. Champions League qualification, meanwhile, beIN SPORTS 3 suffered a blow in a scoreless draw away in Genoa which saw Juan Vargas smash a free- beIN SPORTS 3 HD kick off the crossbar and Samp coach Sinisa Kalou late goal rescues Lille Mihajlovic red-carded at the end of the game Spanish League for dissent. Granada v Levante 21:00 : Lille tightened their grip on third place in Brittany outfit had picked up three straight vic- The Corsican outfit remain in 10th position. Fiorentina remain fourth but are now nine with a dramatic 1-0 injury time victory tories following their French Cup quarter-final Monaco suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat away to points behind Napoli in third and only four beIN SPORTS 2 over Guingamp yesterday. success over Lille on Thursday. Evian on Saturday to leave Paris Saint-Germain ahead of Inter. beIN SPORTS 2 HD Ivory Coast international Salomon Kalou They will now play second division Angers for 13 points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table Coach Vincenzo Montella appeared com- came off the bench to prod the ball home in the a place in the Stade de France final against with just seven games left. 92nd minute to snatch three desperately need- either Monaco or Guingamp. Toulouse missed the opportunity to leapfrog ed points for Rene Girard’s side. “It’s been a beautiful week, with three wins in Marseille into the top six as they were held to a Hearts stave off relegation The match appeared to be heading for a three matches without conceding a goal,” said 2-2 draw by Ajaccio in Corsica. GLASGOW: Hearts staved off relegation with a when Jordon Forster headed past Jamie goalless draw before Kalou popped up inside Rennes coach . The visitors had fallen two goals behind as 2-0 win in the Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle MacDonald for what looked like a leveller the six yard box to knee the ball home following “It boosts morale after the many difficult Ricardo Faty and Gadji Tallo netted for Ajaccio, yesterday to deny rivals Hibernian the chance but his effort was ruled out for offside, with a corner from the right that led to a scramble. weeks. “It’s a week which has put us on the right but Issiaga Sylla pulled one back before Clement to condemn them to the Championship. television replays showing it was the wrong The win extends Lille’s advantage to six track. We took another step towards staying in Chantome, the on-loan PSG midfielder, Cash-strapped Hearts, who were docked 15 decision. points over fourth placed Saint-Etienne who are the top flight, and the perspective of a French equalised. points at the beginning of the season for Alan Maybury was then sent off for a sec- involved in the Rhone derby at Lyon in the Cup semi-final has spiced up our season.” But Toulouse missed a great chance to win entering administration, went into the match ond bookable offence before Billy King scored weekend’s final match later on Sunday. The hosts dominated from the outset with the game when Jonathan Zebina saw a stop- knowing their 33-year stay in the Scottish top in stoppage time to compound the misery for Lyon are alone in fifth spot and nine points Romain Alessandrini opening the scoring after page-time penalty saved by Guillermo Ochoa in flight could be ended with defeat at the hands the Easter Road side. adrift of Lille and the all important final 14 minutes and Swedish striker Ola Toivonen the home goal. of their fiercest rivals. It ended a run of four consecutive defeats Champions League berth for next season. doubling their advantage on 28 minutes. Elsewhere on Saturday, Odair Fortes scored to However, Gary Locke’s youthful side for the Jambos but the win only delays the Earlier, Rennes made it back-to-back league Cameroonian midfielder Jean Makoun round- earn Reims a 1-1 draw at home to Lorient, for showed they will not be going down without a inevitable for Hearts, who are 19 points adrift at wins with a confident 3-0 home success against ed off the scoring after 59 minutes. The victory whom netted a first-half fight as Dale Carrick finished off a good move the bottom with seven games remaining, and Bastia that moved them eight points clear of the lifts Rennes up to 12th position and eight points penalty, while there were goalless stalemates to fire Hearts in front in the seventh minute. they could be condemned to the drop if they drop zone. above the relegation zone with seven matches between Montpellier and Valenciennes and There was controversy in the 83rd minute fail to beat Aberdeen on Wednesday. —AFP It was the first time this season that the to play. Nantes and Bordeaux.—AFP