SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, 2014 SPORTS S Korea’s Kim extends lead at Portland Classic

PORTLAND: South Korea’s Kim In-Kyung fired a five- I’m really pleased with how I played on the par-fives,” week’s winner Ryu So-Yeon carded a 66 to move into another bogey on the par-three second. She rebound- under 67 to stretch her lead to three shots after the said the 26-year-old Kim. “I’m really pleased how I fifth place at six under. She was joined there by Mina ed with a birdie on the third. Kim parred three straight second round of the LPGA Tour’s Portland Classic on played the last two days, and I’m looking forward to the Harigae (69), China’s Lin Xi Yu (68) and Paula Reto (69). from the fourth. She made birdie on the par-five sev- Friday. Kim, whose only top 25 finish this year came at weekend.” Amelia Lewis is alone in ninth place at seven-under 137 enth to move to 12-under. Kim parred her final two the Swinging Skirts Classic, ended 36 holes at 12- Carlota Ciganda and Hur Mi-Jung both fired seven- after posting a 71 on Friday. holes to end there. rallied with five under-par 132. The last of Kim’s three career wins on under 65s in the second round at the Columbia Kim started her round with birdies on the 10th and birdies in her final seven holes to get to six-under-par the USLPGA Tour came in the 2010 season. “The greens Edgewater Country Club. They moved into a share of 12th. After stumbling to a bogey on the 13th, she came with a second-round five-under 67. Defending cham- were rolling much better in the morning, so that was second place at nine-under 135. They were joined right back with birdies on the 14th and 15th to move to pion Pettersen and US captain kind of nice, and I hit the ball well, similar to yesterday. there by Laura Diaz, who shot 68 in round two. Last 10-under. Kim birdied the first before faltering to (70) are among nine players tied for 10th place. — AFP

AUTO RACING Castroneves on pole, Aleshin hurt in crash

FONTANA: Brazil’s Helio Castroneves ment saying he was conscious but com- won the pole position while champi- plaining of right shoulder and foot prob- onship points leader Will Power, of lems. Australia, qualified 21st for Saturday’s Marco Andretti, Sebastien Bourdais Fontana IndyCar auto race, the final and Charlie Kimball were also involved in event of the season. With Friday’s pole the smash, which left debris scattered all victory, Castroneves moved from 51 over the track and lodged in the safety points to 50 behind Power in the battle netting. “It was scary,” Hunter-Reay told for the 2014 IndyCar series title. “It ain’t the Indianapolis Star. “I looked at it on TV, over. It’s just beginning,” said and it didn’t look very good.” Castroneves, who is aiming for his first Castroneves, 39, claimed the 41st pole of championship. “Our job is to be aggres- his career, to move past Rick Mears for sive over the 500 miles and finish where fourth place on the all-time list. It also we started.” marked his third pole of the season and Castroneves posted a two-lap average the third time he has won the pole at this speed of 351.6 km/h (218.5 mph) during southern California facility. He also start- Friday’s qualifying at Auto Club ed from the pole in Fontana in 2002 and Speedway. Juan Pablo Montoya qualified 2003. second with an average speed of 349.7 Power needs to finish sixth or better km/h. Josef Newgarden placed his Sarah to clinch the series championship, Fisher Hartman Racing car on the outside regardless of what Castroneves or any- of row one. This race, on a 3.2 kilometre one else does. “With the starting posi- oval track, will feature a three-wide start. tion, I’d rather start at the very front or Takuma Sato, 2013 IndyCar champion the very back to stay out of trouble early Dixon, and Charlie Kimball will start from on,” said defending Fontana race champ the second row. Tony Kanaan and Ryan Power. “It’s obviously all about the race. Hunter-Reay will roll off from row three. It’s very long, and we’ll be racing in dif- NORTON: Ryan Palmer takes his third shot on the seventh hole during the second round of the Deutsche Bank Championship at the TPC Boston Mikhail Aleshin also qualified in row ferent conditions.” Power’s 21st pole fin- yesterday in Norton, Massachusetts. — AFP three, but he was involved in a flying ish is a season-low for him. Last year, he wreck in the final practice run of the earned the pole with a record average evening and had to be taken to hospital. speed of 355.2 km/h. New Zealand’s Red-hot putting helps The 27-year-old rookie driver from Scott Dixon won an IndyCar race in Ohio Moscow, who earlier this year became earlier this month after starting in the the first Russian to compete in the last spot in a 22-car field. Simon Indianapolis 500, was transported to a Pagenaud, the only other driver who Palmer set Boston pace nearby hospital after the scary four-car remains eligible for the title, qualified in wreck. His injuries are not believed to be 13th place. Pagenaud trails Power by 81 life threatening. Officials released a state- points.— AFP World number one McIlroy opens with a 70

NORTON: American Ryan Palmer, whose putting missing many, but then when you get the putts McIlroy, whose dominant golf in recent weeks has been razor sharp for the past six weeks, going in from 15 feet and in, especially for birdie, earned him three consecutive tournament wins, upstaged some of golf’s biggest names as he it makes for good days.” Palmer, whose most including major victories at the British Open and surged into a two-shot lead at the Deutsche Bank recent PGA Tour win came at the 2010 Sony the PGA Championship. “The wind was up, the Championship on Friday. The 37-year-old Texan, Open in Hawaii, conceded that he was a little for- greens were firmer than they have been since I seeking a fourth PGA Tour victory, reeled off four tunate with the birdie putt on his final hole, the have been coming here and the rough’s a little successive birdies midway through the opening par-four ninth. “I knew the way the ball was thicker, so it makes it a little tougher to score. “I round and signed off by sinking an 18-foot putt rolling, it was a matter of just getting it on the felt good. My game is in decent shape. I holed a on his final hole for an eight-under-par 63 at the right line,” he said. “I thought I missed it right but couple of nice putts. Overall, shooting something TPC Boston. While world number one Rory it hung in there so what a way to finish and to under par today isn’t a bad start.” Mahan who McIlroy squandered a red-hot start with a messy start off this tournament.” enhanced his Ryder Cup claims in resounding finish to card a 70, Palmer mixed nine birdies with fashion by winning his sixth PGA Tour title at The a lone bogey to seize control in the second of the Cup contenders Barclays, failed to replicate that form on Friday as PGA Tour’s four lucrative FedExCup playoff events. Bradley, one of six likely contenders vying for he mixed three bogeys with just one birdie to Keegan Bradley gave his Ryder Cup prospects the three wildcard selections to be announced card a two-over 73. a timely boost as he fired an opening 65 to finish by US Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson next week, Among the other big names, Australian world a stroke in front of fellow Americans Webb picked up four shots in his first seven holes number two Adam Scott opened with a 73, five- Simpson and Chesson Hadley and Australian before ending his round in sizzling birdie-birdie times major winner Phil Mickelson carded a Jason Day. Palmer, however, delivered the day’s style. “Making those putts (was key) but I drove roller-coaster 74 and Swede Henrik Stenson standout performance, barely missing a putt on a the ball really, really well and out here you really launched his title defense with a 70. The top 70 firm TPC Boston layout as he continued to bene- need to drive the ball long and straight, and I did players on the FedExCup points list after the fit from some advice given to him last month by that today,” Bradley said. McIlroy, who was dis- Deutsche Bank Championship advance to next his compatriot Shawn Stefani. “It was great,” lodged from the top spot in the FedExCup stand- week’s BMW Championship in Englewood, Palmer told Golf Channel after totalling just 21 ings when American Hunter Mahan won the Colorado where the leading 30 will qualify for putts in his round. “I’ve had this feeling since the opening playoff event, The Barclays, on Sunday, the Sep. 11-14 Tour Championship finale in Open, the British Open. made a storming start on Friday with three Atlanta. Among those in danger of being elimi- “When Stefani was talking about his putting birdies in his first four holes. However, the nated from the playoffs after this week’s event changes, I took a little something from that and Northern Irishman failed to maintain that red-hot are 2012 FedExCup champion Brandt Snedeker, it’s been great for the last couple of months. My momentum and stumbled home with three who is 71st in the points standings, and short putting has been phenomenal. “I am mak- bogeys in his last five holes to finish seven England’s former world number one Luke ing a lot more putts from inside six feet, I’m not strokes off the pace. “It was tricky out there,” said Donald (80th). — Reuters Anthony West re-adjusts to Moto2 racing after the Endurance success

SILVERSTONE: After celebrating a podium finish at the Eight Hours of Oschersleben last week- FONTANA: Helio Castroneves of Brazil, driver of the #3 Team Penske Dallara end, where he battled to second place in the Chevrolet celebrates after earning pole position in Fontana, California. — AFP Superstock category with his Qatar Endurance Racing Team partners Alex Cudlin and Mashel Al-Naimi, Anthony West had to re-adjust his rid- MOTOCYCLING ing style from a 1000 cc Kawasaki to his 600 cc Moto2 prototype for the British Grand Prix in Silverstone. In the second free practice session, Marquez looking to get he was back in the swing and scored 16th place in the standings for day one, with more to come back to winning ways in qualifying yesterday. Spanish team-mate Roman Ramos had his SILVERSTONE: Dominant championship Marquez said. He is looking in great shape to best start into a Grand Prix weekend of the sea- leader Marc Marquez will attempt to return add an 11th victory in 12 races this season son so far. On the fast and challenging 5,9 kilo- meter-track, he found the best line and a good to winning ways at the British Grand Prix at after dominating practice on Friday. He feeling with this Speed Up bike almost straight Silverstone today. Two weeks ago the world clocked 2min 02.126sec to complete the cir- away and scored 28th place, with a gap of only champion saw his attempt to set a new cuit more than half a second quicker than 2.1 seconds to front-runner and championship record of winning the opening 11 races to a the rest of the field. leader Tito Rabat. season thwarted as Honda teammate Dani Stefan Bradl was second fastest with find the best line and I went faster by almost two climb up some more positions. We started well Pedrosa triumphed in Brno. Marquez, 21, Andrea Dovizioso third. Pedrosa was a dis- seconds from the first to the second session. I and I’m determined to keep the momentum Anthony West - 16th in 2.09,623 hope we can continue in this linetomorrow and going and to ride a good race on Sunday!”. had equaled Italian great Giacomo tant ninth in practice but he was at least “This morning was a bit difficult after riding Agostini’s record of 10 wins from 1968, 1969 quicker than misfiring Yamaha pair Valentino with a 1000cc Kawasaki in the Eight Hour race. and 1970 after winning in Indianapolis but Rossi, the six-time world champion, and Coming back with the Speed Up bike felt so could only manage fourth in the Czech Jorge Lorenzo, 14th and 13th respectively. strange, everything was different and I didn’t Republic. Rossi was almost two seconds off the pace feel comfortable, but in the second practice I Yet he remains upbeat as he still leads the on a track where he has never won. started to feel good again. The conditions championship by 77 points from Pedrosa. “In Rossi won five British Grands Prix whilst weren’t the best when we started after a brief the end it’s the same situation really, of also triumphing once each in the Moto2 and rainshower, but then it dried up and everything course that day we couldn’t win at Brno. Moto3 categories when the event was held was okay. I had a problem with the gearbox, Maybe it was my worst race in MotoGP, but at Donington, but since 2010, when it moved when I would go from fourth to third it would on the Monday we found a solution so it’s ok back to Silverstone after a 24-year absence, shift back to fourth or into neutral by itself. I ran and we are positive,” he said on Thursday. his best result was fourth last year. off the line three or four times because of that, “Silverstone is a great track and the weather “Silverstone is a very long and technical track, so I hope we can get this fixed. Other than that, I looks good for this weekend.” Marquez has wide and fast, I like it,” said the 35-year-old. just will try and go faster tomorrow!” already dazzled the British public this week, “It’s very difficult to learn the lines and we Roman Ramos - 28th in 2.10,784 as he rode his bike over the pedestrian haven’t had the best results here. We were “Today I felt really good. This circuit suits the Millennium Bridge in London. “It was really better last year, but it was still not enough. bike and my riding style and we are closer to the nice to become the first ever person to cross “This year we are better on braking so we top than we have ever been. It’s a long, wide and the Millennium Bridge on a motorbike,” should be able to keep improving.” — AFP complicated track, but it didn’t take me long to