Sports FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015 Donald debuts in three-course PGA desert event LA QUINTA: Britain’s Luke Donald, trying to regain the Honolulu start in five years. He will play at Torrey Pines and time with Pat.” Donald expects scores to go low this week form that made him world number one in 2011 and 2012, Riviera next month but skip the Match-Play event starting as usual in the event. plays this week’s PGA Humana Challenge as part of in late April in San Francisco, saving energy for playing “Perfect conditions, the par-5s are pretty reachable for changes in strategy. more later in the year in European Tour events to keep his all the field,” Donald said. “The courses certainly aren’t easy The 37-year-old Englishman skipped the Middle East to rights there. but they give you a lot of opportunities. If someone’s play- play last week in Hawaii and makes his debut in the three- “That’s the one difficult thing about skipping the Middle ing well, they’re going to make a lot of birdies so you have course California desert event starting Thursday over the East,” he said. “Missing those out, it will just make my fall a to get up there with that mentality, going low and not PGA West’s Nicklaus and Palmer courses and the La Quinta lot busier.” Donald, who went winless in 2014, has reunited being afraid to make some birdies.” Country Club layout. “I wanted to play a little more on the with former coach Pat Goss after a year working with Chuck Defending champion Patrick Reed, who opened with West Coast,” Donald said. “The last few years I played a lot Cook. “In the end some of the things he was trying to get back-to-back 63s last year, won earlier this month at the in the Middle East. With the new wrap around schedule, I me to do physically I just don’t think I could really do very Tournament of Champions in Hawaii for his fourth US tour feel like in previous years (next week’s Phoenix event) has well,” Donald said. “I could have kept persevering and title. he is paired with fellow American Matt Kuchar, who been kind of my first event of the year and I feel like I’m get- maybe tried to do it, but certainly the last six months of last was third last week. Phil Mickelson, trying to bounce back ting left behind a little bit. Some guys have played eight season were very frustrating in terms of my consistency and from his first winless campaign since 2003, makes his first and nine events and I’m playing my first or second event.” results. start of the season. The US left-hander, playing alongside Donald, ranked 34th in the world and living across the “It was he had very hard to break down 25 years of golf- last season’s US tour playoff champion Billy Horschel, seeks United States in Florida, was 51st last week in his first ing DNA, so the logical thing for me was to go back full- his third crown in the event after 2002 and 2004. — AFP Court says Srinivasan guilty of conflict of interest NEW DELHI: India’s Supreme Court ordered yes- elections in six weeks time for a second term or terday world cricket chief Narayanaswami give up his stake in the Chennai Super Kings. Srinivasan to give up his stake in the Indian The court had barred Srinivasan from carrying Premier League if he wanted to be re-elected head out his duties as BCCI president, a post he held of the country’s powerful board. since 2011, until it delivered its final verdict. The court found Srinivasan guilty of a conflict The court also appointed yesterday a panel of interest for having commercial dealings in the headed by a former chief justice of India to recom- sport while head of the Board of Control for Cricket mend changes to BCCI rules to avoid any future in India (BCCI) by owning an Indian Premier conflict of interest by its members. League franchise. The court agreed with the Mudgal panel that “Srinivasan or any other administrator can’t Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan took contest elections (to the BCCI) (while) they have part in illegal betting while a team official of the those interests,” the two-judge bench was quoted Chennai Super Kings, as did Raj Kundra, owner of as saying by the Press Trust of India. the Rajasthan Royals. The court was ruling on the findings of a panel The court, however, recommended no punish- it appointed last year to investigate betting and ment for the two franchises even though IPL rules other scandals in the lucrative Indian Premier state that a franchise can be suspended if any offi- League (IPL). Srinivasan, 70, is managing director cial indulged in unlawful activities. ADELAIDE: Rohan Dennis of Australia reacts as he wins stage 3 of the 2015 Tour Down Under of India Cements which owns the Chennai Super The sixth IPL season last year was mired in con- cycling competition in Adelaide yesterday. The Tour Down Under is being held between Kings franchise captained by India skipper troversy after police launched legal proceedings January 18 to 25. — AFP Mahendra Dhoni. against several officials and cricketers, including Srinivasan had asked the court to allow him to former Test fast bowler Shanthakumaran be reinstated as BCCI chief after the panel, headed Sreesanth, for illegal betting and spot-fixing. The Dennis upstages Evans by former judge Mukul Mudgal, cleared him of IPL, a domestic tournament which began in 2008, corruption charges in November. features the world’s top players signed up for Although the court on Thursday absolved huge fees by companies and high-profile individ- on 3rd stage Down Under Srinivasan of any specific wrongdoing, it struck uals in a mix of sport and entertainment. down an IPL rule which allowed BCCI members to International news organisations including ADELAIDE: Rohan Dennis upstaged BMC team- stayed with Clarke until 12 kilometres from the fin- own a team in the popular Twenty20 tournament. Agence France-Presse have suspended on-field mate and race favourite Cadel Evans to take the ish when he fell away, with Clarke hanging on for Srinivasan, appointed International Cricket coverage of matches hosted by the BCCI since third stage of the Tour Down Under and claim the another four kilometres until he too was swallowed Council chief last year, has not yet commented on 2012 after the board imposed restrictions on pic- ochre leader’s jersey yesterday. Dennis took the up by the peloton. whether he will run for the BCCI president’s post at ture agencies.— AFP overall lead from fellow South Australian Jack The brutal finish entailed a 1.5km climb up Bobridge, who faded to finish 42 seconds back on Paracombe Hill and all the big names were in good the 143.2-kilometre stage from Norwood to the position at the beginning of the ascent. tiny town of Paracombe. Former Tour De France winner Evans is riding Surprise attack his last race before retiring, with his BMC team Evans attacked immediately and he was joined determined that he leaves the sport a winner. by Porte, Dumoulin and Pozzovivo. Thursday’s result means BMC will now have to With 300 metres to the summit the four were make some major strategic decisions on how to caught by the chasing group. Dennis then took approach the last three stages of the season-open- everyone by surprise when he attacked, holding on ing UCI World Tour race. for his first individual win since he claimed the third On the first really hot day of this year’s Tour, stage of the Tour of Alberta in 2013. Dennis finished in 3hr 35min 8sec, three seconds Dennis later admitted he was meant to attack at ahead of Evans and Dutchman Tom Dumoulin the bottom of the climb to take the sting out of (Giant-Alpecin). Richie Porte’s legs. Another race favourite, Tasmanian Richie Porte “I was caught a bit back at the lead-in (to the (Sky), finished five seconds behind Dennis along- climb) and I thought don’t panic and don’t try to go side a group of riders including Frenchman into the red zone before the hill,” he said. “The plan Maxime Bouet (Etixx-Quick Step) and Italy’s was for me to attack at the bottom and put the oth- Domenico Pozzovivo (AG2R La Mondiale). In er guys under pressure and let Cadel sit back, but another fascinating day’s racing, Australia’s Will obviously I was a bit too far back to follow that Clarke from the local Drapac team broke away early plan. and rode solo until he was joined by Calvin Watson “I saw Cadel get away with four guys so I just sat MELBOURNE: In this photograph taken on June 26, 2014, then-newly elected and first ICC (Trek Factory Racing), Lasse Norman Hansen in behind one of the Movistar riders and hoped chairman Narayanaswami Srinivasan of India talks to the media during the ICC Annual (Cannondale-Garmin) and Axel Domont (AG2R La he’d bring me back. “Cadel in my eyes is still the Conference week along with other Associate and Affiliate Members at the Melbourne Cricket Mondiale). leader,” he added. “I’m not sure how the team Ground (MCG), in Melbourne. India’s Supreme Court yesterday ordered world cricket chief The four stayed away for much of the race until meeting will go tonight.” today’s 144.5km fourth Narayanaswami Srinivasan to give up his stake in the Indian Premier League if he wanted to one by one they began to feel the pinch, with first stage runs from beachside Glenelg to the Adelaide be relected the head of the country’s powerful board.