TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014 SPORTS Woods quits Classic with back injury FLORIDA: World number one Tiger Woods His early exit from the Honda Classic on withdrew from the Honda Classic during Sunday was probably a precaution more the final round on Sunday at Palm Beach than anything else, and it would be prema- Gardens in Florida, citing a back injury. ture to speculate that his back will hinder Woods retired on the 13th hole at PGA his preparation for the Masters. National, where he was five over par for the Nevertheless, the recovery period from day and level for the tournament, having back injuries is notoriously unpredictable. struggled to the turn in five-over 40. “If you’re hurting, you don’t need to risk “It’s my lower back with spasms,” Woods, injuring yourself even more,” said Luke 38, said in a statement. “It started this Guthrie, who played with fellow American morning warming up.” He said it was the Woods for the last two rounds at PGA same feeling he had during The Barclays National. tournament last August, where he finished “He’s had his share of problems with in obvious discomfort. injuries (so) there’s no reason to chance it.” His withdrawal comes less than six Guthrie observed that Woods hit a couple weeks before the first major of the year, the of uncharacteristic shots during the final Apr. 10-13 Masters at Augusta National. round. Woods, whose career major tally of 14 is “The drive on three was the first I second only to Jack Nicklaus, said it was noticed he wasn’t feeling the greatest (but) too soon to know whether he would be I didn’t think much of it maybe until 11 able to defend his title at the WGC-Cadillac (where) I noticed he was bending down Championship, starting in Miami on gingerly,” he said. Thursday. Guthrie felt that Woods had given maxi- “It’s too early to tell,” he said. “I need mum effort. “He was battling out there,” he treatment every day until Thursday to try to said. “It’s not like he was throwing in the calm it down and we’ll see how it is.” Woods towel.” last withdrew from a tournament at the Woods has competed in only one 2012 Cadillac Championship, citing an other event on the 2013-14 PGA Tour, Achilles injury which did not prove to be failing to make the 54-hole secondary serious. He bounced back two weeks later cut at the Farmers Insurance Open in to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational. January. —Reuters Fisher reels in title PRETORIA: Ross Fisher ended a four-year many, many years, but I loved the greens PALM BEACH GARDENS: Russell Henley celebrates with the trophy after winning The Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and European Tour title drought with a three- here and got the lines correct most of the Spa. —AFP stroke victory on Sunday in the Tshwane time.” Open. The Englishman, ranked 82 in the world, The 33-year-old Englishman finished was a model of consistency over the course Henley wins Honda Classic with a two-under-par 70 on a wet, murky west of Highveld city Pretoria, shooting afternoon to win from Northern Irishman rounds of 66, 65, 67 and 70 for a 20-under FLORIDA: American Russell Henley under-par 272. Hawaii. “Just hanging in there and a little bit underserved. If I had won Michael Hoey and South African Danie van 268 total. emerged as the last man standing to Henley sounded as if was still in trying to enjoy every step.” today, I would have counted myself Tonder. He trailed compatriot Simon Dyson and win his second PGA Tour title in a shock as he spoke of his victory. “I very lucky.” Fisher, whose last triumph came at the South African Trevor Fisher junior by one four-way playoff for the Honda hope I can have a bunch more LAST-DAY PRESSURE A double-bogey at the par-four 2010 Irish Open, sealed first place with an shot following the opening round, took the Classic at Palm Beach Gardens in Sundays just like that in my career,” Henley was not the only one to 16th was the Northern Irishman’s eagle three on 15, his medium-distance second-round lead and was never headed Florida on Sunday. he told Golf Channel. “It was a rush feel nervous. None of the four play- undoing. After yanking his drive into left-to-right putt always on course for the during the weekend. Henley, 24, birdied the first extra to be out there playing with Rory ers who made the playoff negotiat- a fairway bunker, he hit a six-iron fat pin. Hoey did slash the five-stroke overnight hole, the par-five 18th, from two feet and the crowd. ed the difficult back nine in less than and came up short in the water in It gave him a four-shot cushion at the advantage of Fisher to a single shot after 11 in fading light to edge out Northern “I’ve never been part of a crowd 37 strokes as a firm course and the front of the green. par-72, 7,281-metre (7,964-yard) The Els holes by sinking a long birdie-three putt. Irishman Rory McIlroy, American so big cheering for me. It was an pressure affected all the contenders. “It’s a good finish, second runner- Club Copperleaf, the longest European cir- But the Irishman found water with his Ryan Palmer and Scotland’s Russell amazing feeling. It was so much fun.” Palmer had the best chance to win up of the season, but obviously it’s cuit layout. approach shot at the next hole, was pun- Knox on a dramatic afternoon at Henley appeared to have thrown in regulation, but he missed a five- going to be hard to get over “My target was a sub-70 final round and ished with a double-bogey six and slipped PGA National. away a chance of winning when he footer for par at the 72nd hole. because I had a great chance to win I fell just short after a bogey five on the three strokes off the pace. McIlroy surrendered a big lead dunked his six-iron into the water at McIlroy, however, had even more my first tournament of the season last,” Fisher told reporters. “It was testing Hoey closed with a 68 and Van Tonder with an error-strewn 74 in the final the par-three 15th for a double- to rue. The double major champion and I didn’t,” he said. out there owing to the weather conditions had a six-birdie 66 — the lowest score of round, though he made a birdie at bogey. led by three strokes after six holes Four weeks ago, McIlroy had a so I am thrilled to be champion. I had a the final round of the last of eight the 72nd hole to qualify for the But he steadied his apparently but played the next 11 in six over as similar if less dramatic fade during couple of wobbles but always believed the European Tour tournaments hosted by playoff after hitting a superb sec- sinking ship with pars on the final his swing deserted him and he the final round of the European trophy would be mine. South Africa. ond shot to 11 feet, only to miss three holes, which was enough to pulled a series of shots well left. Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic. “The 15th was the key hole. It was my Spaniard Carlos Del Moral (68), seeking the eagle putt. Henley (72), Palmer make the playoff. “I was so nervous “Seventy-four today wasn’t good He started the final day just two second birdie of the tournament there and a maiden European victory, also came with- (69) and Knox (71) also made mis- coming down the stretch,” said enough today to get the job done,” a strokes off the lead but slipped back I felt confident about the putt after taking in a shot of Fisher, but his inconsistency takes over the closing stretch to Henley, who won his maiden PGA stunned-looking McIlroy told NBC. with a closing 74 to finish joint my time reading the line. prevented a sustained challenge and he finish level with McIlroy at eight- Tour title at last year’s Sony Open in “Even if I had won it would have felt ninth. —Reuters “Putting has been my Achilles heel for came fourth. —AFP Red Bull air race returns, Bonhomme beats old rival ABU DHABI: The Red Bull Air Race World podium, and his old nemesis Arch in the penulti- such as the introduction of standardized engines Championship returned from a three-year break mate round of the high-speed, low-altitude rac- for all 12 pilots, would make the field more com- with a spectacular three-way battle for the victo- ing over the turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf petitive and that is exactly what happened with ry in the bright blue skies over Abu Dhabi with but managed to fly nearly two seconds faster in McLeod, Matt Hall of Australia and Nigel Lamb of Britain’s Paul Bonhomme prevailing in front of the final round with the day’s best time - 56.439 Britain, and Martin Sonka of the Czech Republic thousands of spectators. seconds with Arch a blink of an eye behind in all flying within a second of each other in Britain’s Paul Bonhomme won the 2014 Red 57.776.