Thursday, May 16, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Woods Goes From Red Carpet To TPC Sawgrass
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| Tiger Woods tees off on the fourth hole during practice rounds of the Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Tuesday, May 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) |
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (AP) — One night after making his red carpet debut in New York, Tiger Woods was on a golf course that hasn't treated him very well over the years.
Woods said it took him a week to get over his tie for fourth at the Masters. Next up is The Players Championship, where he has won only once in 15 years and has just one top 10 since that victory in 2001.
"If you're not playing well, you're going to get exposed," Woods said.
Woods was at full exposure Monday at the Met with girlfriend Lindsey Vonn as they attended the Costume Institute Gala. Vonn was a guest of Vogue. He posed on the red carpet wearing a black suit, while the Olympic ski champion wore a long white dress with see-through slits.
"It was certainly different," Woods said. "Lindsey wanted to try and grow her brand. She's come out with a new perfume and makeup line, so that was a big thing for her and I'm supporting it. As you know, I'm not really big into fashion stuff."
Are more red carpets on the horizon?
"We'll see," Woods said. "Maybe I can just go in jeans and a T-shirt or something."
The visit to the red carpet may have helped Woods put out of his mind the controversy at the Masters.
It started with Woods' third shot hitting the flag on the 15th hole and bouncing back into the water on the opening hole. Woods unknowingly took an illegal drop, but he wasn't told about the possible infraction until after he signed his card. Augusta National took the blame, with competitions chairman Fred Ridley saying it didn't initially notice the violation and chose not to ask Woods about it before he signed his card.
Eventually, he was given a two-shot penalty but allowed to stay in the tournament — instead of being disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard — under Rule 33-7 that gives a committee discretion to waive the disqualification penalty.
The U.S. Golf Association and Royal & Ancient last week said the Masters was within its right not to disqualify Woods. He wound up four shots off the lead in a tie for fourth, his 15th consecutive major without winning.
Woods said he was surprised that the drop and how it was handled was still being debated.
"Fred explained it pretty well," Woods said. "For some reason, evidently that wasn't accepted."
Woods said he if saw a violation on television, he would not call it in. Television viewers — in the case of the Masters, it was David Eger, a respected rules expert — have been calling in what they think are rules violations for years.
"I don't ever see myself calling in and saying that Kobe (Bryant) traveled or things like that, or an offensive lineman held," he said. "But it's our sport. And that's what we've done and we've accepted. Certain groups are going to get more heat than others just because they're on TV. It is what it is."
Woods said he didn't stop thinking about it until he resumed practice a week later.
"Unfortunately, I hit a good shot and got a bad break," Woods said. "But I still had an opportunity over the next 36 holes to get it back ... and I just didn't do it."
Woods doesn't have much of an answer when it comes to the TPC Sawgrass.
He has failed to crack the top 20 eight times, the most of any tournament he has played. He is the No. 1 player in the year, and looks like it. In his last three events, he has won twice and tied for fourth. How that translates to the TPC Sawgrass is unpredictable.
"Some of the years, I've driven it well and not hit my irons well, and other years I've hit the ball great and not putted well," Woods said. "And other years I've drove it awful and didn't score well. You've got to have all the facets of your game going here."
No Way out --- Fergie snubs latest Roo quit plea
ALEX FERGUSON has told Wayne Rooney to forget about quitting Manchester United after snubbing the striker’s latest transfer request.
Rooney this week asked to quit Old Trafford for the second time in three years.
But Fergie said: “We have refused it. I think he should go away and think about it again.
“He wasn’t happy about being brought off in games this season. Wayne Rooney in top form wouldn’t be taken off.”
, Fergie has revealed how he decided to retire in DECEMBER.
The Scot shocked football on Wednesday by announcing his plans to quit at the end of the season.
But he has today told how the tipping point came at Christmas when his wife’s sister passed away.
Ferguson said: “I decided to retire last Christmas. Things changed when my wife Cathy’s sister died. She has lost her best friend, her sister. Also, I wanted to go out a winner.
“It was very difficult. There were times when we sometimes blurted it out to the family. We told our sons in March. My brother didn’t even know until Tuesday.
“The most important achievement was winning the first league and the door opened after that. We just grew and grew and grew. We had some fantastic teams.
“I’ve got a lot of things to do. My son Jason’s been organising things. I won’t be sitting still.”
Manchester United 2 Swansea 1
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| FERDY TIME ... Rio Ferdinand strikes to send Old Trafford wild |
RIO FERDINAND scored an emotional late winner to send Alex Ferguson off with a bang.
Ferdy leathered home from close range on 87 minutes just when it looked like Michu would ruin Fergie’s Old Trafford farewell.
Javier Hernandez broke the deadlock before Swansea’s Spanish superstar pegged Manchester United back.But Ferdinand struck in the dying stages to give Ferguson the perfect send-off in his final home game.
The Scot had been given a guard of honour before the match as United fans saluted their departing hero.
And the Stretford End was nearly given further reason to cheer after just six minutes when Hernandez hit the bar.
The Mexican was played through by Robin van Persie but cannoned his shot against the woodwork.
Paul Scholes, also bidding goodbye to the United faithful at the Theatre of Dreams, was cheered for a series of trademark hard-hitting tackles.
The retiring midfielder had a half-chance on 27 minutes when some nifty work from Shinji Kagawa sent him free on the edge of the box.
However, Scholes snatched at his shot and scuffed it towards relieved keeper Gerhard Tremmel.
United did not have to wait too much longer for an opener as Hernandez struck on 39 minutes, pouncing on Ashley Williams’ loose ball and slipping past Tremmel from six yards out.
Van Persie had a half-chance just before the break but he could not convert and the United went int 1-0 up.
That all changed after the interval, though, with Michu hauling back the Premier League champions on 49 minutes.
Nathan Dyer collected the ball on the right flank and picked out the Spaniard in the box.
He leapt in front of his marker and sliced a shot past David de Gea to silence the party atmosphere
United were looking for an instant reply but it was Swansea who threatened next with Wayne Routledge prodding wide.
Michu then tried his luck and De Gea pulled off a strong near-post save when his fellow Spaniard pulled the trigger from close range.
Old Trafford was on its feet once again when Scholes was brought off on 65 minutes.
Anderson then came close with a long-range effort that skimmed past De Gea’s post.
Of course, Ferguson’s sides have made late winners their trademark — and it was no different in the United boss’ final home game.
Ferdinand crashed home after a penalty-box ding-dong — his first goal in FIVE years — to send the United fans wild.
DREAM TEAM
Paul SCHOLES calls it quits — for good
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| SCHO LONG ... Paul Scholes is retiring agai |
PAUL SCHOLES will retire from football at the end of the season — just as SunSport told you.
The Manchester United legend initially quit the game in the summer of 2011, but reversed his decision in January last year.
But this time he has hung up his boots for good,
Scholes’ decision follows that of manager Alex Ferguson who is retiring after 26 years in charge at Old Trafford, with Everton boss David Moyes taking over.
Scholes, 38, said: “I am finally hanging up my boots for good!
“Playing football is all I have ever wanted to do, and so to have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United, under the greatest Manager of all time, has been an honour.
“The team has the right balance and will continue to thrive under the leadership of David Moyes.”
One-club man Scholes racked up more than 700 matches for United and will win his 11th Premier League medal on Sunday against Swansea.
Fergie said: “Paul is a truly unbelievable player. He has always been fully committed to this club and it has been a real privilege to work with him for so many years.
“Paul will play at Old Trafford on Sunday against Swansea and will collect an unbelievable but well-deserved 11th Premier League medal.”
Rio Ferdinand praised his team-mate on Twitter.
The United defender wrote: "Scholes retiring at the end of the season...1 of the best I played alongside also the most naturally gifted player too. #SatNav"
Sarries feeling Goode
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| GOODE VIBRATIONS ... Alex's return will boost Saracens' hopes |
SARACENS have been given a huge boost as they bid for a third Twickenham final in four years.
Alex Goode and Will Fraser are back from injury as Sarries face Northampton in the Premiership semi-final at Allianz Park tomorrow.
Rugby director Mark McCall said: “Under Jim Mallinder and Dorian West, Northampton have also been a very consistent side in recent seasons.Like us, they have regularly made the semi-finals of this competition.
“Both teams know each other well, but both teams have players who can turn a match in an instant. I am sure it will be a fiercely-contested encounter. It’s one we are very much looking forward to.”
Northampton captain Dylan Hartley said: “When you get to this stage you have to beat the best to win it.
“Saracens come into that category, so we go there armed with all the knowledge gained from our massive clashes in recent seasons.”
Jor dropper --- THIS is what you call a cliffhanger!
THIS is what you call a cliffhanger!
Miraculously, the Abu Dhabi Racing Citroen DS3 driven by Mohamed Al-Shamsi narrowly avoided disaster on the Jordan Rally.
Co-driven by Ulsterman Allan Harryman, his car came to a halt with one wheel hanging over the edge of a precipice into a stony canyon.
But team-mate Majed Al-Shamsi was not so lucky.
Partnered by Irish co-driver John Higgins, his Subaru Impreza plummeted backwards into the ravine, landing upside down in the dust.
It was a terrifying end to Al-Shamsi’s run on Round 3 of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship.
A shaken Higgins said: “We’re both fine.
“We came to a loose sharp left-hand corner with a big drop, and the back wheels went over the edge.
“The car just fell back over the edge and landed upside down.”
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