Connect with us

Sports

Masters 2020: Tiger Woods starts strong as Paul Casey leads at Masters an incomplete round

Published

on

Casey shot seven under standard on Thursday, and Woods was four under, after downpour deferred the beginning of competition and left numerous golf players with incomplete rounds.

Quiet as he played his 87th round at the Masters, Tiger Woods followed the Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday with the assurance of somebody walking through his parlor looking for his #1 chair, footrest and napkin, for the cool beverage in his grasp. Shot by shot, the way was so natural he might have arranged it in obscurity.

Since Woods has won the competition multiple times and has been a Masters installation for as long as 25 years, it is conceivable he has played the green in those conditions. Probably still broken standard.

Woods, the prevailing victor, was not the pioneer after Thursday’s first-round play, which was deferred by an almost three-hour tempest that left many golf players unfit to complete their meetings. With a four-under-standard 68, Woods was tied for fourth and discreetly three strokes behind the pioneer, Paul Casey.

Yet, Woods’ telling round was the most intense assertion of the day. It has been a here and there year for Woods, yet on this day he was formed and essentially never out of position on the fiendish Augusta National design. It nearly appeared to be that he was on journey control, as though he could drift to a 68.

“I did everything well today,” Woods, who is not prone to self-congratulation, said after his round.

Each and every other prepared competitor in the field knows the Masters history when Woods has a decent opening round. It isn’t accurate that he has won each time he has shot 70 or better in the first round. It has, nonetheless, happened multiple times. He has genuinely battled on the three different events when he has been two strokes or more under standard after the main day, completing fourth twice and 6th once.

At the point when Woods was inquired as to whether he was amazed at how well he had played given his lopsided exhibitions during the main part of this season, he shrugged.

“Understanding how to play this golf course is just a big part of playing well here,” he said. “It’s so familiar.”

He knows the domain; he could discover the TV distant in the corner of his parlor, as well.

Woods’ consistent play was a distinct difference to most all that else occurring during the primary Masters round ever challenged in November. Nothing else appeared to be common, with the regularly tricky greens wet and moderate, the spring botanical tones missing and the displays missing as a result of the Covid pandemic.

“There were a lot of differences today,” Woods said. “There was a drone flying over the green. You don’t hear drones here. There were no patrons, no roars. A lot of firsts today. That’s kind of the way this entire year has been.”

Numerous players had a similar feeling of being in conspicuous, yet modified, place. Xander Schauffele shot a splendid 67 to complete the day in a tie for second with Webb Simpson, however he appeared to be uncertain about what to think about his round.

“A lot of it felt wrong, in all honesty,” Schauffele said. “The greens are really soft, so there isn’t a whole lot to be scared of. It was really strange. You would play less break on putts and hit it harder, which is something you never do here.”

Casey, who has had five top-10 completions in 13 past Masters appearances, made a falcon on the second opening with a methodology shot that he expected to wind up over the green.

“I hit a 6-iron to a left-hand pin on No. 2, and you can’t hit that shot in April,” Casey said. “Today, it just pitched and stopped instantly. In April, it would have one-hopped over into the patrons. I probably make five, not three.”

Yet, with regards to engaging, unexpected minutes in this initially round of the Masters, it would hard to beat seeing seven golf players, caddies and authorities chest high in the azaleas looking for Bryson DeChambeau’s unruly ball.

Subsequent to beginning his round on the tenth opening, DeChambeau thumped his tee shot on No. 13 into the trees and went after for a fragile recuperation. All things being equal, he seriously snared his ball and it wound up covered in the hedges behind the green. At that point, on the off chance that he didn’t find that ball, DeChambeau hit a temporary shot that arrived in Rae’s Creek, shy of the green.

“I was really worried about finding that ball,” said DeChambeau, who entered the round as the tournament favorite. “I would have made a bad number if I didn’t find it.”

In the wake of finding the ball, he announced it unplayable and needed to drop on a precarious incline. He at that point flubbed an unpredictable chip and wound up making twofold intruder. DeChambeau mounted a noteworthy convention to complete his round at two under standard and remain in the title pursue. Be that as it may, his flourishing drives, which were relied upon to overwhelm Augusta National, wound up being a factor on a couple of openings. Additionally, he didn’t utilize the 48-inch driver — the longest permitted — that he had been exploring different avenues regarding.

“My driving wasn’t great,” DeChambeau said. “You know, this place can bite back if you make mistakes. But I’m very happy with the patience I showed today.”

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Sports

Jessica Pegula Upsets Iga Swiatek as Jannik Sinner Advances to US Open Semi-Final Against Draper

Published

on

At the end of her standout 2022 season, Jessica Pegula faced a frustrating trend—reaching the quarter-finals in three of the four major tournaments but losing each time to the top seed. After yet another loss to Iga Swiatek at the US Open, Pegula humorously arrived at her press conference with a beer in hand, joking, “I’m trying to pee for doping… although it does help ease the loss.” The lighthearted moment went viral, reflecting her upbeat attitude despite repeatedly falling short of a semi-final spot.

It took two more years and six heartbreaking quarter-final defeats for Pegula to finally break through. In a fitting turn of events, she defeated Swiatek, the world No. 1, 6-2, 6-4 at the US Open, securing her first-ever Grand Slam semi-final appearance. “I’ve lost so many times, I just kept losing,” Pegula said, acknowledging her past defeats to top players. “I just needed to get there again and win the match. Thank God I was able to do it and finally say I am a semi-finalist.”

In the men’s draw, top-seeded Jannik Sinner is the last Grand Slam champion standing. He advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Daniil Medvedev in a hard-fought match, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, setting up a semi-final showdown with Great Britain’s Jack Draper.

Pegula’s triumph over Swiatek was particularly impressive. She employed a smart, tactical approach by hitting deep, flat shots down the middle, limiting Swiatek’s angles and attacking opportunities. Her movement was sharp, absorbing Swiatek’s aggressive strikes and patiently waiting for her own chances to go on the offensive.

While Pegula was on top of her game, Swiatek struggled with her serve and timing throughout the match, ending with 41 unforced errors. “I didn’t find the right solution,” Swiatek admitted. “You’re not going to win if you make so many mistakes. It’s on me.”

Pegula’s victory also marks a historic moment for U.S. tennis, as she joins Emma Navarro, Taylor Fritz, and Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals. This is the first time since 2003 that multiple American players have reached the semi-finals in both the women’s and men’s US Open draws. Pegula will face unseeded Karolína Muchová, who reached last year’s semi-finals before undergoing wrist surgery. Muchová advanced by defeating Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-1, 6-4.

In the men’s tournament, Sinner’s powerful groundstrokes and strong defense proved too much for Medvedev, who was below his best throughout the match. Although the momentum shifted wildly, with Sinner dominating the first set and Medvedev responding in the second, Sinner regained control in the third and fourth sets to claim victory. Medvedev, who hit 57 unforced errors, couldn’t keep up with Sinner’s intensity.

“It was very tough,” said Sinner after the match. “We knew it was going to be physical. I’m really happy.”

Sinner has now reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments, becoming the fourth active player and the only man under 35 to achieve this feat. His next challenge is Draper, a familiar opponent and good friend. The two have faced each other since their junior days and recently played doubles together at the Canadian Open.

“We are good friends off the court, so it’s going to be tough one,” Sinner said. “He’s playing incredibly well, so let’s see who plays better in a couple of days.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Texas Loses a Second Running back to an Injury that ends the Season

Published

on

Christian Clark, a true freshman, tore his Achilles tendon during practice on Monday, ending the team’s second season-ending injury at running back for No. 4 Texas, the school confirmed on Tuesday.

Six days after revealing that CJ Baxter, the starting quarterback for the first game of the previous campaign, would require season-ending knee surgery, Texas announced that Clark would have surgery and miss the rest of the campaign.

The Longhorns are down to three scholarship running backs as a result of the losses.

This season, Jaydon Blue—who has played in 23 games for Texas—is anticipated to carry the weight after rushing for 431 yards and three touchdowns. In the Longhorns’ College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Washington, he had four receptions for 45 yards and three kickoff returns for 80 yards.

The Longhorns have two players behind Blue: sophomore Jerrick Gibson, who was listed as the No. 2 running back and the No. 3 overall, and Quintrevion Wisner, a sophomore who participated in all 14 games last season on special teams.

In December, Clark, a four-star prospect from Phoenix’s Mountain Pointe High School, committed to Texas.

Although Gibson and Clark both stumbled during Saturday’s scrimmage in what he called a “welcome to college football moment,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters on Monday that both players were improving and were “further down the road than some may think.”

In a post-practice video chat with media on Tuesday night, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers said of the injuries, “It definitely hurts to see that go down.” “Injuries do happen. It’s just a part of the game we play. I think [running backs coach Tashard] Choice and Coach Sark do a good job of recruiting good running backs that can ultimately fill in the position if needed. … I think we have guys that are going to be more than capable of stepping in and filling up those roles.”

After gaining confidence in his running ability, Ewers ran for five touchdowns last season, including 30- and 29-yard touchdown runs against Kansas and Baylor. Sarkisian said after the Kansas game that Ewers realized, “Man, maybe I’m a little faster than I thought.”

On Tuesday, Ewers stated that he would be more than willing to take on additional running responsibilities.

“Ultimately, I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help this team win football games,” Ewers stated. “So if that means I need to run more, so be it.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Gonzales’ Walk-Off Victory Completes the Statement Victory for the Advancing Bucs

Published

on

Nick Gonzales aimed for a powerful hit as he took the bat to the ball. The second baseman for the Pirates was aware that José Alvarado could hit for three runs, but he also had that cutter, which could tail away from right-handers and hit where he wanted to.

Gonzales remarked, “I was just trying to get something a little away from me, and I just hit it hard.”

In the ninth inning on Friday, Gonzales got a hold of Alvarado’s first-pitch cutter and sent most of the PNC Park crowd home with a base hit through the left side of the infield. Gonzales’ single gave the Pirates their first and only lead of the game after they had been behind for the majority of the game. The Pirates went on to win 8–7 against the Phillies.

There were signs on Friday night that this squad might be taken by surprise after the All-Star break. Martín Pérez, the starter, was removed from the game in the fourth inning after giving up six runs in the game. His poor play continued. The baseball team with the best record was taking on the Pirates. They spent most of the evening performing from behind.

Nevertheless, Gonzales and his colleagues were the ones having fun after the game on the right side of the diamond.

“I think it would’ve been really easy to fold after the first inning, especially going against the Phillies,” Gonzales stated. “But nobody here in the dugout, nobody in this clubhouse, did that. So kudos to them. And kudos to the coaching staff, too.”

Pérez faced the whole Phillies lineup in the first inning, which was maybe his worst, giving up three runs before loading the bases. Oneil Cruz immediately responded for the offense against Aaron Nola, hitting an RBI double with an exit velocity of 120.5 mph, the second-hardest hit ball for him this season in all of Major League Baseball. Later on, he would return home on a sacrifice fly hit by Rowdy Tellez, the first of three that Tellez would hit and set a record for the Pirates in a single game.

With the score tied at six, in the ninth inning, Connor Joe reached base on a single through the left side of the infield, moving Michael A. Taylor to pinch run, setting up the game’s biggest wager. Coach Tarrik Brock of first base saw a chance to run, and with two on and no one out, Andrew McCutchen and Taylor executed a double steal to advance the tying run ninety feet.

“We took a good chance in a situation where we thought we were going to take a chance,” manager Derek Shelton said.

Cruz then hit a ball off home plate for a fielder’s choice that tied the game, and Gonzales won it with a line drive to left on the next pitch.

Shelton remarked, “To come out and play as complete a game as we did and do all the little things we needed to do, yeah, I was really excited about how they responded.”

It’s only one victory, but considering the season’s circumstances, it might be greater. The Pirates have a 49-48 record and are once again above 500. They started winning before the All-Star break and have already won five straight. With just nine games remaining before the July 30 trade deadline, the team is looking to add players, but each victory helps to strengthen their argument for being aggressive. This is also the season’s hardest stretch, the first of nine series against winning clubs vying for a postseason berth.

The clubhouse’s objective has been to make the playoffs the entire year. The Pirates believe they are making progress in that direction right now.

“We talk about it a lot,” Tellez stated. “We’ve had a couple guys in here win some World Series. With Milwaukee, we made it to the playoffs every year. Younger players, when they ask questions and want to talk through it, I always say, ‘There’s nothing more driving than getting to the playoffs.’ Once you’re there, that’s all you want the next year, over and over again. For a lot of us, when we talk about that kind of stuff, it resonates with guys. We’re in a good spot. But just talking it game-by-game.”

Continue Reading

Trending

error: Content is protected !!