Davis looks for positives after again finishing second

May 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Texas (Reuters) – Britain’s Brian Davis could be forgiven for thinking the golfing gods have deserted him but he maintained a positive outlook after finishing runner-up at the Colonial Invitational on Sunday.

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While the Englishman had to settle for the bridesmaid’s role for the second time in six weeks on the PGA Tour, he firmly believed a breakthrough win would eventually come his way through sheer persistence.

“If I keep knocking on the door, I am going to get one soon,” Davis told reporters after finishing three strokes behind American winner Zach Johnson at Colonial Country Club.

“It’s been a great week. If you would have said at the start of this week, after three missed cuts in a row, you are going to finish second you would be delighted.”

Six weeks ago, Davis lost a playoff to Jim Furyk for the Heritage Classic at Hilton Head after calling a two-stroke penalty on himself at the first extra hole, an act of sportsmanship that gained him fame well beyond golf.

Although he missed three cuts before arriving at Colonial for this week’s event, he regained form to share the third-round lead and was two shots clear of the chasing pack with 11 holes remaining on Sunday.

“I had a chance today, I just couldn’t get over the hump,” Davis said after closing with a two-under-par 68. “Zach played great. He won the tournament, I didn’t lose it.

GOING LOWER

“It’s been a couple of times now where guys have shot low to beat me and maybe I need to go a bit lower next time.”

Johnson fired a sizzling 64 on a hot and humid afternoon at Colonial, overhauling Davis with a barrage of long-range birdie putts on the back nine.

Davis, seeking a maiden PGA Tour victory to add to his two European Tour titles, had forged two ahead with a birdie at the seventh but was unable to pick up any further shots over the closing stretch.

“I had a couple of chances and didn’t really hit it close,” the 35-year-old Englishman said. “Just didn’t quite hit good enough shots.

“I had a great chance just before they blew the horn. Then we went back out and I missed an eight-footer which obviously would have put the pressure on,” Davis added, referring to his birdie attempt at the par-four 17th after a weather delay.

“Overall, though, I played great, I didn’t have many bogeys this week. I just came off three missed cuts. There are a lot of positives to take from it.”

(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Ian Ransom)

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Johnson seals victory at Colonial by three shots

May 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Texas (Reuters) – American Zach Johnson sank four long-range birdie putts over the closing stretch to overhaul British pacesetter Brian Davis for a three-shot victory at the Colonial Invitational Sunday.

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Ice-cool on a hot and humid afternoon at Colonial Country Club, Johnson shrugged off two suspensions in play because of threatening weather to card a sizzling six-under-par 64.

The 2007 U.S. Masters champion broke clear of a congested leaderboard with birdies at 12, 13, 15 and 17 sandwiching a lone bogey on 14 as he posted a tournament record low of 21-under 259.

Englishman Davis, who had led by two shots with 11 holes to play in pursuit of his maiden PGA Tour title, had to settle for second place after closing with a 68.

(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Ian Ransom)

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Bogey-spree sees Chowrasia drop to tied 39th at Wentworth

May 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Wentworth (Britain), May 23 (IANS) Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia, the lone Indian to make the cut at the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour, slid down the leaderboard with four bogeys on the back nine to drop from overnight tied 12th to tied 39th at the end of the third round of the championship.

Chowrasia, who opened with an excellent 67 on the first day had a 73 on the second and slipped to 76 on the third day. He is now three-over 216.

The leader is Chris Wood, the 22-year-old from Bristol, who had a shot to win The Open Championship last July. Wood takes a two-stroke lead into the final day of his first BMW PGA Championship.

Wood was two shots clear of Robert Karlsson, who after being three-over after two rounds, felt he would miss the cut and flew to Nice in Monaco. But he flew back when he learnt he had made the cut on the line and then went on to shoot a stunning nine-under 62.

He had five birdies on the front nine and four on the back nine and went up to tied second with first round leader, Danny Willett (70).

Karlsson could become the first man ever to win a European Tour event having made the cut with nothing to spare.

That is something Rory McIlroy did in the US earlier this month.

After 54 holes, Wood is on the eight-under-par mark of 205, with Karlsson up from 63rd to joint second with another 22-year-old Englishman making his debut in the event, first round leader Danny Willett.

Luke Donald’s 72 dropped him from halfway pacesetter to fourth, while defending champion Paul Casey and Padraig Harrington are part of a five-way tie for fifth, but now five shots adrift.

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Australia’s Day wins Byron Nelson by two shots

May 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Australian Jason Day survived a final hole bogey to win the Byron Nelson Championship on Sunday.

Day carded a 72 to finish on 10-under-par 270 at the Four Seasons TPC, two strokes ahead of Americans Blake Adams, Brian Gay and Jeff Overton.

The 22-year-old Day was helped by Adams, who double-bogeyed the last after his second shot clipped a tree branch and ended in a water hazard.

“I wear my heart on my collar and I worked so hard to get to where I am today and this means a lot to me,” Day told reporters after becoming the youngest Australian to win on the PGA Tour.

Day seemed headed for a play-off when he pulled his four-iron approach shot into the water at the par-four 18th but got a huge reprieve when Adams also found the water when his second shot clipped a branch.

“I was disappointed that I hit it in the water and made it so hard on myself, but in the end I’m happy,” said Day, the 2006 Australian amateur champion.

Day’s first win took him longer than he expected but he said he had learned a lot.

“It was my own fault it didn’t come sooner,” he said. “I didn’t practice hard enough the first year. You give someone a really good contract deal, everyone is telling you you’re the best and it’s easy to slack off.

“I’ve been working very hard this year and last year and it’s finally starting to pay off, which is nice.”

Day began the final round two strokes clear of Adams but slipped out of the lead after carding three bogeys in four holes just before the turn.

However, he birdied the 11th and 12th to regain a two-shot advantage and came to the last with a one-shot cushion.

Adams blamed a poor tee shot for his costly double-bogey.

“I was fortunate I had a wide-open (second) shot but I had some overhanging limbs and the ball was sitting on hard pan,” he said.

“The ball shot up, hit a limb and threw it left, so I can’t beat myself up over it. It leads back to that three-wood (tee shot). If I hit a good three-wood, it’s a different story.”

(Editing Peter Rutherford; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Shots fired outside hotel

April 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Police are still looking for a man after two shots were fired in a confrontation outside a Mildura hotel last night.

The incident happened about 11:40pm (AEST) outside the Gateway Tavern in San Mateo Avenue.

It is believed a man called the victim to his car and fired a shot, then hit the victim with the barrel of the gun.

He suffered minor injuries.

Police say the man pointed the gun towards another man in the area and a second shot was fired but that man was not injured.

Detectives are investigating and want any witnesses to come forward.

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Els clings to lead as storms stop play

March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Ernie Els survived a couple of shaky holes and was clinging to the lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational when thunderstorms stopped play.

The South African veteran had a 5-shot lead with six holes to play and appeared headed toward a second victory in as many starts when he hit into the water at 13 and took double-bogey.

He bogeyed the next from a bunker, but still led Kevin Na by two strokes when the final round was suspended.

After several hours of rain, officials called play for the day and scheduled the round to resume tomorrow morning.

Els was 11-under-par through 14 holes and Na was 9-under, having reached the front of the 15th green in two.

A group of players a further stroke back included 2003 British Open champion Ben Curtis and Chris Couch – who were playing with Els – and Retief Goosen, who was on the 18th tee.

Els, 40, ended a two-year victory drought with his four-shot triumph at the CA Championship at Doral two weeks ago.

Now he is vying to become the first player since Tiger Woods in 2001 to win two events on the US tour’s Florida Swing.

Els opened the round with a one-shot lead and drained a 12-foot birdie putt at the fifth. He birdied the par-five sixth after reaching the fringe in two shots.

After a bogey at eight, Els found the right rough off the ninth tee and put his approach short.

However, he pitched in for birdie to keep his lead at two strokes. He added birdies at 10 and 12 before his miscues at 13 and 14.

“Obviously, I’m not totally at ease with myself right now,” Els said.

“I’m a little angry or disappointed or whatever you want to call it. There’s still work out there to be done, and I’ve got to get it done.

“I’ve basically got to go out there and play hard tomorrow morning, four holes as good as I can.”

-AFP

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Allenby in Palmer Invitational contention

March 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Australian Robert Allenby was just two shots from the lead after the opening round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Americans Davis Love and J.B. Holmes headed the leaderboard after posting 6-under-par rounds of 66 at the recently renovated Bay Hill course.

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and Canada’s Mike Weir were both tied for third place, a shot behind the leaders with Allenby and South African Ernie Els, fresh from his win at Doral, among a group another shot back.

Allenby started and ended his round with bogeys but five birdies and a eagle at the par-4 10th kept him in contention.

Love, the 1997 PGA Championship winner who has 20 Tour wins, started his round with a bogey but his next six holes were two birdies, an eagle, two more birdies and another bogey.

In contrast, Holmes, searching for just his third victory on the tour, was bogey-free, and also free of the putting troubles that have haunted him.

“Overall it was a great day. I hit the ball well. I think I hit 17 greens, and I putted pretty well, too. I made a couple of long putts, and that definitely helped,” he said.

Holmes sank a 25 foot putt for an eagle on the par five 12th after great work with his five iron.

The American said he feels more relaxed than ever with his putting.

“I was terrified before.. I’m more surprised now it’s not going in, even on 30-footers.

“I feel great with the putter in my hand. I feel more confident. It feels easier. I’m not as mechanical. I’m just going it more with my body and feel and touch, and it’s just easier,” he said.

The Bay Hill course, run by Palmer’s family, has undergone several changes this year with the greens re-laid and the bunkers enhanced.

- Reuters

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Weary Victory spiral to third ACL loss

March 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

With an A-League grand final loss still hanging over their heads, Melbourne Victory lost 4-0 to Kawasaki Frontale in their Asian Champions League clash on Tuesday evening.

Ernie Merrick’s men are yet to record a win in their ACL campaign, after having fallen to Seongnam Ilhwa two weeks ago and Beijing Guoan a fortnight earlier.

They have now lost the chance to advance out of the group stage.

The Victory were never really in it and the effects of a tough schedule over the past few weeks was evident as Kawasaki midfielder Chong Tese put easy points on the board after just two minutes.

The home side dominated possession in the first half and restricted Melbourne to just two shots on goal.

Kawasaki however peppered the target and its persistance paid off when Renatinho set up Masaru Kurotso to score the hosts’ second goal.

Renatinho then had one of his own to practically push the contest out of the Victory’s reach when he drilled one into the back of the net from the top of the penalty area.

The Japanese team lost Tese just before half-time when the North Korean forward received a red card for tripping Grant Brebner as the Victory player was trying to help him up off the ground.

The visiting Victory played better football in the second stanza but they could not penetrate the Kawasaki backline, and their chances were not helped by the absence of key striker Archie Thompson, who suffered a serious knee injury in the A-League decider.

Kawasaki skipper Hiroyuki Taniguchi sealed the win at the 90-minute mark when he slid into the box to tap home another assist from Renatinho.

Melbourne will have the chance to settle the scores next Wednesday when Kawasaki travels to Docklands.

Kawasaki: 4 (Tese 2′, Kurotsu 11′, Rentinho 21′, Taniguchi 90′)

Melbourne: 0

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India beat Syria to win Nehru Cup tournament

September 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug 31(ANI): Defending champion India beat Syria by 5-4 in a penalty shootout in a thrilling final match to win the ONGC Nehru Cup football tournament held at the Ambedkar Stadium here on Monday.

The win came after a nail-biting finish as no goals could be scored in the normal time, and had to be decided on penalty shoots, where India missed just two shots, while Syria missed three of the seven shots.

Goalkeeper Subroto Paul was awarded the man of the match for his superb performance in the match.

Led by its star striker Bhaichung Bhutia, India entered the third consecutive final of the Nehru Cup and anticipations were high, as they had defeated Syria in the 2007 final.

Indian team had strikers in the form of Bhutia and Sunil Chettri, while Anthony Pereira, N.P. Pradeep, Climax Lawrence and Steven Dias handled midfield.

Defence was well held by Mahesh Gawli, Anwar, Gourmangi Singh and Surkumar Singh.

The tournament had been quite difficult for the home team, as they had won two and lost two league matches, including one against Syria. On the other hand Syria, with a strong defence, had won all their league matches. (ANI)

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Kim Kardashian gets drunk for first time at sis Khloe’s b’day bash

July 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Jul 2 (ANI): American socialite Kim Kardashian, who admits that she never drinks, reportedly got drunk at her sister Khloe’s 25th birthday bash in Las Vegas.

Khloe revealed about Kim’s inebriation on her official blog, and also told fans that the Kardashian “krew” hit Vegas and “had the best time ever!!!”

“Kim who never drinks had two shots of Patron (Tequila) to celebrate and she was SO funny!!! I loved it!” the Daily Telegraph quoted her as writing.

Khloe also said that a fan had made her a birthday pimp chalice and she literally drank out of that.

“One of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten :) ,” she had added. (ANI)

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Perry and Cabrera finish two shots clear

April 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – American Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera of Argentina shared the lead on 11 under par after Saturday’s U.S. Masters third round at a rain-softened Augusta National.

Perry (70) and Cabrera (69) finished on 205, two strokes ahead of Chad Campbell (72) of the U.S.

A double-bogey five at the 16th dropped Campbell, the overnight co-leader with Perry, from a share of the lead.

Jim Furyk fired a four-under 68 to take fourth place on 208, one better than fellow American Steve Stricker (68).

Shingo Katayama of Japan, bidding to become the first Asian to win a men’s major, was tied with South African Rory Sabbatini and American Todd Hamilton on 210.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, numbers one and two in the world, were lurking on 212.

“I think for me to have a chance it will take a 64 or 65,” Mickelson told reporters. “But I think it’s out there.”

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)

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Student’s bodyguard opens fire on ‘slow’ driver

April 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

In an example of the growing trigger-happy culture in NCR, three persons, including a Class XII student of a well-known private International Baccalaureate (IB) school, were involved in shooting a man in Gurgaon when he refused to let their car overtake his. The three have been charged with attempt to murder and arrested by the Gurgaon police.

The student, his driver and personal bodyguard -who were riding in a BMW car- forced the driver of an Indica to halt after he refused to give them way, assaulted him and finally the guard shot at him. According to the deputy commissioner of police (East) Jagdish Nagar, the incident occurred around 4.30 p.

m. when the Indica and BMW began to race each other.

The driver of the BMW, R.P. Pandey, repeatedly honked asking for a pass. Finally he overtook the Indica and forced its driver Vikram Singh to stop.

Soon, the class XII student, who is said to be the son of a well-known Delhi-based businessman and his private guard got down from their car and started thrashing the Indica driver. It was during this time, the gunman shot thrice at Singh from his pistol but missed the target, the DCP said.

Singh told police officials the BMW was speeding and the driver was driving very rashly. The DCP said that a criminal case under section 307 had been registered against the trio.

“In addition to this, we have also booked the bodyguard on charges of misuse of firearm under the Indian Arms Act,” Nagar added. The police have also confiscated the BMW car.

Talking to HT, the student said, “I was simply sitting in the car when the fight erupted. There is a taxi stand near the spot and when the two drivers were quarrelling, lot of drivers from the taxi stand gathered around and started stoning my car.

My bodyguard first fired a shot in the air and then fired two shots at the Indica car to scare the rowdy lot. All this while, I was sitting in the car and #8230; I don’t know why the police have implicated me in the case.

” Anil Kumar, the bodyguard, said, “It is my duty to protect the boy. I did not wish to kill anybody but fired only to scare the enraged lot.

” Complainant driver Vikram Singh said, “When the altercation started, this driver hurled abuses at me and went ahead. I responded with an abuse or two when this driver turned around and stopped his car near mine.

His bodyguard slapped me first, which prompted me to slap him in return. Soon his driver joined after which the bodyguard fired at me.

Luckily I escaped uninjured.”.

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