SPORTSARAB TIMES, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2019

25

Larson settles for 2nd, Logano fi nishes 3rd

Bowman gets 1st Cup Series win at Chicagoland

Stricker makes record debut,clinches US Senior Open title

Lashley leads wire-to-wire for 1st PGA Tour win

JOLIET, Illinois, July 1, (AP): Alex Bowman is part of the club now. That means no more cracks about coming up empty.

He’s a winner once again.Bowman held off Kyle Larson for

his fi rst career NASCAR Cup Series victory, leading a terrifi c perfor-mance for Hendrick Motorsports at Chicagoland Speedway.

Bowman had one of the fastest cars during practice, and the strength of his No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet showed after the race was delayed by a storm. He had just six top-fi ve fi nishes in 133 starts on NASCAR’s top series before his banner day on the bumpy 1.5-mile oval.

The 26-year-old Bowman, who won on the Xfi nity Series in 2017, took second at Talladega, Dover and Kansas this year, and he was sick of hearing about the hole on his resume. He said even Chad Knaus, William Byron’s crew chief, had said some-thing to him.

Those days are over.“I was just tired of running sec-

ond,” Bowman said. “I don’t want to do that anymore. I feel like this is the last box, aside from going and chas-ing a championship, that I needed personally for myself to validate my career.”

Larson put together another mem-orable run a year after he lost an epic last-lap duel with Kyle Busch on the same track. Larson passed Bowman with about seven laps left, but Bow-man quickly regained the lead and smartly navigated his way to the vic-tory.

“He was struggling, and we were able to get to him and get by him, but

he did a good job,” Larson said. “He did a good job regrouping and fi gur-ing out how to make his car drive better.”

Joey Logano, who leads Kyle Busch by 18 points for the top spot in the series standings, fi nished third. Jimmie Johnson was fourth, and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top fi ve.

It was Hendrick’s second victory of the season after Chase Elliott won at Talladega in April. Led by Bow-man and Johnson, Hendrick placed each of its four cars in the top 11.

“So proud of everybody at Hen-drick Motorsports,” Bowman said.

Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Pen-ske dominated the fi rst part of the Cup season. Logano, Keselowski and Ryan Blaney fi nished in the top six for Penske at Chicagoland, but it was a diffi cult day for the top per-formers at JGR.

Martin Truex Jr never really threatened and had to settle for ninth after winning last weekend in Cali-fornia. Kyle Busch had several is-sues with his car on his way to 22nd.

“Little bit of a tough day, but we soldiered home to a fi fth and a sixth in the stages and ninth at the end,” Truex said. “When you have a tough weekend, that’s a good day to get a top 10.”

It was hot and humid when pole-sitter Austin Dillon led the fi eld to the starting line, but thunderstorms quickly rolled in and halted the race after 11 laps. The wind picked up and rain pounded the track after the drivers and crew members retreated to their trailers.

When the race resumed after a de-lay of more than three hours, it was a completely different situation. The temperature dropped more than 20 degrees, forcing the teams to adapt on the fl y after the cars were set up for hot, slick conditions. It also was the series’ fi rst stop at Chicagoland under its overhauled rules package, further complicating matters.

Kevin Harvick and Blaney each had tire trouble about 75 laps in, and Denny Hamlin raced to the Stage 1 win. But Hamlin was penalized for too many over the wall during a pit stop in the last part of the race and fi nished 15th.

Harvick won Stage 2 and led fi ve times for a race-high 132 laps, but he fi nished 14th. He remains in search for his fi rst win this season after he had eight victories last year.

A couple more things about Chi-cagoland:

Blaney has fi nished in the top 10 in his last three races. He was third last weekend at Sonoma.

Daniel Hemric qualifi ed third for Richard Childress Racing, but fi n-ished 19th. He has one top-10 fi nish this season.

Up next: At Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night.

SOUTH BEND, Indiana, July 1, (AP): Steve Stricker fi nally has a national golf champion-ship he can call his own as the record-setting winner of the US Senior Open.

“I never was able to win a USGA event in my career, whether it was in the amateur ranks or when I turned pro,” said Stricker, who birdied the opening hole and never was threat-ened on his way to a 1-under 69 and a six-shot victory over Jerry Kelly and defending champion David Toms.

“Had some good US Open fi nishes, but this is it,” Stricker added. “So it’s very special. It’s a great feeling to be able to hold that trophy and to be the Senior Open champion.”

Stricker fi nished at 19-under 261 on the Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame, breaking by three shots the US Senior Open record set two years ago by Kenny

Perry at Salem Country Club.The 52-year-old Stricker, who still

spends half of his time on the PGA Tour, won a PGA Tour Champions major for the second time this year. He also won the Regions Tradition in May by six strokes. But it was his loss to Kelly in a playoff at the PGA Tour Champions event Stricker hosts in Wisconsin last weekend that left him cranky coming to Notre Dame.

“I kind of came here with a little chip on my shoulder from not winning last week,” Stricker said. “I felt like I had something to prove, and I just played some really, really good golf the fi rst three days Today was a little bit shaky at times, but what a great week. Had Nicki on the bag. My kids were here. Just a special course, special setup.”

Kelly shot a 69 to join Toms (68) at 13 under. Kelly and Stricker, rivals since they were young golfers in Wisconsin, shared a moment coming up to the 18th green.

GOLF

CAR RACING

Kang, Kim and Inbee tie for 2nd

Park birdies 18th for LPGA Tourwin in Arkansas, claims top spot

Nate Lashley watches his drive on the second tee during the fi nal round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tour-nament on June 30, 2019 in Detroit. (AP)

Champion – Ferdie Marasiga 1st Runner-up – Rsl Harold 2nd Runner-up – Randy Orencia Mark receives Special Award

“it was a special moment,” Stricker said. “I told Jerry, I said, ‘It’s awkward, we’re friends, we go back to junior golf.’ I want to beat his brains in out there, and he wants to do the same thing to me. But at the end of it all, we’re friends. I respect him. I love him and his family. So it was hard, especially the last two days.”

Kelly, who knew he had to be ag-gressive going into the fi nal round, was happy he played better and happy for his friend.

“I hit much better shots,” Kelly said after four birdies and three bogeys. “I was playing much better today, but I couldn’t make anything today. He played steady.”

Toms and Stricker shared the fi rst-round lead with record-tying 62s. Toms couldn’t keep up, and neither could any-one else.

“I felt good about the way I played to-day,” Toms said. “Like I said, we would have had a really good tournament if it wasn’t for Steve.”

The victory gets Stricker into the US Open next year at Winged Foot, where he tied for sixth in the 2006 US Open, a key moment in resurrecting his career.

Stricker earned $720,000. He shared a kiss with his wife and caddie, Nicki, hugs with daughters Bobbi Maria and Izzy, and then he choked up with tears during the trophy presentation.

The standard pay for a caddie is 10 percent of the winner’s check.

“She gets whatever she wants,” laughed Stricker, who started the round six strokes ahead of Kelly, led by at least fi ve shots during the fi nal round.

Kelly only had hope briefl y on the par-4 10th hole when he made birdie and Stricker made bogey. It was his fi rst since the sixth hole in the opening round, a streak of 57 holes without a bogey that shattered the US Senior Open record of 43 set by D.A. Weibring in 2004 at Bel-lerive.

“That was a wakeup call,” Stricker said.

Two holes later, Stricker chipped in

for birdie from 46 feet on the par-3 12th and the lead was back to six shots with six to play.

“That chip-in at 12 was huge,” Strick-er said. “Nicki and I had been talking that we’ve been looking for a chip-in, and I said right before I chipped it, I said, I’m still looking for that chip-in, and she’s like, ‘I am, too.” So maybe the power of us both thinking about it, it came true.”

Then it was a matter of surviving the fi nal six holes as Warren, softened prior to the tournament by 15 inches of rain, got fi rmer with warming tempera-tures and winds and tougher with typi-cal USGA Sunday pin placements. The Warren course surrendered 99 rounds under par over the opening three rounds. Stricker had one of only 14 rounds under par Sunday.

Bob Estes shot 70 and fi nished fourth at 10-under 270, two shots ahead of Kirk Triplett (69). The lowest round was a 64 by Scott McCarron, who leads the Charles Schwab Cup on the PGA Tour Champions. That brought McCarron from a tie for 46th to a tie for sixth.

Tom Watson fi nished his 17th US Senior Open at 2-under 278 by closing

with a 68. It was the third time this week the 69-year-old Watson shot his age or better. Gary Nicklaus, playing in his fi rst Senior Open after turning 50, fi nished at 7-over 287 after a 73 watched by his fa-ther Jack and mother Barbara.

In Detroit, Nate Lashley completed an unlikely wire-to-wire victory in the Rocket Mortgage Classic for his fi rst PGA Tour title.

Lashley closed with a 2-under 70 to fi nish at 25-under 263 and win by six shots, the margin he took into the day after opening with rounds of 63, 67 and 63.

The 36-year-old Lashley’s parents and girlfriend were killed in a plane crash 15 years ago. He dabbled in real estate after graduating from the Univer-sity of Arizona, quit playing professional golf several years ago and resumed play-ing in the PGA Tour’s minor leagues.

“Without my parents, I wouldn’t have started playing golf when I was little,” said Lashley, who began playing when he was 8. “They did everything to help me have a career.”

Monday qualifi er Doc Redman shot a 67 to fi nish second. Rory Sabbatini (68) and Wes Roach (68) were another stroke back.

Lashley, the 353rd ranked player in the world, slipped into PGA Tour’s fi rst event in Detroit as an alternate Wednes-day.

The Nebraskan took full advantage, shooting a career-low 63 in the fi rst round to take a lead he refused to lose at Detroit Golf Club. Lashley stayed atop the leaderboard with a 67 on Friday and gave himself a cushion with another 9-under 63 Saturday.

On the brink of breaking through dur-ing his second PGA Tour season, his sis-ter, girlfriend, buddies and family friends fl ew to Detroit to join him.

Brooke Lashley, who lives near her brother in Arizona, was in awe of as fans followed and cheered for her little broth-er as they stood along the ropes from tee to green.

FGA-K holds 121st Philippine Independence Day golf tournamentBy Michelle Fe Santiago

Arab Times Staff

KUWAIT CITY, July 1: The Fili-pino Golfers Association in Kuwait (FGA-K) held a golf tournament in commemoration of the 121st Philip-pine Independence Day at the Sahara Kuwait Golf Club.

Braving the heat, Filipino golf-ers who participated in the event started as early as 5:30 am for tee off.

At the end of 18 holes, Ferdie Marasigan emerged as champion. Trailing behind was Randy Orencia

as first runner-up and Rsl Harold as second runner-up while Mark was given a special award as the most honest golfer.

The tournament wrapped up with the awarding ceremony as winners received their crystal trophies. The Filipino Golfers Association of Ku-wait led by its President Bong Gante congratulated all the winners and wished everyone a happy Philippine Independence Day.

The FGA-K is one of the most ac-tive Philippine sports organisations in Kuwait that has organised various charitable events in the past to help

raise funds for typhoon survivors and less fortunate compatriots in the Phil-ippines.

The group also holds a weekly golf

clinic for beginners and other golf enthusiasts.

To those who are interested to join the group may contact any of the

FGA-K officers or members or check its page on Facebook under the name of Filipino Golfers Association, Ku-wait.

ROGERS, Arkansas, July 1 (AP): Sung Hyun Park two-putted for birdie on the par-5 18th to win the Walmart NW Arkansas Champi-onship for her second LPGA Tour victory of the season and seventh overall.

The 25-year-old Park is projected to move from second to first in the world ranking Monday. She will take the top spot from friend Jin Young Ko, the fellow South Korean player who poured water over Park’s head on the 18th green.

“It would definitely be good to be back on the top, but to be hon-est, there was a lot of pressure when I was the No. 1,” Park said through a translator. “But I wouldn’t want to sort of keep that in mind, because I would be under pressure. But then again, it would feel nice to be the No. 1.”

Park closed with a 5-under 66 to finish at 18-under 195 at Pinnacle

Country Club. She tapped in a putt not much more than a foot on the 18th to beat Danielle Kang, Hyo Joo Kim and Inbee Park by a stroke.

“To be honest, my round today didn’t go as well as I thought it would,” Sung Hyun Park said. “I knew that it was important to make a lot of birdies on the front nine, but there were a lot of opportunities. ... But I talked with my caddie, and we both said there’s still a lot of hope left. Every single shot was really im-portant.”

Kang, Kim and Inbee Park each shot 65, with Kang playing the final five holes in 5 under with an eagle on the par-5 14th and birdies on the last three.

“I definitely finished well,” Kang said. “I gave everything I got the last nine holes, so came up one shot short. Wish we could have gone to playoff, but I knew that Sung Hyun was going to have an iron in on the

last hole.”She did, and from only 164 yards.

She hit about 30 feet left of the flag to set up the two-putt birdie

Sung Hyun Park birdied all four par-5 holes in the final round. She played the 18th in 4 under for the three rounds, making an eagle Friday and a birdie Saturday for a share of the second-round lead with Carlota Ciganda.

She won the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore in early March and was second last week in Minnesota in the major KPMG Women’s PGA Champion-ship.

Inbee Park missed a chance for 20th LPGA Tour title and first since early last season.

“I had a lot of birdie opportunities, but I wasn’t able to convert enough,” she said. “My putting was just a little bit weak compared to other parts of the game today.”

Brittany Altomare was fifth at 16 under after a 66. Ciganda had a 69 to finish at 15 under with Ryann O’Toole (64), Mi Jung Hur (64) and Daniela Darquea (67).

Sung Hyun Park watches her tee shot on the 3rd hole during the fi nal round of the LPGA Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament

on June 30, 2019 in Rogers, Arkansas. (AP)

Steve Stricker hoists the cham-pionship trophy after winning the US Senior Open golf tournament following the fi nal round of play on June 30, 2019 in South Bend, Indi-

ana. (AP)

Some of the Filipino golfer participants of the 121st Philippine Independence Day.

Alex Bowman takes photos of him and his crew after winning the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois on June

30, 2019. (AP)

GOLF

GOLF