The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

Posted: 20 Nov 2011 03:17 AM PST

Luiten hits a shot at the Barclays Singapore Open on Sentosa Island in Singapore November 13, 2011. — Reuters pic

JOHOR BARU, Nov 20 — Dutchman Joost Luiten has now set himself the goal of breaking into the Ryder Cup team after a maiden European Tour success at the rain-affected Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia today.

The 25-year-old came from four shots behind heading into the third and final round of the 54-hole reduced event to win by a stroke with a five-under par 66.

Luiten finished on 15-under par at the Horizon Hills course, becoming only the fourth Dutch golfer to win on the European Tour and first since Robert Jan Derksen in 2005.

"This win takes a lot of pressure off me as I have been close a few times this year and to finally win one and to be close to being inside the top 15 on the Race to Dubai is unbelievable," Luiten told reporters.

"The first win they say is always really tough but to get that first win is the first step to keep on winning.

"I now want to be play in the Ryder Cup and I want to be also playing in the Majors and also get myself into the top-50 in the world. This win is the first step."

Luiten, who earned a US$333,330 (RM1.03 million) for his victory, is set to move just outside the leading 10 European Ryder Cup qualifiers once the points table is adjusted.

Sweden's Daniel Chopra, the overnight leader, had the chance to force a play-off but he missed his 15-foot eagle putt in a round of 70 for second place at 14-under par.

Triple major champion Padraig Harrington, last year's winner, finished a further stroke back after a 69.

"I was very disappointed with seven because I hit the ball really nicely and it was really the only bad shot I made all day," said Chopra of a double-bogey which dented his challenge.

"But it's a great way to finish the year. It has been a long, hard-working year and it is nice to have this good finish."

Harrington needed an eagle at the last to get into a play-off but missed the green with his approach shot and then chipped and two-putted for a par.

British pair Rhys Davies (65) and James Morrison (69) shared third with Harrington.

"It was disappointing not only to chip-and-putt 18 but also 16 but there you go," said Harrington. "I am happy with my form and where my head was at but still a little disappointed with the result." — Reuters

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US won Presidents Cup fair and square, says Couples

Posted: 20 Nov 2011 01:06 AM PST

Couples poses with the Presidents Cup trophy at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne November 20, 2011. — Reuters pic

MELBOURNE, Nov 20 — The United States team won the Presidents Cup because they were the better team, not because they were more accustomed to its format, captain Fred Couples said after his team's fourth straight victory in the biennial tournament today.

Internationals captain Greg Norman said the tournament should allow the hosts to pick the format after his players were routed in the foursomes matches, which the United States play on alternate years against the Europeans in the Ryder Cup.

The US won eight out of 11 of the foursomes, the margin greater than their winning total of 19-15, but the Internationals more than held their own in the four-ball and singles formats.

Norman, who lost his second successive Cup to the Couples-led Americans, also called for an extra two captain's picks for the Internationals saying there were at a relative disadvantage being spread across the globe and playing a number of different tours.

Couples suggested Norman's comments were sour grapes.

"We won this week because we were better players, and I think we have a little motivation, and we teamed well and we won," he told reporters. "I don't know what they would have said if they would have won.

"Everything would have been fair. But we won, and you know, I'm not saying anything bad to Greg.

"I'm just saying, I don't get that. We had 10 players, they got two picks. We got ten players and two picks and we won."

Couples placed four of his seasoned campaigners in the final singles matches and it proved a masterstroke as they notched four straight wins to secure victory after the Internationals made an early charge.

Tiger Woods, in his seventh Presidents Cup appearance sealed the win with his crushing 4&3 victory over Aaron Baddeley after 41-year-old Jim Furyk beat Ernie Els to post a perfect 5-0 record for the tournament, only the fourth to manage the feat in the tournament's history.

It was the Americans' seventh win from nine editions of the tournament but only their first outside of North America and was clinched at the venue of their sole loss in 1998.

"I give the guys a lot of credit, because obviously they came a couple weeks before this tournament, and we had a game plan to come play as a team, win as a team, and that's what we did," Couples added.

"The best thing I feel great about is our team won in Australia on away soil, which is a demanding task.

"We'll be celebrating, staying up late, and we have flights tomorrow, but you know, I think it's not top secret, but we'll have a beer or two and gamble a little bit tonight.

"We're staying at the Crown (casino), and we'll hang out and tell stories about how we won." — Reuters

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Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Ahad, 20 November 2011

The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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