.

Cricket - Sports

Loading...

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

9 more killed in Karachi violence

Posted:

KARACHI (Dunya News) – Target killing continues in Karachi as nine people, including renowned literary figure Prof Azfar Rizvi, were killed in different parts of the city on Friday.According to details, renowned literary figure Prof Azfar Rizvi and his driver were gunned down by some unidentified persons opened fire at their car in Karimabad area. Prof Azfar Rizvi had also served as head of Anjuman Taraqi Urdu. Governor and Chief Minister Sindh have taken notice of the incident and sought report from the police officials.In Sachal area, a security guard of a private company was shot dead. The deceased was identified as Ghulam Qadir. Some unidentified gunmen shot dead Asif Ali in Pakistan Bazaar while a man was killed and another wounded in firing incident near Baldia Town 24 market.Police have also recovered dead body of a woman from Khada Market in Kharadar area while dead body of a youth was recovered from Manghupir area. Both the dead bodies were stuffed in gunny bags.Meanwhile, a man named Iqbal Hussain, who was critically injured in firing incident near Katti Pahari, succumbed to his wounds at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

First session of Punjab Assembly today

Posted:

LAHORE (APP) - The first session of the Punjab Assembly will commence at 10 am today (Saturday). Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Mohammed Iqbal will administer oath to the newly-elected members of the Punjab Assembly. According to schedule, nomination papers will be filed for election of the office of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker on June 2 and polling will be held on June 3. On June 6, the members will elect leader of the house/ chief minister after which the house would be adjourned for an indefinite period. The majority party, PML-N, has already nominated Shahbaz Sharif for the office of the chief minister. Meanwhile, foolproof security arrangements have been made for the oath taking of the newly elected members.

Inaugural session of National Assembly today

Posted:

ISLAMABAD - Maiden session of newly-elected National Assembly (NA) will take place today (Saturday) with speaker Dr Fahmida Mirza in the chair. As many as 333 newly elected NA members will take oath while Dr Fahmida Mirza will administer oath to them. Election of new speaker and deputy speaker will be held on Monday while the house will elect Prime Minister (PM) on Wednesday. PML-N President Mian Nawaz Sharif will make his entry into NA today as a member after a long period of about 13 years and 8 months and he will take the oath as PM for third term on June, 5 after having been elected as leader of the house. He will be the first PM of the country who will take oath of his office for the third term. His government was dissolved on October, 12, 1999 and he was taken into custody. Later he was exiled to Saudi Arabia in 2000. He returned home in 2007 but he did not contest election in 2008. He participated in 2013 general elections and contested election for the seat of NA from two constituencies including Lahore and Sargodha and emerged victorious. His party has nominated him for the slot of Prime Minister. Total number of members of NA runs into 342 while notification about the success of 333 members has been issued by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). These members will take their oath. Speaker NA will announce election schedule of new speaker and deputy speaker. Speaker Fahmida Mirza will quit office of speaker NA and newly-elected speaker and deputy speaker will take over their respective offices. With the completion of election for speaker and deputy speaker, speaker will announce election schedule for new leader of the house. Nomination paper for the slot of prime minister will be filed with speaker NA on June, 4 and election for new leader of the house will take place on June, 5. PML-N has nominated Mian Nawaz Sharif for the office of prime minister while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has nominated Makhdoom Javed Hashmi in this respect. No other party including PPP has nominated any one for premiership.

Obama: NATO summit on Afghanistan next year

Posted:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama said Friday that NATO will hold a summit next year on the final chapter in its Afghan war and on a new training mission for after combat troops withdraw at the end of 2014.Obama made the announcement as he met NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen for White House talks, also focusing on modernizing the alliance's forces and the need to stabilize Libya's borders.But the US president would not say whether the talks also focused on the building regional security challenge posed by Syria's civil war, or any contingency plans that NATO might be making to intervene.Obama said he and Rasmussen talked about steps that could be taken after 2014 to ensure that Afghan security forces are effective and can control their own borders and that NATO members can be assured that Afghanistan will not be used as a base for terrorism in the future.What we agreed to is that in order for us to facilitate this entire process, it would be appropriate for us to have another NATO summit next year, Obama said.He added that the summit, with a date and venue yet to be confirmed, would underscore this final chapter in our Afghan operations, and throw light on NATO's future non-combat, training mission in the country.Rasmussen said that the NATO mission in Afghanistan would next year reach an important milestone with the withdrawal of combat troops and transition to a training, advising and assisting posture.Our goal is in sight, Rasmussen said, defining that goal as an Afghanistan that can stand on its own feet but the Afghans will not stand alone.We are prepared for an enduring partnership with the Afghan people.Obama did not respond to shouted questions by reporters about whether Syria came up in the talks.

Bomb and shooting kill 7 in Iraq

Posted:

BAGHDAD (AP) - A bomb exploded amid Sunni worshippers leaving a mosque in west Baghdad, one of two attacks Friday that left seven dead in Iraq, officials said.Iraqi security forces are struggling to contain the country's most relentless round of violence since the 2011 U.S. military withdrawal. Over 30 Sunni mosques have been hit in the past two months and over 100 worshippers killed, in addition to attacks on Shiite neighborhoods, security forces, and other targets.Police officials said the bomb left by the side of the road at the Omar mosque killed four people and wounded 11 others as they were walking away after Friday prayers.Meanwhile, police said that two carloads of gunmen attacked a security checkpoint in the city of Fallujah early Friday policemen, killing three. Two other policemen were also wounded in the attack in Fallujah, a former al-Qaida stronghold 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Baghdad.Health workers confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.The surge of attacks has sparked fears that the country could spiral into a new round of widespread sectarian bloodshed similar to that which brought the country to the edge of civil war in 2006-2007. Tension stemming from months of protests against the Shiite-led government by Iraq's Sunni minority, many of whom feel they've been marginalized and unfairly treated since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, escalated sharply last month after a deadly crackdown by security forces on a Sunni protest camp.In a show of national unity, Shiite and Sunni worshippers held joint prayers Friday in a Shiite mosque in downtown Baghdad amid tight security measures.Sunni cleric Khalid al-Mulla urged the government and the Iraqi people to stop the bloodshed by uniting against the terrorists who want to kill our sons in the name of Islam.Sunni militants, including al-Qaida, have long targeted Iraq's Shiite majority and government security forces. But the attacks on Sunnis mosques have raised the possibility that Shiite militias are also growing more active.The blood that is being shed is precious Iraqi blood ... so we should say 'Enough' to these killings, al-Mulla said. Worshippers chanted, Shiites and Sunnis are brothers.

6 Mexican tourists killed in Egypt bus accident

Posted:

CAIRO (AP) - A bus carrying Mexican tourists overturned Friday in Egypts Sinai Peninsula before bursting into flame, killing at least six, according to the state news agency MENA.Head of emergency services for South Sinai governorate Khaled Abou Hashem says that the bus was carrying tourists from the peninsulas Saint Catherines monastery to the Red Sea resort of Dahab.The accident occurred because of high speed driving, a security official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.MENA said another 25 people were injured.Road accidents are common in Egypt due to badly maintained roads and poor enforcement of traffic laws. According to a 2012 World Health Organization report, road accidents kill about 12,000 people each year in a population of about 90 million.

Oil falls below $92 on high supplies, OPEC output

Posted:

NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil fell 2 percent to its lowest level in a month after OPEC stuck to its current production target despite ample supplies of crude.U.S. crude oil futures fell $1.64 to close at $91.97 a barrel Friday in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for many international oil varieties, fell $1.80 to close at $100.39 in London.The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said Friday it would keep its official output target of 30 million barrels a day one third of the world's daily consumption even though world oil supplies are abundant and some regions, including the majority of the European Union, are in recession.At the end of a meeting at its headquarters in Vienna, OPEC said that steady prices in recent months showed that the market was adequately supplied and that no action was needed.Oil prices have traded in a range between $88 and $98 per barrel through the first five months of the year. The average for the year is $94.01 per barrel, just 13 cents less than the 2012 average.OPEC has been producing more oil than members agreed to, helping to boost global supplies. Analysts say that could lead to lower prices in the coming months.In view of the current oversupply and in the absence of any positive surprises from OPEC, oil prices are likely to remain under pressure, said analysts at Commerzbank in Frankfurt.Prices are also being pressured by weak economic outlooks around the world. When economies slow, drivers, shippers and travelers use less gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.Unemployment in the 17 countries that use the euro rose to a record 12.2 percent in April, according to data released Friday. The region is mired in its longest recession since the shared currency was introduced in 1999.The U.S. economy, meanwhile, grew at a modest 2.4 percent annual rate from January through March, slightly slower than initially estimated. That, teamed with higher oil production and the use of more fuel-efficient vehicles, has sent the nation's oil supplies soaring.The U.S. Energy Department said the nation's supply of oil rose last week by 3 million barrels to 397.6 million barrels, the highest level since the government started collecting the data in 1978.

Guptill hits ton as New Zealand eases to ODI win

Posted:

LONDON (AP) - Opener Martin Guptill led New Zealand to a five-wicket victory over England in their opening one-day international with an unbeaten century on Friday.Guptill hit eight fours and four sixes in his 123-ball innings of 103 not out. His last boundary won the match at Lord's against an insipid England team that could only manage 227 in its 50 overs as the three-match series got underway.Chasing the modest total, the New Zealanders found themselves 1-2 after James Anderson dismissed opener Luke Ronchi and Kane Wlliamson for ducks. Ronchi, who has switched his allegiance after playing in the past for Australia, lasted just two balls.But Ross Taylor and Guptill breathed life back into the innings with a comfortable 119-run partnership. Taylor hit nine fours on his way to 54 before he edged to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, giving Anderson his third wicket.Anderson (3-31) and spinner Graeme Swann (1-33) bowled tidily, but Jade Dernbach, Chris Woakes and Tim Bresnan were all either wasteful or unthreatening on an easy-paced wicket.Looking for revenge after being outplayed in a two-match Test series, New Zealand won the toss and put England in to bat.Alastair Cook and Ian Bell took the score to 45 before both fell caught behind off the accurate bowling of Tim Southee, who finished with 3-37.No English batsman made it out of the 30s. Jonathan Trott managed 37 in 53 balls and Chris Woakes 36, while Cook and Joe Root each scored 30.New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum's smart field placings strangled England, forcing batsmen to try over-ambitious shots and setting the tourists up for a victory.

Top BCCI officials quit amid IPL spot-fix case

Posted:

NEW DELHI (AFP) - Two top officials of the Indian cricket board quit on Friday over an escalating spot-fixing scandal, reports said.Sanjay Jagdale, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and treasurer Ajay Shirke submitted their resignations to the board president, the NDTV news network and other channels said.I don't want to give any reason, I have sent my resignation to the BCCI president, Jagdale was quoted as saying by NDTV.The resignations of Jagdale, the number two in the board hierarchy, and Shirke were likely to pile on more pressure on president N. Srinivasan to quit.Srinivasan has been under fire to resign after his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested last week for allegedly betting on Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.Meiyappan, an executive at the Chennai Super Kings IPL team which is owned by Srinivasan's group India Cements, is being probed by a three-member BCCI commission.Meiyappan's arrest came after Test paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and two teammates in his IPL franchise the Rajasthan Royals -- Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila -- were also taken into custody.The trio, who deny any wrongdoing, are in jail in New Delhi after police accused them of deliberately bowling badly in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars after striking deals with bookmakers.Srinivasan, who was elected as the BCCI president in 2011, has been resisting pressure for him to step down and can only be removed if two-thirds of the board's members vote against him.Earlier this week, India's sports ministry said Srinivasan should quit on moral grounds over the widening scandal that has rocked the sport.Police suspect that the betting racket is being controlled by international crime syndicates whose bosses are well aware of the rewards if they can manipulate events on the field in the cricket-mad region.Earlier Friday, Siddharth Trivedi, a paceman with Rajasthan Royals franchise, testifed before a judge in a New Delhi court in the case against his teammates.His statement is important because he has told us he has information on some of the bookies arrested by us, the police officer, who is part of the investigating team, told AFP on condition of anonymity.Trivedi's statements will be admissible as evidence in the court. It will definitely make our case stronger, the officer said.Sreesanth, who has played 27 Tests for India, is alleged to have been paid four million rupees ($72,000) to give away around 14 runs in an over while playing against the Kings XI Punjab on May 9.Chandila and Chavan are said by police to have agreed to similar deals in two other IPL matches.Spot-fixing is an illegal activity in which a specific part of a game, but not the result, is fixed.Batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar earlier on Friday voiced distress over the betting and spot-fixing scandal, becoming India's first big-name player to speak out on the issue.The developments in the last two weeks have been shocking and disappointing, Tendulkar, the world's leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, said.Also on Friday, a court in Mumbai ruled that Meiyappan and Bollywood actor Vindu Dara Singh Randhawa, would have to remain in police custody until Monday.Police say Meiyappan passed on match-related information to Randhawa by telephone.

Sri Lanka's Welegedara out of Champions Trophy

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Sri Lanka seamer Chanaka Welegedara has been ruled out of the upcoming Champions Trophy due to an ankle injury, team officials announced on Friday, with Dilhara Lokuhettige set to replace him.Lokuhettige, 32, has not played in a one-day international since 2005. He has taken six ODI wickets at 36.83.The Champions Trophy takes place in England and Wales between June 6 and 23, with Sri Lanka due to face New Zealand in their opening match in Cardiff on June 9.

Ireland's Rankin gets England call

Posted:

LONDON, May 31, 2013 (AFP) - Former Ireland seamer Boyd Rankin was called up Friday into England's one-day squad for the remaining two matches of their series with New Zealand.The 28-year-old, who plays county cricket for Warwickshire, was brought in after pacemen Stuart Broad (knee) and Steven Finn (shin) were ruled out of the first two ODIs through injury.Rankin made his debut for England's second string Lions in 2011 against Sri Lanka A and was selected on the England Performance Programme later that year.He played 37 one-day internationals for Ireland and was their leading wicket-taker at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean with 12 wickets at 27.England captain Alastair Cook, speaking after a five-wicket loss to New Zealand in the first one-day international at Lord's, said the 6ft 7in (2.01 metres) Rankin's height had worked in his favour.When you've got five bowlers you want as much variety as you can. When you lose two tall bowlers, you want to try to replace them with another tall bowler, Cook explained.Several former Irish internationals have switched allegiance to pursue careers in England.The long-established county programme makes it easier to sustain a professional career, with England having a far more extensive international programme than non-Test nations such as Ireland.England's team for Friday's first one-day international against New Zealand at Lord's included ex-Ireland batsman Eoin Morgan. However, the likes of former Australia captain Ricky Ponting have publicly echoed a question long asked in Ireland cricket as to what the future for the sport in the country holds if their best players continually leave to join up with England. The second match of the England-New Zealand series takes place in Southampton on Sunday, with the finale at Nottingham's Trent Bridge ground on Wednesday.

Nadal advances at French Open

Posted:

PARIS (AP) - Miffed about the scheduling of matches at the French Open, Rafael Nadal took the court at 11 a.m. Friday lacking his usual intensity, and it showed.The seven-time champion had to come from behind for the second match in a row to beat Martin Klizan 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.Nadal criticized tournament organizers for scheduling his match with Klizan late on Thursday with rain predicted. The forecast proved correct, and the match was postponed a day, while Nadal's next opponent Fabio Fagnini won earlier Thursday and will have a day's rest before their match Saturday.That's not fair, Nadal said. Today I was playing almost three hours on court, and my (next) opponent was watching the TV in the locker room.Because the second-round match against Klizan was postponed a day, Nadal must win six matches in the final 10 days of the tournament to reclaim the trophy.While Nadal's behind schedule and unhappy about it, Roger Federer and Serena Williams easily moved into the fourth round. Defending champion Maria Sharapova won a rain-interrupted match to reach the third round.Entering the tournament, Nadal had lost only 14 sets in 53 matches at the French Open. Now he has dropped the opening set in each of the first two rounds.When Klizan's final shot sailed out, Nadal gave the cheering crowd a relieved thumbs-up and managed a weak smile. The Spaniard blamed his patchy play on a lack of practice time because of rain.That makes the things not easy, Nadal said. So I started the match probably with not the right intensity, with more doubts than usual. The positive thing was that I had a good reaction at the beginning of the second set. Even if I didn't play fantastic, I played the way that I had to play, with intensity, you know, with passion.Nadal also lost the first set of his opening match against Daniel Brands and was down 3-0 in the second-set tiebreaker before he rallied. Last year lost one set in the entire tournament en route to a record seventh Roland Garros title.Federer, seeded No. 2, was broken in the opening game but held the rest of the way and eased into the fourth round by beating No. 30 Julien Benneteau of France, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.Federer hit 31 winners with 21 unforced errors to eliminate Benneteau, who had won when they played at Rotterdam in February.I'm able to play quite aggressive at the moment, Federer said. I don't know if I can keep that up. But the important thing is to keep the errors somewhat low because otherwise it's just silly aggressiveness. It has to be controlled aggression.Federer seeks a record 18th Grand Slam title, and his first since Wimbledon last year.No. 12 Tommy Haas became the first 35-year-old since 2007 to reach the French Open's third round, beating 20-year-old American qualifier Jack Sock 7-6 (3), 6-2, 7-5.Haas next plays No. 19 John Isner, who overcame a two-set deficit for the first time to win an all-American match against Ryan Harrison, 5-7, 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-1, 8-6.Isner is the last U.S. man in the field, because No. 18 Sam Querrey let a lead slip away in a 2-6, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2 loss to No. 15 Gilles Simon of France in the third round. Simon faces Federer next.An American player left the women's tournament when No. 29 Varvara Lepchenko was eliminated by No. 8 Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-4.The No. 1-ranked Williams, seeking her first French Open title since 2002, beat Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-2 and has lost only six games in three matches. Williams swung hard, as always, but committed only 16 unforced errors and extended her career-best winning streak to 27 matches.I play very aggressive, she said. That's important for me, because I want to keep on winning here.Sharapova needed only 15 minutes to close out a 6-2, 6-4 victory over 19-year-old Eugenie Bouchard. The match was suspended on Thursday night with Sharapova up a break in the second set at 4-2, and she was relieved to finish.It was such a long day yesterday, and obviously it's always difficult to have to come back, Sharapova said.With a morning start on another chilly, damp day in Paris, fans were late arriving at Court Suzanne Lenglen, which may have contributed to Nadal's malaise. The match was his first against the No. 35-ranked Klizan, and the slender Slovak's aggressive left-handed strokes from the baseline quickly made an impression.Wow, Nadal exclaimed after one winner by Klizan whizzed past.Nadal's shots lacked their usual depth and sting at the outset, and he pushed a forehand wide at the end of a long rally to lose serve for the first time.Klizan served out the set before Nadal gained a foothold, racing to a 4-0 lead in the second set.Nadal swept the final eight points of the third set to take command. His groundstrokes started landing beyond the service line more consistently, and dogged defense helped bail him out.He said his annoyance about the scheduling won't linger.When something like that happens, all we can do is just accept it, try to be positive, he said. Now is not the time to be angry or to have negative thoughts.Now 54-1 at the French Open, Nadal seeks to become first man to win eight titles at the same Grand Slam event.

Serena and Sharapova on Paris collision course

Posted:

PARIS (AFP) - Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova stayed firmly on course for a showdown in the French Open final on Friday by swatting aside overmatched opponents.They were joined in the last 16 by two other former champions - Ana Ivanovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova - while the 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy made it through to the third round.Williams and Sharapova, the two superstars of the women's game have been duelling for the world number one spot for the last year along with Victoria Azarenka, and their rivalry is currently the biggest draw in the women's game.Neither was troubled on Friday as the rain that had bedevilled Thursday's play let up to be replaced by cold, blustery conditions.Defending champion and second seed Sharapova was first up, needing only four games and a handful of minutes to finish off her second round tie 6-2, 6-4 against Canadian teenager Eugenie BouchardThe match had been suspended late Thursday when the rain came down again with the Russian second seed up a set and 4-2.It was a lesson in big-time tennis for the promising 19-year-old from Quebec, who won the Wimbledon girls singles title last year and who was playing in her first Grand Slam tournament.Sharapova, a teenage tennis sensation herself when she won the 2004 Wimbledon title at the age of 17, will go on to play former US and Australian Open semi-finalist Zheng Jie of China.She is now on a nine-match winning streak at Roland Garros having completed her collection of Grand Slam titles in Paris last year, the seventh woman in the Open era to achieve that feat.It was a pretty long day yesterday. Left here pretty late and then had an early morning, Sharapova said.But, we all know what to expect. We all kind of knew the weather wasn't going to be really good yesterday.Top-seeded Williams, playing in the opening tie of the third round, needed just 61 minutes to dispose of Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-2 and she has now lost just six games in three one-sided matches.Cirstea, the 26th seed, who reached the quarter-finals in Paris in 2009, was facing an embarrassing whitewash after losing the first set 6-0 in just 23 minutes.But she rallied briefly at the start of the second set and even had two break points to lead 3-2.She failed to take either of these though and Williams simply stepped on the accelerator again to race away and end the remaining pockets of resistance from the Romanian.The win was the 27th in a row for Williams -- the best unbeaten run of her career -- and it took her into a fourth round matchup against the winner of the tie between Roberta Vinci of Italy and Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic.Williams is seeking the 16th Grand Slam title of her career, but just the second in Paris where she last won in 2002.Still, she insisted she was not obsessed by winning the most prestigious claycourt title for a second time this year.Every slam is really my priority, she said. I would love to win this one, but there is still a lot of people in the draw that would love to win this tournament, as well. I'm just one of thoseLooming on the horizon for the American in a potential semi-final matchup against last year's runner-up Sara Errani.The Italian outplayed dangerous German Sabine Lisicki 6-0, 6-4 and the fifth seed has dropped just nine games in three matches to date.The 2008 champion Ivanovic of Serbia easily beat France's Virginie Razzano 6-3, 6-2, while 2008 winner Kuzentsova of Russia eased past Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).

Bordeaux beat Evian 3-2 to win French Cup

Posted:

SAINT-DENIS (AP) - Cheick Diabate scored an 89th minute winner to help Bordeaux beat Evian 3-2 in the French Cup final on Friday.Diabate scored the first of two goals on the night in the 39th minute, before Yannick Sagbo leveled for Evian in the 51st.Henri Saivet restored Bordeaux's lead in the 53rd, but Evian defender Brice Dja Djedje equalized from close range in the 70th.Diabate missed a penalty in the 48th. However he recovered to score the late winner, securing his side a trophy and a place in next season's Europa League.Bordeaux also won the French Cup in 1941, 1986 and 1987. This is the club's first trophy since it clinched the Champions Trophy in 2009.

Haas leads as Tiger falters at Memorial

Posted:

DUBLIN (AP) - Bill Haas hit one shot he thought might be out-of-bounds and he walked off with a birdie. Tiger Woods kept hitting fairways and rarely made better than par.They finished 10 shots apart Friday at the Memorial.Haas, who has never fared better than 30th at what he considers one of his favorite tournaments, handled a tough wind and a crispy Muirfield Village for a 5-under 67 that gave him a three-shot lead among the early starters.Woods missed only one fairway and briefly flirted with the cut line until birdies at the par 5s on the front nine gave him a 74. A five-time winner and the defending champion, Woods had his worst 36-hole score at the Memorial since he first played this tournament in 1997.Tough conditions out there, and I didn't exactly play my best, either, Woods said.Haas has been playing the Memorial since 2005, and he has been coming to Muirfield Village even longer, as his father, Jay Haas, was a regular. The son even caddied for the father one year.Even though I've never really had great success here personally, I love coming back, look forward to it every year, Haas said. And part of it might be I've always known how much my dad liked it and how well he did here. Hopefully, I can continue on the weekend and get a better taste in my mouth on how to play it, as opposed to just liking it.He was at 9-under 135, three shots clear of Matt Kuchar, who bogeyed his last hole for a 70.Only six players from the morning round managed to break 70, a testament to a course that is dry and fast, especially on the greens. The wind was strong early and showed no sign of letting up, even after a 20-minute delay in the afternoon as storms threatened.The resurgent Robert Karlsson had a 71 and was five shots behind.Charl Schwartzel, who opened with 10 birdies in his round of 65, was among those playing in the afternoon.For a short time, it looked as though Woods' first objective was to stick around for the weekend. Along with not making birdies, he made a mess of the par-5 15th for the second straight day. From the fairway, he pulled his approach well left of the green and chipped through the green, just into a thick collar of round. He chipped out to about 5 feet, and his par putt caught the lip and spun some 8 feet away. Woods wound up three-putting for double bogey from 5 feet.It could have been worse. Woods made six par putts from the 4-foot to 7-foot range, and he wound up at 1-over 145. When he played the Memorial his first full year on tour in 1997, Woods opened with 72-75 and tied for 67th in a tournament cut short to 54 holes.The forecast is for storm activity over the weekend. Woods figured his best chance to get back into the tournament was an early tee time on Saturday and conditions that would allow a low score before becoming tougher for the afternoon crowd. If the third round is played early from a two-tee start to avoid weather, the players who make the cut will be bunched together.I thought I had a good chance to at least get to even par for my round, Woods said. The last hole I ended up making bogey. All in all, it was a hard-fought day, and that's all I have.Woods has never won a PGA Tour event from 10 shots behind going into the weekend. He won at Torrey Pines in 1999 when he was nine shots behind Ted Tryba. Woods has never made up more than a six-shot deficit on the weekend at Muirfield Village.His tough day wasn't nearly as bad as some of those around him.Matt Every started the back nine with a birdie and finished it with a 44 on his way to an 84. Brendan Steele had an 81, while Innisbrook winner Kevin Streelman had an 80. And it proved far too tough for Guan Tianlang. The 14-year-old from China missed his second straight cut after a round of 79.Those greens are lightning fast, Haas said. I think that's the biggest deal.Even more significant for Haas was how he played the par 5s. He is 7-under on them for the week, including that birdie on No. 11 when he discovered his tee shot was in play.Turned a 7 into a 4 real quick, Haas said.He also holed a bunker shot at No. 5 for an eagle.Anytime you hole out of a bunker, a lot of things have to go your way, Haas said.He has had few complaints so far. His first child - William Harlan Haas, Jr. - was born two weeks ago. Haas is away from home for the first time, though he is getting plenty of pictures and videos sent his way. And he is getting plenty of sleep.If the conditions don't change, Haas and everyone else will need plenty of rest.This course is hard without wind, Kuchar said. It's difficult and challenging on a normal day. With 20-plus wind, it becomes really difficult.

Posted by IMRAN ALI SOOMRO (DARVESH) at 6/01/2013 07:29:00 AM

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

World EYE

Loading...

  © Blogger templates Newspaper III by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP