01192017 sports by tribune242

SPORTS SECTION E

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017

World Relays to make a ‘Bahamazing’ return By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

formances I’m looking forward as I’m excited to see how they mash up the track in 2017. Much anticipation will be placed on our athletes,” Carey said. “Our athletes continue to strive for the best and as small as our nation is, we are chest to chest with the big boys at the finish line in every major sporting event around the world. We are known to walk quietly but to carry a big stick. As large as those other countries are and as disciplined and famous as their athletes are, they respect us greatly for the contribution we have made towards sports internationally. The local organisers of these relays are very excited about hosting once again and of course much anticipation is being

‘RENO’ TO FACE MEXICAN GUTIERREZ FOR MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE JAN. 28 By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

placed on the performance of our athletes as many of them will be competing for the Golden Baton.” Corporate Bahamas would again be called upon to ensure the Bahamas is able to maintain a positive showing as hosts. Hosting the event will require 500 event volunteers and 100 organising committee volunteers. “Hosting the relays is a costly venture, therefore we call upon corporate Bahamas to give and give generously to ensure that international standards are met and kept,” Carey said. “The Good Lord loves a cheerful giver and so do we. When we talk about corporate sponsorship we look at the

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MINISTER of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson gives remarks yesterday during a press conference held by sporting officials to announce this year’s IAAF World Relays Bahamas. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff “We also presented the gargantuan idea of the Bahamas becoming the permanent home of the World Relays so the name Bahamas becomes synonymous with each other. We are the only country to have hosted the event,” she said. “Our citizens and athletes should be proud of this as a major source of exposure to give them an opportunity to shine in their own backyard and compete against some of the best athletes in the world.” As they prepare to venture into the third event, Carey said Bahamian athletes should have much to prove on the track as well. “Our women’s 4x4 team set a new national record in Rio and that will be just one of the per-

Conference, 2&3

TUREANO Johnson is set to return to the ring in just over a week and while his focus is on the task at hand, his ultimate goal remains his quest for an upset win over the unified middleweight champion. Johnson (19-1, 13 KOs) will face Antonio Gutierrez (21-2-1, 9KOs) of Mexico on the Francisco Vargas-Miguel Berchelt card, which is scheduled for January 28, at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California. Johnson was featured on Craig Scott’s #Breakout series where he discussed the matchup against the 22-year-old Gutierrez and looked ahead to Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. “Gutierrez is a decorated fighter. He is from a very strong heritage of the Mexican background. Mexican fighters have a tendency to be very tough and very good. This fight is no pushover at all. He poses a great threat in the front of me but I’m sure I’m capable of overcoming this match.” Johnson, 31 injured his shoulder in a unanimous decision win over Irishman Eamonn O’Kane on October 17, 2015. With the win, he became the mandatory number one contender for the International Boxing Federation’s (IBF) middleweight title. He further damaged his shoulder just ahead of his scheduled fight with IBF middleweight champion Golovkin. That fight was set to take place on April 23, but Johnson was forced to pass on it to undergo surgery. He remains steadfast in his aim to challenge Golovkin in 2017 and fulfill his duty as the mandatory challenger. “I suffered a rotator cuff tear in the first round of that fight.

ith just 93 days left before the “Bahamazing” return of the IAAF World Relays, preparations have begun in earnest as the Bahamas Government and the local organising committee announced the official launch of the third edition of the event. This year’s signature event for the Bahamas is now scheduled for April 22-23 at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. A joint press conference was held yesterday at the stadium where Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) president Rosamunde Carey led the group that unveiled plans as the event is set to return to the Bahamas. Carey, who also serves as the CEO of the IAAF World Relays Bahamas 2017, said the LOC is looking forward to once again producing another world class international event, which rivals other international events hosted in other parts of the world. “For the third time the Bahamas will host the World Relays. Having proven ourselves as a viable sporting nation, capable of pulling off an event of this magnitude and attracting a whose who of track and field,” she said. “I look forward to a seamless production of this sporting and touristic event. The IAAF has entrusted the BAAAs and the Bahamas at large with a precious gem which we have successfully nurtured since 2014.” The only country to host the event since its inception, the Bahamas also successfully won the bid to host in 2019 and have placed bids for 2021 and 2023. The IAAF opted not to hold a World Relays last year because of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

NFL PICKS

Todd Isaacs Jr looks to up his game with Cleveland Indians

Champ Stuart invited to Mets spring training

By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

LOOKING to build on his AllStar effort of last season, Todd Isaacs Jr looks to elevate his game and his place in the Cleveland Indians organisation. As he heads into next season, the 20-year-old outfielder said his next assignment will be dictated by the work he has put into the offseason and his performance in spring training next month. “It all depends on how I do in spring training. I’m preparing everyday. Working hard everyday just trying to make sure I’m mentally and physically ready everyday. They tell you to come to spring training ready, don’t come there to get ready. From day one to camp’s break you have to be getting after it,” he said. “My offseason training is really intense. I do most of my training at this facility in Miami and they really get me ready. They push me to every limit. Everyday it’s something tougher and much harder on us but they help me to get ready and to stay durable the whole year. The training I get in the US is on another level but we do our best when we’re home in the gyms, we run the beach and we hit the field everyday so we try our best to incorporate that but it’s nothing like what we get over there.” Isaacs was selected to the AllStar roster in the New York Penn League where he hit .333 with 20 RBI, six home runs, 14 stolen bases and an .898 OPS for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in the Class A Short Season. “This whole year, the sequences of events have worked out in my

TODD ISAACS JR favour. Out of spring training I went to extended which is 30 more games. Basically they don’t keep stats but it’s a grind so you go out there early in the mornings, practice, get the work in and play games,” he said. “The whole time I started to learn more about myself, more about my swing but my eyes started to open up to the different parts of my game I can control and work on. I was always a person that would go in the cage and just hit thinking I’m fixing something but I never really understood what I was doing. One day I had a conversation with my coach – he asked me my end goal in baseball and I told him to be the first ever Hall of Famer out of the Bahamas. He said you have to play everyday as a stepping-stone to getting to that goal one day.”

His improvement with the Scrappers followed a struggle in the Arizona Rookie League where he hit just .214 in 34 games. Isaacs called it a “humbling experience” but one that was necessary for his growth and development as a player. “It was tough. All my life I had been able to fit in on teams and automatically create my persona on the team and almost be the man. When I went to Arizona it was a step back. I wasn’t playing everyday, I wasn’t doing well, I didn’t know what was going on, I wasn’t playing my position. There were so many things that were going the wrong way and I took it the wrong way so I just dug myself into a deeper hole,” he sai. “I needed that to humble me to show me that you have to compete everyday. You can’t go out there and think they have to give it to you. You really have to go out there and earn that so everyday I go out there I work hard thinking about what I felt back then and I never ever want to feel that ever again. So that’s’ what motivates me to keep moving forward and making sure that I create my persona as a leader on a team and someone you can count on. I’m thankful that it happened early in my career. I was able to bounce back and had the year I had and I’m able to keep going. Isaacs was chosen by the Cleveland Indians in the 19th round as the 574th selection of the 2015 MLB Draft, following a critically acclaimed year with the Palm Beach State Community College Panthers. In 2014, he was originally draft-

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CHAMP Stuart continues to progress in the New York Mets organisation and will have another opportunity to progress with the franchise. Stuart, 24, was one of 13 intriguing minor league prospects to receive an invitation to the club’s Major League spring training next month. Pitchers and catchers will report to St Lucie, Florida on February 12 followed by Stuart and the other position players one week later. Organised Grapefruit League action begins on February 24, with the Mets playing their first home game one day later, against the Washington Nationals. Following a stellar regular season, Stuart was named to the roster of the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Offseason Arizona Fall League. The Scorpions have MLB affiliations with the Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels. The Arizona Fall League attracts many of the top prospects in the minor leagues. Late in the minor league seasons, MLB clubs hold a position draft to determine the players who will participate in the AFL. Most are Double-A and Triple-A players. The league is designed for these prospects to refine their skills and perform in game settings in front of major and minor league baseball scouts

CHAMP STUART and team executives, who are in attendance at almost every game. In 19 games, Stuart hit .300 with 12 runs scored, five RBI, 12 stolen bases an OBP of.329 and OPS of .729 with one home run. In 2016 he had a season of several milestones, including an appearance as a pinch runner in the final Grapefruit League game for the Mets in spring training and a stellar season with the Port St Lucie Mets in Single-A Advanced which led to a Double-A call up with the Binghamton Mets. Through 114 games in both leagues, Stuart hit .240 with 34 RBI and eight home runs. He has also totalled an OBP of .319, slugging percentage of .349 an OPS of .663 and 40 stolen bases. Last summer, Stuart was one of 10 Bahamian players to compete for Team Great Britain at the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Brooklyn, New York. During the tournament, he hit .467 with an PS of 1.233, OBP of .500, with three RBI and 11 total bases.

PAGE 2, Thursday, January 19, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

HOW THE EXPERTS ARE FARING

WILD CARD

Leo B Ricardo Naughty AP Sancheska Renaldo

3-1 3-1 4-0 3-1 4-0 2-2

DIVISIONAL 4-0 4-0 2-2 3-1 1-3 3-1

POST-SEASON 7-1 7-1 6-2 6-2 5-3 5-3

DIVISIONAL ROUND AWARDS THE “This Works Much Better When Awful Calls Go In Your Favour” Award presented by Golden Tate and the Fail Mary - Eric Fisher. Why’d you have to hold bruh? THE “I Can’t Believe What I Just Saw” Award presented by anyone as long as they say it in Jim Ross’ voice - Aaron Rodgers. I’ve made that throw before, but we’re both amazing quarterbacks. THE “Life’s Work Undone By One Touchdown Pass” Award presented by Dwight Clark - Tony Romo. It was 21-3, the Romo clock was on, then Dak threw a touchdown to Dez Bryant and Romo immediately updated his résumé. PACKERS QB Aaron Rodgers speaks with the media yesterday. The Packers will play the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game on Sunday in Atlanta. (AP)

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

in on every mundane aspect of your life, no matter how private. If you need a football reason or whatever, these dudes scored 19 points against the Chiefs. PATRIOTS over Steelers

By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

SANNIE: Tom Brady is perfect. Even when he cheats. Ben Roethlisberger has a fat face and Renaldo tells me he tends to be – what’s the most politically correct way to say this – he has issues with rejection. PATRIOTS over Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots RENALDO: My God, nobody cares about the Antonio Brown Facebook Live video. It has nothing to do with schematics, game planning or has any bearing on the outcome of whatever happens Sunday. On second thought…it sounds like the exact thing that I should pay attention to. The talk about this video has been so overwhelming that no one has actually said a word about the game. This is how I need my football covered. I need two days of coverage on the incident itself, followed by body language experts to explain the video and the impact of the “old school vs. millennial” way we parse every argument nowadays. Then there’s reaction from Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger and anyone else paid to swing wildly and guess about this stuff. Here’s the thing – this wasn’t out of the norm for any millennial with a smartphone. I hate as much as most old people do, but this is the world we live in now. You have to let thousands of people

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons RENALDO: I can’t wait to see these teams not play defence for an entire afternoon. This is the video game-like NFC championship we deserve for sticking with this season that went on forever. Same theme from last week applies. I firmly believe the Packers are a marginal team and the Falcons are better than them in nearly every aspect. All but one – the most important position on the field. I’ll just have to be wrong about Aaron Rodgers, but there’s no way I bet against him at this point. PACKERS over Falcons SANNIE: The fact that Atlanta made it this far is proof that proficiency in ratchet TV is directly proportional to success in life. FALCONS over Packers

WORLD RELAYS FROM PAGE 1

bigger picture which shows that we will once again be hosting the World Relays in 2019 and we have a reputation to keep intact.” Bahamian track and field icon and IAAF councilwoman Pauline DavisThompson is credited as being the catalyst behind the creation of the event and guiding it toward the Bahamas. “Who would have thought a young black girl from Fleming Street would be on the world stage like this. Who would have thought that she would have been able to convince the IAAF that they needed a new event, that that event should be the World Relays and that it should be held in the Bahamas. She was able to do that because of the village, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas that raised her,” Davis-Thompson said. “I am thankful to serve this great nation and I want you to know that I am constantly representing you the way you raised me to.” She credited the hospitality of the Bahamian people as one of the main reasons the Bahamas continues to be such an attractive venue. “This is the third edition of the World Relays being held here and we have been amazing. The world cannot stop talking about you. When the world speaks of the World Relays, they speak of the Bahamian people. They revel at how you encourage and cheer loudly for everyone, you just cheer a little louder for the Bahamas. Because of you, this third edition is going to be better than the rest,” DavisThompson said. Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson said the event continues to be one of the highlights of the “Sports In Paradise” initiative. “When I came to this ministry I told people that I am in the business of sports and the tourism business is built on repeat group customers. That’s how we built our industry. We know what we have achieved and that we have great figures that can go around the world.

ROSAMUNDE CAREY, LOC CEO and BAAA President, speaks during yesterday’s World Relays Bahamas press conference. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff We also know what we In addition to traditioncan do on the field and on al events, the IAAF anthe stage as hosts. We’re nounced that they would innot simply brining an event clude a mixed 4 x 400 metre home, we brought an indus- relay, which will close out try home. The whole idea the two-day event on Saturof Sports In Paradise is to day night. generate revenue to benefit The mixed relay, comthe Bahamian people. No prising of two men and matter how much they com- two women, will add to the plain, 80 per cent of every 2017 programme that will dollar we spend is spent on consist of four other relay the Bahamian people. The disciplines, inclusive of the world spends $7.1 trillion 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m per year on this industry and 4x800m for both men and 45 per cent of people and women. that travel do so for sports Since the inception of the and entertainment. The World Relays in 2014 when return on our investment 276 men and 194 women from the World Relays has from 41 member federanow been 5:1.” tions competed, the event Minister Johnson said has grown with 514 athletes the IAAF World Relays from 42 countries featuring is just one of several mar- 284 men and 230 women in quee sporting events that 2015. will be coming to the BaThe USA dominated hamas in 2017, making it the first two editions, winthe greatest year for sports ning the inaugural Golden tourism. Baton, awarded to the “The first one is always team that accrues the most the toughest one but it points, with 60. proved our mettle that we The following year, USA could produce a world-class underlined their domievent in a global setting for nance, taking seven victothe world to see and real- ries and tallying 63 points. ise that Bahamians are for Three world records were real. Then we did it again. set in 2014 - in the men’s As we go into the third edi- 4x200m by Jamaica and tion, this event, we have by Kenyan squads in both improved in every aspect. the men’s and women’s Everything we have put in 4x1500m. we now realised that we’re In 2015, world records in the black, we’re no longer were set by US quartets in in the red, we’re ahead. It’s both the men’s and womimportant because building en’s distance medley relays. an industry we are making The inaugural World Reand paying our way,” he lays allowed the top eight said. “We have something teams in both the men and that nobody else has. We women 4 x 100 and 4 x 400m are the only place in the to automatically qualify for world that has ever hosted the IAAF World Champithe most exciting athletic onships in 2015 in Beijing, event in the world. Every- China. body wants it and we have The same format will it. This event shattered the continue this year in qualiglass ceiling for this region fying for the World Chamin hosting a global sports pionships in London, Engmarket.” land in August.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, January 19, 2017, PAGE 3

I hope Brady is the next to join the party in the ‘Losers Lounge’ SO my Super Bowl prediction got squashed! I understand some ‘obeah’ was used by one of my colleagues at The Tribune to ensure my Cowboys didn’t meet his Patriots in the Super Bowl, because he couldn’t take seeing my ‘Boys win it all. Enjoy your moment, I will enjoy mine repeatedly over the next few seasons as I watch a new NFL dynasty arise in Dallas, while another crumbles in New England. Since my Cowboys playoff ouster, I’ve been researching the top defensive free agents to be in the NFL, as well as the top defensive prospects in April’s NFL Draft. In fact I just took a break to give you guys my AFC and NFC Championship game predictions, then back to my ‘man cave’ to continue my scouting. At this point with my Cowboys out, I could care less who wins. Well, maybe not, I hope

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS BY INIGO ‘NAUGHT Y’ ZENI

CAZELAYA

NFC Brady is the next to join the party in the ‘Losers Lounge.’ AFC STEELERS vs PATRIOTS Boogedy boogedy Boo, I put the whammy on you Tom Brady! (If it worked for Wells, it can work for me) STEELERS 34 PATRIOTS 31

PACKERS vs FALCONS If you can’t beat them, join them! I tip my hat to Aaron Rodgers - he’s earned my respect. PACKERS 38 FALCONS 37 See you Sunday on the Press Box on KISS 96FM 10 am to 1pm when I break it all down. LEO B’s PICKS STEELERS PACKERS

THE AFC championship trophy and helmets from the Steelers and Patriots are displayed before yesterday’s NFL team practice. The New England Patriots will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC championship game on Sunday. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

MATT RYAN HAS HAD THE BEST YEAR OF HIS CAREER...GO FALCONS Championship weekend is finally here and guess what, my Patriots are ready to square off in their sixth consecutive AFC championship game with a win taking the team to its ninth Super Bowl in team history, a record. After a 4-0 week last week in the Divisional round, I am ready for a 2-0 showing this weekend.

NFC Championship, 3:05pm Green Bay Packers @ Atlanta Falcons The Patriot-way stipulates that I focus on the team in front us, the Pittsburgh Steelers. I shouldn’t look forward to the Super Bowl and I should not comment as if

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS BY RICARDO WELLS rwells@tribunemedia.net

we have already been assured of our spot there. Let me make this clear. Both teams are great and deserve there spot in this game and would have earned their Super Bowl spot. Aaron Rodgers has brought the Packers back from the proverbial grave and Matt Ryan has had the best year of his career. One

can’t go wrong here: FALCONS AFC Championship, 6:40pm Pittsburgh Steelers @ New England Patriots There’s no talking needed here. The job this week is clear, win. We do our jobs! PATRIOTS

High-octane offences in title games should be fun By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer THIS should be fun. The conference championship teams feature bigtime offences — yes, we know, the Steelers didn’t look like one in the red zone last weekend — that could turn the scoreboards into tote machines. And while Pro Picks has always preferred the bruising defensive battles, there’s no denying how entertaining Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Ryan can be when flinging the ball around the field. Add in some terrific runners, led by Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell and New England’s LeGarrette Blount, and such All-Pro targets as Antonio Brown and Julio Jones, and bettors will be in love with the over (60 for the NFC, 50½ for the AFC) this week. Indeed, it’s difficult to make an argument that any of the defences will be the deciding factor in Foxborough or Atlanta. Yes, the Patriots yielded the fewest points in the NFL this season, but the three best offences they played were Arizona, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. The Cardinals matchup was in the season opener,

when Arizona’s offence was not tuned-up. New England beat the Steelers without Roethlisberger, who was injured, and no one would mistake the Bills for a juggernaut with the ball. Then again, the Patriots are a juggernaut with the ball. Look at how they beat Houston, the top-ranked defence in the league, in the divisional round even though Brady was not at his best. And think about what they are capable of. “I think we’ve just got to learn from it,” he said. “It was a lot of things, and then when you add our poor execution on top of that, then you add our turnovers on top of that, it doesn’t feel great because we worked pretty hard to play a lot better than we played.” One thing the Steelers won’t be on Sunday is intimidated by Brady and New England’s résumé. The only way to win at Gillette Stadium is to be aggressive from the opening kickoff, and Mike Tomlin’s team will be that. Oddly, Roethlisberger has never faced the Patriots in a postseason game at New England. He’s 0-1, that defeat coming in Pittsburgh during his 2004 Offensive Rookie of the Year season. New England is a 5-point favourite to make its sev-

enth Super Bowl with Brady at the helm; the Patriots are 4-2 in their previous trips. Pittsburgh, which has been to three Super Bowls with Roethlisberger, going 2-1, is the one AFC team capable of pulling off the upset. But it won’t. PATRIOTS, 34-26

Green Bay (plus 5) at Atlanta As we marvel at the talents of Rodgers, not to mention his prognosticating, and enjoy how much excitement he brings to the field, there’s one thing we can’t ignore. The Packers are too undermanned in the secondary.

Dak Prescott tore up Green Bay’s struggling and tiring D in the second half last Sunday. Cowboys receivers were so open that Jerry Jones probably could have completed some passes. That’s a recipe for failure against Ryan and all the weapons he has. Julio Jones could be a bit hobbled,

which would even things up a bit. And if Rodgers gets back a somewhat effective Jordy Nelson from his rib injury...Sorry, Cheeseheads, can’t persuade ourselves to believe. Pro Picks thinks this comes down to one unit being too bangedup and deficient. FALCONS, 35-31

PAGE 4, Thursday, January 19, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Strikers get double dose of victory

ON THE REPLAY: The double runners-up St Cecilia’s Strikers struck twice to hand the St Francis/Joseph Shockers a pair of shocking losses on Tuesday at Loyola Hall as the Catholic Board of Education continued its primary schools basketball league. In the girls’ game, the Strikers routed the defending champions Strikers 19-7 as Raynell Young exploded for a game high 13 points to single-handedly secure the win. Brianna Hanna added five as the two teams moved into a two-way tie for first place with a 2-1 win-loss record. Sammeka Hepburn had three and both Gianna Farquharson and Rashae Forbes had two points each in a losing effort. And in the boys’ feature game, Cayden King came up with a game high 11 and Zachary Knowles chipped in with seven as St Francis/Joseph held off St Francis/Joseph 21-18. Nikolai Saunders had nine and Larry Daxon contributed four in a losing effort as both teams again pulled even at 2-1 in the front running standings. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, January 19, 2017, PAGE 5

NBA CAPSULES PELICANS 118, MAGIC 98 NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Anthony Davis had 21 points and 15 rebounds, and New Orleans cruised past short-handed Orlando. Tyreke Evans and Langston Galloway added 18 points apiece for the Pelicans, who never trailed after the first quarter and extended their lead to as many as 28 points. Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton each had 14 points for Orlando, which finished 1-5 on a seasonlong six-game trip that featured five games in the last eight days. The Magic played their third straight game without leading scorer Evan Fournier, who is out with a bruised right heel. 76ERS 94, RAPTORS 89 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 26 points, Ersan Ilyasova added 18 and the resurgent Philadelphia 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors 94-89 on Wednesday night for their seventh win in nine games. Embiid, who was questionable because of the flu, surpassed 20 points in fewer than 30 minutes in his 10th straight game. With Embiid leading the way, the Sixers are no longer the NBA’s laughingstock. They’re only 14-26 but have rejuvenated a city that has patiently waited for a winner through three miserable seasons. DeMar DeRozan scored 25 for the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors, and Kyle Lowry had 24 points. After DeRozan gave Toronto an 86-85 lead, Embiid made a tying free throw. Embiid then grabbed a rebound after DeRozan missed a jumper and T.J. McConnell’s layup put Philadelphia ahead 88-86 with 1:09 left. Cory Joseph missed a 3-pointer on Toronto’s ensuing possession and McConnell sank a pair of free throws.

TUREANO JOHNSON FROM PAGE 1

“It sidelined me for my most anticipated fight, but we are back on the ball and guaranteed to make that fight happen for the fans,” Johnson said. “In this boxing world it is a lot of complications. As far as my camp and me we are able, pledged and ready

TODD ISAACS JR

ing and snapped an eight-game streak of allowing at least 100 points. Hibbert, who came in averaging 5.2 points per game, had a season-high 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including an alley-oop pass intended for Frank Kaminsky that inadvertently went in. Damian Lillard scored 21 points and C.J. McCollum had 18 for Portland, which has lost three straight and 16 of 22 since December 5.

PELICANS guard Buddy Hield attempts to recover a rebound against Magic guard C.J. Watson last night in New Orleans. (AP) ROCKETS 111, BUCKS 92 HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden had 38 points, eight assists and six rebounds, powering the Rockets to the win. Harden drilled a straightaway 3-pointer with six minutes left to give Houston a 13-point lead and shimmied his shoulders down the court in a celebratory dance as the Bucks called timeout. Eric Gordon made seven 3-pointers and scored 25 points for the Rockets, who had dropped three of four. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks for Milwaukee, which was outscored 30-12 in the second quarter.

with 30 points, helping the slumping Knicks to the road win. New York played without injured starters Kristaps Porzingis and Joakim Noah, but Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Willy Hernangomez each scored 17 points. It was just the third win in 14 games for the Knicks. Isaiah Thomas led Boston with 39 points, his 13th time this season with 30 or more points. Jae Crowder added 21 for the Celtics, who lost for only the fourth time in 17 games.

FROM PAGE 1

ed by the Toronto Bluejays in round 22 at No.654 but opted to attend Palm Beach State rather than pursue the club’s farm system directly out of high school. In 57 games, his lone season with the Panthers, Isaacs hit .330 with 40 runs scored, 30 RBI and 31 stolen bases. “Just to play pro ball is so exciting. We all get caught up in it. But at the end of the day if you aren’t ready you will feel like you made the biggest mistake of your life. I try to tell younger players to just be patient. If it doesn’t happen the way you want it to happen right away just keep working. It’ll happen in God’s time. I think my story has helped a lot of guys to realise if you don’t get that first opportunity right away, it’s ok. Continue to get better, continue to progress and it’ll happen.” Isaacs and his fellow professional players that were developed through the Freedom Farm Baseball League continue to establish a presence at the complex while home on postseason breaks. “It’s important for me because when I was young playing at Freedom Farm they had this big board with all of the names of the pro athletes or in college and in high school. I always used to look up there and hope that my name made it up there so that was my motivation going through Freedom Farm,” he said “When I come back now and speak to the kids I just try to tell them they can be in my shoes everyday if they keep working. I think the kids really enjoy us being around and it’s a humbling experience for me because a few years ago it was me doing that to guys like Antoan [Richardson] and Albert [Cartwright].”

PISTONS 118, HAWKS 95 AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Reggie Jackson scored 26 points to lead the balanced Pistons to the win. Each of Detroit’s starters scored in double figures, and the Pistons shot 49.5 per cent from the field. Tobias Harris had 19 points, Reggie Bullock finished with 15 and Andre Drummond added 13 points and 17 rebounds. Detroit raced out to a 4218 first-quarter lead and never trailed. Paul Millsap had 21 points and eight rebounds for the Hawks, who had won nine of 10. Dennis Schroder added 13 points and six assists.

KNICKS 117, CELTICS 106 BOSTON (AP) — Derrick Rose matched his season high

HORNETS 107, TRAIL BLAZERS 85 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kemba Walker scored 23 points, Roy Hibbert provided a huge boost off the bench, and Charlotte stopped a five-game slide. Nicolas Batum added 17 points for the Hornets, who limited the Trail Blazers to 35 per cent shoot-

WIZARDS 104, GRIZZLIES 101 WASHINGTON (AP) — John Wall had 25 points and 13 assists, and the Wizards earned their 13th consecutive home win. James Ennis III missed a potential tying 3-pointer at the buzzer for Memphis. The Wizards are just 4-13 on the road but now 18-6 at home, where they’ve compiled their longest winning streak since a 15game run in the 1988-89 season. Washington never trailed and led by as many as 19 points in the first half, then held on after a 10-0 run by Memphis made it a twopoint game with 2 1/2 minutes left. That’s when Wall took over, scoring on consecutive drives. Marc Gasol led Memphis with 28 points, and Mike Conley had 20.

to go to war with GGG this very year and hopefully we can get it done. From what we have seen, not knowing his issues or having never spoken to him, he looks as if he has his table pretty full, but hopefully he can fit me in inside there so I can put a spoiler in that plan that he has.” Robert Diaz, the head matchmaker for Golden Boy Promotions, said they’re looking forward to getting Johnson back in the ring.

“Tureano’s coming back. He had an injury and he had surgery. He was out on the shelf rehabilitating, but now he’s ready to get back in the picture,” said Diaz. “He’ll have a good fight to test the shoulder to see how he’s doing. And them from there, he’ll take on his position as the IBF mandatory.” Johnson has won his last five fights, with two coming by way of technical knockout. His only loss was to American Curtis Stevens

in 2014. Johnson has high hopes for capturing a title to add to his WBC Silver Middleweight belt and become the country’s first world champion since Elisha Obed. “It was in 2016 that the Bahamas won the Olympic gold medal in the 400m by Shaunae Miller, we won the 4x400m in London. We can go on and on when it comes to track and field and my country is no stranger when it comes to being the best athletes

in the world. Even the likes of Elisha Obed when he won the world title in the 1970s,” he said. “After so many years of such a drought of world champion boxers, my country would welcome it. It would be such a phenomenal feat, not just for myself. As a man of God, and standing on my belief as a Christian, I believe it would be a phenomenal moment throughout my country and for my fellow Bahamians. To win a world title would mean the world to me.”

LIVERPOOL DEFEATS 4TH-TIER PLYMOUTH 1-0 IN FA CUP REPLAY

CELTA VIGO players applaud their fans at the end of yesterday’s Copa del Rey quarterfinal 1st leg soccer match against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain. (AP)

Celta stuns Madrid 2-1 in 1st leg of Copa del Rey quarters By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Celta Vigo took advantage of its breakaway chances in the second half to stun Real Madrid 2-1 in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey yesterday, handing Zinedine Zidane’s team its second consecutive defeat after a record run of 40 games unbeaten. Iago Aspas netted off a counterattack in the 64th minute and set up Jonny Castro’s goal after another break in the 70th, one minute after Marcelo had equalised for the hosts at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Celta, which eliminated Atletico Madrid at this stage of last year’s tournament, needs a draw to advance in next week’s second leg in Vigo. Even a 1-0 loss would be enough at the Balaidos Stadium. “We will need to play even better in Vigo because we are facing a great rival that will make it very

difficult for us,” Celta coach Eduardo Berizzo said. “No result is safe against a team like Madrid.” It was the fifth win in a row for Celta, and the second loss for Madrid since setting the Spanish record for most consecutive games without a defeat in all competitions. It had lost by the same score at Sevilla in the Spanish league on Sunday to see its streak end. Before then, Madrid hadn’t lost since a Champions League game at Wolfsburg in April, and its only other defeat last year was at home against Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league. “I’m not worried,” Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said. “It’s a difficult moment because of the consecutive losses, but we know we can overcome this. We are behind but we can still change that in the return match.” Real Madrid hadn’t lost at home in the Copa del Rey in five years, since a 2-1 defeat against Barcelona in the quarterfinals of the 2012

tournament. Aspas opened the scoring after a great run by Theo Bongonda through the left flank. Marcelo used his back heel to try to clear Bongonda’s cross, but the ball stayed inside the area and Aspas picked it up to score from near the penalty spot. Marcelo equalised just five minutes later with a volley from inside the area after a ball that was partially cleared by the defence. But Aspas found Castro in between defenders for Celta’s second goal with a shot from the edge of the box as goalkeeper Kiko Casilla charged from the net to try to make the save. Karim Benzema had Madrid’s best chance to equalise after coming off the bench in the second half, but his close-range shot in the 83rd minute went over the crossbar. Cristiano Ronaldo had few chances despite playing from the start. Celta was eliminated by Sevilla

in last season’s semi-finals. Madrid, which was disqualified in the opening round last season for fielding an ineligible player, is seeking its first title since 2014. In other first leg matches today, two-time defending champion Barcelona plays at Real Sociedad, while Atletico hosts Eibar. ALCORCON 0, ALAVES 2 Forward Ibai Gomez scored twice late to give Alaves a twogoal lead heading into next week’s second leg at home. Gomez broke the deadlock in the 90th minute and added another goal in stoppage time to secure the advantage for the recently promoted club. Alcorcon, the only second-division club still alive in the competition, had defender Carlos Bellvis sent off with a straight red card moments after Alaves opened the scoring at Santo Domingo Stadium.

LONDON (AP) — Liverpool managed to eliminate Plymouth at the second attempt in the FA Cup yesterday, edging past the fourth-tier club 1-0 to reach the fourth round. Liverpool’s Brazilian duo combined for the goal with Lucas Leiva heading in from Philippe Coutinho’s corner in the 18th minute on the south coast. Liverpool clung on in the replay, with Divock Origi squandering a chance to double the lead when his penalty was saved. Liverpool’s priority is the Premier League, where it is in third place, trailing leader Chelsea by seven points in its bid for a first English title since 1990. But Juergen Klopp’s side remains in contention for three trophies. Liverpool will play Wolverhampton Wanderers next in the FA Cup on January 28 and is in the semi-finals of the League Cup, trailing 1-0 to Southampton heading into the second leg next week. Southampton also advanced in the FA Cup yesterday, with Shane Long’s goal securing a 1-0 replay win against second-tier side Norwich and a home match against Arsenal in the fourth round. Newcastle beat Birmingham 3-1 to set up a meeting with Oxford.

hit (5) 11 Reportedly condescend PAGE 6, Thursday, January 19, 2017 THE TRIBUNE rule old part of England 12 25 26 Lost weight when 13 14 15 16 solvent (7) 13 Tutor is sprinkling salt w 17 sightseers appear (7,6) 27 28 18 Haphazard attraction (6 18 20 Vehicle registered to a 19 oddly£100 (7) CASH read FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN 23 Puts off letters in the highlighted squares togetting reveal fellow the myr 20 21 22 23 24 to shovel (7) 25 Explosion fun answer (5) TO ENTER: Call 0904 161 1605 and leaveisyour 26 Coldness is keycompany to lack to 84010. Calls cost £1.50 plus your telephone (9)the answ at midnight tonight. Or send yourcompromise grid containing 25 26 27 He’d crow his sou Sutton Coldfield B73 9BT. Entries must be about postmarked b A small angel aro helpline number. ● The 28 winner will be the flying first rand dish (7)

NEED HELP? Call 0904 161 1609 for 5 extra clues! Ca

NAME FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN £100 CASH read down the letters in the highlighted squares to reveal the mystery word. ADDRESS

TO ENTER: Call 0904 161 1605 and leave your answer and details, or text DXWED followed by a sp to 84010. Calls cost £1.50 plus your telephone company’s network access charge. Texts cost £1.50 POSTCODE at midnight tonight. Or send your grid containing the answer in the shaded squares by posting it to: Cru Sutton Coldfield B73 9BT. Entries must be postmarked by October 27 at the latest. SP: Spoke – 03 helpline number. DAILY EXPRESS 30-SECOND ● The winner will beTHE the first random correct entry drawn from all entry rouC TODAY’S ANSWERS: BEGINNER = 16;telephone INTERMEDIATE = 282; NEED HELP? Call 0904 161 1609 for 5 extra clues! Calls cost £1.50 plus your company

MONDAY’S CROSSDOUBT ACROSS: 1 Fathom, 4 Balsamic, 10 Ra

NAME

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ADDRESS

CROSSDOUBT

A A D E R R

TARGET

THE

L O O I P N T LALPHABEATE U THE

A A D E R R S V W

TARGET

L O O I P N T L U

HOW many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here? In making a word, each letter may be used once only. Each must contain the centre letter and there must be at least one nine-letter word. No plurals or verb forms ending in “s”.

TODAY’S TARGET Good 13; very good 19; excellent 25 (or more). Solution tomorrow. YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION circle clergy cleric clinger cringe crying girl girly glycerin grey grin gyre liger liner linger lyre lyric nicer RECYCLING reign rein relic rely relying rice ricey ricy riel rile ring

Call 0907 181 2585 for today’s Target solution *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

*SP: Spoke – Helpline 0333 202 3390

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W 34202 33 Extra letter clues 0333 *SP: Spoke – Helpline 3390 24

5 35MOR 22 PLAY

J you turn the page upside down. Solution tomorrow. K 32 YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

circle clergy cleric clinger cringe Yesterday’s solution L crying girl girly glycerin grey Black squares: 1, 6, 7, M 1 23 6 38 35 36 liner linger lyre 9, grin 11, 14,gyre 17, 19,liger 24, 30, Extra letter c 32,lyric 34, 36, 38. RECYCLING Across: N reign rein nicer Primary, School, 0907 relic rely relying riceOricey ricy 28 2 16 32 1518182 Pirates, Gulped, riel rile ring (Deduct three minu P Viscose, Lynx, Judge, each extra clue lette Uses, Bezique, Jabbed, Q 37 40 10 6 Full 38solutio 37 Chicken, Occult, R Call 0907 181 2585 for Figured. 0907 181 2 13 19 37 *Calls 28 cost 3280p per 19 Down: today’s Limbic, Occupy, Target S solution Nuzzling, Fogey, *Calls cost 80p perTminute plus your telephone c your telephone Ukulele, plus Raiding, Fancy, company’s U 24 36 35 15network14access35ch network access charge. Artworks, Evenly, Swells. V

0907 181 2560 X (Deduct three minutes for each extra clue letter heard)

Full solution

0907 181 2558

Y 17 Z

*Calls cost 80p per minute 21 plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

■ 22 ■

● Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues to your mobil

PLAY MORE CROSSWORDS AND GAMES

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, January 19, 2017, PAGE 7

Federer extends run of reaching 3rd round to 18 Aussie Opens By JOHN PYE AP Sports Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Roger Federer relied on his Grand Slam experience during the most important points to beat Noah Rubin 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (3) yesterday, maintaining his record of never failing to reach the third round at the 18 Australian Opens he’s contested. After back-to-back wins over qualifiers, the degree of difficulty in his comeback from a six-month injury layoff will increase exponentially. Next up he faces 2010 Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych, who had a 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-2 win over Ryan Harrison. Also looming, potentially, is No. 5 Kei Nishikori, the 2014 US Open finalist, who set up a third-round match against Lukas Lacko with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 win over Jeremy Chardy. Federer didn’t play after his semi-final exit at Wimbledon last year, resting his injured left knee. He returned at the Hopman Cup exhibition in Perth, and

opened at Melbourne Park with a win over another 35-year-old veteran, Jurgen Melzer. Against Rubin, a 20-yearold qualifier and 2014 Wimbledon junior champion, the 17-time Grand Slam winner played the big points like the old pro that he is. Rubin had his chances in the third set, breaking Federer in the second game and having two set points on the Swiss star’s serve when he led 5-2. But Federer upped the tempo, winning four of the last five games to force a tiebreaker, which he dominated. Rubin moved well from the baseline, and hit 11 forehand winners, but was only able to convert one of his six break-point chances. “I definitely got lucky winning that third set. He had a couple of set points on my serve,” Federer said. There were, “a lot of difficult points, which is what I need.” Federer has a 16-6 record against Berdych, winning the last five, but has had losses to the Czech player at the 2004 Olympics, at Wim-

tured a high-risk, betweenthe-legs shot from the enigmatic Australian. Defending champion Angelique Kerber celebrated her 29th birthday with a 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-2 second-round win over Carina Witthoeft. The crowd sang her “Happy Birthday,” although she wasn’t entirely on song. The No. 1-ranked Kerber angrily swiped her racket in the second set in a burst of frustration that momentarily threw her off her game. She had two double-faults in the tiebreaker, as Witthoeft levelled the match, but regained control in the third. Kerber planned to celebrate over dinner, then get back to work before Friday’s third-round match against Kristyna Pliskova, who beat No. 27 Irina-Camelia Begu 6-4, 7-6 (8). Pliskova’s twin sister, Karolina, lost the US Open final to Kerber. Speaking of age, Venus Williams had to field questions about getting older after an energetic performance in her 6-3, 6-2 win over Stefanie Voegele. The 36-year-old, seven-

FEDERER in action yesterday. (AP) bledon in 2010 and at the 2012 US Open. “He’s caused difficulties for me in the past on faster courts,” Federer said. “Then again, I’ve played him here, as well, when it went my way. I just got to play on my terms.” US Open champion Stan Wawrinka advanced 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 over Steve Johnson and will next play No. 29 Viktor Troicki. No. 19 John Isner, the highest-seeded US player in the men’s draw, lost to Mischa Zverev 6-7 (4), 6-7

(4), 6-4, 7-6 (7), 9-7 and followed Johnson, Rubin and Harrison out in the second round. No. 23 Jack Sock and No. 31 Sam Querrey won in straight sets, ensuring the US men finished day three on a brighter note. No. 7 Marin Cilic and No. 14 Nick Kyrgios were beaten in night matches. Cilic lost in four sets to Daniel Evans, and No. 89-ranked Andreas Seppi rallied from two sets down and saved a match point to beat Kyrgios 1-6, 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-2, 10-8 in a seesawing match that fea-

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 59° F/15° C

TAMPA

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Mostly sunny and nice

Mainly clear

Mostly sunny and pleasant

Mostly sunny and breezy

Windy with rain and a thunderstorm

High: 79°

Low: 65°

High: 78° Low: 66°

High: 79° Low: 68°

High: 81° Low: 71°

High: 77° Low: 65°

AccuWeather RealFeel

90° F

67° F

89°-66° F

89°-67° F

82°-69° F

78°-60° F

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

almanac

ABACO

High: 75° F/24° C Low: 68° F/20° C

4-8 knots

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 61° F/16° C

6-12 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 64° F/18° C

N E S

WEST PALM BEACH

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 62° F/17° C

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 65° F/18° C

MIAMI

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 64° F/18° C

4-8 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 81° F/27° C Low .................................................... 64° F/18° C Normal high ....................................... 77° F/25° C Normal low ........................................ 65° F/18° C Last year’s high ................................. 83° F/28° C Last year’s low ................................... 65° F/18° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 0.02” Normal year to date ..................................... 0.80”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 65° F/18° C

High: 74° F/23° C Low: 67° F/19° C

KEY WEST

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 70° F/21° C

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 68° F/20° C

3-6 knots

3-6 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

12:49 a.m. 12:59 p.m.

2.3 2.2

7:01 a.m. 7:22 p.m.

0.3 0.0

Friday

1:43 a.m. 1:52 p.m.

2.3 2.0

8:00 a.m. 8:12 p.m.

0.5 0.1

Saturday

2:38 a.m. 2:47 p.m.

2.3 1.9

8:59 a.m. 9:03 p.m.

0.5 0.1

Sunday

3:32 a.m. 3:41 p.m.

2.3 1.9

9:57 a.m. 9:53 p.m.

0.5 0.1

Monday

4:22 a.m. 4:33 p.m.

2.4 1.9

10:49 a.m. 0.4 10:42 p.m. 0.0

Tuesday

5:09 a.m. 5:22 p.m.

2.5 2.0

11:37 a.m. 0.2 11:27 p.m. -0.1

Wednesday 5:53 a.m. 6:07 p.m.

2.7 2.1

12:21 p.m. 0.0 ---------

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:56 a.m. 5:45 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

none 11:48 a.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Jan. 19

Jan. 27

Feb. 3

Feb. 10

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 69° F/21° C

High: 75° F/24° C Low: 67° F/19° C

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 63° F/17° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map H

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

CAT ISLAND

time major winner played the first of her record 73 Grand Slam tournaments at the French Open in 1997. “It’s an honour and privilege to start that young,” she added, laughing, “and play this old.” Venus and Serena Williams, who have won 14 major doubles titles together, withdrew from a scheduled first-round doubles match later yesterday, citing an injury to Venus’ right elbow. In her next singles match, Venus will play Duan Yingying, who beat Varvara Lepchenko 6-1, 3-6, 10-8. In other third-round matches, two-time major winner Svetlana Kuznetsova will meet former No. 1-ranked Jelena Jankovic, No. 11 Elina Svitolina will take on No. 24 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Eugenie Bouchard, who reached the semi-finals here and the Wimbledon final in 2014, will play CoCo Vandeweghe. French Open champion Garbine Muguruza beat Samantha Crawford 7-5, 6-4 in a night match, and Mona Barthel beat Olympic gold medallist Monica Puig.

High: 77° F/25° C Low: 68° F/20° C

3-6 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 78° F/26° C Low: 69° F/21° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 76° F/24° C Low: 70° F/21° C

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 69° F/21° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 81° F/27° C Low: 69° F/21° C

6-12 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday:

WINDS SW at 6-12 Knots WSW at 4-8 Knots SE at 3-6 Knots SSE at 4-8 Knots NW at 4-8 Knots W at 4-8 Knots NE at 4-8 Knots N at 4-8 Knots WNW at 4-8 Knots W at 4-8 Knots W at 4-8 Knots SW at 6-12 Knots NE at 3-6 Knots SSW at 3-6 Knots NE at 6-12 Knots NNE at 4-8 Knots NE at 4-8 Knots N at 3-6 Knots N at 4-8 Knots NW at 4-8 Knots VAR at 2-4 Knots SSW at 3-6 Knots NE at 6-12 Knots ENE at 4-8 Knots NW at 3-6 Knots W at 3-6 Knots

WAVES 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 0-1 Feet 0-1 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 0-1 Feet 0-1 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 0-1 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 0-1 Feet 0-1 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 74° F 74° F 76° F 76° F 78° F 79° F 78° F 78° F 74° F 74° F 79° F 79° F 75° F 75° F 79° F 79° F 78° F 78° F 79° F 79° F 76° F 76° F 76° F 76° F 77° F 77° F

PAGE 8, Thursday, January 19, 2017

Jutanugarn, Joo Kim to headline at Ocean Club ARIYA Jutanugarn, the No. 2 player in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, and Hyo Joo Kim, the defending champion, headline the final commitment list for the fifth edition of the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic January 2329 at the Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis Resort. The final field of 108 players will be completed after two spots are awarded from Monday’s 18-hole qualifier at the Ocean Club. Four of the top 10 players in the Rolex Rankings and 10 of the top 20 from the 2016 LPGA money list are entered. In addition to Jutanugarn, the other top 10 players in the field are No. 5 Lexi Thompson of the United States, No. 6 Sei Young Kim of South Korea (the 2015 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic winner) and No. 8 Brooke Henderson of Canada. Jutanugarn, a native of Thailand, won a tour-leading five titles in her second LPGA season, not only beating World No. 1 Lydia Ko for player of the year, but also capturing the Race to the CME Globe title and topping the season money list. Among her five victories was her first major title at the RICOH Women’s British Open. Hyo Joo Kim shot a closing 7-under 66 last year at the Ocean Club to beat Sei Young Kim, Anna Nordqvist and Stacy Lewis by two strokes for her third LPGA title with an 18-under 274 total. Jessica Korda and Ilhee Lee, who won this event in 2014 and 2013, respectively, also return. The field also includes sponsor invite Natalie Gulbis and Bahamas native Georgette Rolle, who won the Bahamas qualifier

FOUR OF TOP 10 PLAYERS IN WORLD TO COMPETE IN SEASON OPENER

ARIYA JUTANUGARN (left), the No. 2 player in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, and Hyo Joo Kim (top right), the defending champion. (ABOVE) - Our very own Georgette Rolle. in December to earn her fourth berth in the tournament. “The course is in excellent condition, the field is just about set, and we are looking forward to the fifth edition of the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic,” said

Emily Norell, Tournament Director. “The tournament has solidified over 400 volunteers and our success in the local community provides a platform for us to welcome the top 108 female golfers in the world and kick off the

LPGA season in paradise. Our sponsorship remains strong and our partners Pure Silk, The Islands of The Bahamas and Atlantis, always put on a first-class show. Record crowds are to be expected, and we are ready.”

THE TRIBUNE

THE FINAL COMMITMENT LIST Marina Alex Brittany Altomare Amy Anderson Laetitia Beck Katie Burnett Dori Carter Peiyun Chien Chella Choi Karen Chung Cydney Clanton Jacqui Concolino Paula Creamer Perrine Delacour Lindy Duncan Austin Ernst Simin Feng Dana Finkelstein Sandra Gal Laura Gonzalez Escallon Jaye Marie Green Casey Grice Natalie Gulbis * Jennifer Ha Nasa Hataoka Caroline Hedwall Brooke M. Henderson Celine Herbin Dani Holmqvist Wei-Ling Hsu Charley Hull Vicky Hurst Karine Icher Juli Inkster Ariya Jutanugarn Moriya Jutanugarn Kim Kaufman Megan Khang Hyo Joo Kim Sei Young Kim Katherine Kirk Joanna Klatten P.K. Kongkraphan Jessica Korda Nelly Korda Olafia Kristinsdottir Candie Kung Min Seo Kwak Brittany Lang Maude-Aimee Leblanc Ilhee Lee JeongEun Lee Min Lee Amelia Lewis Stacy Lewis Xi Yu Lin Brittany Lincicome Pernilla Lindberg Gaby Lopez

Lee Lopez Mo Martin Ally McDonald Stephanie Meadow Wichanee Meechai Sydnee Michaels Giulia Molinaro Becky Morgan Belen Mozo Therese O’Hara Ryann O’Toole Hee Young Park Jane Park Annie Park Sadena Parks Maria Parra Katherine Perry Pornanong Phatlum Gerina Piller Morgan Pressel Mel Reid Paula Reto Georgette Rolle * Madelene Sagstrom Lizette Salas S Santiwiwatthanaphong Alena Sharp Kelly Shon Sarah Jane Smith Jennifer Song Nontaya Srisawang Angela Stanford Marissa Steen Jackie Stoelting Kris Tamulis Kelly Tan Lexi Thompson Yani Tseng Ayako Uehara Mariajo Uribe Michelle Wie Cheyenne Woods Jing Yan Amy Yang Julie Yang Angel Yin Pavarisa Yoktuan Sun Young Yoo * Sponsor invite ALTERNATES 1. Sandra Changkija 2. Mina Harigae 3. Brooke Pancake 4. P Thanapolboonyaras 5. Demi Runas 6. Holly Clyburn 7.Madeleine Sheils