06042018 sports

SPORTS SECTION E

MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2018

French Open, Page 7

Davis Cup: Team Bahamas advances to Zone II

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

T

he Bahamas men’s Davis Cup team returned home, having completed a successful mission of advancing to the American Zone II Davis Cup competition in 2019.

Over the weekend in the American Zone III competition at the Costa Rica Country Club in Escazu, Costa Rica, the Bahamas prevailed with a 2-1 decision over the host nation in the crossover playoffs to join Honduras, who swept Paraguay 2-0 in the other qualifying match to advance.

Both the Bahamas and Honduras played out of pool B where they finished first and second to face the respective second and first place Costa Rica and

Paraguay out of pool A in the playoffs. The Bahamas played in zone II last year, only to lose 4-1 to Bolivia at the Club de Tenis Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, April 7-9 and was demoted to zone III. “We pulled it off,” said Rolle from Costa Rica.

Philip Major Jr, playing as the No. 2 seeded player, completed a successful doubles campaign as he once again got the ball rolling, winning 6-2, 6-2 in the first match over Sebastian Quiros from Costa Rica.

In all five matches played, Major Jr didn’t lose a set.

“Wow. We got the win today,” said an excited Major Jr, who played extremely well all week long.

Following Major Jr’s triumph, top seed Baker Newman played the second singles where he eventually

SHOWN (l-r) are Jody Turnquest, Philip Major Jr and Marvin Rolle with their medals.

Photo: Fina Johnson

Warriors take 2-0 lead

By JANIE MCCAULEY AP Sports Writer OAKLAND, California (AP) — Stephen Curry hit an NBA Finals-record nine 3-pointers and scored 33 points, mixing in big shots with clever celebratory moves while leading the Golden State Warriors to a 122-103 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers last night for 2-0 lead.

Kevin Durant found his steady stroke to score 26 points to go with nine rebounds and seven assists while also handling a load of the defensive assignment against LeBron James.

Klay Thompson added 20 points playing on a tender left leg to put the defending champions two victories from a repeat title they have talked about since the season began last fall.

James followed up his 51-point performance in Game 1 with 29 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds in a far tamer finals sequel — and much more lopsided — minus the utter craziness of a drama-packed opener three days prior.

Game 3 is Wednesday night in Cleveland.

Kevin Love had 22 points and 10 boards for the cold-shooting Cavs, who will now try to gain some momentum back home.

Curry had the shot of the night with 7:54 to play, making an offbalance swish from several feet behind the 3-point arc over Love as the shot clock wound down, then backpedaled in pure joy.

Curry fell into the first row of fans with a baseline 3 again over Love and four-point play at the 5:44 mark of the fourth.

James pointed with both hands after his 3 with 11:04 remaining got his team within seven, before Curry answered from deep the next two trips down the floor.

Curry squatted low to admire his shot as it went in at one point and galloped back in joy after he hit two deep 3s late in the first half.

They had a tense moment in the third, too.

James became irate at the officials for a no-call on Curry, who ran beneath the Cavs star and didn’t let him land with 3:54 remaining in the quarter as James caught Love’s long pass and went out of bounds.

Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue was hit with a technical for arguing it.

Page 5

lost 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 to Jesse Floras.

Baker admitted that it wasn’t his best tennis he could have played “all week,” but he was still pleased to have made a contribution and to cheer on the team in the other matches, including the doubles where Major Jr and Rolle got the job done.

Reflecting on his singles, Major Jr said he played “great” and he stuck to the game plan implemented by veteran player/captain Marvin Rolle.

It came down to the doubles where Major Jr returned to team up with Rolle as they performed the magic touch in their 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 decision over Floras and Julian Saborio in a match that lasted one hour and 35 minutes before a stunned crowd.

SEE PAGE 2

SPRINTER GAITHER LEADS THE WAY AT CAYMAN INVITE

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

GOLDEN State Warriors guard Stephen Curry celebrates after scoring against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals last night.

(AP Photo/Ben Margot) JaVale McGee scored 12 points, making all six of his shots in his first career NBA Finals start as Warriors coach Steve Kerr made a lineup switch that proved spot on.

The typically efficient Durant connected on 10 of 14 shots after going just 8 for 22 — 1 of 7 on 3s — in the opener but still scoring 26 points.

Last year’s NBA Finals MVP made his initial five field goals Sunday, driving right at James on offence and doing all he could to fluster him on defence.

James hit a 3 over Durant’s outstretched arm midway through the third, then Tristan Thompson’s basket the next possession pulled the Cavs within 72-66. But they couldn’t contain Curry and the rest of the Warriors for extended stretches.

The Warriors vowed to make it harder for James to generate good looks after he shot 19 for 32 in the series opener, and James went 12:06 of game time between made baskets.

James went 10 for 20, showing few signs his shot was altered by

a bloodshot left eye. He had been taking antibiotics and using drops after being poked in the eye by Draymond Green in the first half Thursday.

The Warriors earned a wacky 124-114 overtime win in Game 1 Thursday night — featuring J.R. Smith’s blunder when he grabbed an offensive rebound in the waning moments of regulation and dribbled back toward halfcourt rather than shooting for the victory, and an overturned charge call against James.

Smith received rousing cheers from the home fans during pregame introductions and “M-V-P!” chants greeted him when he went to the foul line.

Thompson played after bruising his lower left leg when Smith slid into him in the first quarter Thursday. The Warriors All-Star has never missed a postseason game.

Kerr went with 7-foot big man McGee to start in place of Kevon Looney — McGee’s 10th career start in the postseason.

McGee scored the first four points of the game as Golden State

made its initial seven shots and 10 of 11. That included Thompson’s steal from James at the 3-point line leading to Green’s dunk moments later and a Cleveland timeout down 15-6 at the 8:14 mark.

McGee’s five baskets through 26 minutes matched James’ total.

Another key role player, Shaun Livingston, made his five fieldgoal tries for 10 points to give Golden State a lift in the first half after making all four of his shots Thursday.

IGUODALA STILL OUT Warriors forward Andre Iguodala missed his sixth straight postseason game nursing a bone bruise in his left knee.

Kerr remains optimistic the 2015 NBA Finals MVP will play at some point in the series.

“They’re damn good with him and they’re damn good without him,” James said. “No matter offensively or defensively. Listen they’ve had a two-time MVP sit out playoff games and they’ve won, all right. They’re good.

They’re great, actually.”

THREE Bahamian sprinters, with TyNia Gaither leading the way, competed in the Cayman Invitational 2018 at the Truman Bodden Stadium in the Cayman Islands on Saturday.

Gaither, competing in a well-stacked field of regional competitors, was sixth in the 100 metres in 11.52 seconds. Winning the race was American Jenna Prandini in 11.16.

Former Olympic and world champion ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica was second in 11.33, the same time as American Aaliyah Brown.

In her double appearance, Gaither came in fifth in 23.61 with fellow Bahamian Anthonique Strachan trailing in sixth in 24.10. American Kimberly Duncan won the race in 23.03. Trinidad & Tobago’s Semoy Hackett was second in 23.21 and Kai Selvon got third in 23.41. Jamaican Schillonie Cavert-Powell was fourth in 23.60.

In the men’s 200m, Teray Smith clocked 20.80 for fifth place. Trinidad & Tobago’s Kyle Greaux won the race in 20.45, followed by Americans Lashawn Merritt in 20.54 and Kyree King in 20.73. Jamaican Jevaughn Minzie was fourth in 20.79.

STEPHEN Curry (30) gestures after scoring last night. (AP)

PAGE 2, Monday, June 4, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

TEAM BAHAMAS members share a moment with the fans who accompanied them to Costa Rica.

Photos: Fina Johnson

Davis Cup: Team Bahamas advances to Zone II FROM PAGE 1 Major Jr, however, said he knew all along that he and Rolle make a dynamic doubles duo and he hopes that their performance in the tie will convince him to allow them to forge a working relationship moving forward in the future. The duo played in three of the five doubles matches and prevailed in all.

As for their singles play, Rolle noted that Major Jr was just a little too strong for his opponent. He noted that it was the reverse for Newman as his opponent eventually applied the pressure in the second set after taking the tie breaker in the first set.

But he noted that with the promotion on the line, he and Major Jr bowed down and took care of business in the doubles.

“I don’t think we saw a break point until 5-4 in the second set,” Rolle said. “We got that break 6-4. Then in the third set, we were down a break, but we kept fighting and pulled it out.”

Although he didn’t get to play in the pivotal tie, newcomer Jody Turnquest said

he was just happy to be on the sidelines cheering the players on. He noted that it was a complete teamwork that got the Bahamas “back in zone two.”

Turnquest played in one singles match, winning against Bermuda and he and Rolle split their two doubles encounters, winning against Jamaica, but losing to Honduras.

The Bahamas prevailed out of pool B with a perfect 4-0 win-loss record and an 11-1 decision in matches played.

The team won 2-1 over Honduras in their first match on Monday and 3-0 over Antigua & Barbuda on Tuesday. After a day’s rest, the Bahamas came back and swept Jamaica on Thursday and completed the round robin format with another 3-0 sweep over Bermuda.

Rolle said they had an excellent team, which included newcomer Jody Turnquest, and a support crew in the stands led by Fina Johnson, who provided daily updates to the media. He thanked the Bahamas for their support and noted that they are

looking forward to playing again in zone II in 2019.

Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association president Darnette Weir said they are pleased with the performance of the team. “The team has done a phenomenal job. I am happy for the BLTA for this great accomplishment, but even happier for the team members who have individually worked hard to perfect their game,” Weir said. “The team went undefeated against all contenders. This speaks volume to the talent that we have in this country.

“The team did not train together as a team before leaving, but was able to come together and push each other. They were in Costa Rica for 10 days with three days before the competition to get acclimatised.

We had a little challenge financially sending this team, but as always we braved the storm and made it happen.”

Weir commended Rolle, who served for the 16th time on the team and made a tremendous contribution in pulling the team together as not only his coaching, but his playing skills as a

member of the doubles team, was able to pull the team through in the clutch situations.

She added that while Newman did a herculean job as the number one player, Major Jr was consistent as the number two player, going undefeated and Turnquest was able

to make his contribution as the new member of the team in singles and doubles with Rolle. On the way forward, Weir said the association must now find a way to keep the team in zone II or get them promoted to zone one again, rather than taking the plunge and dropping back to zone

III as they did last year.

She encouraged corporate Bahamas to reach forth and assist the association in providing better uniforms for the players, more funding to get them to go to international tournaments and to allow them to train together before the next tie next year.

JOB WELL DONE: Shown (l-r) are Baker Newman, Marvin Rolle, Philip Major Jr and Jody Turnquest, also shown celebrating their Davis Cup victory above at the Costa Rica Country Club in Escazu, Costa Rica. Team Bahamas prevailed with a 2-1 decision over the host nation in the crossover playoffs to join Honduras, who swept Paraguay 2-0 in the other qualifying match to advance.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 4, 2018, PAGE 3

Marlins’ Anfernee Seymour promoted to Double-A baseball for first time in career

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net IN a season that got off to an unfavourable start, Anfernee Seymour continues his progression in the minor leagues and reached a new career milestone within the Miami Marlins organisation.

Seymour was promoted to Double-A baseball for the first time in his career when the Marlins assigned him to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on Saturday.

Based out of Jacksonville, Florida, the Jumbo Shrimp are the Marlins’ Double-A affiliate and play in the Southern League.

At a record of 22-31, they are currently ranked fourth in the league’s southern division.

In Seymour’s final game with the Jupiter Hammerheads, he went 2-4 at the plate in a 4-2 loss to the Palm Beach Cardinals on Friday afternoon.

After being released by the Atlanta Braves (Florida Fire Frogs) on May 6, Seymour was signed by the Miami Marlins on May 10 and was subsequently assigned to the Jupiter Hammerheads.

He struggled early this season with the Fire Frogs prior to his release and was batting just .195/.242/.287 with 28 strikeouts in 87 at bats.

His season underwent a complete turnaround with the Hammerheads and recorded hits in nine of his first 11 games.

In 16 games with the club, Seymour is hitting .306 with

an .816 OPS and .468 slugging percentage.

In his Hammerheads debut, Seymour opened 2-4 with a two-run home run in an 8-4 loss to Lucius Fox and the Charlotte Stone Crabs. His two home runs this season represent a career high in his four-year minor league career.

The 22-year-old outfielder also recorded 19 hits, 29 total bases, four doubles, six RBI and five stolen bases.

In 2017, Seymour was promoted to Class-A advanced and joined the Fire Frogs last May. Prior to the promotion, he was enjoying his most successful season at the plate in his minor league career with the Rome Braves. Through 28 games with the Braves in the

CONNECTICUT Sun centre Jonquel Jones, of the Bahamas, helps on defence in the second half of a game at Mohegan Sun Arena.

(Sean D Elliot/The Day via AP)

Jones and Sun stay unbeaten with 110-72 victory over Sky

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net JONQUEL Jones had her best offensive output of the season and her Connecticut Sun remain undefeated so far.

The Sun are 5-0 for the first time in their history, their best start as a franchise after a pair of wins on the weekend.

Jones scored 20 points and added six rebounds with three blocked shots to help the Sun beat the Chicago Sky 110-72 on Friday night. She shot 8-10 from the field, including 2-3 from three-point range in just 16 minutes of play.

Her scoring and blocks totals were both season highs.

In the second quarter, the Sun went on a 13-3 spurt and took a 26-19 lead early in the second quarter.

The Sky pulled within one but Connecticut scored 22 of the next 30 points – including a three from Jones to make it 48-33 and the Sky trailed by at least nine the rest of the way.

The Sun have scored at least 100 points in three of their four games this season and are averaging a WNBA-high 99.8 per game.

They followed with their fifth win Sunday afternoon, an 88-64 win over the Washington Mystics. Jones finished with eight points and a season high eight rebounds.

The Sun were 10-26 from three-point range, and piled up a 45-31 edge

in rebounds, leading wireto-wire against the Mystics (5-3). Connecticut took control of the game with a 10-0 run over the last three minutes of the half to grab a 47-35 lead at the break.

The Sun’s next game on their road trip continues 8pm Tuesday against the Atlanta Dream.

The team returns home on June 9 to face the defending champions Minnesota Lynx.

Jones continues to acclimate herself to the lineup after a late arrival to camp following the preseason.

During the preseason, Sun head coach Curt Miller said the combination of Jones – the league’s reigning Most Improved Player and Second Team All-WNBA selection, and Chiney Ogwumike, the 2014 Rookie of the Year, – could take the Sun to the next level.

South Atlantic League, Seymour hit .287 with six RBI, an OBP of .345 and snagged eight stolen bases in 11 tries.

With the Fire Frogs, Seymour appeared in 78 games in the Florida State League.

He hit .287 with 17 RBI, an OBP of .346, OPS of .711 scored 42 runs and stole 17 bases.

Despite playing in just 78 of the team’s 118 games, he ranked fourth on the team in hits (84), fourth in triples and second in stolen bases.

Last season, Seymour’s year came to an abrupt end before he had an opportunity to suit up in the Offseason Arizona Fall League.

He was suspended for “violation of team rules,” according to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo and was

ANFERNEE SEYMOUR, of the Bahamas, has been promoted to Double-A baseball for the first time in his career. removed from the roster of the Peoria Javelinas.

He concluded his season with the Fire Frogs with his best month of the 2017 campaign and rose eight spots in the Braves prospect list over the course of the season.

Seymour was drafted out of American Heritage

in Plantation, Florida, and was taken by the Marlins with the 197th pick in round seven. He was traded from the Marlins to the Atlanta Braves in a three-player deal which also saw the Braves acquire pitcher Michael Mader in exchange for relief pitcher Hunter Cervenka.

PAGE 4, Monday, June 4, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

BAHAMAS FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS

Regular season comes to a close

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THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 4, 2018, PAGE 5

Big Blunder: Smith’s mistake joins others in sports history

By TERRIN WAACK AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James’ face said it all. J.R. Smith messed up.

And the Cleveland Cavaliers paid for his mistake as they lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals 124-114 to the Golden State Warriors in overtime.

The score was tied at 107 with 4.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Cleveland was at the line. George Hill’s free-throw attempt bounced off the rim, and Smith rebounded. Instead of putting a shot up while near the basket, Smith dribbled out toward midcourt and kept it, despite James’ shouts for the ball.

Time ran out. Overtime ensued. Golden State won.

Welcome to the club of big blunders, Smith.

CHRIS WEBBER - 1993 The announcer said it before the game-deciding moment even happened: “Remember, the Wolverines are out of timeouts.”

Well, Michigan’s Chris Webber didn’t remember.

After dribbling into a corner with 11 seconds left in the championship, surrounded by defenders, Webber called a timeout.

Automatic technical foul.

North Carolina hit two free throws, then two more to seal it.

Michigan lost 77-71.

It was the last time the Fab Five played together, as Webber went to the NBA 0-2 in NCAA finals appearances.

MAGIC JOHNSON - 1984 Even legends make mistakes. During Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Magic Johnson lost track of time.

His Lakers and the Celtics were tied with 13 seconds left in regulation. Johnson got the ball. For some reason, he ran out the clock, not passing it until it was too late for his teammate to put up a shot.

Boston won that game 124-121 in overtime and ultimately took the series in seven games.

CLEVELAND Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) is defended by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) The nickname “Tragic” Johnson was thrown around after that.

BEATRICE CHEPKOECH - 2017 There are no shortcuts in steeplechase. And during the World Championships, Beatrice Chepkoech accidently tried to make one.

Just two laps into the 3,000-metre event, Chepkoech completely missed a water jump. The bypass forced her to backtrack and trail her competitors. She ultimately made up a lot of ground and finished fourth.

The Kenyan distance runner had been in the lead.

BENNY AGBAYANI - 2000 Runners were on second and third in a regular season game. The Giants hit a fly ball into the outfield, where Mets left fielder Benny Agbayani makes the catch. Three outs.

Or so Agbayani thought.

Agbayani jogged to the stands, handed the baseball off to a kid and started to run to the dugout. Only then did he realise his mistake - there were only two outs - and took the ball back from the fan. The giveaway was ruled a two-base error and both runners crossed home as a result. Mets still came out on top 3-2.

MARK FLEKKEN - 2018 Hydration is key, but so is paying attention. In Germany’s second division this season, Duisburg goalkeeper Mark Flekken turned his back and meandered into the goal to take a drink. To his surprise, the moment he turned around, Ingolstadt was right there, sending the ball into his net.

There was nothing he could do but stand there at that point.

After the match, Flekken admitted he thought he had a couple moments to spare since his team had just scored and music was playing in the stadium. He also said he won’t be putting his water bottle in the goal anymore.

Luckily for Flekken, Duisburg pulled through 2-1.

Also, that water bottle ended up for auction.

JASON MONEY - 2014 With 3.7 seconds left on the clock, Spanish Fork (Utah) High School was up by three points and facing fourth down. Rather than punting the ball, quarterback Jason Money took it with plans to run out the clock. Which he technically did. Money stopped at the sideline when he saw

CAVALIERS forward LeBron James reacts to a call during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cavaliers.

(AP Photo/Ben Margot) zeroes, fully prepared to celebrate, when a Maple Mountain defender realised the play - most importantly, the game - was still live.

The whistle hadn’t blown.

So, he stripped the ball from Money and a teammate returned it 22 yards to score. Maple Mountain won the playoff game 17-14.

JAMES JACKSON - 1986 Older doesn’t always mean wiser. Former Georgia quarterback James Jackson also didn’t understand the rules of running out the clock. During Georgia’s 1986 matchup against South Carolina, the

Bulldogs were up by less than a touchdown with four seconds remaining. James kept the ball until time expired then dropped it on the Gamecocks’ 10-yard line. Again, no whistle.

South Carolina scooped it up and took it to the end zone, but at that time in college football, players could not advance a fumble. It was a dead ball the moment the defender touched it.

The rule, since changed, saved Georgia, which held on to win 31-26.

BURRILLVILLE HIGH SCHOOL - 2016 There were only four seconds left. So the moment a

Burrillville (Rhode Island) High School basketball player stole a Chariho inbounds pass, he thought play was over.

His whole team thought it was all over.

The ball was chucked up into the air, and they celebrated what they believed to be their victory.

Little did they realise Chariho caught the throwaway and called a timeout before the time actually ran out.

With less than a second left, a perfect lob play led to a Chariho game-winning layup.

Burrillville lost 60-59. It was the state championship.

WARRIORS WITHSTAND LEBRON JAMES’ 51 POINTS TO WIN GAME 1

By JANIE MCCAULEY AP Sports Writer OAKLAND, California (AP) — The Golden State Warriors somehow withstood LeBron James’ latest brilliance on the NBA Finals stage.

A costly blunder by J.R. Smith and a disputed foul call involving James himself sure helped.

Stephen Curry scored 29 points and the Warriors capitalised on Smith’s mistake that sent the game into overtime, overcoming a 51-point performance

by James to beat Cleveland 124-114 in Game 1 on Thursday night.

The game nearly over, James jawed with both Curry and Klay Thompson, then Tristan Thompson and Draymond Green tangled moments later and made contact. After replay review, Tristan Thompson received a Flagrant 2 foul and ejection with 2.6 seconds left.

James was in utter disbelief as regulation ended stunningly: George Hill made the first of two free throws with 4.7 seconds left after being fouled by Klay Thompson, but when Smith secured the rebound of the second, he dribbled back toward halfcourt instead of shooting, apparently thinking the Cavs had a lead.

“He thought it was over.

He thought we were up one,” coach Tyronn Lue said.

Yet Smith insisted he knew the score. Green figured Smith was simply looking for James, saying, “I would have looked for LeBron, too.”

“I just thought we were going to call a timeout.

Because I got the rebound, I’m pretty sure I couldn’t shoot it over KD,” Smith said of Kevin Durant. “If I thought we were ahead, I would have just held on to the ball so they could foul me. Clearly that wasn’t the case.”

Instead, OT. And why not? Both these teams were pushed to their limits in seven-game conference finals they each had to win on the road.

“I can’t talk about a situation that way because I do some dumb stuff on the court,” Durant said of how the fourth quarter finished.

“I don’t know what was going through J.R.’s head.

He made a great rebound and gave them an opportunity to win the basketball game.”

Game 2 was last night back at Oracle Arena, where the Warriors have won 18 of their last 19 postseason games. In 2015, when the Golden State beat the Cavs to capture the franchise’s first title in 40 years, the first two games of the series went to OT — Golden State winning the opener and Cleveland Game 2.

James shot 19 for 32 to go with eight assists and eight rebounds in the opener of his eighth straight NBA Finals and ninth overall, as well as Cavs-Warriors Take IV. James notched his eighth 40-point game during this playoff run to tie Hall of Famer Jerry West’s feat in 1965 for most in a single postseason.

“We’ve got to move on,” James said. “This game is over and done with. We had opportunities.”

James drove past Curry for a three-point play with

buzzer and Golden State shot 13 for 36 from deep.

Kevin Love returned from a concussion to provide a big boost for Cleveland with 21 points and 13 rebounds.

The Warriors missed the defensive presence of 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, who was out for a fifth straight postseason game dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated ahead of Game 2.

Everybody expects another wild one with so much talent on both sides.

“It was a crazy game,” Curry said. “... The finals, man, anything is liable to happen.”

TIP-INS CAVALIERS forward LeBron James, left, drives against Warriors guard Stephen Curry during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

(AP Photo/Ben Margot) 50 seconds remaining in the fourth.

But James was given a foul following a review with 36.4 seconds left and Durant converted a pair of free throws to tie it at 104.

The call had initially been a charge on 2017 finals MVP Durant and James protested the change — while KD said afterward he thought it was the right decision because “I knew he was late on the drive and I knew I had my man beat and he came over a little late.”

James called it a “huge play” and said “I knew I was outside the charge line.”

“I read that play as well as I’ve read any play in my career, maybe in my life,” James said.

Rules allow officials to go to replay in the final 2 minutes of regulation or in overtime to determine if a defender attempting to draw a charge was in the restricted area.

When doing so, they can view if the defender was in a legal guarding position.

They decided James wasn’t and changed their original call.

Lue was disgusted to lose this way, saying of the overturned call: “It’s never been done, ever in the history of the game. And then tonight in the finals on the biggest stage, when our team played well, played our (butt) off, man, it ain’t right.”

Lue added that the way James played, “to come up robbed, it’s just not right.”

Durant struggled to find his stroke but wound up with 26 points on 8-for22 shooting and nine rebounds.

Golden State got a serious scare when Thompson went down after Smith slid hard into the Splash Brother’s left leg at the 6:17 mark of the first quarter.

Thompson lay grimacing in pain then went to the locker room with what was called a bruised left leg that needed re-taping. He returned for the start of the second quarter to huge roars from the yellow-clad sellout crowd and scored 24 points. He and Curry each connected on five 3s. Curry drained one of those way-out-there 3-pointers that have been hard to come by this postseason to beat the halftime

Cavaliers: James has 109 career 30-point games in the playoffs, tying Michael Jordan for most ever. ...

Cleveland held a 19-4 advantage on the offensive glass, getting seven offensive rebounds in the first half to the Warriors’ none. ... James’ first quarter: 4 for 4 with a 3-pointer, 12 points, three assists, a steal and turnover.

Warriors: Curry’s early three-point play gave him the free throw he needed for 379 to pass Rick Barry (378) for first place on the Warriors’ career list. ...

With his 293rd career 3 in the playoffs, made in the second quarter, Thompson passed Kobe Bryant (292) for 6th place on the NBA’s list for postseason 3s. ... Kevon Looney started again in place of Iguodala, but coach Steve Kerr went to McGee after the break. ... Home run king Barry Bonds was in attendance.

PAGE 6, Monday, June 4, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

ST Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha throws yesterday during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in St Louis.

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

WACHA TAKES NO-HIT BID INTO 9TH, CARDINALS BEAT PIRATES 5-0 ST. LOUIS (AP) — Michael Wacha lost a no-hit bid in the ninth inning when pinch-hitter Colin Moran led off with a single, leaving to a huge ovation and pitching the St. Louis Cardinals past the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0 Sunday.

This was the second time Wacha had a no-hit try broken up in the ninth. As a rookie in 2013, he was one out away from a no-hitter when Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman got an infield single.

Wacha (7-1) came close to pitching the fourth nohitter in the major leagues this season. He struck out eight and walked two.

Moran fouled off the first three pitches before the Pirates rookie lined a clean single well over the head of second baseman Kolten Wong into right field.

That was all for Wacha, and the 26-year-old righty was pulled after 111 pitches.

Marcell Ozuna hit a grand slam on the eighth pitch of the game from Nick Kingham (2-2).

GIANTS 6, PHILLIES 1 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Dereck Rodriguez earned his first big league win, giving up a home run to Jake Arrieta but outpitching the Phillies ace to lead San Francisco to a three-game sweep.

Rodriguez (1-0), the 25-year-old son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez, had pitched just once before in the majors, going 3 1/3 innings in relief last Tuesday at Colorado.

Making his first start, Rodriguez gave up one run — on Arrieta’s sixth career homer — and five hits in six innings.

He walked two and struck out six.

Arrieta (5-3) allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings. The 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner had given up just three earned runs over his last 35 innings when they Giants broke through in the sixth to score five times, highlighted

by Andrew McCutchen’s homer.

BRAVES 4, NATIONALS 2 ATLANTA (AP) — Pinch-hitter Charlie Culberson hit a game-ending, two-run homer to lift Atlanta over Washington.

It was the second time this week that Culberson homered to win a game — of his eight career home runs, four have ended a game.

Tanner Roark (2-6) pitched the ninth in his first relief appearance this season, giving up Dansby Swanson’s double and Culberson’s second long ball.

Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino (2-2) allowed his first two batters to reach in the ninth, but Mark Reynolds lined out and Vizcaino struck out Brian Goodwin and Michael Taylor.

TWINS 7, INDIANS 5 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Eddie Rosario hit his third homer of the game, launching a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Minnesota.

Rosario became the first Twins player to have a pair of three-homer games. He also hit three home runs last June 13 at home against the Mariners. Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva are among the Twins who did it once.

Minnesota beat AL Central-leading Cleveland for the third straight day.

Cleveland closer Cody Allen (2-2) walked Brian Dozier to lead off the ninth and Rosario homered.

Edwin Encarnacion hit two long home runs for Cleveland, and Michael Brantley’s solo shot off Addison Reed in the eighth tied it at 5. Fernando Rodney (2-2) pitched a scoreless ninth.

DODGERS 10, ROCKIES 7 DENVER (AP) — Max Muncy homered twice, Yasmani Grandal also went deep in a three-run ninth inning, and Los Angeles beat Colorado.

The Dodgers rallied from five down to sweep the three-game series at Coors Field.

Tony Cingrani (1-2) got the win with an inning of relief and Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 14th save. Wade Davis (0-1) took the loss.

DIAMONDBACKS 6, MARLINS 1 PHOENIX (AP) — Matt Koch allowed three hits over seven scoreless innings and Arizona completed a three-game sweep, sending Miami to its season-worst sixth straight loss.

David Peralta homered for the third consecutive game.

The Diamondbacks outscored the Marlins 21-4 in the series.

After losing 15 of its 17 previous games, Arizona completed a 5-1 homestand to move back into first place in the NL West.

Koch (4-3), brought up from Triple-A Reno early in the season when Taijuan Walker underwent Tommy John surgery, struck out six with no walks.

Dan Straily (2-2) allowed a run on just two hits, but walked five players in 4 1-3 innings.

ANGELS 3, RANGERS 1 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Tyler Skaggs pitched six scoreless innings of fourhit ball and Justin Upton homered for Los Angeles.

Luis Valbuena had an early two-run double as the Angels managed only four hits, but took two of three from their AL West rivals in the weekend series with three consecutive strong starts from their rotation.

Skaggs (4-4) ended his six-start winless skid despite laboring for long stretches of his six innings. Justin Anderson got his second save.

Nomar Mazara homered in the eighth inning and Shin-Soo Choo had two doubles for Texas.

Doug Fister (1-6) gave up three runs in six innings.

BLUE JAYS 8, TIGERS 4 DETROIT (AP) — Justin Smoak’s sixth-inning homer broke a scoreless tie and Toronto ended its fivegame losing streak.

Aaron Sanchez (3-5) pitched six innings and ended a five-start winless streak, giving up one run and two hits.

Michael Fulmer (2-5) allowed four runs on five hits and three walks in sixplus innings.

WHITE SOX 6, BREWERS 1 CHICAGO (AP) — Daniel Palka and Adam Engel hit back-to-back homers in a three-run sixth inning, and Chicago beat Milwaukee.

The NL Central-leading Brewers dropped two of three against the team with the second-worst record in the majors. They are also 4-14 in their past 18 games against Chicago.

Chris Volstad (1-3) got the win. Brent Suter (5-4) took the loss.

MARINERS 2, RAYS 1 SEATTLE (AP) — Felix Hernandez was in vintage form, allowing one run in eight innings, and RBI singles from Denard Span and Dee Gordon lifted Seattle.

The Mariners completed a three-game sweep despite a great start from Tampa Bay lefty Blake Snell, who struck out 12 — including the first seven batters he

faced to tie an American League record — in six scoreless innings.

Hernandez (6-4) pitched into the eighth for the first time this season. He gave up five hits. Edwin Diaz pitched the ninth for his major league-leading 21st save.

Jose Alvarado (0-2) took the loss.

ATHLETICS 5, ROYALS 1 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Matt Olson hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning for Oakland.

Olson went 5 for 11 with three home runs, eight RBIs and scored five times in the three-game series.

The A’s are 9-2 in their past 11 road games. The Royals have lost 21 of 31 home games.

Rookie Lou Trivino (3-0) pitched two hitless innings.

He has a 0.82 ERA, allowing two runs and 15 hits over 22 innings, while striking out 23.

Jakob Junis (5-5) struck out a career-high nine in 7 1/3 innings.

CUBS 2, METS 0 NEW YORK (AP) — Jon Lester dominated for seven innings and Javier Baez stole home to break a scoreless tie as the Chicago Cubs blanked the Mets, completing a fourgame sweep and winning for the seventh time in eight games.

New York has lost four in a row and nine of 11, scoring six runs in this series.

Baez and Willson Contreras led off the seventh with back-to-back singles, putting runners at the corners.

Steven Matz (2-4) was unaware that Baez was breaking for the plate, stepping off and throwing to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez in an attempt to pick off Contreras.

Gonzalez threw home but it was too late to get Baez.

Lester (6-2) allowed two hits. Brian Duensing got his first save.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 4, 2018, PAGE 7

Zverev and Thiem win to set up French Open quarter-final

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — Second-seeded Alexander Zverev reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final the hard way, beating Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 yesterday for his third straight comeback win in five sets at the tournament.

The gritty victory came with the usual temper flare-ups from Zverev. But the German player also showed, once again, that he knows how to dig deep when it matters. In all three of his fivesetters at Roland Garros he has trailed 2-1 in sets. “I’m young. I might as well stay on court and entertain you guys,” the 21-yearold Zverev joked with the crowd.

“This definitely paid off, the hours in the gym every day ...

Everything comes together slowly and I’m happy to be here.”

Zverev says he spends up to four hours each day working on weights and fitness.

He might well need to up that schedule considering his quarterfinal opponent is No. 7 Dominic Thiem of Austria, who is one of the fittest players on the men’s circuit and has reached the past two semi-finals at Roland Garros.

“I’m expecting another fiveset match. I’ll get myself ready,” Zverev said, smiling. “I’m very happy about being in the quarterfinals here, going the hard way, going the long distance ... showing everybody that I can play for as long as I need to.”

Almost 12 hours altogether so far.

Thiem, who has played three straight four-setters, beat No. 19 Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-2, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Nishikori won just 14 points in the first set and nine in the second, losing to Thiem for the first time.

Novak Djokovic equalled Roger Federer’s mark of reaching nine consecutive quarter-finals, by beating No. 30 seed Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

It’s also Djokovic’s 12th career trip to the round of eight in Paris, a record for the 50-year professional era.

Djokovic advanced to his 40th Grand Slam quarter-final.

The 24-year-old Thiem leads 4-2 overall against Zverev, but lost to him last month in the Madrid Masters final.

Thiem called their upcoming quarter-final “the matchup most of the fans in Germany and

Austria were hoping for when they saw the (French Open) draw.”

On Court Suzanne Lenglen, Zverev’s smash at the net gave him match point, which he took when Khachanov netted a forehand.

Zverev sank to his knees in celebration. He then patted Khachanov, a friend from their junior days, sympathetically on the chest before pumping his arms in celebration.

As in the previous two rounds, Zverev was struggling for consistency. This was illustrated in the 10th game of the second set.

Zverev was serving for the set at 5-4, he soon trailed 0-40.

Then, in a blur, Zverev won the next four points to give himself a set point — only to miss a smash from near the back of the court.

An ace gave him another set point but he missed that one, too, putting a low volley into the net.

On his third set point, the erratic Zverev found the net again with a sloppy backhand. Khachanov punished him and broke for 5-5. The second-set tiebreaker was scrappy, Zverev clinching it with an ace to level the match.

Zverev has youth on his side, but he has been spending a long

SLOANE STEPHENS, of the US, waves to the crowd after defeating Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit yesterday at the Roland Garros stadium.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena) time on court and his body is showing it.

At the start of the fifth set, he had a medical time out for

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 73° F/23° C

TAMPA

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Partial sunshine

Partly cloudy

Times of clouds and sun

Pleasant with sun and clouds

A couple of showers and a t‑storm

Sunshine mixing with some clouds

High: 85°

Low: 75°

High: 86° Low: 77°

High: 85° Low: 77°

High: 85° Low: 77°

High: 85° Low: 76°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

98° F

80° F

97°-83° F

97°-86° F

98°-84° F

96°-83° 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.

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

8‑16 knots

S

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 72° F/22° C

7‑14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 76° F/24° C

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WEST PALM BEACH

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uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 76° F/24° C

treatment for an apparent blister on his left foot.

It did not seem to impede him, however.

He broke immediately for a 1-0 lead and jumped around on court, waving his arms to get the crowd going.

In women’s play, 13th-seeded Madison Keys reached the quarter-finals for the first time at Roland Garros after beating No. 31 Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania 6-1, 6-4 on Chatrier.

“I made the final of the US Open but lost to my friend Sloane Stephens,” Keys said.

“Hopefully big things can happen here.”

Keys next faces unseeded Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, who beat 26th-seeded Czech Barbora Strycova 6-4, 6-3.

If she wins that match, Keys could meet Stephens in the semi-finals.

Stephens, the 10th-seeded American, also reached the last eight in Paris for the first time, beating No. 25 Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-2, 6-0.

Stephens next plays either Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki — seeded second — or 14th-seeded Russian Daria Kasatkina.

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 77° F/25° C

MIAMI

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 76° F/24° C

8‑16 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 86° F/30° C Low .................................................... 77° F/25° C Normal high ....................................... 86° F/30° C Normal low ........................................ 73° F/23° C Last year’s high ................................. 90° F/32° C Last year’s low ................................... 79° F/26° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ............................................... 18.87” Normal year to date ..................................... 9.11”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 75° F/24° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

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KEY WEST

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 76° F/24° C

High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

12:11 a.m.

12:40 p.m.

2.6 2.1

6:44 a.m.

6:38 p.m.

0.4 0.6

Tuesday

12:56 a.m.

1:30 p.m.

2.5 2.1

7:30 a.m.

7:30 p.m.

0.4 0.7

Wednesday 1:44 a.m.

2:23 p.m.

2.5 2.2

8:16 a.m.

8:27 p.m.

0.4 0.7

Thursday

2:35 a.m.

3:17 p.m.

2.4 2.3

9:04 a.m.

9:26 p.m.

0.4 0.7

Friday

3:28 a.m.

4:11 p.m.

2.4 2.5

9:53 a.m. 0.2 10:25 p.m. 0.5

Saturday

4:22 a.m.

5:03 p.m.

2.4 2.8

10:42 a.m. 0.0 11:23 p.m. 0.3

Sunday

5:16 a.m.

5:54 p.m.

2.5 3.0

11:31 a.m. ‑0.1 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

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ANDROS

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

tiDes For nassau

6:20 a.m.

7:57 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

12:03 a.m.

11:19 a.m.

Last

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Jun. 13

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CAT ISLAND

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

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

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High: 87° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

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LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

4‑8 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

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

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CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 78° F/26° C

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W

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3‑6 knots

3‑6 knots

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

Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday:

WINDS SW at 7‑14 Knots WSW at 8‑16 Knots W at 6‑12 Knots W at 7‑14 Knots SW at 6‑12 Knots WSW at 7‑14 Knots SW at 3‑6 Knots S at 3‑6 Knots WSW at 6‑12 Knots WSW at 7‑14 Knots WSW at 8‑16 Knots WSW at 8‑16 Knots W at 4‑8 Knots WSW at 6‑12 Knots W at 3‑6 Knots NE at 3‑6 Knots SW at 4‑8 Knots WSW at 4‑8 Knots S at 4‑8 Knots S at 4‑8 Knots W at 6‑12 Knots W at 7‑14 Knots SW at 3‑6 Knots SW at 2‑4 Knots SW at 4‑8 Knots WSW at 7‑14 Knots

WAVES 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 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. 80° F 80° F 82° F 82° F 80° F 80° F 82° F 82° F 79° F 79° F 82° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 80° F 80° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 81° F

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PAGE 8, Monday, June 4, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Woods happy with his game despite another Sunday fade

By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Tiger Woods made it interesting again, but slipped from contention on the last day of a tournament.

Despite being done in by some poor putting at the Memorial, he believes there still was valuable progress.

“I keep getting a little better,” the 42-year-old Woods said after shooting an even-par 72 yesterday at Muirfield Village. “Week in, week out, I keep getting just a little bit more fine-tuned. For instance this week, just to be able to make the slight adaptations after the first nine holes and be able to flip it around and shoot a respectable number.”

Woods started the final round five shots off the lead, the third time this year he has been within five to start the last day and couldn’t turn it into a win.

Bryson DeChambeau won the event in a playoff.

Playing in the Memorial for the first time in three years, Woods birdied two of the first five holes Sunday before hitting from a fairway bunker on No. 6 to the rough in the back of the green. Still, he managed par.

He hit his approach over the green on No. 7 and settled for par again.

He couldn’t make up any ground on the par-3 No. 8, either, leaving his second shot just short of the hole.

Missing a 3-foot par putt on No. 10 was a killer. He made a slick birdie on the par-5 No. 11, but missed a 7-foot birdie putt on No. 12, then hit his tee shot out of bounds on the 13th and finished with a bogey.

He bogeyed the par-3 No. 16 when he missed another short putt, an unfortunate trend for Woods in a week when he was hitting the ball well off the tee.

He now turns his attention to the U.S. Open in two weeks.

“I just need to hit better putts,” he said. “This week I didn’t really have, didn’t feel comfortable with my lines, and my feel was a little bit off. Consequently I missed a bunch of putts.

But I hit it really good this week, so that’s a positive going into Shinnecock, where ball striking is going to be a must.”

Moving up and then falling back has become a trend for Woods in his comeback bid.

He was one shot behind going into the final round at the Valspar Championship in March and finished tied for second, a shot behind winner Paul Casey. He was five back at the Arnold Palmer Invitational the next week, but couldn’t do better than a tie for fifth, eight shots behind winner Rory McIlroy.

He knows he has to improve but is happy with his game overall, especially because before back surgery in April he didn’t know if he would ever walk again, let alone play competitive golf.

“Overall, if I just keep building on this, with how I’m hitting it right now, I’m in good shape for two weeks from now,” he said.

His participation dialed up the energy level here all week, with thousands following him on the course and roaring their approval with every good shot. The crowds were supportive and respectful all week, he said, and he tried to

TIGER Woods follows his shot from the rough on the seventh hole during the final round of the Memorial golf tournament yesterday in Dublin, Ohio.

(AP Photo/David Dermer)

just appreciate being here again. “It’s incredible to be able to play golf again at this level,” he said. “Not to have any worries about being able to walk again,

like I was. I was struggling there for a while, and now I’m on the other end of the spectrum.”

DeChambeau chuckled when asked whether he was

hoping Woods would make a run Sunday so they could duel it out. He answered with a firm “no.”

“To be able to have this type of calibre (of players)

all chasing is kind of special,” he said.

“I knew I had to go out there and play well.

I couldn’t make many mistakes.”

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VILLARREAL, Spain (AP) — Spain couldn’t manage more than a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in its final match before travelling to Russia for the World Cup. Spain was in control from the start but failed to capitalise on its chances and paid the prize after a second-half blunder by goalkeeper David de Gea. Alvaro Odriozola opened the scoring for the hosts with a neat volley from just outside the area in the 29th minute. Ricardo Rodriguez equalised for the Swiss in the 62nd after De Gea dropped the ball in front of goal while trying to hold on to a weak shot from inside the area.

Spain coach Julen Lopetegui was satisfied with his team’s performance despite the draw.

“I liked that we were able to create many scoring opportunities against a difficult team like Switzerland,” Lopetegui said. “We played at a high level. There were a lot of positives.”

The result kept Spain unbeaten in 19 matches since Lopetegui took over after the 2016 European Championship.

“We played well,” said Odriozola, who was making only his third appearance with the national team. “It was a good tune-up for the challenge that awaits us. We leave in good spirits.”

Spain, which will travel to Russia on Thursday, wasn’t at full strength as defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets was dropped from the starting lineup after falling ill with gastroenteritis.

Real Madrid players also weren’t fully available after reporting late to the squad because of the Champions League final. Sergio Ramos, Francisco “Isco” Alarcon and Dani Carvajal didn’t even travel for the match in Villarreal, although Nacho Fernandez, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez were second-half substitutes.

Fernandez nearly scored Spain’s winner with a shot

SPAIN’S JORDI ALBA, right and Switzerland’s Breel Embolo fight for the ball during the friendly soccer match between Spain and Switzerland at Ceramica stadium in Villarreal, Spain, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Alberto Saiz) that hit the post in secondhalf injury time.

Lopetegui played with Diego Costa and Iago Aspas up front, while Jorge “Koke” Resurreccion, Thiago Alcantara, Andres Iniesta and David Silva were in midfield. Cesar Azpilicueta and Gerard Pique started in central defense.

Spain will head to Russia looking to rebound from early eliminations at the 2016 European Championship and the 2014 World Cup. La Roja won Euro 2012, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2008.

Spain’s final warmup match will be against Tunisia on Saturday in Krasnodar, the team’s base in Russia.

Its first game at the World Cup is against European champion Portugal on June 15.

Spain’s next Group B matches will be against Iran on June 20 and Morocco on June 25.

Switzerland will host Japan on Friday in its final warmup match before its World Cup opener against Brazil on June 17 in Group E. It then faces Serbia on June 22 and Costa Rica on June 27.