Arnold Palmer said Tiger Woods should do everything to put his sex scandal behind him while Colin Montgomerie said he expected Woods to overcome nerves and handle any hecklers on his return.
On the eve of the US$5.8 million US PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational, the main topic of conversation on Wednesday was Woods and his impending comeback at the Masters from a five-month break following a sex scandal.
“Move on. I think that’s probably the best thing to do. Move on,” Palmer said. “I suppose the best thing he could do would be open up and just let [reporters] shoot [questions] at him ... that might be the best way to move on.”
PHOTO: AFP
World No. 1 Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the all-time record of 18 major titles set by Jack Nicklaus, often screams obscenities after poor shots, but has said he will be more respectful of the game when he returns.
Palmer, the 80-year-old US legend who helped popularize the sport a generation ago, held off on giving advice to Woods about that or about what more he needed to say after a public apology statement and two interviews last Sunday.
The first chance for Woods is tentatively set for April 5, the Monday before the Masters begins, when he is listed to conduct an afternoon news conference in a schedule released on Wednesday by Augusta National Golf Club.
Woods has admitted he is nervous about the reception he will receive from spectators at Augusta National, where he played practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday.
Unlike most PGA events, spectators at Augusta could lose their entry badges if they violate the traditional decorum of the Masters, so Woods might not have a true test from hecklers anyway.
But Scotsman Montgomerie, this year’s European Ryder Cup captain, has been well-tested by US hecklers and doubts Woods will have any problems.
“It’s very shrewd what he has done, to come back in the most controlled atmosphere possible, the Masters. The patrons are very knowledgeable and will respect him as the golfer that he is and I think that there will be no issue at all,” Montogomerie said.
Montgomerie expects a Masters-like respect for Woods at the British Open in July at St Andrews.
“I think we’ll be welcoming him with open arms when he comes over,” Montgomerie said. “He has won in 2000 and 2005 [at St Andrews] and would start as a heavy favorite to do that again.”
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB