Issuu

SPORTS SECTION E

NAUGHTY

Column, Page 3

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

Men’s national softball team splits double header By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

he men’s national softball team split another double header yesterday, dropping to an even .500 mark with a 2-2 win-loss record at the WBSC 10th Pan Am Tournament in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The team, managed by Perry Seymour, lost 8-1 to Canada in their opener but bounced back to thrash Belize 8-0 in the other game. In their game against Canada, Thomas Davis, who has recovered from the injury he sustained in a team practice here, got the starting nod, but after the team got off sluggishly in the first inning giving

up four runs to fall into a hole, Martin Burrows came in and completed the game. Against Belize as they avenged their earlier defeat, Desmond Russell from Grand Bahama cracked another home run and Sherman Ferguson belted two, including a three-run walk off homer. Lyle Sawyer from Abaco was the winning pitcher. At this point in the tournament, Seymour said the coaching staff made up of Richard ‘the Lion-Heart’ Johnson and Haziel McDonald from Abaco, are just waiting on the youthful squad to put the timely hits together. “In the first game, we only gave up one hit, but we didn’t play that well,” Seymour said. “Usually when we get off to a slow start, we

TEAM BAHAMAS manager Perry Seymour (right) speaks with coach Haziel McDonald.

come back. But we played against Canada and they took advantage of the mistakes we made and we couldn’t come back. But the team played extremely well in the second game against Belize. We needed that kind of effort against Canada.” Today, the team, which had its share of problems getting out of the country in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, will be back for their third straight double header today when they take on Mexico in the opener at 8:30pm, followed by Argentina at 12:45 pm. “We need to win against one of them and beat Panama in our last game in the round robin on Wednesday in order to make the playoffs,” Seymour said. “We have a chance in both of the games, but we will need our

pitching to hold up and if we can get some timely hits, we should be able to do something.” After getting stuck here for about two days as they ended up missing the first two days of competition, Seymour admitted that the players were a bit despondent, but now they are even more concerned with Hurricane Maria threatening. “From the information we got, we might just get a piece of it from the outside,” Seymour said. “They changed the schedule because of the hurricane. That is why we’re playing so many double headers every day. “The weather is supposed to hit us on Thursday and they feel they might get plenty rain, so they are

Sebastian Gray: ‘I am one of the leaders of the team’ By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net ENTERING his sophomore season at the JuCo level, Sebastian Gray is expected to take on a greater leadership role with his Northern Oklahoma-Enid Jets men’s basketball programme. Gray is one of just five sophomores and is the second leading scorer of all returning players on this year’s squad. “My approach this year is way different than last year. This year I am more aggressive with scoring, rebounding and defending at a high level. I am one of the leaders of the team so I will have to lead this young group of individuals onto the right path for us to be successful,” he said. The 6’6” swingman was one of the driving forces leading the Jets to the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament, where they advanced to the second round. “One of my expectations this year is to make it back to nationals. This is a young talented group of freshmen that came in so we have a strong possibility of winning our conference so I expect big things coming from my team and me,” Gray said. He appeared in 25 games as a freshman last season and averaged 11.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He shot 43 per cent from the field, 75 per cent from the free throw line and 33 per cent from three. Looking to build on those numbers, Gray expects to transition to the NCAA Division I level after a successful sophomore season. “My recruitment has stepped up recently over the last two months. I received calls from Loyola Chicago, Mercer University, and Southeastern New Mexico. But I have two schools right now that have been more aggressive with recruiting me - Southeastern Louisiana University and

Arkansas-Little Rock, which I plan to visit next month,” he said. Gray reached the 20-point plateau in three games, scored in double figures 16 times and posted six double doubles. He returns with fellow sophomores Dyaire Holt, Denzil Haynes, Bryshon Bryant and Quincy Dockins. Jets head coach Greg Shamburg told EnidNews.com that the team’s progression to the nationals increased the profile and held recruiting, but the strength of the team will lie with its leadership of the returning players. “[Making it to nationals] didn’t hurt us obviously, but we have been getting good players. That didn’t completely change. The key with recruiting is having enough money to get out and recruit. We have good freshmen,” he said. “They [Gray and the other sophomores] have done a good job leading us in the weight room and on and off the floor,’’ Shamburg said. “We will be a little deeper than we were last year and more

SOPHOMORE Sebastian Gray is expected to take on a greater leadership role with the Northern Oklahoma-Enid Jets men’s basketball programme. athletic. We have a chance to be pretty good.’’ The Jets open the season on November 2 at Rhema Bible College. Gray and fellow Bahamian Robert Joseph helped the Jets to a No.23 ranking in last year’s tournament. The Jets scored a 95-90 win over No.10 Southern Idaho

Golden Eagles in an upset win. Gray finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocked shots while Joseph added two points off the bench. In the second round, they were eliminated 82-76 at the hands of the Vincennes Trailblazers, ranked No.7 in the bracket. Gray finished with seven points and 11 rebounds.

SEE PAGE 3

VAREL DAVIS RETURNS AS THE GSSSA PRESIDENT By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AFTER turning the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association around over the last two years, Varel Davis was rewarded as she was returned as president for her second two-year term in office. At the annual general meeting and election of officers yesterday, Davis - a physical education teacher at CH Reeves - beat out Trevor Grant from CR Walker 12-2 for the top post. “I feel good. I still have a lot of work to finish,” Davis told The Tribune. “Like the saying goes, your work should speak for you. When I took over the association, our finances weren’t looking good. It was in the negative. “But the past two years was a plus. I got to introduce a lot of things in terms of cheering and the cross country, which was a plus. But I really want to get away from the trophies and present championship rings to our seniors and have an end of the year banquet when we recognise all of our top student-athletes, schools, coaches and even sponsors..” Three new officers were elected with Kendal Campbell from TA Thompson as first vice president, Shekeira Farrington is the second vice president and Fiona Tucker from DW Davis is the assistant secretary. Returning to office along with Davis is Keisha Pratt from RM Bailey, still the secretary, Tia Rolle from CR Walker is treasurer and

SEE PAGE 3

DeAndre Ayton’s Wildcats ‘to be top offensive team’ By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net DEANDRE Ayton is expected to be an individual standout for the Arizona Wildcats this season, but his presence among a highly touted recruiting class has pundits ranking them among the top teams in all of college basketball. ESPN projects the Wildcats to be the top offensive team in the NCAA and several publications, including Athlon and Street and Smith, rank the Wildcats as the number one team this preseason. Ayton is expected to fill the void in the frontcourt left by 2016 NBA Lottery Pick Lauri Markkanen and join potential All-Americans wings Allonzo Trier and Rawle Alkins to lead the Wildcats attack.

ESPN Insider John Gasaway said Ayton is one of the main reasons many expect this to be the strongest Wildcats team ever for head coach Sean Miller. “Ayton, 7-1, is projected as a top-three pick in the 2018 draft. Keep in mind that in Pac-12 play last season, the Wildcats’ only (and I do mean only) brush with statistical mediocrity came in the form of 2-point accuracy (50.1 per cent). “Ayton will see to it that this number rises in 2017-18. This could be Miller’s strongest team yet in Tucson,” he said. The Wildcats fanbase had an opportunity to witness Ayton’s impact during Arizona’s foreign tour in August. He averaged 14 points and nine rebounds in two games against Cobinado Valenciano and the Mataro All-Stars.

DEANDRE AYTON in action.

In another preseason projection, CBS Sports selected Ayton as the best centre in college basketball this season. CBS’ Gary Parrish said Ayton’s combination of size and skillset may be unmatched at the pivot spot in the 2017-18 season. “Everything I’ve heard out of Arizona is that Ayton has been tremendous in offseason workouts. “He should be the Wildcats next one-and-done and possibly the key to Sean Miller’s first Final Four,” Parrish said. Miller added: “He’s obsessed with being a great player and because of that I think his future is incredibly bright. “We are all looking forward to providing him with an environment where he can grow and also give our team and recruiting class

that special player who can go inside and out.” He closed out his high school career earlier this summer with appearances at the top level elite showcases for prep players. He scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the West’s 124-116 win over the East at the Jordan Brand Classic and at the McDonald’s All-American Game he finished with eight points and 11 rebounds. The unofficial start to the season for the Wildcats begins with the annual McDonald’s RedBlue Game on Friday, October 20. They officially begin the season with a trio of home games versus Northern Arizona on November 10, UMBC on November 12 and Cal State Bakersfield on November 16.

PAGE 2, Tuesday, September 19, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

5TH ANNUAL POTCAKEMAN TRIATHLON ON JAWS BEACH THIS SATURDAY THE fifth annual Powerade Potcakeman Triathlon is all set to take place at Jaws Beach on Saturday, September 23. Hurricane Irma threatened to potentially delay proceedings but the race organisers are happy to announce all is on track for a fantastic, family fun-filled morning. The longer Olympic race which was introduced last year proved extremely popular and is once again an option for athletes who want to try the extended distance. There is also the option of doing a relay at the Olympic distance which has been newly added to the schedule. Race director Sarah Kennedy encourages anyone still wishing to register to do so before the closing deadline on Wednesday, September 20. “This is probably going to be the most competitive race to date,” she said. “We have competitors travelling from USA and Canada to compete and we can’t wait to see who will be crowned champions.” The Bahamas Triathlon Association (BTA) was recently formed following the rapid growth of the sport’s popularity. There is to be CARIFTA championship to be held

in Barbados in October and the BTA are sending a number of young athletes. Lori Roach explained that the Potcakeman has really thought about the kids racing this year. “We have introduced a Junior Tri for teenagers in addition to our usual Puppy Tri,” she said. “We have also added a ‘Splash n Dash’ race for the really young ones to come out and have a go.” In addition to a dri-fit T-shirt and full swag bag, all finishers will receive a unique finisher medal and rewarded with a Heineken beer and hamburger from the Rotary Club of East Nassau’s Van. Kids will all get a Dunkin donut. In addition to presenting partners Powerade, the event is being sponsored by Subway, Purina Dog Chow, Albany, Think Simple, Higgs & Johnson, KMPG, Odyssey Aviation, JS Johnson, The Pet Food Institute, Daminos Sothebys International Realty, Happy Pets Animal Hospital, Heinenken, and Golden Wings Charter. There will also be a raffle draw on race day, the top prize being a Hudson Sports Femme bike donated from Cycles Unlimited. The race is being organised by the non-profit

THE male (above) and female (below) winners in their respective age groups with their awards at last year’s triathlon. organisation Baark (Bahamas Alliance for Animal Rights and Kindness). All money raised from the event will go towards their spay/neuter and education programmes all over the Bahamas. They have already completed over 1,000 sterilisations in 2017 and over 7,000 total since forming in 2010. More information and registration link for both events can be found at the website www.potcakeman. com

TRI-ATHLETES gather for the pre-race briefing last year. This year’s triathlon is scheduled for Saturday, September 23.

RACE volunteers enjoy a day at work.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 19, 2017, PAGE 3

Rest in peace Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan LEGENDARY WRESTLING MANAGER AND ANNOUNCER DIES BOBBY “The Brain” Heenan, legendary wrestling manager and announcer, died on Sunday, according to WWE.com and other reliable sources. He was 73. It’s no secret. I’m a huge fan of ‘Pro Wrestling’ so I was deeply saddened to hear of his passing. A big part of me being such a huge wrestling fan, were characters such as Bobby ‘The Brain’ and his endless underhanded antics, to go along with his stable of champion wrestlers. THE BEST TO EVER DO IT Heenan is considered the best known, most successful ringside manager in the history of the business. ‘The Brain” transitioned to the announcing booth after his managerial run, where he concluded his illustrious career that spanned over four decades. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Heenan came up as a wrestler and manager through the 1960s and 1970s in the World Wrestling Association, American Wrestling Association and

BOBBY HEENAN

THE

FROM PAGE 1

PRESS BOX ZELAYA

BY INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICA

later the World Wrestling Federation (now known as World Wrestling Entertainment). He managed superstars over the years such as Angelo Poffo, Guy Mitchell, the Valiant Brothers, Nick Bockwinkel, Jesse Ventura and Andre the Giant. In 2004, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame two years after being diagnosed with throat cancer. Along with his time in the WWE, “The Brain” was part of the original broadcast team for Monday Night Raw in 1993 and also sat at the announcer table for both Raw and WCW Monday Nitro. HIGHLY RESPECTED AMONG HIS PEERS Just as his fans, such as myself and thousands of

others, were all feeling the loss of ‘The Brain’, so were the countless peers in the wrestling business that called Heenan friend. “The news of Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan’s passing today gutted me. I loved our time together. No one ever did it better than the Wease.” - Jim Ross former RAW play-by-play man and current WWE executive. Bobby Heenan... The Greatest Manager, One Of The Greatest Announcers, And One Of The Best In-Ring Performers In The History Of The Business.” - Ric Flair 17 time World Champion. KING OF THE ONE LINERS Heenan was quite the comedian, his ‘one liners’

were impeccable and his timing immaculate. Sometimes it was more enjoyable just to listen to ‘The Brain’ and his off the wall commentary than the actual match itself. Heenan once said: “I was allowed to express myself and bring my comedy into a business I often thought needed a kick in the pants and a couple of smiles.” And aren’t we all glad you did.

Thanks for the memories Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan. RIP!! • Naughty presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, on KISS FM 96.1. Comments and questions to naughty@tribunemedia.net

VAREL DAVIS RETURNS AS PRESIDENT OF THE GSSSA FROM PAGE 1 Terrance King of HO Nash is the assistant treasurer. “I feel good about this slate because most of my officers who worked with me over the past two years to get the association back up and running to a respectable level are back,” Davis pointed out.

“We have some new persons like Mr Campbell and Shekeira, who all work very well. We have a very good, young executive team, except for Mr King, who you need to bring that experience and solid advice.” With the team in place, Davis said they intend to push the GSSSA to another level. They are

looking at starting the season with volleyball on October 2. “It should be an exciting year. Teams are preparing,” Davis added. “I think the level of competition will improve because of what we saw from the teams last year.” One of the things, if not the most important one, that Davis and her executives hope to further

MEN’S NATIONAL SOFTBALL TEAM SPLITS DOUBLE HEADER

implement this year is the maintenance of a certain grade point average for all student-athletes in order for them to be eligible to graduate. “We can’t just watch these athletes leave school with credentials,” Davis stated. “We will seriously be looking at how we can ensure that they graduate with a certain GPA. It’s a must.”

trying to get all of the regular series games finished.” While they have to deal with the hectic schedule of playing so many double headers, Seymour said they have the added pressure of playing in the heat. “It’s really hot over here,” he stated. “For some reason, they are not giving us any late games. So far, we have been playing from 8:30 in the morning and then we will get a game break and come right back and play our second game. I think it’s taking its toll on our players.” In their pool play, Seymour said it was disheartening for the team when they lost their opener 2-1 to Guatemala, one of the four teams they had projected to beat. He said their two victories against Costa Rica and Belize were added in the mix, along with their last game against Panama. However, he said after losing to Guatemala and Canada, they now have an uphill battle in their final three games. They will need to finish in the top four at the end of the tournament, but be one of the top two English-speaking countries, to be eligible to qualify for the 2019 Pan American Games. The other members of the team are Alcott Forbes, Angelo Dillett, Austin Hanna, Courtney Smith, Garfield Bethel, Lamar Watkins, Micah Bethel from Eleuthera, Philip Johnson and Wayne Johnson.

MOBILE

APP

Take us with you Everywhere you go!

PAGE 4, Tuesday, September 19, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

SUPPORT THE BLOOD BANK

SAVE A LIFE GIVE THE GIFT OF

BLOOD

BECOME A REGULAR DONOR

1 PINT CAN SAVE 3 LIVES GIVE BLOOD - GIVE LIFE

SOME HELPFUL TIPS BEFORE YOU DONATE:

4 You must have eaten at least once for the day.

4 You need at least 30 minutes between your last meal and donating blood. 4 You will need at least 10 minutes rest after donating blood. 4 You can donate blood every 8 weeks.

4 The Blood Bank will do FREE Pre-screening tests to make sure you are healthy enough to donate blood.

BECOME A REGULAR DONOR

PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THE BLOOD DRIVES

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 19, 2017, PAGE 5

Gronk says groin injury not serious, is day to day FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Rob Gronkowski says the groin injury he suffered in New Orleans is not serious and pronounced himself as “day to day” regarding this week’s game against the Houston Texans. “The reports say out there that it was my groin and, yes, it is my groin,” the oft-injured New England star tight end said yesterday of the injury that caused him to leave Sunday’s 36-20 Patriots victory over the Saints. “It’s nothing serious and I’m just day to day.” Gronkowski, who missed most of the second half of last season and the Super Bowl because of back surgery, caught six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown before leaving after a third-quarter hit. He did not return and was seen on the sidelines riding the stationary bike. “Super relieved,” he said of the injury. “I mean, I knew there was nothing really wrong. So I’m good.” Asked if he expects to play Sunday, Gronkowski said, “I’m day to day. I feel good. Nothing serious.” Gronkowski also dropped a likely touchdown pass, the second straight game he had a near-miss in the end zone. But that doesn’t take

away from what the team did, with Tom Brady carving up the shaky New Orleans defence with precision passing. “As an offence we started clicking out there,” Gronk said. “We were clicking first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter and we were working well together. The ball was getting spread out or spread out to many different players and everyone was doing their job, communicating well, and it went well.” And the quick start, including three TD passes by Brady in the first quarter for the first time in his career? “The fast start’s always important,” he said. “It was just good to get it, and what’s good is we went all the way through the game to finish the game as an offence to close out the game.” Asked about Brady setting the tone, Gronkowski said, “Oh yeah, we’re always feeding off Tom, but we feed off each other as a group. The tight ends feed off each other, we feed off the wide receivers. We all try to feed off each other, but it definitely starts with Tom.” After scoring the second of Brady’s three first-quarter touchdown passes, Gronkowski

NEW England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski pulls in a touchdown reception in front of New Orleans Saints linebacker Alex Anzalone (47) in the first half on Sunday. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) delivered one of his patented end zone spikes. This one may well have meant more after recovering from back surgery that sidelined him for the Super Bowl run.

“It felt good,” he said. “It always feels good to get your first one of the year. It was just a good game overall, a good team win, and it’s the right direction to be headed in.”

IRVING: NO CARES ABOUT LEBRON’S FEELINGS WHEN LEAVING CAVALIERS BOSTON (AP) — New Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving says he doesn’t care if anyone took it personally that he left Cleveland, even Cavaliers star LeBron James. Appearing yesterday on ESPN’s “First Take,” Irving said he doesn’t feel like he owed James an explanation for asking for a trade. Asked if he let James know that he was seeking to leave, Irving said, “Why would I have to?” Host Stephen A Smith responded: “If you don’t speak to somebody, they might take it personally. Do you care about that at all?” “No,” Irving said. Irving was eventually sent to the Celtics for a package that included Isaiah Thomas and a first-round draft pick. He says the move from the Eastern Conference champions wasn’t about not wanting to win.

Smashing: MLB home run record on track to fall today By RONALD BLUM Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton’s smacks, Aaron Judge’s jolts and all those dizzying long balls helped Major League Baseball move another poke closer to the inevitable. Nearly two decades after the height of the Steroids Era, the sport is on track to break its season record for home runs on Tuesday — and not just top the old mark, but smash it like one of those upper-deck shots that have become commonplace in the Summer of the Slugger. There were 5,663 home runs hit through Sunday, 30 shy of the record set in 2000.

Juiced balls? Watereddown pitching? Stanton’s renaissance? Sensational starts by Judge and Cody Bellinger? “I don’t think that we are ever going to have a single explanation for exactly why we’ve see so many,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “But players are bigger and stronger. They’re playing a little differently, in terms of the way they swing. Pitchers throw harder. “The one thing I remain comfortable with: Nothing about the baseball, according to our testing, is materially different.” There were 5,610 homers last year, an average of 2.31 per game, and this year’s average of 2.53 projects to

6,143. That would be up 47 per cent from 4,186 in 2014. In just three years, home runs will have increased by 1,957 — an extra 149 miles of long balls at this year’s average home run length of 400 feet, or 15 miles more than the driving distance between Philadelphia’s Citizen’s Bank Park and Washington’s Nationals Park. “The game has changed,” New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “From when I started, there’s a lot less stolen bases, there’s a lot less bunting, there’s a lot less hitting-and-running. You don’t give outs away, and you let guys swing the bat.” Already 107 players have hit 20 homers this year, just

YEAR-by-year total home runs hits in Major League Baseball since 1990.

IN this file photo, Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger follows through on a two-run home run against San Francisco Giants. (AP) three shy of the record set last season — and up from 64 in 2015, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. “The ball seems to soar from people that are hitting it farther than maybe they did a year ago ... and they kind of look like the same person,” Minnesota manager Paul Molitor, a Hall of Famer hitter, said before Monday night’s game at Yankee Stadium. Along with sailing shots come strikeouts, which will set a record for the 10th consecutive year. There were 36,964 whiffs through Sunday, an average of 8.25 per team per game that translates to 40,099. “The focus is hitting homers and tolerating strikeouts,” Reggie Jackson said. “I don’t really like all the strikeouts, and I was the king.” Baseball officials are worried about decreasing action and have been alarmed by the strikeout rise. This year’s total is up from 38,982 last year and an increase of nearly 8,000 from the 32,189 in 2007. The strikeout spike

coincides with a rise in fastball velocity; four-seamers have averaged 93.2 mph this year, up from 91.9 mph in 2008, according to MLB data. “These bullpens are making it extremely difficult. From basically the starter on you’re going to have elite, hard-throwing guys that are looking to strike you out every single time,” said Baltimore’s Mark Trumbo, last year’s home run champion. “The game right now is as max effort as I’ve seen it. Guys are throwing harder. At the plate sometimes you have no choice. It’s hard to steer the ball around when it’s 98 miles an hour and up in the zone.” Jackson set a record with 2,597 career strikeouts, maxing at 171 in 1968. Six players already have reached 171 this year, led by the Yankees’ Judge at 197. He could break Mark Reynolds’ season record of 223, set in 2009. “You’d have been on the bench,” Jackson said. “But I don’t know if you set a guy on the bench with 90 RBIs and 40 homers.

That’s Judge. You ain’t going to sit that on the bench.” Steroids fuelled the home run surge in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and power subsided after the start of drug testing with penalties in 2004. The home run average dropped in 2014 to its lowest level since 1992, then started rising during the second half of the 2015 season. MLB has the UMassLowell’s Baseball Research Center conduct periodic testing of baseballs and University of Illinois physics professor emeritus Alan Nathan consults as part of quality control. The sport has said repeatedly that baseballs fall within the specifications in the rules. Manfred isn’t worried some undetectable substance is fueling the new rise. “I have never said that it’s impossible there’s something out there that we’re missing,” he said. “What I am saying is we’re doing more, more frequently, less predictably, with better testing, and that’s all you can do.”

KERBER OUSTS LOCAL FAVOURITE OSAKA AT THE PAN-PACIFIC OPEN TOKYO (AP) — Seventh-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany got a measure of revenge for a US Open loss by beating Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-4 yesterday to advance to the second round of the PanPacific Open. Last month, Kerber was knocked out of the US Open by the Japanese teenager in straight sets. “It’s always tough to play against her,” Kerber said.

“I was trying to come out here and really focus on every single point and make it better than last time. ... She’s a great player and a tough opponent. For sure she will have great success in the future.” Osaka lost to Caroline Wozniacki in the final of last year’s tournament. Kerber will play either Madison Brengle or Daria Kasatkina in the next round.

Also, wild card Kurumi Nara of Japan overcame a slow start to oust Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, while China’s Wang Qiang beat Kristina Mladenovic of France 6-0, 6-0. Meanwhile, organisers announced that Agnieszka Radwanska, a two-time tournament champion, has pulled out due to a virus. The 11th-ranked Pole was seeded sixth.

ANGELIQUE Kerber of Germany reacts after her win over Naomi Osaka of Japan during their first round match of the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament yesterday. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 19, 2017, PAGE 7

LEISHMAN WINS BMW CHAMPIONSHIP, SETS SIGHT ON $10 MILLION By DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Marc Leishman put the finishing touches on his best year in golf and already was looking ahead to make it even better. With his wire-to-wire, fiveshot victory in the BMW Championship — his first tournament after losing a two-shot lead on the back nine at the TPC Boston — Leishman now is in range to capture the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus this week at East Lake in the Tour Championship. All he has to do is win. Leishman not only won for the second time this year, he has the No. 4 seed this week for the FedEx Cup finale. While everyone in the 30-man field has a mathematical chance of claiming golf’s richest prize, the top five seeds only have to win to capture the cup. The way Leishman has been playing, it doesn’t seem out of reach. At his side were two trophies — one from the BMW Championship, the other from the Western Golf Association, which has run this tournament since 1899.

“I had my sights set high for the FedEx Cup and trying to get into the top 5 and with these sitting here,” he said, pausing to glance at the silver trophies, “if I have another good week, who knows what might happen?” So after 46 tournaments, the FedEx Cup comes down to one week. British Open champion Jordan Spieth, PGA champion Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Leishman and Jon Rahm of Spain are the top five seeds. For some players, they were just happy to be there. Xander Schauffele started the year by missing six of 11 cuts and finishing inside the top 25 just once — he tied for 24th at the Wells Fargo Championship in early May. Back then, he was only thinking about keeping his card in his rookie season. He tied for fifth at the US Open. He won The Greenbrier Classic. He was in position to achieve a lofty goal — East Lake — at No. 32 in the FedEx Cup until he began the final round with 10 pars and two bogeys. “I told my caddie, ‘I really don’t want the year to end, we’re having so much fun,’” he said. And then golf got really fun. Schauffele birdied the next two

ESPANYOL DEFEATS CELTA VIGO 2-1 TO SNAP WINLESS LA LIGA STREAK

final birdie on the 18th for a 4-under 67 that moved him into the top 30. “Once you reach goals, you make new ones,” he said. “And I’ve been making a lot of new ones.” Patrick Cantlay, another PGA Tour rookie, had been out of golf for three years with a back injury he feared might end his career, along with the emotional scars of seeing his best friend and caddie, Chris Roth, struck and killed by a car as they walked to dinner. He picked a light schedule this year to ease his way back into golf, and to cope with an ankle injury from so much play. In just 11 tournaments, he made it to the Tour Championship, and it wasn’t easy. Cantlay was outside the top 30 coming to the par-5 18th and needed a birdie when he reached the green in two. But his 50-foot eagle putt came up 10 feet short. He calmly rolled that in to barely moved into the top 30. Along with playing the Tour Championship, Cantlay is assured a spot in the Masters, the US Open, British Open and most likely the PGA Championship.

MARC Leishman smiles as he poses with the Wadley Cup, left, and the BMW Championship trophy after winning the BMW Championship golf tournament on Sunday. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) holes, drove the 15th green and made a 30-foot eagle putt , birdied the 16th and then added a

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Espanyol scored twice in the first half then held on to defeat Celta Vigo 2-1 for its first win in the Spanish league yesterday. The Catalan club moved off the bottom of the standings after earning only one point from its first three games. “We needed this victory to regain our confidence,” Espanyol forward Gerard Moreno said. “The team deserved it, and it was good that it came at home, in front of our fans.” Espanyol jumped to 16th place, one point ahead of Celta, whose only win came against Alaves in the previous round. “We needed to score to get back into the match but our goal came too late,” Celta forward Iago Aspas said. Moreno put Espanyol ahead with a low shot from just inside the area. Pablo Piatti added to the lead midway through the first half with a cross shot into the far corner following a fast breakaway. Defender Andreu Fontas scored Celta’s lone goal in the second half. Barcelona leads the league after winning its first four matches. Unbeaten Sevilla is two points back in second place. Defending champion Real Madrid is fourth, three points behind Barcelona.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Partly sunny

Partly cloudy

Partly sunny

Partly sunny with a shower in spots

Partly sunny, a shower; breezy

Windy with a t‑storm in the area

High: 91°

Low: 79°

High: 91° Low: 78°

High: 91° Low: 79°

High: 90° Low: 79°

AccuWeather RealFeel

110° F

88° F

113°-87° F

106°-87° F

105°-84° F

102°-86° F

ORLANDO

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 70° F/21° C

TAMPA

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 74° F/23° C

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: 83° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

4‑8 knots

WEST PALM BEACH High: 89° F/32° C Low: 77° F/25° C

3‑6 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE E

FREEPORT

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 77° F/25° C

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 75° F/24° C

MIAMI

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 77° F/25° C

4‑8 knots

KEY WEST

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

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

tiDes For nassau High Today

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

7:45 a.m. 8:07 p.m.

3.4 3.6

1:42 a.m. 1:58 p.m.

0.2 0.2

Wednesday 8:31 a.m. 8:51 p.m.

3.5 3.5

2:26 a.m. 2:46 p.m.

0.2 0.2

Thursday

9:15 a.m. 9:34 p.m.

3.5 3.3

3:08 a.m. 3:31 p.m.

0.2 0.3

Friday

9:57 a.m. 10:15 p.m.

3.4 3.2

3:48 a.m. 4:15 p.m.

0.3 0.4

Saturday

10:39 a.m. 10:56 p.m.

3.3 3.0

4:27 a.m. 4:58 p.m.

0.4 0.6

Sunday

11:21 a.m. 11:38 p.m.

3.2 2.8

5:07 a.m. 5:43 p.m.

0.6 0.8

Monday

12:05 p.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

3.1 ‑‑‑‑‑

5:47 a.m. 6:30 p.m.

0.8 1.0

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:57 a.m. 7:09 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

6:16 a.m. 7:03 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Sep. 20

Sep. 27

Oct. 5

Oct. 12

CAT ISLAND

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

3‑6 knots

4‑8 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 90° F/32° C Low .................................................... 80° F/27° C Normal high ....................................... 88° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 75° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 91° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 77° F/25° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday .................................. trace Year to date ............................................... 25.98” Normal year to date ................................... 27.35”

uV inDex toDay

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 78° F/26° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

4‑8 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

4‑8 knots

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

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS SE at 3‑6 Knots WSW at 4‑8 Knots SW at 3‑6 Knots E at 3‑6 Knots SSW at 4‑8 Knots E at 3‑6 Knots ESE at 3‑6 Knots ENE at 6‑12 Knots S at 3‑6 Knots NE at 3‑6 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots SW at 4‑8 Knots NE at 4‑8 Knots NE at 4‑8 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots SSE at 3‑6 Knots NE at 4‑8 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots ENE at 7‑14 Knots WSW at 3‑6 Knots SE at 3‑6 Knots S at 4‑8 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots S at 4‑8 Knots NE at 3‑6 Knots

WAVES 4‑8 Feet 4‑8 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 4‑7 Feet 3‑6 Feet 4‑8 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑2 Feet 4‑7 Feet 4‑8 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑2 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet

VISIBILITY 8 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 87° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 81° F 81° F 86° F 86° F 81° F 81° F 84° F 84° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 84° F 86° F 86° F 82° F 82° F

PAGE 8, Tuesday, September 19, 2017

THE TRIBUNE