SAN
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THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009
SPORTS 7B
LPGA
Wie to take her first swing as a Tour member today
Three other rookies join professional ranks
Associated Press
Michelle Wie watches her drive off the first tee during the Pro-Am for the LGPA T跑 SBS Open golf tournament at Turtle Bay Resort on Wednesday in Kahuku, Hawaii. Rookie golfers Jiyai Shin, Stacy Lewis and Kevin Hurst will join Wii's side in the tour.
BY JAYMES SONG ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KAHUKU, Hawaii — At nearly every turn at Turtle Bay, there are posters of Annika Sorenstam covered in leis, proudly celebrating the 70th of her 72 titles in her spectacular LPGA Tour career.
With the 2008 SBS Open champion enjoying retirement, several youngsters are vying to make their mark, including a special class of so-called "rookies."
The group includes Jiyai Shin, Stacy Lewis, Vicky Hurst and Michelle Wie, who was happy to be home, confident and looking for a fresh start to her career when play begins Thursday in the season-opening event.
"These four rookies that we talk about headlining the rookie class, every single one of them feel capable of sweeping the LPGA," tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens
said. "They're fearless. They're not typical rookies."
Wie appeared relaxed during her pro-am round Wednesday, joking with her caddie, signing autographs and comfortably crushing drives like in years past.
"I'm going in with an open mind, seeing how the first tournament goes and then take it from
VICKY HURST LPGA golfer
"I feel like it's a whole new beginning for me. It's a completely new slate," Wie said. "I'm not going to think about the past and not even going to think too much of the future. I'm just really excited for this week, for tomorrow, and I'm just going to think about what I can do best for each moment."
While the rookies have all made a name for themselves through winning on different levels, none of them come close to having the endorsement deals, bank account and fame of Wie, who for years has been looking to add to her
trophy case.
Wie, who first played an LPGA event at age 12, is trying to change that and said she's been working on her game "constantly".
"The game's a funny thing. One day it feels really good and other days you have to work hard on it," she said. "But I've been working on it really hard ... So hopefully my game's a lot better than it was, ever before. I'm really excited to show that."
Wie said the rookies are all unique in their own way with different histories, but she realizes the competition is getting stiffer. She is surrounded by young up-and-coming stars.
include the Women's British Open and the season-ending ADT Championship. She also has 20 titles on the Korea LPGA.
Lewis, who turns 24 next week, is the oldest of the four rookies. The Q-school winner turned pro in June and competed in seven LGA events. She had two
top-10 finishes, including a tie for third in the U.S. Women's Open. Before turning pro, she went 5-0 in the Curtis Cup last summer and also starred at the University of Arkansas, where she won 12 events and was the 2007 NCAA champion.
Hurst dominated the Duramed Futures Tour last season, winning five times in 13 starts to earn rookie and player of the year honors.
The 18-year-old Hurst, from Melbourne, Fla., said she feels no resentment "at all" toward Wie.
"I just try to stay focused with my plan and my goals and stay
focused on what I want to achieve this week and this year," Hurst said. "We've all taken different paths, all the rookies this year. I think you can never say who's done it better."
Hurst said she's now competing on a whole new level, but she's just trying to keep the attitude that she made it here just like everyone else.
"I'm going in with an open mind, seeing how the first tournament goes and then take it from there," Hurst said. "Probably previous years when I played LGPA events it was more intimidating, but now that I'm out here, this is my new family."
That makes Wie her older sister, by nine months.
The SBS marks Wie's first event as a full-fledged member of the LPGA. It also is her first LPGA start since July when she was disqualified from the State Farm Classic, one shot behind going into the final round, when it was determined she left the scoring area without signing her card after the second round.
She played the first SBS in 2005 as a 15-year-old amateur and tied for second at Turtle Bay with Cristie Kerr, two strokes behind winner Jennifer Rosales. Wie was the lone amateur in the field and
She also opened 2008 in Hawaii at the Fields Open, where she closed with a 6-over 78 to tie for last among the 74 players who made the cut.
"I guess it's the home factor. I just play well (here)," said Wie, who grew up about an hour-drive away.
Then came wrist injuries in 2007 that shook her confidence and her promising game. But she ended 2008 at Q-school on a high note, where she earned her LPGA card.
the only player to shoot under par for three rounds.
It also was at Turtle Bay in 2006 that she became the first female to win a local qualifying tournament for the U.S. Open. She earned the first of three spots into the sectionals.
Besides the talented rookies, there are several seasoned veterans like 2007 champion Paula
Creamer, who finished second on the money list behind top-ranked Lorena Ochoa last year after winning four events.
"It's hard to believe. I'm 22 and considered a veteran now," Creamer said.
Yani Tseng, the 2008 rookie of the year and LPGA Championship winner, also is entered. A year ago at Turtle Bay, Tseng was ranked 133rd in the world. Today, she's No. 2.
The SBS is the first of 30 events on the LPGA Tour this year, down from 34 in 2008. The loss of the four events represents nearly $10 million in prize money being erased.
LPGA
Three-time champion overlooked this year
1. 2014-07-19
BY JENNA FRYER ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson walks down pit road after his qualifying run for the Dwayna 500 auto race at the Dwayna International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jimmie Johnson came to Daytona International Speedway with a new beard and a cut finger, two topics that have so far overshadowed his status as NASCAR's three-time defending champion.
So just how overlooked is Johnson's on-track achievements? Carl Edwards was picked over Johnson to win this year's Sprint Cup championship.
"What about me?" Johnson wondered Wednesday, the first full day of preparations for the season-opening Daytona 500. "I just thought, 'Damn, if you won three championships in a row, you'd think you'd be a favorite.'"
Johnson earned a spot in NASCAR's record book last season, tying Cale Yarborough's 30-year-old mark as the only driver to win three straight Cup titles. He's won 40 races in his seven seasons and has crushed the competition through consistency: a bad day for Johnson is finishing outside the top 10, which he did only 14 times last season.
"He's such a damn good guy, that I think he gets overlooked a lot," said good friend and former teammate Casey Mears. "Here's a guy that has done something nobody has done in a long time, in an era that isn't even close to how it was in the past. It is competitive, but not near as competitive as it is now. So to do what he's done in these days is ridiculous.
"But he's not one of those guys who is jumping up and down saying 'Look what I did.' He's not asking for that attention."
Yet there's a perception that Johnson's achievements are overlooked, even though no driver has figured out how to catch him.
The end result is an unusual level of interest in both his close-cropped new beard and the left middle finger he sliced with a
kitchen knife last month.
The beard isn't all that peculiar for Johnson, who has occasionally grown one during offseason vacations. But until this year, he's never dared report to work with anything but a clean-shaven face.
He's spent years relying on his buttoned-up image to help him crash corporate cocktail parties in his constant quest for sponsorship. A beard, particularly one speckled with patches of gray, probably would have hampered his fund-raising.
Johnson didn't really feel like shaving after a lazy December, and debuted his new look at a commercial shoot last month.
Team owner Rick Hendrick and primary sponsor Lowe's have yet to complain, so Johnson's razor remains tucked away in a drawer.
Judged by offseason souvenir sales, Johnson will likely have a strong fan following this weekend. His championship merchandise sold at a 20 percent improvement over gear for his second title, and at a time when the economic crisis was in full effect.
Johnson could very well be a threat to win his second Daytona 500 on Sunday. He had the sixth-fastest car in time trials, and is a contender to win one of Thursday's twin qualifying races that determines the starting order for the season-opening event.
But they've also earned him a glaring spotlight, evidenced by the attention paid to his sliced finger.
Maybe those three championships have earned Johnson an occasional free pass.
The boost helped Johnson jump from fifth to second in merchandise sales, trailing only teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR's most popular driver.
To Johnson, that proves his on-track work is appreciated.
"I think in general, it's tough to appreciate things that are taking place now and it usually takes awhile to get ahead of it and reflect
back on it," Johnson said. "But I feel great about everything, I don't know where that whole idea came from of being underappreciated, but it's going well and one big indicator of that is if you look at souvenir sales."
Still, Hendrick sees the slight toward his driver. He knows Johnson is respected by his peers, and has heard rival competitors tracking Johnson during a race.
But there's still something holding Johnson back from breaking through to the highest levels of popularity.
"I think he's overlooked," Hendrick said. "I don't think from the people — the crew chiefs, the car owners, the competitors and drivers — they know. But he's so silent. He doesn't make a lot of noise. He just kind of goes along. He doesn't have an entourage of buddies, he's not on all the side shows and that stuff.
Johnson doesn't seem to mind.
"I've been overwhelmed by a variety of situations," said Johnson. "So from my standpoint, I think it's running a great course."
NBA
Denver Nuggets end losing streak
Orlando hits season low, loses 82-73
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ANTONIO GONZALEZ
ORLANDO, Fla. — Carmelo Anthony had 29 points and eight rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets ended a 15-game losing streak in Orlando with an 82-73 win over the Magic on Wednesday night.
Dwight Howard had 16 points and Rashard Lewis scored 12 for the Magic, who finished with a season low in points, a season high 24 turnovers and were held to a season-low 30.4 percent shooting from the floor.
Kenyon Martin scored 13 points, Nene added 12 and Chaucey Billups had 11 points for the Nuggets, who hadn't won in Orlando since March 10, 1992.
The Nuggets built
Anthony and J.R. Smith each had technical fouls in the period, and the Magic used a heavy dose of free throws to cut the Nuggets' lead to 63-51 heading into the fourth quarter.
a 20-point lead early in the third quarter, but then things got testy.
The Magic's previous high in turnovers this season was 19 against Minnesota on Dec. 3, and their previous low shooting percentage was 36.8 percent against Atlanta on Oct. 29.
And things would get closer.
But this one was about defense.
Lewis hit a 3-pointer with 2:06 left to tighten Denver's lead to 77-71, and the team's traded baskets before Denver extended clinched it with free throws.
Playing physical and unafraid to foul, the Nuggets had Howard and Orlando frustrated all night.
The Magic's previous high in turnovers this season was 19 against Minnesota on Dec. 3, and their previous low shooting percentage was 36.8 percent against Atlanta on Oct. 29.
The teams combined for 14 turnovers, 14 fouls — plus a technical against Lewis for arguing a call — and an airball by Martin in the first quarter. The Magic were 1-for-5 from 3-point range in the period and
The 3-point shooting Magic were held to 9-for-31 from beyond the arc and struggled again to control the ball without All-Star point guard Jamee Nelson. He tore the labrum in his right shoulder Feb. 2 and is still deciding whether to have season-ending surgery or attempt rehabilitation.
The game was a sloppy from the start.
struggled to get Howard involved early, while the Nuggets were getting to the hoop with ease.
Smith's jumper capped a 16-4 run that helped Denver take a 24-17 lead after the opening quarter. His 3-pointer ended the second quarter with the Nuggets on a 14-4 spurt, going ahead 46-29 at the half ard. sending the Magic to the locker room with a chorus of boos from the home crowd.
It was the fewest points Orlando scored in a first half as well as in a game all season. The previous lows came in a loss to Boston on Jan. 22, when they managed 36 first-half points and were held to 80 for the game.