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THE UNIVERSITY OF HAILEY KANSAN
MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2007
Underdog claims Masters
BY DOUG FERGUSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUGUSTA, Ga. — A strange week at the Masters saved the biggest surprises for the end Sunday — unheralded Zach Johnson won the green jacket, and beat Tiger Woods to do it.
Johnson pulled away from Woods and the rest of the pack with three birdies in a crucial four-hole stretch along the back nine of Augusta National, closing with a 69 for a two-shot victory and only the second of his career.
Johnson, 31, is the least accomplished Masters champion since
Larry Mize chipped in to beat Greg Norman in a playoff 20 years ago, but this was no fluke. Even as some of the thrills returned in the final round, Johnson kept his calm.
And there wasn't anything Woods could do about it.
"This is very surreal — very, very surreal," said Johnson, who was on the Nationwide Tour four years ago and has not won in the big leagues since 2004 at the BellSouth Classic. "I didn't think it would be this year, but I had no idea."
Woods looked like a lock when he took the lead after a short birdie on the second hole, only this major didn't work out like so
many others. Johnson and three other players came after him, and this time Woods was the one who backed off with sloppy mistakes — a broken club, shots that either found the water or the bunker and too many putts that stayed out of the cup.
It was the third time Woods lost a lead during the final round of a major, and the first time he ever failed to get it back.
Rob Carr/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Johnson finished at 1-over 289, matching a Masters record last set in 1956 for highest winning score. And it ended a streak of the winner coming out of the final group at Augusta National ever year since 1991.
Zach Johnson reacts after chipping in for birdie on the eighth hole during the final round of the 2007 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on Sunday. John won the Masters with a one-over 289.
The week featured bone-dry conditions, more bogeys than birdies, frost coating the manicured lawn in the morning and one last peculiar sight — Woods walking up to the 18th green with no one left behind him on the course and no trophy waiting for him at the end.
He closed with a 72 and tied for second with Retief Goosen and Rory Sabbatini, who each shot 69 on a day when the course finally allowed something that resembled those fabled charges on the back nine.
Johnson did it the old-fashioned. wav.
So much for that theory that the Masters is only for the big boys. Johnson didn't try to reach any of the par fives in two all week, yet he played them better than anyone with 11 birdies and no bogeys.
"I knew if I stayed in the present, I'd do well," he said. "I kept rolling that ball, and it was my day, I guess. Pretty lucky."
Defending champion Phil Mickelson presented him the green jacket. It was six years ago when Johnson first showed up at Augusta National with a ticket and followed Lefty around as he tried to stop Woods from a fourth consecutive major.
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Nashville Predators defenseman Dan Hamhuis, front, tangles with Colorado Avalanche center Tyler Arnason, center, as they pursue the puck in the third period of the Predators' 4-2 victory in Denver on Saturday. Avalanche right winger Ian Laperriere, back left, and Predators defenseman Ryan Suter, back right, look on.
NHL
Avs lose spot in playoff race
BY PAT GRAHAM ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER — Predators forward Peter Forsberg arrived back to town for the first time in two seasons. The Avalanche dedicated a video tribute to him on the scoreboard and then he brought Colorado's postseason hopes to a crashing halt.
The former Avalanche player almost feels bad. Almost.
Forsberg set up Paul Kariya's game-winning goal midway through the third period to help the Nashville Predators beat the Avalanche 4-2 on Saturday night, knocking Colorado out of the playoff race.
"It's a tough feeling coming in here," said Forsberg, whose team clinched the fourth seed in the Western Conference and will host the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the playoffs. "You've got to be professional."
Forsberg said it was hard to be professional when the team showed highlights of his career on the big screen in the first period. He watched the tribute and then raised his stick in appreciation.
"It shows what kind of classy organization it is," said Forsberg, who had two assists. "The game meant so much to them and they
still did it."
Colorado is out of the playoffs for the first time since 1994. The team made a late-season charge, going 14-2-2 over the last 18 games — collecting 30 of a possible 36 points — but it wasn't enough.
The Avalanche finish the season Sunday night against the Calgary Flames, a team Colorado was trying to catch for the eighth and final playoff spot.
"It didn't happen," said Joe Sakic, whose team missed the postseason for the first time since moving to Colorado from Quebec before the 1995-96 season. "We fell short."
The Flames lost to Edmonton later in the evening. The season finale would've been for the last playoff spot had Colorado won.
Kariya insisted the goal had no extra meaning coming against the team he played with for just one season.
"There was no emotion in the goal," he said. "I didn't score it to prove a point. This is a business and the business is all about winning."
Tomas Vokoun stopped 29 shots and improved to 9-4-3 over his last 16 games.
Colorado pulled goalie Peter Budaj with one minute remaining and J.P. Dumont scored an emptynet goal with 24 seconds left. It was Dumont's second goal of the game.
Forsberg said before the game it was going to be tough for him to go up against his former team. He spent nine seasons in a Quebec and Colorado sweater. This was his first appearance in Denver since he signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers before the 2005-06 season.
"It's great to be back here," Forsberg said. "Sometimes you don't know what you have until you leave. We'll see what happens if I continue to play in the future. I've got nothing but good words about this place."
Sakic's two assists Saturday night gave him, 97 points for the season. Sakic and Gordie Howe are the only players in NHL history to score at least 95 points at 37 years old or older.
Yet all Sakic could think about was how close the team came to making an incredible late sprint into the playoffs.
"I think the guys grew up a lot," he said. "We just have to build on it for next year."
》 MLB
Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville thought this team could've been a force if it made'the playoffs.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Royals fall to Tigers in third of series
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ivan Rodriguez hit a three-run homer in the ninth and the Detroit Tigers rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 Sunday.
Rodriguez hit the first pitch from closer David Riske out to left after Magglio Ordonez led off the inning with a double and Carlos Guillen walked. It was the 20th career home run against the Royals for Rodriguez, who is a .352 hitter at Kauffman Stadium.
Fernando Rodney (1-1) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Todd Jones got his third save in three chances. Riske (0-1) gave up two hits and a walk for the Royals' first blown save. Kansas City led the majors with
Rodriguez's home run spoiled an excellent start by Royals right-hander Brandon Duckworth, who pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits. Duckworth, a non-roster invite to spring training, was making his first start since July 23. He had elbow surgery on Aug. 15 to remove bone chips.
Duckworth earned the fifth spot in the Kansas City rotation when Luke Hudson went on the disabled list at the end of spring training with a sore right shoulder.
31 last year.
After a double in the second by Guillen, Duckworth didn't allow another hit until Placido Polanco's single with two out in the sixth. Duckworth came out in the seventh after surrendering back-to-back singles to Guillen and Rodriguez.
After left-hander Jimmy Gobble retired Sean Casey, rookie Joakim Soria, the third pitch of the inning, walked Marcus Thames to load the bases. But Soria got Brandon Inge to fly out to end the threat. Ine is 0-for-16.
Mark Teahen homered with two out in the first off Jeremy Bonderman, his first home run since Sept. 1.
Bonderman gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings, while walking one intentionally and striking out eight.
Notes: Royals 1B Ryan Shealy snapped an 0-for-13 skid with a four-inning double for his first hit of the season and singled in the sixth. Tigers RHP Chad Durbin will make his first big league since Aug. 26, 2004, Monday at Baltimore.