UPDATE 1-Golf-Woods ekes out win in Match Play opener
* Woods seals narrow victory on 18th green * Says neither player had their 'best stuff' * Will meet Watney in second round (Adds quotes and detail) MARANA, Arizona, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Tiger Woods clawedback from a poor start to scrape past Spaniard GonzaloFernandez-Castano one up in Wednesday's opening round at theWGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. The American former world number one, seeking his first PGATour victory in over two years, lost the first two holes to hisopponent and trailed by one after 14 in a wildly fluctuatingencounter before taking control. ...NBA stars, celebs help fans learn English on website
(Reuters) - Rising New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin has not only sparked NBA basketball interest in Taiwan, he may also inspire fans to learn English, according to people at the website "English, baby!" With 1.6 million registered members and about a million hits a month, the educational website (www.englishbaby.com) has been using National Basketball Association players and celebrities to draw visitors to their English lessons, taught by guest stars who explain idioms associated with their work. ...
Nolan Ryan says these Rangers are his best team
Texas Rangers president and CEO Nolan Ryan says the team assembling for this spring training is his best.
McDowell singing Match Play blues despite six birdies
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Former U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell once again found himself on the wrong side of the vagaries of golf at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship when he lost to Yang Yong-eun 2&1 on Wednesday. Northern Irishman McDowell recorded six birdies in dazzling sunshine at Dove Mountain's Ritz-Carlton Golf Club but he ran into a human buzz-saw as he was trumped by a red-hot Yang in the opening round. ...
Woods not a top seed, but still a target
Tiger Woods had to go the distance to get to the second round of the Match Play Championship.
Golf-Woods scrapes past Fernandez-Castano one up
MARANA, Arizona, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Tiger Woods clawedback from a poor start to beat Spaniard GonzaloFernandez-Castano one up in Wednesday's opening round at theWGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. The American former world number one, seeking his first PGATour victory in over two years, lost the first two holes to hisopponent and trailed by one after 14 in a fluctuating encounterbefore taking control. Champion at this event in 2003, 2004 and 2008, Woods won the15th hole with a birdie and the 16th with a par before sealingvictory with an eight-foot par putt on the 18th green. ...Golf-WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship first round results
(updates) Feb 22 (Reuters) - Results from the first round of the WGC-AccentureMatch Play Championship at Dove Mountain's Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Marana,Arizona on Wednesday (U.S. unless stated) Results: Bobby Jones bracket Kyle Stanley beat K.J. ...Golf-McDowell singing Match Play blues despite six birdies
MARANA, Arizona, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Former U.S. Openwinner Graeme McDowell once again found himself on the wrongside of the vagaries of golf at the WGC-Accenture Match PlayChampionship when he lost to Yang Yong-eun 2&1 on Wednesday. Northern Irishman McDowell recorded six birdies in dazzlingsunshine at Dove Mountain's Ritz-Carlton Golf Club but he raninto a human buzz-saw as he was trumped by a red-hot Yang in theopening round. ...Schwartzel and Bae win, Tiger toils at Match Play
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - While three-times winner Tiger Woods had his hands full in his opening match, Charl Schwartzel and Bae Sang-moon both won comfortably at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Wednesday. Masters champion Schwartzel of South Africa eased past big-hitting American Gary Woodland 4&2 while South Korean Bae upset Britain's Ian Poulter, the 2010 champion, 4&3. Woods, seeking his first victory on the U.S. circuit in over two years, was one down to Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in a roller-coaster tussle after 11 holes. ...