Golf
Jordan Spieth understands his meltdown at the end of the Masters will follow him. And three weeks later, Spieth’s not quite ready to say he’s over letting a five-shot lead in the final round morph into that awkward ceremony in the Butler Cabin that ended with him slipping the green jacket on Danny Willett following an ugly and very public collapse.
“I’m not taking it very hard,” Spieth said Tuesday, while attending a FedEx event in suburban Pittsburgh ahead of a practice round on Wednesday at Oakmont, where he will try to defend his U.S. Open title next month.
“I’ve got ladies at the grocery stores putting their hand on me and going, `Really praying for you; how are you doing?’ I’m like, `My dog didn’t die. I’ll be OK. I’ll survive.’ It happens.”
It just hadn’t happened to Spieth during the 22-year-old’s sprint to the top of the world rankings, a dash that included a pair of major championships.
“It was just bad timing on the wrong hole,” Spieth said. “And you know, it is what it is, and I’ll move on. If you’re in contention at a major, hopefully 50-plus times in your career, something like that is bound to happen. Just don’t let it happen again.”
Olympics
SOCHI, Russia – The head of ice hockey’s international body said there’s a strong possibility NHL players won’t compete at the next Winter Olympics.
International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel put the chances at 60 percent that the NHL will decline to go to the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, because of a lack of money to cover player insurance.
Fasel said the IOC has canceled its contribution to player travel and insurance costs for Pyeongchang, leaving the IIHF facing a $10 million shortfall and “begging” for money around the world.
For the 2014 tournament in Sochi, Russia, the NHL’s participation was assured only in July 2013, seven months before the games. But the IOC’s refusal to cover player insurance adds an additional dimension for 2018.
BRASILIA, Brazil – The Brazilian torch relay for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics kicked off with volleyball player Fabiana Claudino running the first leg after the torch was ignited by embattled President Dilma Rousseff.
Rousseff said “Brazil is ready to host the most successful Olympics in history.”
The Olympic flame arrived in a lantern on a flight from Switzerland a few hours earlier and was taken to the Planalto presidential palace.
The three-month relay across Brazil, ending at the opening ceremony Aug. 5 at the Maracana stadium in Rio, will involve 329 cities and 12,000 torchbearers. Rio organizers hope it will build enthusiasm for the games, which has lagged as Brazil battles bribery and corruption scandals and its deepest recession in decades.
The start of the relay came a week before the Brazilian senate is expected to suspend Rousseff for six months as it considers her impeachment.
ATLANTA – Awaiting the birth of his first child, Michael Phelps has decided to skip an Olympic prep meet in Atlanta next week.
Organizers of Atlanta Classic say they received word from Phelps that he would not compete. The meet is set for May 13-15 at Georgia Tech’s aquatic center, site of the 1996 Olympic swimming competition.
Olympic gold medalists Katie Ledecky and Nathan Adrian are among those still intending to compete in Atlanta.
Phelps, who has won a record 18 gold medals, now plans to swim at the Austin Elite Invite from June 3-5, his final meet before the Olympic trials begin.
Associated Press
