Last weekend’s Masters Tournament proved to be quite an uphill battle for most of the pro’s that came out to play. By the end of Saturday’s round, Tiger Woods was six strokes behind leader Trevor Immelman, placing Woods in fifth place. Many consistently good players could not seem to get their game on either. Phil Mickelson shot 75, making a nine-way tie for ninth place. But Trevor Immelman was the shining star of the tournament. He played consistently solid and managed to keep a strong lead over big-name Tiger Woods and the others--even in strong winds, soggy grounds, and morning fog.
At the time this article was printed, Trevor Immelman had not officially earned the green jacket. But nonetheless, it was pretty easy to tell by Sunday morning that Immelman was going to give Tiger Woods and Brandt Snedeker (the two most prominent challengers) a run for their money. All things considered (variable weather conditions and just pure bad luck for everyone), Immelman certainly played the most consistently throughout the tournament. This story is the most newsworthy for the week because the Masters Tournament is one of the most heavily followed professional golf tournaments of the year. Tiger Woods also holds prominence—everyone, whether they care about golf or not, knows about the richest man in pro sports. The fact that he wasn’t on his A-game would catch people’s attention as well. The golfers that are a part of the Masters Tournament each year are internationally recognized and represent different parts of the globe—from Australia to Mexico to Ireland all the way to South Africa. This will add interest to a broad range of readers. (Toronto Star, 4/13/08, http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Golf/article/414044).
The 2008 Olympics marks the 11th time that the Canadian and U.S. women’s hockey teams will vie for the gold—and once again the battle will be heated. I like this story because I am an American girl, so not only am I proud of my U.S. hockey team, but my country’s women’s hockey team. It is always fun to watch two ice hockey rivals square off for the prize, and Canada is very well-known for their achievement in the sport. The fact that this battle between the U.S. and Canada has been on-going for 11 times now, is also quite a feat. The Americans are certainly the underdogs in this story, which gives me even more hope for us. It will be interesting to see the results. (Toronto Star, 4/11/08, http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/413431).
Tiger Woods will miss at least a month of golf due to a recent knee surgery. This will cause him to miss the Players Championship, but he should recuperate in time for the U.S. Open. (Toronto Star, 4/16/08, http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Golf/article/414973). The NHL has officially banned faceguarding from play, after Sean Avery of the NY Rangers earned a penalty for the action in Sunday’s game against the Devils. (Toronto Star, 4/15/08, http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Hockey/article/414542). Jamacia Jackson, 26, linebacker for the Hamilton (S.C.) Tiger-Cats, was found dead in South Carolina on Monday. Jackson had spent last season with the Ticats after signing with the CFL club as a free agent. (Toronto Star, 4/15/08, http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Football/article/414545). Lorena Ochoa, 26, won her third consecutive tournament and qualified for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame, adding to her already popular persona in native Mexico. Ochoa became the second-youngest player to qualify for the hall of fame. (Toronto Star, 4/14/08, http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Golf/article/414233). Baseball players and owners face stricter drug rules in exchange for amnesty to all those implicated in December’s Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drugs. (Toronto Star, 4/12/08, http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Baseball/article/413818).
