SPORTS
Saturday, August 5, 2017
East Oregonian
Page 3B
Golf
Walker manages fatigue, builds 2-shot lead at Firestone
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
AKRON, Ohio — The sun
finally came out, and Jimmy Walker
saw a glimpse of what he hopes are
brighter days ahead.
In a year marked by coping
with Lyme disease and bouts of
fatigue, Walker endured rain delays
of nearly five hours Friday and
posted a 5-under 65 for a two-shot
lead going into the weekend at the
Bridgestone Invitational.
The timing couldn’t be better for
Walker, who goes to Quail Hollow
next week to defend his title in the
PGA Championship.
“It hadn’t been a lot of fun this
year,” Walker said. “But it’s nice
to see some putts go in and make
some solid swings and keep rounds
going, make par putts, just the stuff
I haven’t been doing.”
He was at 7-under 133, two
shots ahead of Thomas Pieters of
Belgium, who had a 70.
Walker didn’t have a lot going
last year until he finished well in
the Canadian Open, and then went
wire-to-wire at Baltusrol the next
week to win the PGA Champi-
onship. So maybe there’s another
spark he can find at Firestone
Country Club.
“There’s still a lot of golf on a
hard course, but I know it’s there,”
he said.
He also has a slew of players
not far behind him in this World
Bridgestone Invitational
Leaderboard
Jimmy Walker 68-65—133
Thomas Pieters 65-70—135
Zach Johnson 69-67—136
Rory McIlroy
67-69—136
Hid. Matsuyama 69-67—136
Charley Hoffman 68-69—137
Adam Hadwin 68-69—137
Russell Knox
66-71—137
Jordan Spieth
67-70—137
Jason Day
71-66—137
AP Photo/Tony Dejak
Jimmy Walker acknowledges the gallery after finishing the second
round of the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament at Firestone
Country Club, Friday, Aug. 4, 2017, in Akron, Ohio.
Golf Championship. Rory McIlroy
put together a steady round of 69
and was three shots back, along
with Zach Johnson and Hideki
Matsuyama, who each shot 67.
The large group at 3-under 137
included Jordan Spieth, going after
his third straight victory. Spieth
missed a short par putt on the 15th
and was slipping behind when he
faced an awkward lie from the edge
of a bunker . Stumbling out of the
sand backward, he nearly holed the
shot and made birdie, and then he
stuffed his approach to 3 feet for
birdie on the 18th hole to salvage
a 70.
Jason Day, winless in nearly
15 months, also got back into the
picture despite some mild back
pain. He opened with three straight
birdies and shot 30 on the front nine
to get back near the leaders, though
two bogeys on the back nine slowed
him and he shot 66. He was in the
group at 137.
“The front side definitely felt
like 2015, 2016,” Day said, alluding
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to his best stretch of golf when he
rose to No. 1 in the world. “I was
just pouring in everything. I know
that it’s still in there. I’ve just got to
keep practicing hard. I know it will
eventually happen.”
Day felt he was slowed by the
last — and longest — of the rain
delays. He returned to three-putt
the 10th for a bogey and never got
back any momentum.
It was like that for everyone who
slogged through a 10-hour day.
The second round was delayed
45 minutes at the start, and then
another 45 minutes when a small
band of storms rolled through.
A delayed of some 3 1/2 hours
followed, making it feel like two
separate rounds and one long day.
Walker still isn’t out of the woods
just yet. He first thought he had
mononucleosis around the Masters,
and it eventually was diagnosed
as Lyme’s disease. He has tried to
muddle through the year when his
energy allowed, though there hasn’t
been a lot of practice.
And even a 65, which matched
his low score of the year, wasn’t
smooth sailing.
“It’s day to day,” he said. “I felt
pretty good all week physically,
and I wake up this morning and
I’ve just got his overall flu feeling
in my body. So I take some Advil, it
goes away. And then during the last
break, it came back, so I took some
more. Now it’s gone. You just never
know when it’s going to spike up.”
But he felt good enough to make
birdie on both par 3s on the back
nine, and drop only one shot on the
round.
The scoring has been good with
the rain and softer greens, and a
South course that was in pristine
condition to start the tournament. A
strong wind arrived after the storm
cleared, which kept everyone’s
attention.
Only two dozen players from the
76-man field remained under par.
Among those who fell back was
Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1
player still trying to find his form
from a back injury that knocked
him out of the Masters. He hit only
one green in regulation on the front
nine — 60 feet from the hole —
and shot 40. Johnson didn’t make a
single birdie in his round of 75 that
knocked him 10 shots out of the
lead heading into the final major of
the year.
Soccer
MLS gaining global respectability, league ‘on a good path’
By ANDY BUHLER
Associated Press
ATLANTA — There was a
time when Major League Soccer
depended on a shortlist of marquee
names to generate excitement about
a match.
A David Beckham, Frank
Lampard or Steven Gerrard.
Times are changing. Since its
inaugural season in 1996, the league
has gained respect around the world
and MLS continues to expand its
footprint on the global soccer stage.
Sure, the English Premier League,
La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and
French Ligue 1 still have the talent,
market dominance and history to be
considered by many the best in the
world, but MLS is trending upward.
“It’s brilliant seeing the growth
of this league,” said Colorado
Rapids goalie Tim Howard, who
left the then-New York MetroStars
in 2003 and played 13 years in the
EPL before returning to MLS last
year. “When I left, Don Garber
was the commissioner and he
had promised new teams, new
stadiums, expansion, growth, better
players, bigger fan bases, and he’s
delivered.”
The league started with 10 clubs
in 1996, but now consists of 22
and its goal is to have 28. Atlanta
United and Minnesota United are
in their first seasons, Los Angeles
FC is set to join in 2018 and a
Beckham-owned Miami franchise
is nearing a deal and could start
play in 2020.
Twelve locations are competing
for four expansion bids, two of
which are expected to be announced
later this year.
The value of clubs also is soaring.
The average MLS club was valued
at $185 million in 2016 by Forbes ,
a 400 percent increase since 2008.
MLS is in year three of its eight-
year deals with ESPN, FOX Sports
and Univision Deportes. World-
class facilities are being built, the
talent on the field is better and the
world is taking notice.
First-year San Jose president
Tom Fox said ownership groups
“have built slowly, brick by brick.”
“They didn’t step up to the
plate and try to hit home runs.”
Fox said. “They’ve been trying to
hit a series of singles to move the
runners around the bags, and I think
they’ve done an excellent job of
that in a market that’s much more
competitive.”
When it comes to attendance,
MLS is in the same conversation as
some of the top leagues.
Average MLS attendance has
increased by more than 5,000
fans since 2008. The league’s
average home attendance this
season is currently 21,552, which
is only behind the 2016-17 season
average in the Bundesliga (41,511),
English Premier League (35,822),
La Liga (27,700), Mexico’s Liga
MX (25,050), China’s Super
League (23,780) and Italy’s Serie
A (22,164), according to world-
football.net . It’s ahead of France’s
Ligue 1 (21,029), Japan’s J1
League (19,107) and Brazil’s Série
A (16,286).
In a market where American
football is king, stadiums can be the
key to the sport’s growth — and to
receiving an expansion bid.
United
Soccer
League’s
Sacramento Republic FC is vying
for an expansion bid. Officials
from the team broke ground on a
$245 million privately financed
stadium in Sacramento last week.
Atlanta United’s new home is the
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a multi-
purpose facility the team will share
with the Atlanta Falcons (both
franchises are owned by Home
Depot co-founder Arthur Blank).
Minnesota United’s Allianz Field,
a soccer-specific stadium, will open
in 2018.
Despite MLS’ growth, the
league still has much work to do on
the international stage.
It is losing the TV battle on its
home pitch. Mexico’s top league,
Liga MX, dominates ratings in the
U.S.
Last year’s final game netted
3.3 million viewers in the U.S.,
and more than 6 million viewers
overall on Univision and Univision
Deportes, according to worldsoc-
Oregon State Football
certalk.com . The MLS Cup Final,
meanwhile, had the highest title-
game viewership in league history
with just more than 2 million
people in the U.S. and 3.5 million
people worldwide.
But MLS clubs are not shying
away from the challenge of closing
the gap with their North American
counterparts.
Atlanta United President Darren
Eales believes American clubs
winning the CONCACAF Cham-
pions League would be a good
start. The league pits top North and
Central American clubs against one
another, and a U.S. club has never
won the title.
Still, there’s no question the
league is in a better place than it
was when a 31-year-old Beckham
signed with the LA Galaxy from
Real Madrid. Teams no longer
necessarily look for quick fixes that
a big name can provide. They are
signing young designated players
and focusing on development acad-
emies, which have produced young
stars like Seattle’s Jordan Morris,
FC Dallas’ Kellyn Acosta and the
LA Galaxy’s Gyasi Zardes.
Eales didn’t reach for a star
when he assembled Atlanta’s
roster, having been on the other
end of players joining MLS teams
from Europe (he previously held
front office positions with English
Tottenham Hotspur and West
Bromwich Albion).
Atlanta’s core players include
Josef Martinez, Miguel Almiron
and Tito Villalba, all under 25 years
old.
There’s also a flip side: With
club values on the rise, Eales said
MLS is building a foundation that
enables franchises to be more
competitive when acquiring talent.
“Now the league can attract
more talented players, therefore the
quality improves,” Eales said. “It’s
a virtuous circle.”
But success takes time and a
willingness to be patient, Atlanta
United manager Tata Martino said
through a translator.
“It’s not something that can
happen in one day, or one year,” the
former Barcelona manager pointed
out. “It’s still a young league and
there’s a lot of ground to make up,
but I think it’s on a good path.”
Fox, the Earthquakes president
who was previously CEO of English
Aston Villa, said MLS is starting to
play at a level hardcore soccer fans
are accustomed to watching.
“They know what good football
looks like and actually, the teams
— Atlanta, I’d say us, others, many
other teams — have been starting
to focus more on creating a much
more enjoyable, cohesive product,”
Fox said. “That is all playing out,
but I think it’s a natural evolution
for how the league has gone.”
Oregon Football
Arnold hopes to help lead Beavers Ducks move ex-safety Schooler
to major bowl game in final season to help fill gaps at receiver
By STEVE GRESS
Albany Democrat-Herald
BEND — Brandon Arnold
isn’t shy about the lofty goals he
has for the Oregon State football
team this coming season.
The 5-foot-11, 205-pound
senior, who is slated to be one
of the Beavers’ starting safeties
when they open the season
Aug. 26 at Colorado State, put it
simply: “Just to win.”
And a lot.
“I want that Rose Bowl or
something better,” Arnold said
Thursday afternoon after the
Beavers wrapped up their final
practice at Summit High.
“That’s my main goal. Every-
thing else that happens is what
happens, but, man, the main goal
is to improve on last year and go
to a bowl.”
Arnold and the Beavers will
wrap up their six days in Bend
with a 7:30 p.m. scrimmage
Friday. There will be a Fan Fest
prior to the scrimmage at 6:30
p.m.
Arnold, who started 11 games
last season for the Beavers and
finished with 68 tackles and one
interception, has become one of
the team leaders since Oregon
State’s 34-24 win over Oregon in
the Civil War to end last season
on a two-game win streak.
“He’s kind of taken some of
the young guys under his wings
and has spent some of his extra
time getting them ready and
taking some ownership in those
young guys knowing what to
do,” safeties coach John Rushing
said.
Rushing said Arnold has
played the “big brother” role
with the younger players and
they are buying in.
“They all respect him and
they respect his knowledge for
the game and they respect what
he brings to the table and how he
works every day,” Rushing said.
Rushing has appreciated
having Arnold around.
“He’s a great guy to have in
the back end for a coach like
me, coming into my first year
at Oregon State,” he said. “He’s
able to lead by example so I’ve
got kind of a lead dog that brings
everybody along with him.”
Arnold said he just tries
to encourage others who are
fighting for an open spot.
“If your get your number
called, go out there and get
your money,” Arnold said of his
advice. “Go out there and make
your play, make a name, go
make a statement out there —
something that shows that you
are improving.”
Arnold has also made some
improvement in his own game,
Rushing said, and the coach
expects that to pay off this
season.
“He already knew the scheme
but his technique is getting better
and he’s able to play multiple
positions for us,” Rushing said.
“He’s a guy you can move
around … so I think it’s going to
create more opportunities during
the season.”
Arnold said the biggest
improvement he has made is
with his vision.
“Just training my eyes better
to look at certain things and
tendencies of the offense,” he
said.
Arnold is happy with the
way the Beavers have steadily
improved so far during fall camp.
“Not only are we coming
together, but we’re growing
in the right direction,” he said.
“We’re going in a positive way,
getting better each day, in film,
after team meetings are over
with, late-night film sessions —
it just shows that we care about
getting better and that’s what I
love so much about this team.
We’re not only determined to do
better than last year, but to make
noise around the country.”
And if Arnold’s goal of a Rose
Bowl appearance or other major
bowl comes true, that would
certainly “make noise.”
Some may scoff at that idea,
but Arnold believes the more
he talks about it, the more it
becomes a possibility.
“You speak it into existence,
you believe in it then something’s
going to happen,” Arnold said.
“… They might be ranked higher
than us. Who cares? Just go out
there and play. Prepare yourself
for that battle, for that four quar-
ters. Just believe in yourself. If
you believe in yourself you can
achieve so much.”
Charles Nelson at wide receiver with
Dillon Mitchell and Alex Ofodile the
only others at that position who have
EUGENE — Oregon brought out a caught a pass in a game. Quarterback
Justin Herbert welcomed the addition
new wide receiver on Thursday.
Brenden Schooler, who led the of Schooler for as long as it lasts.
“He is super athletic and really good
Ducks with four interceptions as a true
freshman last year, switched to offense on both sides of the ball,” Herbert said.
for a short period of Wednesday’s “I’m glad to have him on our side of
practice and then opened the following the ball.”
Schooler was not available for an
day back at receiver.
interview Thursday, but his
“We are going to put
UO bio lists the Dana Point,
Schooler over there and see
Calif. native as having 25
what he can do,” Oregon
catches for 478 yards as a
coach Willie Taggart said
junior in high school.
before practice. “Yesterday,
“I was impressed with his
we let him run a couple
route for a guy that hasn’t
routes and he looked pretty
been taught to just get out
good. We figured we would
there and run it,” Taggart
bring him over there and see
said.
what he can do.”
Ofodile missed a practice
Schooler spent a few
this week due to injury and
minutes watching the offense Schooler
Mitchell was not practicing
in 11-on-11 drills while
standing next to wide receivers coach on Thursday, likely due to an injury.
Michael Johnson before taking the Freshman Johnny Johnson III drew
field wearing No. 26 instead of the No. raves from Herbert and opened prac-
43 he wore last season. He lined up tice with the first unit along with Malik
outside on the right, but did not catch Lovette.
Lovette could be an example
a pass during a series the media was
for Schooler because he arrived at
allowed to watch.
“I told coach Johnson ‘Make sure Oregon as a receiver and moved to
you don’t overcoach him’,” Taggart defensive back before switching back
to receiver. Jeff Maehl, whose 178
said. “Just let him play football.”
The 6-foot-2, 197-pound Schooler career receptions are tied for the most
started 10 games at safety last season in school history, also arrived at UO as
and ranked third on the team with 74 a defensive back.
Oregon has enough depth at safety
tackles. Taggart said he would evaluate
Schooler on offense before deciding to replace Schooler including senior
Tyree Robinson, who is expected to
where he will play this season.
“We are going to find out the best return to that position after playing
position for all of our players,” Taggart cornerback last year. Senior Juwaan
Williams and junior Khalil Oliver both
said.
Oregon lacks experience beyond started games last season.
By JESSE SOWA
Albany Democrat-Herald