Page 2B
SPORTS
East Oregonian
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Golf
McIlroy able to play, wanting to win as FedEx Cup starts
By DOUG FERGUSON
Associated Press
Ten days ago, Rory McIlroy
wasn’t sure if he was going to play
the rest of the year.
A week off made him feel good
enough that a nagging rib injury can
be managed well enough for him to
compete in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
And with just over a month before
he shuts it down for the year,
McIlroy wants to do more than just
play.
“I think the real thing for me
was I want to win,” McIlroy said
Wednesday. “I want to win at least
once before the end of the year. I
haven’t not won a tournament since
the 2008 season, which was my
real rookie season on the European
Tour.”
Even in 2013, when he struggled
with an equipment change, McIlroy
won the Australian Open by one
shot over Adam Scott and headed
into the offseason feeling better
about his game. He wound up
winning two majors the following
year.
“I’d
like
to have that
feeling again
before taking
that time off
at the end of
this year and
getting myself
right for 2018,”
he said.
McIlroy
The majors
are
over,
though McIlroy faces a field that in
some respects is tougher than the
PGA Championship.
The Northern Trust, which starts
Thursday at Glen Oaks on Long
Island, features the top 120 players
available based on their perfor-
mance this season on the toughest
circuit in golf. There are no aging
champions, amateur qualifiers or
club professionals.
There is no Masters champion,
either, as Sergio Garcia again is
taking off the first playoff event.
Hideki Matsuyama enters the
FedEx Cup playoffs as the fifth
player in the last five years to be the
No. 1 seed. The points count four
times as much for the next three
playoff events until the reset for the
Tour Championship at East Lake.
The objective is to be among the
top five seeds going into the finale,
where those players only have to
win the Tour Championship to
capture the $10 million bonus.
There remains plenty on the line
beyond the cash for players who
haven’t won majors this year —
Matsuyama and Dustin Johnson
— and even those who have.
PGA champion Justin Thomas
and British Open winner Jordan
Spieth are regarded the front-run-
ners to be voted PGA Tour player
of the year. Thomas has one more
victory and some impressive rounds
(his 59 at the Sony Open), while
Spieth has been more consistent.
“You’re the MVP of the league,”
Spieth said, who won the award
in 2015 when he won five times,
including two majors and the
FedEx Cup. “When you put it that
way, it’s something that you want
really badly and you want to be
considered the best player. ... So
it’s a fight, and it’s something that
is keeping me going and grinding at
the end of a really good season.”
Spieth looked to be a shoo-in for
the award in 2015 when he came
as close as anyone to the calendar
Grand Slam. Jason Day began to
emerge late in the year and looked
like a viable candidate until Spieth
won the Tour Championship.
Thomas is still coming to grasp
with his victory in the PGA Champi-
onship for his first major. He hasn’t
much time to celebrate, mainly
because he had The Northern Trust
after one week off. Thomas said
he went to practice on Thursday in
steamy conditions and wasn’t into
it, so he headed to the gym.
He headed for Long Island on
Friday and played Shinnecock
Hills (U.S. Open site next year) and
Liberty National (Presidents Cup
next month) to get back into it.
The FedEx Cup is important
because it’s the next big trophy he
can claim, and that would lead to
player of the year.
“If you ask someone, ‘Would
you rather win a major or a FedEx
Cup,’ they are both life-changers,”
he said. “They are both something
that a lot of people won’t do in
their career — a lot of great players
won’t do. Now that I’ve done one, I
hope to do the other at least once in
my career.”
Three of the top six players in
the world — Spieth, McIlroy and
Henrik Stenson — have won the
FedEx Cup. Stenson had a chance
to be the first to go back-to-back
until he ran into Spieth and his
propensity to hole putts across the
green.
McIlroy now has that oppor-
tunity, even though he starts the
playoffs at No. 44 because of the
stop-and-start nature of his season.
Then again, he is one of only two
players in the 10-year history of the
FedEx Cup to win after starting the
playoffs out of the top 20. He was
No. 36 last year.
“I think we’ve seen what can
happen in these playoffs, and how
quickly you can shoot up the rank-
ings with a good week or a win,”
he said. “I’m here, and I know I’ve
done it before, and hopefully I can
give myself a chance to do it again.”
FALK: May have been Ivy League-bound if not for Leach’s hiring in Pullman
Continued from 1B
Mannion (13,600 yards
passing) and USC’s Matt
Barkley (116 TD passes).
While the cast around him
has improved throughout
his career, Falk is a major
reason No. 24 Washington
State has morphed into a
contender.
Not bad for a former
walk-on.
“To be perfectly honest, I
think he kind of assumed he
was going to be the starter
a little before I did,” Leach
said. “I’d figured it was a
battle, and we had a kid that
we recruited ahead of him.
But I was definitely going
to allow it to be and make
it a battle. Then he ends up
beating the guy out, and off
we go, you know?”
Falk has brought Wash-
ington State to a place
of relevance that’s been
elusive for the program. The
Cougars have gone to two
straight bowl games and
getting to a third in Falk’s
senior season would be just
the second time Washington
State has gone to three
straight bowl games. A year
ago, they played in a de facto
Pac-12 North championship
game, the result of eight
straight wins, before losing
to rival Washington.
He’s the next in a long
line of great quarterbacks
to make their way through
Pullman, a list that includes
the names of Thompson,
Rypien, Bledsoe, Leaf and
Gesser. Yet none of them
were asked to run a system as
intricate as Leach’s, which
is why the coach regularly
lauds his quarterback for his
smarts and comprehension.
“I think he watches more
film than anybody else I’ve
ever dealt with,” Leach said.
“He watches a ton of film.
Sometimes, I think, too
much. He’s about the only
quarterback I’ve considered
AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File
This Dec. 27, 2016, file photo shows Washington State
quarterback Luke Falk (4) passing during the first half
of the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
shutting off the film.”
Leach
raves
about
how steady Falk is on the
field, believing teammates
respond to that. Yet, the
quarterback has his quirks.
He revamped his diet about
a year ago, even if it means
eating foods he despises like
kale.
During the early stages
of his college career, it was
Falk’s musical sisters —
Alexa and Natalee — who
were more well-known than
their pass-slinging younger
brother. “They’ve got the
most talent in the family,”
Falk said.
And there is his odd
timing for jokes, which also
speaks to his personality.
Last year, the Cougars
trailed 24-6 at Oregon State
before rallying for a 35-31
win. Down by more than two
scores, Falk was cracking
jokes on the sideline, trying
to keep his teammates from
feeling stressed.
“He was kind of relaxed
and poised and I wouldn’t
call that weird, but it’s one
of those things you’re in
a high pressure situation
against a Pac-12 team that
we’re losing to and he’s
out there making jokes and
having fun,” teammate
Cody O’Connell said. “It
was kind of interesting.”
Now remember that Falk
has accomplished all this
because he was willing to
take a risk. There was no
guarantee of a scholarship
or even an opportunity when
he arrived at Washington
State. At one point in his
high school career, Falk
seemed destined for Florida
State, only to have that
opportunity dissolve. In the
end, his choices appeared
to be Cornell, maybe Idaho
and maybe Wyoming.
If not for Leach’s arrival
in Pullman, Falk likely
would have headed for the
Ivy League and received
limited football exposure.
As it stands, Falk is consid-
ered one of the top NFL
quarterback prospects for
the 2018 draft after passing
on a chance to leave after his
junior season.
“It felt right to come
back. Felt like I had some
things, growing up to do in
life, not football,” Falk said.
“I felt football-wise, I could.
But there’s still a lot to learn
this year and I really want
to finish off with the guys I
came in with.”
BEAVERS: Collins, Kell, Unutoa-Whitson all ruled out for season opener
Continued from 1B
positions and they use them
the right way and they’re a
very solid team elsewhere. “
Andersen said the Rams
want to push around their
opponents and get the ground
game going.
The teams had three
common opponents last
year with the Rams losing
to Colorado 44-7, Minnesota
31-24 and Boise State 28-23.
The Beavers lost 47-6 to
Colorado, 38-24 to Boise
State and 30-23 to Minne-
sota.
“And if you matched us
up last year team to team,
who they played, we played
common opponents, we’re in
for a big-boy football game,”
Andersen said. “They want
to be a physical team that has
the power to make big time
plays on the offensive side of
the ball.”
That the Rams will be
opening a new stadium with
a sellout crowd could make
it tougher for OSU, but
Andersen said the Beavers
are excited about the oppor-
tunity.
Andersen knows the
Colorado State fan base well,
having coached and played
in Fort Collins.
“It’s a hard place to play
and they have good fans,” he
said.
WINNING ON THE
ROAD: A win at Colorado
MARINERS: Road trip
continues Friday in New
York against Yankees
Continued from 1B
approached second base following his second double
in the third inning. He walked off the field, accompa-
nied by a trainer. There was no immediate word on the
severity of the injury.
Losing Cano for a significant period of time could
be a blow to the postseason hopes for Seattle, which
began the day two games out of an AL wild card. Cano
is hitting .277 with 19 homers and 78 RBIs.
The Mariners had at least one extra-base hit in each
of the first five innings as R.A. Dickey gave up four
runs and 11 hits in six innings.
Even Seattle right-hander Erasmo Ramirez, who
had no hits in his first eight career at-bats, had success
against Dickey. Ramirez had a run-scoring single in the
second for his first career hit. He added another single to
right field in the fifth to become only the fourth Seattle
pitcher with two hits in a game. No Seattle pitcher has
had three hits.
Ramirez gave up three runs in six innings.
Ender Inciarte had four hits for Atlanta. Freddie
Freeman drove in two runs with two hits, including a
run-scoring single off Nick Vincent in the eighth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: CF Guillermo Heredia left the game in
the eighth after being hit on his right arm by a pitch
from Jason Motte in the seventh.
ROSTER MOVES
Seattle OF Leonys Martin was designated for
assignment to clear a spot for Phelps (right elbow
impingement).
UP NEXT
Mariners: Following an off day on Thursday, the
team’s 12-game road trip continues Friday when
LHP Ariel Miranda (8-6, 4.78) makes his second start
against the New York Yankees.
State would mean a good
start to the season for the
Beavers.
It would also be OSU’s
first road win since the
Beavers defeated Colorado
in 2014.
“That’s a big one and it’s
been a long time,” Andersen
said.
Andersen said he doesn’t
think winning at home is
much easier than on the road
because the noise factor
is just coming at different
times.
The big difference, he
said, is the offense has to
be able to execute with a
loud crowd cheering for the
defense.
“There’s comfort zone of
having your own fans there,
there’s no doubt,” he said.
“And there’s an intimidating
factor that we have here at
Reser at home games that I
think is substantial.
“So the key is when you
go on the road is you under-
stand is you have to be on
the other side of that and you
have to focus in on the little
things. So the fine details in
critical moments are key if
you’re going to win close
games on the road because
the fans are going to be a
factor.”
HEADING TO HIGH
GROUND: The elevation
of Fort Collins is 5,003
feet, quite a bit higher than
Corvallis, which stands just
235 feet above sea level.
The elevation can be
rough for teams not used to
playing in the thin air.
The Beavers did spend
a week of camp in Bend,
which is at 3,623 feet.
“I don’t know how much
Bend will help now since
we’ve been out of Bend for
so long,” Andersen said. “But
it’s something that’s there,
it’s something you have to
deal with and if you’re in (the
Pac-12) you have to play at
Colorado, so that’s the way
it goes. You have to play at
Utah. You’re going to be in
those situations and settings
and we’re going to walk into
it one more time.
“Is it a factor? I’ve lived
here going on three years and
I go home and jog in Utah,
it’s a little different but does
it stop me from making my
normal run? No, it doesn’t.
So we’ll be prepared, the
docs (and) the trainers will
put the kids in the position,
we’ll be prepared to sub
them and get them where
they need to be.”
INJURY
REPORT:
Receiver Seth Collins, safety
Drew Kell and linebacker
Shemiah Unutoa-Whitson
have all been ruled out for
the game.
Receiver
Timmy
Hernandez,
offensive
lineman Nous Keobounnam
and tight end Quinn Smith
are all probable.
SCOREBOARD
Local slate
VOLLEYBALL
Today
Condon/Wheeler at Echo, 10 a.m.
Heppner vs. Condon/Wheeler (at Echo),
11:30 a.m.
Heppner at Echo, 2 p.m.
Umatilla at Helix, 2:30 p.m.
Ione at Helix, 4 p.m.
Imbler at Weston-McEwen, 4 p.m.
Ione vs. Umatilla (at Ione), 5:30 p.m.
Waitsburg (WA) at Riverside, 6 p.m.
Dufur at Weston-McEwen, 7 p.m.
Friday
Ione at Country Christian (1A Preview),
8 a.m.
Ione vs. Trinity Lutheran (1A Preview), 11
a.m.
Umatilla at Irrigon, 1 p.m.
Ione vs. North Douglas (1A Preview), 2
p.m.
Condon/Wheeler vs. Umatilla (at Irrigon),
2:30 p.m.
Condon/Wheeler at Irrigon, 4 p.m.
Saturday
Hermiston at La Grande, 8 a.m.
Pendleton at Lewiston (ID) Tournament,
8 a.m.
Weston-McEwen at Grant Union Tourna-
ment, 8 a.m.
Irrigon at Stanfield, 10 a.m.
Echo vs. Enterprise (at Stanfield), 10 a.m.
Ione vs. Hosanna Christian (1A Preview),
10 a.m.
Ione vs. Willamette Valley Christian (1A
Preview), 5 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Today
Umatilla at Hermiston, 6 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Today
Umatilla at Hermiston, 4 p.m.
Baseball
MLB
AMERICAN LEAGUE
East Division
W
L
Boston
73 53
New York
68 57
Baltimore
62 65
Tampa Bay
62 66
Toronto
60 66
Central Division
W
L
Cleveland
69 56
Minnesota
65 61
Kansas City
64 61
Detroit
54 71
Chicago
49 76
West Division
W
L
Houston
77 49
Los Angeles
65 61
Seattle
65 63
Pct GB
.579 —
.544 4½
.488 11½
.484 12
.476 13
Pct GB
.552 —
.516 4½
.512 5½
.432 15
.392 20
Pct GB
.611 —
.516 12
.508 13
Texas
62 63 .496 14½
Oakland
55 72 .433 22½
———
Wednesday’s Games
Baltimore 8, Oakland 7, 12 innings
Boston 6, Cleveland 1
N.Y. Yankees 10, Detroit 2
Toronto 7, Tampa Bay 6
Seattle 9, Atlanta 6
Chicago White Sox 4, Minnesota 3
Houston 6, Washington 1
Kansas City 6, Colorado 4
Texas at L.A. Angels, late finish
Thursday’s Games
N.Y. Yankees (Garcia 5-8) at Detroit (Fulmer
10-11), 10:10 a.m.
Toronto (Happ 6-9) at Tampa Bay (Cobb
9-8), 10:10 a.m.
Colorado (Marquez 10-5) at Kansas City
(Junis 5-2), 11:15 a.m.
Boston (Sale 14-5) at Cleveland (Bauer
12-8), 4:10 p.m.
Minnesota (Berrios 11-5) at Chicago White
Sox (Holland 6-13), 5:10 p.m.
Washington (Strasburg 10-4) at Houston
(Keuchel 11-2), 5:10 p.m.
Texas (Perez 8-10) at L.A. Angels (Scribner
2-0), 7:07 p.m.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
East Division
W
L Pct GB
Washington
75 49 .605 —
Miami
62 63 .496 13½
Atlanta
56 69 .448 19½
New York
55 70 .440 20½
Philadelphia
46 79 .368 29½
Central Division
W
L Pct GB
Chicago
68 57 .544 —
Milwaukee
66 62 .516 3½
St. Louis
64 62 .508 4½
Pittsburgh
61 66 .480
8
Cincinnati
53 74 .417 16
West Division
W
L Pct GB
Los Angeles
89 36 .712 —
Arizona
69 58 .543 21
Colorado
68 58 .540 21½
San Diego
56 70 .444 33½
San Francisco
52 77 .403 39
———
Wednesday’s Games
San Francisco 4, Milwaukee 2
Philadelphia 8, Miami 0
Pittsburgh 1, L.A. Dodgers 0, 10 innings
Chicago Cubs 9, Cincinnati 3
N.Y. Mets 4, Arizona 2
Seattle 9, Atlanta 6
Houston 6, Washington 1
St. Louis 6, San Diego 2
Kansas City 6, Colorado 4
Thursday’s Games
Arizona (Ray 9-5) at N.Y. Mets (Montero
2-8), 9:10 a.m.
Miami (Worley 2-3) at Philadelphia (Thomp-
son 1-1), 10:05 a.m.
Colorado (Marquez 10-5) at Kansas City
(Junis 5-2), 11:15 a.m.
L.A. Dodgers (Ryu 4-6) at Pittsburgh (Kuhl
6-8), 1:05 p.m.
Chicago Cubs (Arrieta 13-8) at Cincinnati
(Romano 3-5), 4:10 p.m.
San Diego (Perdomo 6-8) at St. Louis
(Martinez 10-9), 4:15 p.m.
Washington (Strasburg 10-4) at Houston
(Keuchel 11-2), 5:10 p.m.
Wild Card Standings
American League
W
New York
68
Minnesota
65
Los Angeles
65
Kansas City
64
Seattle
65
Texas
62
Baltimore
62
Tampa Bay
62
Toronto
60
L
57
61
61
61
63
63
65
66
66
Pct GB
.544 +3
.516 —
.516 —
.512
½
.508
1
.496 2½
.488 3½
.484
4
.476
5
L
58
58
62
62
63
Pct GB
.543 +½
.540 —
.516
3
.508
4
.496 5½
National League
Arizona
Colorado
Milwaukee
St. Louis
Miami
W
69
68
66
64
62
MiLB
NORTHWEST LEAGUE
North Division
W
L Pct GB
Tri-City
16 12 .571 —
x-Vancouver
16 12 .571 —
Spokane
15 13 .536
1
Everett
14 14 .500
2
South Division
W
L Pct GB
x-Hillsboro
14 14 .500 —
Boise
13 15 .464
1
Salem-Keizer
13 15 .464
1
Eugene
11 17 .393
3
x-first-half champions
————
Wednesday’s Games
Spokane 8, Tri-City 7
Boise 5, Hillsboro 1
Salem-Keizer 4, Eugene 3
Everett 3, Vancouver 1
Thursday’s Games
Tri-City at Spokane, 6:30 p.m.
Boise at Hillsboro, 7:05 p.m.
Salem-Keizer at Eugene, 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
LITTLE LEAGUE
World Series
At South Williamsport, Pa.
All Games Broadcast on ESPN
Wednesday’s Games
Tokyo 10, White Rock (B.C.) 0, 5 innings
Fairfield (Conn.) 12, Jackson (N.J.) 2, 5
innings, Jackson eliminated
Greenville (N.C.) 2, Lufkin (Texas) 1
Thursday’s Games
Game 25: Tamaulipas (Mexico) vs. White
Rock (British Columbia), Noon
Game 26: Fairfield (Conn.) vs. Lufkin
(Texas), 4:30 p.m.
Soccer
MLS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
W L T
Toronto FC
15 3 8
New York City FC 14 7 4
Chicago
12 8 5
Columbus
12 12 3
New York
12 10 2
Montreal
10 8 6
Atlanta United FC 10 8 5
Orlando City
8 10 7
Philadelphia
8 12 6
New England
8 11 5
D.C. United
7 15 4
WESTERN CONFERENCE
W L T
Seattle
11 7 8
Sporting K.C.
10 5 10
Portland
11 9 7
Houston
10 8 8
FC Dallas
9 6 9
Vancouver
10 9 5
San Jose
9 11 6
Real Salt Lake
9 13 5
Los Angeles
6 13 5
Minnesota United
6 14 4
Colorado
6 14 4
Pts
53
46
41
39
38
36
35
31
30
29
25
GF
52
47
46
40
37
41
42
26
34
39
21
GA
25
34
34
41
32
38
30
37
36
40
44
Pts
41
40
40
38
36
35
33
32
23
22
22
GF
40
31
47
46
36
35
28
36
32
30
23
GA
33
19
44
37
31
34
44
47
44
51
34
NOTE: Three points for victory, one point
for tie.
———
Wednesday’s Games
Columbus 2, Los Angeles 0
D.C. United 1, Atlanta United FC 0
Houston 3, FC Dallas 3, tie
Toronto FC 3, Philadelphia 0
Real Salt Lake 4, San Jose 0
Seattle 1, Vancouver 1, tie
Portland 2, Colorado 1
Basketball
WNBA
EASTERN CONFERENCE
W
L Pct GB
x-Connecticut
20 10 .667 —
x-New York
18 12 .600
2
x-Washington
17 12 .586 2½
Chicago
11 18 .379 8½
Atlanta
11 20 .355 9½
Indiana
9 22 .290 11½
WESTERN CONFERENCE
W
L Pct GB
x-Minnesota
23
6 .793 —
x-Los Angeles
22
8 .733 1½
Phoenix
15 15 .500 8½
Dallas
14 17 .452 10
Seattle
14 17 .452 10
San Antonio
7 24 .226 17
x-clinched playoff spot
———
Wednesday’s Games
New York 71, Indiana 50
Connecticut 93, Dallas 87
Atlanta 89, Seattle 83
Thursday’s Games
Los Angeles at Phoenix, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)