SPORTS
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
East Oregonian
Page 3B
Golf
Tiger Woods set for return to golf after 10-month absence
Golfer says he’s on
the ‘other side’ of
pain, loving life
By DOUG FERGUSON
Associated Press
NASSAU, Bahamas —
Tiger Woods says he is on
the “other side” of too many
years relying on pain medi-
cation to cope with his back
surgeries, which led to his
arrest on a DUI charge six
months ago that he attributed
to a bad mix of prescription
drugs.
“I’m loving life now,” he
said Tuesday.
Woods is making yet
another return to competi-
tion this week at the Hero
World Challenge, an 18-man
event with no cut at Albany
Golf Club. It’s his first tour-
nament in 10 months and his
first time competing since
fusion surgery in April, the
fourth operation on his back.
Early indications are
that Woods is in
a much better
spot than when he
returned a year ago
in the Bahamas.
According
to
those who played
with him in recent
weeks, his swing
looks faster and
more fluid, and Woods
Woods appears to
be happy and healthy.
Woods reached a low
point on Memorial Day when
he was arrested in the middle
of the night after Florida
police found his car parked
awkwardly on the side of the
road about 15 miles from his
home, with Woods asleep
behind the wheel, the engine
running and a blinker on.
Toxicology
reports
revealed that Woods had
two painkillers (Vicodin
and Dilaudid), a sleep drug
(Ambien), an anti-anxiety
drug (Xanax) and the active
ingredient for marijuana in
his system. He went through
an in-patient treatment
program to deal
with prescription
medication, and
last month pleaded
guilty to a reckless
driving charge that
allowed him to
avoid jail time.
“I’ve come out
the other side and
I feel fantastic,”
Woods said. “A
lot of friends have helped
me. I didn’t realize how bad
my back was. Now that I’m
feeling the way I’m feeling,
it’s just hard to imagine
that I was living the way I
was living with my foot not
working, my leg not working
and then the hours of not
being able to sleep at all
because of the pain.”
Woods attributed the
Memorial Day arrest to
“trying to go away from the
pain.”
“I was trying to sleep,
which I hadn’t done in a
very long time because of
the things I’ve been dealing
with,” he said. “So as my
back improved, I’ve been
able to start sleeping again
because I don’t have the
nerve pain going down my
leg. I don’t have my leg
twitching all over the place.
I don’t have these issues
anymore.”
Woods hasn’t won since
the 2013 Bridgestone Invi-
tational, his 79th title on the
PGA Tour that leaves him
three short of tying Sam
Snead’s record. That might
have been the last time he
had reasonable health.
There were small signs
of back pain a week later
at the PGA Championship,
and what followed were
three surgeries and a stop-
and-start schedule. Woods
had his first back surgery,
a microdiscectomy, a week
before the 2014 Masters.
Since then, there have been
four occasions where he
returned either from back
surgery or from taking time
off to let his injuries heal.
The fourth surgery was to
fuse two discs in his lower
back. That was more about
the quality of life than trying
to win a golf tournament.
The fact that Woods is even
playing his holiday exhibi-
tion just over seven months
after surgery, and six months
after that embarrassing
arrest, feels like a bonus.
“I missed playing golf for
fun,” Woods said. “I hadn’t
done that in two years. I
played nine holes here and
18 holes here, and then I
have to take three days off
because my back was killing
me.”
Woods returned from a
15-month layoff a year ago
at the Hero World Challenge,
and while he finished 15th in
the 18-man field, he made
24 birdies, raising hopes.
He never spoke of being
in pain last year, or even
at Torrey Pines in January.
He then flew to Dubai and
withdrew after a 77, citing
back spasms.
The difference this time,
Woods said, is that he doesn’t
feel pain, and he thinks now
he can take on any shot. He
said when he looks back on
his performance last year
in the Bahamas, it seems
as though he were in slow
motion.
“I didn’t realize how bad
my back had become and
how much I was flinching
and just how slow I was,”
he said. “I didn’t realize it
because it’s been a slow,
degrading process. I thought
I had some speed, thought I
was playing halfway decent,
shot some good scores, but
now I’ve looked back on it
and man, I didn’t even have
much at all.”
He’s not sure what he has
now.
The tournament starts
Thursday. It will be the first
time since Feb. 3 in Dubai
that Woods has to count
every shot.
“I’m just looking forward
to getting through these
four rounds and having an
understanding — a better
understanding — of where
I’m at,” he said.
College Football
USC enjoys rare rest before Pac-12 title game rematch with Stanford
By DAN GREENSPAN
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — While
the Pac-12 North was being
decided in Seattle, Pac-12
South champion Southern
California was enjoying an
overdue day off.
Tight end Tyler Petite
went to the Bay Area to
see his girlfriend. Tight
end Daniel Imatorbhebhe
watched rivalry games play
out across the country.
Quarterback Sam Darnold
was flipping back and forth
between Notre Dame-Stan-
ford and the Apple Cup,
where Washington’s 41-14
win
over
Washington
State gave the 14th-ranked
Cardinal the division title
and a spot in the Pac-12
championship game Friday
night against the rested
11th-ranked Trojans.
USC will be the first team
from a Power 5 conference
to play in a conference
championship game after a
bye week since Oklahoma
and Auburn in 2004.
It wasn’t intentional. The
Pac-12 has to accommodate
USC and Stanford’s rivalry
Pac-12 Championship
Stanford
USC
Cardinal
Trojans
(9-3, 7-2)
(10-2, 8-1)
• Friday, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
• at Levi’s Stadium
games against the Fighting
Irish and a nine-game confer-
ence schedule. But it could
have created a problem if the
Cougars had won the Pac-12
North since Washington
State would have lost a day
of preparation traveling to
Santa Clara, California, and
exacerbated the disparity.
The Cardinal only have
a short bus ride to Levi’s
Stadium to worry about, and
Stanford head coach David
Shaw has no issues facing a
recharged USC team.
“If anybody in the country
deserved it, it’s them. I mean,
going 12 straight weeks
without a bye, especially in
this conference playing nine
conference games and Notre
Dame, it’s brutal,” Shaw
said.
USC spent much of the
season hindered by injuries,
AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File
In this Oct. 21, 2017, file photo, Southern California
quarterback Sam Darnold scrambles during the second
half of a game against Notre Dame, in South Bend, Ind.
but its break came when the
team is largely healthy.
Outside linebacker Porter
Gustin (toe) will not play in
the Pac-12 title game, USC
head coach Clay Helton said,
but the rest of the roster is
good to go. Gustin missed
eight of USC’s last 10 games
after he was injured against
Stanford on Sept. 9 and has
a “better opportunity” to play
in a bowl game, Helton said.
For Petite, the bye week
gave him more time to
recover from a shoulder
injury. Imatorbhebhe was
happy to set aside the mental
grind of the game for a few
days.
“Just got to rest,”
Imatorbhebhe said. “It was
awesome. My mind needed
it as well as my body, so it
was cool.”
But the time in front of
the television reminded USC
how difficult it will be to beat
Stanford twice in the same
season. Three turnovers in
the fourth quarter allowed
Stanford to pull away from
the Fighting Irish for a
38-20 win. Darnold stopped
watching early in the second
half to get dinner and was
initially surprised by the late
separation.
“My dad texted me the
final score and I was just like,
‘Whoa.’ So I went back and
watched the highlights and
they were just really phys-
ical. We’re preparing really
hard for that type of game
and it’s going to be really
fun,” Darnold said.
Darnold’s two intercep-
tions were the only signifi-
cant mistakes on offense in
a 42-24 win over Stanford as
USC ran for 307 yards and
threw for 316 yards.
Petite believes the passing
offense is better than it
was in the second week of
the season because of the
development of receivers
Tyler Vaughns and Michael
Pittman Jr. Neither the
redshirt freshman Vaughns
nor the sophomore Pittman
caught a pass against Stan-
ford, but are now reliable
options.
“With the receivers kind
of coming into their own,
Tyler really stepping up and
Pitt really stepping into his
role, too, and just gaining
Sam’s trust, I think that was
the biggest thing,” Petite
said.
They should free up
Deontay Burnett, who had
nine receptions for 121 yards
and two touchdowns in the
first meeting at the Coli-
seum. However, Stanford
is allowing an average of
195.25 yards passing over its
last eight games, intercepting
12 passes while giving up
seven touchdown passes.
Stanford
had
won
three straight in the series,
including a 41-22 triumph
in the 2015 Pac-12 title
game, prior to this season.
Bye or no bye, USC has not
forgotten those losses.
“We would have been
excited to play Wazzu or
Washington, too, but we do
have an extensive history
against these guys. They beat
us three times in a row and
that score’s not really settled,
so I know we are really fired
up to go and compete against
them again,” Imatorbhebhe
said.
FAAETEETE: Bulldog players overwhelmingly thankful for their head coach
Continued from 1B
His Bulldogs responded
the following year by going
.500, finishing 5-5, also
ending the 2016 season in
the first round (a 12-7 loss
to St. Helens). All the while
the team was working out
some kinks. Senior offen-
sive lineman Beau Blake
attributes some of the team’s
difficulties to the attitude
even he admits he had.
There was some division,
he shared the week leading
up to the state championship
game, that didn’t allow the
team to play to their full
potential. That’s where
Faaeteete comes in.
The 2017 season proved
to be different, in many
ways.
Hermiston was preparing
to play its last season as a
member of the OSAA, as it
will be joining the WIAA
starting with the 2018-19
school year. The Bulldogs
no longer had a first-year
starting quarterback at the
helm, and the talent of the
roster grew exponentially
from efforts in the weight
room.
The goal remained the
same: to get to the state
championship game and
raise the first place trophy
after 48 minutes of play.
But there was a different
feeling in the air. Just ask
Blake.
“He’s gotten better and it
comes more natural to him,”
Blake said of what he’s seen
from Faaeteete over the last
three years. “When he first
started out you could tell that
he had a lot of stress but now
it’s all natural to him and
he’s getting into his groove
— his coaching groove.
“He’s a positive energy,”
Blake added. “He’s always
wanting you to do better, and
he always tries to pick you
up. He’s so knowledgeable
about stuff and he’s been
able to make a great team
out of his energy and his
coaching staff. It’s amazing
what he’s done.”
That groove helped,
as the Bulldogs wrapped
up their best season under
Faaeteete.
And as far as his players
go, they have nothing but
praise for their coach.
“I want to thank him,”
Blake said. “He is the best,
I love him to death. He’s so
great. I just want to thank
him for all he has done. He’s
helped me so much, he’s
helped this whole team and
this program and I’m very
proud of him for all he’s
done.”
Said fellow senior Joey
Gutierrez: “Thank you for
pushing us and never letting
us get down on ourselves, all
those hard hours even though
it sucked, it finally payed off
and just hats off to him for
keeping us all together and
getting us here.”
———
Contact Alexis at aman-
sanarez@eastoregonian.com
or 541-564-4542. Follow her
on Twitter @almansanarez.
SCOREBOARD
Local slate
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
Wednesday
Pendleton at Baker, 7:00 p.m.
Riverside at White Salmon (WA), 7:00
p.m.
Thursday
Irrigon at Stanfield, 7:30 p.m.
Touchet (WA) at Griswold, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Stanfield vs. TBD, Sherman Tournament,
TBD
Umatilla vs. TBD, Vernonia Tournament,
1:30 p.m.
Riverdale vs. Umatilla, Vernonia Tourna-
ment, 4:30 p.m.
Grant Union vs. Culver, Sherman Tourna-
ment, 4:30 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Echo, 4:30 p.m.
Irrigon at Weston-McEwen, 4:30 p.m.
College Place (WA) at Riverside, 5:00
p.m.
Mountain View vs. Hermiston, Wilsonville
Invitational, 5:30 p.m.
Eagle Point vs. Pendleton, Wilsonville
Invitational, 7:00 p.m.
Enterprise at Ione, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
TBD vs. Pendleton, Wilsonville Invita-
tional, TBD
TBD vs. Hermiston, Wilsonville Invita-
tional, TBD
Riverside at TBD, McLoughlin Tourna-
ment, TBD
Heppner vs. TBD, Beau Classic, TBD
Irrigon vs. TBD, Ione Basketball Bonanza,
1:00 p.m.
TBD at Ione, Ione Basketball Bonanza,
2:30 p.m.
Echo at Condon/Wheeler, 3:30 p.m.
Umatilla vs. TBD, Vernonia Tournament,
5:30 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
Wednesday
Baker at Pendleton, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday
Irrigon at Stanfield, 6:00 p.m.
Touchet (WA) at Griswold, 6:00 p.m.
Friday
Sherman at Stanfield, TBD
TBD vs. Griswold, McLoughlin Tourna-
ment, TBD
Weston-McEwen at Irrigon, 3:00 p.m.
Umatilla at Riverdal, 3:00 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Echo, 3:00 p.m.
College Place (WA) at Riverside, 3:30
p.m.
Heppner at Chemawa, 4:30 p.m.
Enterprise at Ione, 6:00 p.m.
Griswold at McLoughlin, 6:30 p.m.
Wilsonville at Hermiston, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday
TBD vs. McLoughlin, Mac-Hi Tournament,
TBD
Riverside vs. TBD, Mac-Hi Tournament,
TBD
TBD vs. Griswold, Mac-Hi Tournament,
TBD
Umatilla vs. TBD, Vernonia Tournament,
TBD
Heppner vs. TBD, Beau Classic Tourney,
TBD
Stanfield vs. TBD, Sherman Tournament,
TBD
TBD vs. Irrigon, Ione Basketball Bonanza,
1:00 p.m.
Summit at Pendleton, 2:30 p.m.
Lewiston (ID) at Hermiston, 5:45 p.m.
Riverdale vs. TBD, Vernonia Tournament,
7:00 p.m.
TBD at Weston-McEwen, Ione Tourna-
ment, 7:00 p.m.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Wednesday
EOU vs. Our Lady of the Lake (Texas),
NAIA National Championships in Sioux City,
Iowa, 3 p.m.
Thursday
EOU vs. Viterbo (Wis.), NAIA National
Championships in Sioux City, Iowa, 3 p.m.
COLLEGE WRESTLING
Friday
EOU, Battle of the Rockies in Grant Falls,
Mont., TBD
Saturday
EOU, Battle of the Rockies in Grant Falls,
Mont., TBD
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Friday
BMCC at the Walla Walla Classic in Walla
Walla, Wash., TBD
Saturday
BMCC at the Walla Walla Classic in Walla
Walla, Wash., TBD
EOU at Southern Oregon, 6 p.m.
Sunday
BMCC at Clackamas CC, 1 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Friday
BMCC at Linn-Benton CC, 6 p.m.
Saturday
BMCC at Portland CC, 2 p.m.
EOU at Southern Oregon, 4 p.m.
Football
NFL
Week 13 Schedule
Thursday
Washington at Dallas, 5:25 p.m.
Sunday
Tampa Bay at Green Bay, 10 a.m.
Minnesota at Atlanta, 10 a.m.
San Francisco at Chicago, 10 a.m.
Detroit at Baltimore, 10 a.m.
Denver at Miami, 10 a.m.
Indianapolis at Jacksonville, 10 a.m.
Houston at Tennessee, 10 a.m.
Kansas City at N.Y. Jets, 10 a.m.
New England at Buffalo, 10 a.m.
Cleveland at L.A. Chargers, 1:05 p.m.
Carolina at New Orleans, 1:25 p.m.
L.A. Rams at Arizona, 1:25 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at Oakland, 1:25 p.m.
Philadelphia at Seattle, 5:30 p.m.
Monday
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 5:30 p.m.
Boston
22 10
8
4 24 60 66
Montreal
25 10 12
3 23 60 81
Ottawa
22 8
8
6 22 67 74
Florida
24 10 12
2 22 72 83
Buffalo
25 6 15
4 16 55 85
Metropolitan Division
GP W
L OT Pts GF GA
Columbus 25 16
8
1 33 72 60
N.Y. Islanders 24 15
7
2 32 89 76
New Jersey 24 14
6
4 32 78 74
Washington 25 14 10
1 29 74 75
Pittsburgh 26 13 10
3 29 74 90
N.Y. Rangers 25 13 10
2 28 82 77
Carolina
23 10
8
5 25 68 70
Philadelphia 25 8 10
7 23 70 78
NCAA
Week 13 Top 25 Results
No. 6 Auburn 26, No. 1 Alabama 14
No. 3 Clemson 34, No. 24 South Carolina
10
No. 4 Oklahoma 59, West Virginia 31
No. 5 Wisconsin 31, Minnesota 0
No. 7 Georgia 38, Georgia Tech 7
No. 21 Stanford 38, No. 8 Notre Dame 20
No. 9 Ohio State 31, Michigan 20
No. 10 Penn State 66, Maryland 3
No. 17 Washington 41, No. 13 Washing-
ton State 14
No. 16 Michigan State 40, Rutgers 7
No. 18 LSU 45, Texas A&M 21
No. 19 Oklahoma State 58, Kansas 17
No. 20 Memphis 70, East Carolina 13
No. 22 Northwestern 42, Illinois 7
Fresno State 28, No. 23 Boise State 17
Top 25 Schedule
Friday
No. 14 Stanford at No. 11 USC, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday
No. 16 Memphis at No. 12 UCF, 9 a.m. (ABC)
No. 10 TCU at No. 2 Oklahoma, 9:30 a.m. (FOX)
No. 6 Georgia at No. 4 Auburn, 1 p.m. (CBS)
No. 7 Miami at No. 1 Clemson, 5 p.m. (ABC)
No. 8 Ohio State at No. 3 Wisconsin, 5
p.m. (FOX)
Pac-12 Schedule
Friday
No. 12 Stanford at No. 11 USC, 5 p.m.
(ESPN)
GF
84
76
80
76
67
72
73
GA
63
68
64
63
69
74
71
GF
81
73
61
70
68
65
67
66
GA
66
57
51
76
73
73
81
98
Basketball
Hockey
NHL
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
GP W
L OT
Tampa Bay 24 17
5
2
Toronto
26 16
9
1
Detroit
25 10 10
5
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division
GP W
L OT Pts
St. Louis
24 17
6
1 35
Nashville
24 15
6
3 33
Winnipeg 24 15
6
3 33
Chicago
24 12
9
3 27
Dallas
23 12 10
1 25
Minnesota 24 11 10
3 25
Colorado
22 11
9
2 24
Pacific Division
GP W
L OT Pts
Vegas
22 15
6
1 31
Los Angeles 25 14
8
3 31
San Jose
23 13
8
2 28
Calgary
24 13 10
1 27
Vancouver 25 11 10
4 26
Anaheim
24 10 10
4 24
Edmonton 25 10 13
2 22
Arizona
27 6 17
4 16
————
Tuesday’s Games
Tampa Bay 2, Buffalo 0
N.Y. Islanders 5, Vancouver 2
Columbus 3, Carolina 2, SO
Florida 5, N.Y. Rangers 4
San Jose 3, Philadelphia 1
Los Angeles 4, Detroit 1
Chicago 3, Nashville 2
Edmonton 3, Arizona 2, OT
Toronto 4, Calgary 1
Dallas at Vegas, late finish
Wednesday’s Games
Ottawa at Montreal, 4:30 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Boston, 4:30 p.m.
Anaheim at St. Louis, 6 p.m.
Winnipeg at Colorado, 6:30 p.m.
Pts
36
33
25
GF
88
92
70
GA
62
78
74
NBA
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
W
L
Boston
18
4
Toronto
12
7
Philadelphia
11
8
Pct GB
.818 —
.632 4½
.579 5½
New York
10
Brooklyn
7
Southeast Division
W
Washington
11
Miami
10
Charlotte
8
Orlando
8
Atlanta
4
Central Division
W
Detroit
13
Cleveland
14
Indiana
12
Milwaukee
9
Chicago
3
10 .500
13 .350
7
10
L
9
10
11
13
16
Pct GB
.550 —
.500
1
.421 2½
.381 3½
.200
7
L
6
7
9
9
16
Pct GB
.684 —
.667 —
.571
2
.500 3½
.158 10
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Southwest Division
W
L Pct GB
Houston
16
4 .800 —
San Antonio
13
7 .650
3
New Orleans
11
9 .550
5
Memphis
7 12 .368 8½
Dallas
5 16 .238 11½
Northwest Division
W
L Pct GB
Portland
13
8 .619 —
Denver
11
8 .579
1
Minnesota
12
9 .571
1
Utah
9 11 .450 3½
Oklahoma City
8 11 .421
4
Pacific Division
W
L Pct GB
Golden State
15
6 .714 —
L.A. Clippers
8 11 .421
6
L.A. Lakers
8 12 .400 6½
Phoenix
8 14 .364 7½
Sacramento
6 14 .300 8½
———
Tuesday’s Games
Cleveland 108, Miami 97
Phoenix 104, Chicago 99
Washington 92, Minnesota 89
Utah 106, Denver 77
Milwaukee 112, Sacramento 87
Wednesday’s Games
Oklahoma City at Orlando, 4 p.m.
Phoenix at Detroit, 4 p.m.
Washington at Philadelphia, 4 p.m.
Charlotte at Toronto, 4:30 p.m.
Miami at New York, 4:30 p.m.
Indiana at Houston, 5 p.m.
Minnesota at New Orleans, 5 p.m.
Brooklyn at Dallas, 5:30 p.m.
Memphis at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m.
Golden State at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m.
NCAA
Men’s Basketball
Top 25
Tuesday
No. 21 Xavier 76, No. 16 Baylor 63
No. 2 Kansas 96, Toledo 58
No. 8 Wichita State 112, Savannah State 66
Purdue 66, No. 17 Louisville 57
Wednesday
Pennsylvania at No. 4 Villanova, 4 p.m. (FS2)
Michigan at No. 13 North Carolina, 4:30
p.m. (ESPN)
Louisiana Tech at No. 24 Alabama, 5 p.m.
Incarnate Word at No. 15 Gonzaga, 6 p.m.
Belmont at No. 23 TCU, 6 p.m.
No. 10 Miami at No. 12 Minnesota, 6:15
p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 1 Duke at Indiana, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Women’s Basketball
Top 25
Tuesday
No. 23 Marquette 92, Loyola-Chicago 30
No. 18 Texas A&M 98, Prairie View A&M
70
No. 1 Connecticut at Nevada, 6 p.m.
(CBSSN)
No. 10 Oregon 87, Hampton 45
UC Riverside at No. 7 UCLA, 7 p.m.
Wednesday
No. 25 Villanova at Princeton, 2:30 p.m.
No. 3 Notre Dame at No. 22 Michigan, 3 p.m.
No. 15 Maryland at Virginia, 4 p.m.
Louisiana at No. 6 Mississippi State, 5 p.m.
No. 13 Florida State at Iowa, 5 p.m.
Rice at No. 18 Texas A&M, 5 p.m.
No. 16 Stanford at San Francisco, 7 p.m.
Soccer
MLS Playoffs
Conference Championships
Eastern Conference
Tuesday: Toronto 0, Columbus 0
Nov. 29: Columbus at Toronto, 4:30 p.m.
Western Conference
Tuesday: Seattle 2, Houston 0
Nov. 30: Houston at Seattle, 7:30 p.m.
MLS CUP
Dec. 9: at highest seed, 1 p.m.
Golf
PGA Tour
HERO WORLD CHALLENGE
Site: Nassau, Bahamas
Course: Albany GC. Yardage: 7,267. Par:
72
Purse: $3.5 million (Winner’s share: $1
million)
Television: Thursday-Friday, 9:30-1:30
p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 9-11:30 a.m.
(Golf Channel), 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. (NBC).
Sunday, 8-10 a.m. p.m. (Golf Channel), 10
a.m. -1 p.m. (NBC)
Defending champion: Hideki Matsuyama