300 lines
8.2 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
300 lines
8.2 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
sport
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golf
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mastersaugusta
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8420658
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# Lee Westwood birdies set pulses racing in Houston ahead of 2011 Augusta
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Masters
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## If Houston is all about pointers for The Masters next week, what about a
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hat-trick of birdies around holes 11, 12 and 13 for an omen?
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![Lee Westwood birdies set pulses racing in Houston ahead of 2011 Augusta
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Masters][1]
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Finding his form: Lee Westwood is striking the ball well going into The
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Masters Photo: GETTY IMAGES
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[![Kevin Garside][2]][3]
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By [Kevin Garside][4] 7:16AM BST 01 Apr 2011
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[Follow Kevin Garside on Twitter][5]
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[Comments][6]
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That sequence of holes at Augusta, known as Amen Corner, is arguably the most
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sacred stretch in golf.
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Lee Westwood pulled that three-card trick at the Shell Houston Open to set
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pulses racing by association and ease concerns about his putting ahead of the
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opening major of the season.
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A top-two finish in Texas would take Westwood into The Masters as world No 1.
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But he is not thinking about bragging rights with Magnolia Drive his next
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destination.
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After a fortnight practicing at home in Worksop, followed by a couple of
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practice rounds at Augusta, Westwood's game appears to be peaking as showtime
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beckons.
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He closed with another birdie at the last to finish three off the lead, held
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by Nick O'Hern, for whom victory would seal his passage to Augusta.
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## Related Articles
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* [Augusta's annual assault][7]
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31 Mar 2011
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* [Westwood: first major top priority][8]
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30 Mar 2011
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* [BBC cut Torrance from commentary team][9]
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29 Mar 2011
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* [Fowler hits ominous form as Woods wobbles][10]
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24 Mar 2011
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* [Donald winds down for Masters][11]
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14 Mar 2011
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Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington and Francesco Molinari both opened
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with birdies. Harrington is slowly putting his A game together after a lean
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period, following his burst of three majors in 13 months. Harrington was tied
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for 10th alongside Westwood playing the last.
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The London-based Molinari might be properly regarded as a Masters sleeper. His
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assiduous work with coach Denis Pugh at The Wisley in Surrey has brought him
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to the level of consistency required to contend in the majors. Once his putter
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catches up with the rest of his game, Molinari will be a threat anywhere. He
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was two under with one to play.
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Freddie Couples, who led after the first round at Augusta last year, is
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showing encouraging signs ahead of his return to the site of his only major
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victory. Playing his sixth event of the year, Couples was round the Redstone
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course at Humble in 71.
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On route to becoming the Tour Champions rookie of the year in 2010, Couples
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smashed Hale Irwin's scoring average, putting average and birdie count record
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that had stood for 12 years. And, if co-incidence means anything, he won his
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last PGA tournament in Houston eight years ago.
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Peter Lawrie takes a two-shot lead into the second round at the Hassan Trophy
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in Morocco, played over two courses in Agadir. The Irishman posted an eight-
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under 64 at the Golf Du Palais Royal.
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England's John Bickerton, playing at Gold de L'Ocean course, closed tied in
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second with Rhys Davies of Wales and India's Shiv Kapur.
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Japan's teenage totem Ryo Ishikawa has pledged all his winnings in 2011 to the
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relief fund for the victims of the earthquake that struck last month, costing
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27,000 lives.
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There will also be a 100,000 yen (£1,207) bonus for every birdie struck. Since
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he recorded 341 on the JGTO Tour last year the Ishikawa pot is expected to
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exceed £1 million.
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"While golf is my profession there are things that are more important. And the
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people of Japan are dealing with life and death issues as a result of the
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earthquake and tsunami.
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"I've set my goal at 200 million yen (£1.6m) in total. I know recovery in the
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quake-affected areas will take a long time. I'm motivated to not only raise
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money for the people of Japan, but hopefully also encourage them as the
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country recovers."
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[X][12] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][13]
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* Share: [Share][12] [ ][14] [ ][15]
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[Tweet][16]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/mastersaugusta/8420658/Lee-Westwood-
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birdies-set-pulses-racing-in-Houston-ahead-of-2011-Augusta-Masters.html
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Telegraph
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## [The Masters][17]
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* ### [Sport »][18]
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* ### [Kevin Garside »][3]
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* ### [Golf »][19]
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* ### [US Tour »][20]
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In sport
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[![The Masters 2011: after the choke][21] ][22]
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### [After the choke][22]
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[![][23] ][24]
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### [The Masters: final round][24]
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[![The Masters 2011: Rory McIlroy is a carefree dreamer with the golf world at
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his feet][25] ][26]
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### [Collapse worse than Norman's][26]
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[![][27]][28]
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### [Montgomerie's course guide][28]
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[X][12] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][13]
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Share:
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* [ ][12]
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* [ ][14]
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* [ ][15]
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* [Tweet][16]
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* Advertisement
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![][29]
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telegraphuk
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][30] [blog
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comments powered by Disqus][31]
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Advertisement
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var puffs_8120654 = new Array();
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[1]:
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http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01861/lee_westwood_1861944c.jpg
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[2]:
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http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01757/Garside_60_1757415j.jpg
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[3]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/kevingarside/
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[4]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/kevingarside/ (Kevin
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Garside)
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[5]: http://twitter.com/GARSIDEK
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[6]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/mastersaugusta/8420658/Lee-
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Westwood-birdies-set-pulses-racing-in-Houston-ahead-of-2011-Augusta-
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Masters.html#disqus_thread
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[7]: /sport/golf/mastersaugusta/8417092/Whatever-you-do-at-the-Masters-in-
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[9]: /sport/golf/mastersaugusta/8414667/Masters-2011-BBC-cut-Sam-Torrance-
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[12]: #
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[13]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/4590190/Share-this-
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%0A%0Ahttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/mastersaugusta/8420658/Lee-
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Westwood-birdies-set-pulses-racing-in-Houston-ahead-of-2011-Augusta-
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Masters.html %0A%0AFor the best content online, visit www.telegraph.co.uk
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