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30 SPORT TUESDAY 4 APRIL 2017 SPORT GOLF Thompson TV heartache fuels row over rules FRANK DALLERES @frankdalleres GOLF chiefs are facing renewed scrutiny of the game’s rules on the eve of the Masters following the bizarre chain of events that deprived American Lexi Thompson of her second Major title. Thompson, 22, was reduced to tears at the ANA Inspiration on Sunday when she was informed, while leading by two shots with six holes to play, that she had been penalised four strokes. The sanction related to an incident almost 24 hours earlier, in which she incorrectly replaced a marked ball, that was missed by course officials but investigated following an email from a television viewer. World No4 Thompson composed herself enough to tie with Ryu So- Yeon and force a play-off, only to lose to the South Korean at the first extra hole at Mission Hills in California. Tiger Woods echoed widespread disbelief that an armchair pundit Thompson was penalised after a viewer saw her infringement and emailed in had been able to wield such influence over the outcome of one of the most prestigious and lucrative events on the women’s LPGA tour. “Viewers at home should not be officials wearing stripes,” the former men’s No1 wrote on social media. Justin Thomas, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, added: “Whatever number this is that people can call in [sic], it needs to go away.” Thompson’s initial reaction to being told of her four-stroke penalty – two shots for the offence and two more for signing an incorrect scorecard – was to respond: “Is this a joke?” She added after the tournament: “I did not intentionally do that, so to the officials or whoever called in, that was not my purpose. I didn’t even realise I did that.” Ryu admitted to mixed emotions at winning the tournament, saying: “I cannot believe the situation. It hurts me as well, it is a weird feeling but at the same time I am proud of myself.” LPGA rules official Sue Witters said she felt the tour had little choice but to punish Thompson once they became aware of the infringement. “I can’t go to bed knowing that I let a rule slide,” she added. “It’s a hard thing to do, and it made me sick to be honest.” FOOTBALL FA set to quiz Moyes over slap remark ROSS MCLEAN @rossmcleanRMAC SUNDERLAND boss David Moyes could still face punishment from the Football Association (FA) despite issuing a public apology for suggesting he might slap a female reporter at the end of an interview. The FA have written to the former Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Everton manager and asked him to explain his behaviour during the exchange, which occurred after his side’s goalless draw with Burnley on 18 March. In the incident, Moyes was asked whether the presence at games of Black Cats owner Ellis Short exerted any additional pressure on him. He dismissed the notion and, after the interview finished, said: “It was getting a wee bit naughty at the end there, you just watch yourself. “You still might get a slap even though you’re a woman. Careful the next time you come in.” The exchange was captured on film and emerged yesterday. The BBC journalist in question, Vicki Sparks, is said to have accepted his apology, but Moyes, whose relegation-threatened side play defending Premier League champions Leicester tonight, may still face FA action. He could even receive a ban given the nature of the threatening language used. “There will be anger about this and I deeply regret what I’ve done,” Moyes, who insists he has not considered resigning, said yesterday. “It was the heat of the moment. The business we’re GOLF TROUBLIN’ IN DUBLIN Wasps’ woes underline Aviva Stadium’s status as bogey ground for English teams PAGE 29 in, sometimes you only have seconds to think and answer. It was the wrong thing to do. “I have said that I regret it. I have spoken to the girl, who I apologised to and she accepted it. I rang her on the Monday morning, she was fine and accepted it. “I spoke to [chief executive] Martin [Bain] immediately after it happened. I spoke to Ellis about it on the Monday morning as well. They were aware of it two weeks ago, but for some reason it has come out now.” It is believed that Moyes is unlikely to lose his job over the matter, although his actions have courted considerable outrage, including criticism from domestic violence charities, women’s groups and Parliament. Shadow sports minister Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP said: “If you look at the fact that he wouldn’t have said that to a male reporter, and I truly believe that, I think the comments, his behaviour and attitude were sexist. “With the FA, part of what they have been criticised for in the past is not tackling sexism and other forms of discrimination, which needs to be stamped out across sport. “Fundamentally it’s a male-dominated environment that women find incredibly difficult to break into and comments like this do nothing to encourage women.” Bottom of the table Sunderland have endured a miserable season and have won just one of their last 14 matches across all competitions. The Wearsiders sit eight points adrift of safety with just nine matches of the campaign to go. Day ready for Masters battle after traumatic start to 2017 ROSS MCLEAN @rossmcleanRMAC FORMER world No1 Jason Day insists he is ready to move on from a traumatic start to the season and rediscover his Major-winning form at this week’s Masters in Augusta, which starts on Thursday. An emotional Day withdrew from last month’s WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play after just six holes of his opening match in order to return to his mother’s side as she underwent surgery for lung cancer. “Golf was the last thing that I was ever thinking about when this first came about,” said the Australian. “I’m in a much better place now. I feel happier to be on the golf course and I’m enjoying myself out here a lot more than I was the last month or two. “My mind was so far away from golf that I was hitting shots out there on the golf course and I’m like, ‘what am I doing?’. It would be a wedge from 140 yards but I’d be 20 yards out. I’m coming into this week focused a lot better.” Day, whose sole Major victory was the PGA Championship in 2015, has recorded just one top-10 finish in five PGA Tour starts so far this year. ATHLETICS Coe’s apology after Fancy Bears hack into athletes’ medical files FRANK DALLERES @frankdalleres ATHLETICS chiefs the IAAF are braced for a leak of confidential medical data after revealing that they have fallen victim to a cyber attack from hackers Fancy Bears. The hackers made headlines last year when they published a list of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) relating to some of sport’s biggest names, including Sir Mo Farah and Sir Bradley Wiggins, obtained by illegally accessing the database of the World Anti-Doping Agency. IAAF president Lord Coe said TUE files had again been compromised, CITYAM.COM despite the organisation’s efforts to strengthen their cyber security, and issued an apology to athletes. “Our first priority is to the athletes who have provided the IAAF with information that they believed would be secure and confidential,” said Coe. “They have our sincerest apologies and our total commitment to continue to do everything in our power to remedy the situation and work with the world’s best organisations to create as safe an environment as we can.” Fancy Bears is thought to be a Russian group whose stated motivation is to expose what it says is hypocrisy within sport.
CITYAM.COM TUESDAY 4 APRIL 2017 SPORT 31 IT’S BACK ON And it’s because Antonio Conte got ahead of himself, writes Trevor Steven PAGE 29 FOOTBALL Pochettino preaches belief in bid to catch Chelsea ROSS MCLEAN @rossmcleanRMAC TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino has implored his side to believe that they can reel in runaway Premier League leaders Chelsea and secure their first top-flight title since 1961. Spurs trimmed Chelsea’s advantage at the summit to seven points on Saturday as they beat Burnley at Turf Moor and the Blues stumbled at home, slipping to a surprise loss against Crystal Palace. The north Londoners play Swansea at the Liberty Stadium tomorrow as Chelsea host Manchester City, while they could be just a point behind their rivals after Watford visit White Hart Lane on Saturday lunchtime. “It’s crazy but that is football and all can happen,” said Pochettino. “That’s a good lesson for all. Belief is the most important thing in football. Not quality, running or being strong but belief, faith and fight. “Nothing is impossible in football and that is our idea, our philosophy. We need to keep going in that direction and it is true the Premier League is tough to play in, and to win every game and compete. It’s so competitive. “But can it happen? Yes, of course. It can happen and in our mind we must be positive to try to imagine and dream and believe and give our best. “If we are focused only on the next game and nothing around and nothing after, and if we are positive, I think we can get the three points, but first of all we need to be better than Swansea and we will need to fight a lot against them.” Irrespective of how the next few games pan out, Pochettino insists his team will not commit the same mistakes as last season when their campaign imploded after hopes of catching eventual title winners Leicester evaporated. “We talked a lot about last season,” added Pochettino. “In football, it’s important to learn from all the good and bad experiences. For me it’s easy to explain: it’s about mentality – never giving up, concentrating until the end. “Last season we switched off in our mind after Chelsea [2-2 at Stamford Bridge in May] and we conceded second place to Arsenal.” Pochettino has confirmed that midfielder Harry Winks is unlikely to play again this season after sustaining an ankle injury against Burnley at the weekend. “It will be difficult for him to play again this season,” added Pochettino. “He has done scans and after that we will see what the real problem is.” Pochettino’s Tottenham are currently seven points adrift of leaders Chelsea FOOTBALL FA’s council unanimously backs governance reform ROSS MCLEAN @rossmcleanRMAC A SERIES of reforms proposed by chairman Greg Clarke and designed to modernise the Football Association (FA) have been unanimously approved by the governing body’s council. The suggested reforms now progress to the FA’s annual general meeting on 18 May, where they will need a 75 per cent majority to be endorsed and adopted. Included in the package of changes is a reduction in the size of the FA’s board from 12 to FOOTBALL Koeman returns fire on Lukaku and Barkley critics ROSS MCLEAN @rossmcleanRMAC EVERTON manager Ronald Koeman has slammed critics of striker Romelu Lukaku and midfielder Ross Barkley following their limp performances during Saturday’s Merseyside derby. The duo have been castigated for their anonymous showings against Liverpool as the Reds ran out 3-1 winners to boost their hopes of sealing a place in next season’s Champions League. Defeat rocked Everton’s own chances, which in turn heightened the importance of tonight’s Premier League clash with fifth-placed Manchester United at Old Trafford. Victory would move the Toffees, who are currently seventh, above 10 with three positions reserved for women and a limit of three three-year terms. There is also the desire to add 11 new members to the FA Council which “better reflect the inclusive and diverse nature of English football”. In December, five former FA bosses asked the government to intervene and update the organisation, while in February the House of Commons passed a motion of no confidence. Sports minister Tracey Crouch, meanwhile, gave the FA an ultimatum to modernise or risk losing public funding. Jose Mourinho’s outfit. “Ross played in a different position than he has played in the last few weeks,” said Koeman. “Of course, he lost several balls in the midfield instead of playing a little faster, but he needs to improve that. “But taking out one or two players and saying that was the problem last Saturday, that’s not fair. [Lukaku] is the top scorer of the league. Why now after the Liverpool game do we have to criticise Rom? “He’s a great striker. He’s working hard. He’s a human boy. It’s not always a 10 out of 10 performance. If you don’t play football, maybe you don’t understand.” United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is available for United after serving a threematch domestic suspension. IN BRIEF TOP WEIGHT WITHDRAWN FROM GRAND NATIONAL £ HORSE RACING: Two-time Irish Gold Cup winner Carlingford Lough and Foxrock have been withdrawn from Saturday’s Grand National at Aintree. Following John Kielytrained Carlingford Lough, a 33-1 chance, being ruled out, last year’s runner-up The Last Samuri now has a top weight of 11st 10lb. Ted Walshtrained Foxrock was rated as a 20-1 shot for the race. BILBAO TO HOST 2018 EUROPEAN RUGBY FINALS £ RUGBY UNION: Spanish city Bilbao has been selected as the host for next season’s European Champions and Challenge Cup finals. The matches will be played at the San Mames Stadium, the home of La Liga side Athletic Bilbao. It is the first time such a game will have been staged outside a traditional rugby union nation. 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