Woods to miss Arnold Palmer tournament
Four-time Masters winner Tiger Woods said Thursday he would miss the Arnold Palmer Invitational, putting his participation in next month’s Masters tournament seriously in doubt.
The American made the announcement via Twitter saying he was out of next week’s PGA Tour tournament because of back problems. He has not played since he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic on February 3.
“Unfortunately, due to ongoing rest and rehabilitation on my back, I won’t be able to play in this year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational,” the 41-year old Woods said. Woods last won a major title at the 2008 US Open.
RAIKKONEN SETS THE PACE AS FERRARI FLY
Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen smashed teammate Sebastian Vettel’s best time in pre-season testing by nearly half a second to dominate the morning session of the final day of testing on Friday.raikkonen edged to within three tenths of the track record in 1min 18.634sec to register the fastest time of the day by nearly a second.
Vettel’s best of 1min 19.024sec on Thursday had already raised hopes that Ferrari, who haven’t won a drivers’ championship since Raikkonen’s success in 2007, can bring an end to Mercedes’ three years of dominance.
Three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton claimed Ferrari were “bluffing” with their eyecatching testing times and Mercedes may be keeping their powder dry for the first Grand Prix of the year in Melbourne on March 26. Valtteri Bottas was well over a second back on Raikkonen in fourth on the same supersoft tyre compound.
1964 F1 CHAMPION SURTEES DIES AT 83
John Surtees, the only man to win world championships on two wheels and four, died on Friday at the age of 83, his family said in a statement.
The Briton won the 1964 Formula One championship with Ferrari after winning four 500cc motorcycling world titles between 1956 and 1960. He also won three 350cc world championships.
The family said in a statement that Surtees was admitted to hospital in London last month with a respiratory condition.