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2B Daily News – Friday, January 25, 2013 Choi, Snedeker tied for lead at Torrey Pines SMITH SAN DIEGO (AP) — One week after he began his year by missing the cut, Tiger Woods didn't notice a big difference in his game. It was everything else about the opening round at Torrey Pines that changed. Relatively calm conditions. Rough that didn't cover the top of his shoes. A course that has been good to him since he was a teenager. And despite his putter not cooperating at the end of his round, a 4-under 68 on his scorecard. Woods was on the verge of joining defending champion Brandt Snedeker and K.J. Choi atop the leaderboard Thursday in the Farmers Insurance Open until missing three straight putts inside 12 feet late in his round. Snedeker was bogey-free on the North Course for a 65. Choi birdied three of his last four holes on the tougher South Course for his 65. Woods, a seven-time champion at Torrey Pines, at least got off the South Course without further damage when he had to lay up on the par-5 18th hole, hit wedge over the green and into a bunker and made a 6-foot putt for par. ''Last week's conditions were a lot more difficult and the fairways were narrow and the wind was howling,'' Woods said. ''I felt like I was doing a lot of good things right last week — unfortunately, only for a few days, but I doing a lot of good things right. And I came out here today and basically did the same thing.'' Woods three-putted for double bogey on the fourth hole, though he knew he had a pair of par 5s to make up ground. He did that, and more. He made a 12-footer for birdie, an eagle by holing a bunker shot on the par-5 sixth, and birdie putts on the eighth and ninth holes to get back into the game. ''I made a few mistakes out there, but I made some nice plays as well,'' Woods said. Phil Mickelson had quite the taxing day with a 72 on the North, which played about 1 1/2 strokes easier than the course that hosted the U.S. Open in 2008. Snedeker already is developing quite the love affair with this municipal course along the Pacific Bluffs. As a rookie, he was 10 under through 10 holes and had to settle for a 61 on the North Course. He finished third that year. Then, he rallied from seven shots behind in the final round, got into a playoff when Kyle Stanley made triple bogey on the 18th and won on the second playoff hole. One year later, he was right back at it. ''It's funny, you look at all the golf courses I should play well on, this should not be one of them,'' Snedeker said. ''This is a long, difficult golf course with lots of rough and hitting a lot of iron shots. My strength is driving and putting, so it doesn't really add up well around year. But for some reason, it's been good to me.'' It was even more of a mystery for Choi. He is not a regular at Torrey Pines and decided not to come last year until he heard from his host family in San Diego that the South Korean community wanted to see him play. Choi put on quite a show. He finally got some height and spin into shots while warming up on the range, and he converted that into the best round on the South. He ran off five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine — he started on No. 10 — and no shot was more pleasing than a wedge into a light crosswind on the 15th hole that settled inches from the cup. ''Best shot ever on the South Course — ever,'' he said, grinning. Of the eight players at 66, only Josh Teater posted his on the South Course. Of the PGA Tour events that use multiple courses, few of them are as different as the South and North at Torrey Pines, although the difference in scoring average has been greater in recent years. Charles Howell III summed it up best after his 66 on the North. ''The real one is tomorrow,'' Howell said. Howell lost in a playoff last week in the Humana Challenge, and he started his season with a tie for third at the Sony Open. Whatever disappointment he felt in the California desert, he was able to shake off quickly. And he wasn't alone. Scott Stallings lost a five-shot lead in the Humana Challenge and bogeyed the par-5 closing hole to miss the playoff. He bounced back with a 66. And there was Woods. He started his season by missing the cut in Abu Dhabi when he was docked two shots at the end of his round for a rules violation on the fifth hole. He was on more comfortable territory at Torrey Pines, though he says he didn't hit the ball much differently. He missed birdie putts of 8, 15 and 12 feet on the back nine, along with two par putts from inside 8 feet. SUPER Jack visited each locker room after that game and observed the ''smile on John's face,'' then headed over to see how Jim was handling it. ''It was quiet and somber, and finally I saw Jim, all by himself, no one around him,'' Jack said. ''He still had his coaching thing on, and his hands on his head, and we realized that that is where we were needed. . And we know we are going to experience that next week.'' For Jackie Harbaugh, who has held things together for decades and is known to offer up a sports cliche or two herself, the real celebration began last weekend. ''I felt that was a joyful moment for them, for our whole family, our extended family and for my father, who is 97 years old,'' she said. ''Great feeling of joy. I am going to be neutral in the game, and I know one is going to win and one is going to lose, but I would really like to end in a tie. Can the NFL do that?'' If only it could finish that way. And don't count on Jack doing any in-game analysis, or to start guessing which team might have the edge in any given phase. ''I'm only neutral on that,'' he said. ''I don't look for body language. I am not really a coach anymore. I am a spectator and a parent. When I had the chance to watch over the weekend, all of those parents of those players that were competing and the thrill of watching their youngsters compete at that level, all of the coaches involved, their careers, how they all started out in high school and college, and now they are in the NFL and competing for this ultimate prize. I think more as a parent now than I do as a coach, and I don't really get involved in those other things.'' Unless one of his kids tries to pull a fast one, that is. John Harbaugh produced a little prank of his own during his parents' NFL-organized conference call Thursday morning. ''John in Baltimore,'' the moderator said, announcing the next person up for a turn to ask a question. ''Is it true that both of you like Jim better than John?'' John chirped, before getting figured out fast by his sister. Jackie had begun speaking with, ''We do not.'' ''Hey, John, how are you?'' Joani replied. ''Is that John?'' Jackie asked. After a quick greeting, he was off to practice. ''Love you both, love you Joani,'' John said. Back to game-planning. And 3,000 miles away on a rainy day in the Bay Area, Jim, too, was busy gearing up. San Francisco safety Donte Whitner is prepared for all the back and forth for another week. ''Oh, man, I know that they're very proud, I know that either way they're going to feel for the one that loses and they're going to be happy for the other,'' Whitner said. ''But at the end of the day, they're all family, and you bring a Super Bowl ring back to the family.'' (Continued from page 1B) brought their teams to the pinnacle of sports,'' Jackie Harbaugh said Thursday. ''The Super Bowl is the ultimate accomplishment for them and for their teams and for all of the extended football family and all of the teams who have participated in this great game. We are excited for that type of thing.'' Her sons, all of 15 months apart, have tried to downplay this matchup from the moment it developed — each wanting to keep the focus on the players, on the field. The Harbaughs have been inundated with well wishes and media requests since the moment John's Ravens beat New England on Sunday night a few hours after the 49ers won at Atlanta. This matchup provides the storyline of storylines, one that will compete with Ravens star Ray Lewis' last hurrah before retirement and the emergence of second-year San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick (in a savvy move, he had pizza delivered to the overcrowded press trailer Thursday). Fortunate for the Harbaugh folks, they've been through this once before — albeit on a slightly smaller stage: prime time on Thanksgiving night 2011. John's Ravens won 16-6 at home. ''We experienced that last year at Thanksgiving,'' Jack Harbaugh said, ''the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.'' OPEN (Continued from page 1B) her forehand misfiring. She had little trouble finishing the match after she came back, and the No. 29-seeded Stephens had cooled off. ''I just felt a little bit overwhelmed. I realized I'm one step away from the final and nerves got into me for sure,'' Azarenka said. The 23-year-old Belarusian said she was later compelled to explain that she misunderstood the question in the on-court interview, and she wanted to dispel the perception that her medical timeout amounted to little more than gamesmanship. ''I understand the point of people maybe not understanding what I said; me not understanding what I've been asked,'' she said during an official news conference more than two-thirds devoted to questions on her medical timeout. ''So I'm just glad that I'm here, you know, to make everything clear. ''You know, I think you cannot really judge by (a) few words. The situation had to be explained.'' Medical staff said Azarenka had timeouts for treatment of left knee and rib injuries. The rib needed to be manipulated because it was affecting her breathing. Tournament director Craig Tiley said Azarenka hadn't broken any rules. Azarenka hadn't helped herself in a second television interview after the match when she said she couldn't breathe. ''I had chest pains,'' she said. ''It was like I was getting a heart attack.'' She tried to allay any negative perception with her explanation that the choking was related to shortness of breath from the rib injury, not her faltering game. ''When you cannot breathe you start to panic,'' she said. ''I was really panicking, not because I couldn't convert my match point. That's not the case. I mean, I'm experienced enough to go over those emotions. But when you cannot breathe, when something's really blocking you, the stress — that was the stress I was talking about. ''What I said — that I was stressed out and choked — was not because I couldn't finish my shot. It was just so stressing me out the pain that I had that, maybe it was overreaction, but I just really couldn't breathe.'' Azarenka had retired during previous Grand Slam matches, including a fourthround match against Serena Williams at the 2009 Australian Open. But with a second major title so close, and the fact she needed to reach the final to retain the No. 1 ranking, she desperately didn't want to quit this time. For her part, Stephens seemed sympathetic. She had to wait through a medical timeout Wednesday when Williams received treatment for a sore back — the 15-time major winner injured herself after leading by a set and a break. Another rival earlier in the tournament took a long break between sets for other reasons. ''I mean, when you take a medical break or timeout, obviously it's for a reason,'' she said. ''I mean, just another something else that happens. If it was one of my friends, I would say, 'Oh, my God, that sounds like a PP, which is a personal problem. Other than that, it's just unfortunate.'' Besides, Stephens said, it didn't affect the outcome of the match. ''No, not at all. She played obviously a really good match,'' she said. ''First set she played awesome; got close in the second. It didn't go my way, but I wouldn't say at all what happened affected the match.'' Novak Djokovic dispensed with No. 4-seeded David Ferrer 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in the night match, saying he ''played perfectly'' to reach his third consecutive Australian Open title match. Then he dispensed some medical advice of his own. The Serb, who won the Australian titles in 2008, 2011 and 2012, wore a white shirt with a red cross on the back, pretending to be a doctor to treat Henri Leconte during a legends doubles match at Rod Laver Arena. He's relaxed now that he has an extra day to prepare for Sunday's final. Djokovic will next play the winner of Friday's semifinal between No. 2 Roger Federer, a fourtime Australian Open champion, and No. 3 Andy Murray, the U.S. Open champion. Djokovic lost only seven points in 11 service games against Ferrer, and hit 30 crisp, clean winners in an almost flawless performance. ''I cannot remember the last time I played so well,'' Djokovic said. ''I've played many great matches, but this one stands out. Hopefully, I can play the same level on Sunday.'' He played confidently in the first two sets, and was sublime in the third. Even Ferrer, who has now lost five Grand Slam semifinals and never reached a championship match, was surprised. After hitting a forehand a fraction wide of the line and losing his challenge in a review, Ferrer double-faulted to give Djokovic match point. The errors were a measure of just how much pressure Djokovic was applying. Right after his semifinal, Djokovic started playing mind games leading to the final. ''Federer-Murray, when they're playing it's always very close,'' he said, confirming he'd be closely watching the match. ''I wouldn't give the role of the favorite to either of them. I expect to enjoy it. Whoever I play against, I'm going to be ready.'' (Continued from page 1B) successful starting debut the following week against Chicago, and the week after that, coach Jim Harbaugh made the critical — and controversial — decision to stick with Kaepernick over a healthy Smith. Smith has deflected questions about his future in recent weeks, but some of his teammates, including close friend Joe Staley, said they realize the Super Bowl could be the last time Smith is in a 49ers uniform. The 49ers will owe Smith his full 2013 salary — $8.5 million — if he is on the roster April 1. They are unlikely to pay a backup that amount, and Smith is unlikely to want to be part of a team that has an established starter. "Obviously, there's a good chance it will be (Smith's last game)," Staley said. "I'm still going to be great friends with him. Our relationship's not going to end. BFF's, you know?" The Jets, Chiefs and division rival Cardinals are among the teams that will be looking for a starting quarterback in the offseason. With the draft expected to be light on quarterbacks, Smith could get plenty of attention. He won't be hurt by how he's handled the difficult events this season. As the backup, Smith has given tips to Kaepernick and mimicked the opponent's quarterback in practice. Smith said he'll prepare for the Super Bowl as a starter in case Kaepernick gets injured, and he'll also take snaps in practice in the role of Ravens starter Joe Flacco. "I say hat's off to him because he could have been walking around here with his head down being a pain," center Jonathan Goodwin said. "But he hasn't. He's been Alex. He's been great and supportive of Kap. And that says a lot about Alex as a person." Smith, who came within overtime of leading the 49ers into the Super Bowl last year, admitted he had mixed emotions about watching Kaepernick reach the game this year. "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a little bittersweet," Smith said. "Yeah, I want to be out there. It's what you work for coming into WESTERN CONFERENCE GA 7 5 4 11 8 GA 8 8 6 11 11 GA 5 12 5 8 12 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L OT Pts GF GA Islanders 3 2 1 0 4 129 New Jersey 2 0 0 4 5 1 Pittsburgh 2 1 0 4 11 9 Rangers 1 3 0 2 9 14 Philadelphia 1 3 0 2 5 12 Northeast Division W L OT Pts GF GA Ottawa 3 0 0 6 11 2 Boston 2 0 1 5 8 6 Buffalo 2 1 0 4 10 9 Montreal 2 1 0 4 9 4 Toronto 2 2 0 4 12 12 Southeast Division W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 2 1 0 4 13 8 Winnipeg 1 1 1 3 6 8 Carolina 1 2 0 2 8 12 Florida 1 3 0 2 7 12 Washington 0 3 0 0 6 14 —————————————————— Thursday's results Phoenix at San Jose, late Carolina 6, Buffalo 3 Montreal 4, Washington 1 N.Y. Islanders 7, Toronto 4 Ottawa 3, Florida 1 Philadelphia 2, N.Y. Rangers 1 Chicago at Dallas, late Columbus at Colorado, late Los Angeles at Edmonton, late Nashville at St. Louis, late Today's games Carolina at Buffalo, 4 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Boston, 4 p.m. Washington at New Jersey, 4 p.m. Minnesota at Detroit, 4:30 p.m. Ottawa at Tampa Bay, 4:30 p.m. Pittsburgh at Winnipeg, 5 p.m. Vancouver at Anaheim, 7 p.m. Saturday's games Colorado at San Jose, 1 p.m. Chicago at Columbus, 4 p.m. Toronto at N.Y. Rangers, 4 p.m. Philadelphia at Florida, 4:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Phoenix, 5 p.m. St. Louis at Dallas, 5 p.m. Edmonton at Calgary, 7 p.m. Nashville at Anaheim, 7:30 p.m. NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division W L Clippers 32 11 WARRIORS 26 15 Lakers 17 25 KINGS 16 27 Phoenix 14 28 Southwest Division W L San Antonio 34 11 Memphis 27 14 Houston 22 22 Dallas 18 24 New Orleans 14 28 Northwest Division W L Oklahoma City 33 10 Denver 26 18 Utah 23 19 Portland 21 21 Minnesota 17 22 Pct .744 .634 .405 .372 .333 GB — 5 14.5 16 17.5 Pct GB .756 — .659 5 .500 11.5 .429 14.5 .333 18.5 Pct .767 .591 .548 .500 .436 GB — 7.5 9.5 11.5 14 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Pct GB New York 25 14 .641 — Brooklyn 26 16 .619 .5 Boston 20 21 .488 6 Philadelphia 17 25 .405 9.5 Toronto 16 27 .372 11 Southeast Division W L Pct GB Miami 27 12 .692 — Atlanta 24 18 .571 4.5 Orlando 14 28 .333 14.5 Charlotte 10 32 .238 18.5 Washington 9 31 .225 18.5 Central Division W L Pct GB Chicago 25 16 .610 — Indiana 26 17 .605 — Milwaukee 22 18 .550 2.5 Detroit 16 26 .381 9.5 Cleveland 11 32 .256 15 —————————————————— Thursday's results Toronto 97, Orlando 95 L.A. Clippers at Phoenix, late New York at Boston, late Today's games Golden State at Chicago, 5 p.m. Oklahoma City at Sacramento, 7 p.m. Minnesota at Washington, 4 p.m. Boston at Atlanta, 4:30 p.m. Detroit at Miami, 4:30 p.m. Milwaukee at Cleveland, 4:30 p.m. Brooklyn at Memphis, 5 p.m. Houston at New Orleans, 5 p.m. San Antonio at Dallas, 5 p.m. Utah at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m. Saturday's games Golden State at Milwaukee, 5:30 p.m. Sacramento at Denver, 6 p.m. New York at Philadelphia, 4 p.m. Cleveland at Toronto, 4 p.m. Chicago at Washington, 4 p.m. Minnesota at Charlotte, 4:30 p.m. Brooklyn at Houston, 5 p.m. Phoenix at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m. Indiana at Utah, 6:30 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Portland, 7 p.m. NBA LEADERS NHL Pacific Division W L OT Pts GF Ducks 2 0 0 4 12 Dallas 2 1 0 4 6 SHARKS 2 0 0 4 10 Phoenix 1 2 0 2 12 Kings 0 2 0 0 3 Central Division W L OT Pts GF Chicago 3 0 0 6 14 Nashville 1 0 2 4 8 St. Louis 2 1 0 4 12 Columbus 1 1 1 3 7 Detroit 1 2 0 2 5 Northwest Division W L OT Pts GF Minnesota 2 1 0 4 6 Vancouver 1 1 1 3 8 Colorado 1 1 0 2 5 Edmonton 1 1 0 2 6 Calgary 0 2 1 1 7 the season. That was the mindset; that was the goal for me. "But at the same time, it is a team sport, and these are my teammates. You go through so much together, especially these guys who have been here for a chunk of time. If you can't be happy, there's something wrong with you." Smith said he got the starting job at Utah after starter Brett Elliott was injured in 2003 and that it would be hypocritical of him to fume over what happened this season. Smith led the Utes to a win over Cal the following week that season and remained the starter until declaring for the NFL draft. "It's the nature of sports, you know?" Smith said of Kaepernick's rise. "Yeah, he got an opportunity, stepped up and made the most of it. That's the deal." THROUGH JAN. 23 Scoring G FG Durant, OK 43 413 Bryant, LAL 42 432 Anthony, NYK 32 320 James, MIA 39 399 Harden, HOU 43 332 Irving, CLE 32 278 Westbrook, OK 43 339 Curry, GOL 39 283 Aldridge, POR 40 332 Wade, MIA 35 270 FT PTS 363 1274 274 1228 206 933 183 1032 366 1111 138 757 241 978 126 816 162 826 165 719 AVG 29.6 29.2 29.2 26.5 25.8 23.7 22.7 20.9 20.7 20.5 G OFFDEF TOT 39 136 333 469 39 169 283 452 41 134 319 453 39 175 254 429 44 139 345 484 41 154 294 448 40 152 283 435 40 113 319 432 38 135 269 404 41 100 306 406 AVG 12.0 11.6 11.0 11.0 11.0 10.9 10.9 10.8 10.6 9.9 Rebounds Howard, LAL Randolph, MEM Vucevic, ORL Chandler, NYK Asik, HOU Hickson, POR Noah, CHI Lee, GOL Cousins, SAC Boozer, CHI Assists Rondo, BOS Paul, LAC Vasquez, NOR Holiday, PHL Westbrook, OK Williams, Bro Calderon, TOR Parker, SAN Nelson, ORL James, MIA G ASTAVG 36 398 11.1 39 378 9.7 42 387 9.2 38 343 9.0 43 350 8.1 41 319 7.8 42 315 7.5 43 320 7.4 32 231 7.2 39 276 7.1 2013 NBA All-Star Rosters All-Star Game: Feb. 17 at Houston WESTERN CONFERENCE Starters Kobe Bryant, LAL Dwight Howard, LAL Kevin Durant, Okl Blake Griffin, LAC Chris Paul, LAC Reserves LaMarcus Aldridge, Por Tim Duncan, SA James Harden, Hou David Lee, GS Tony Parker, SA Zach Randolph, Mem Russell Westbrook, Okl Head Coach: TBD Trainer: Keith Jones, Houston EASTERN CONFERENCE Starters Carmelo Anthony, NY Kevin Garnett, Bos LeBron James, Mia Rajon Rondo, Bos Dwyane Wade, Mia Reserves Chris Bosh, Mia Tyson Chandler Luol Deng, Chi Paul George, Ind Jrue Holiday, Phi Kyrie Irving, Cle Joakim Noah, Chi Head Coach: TBD Trainer: Max Benton, Cleveland