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, he made a birdie putt from just over 1
TOKYO -- The calculations are simple for Sebastien Vettel as he chases victory in the Japanese Grand Prix to secure a fourth straight Formula One championship. Demarcus Walker Jersey . If Vettel wins at Suzuka on Sunday, and his nearest rival Fernando Alonso finishes worse than eighth, the German driver will join his compatriot Michael Schumacher and Argentine Juan-Manuel Fangio as the only men to win four consecutive titles. And if he does it in Japan, where he has won three of the last four GP races, hell be the youngest in the exclusive list to achieve four straight titles. He has won the last four GPs, and his latest victory at the Korean Grand Prix on Sunday stretched his lead over Alonso to 77 points with five races left, and he rates Japan among his favourite GP events. Despite the odds seemingly stacked in his favour, Vettel remains cautious. "No win is inevitable," Vettel said. "Sure, theres some sort of expectation as things went so well in the immediate past -- and also because I like Suzuka a lot -- but I would find it inappropriate to sort of bank on winning." Ferrari driver Alonso, who won in Japan in 2006 and 2008, wasnt about to give up after finishing sixth in Korea, but was realistic about his chances. "Vettel is a very long way off in terms of points, but above all in performance terms, and we cannot expect miracles between now and the end of the championship," Alonso said. "Second place in the constructors championship is probably a more realistic target, but one thing is certain, we are not giving up now and we will give it our best shot right to the very end." Vettels dominant run has some critics complaining of a lack of drama in F1. The German driver was booed when interviewed on the podium after winning the Singapore Grand Prix and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was recently quoted in the British media as saying the sport has become too predictable with Vettels dominance. Hamilton later backtracked, and praised Vettel as a true champion. But the point was not without some truth. Whether it comes in Japan or in one of the four races after Suzuka, another Vettel title is destined to rekindle comparisons with legendary figures like Schumacher and Fangio. Fangio, who competed in just seven full seasons, won a total of five titles and four straight from 1954. Schumacher won five straight titles from 2000-2004. His fourth successive title during that run came in 2003 when he was 34. And by the time he retired at 43, hed won seven championships and was described as "statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen." Suzuka has always been popular among Japanese fans, who got a thrill last year when Kamui Kobayashi became the first Japanese driver to finish on the podium in 22 years. Kobayashi is no longer in F1 and the only chance for some local participation would be from Kimiya Sato, who will be Saubers reserve driver for the race. Sato, no relation to former Jordan and Honda driver Takuma Sato, tested for the Swiss squad at the young driver test at Silverstone earlier this year. He finished third in last years German F3 championship and is currently second the 2013 Auto GP standings. Brandon McManus Jersey . Next up is another showdown with Michigan. Payne scored 18 points, Branden Dawson had 14 and No. 22 Michigan State beat No. 12 Wisconsin 83-75 on Saturday to reach the Big Ten tournament championship. Brian Dawkins Jersey . Fans can also watch the game on the newly launched TSN GO (currently available to Bell TV and Rogers customers), which gives TSN subscribers the freedom to live stream the networks programming from their smartphones, tablets, and computers at no additional charge – just as they would watch Canadas Sports Leader on TV at home. The following week, MLS ON TSN is at BMO Field in Toronto to deliver live coverage of TFCs home opener vs. D.C. United on Saturday, March 22 at 4:30 p. NORTON, Mass. -- Chris Kirk made three big putts and captured the biggest win of his career Monday in the Deutsche Bank Championship. Whether that was enough for U.S. captain Tom Watson to add him to the Ryder Cup team was the least of his concerns. Kirk won for the second time this season. He went the last 37 holes at the TPC Boston without a bogey. He played the final two rounds with Rory McIlroy and outplayed the No. 1 player in the world. And he closed with a 5-under 66 for a two-shot victory in a FedEx Cup playoff event. Was it enough to convince Watson that he was worthy of a captains pick? "I certainly dont feel entitled, or feel like Im a shoe-in to get a pick," Kirk said. "Ive obviously really put myself into consideration, and its something that I would love to do. But like Ive said before, the nine guys that made it are automatic. Those are the guys on the team. The other three? If you get in, its a bonus." Then he looked at the blue trophy next to him and considered what he had just achieved. "Winning the Deutsche Bank and going to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup, and $1.4 million, thats plenty for me for one day," he said with a smile. Watson announces his selections Tuesday evening in New York. Ten shots behind after the opening round, Kirk was so disgusted that he skipped his usual practice session. He was flawless the rest of the week, particularly on Monday in another wild Labor Day finish at the TPC Boston. Kirk made three big putts on the back nine -- two of them for birdie -- but what pleased him the most was his 15-foot putt for par on the 15th hole that kept him in the lead. Billy Horschel had a chance to at least force a playoff -- and possibly win -- when he stood in the fairway on the par-5 18th hole with a 6-iron in his hand. Horschel chunked the shot so badly that it barely reached the hazard, and he made bogey for a 69. "The worst swing Ive made all week," Horschel said. Horschel tied for second with 54-hole leader Russell Henley (70) and Geoff Ogilvy, who extended his unlikely run through these FedEx Cup playoffs. Ogilvy was the last of the 100 qualifiers for the Deutsche Bank Championship. He went 65-65 on the weekend without a bogey. The top 70 in the FedEx Cup advance to the BMW Championship in Denver later this week. Ogilvy went from No. 100 to No. 24,, and now stands a reasonable chance of getting to the Tour Championship for the top 30. Will Parks Jersey. Kirk won for the third time in his career, though never against a field this strong, and never with this much riding on it. He was No. 14 in the Ryder Cup standings, five spots away from being an automatic qualifier. This victory could go a long way toward Watson using one of his three selections on the 29-year-old from Georgia. Last week, Hunter Mahan bolstered his Ryder Cup case by winning The Barclays. Kirk was trying not to think about that, saying he already had plans to be at the Georgia-Tennessee game the weekend (Sept. 26-28) of the Ryder Cup. But he would gladly break those plans for a trip to Scotland for golfs version of the Super Bowl. "I would absolutely love to do it, but Im not going to really base how happy I am with how Im playing, or how my year has gone, on whether I make the team or not," Kirk said. McIlroy, who started the final round only two shots behind on a course where he won two years ago, fell back with successive bogeys on the front nine, bounced back with a pair of birdies, and then fell out of the mix by missing two short par putts early on the back nine. He closed with a 70 and tied for fifth with John Senden (66). Kirk took the outright lead for the first time with a 25-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole. And right when it looked as if he was struggling with his swing, he saved par from a bunker with a 15-foot putt on the 15th. On the next hole, he made a birdie putt from just over 12 feet that gave him a two-shot lead. Kirk, who finished at 15-under 269, failed to make birdie on a par 5 in the final round. He made a weak attempt on his 8-foot birdie try on the 18th. That left it to Horschel, in prime position for at least a birdie. "When Chris missed his birdie, I thought I was going to hit it on the green. I thought I was going to make the putt and make the eagle and win it outright," Horschel said. "But it just wasnt my day, I guess, to hit that bad of a shot." A small consolation for Horschel was going from No. 82 in the FedEx Cup to No. 20, all but assuring a spot in the Tour Championship. Six players moved into the top 70, though none was more surprising than Ogilvy. He became the first player in four years to go from No. 100 to the third playoff event. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Nike Baseball Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys China Wholesale NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys Authentic Cheap NHL Jerseys Canada Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China NCAA Jerseys Cheap Nike NHL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap Football Jerseys Store Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Jerseys NCAA China Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys ' ' '
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Activity: May 25 '20
