TOO bad, indeed, that Yuka Saso would bizarrely miss a medal finish in the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Firing a one-under-par 69 for the day’s best round on the final day, Saso, 17, would barge into a playoff for either a silver or bronze. Earlier, Kim Grace of Australia clinched the gold with her closing one-over-par 71.
But Saso fumbled in the playoffs against Alessia Nobilio of Italy and Emma Spitz of Austria.
After Nobilio had secured silver with a birdie right on the first playoff hole, Saso and Spitz were left fighting for the bronze.
But horror of horrors, Saso, the recent gallant golf champion in the Jakarta Asian Games, would miss a six-footer, giving Spitz the bronze outright.
The Saso meltdown was another proof of the game’s cruel nature of inflicting humiliation to the unwary.
Golf isn’t simply an aerial contest but, more importantly, it is on the ground where the real battle begins.
You falter in putting and all the advantages gained on length in the air assault could vanish in a snap.
As the game’s credo goes, drive for show but putt for dough.
But all is not lost for the Philippines as Saso will again try to win a golf gold in the mixed doubles with Carl Jano Corpus starting Sunday (Oct. 14 PHL Time).
Meanwhile, what can we expect from the world welterweight title fight (live on TV5) between Terence “Bud” Crawford and Jose “Merciless” Benavides Jr.?
Both are unbeaten when Crawford (33-0) and Benavides (27-0) climb the ring before noon today (PHL Time) in Omaha, Nebraska, Crawford’s hometown.
In their last fights on June 9 in La Vegas, Crawford stopped Jeff Horn in the ninth round while Benavides knocked out the unbeaten Frank Rojas (21-0) of Venezuela in the first round.
But while Crawford, 31, has knocked out 24 foes to the 26-year-old Benavides’ 18, can the yawning four-inch advantage in height of the 6-foot-2 Benavides be enough to unseat the 5-foot-8 Crawford?
Because they are certified knockout artists, I’d go chase them both to the ends of the earth if their fight will last the distance.
I’m not kidding, fellas.