SPORT IN BRIEF
GOLF: England’s Ian Poulter says he won’t be listening to any “wives’ tales” when he tees off for the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond today.
No player has ever won this event and gone on to take the Open Championship the following week, but Poulter, currently at a career high No16 in the world rankings, says records are there to be broken.
He said: “If I’ve got a chance on Sunday afternoon and I need to make three or four down the last I’ll be trying to make three or four for sure. I don’t believe in all that wives’ tale stuff.”
Immelman’s Open withdrawal
GOLF: Last year’s US Masters champion Trevor Immelman has pulled out of next week’s Open Championship at Turnberry after failing to recover from a wrist injury.
The South African has not played since pulling out of last month’s Memorial Tournament. “My injury has been responding well to treatment,” he said. “But at this point it isn’t far enough along to allow me to be ready for the Open.”
Bell toils for Warwickshire
Bell, released from the squad before the start of yesterday’s first Ashes Test, was put firmly in the shade by team-mate Jonathan Trott.
Trott smashed 20 fours in a 247-ball 166 to drag Warwickshire from 16-3 to 349-9 on day two at Edgbaston.
Raikkonen dismisses German GP
FORMULA ONE: Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen is staying realistic about his chances of success in this weekend’s German Grand Prix, admitting victory is out of the question for his Italian team.
The Maranello-based outfit has managed just one podium finish in eight races so far this season and Raikkonen doesn’t expect that to change at the Nurburgring. “Realistically, our objective this year can not be a win,” the Finn said. “We still have to make up ground compared to the leaders.”