
I Dig Sports
European Tour aims to squash slow play with new four-point plan
Published in
Golf
Monday, 19 August 2019 02:00

The European Tour is about to crack down on slow play.
The tour announced Monday that it plans to implement a four-point plan beginning next season that is designed at improving pace of play through firmer penalties, increased fines, smaller field sizes and new technology.
“We are already at the forefront of pace-of-play management in the professional game, but after being mandated by our tournament committee to be even firmer in dealing with this issue, the time was right to take these additional steps,” said Keith Pelley, chief executive of the European Tour. “I believe the plan we are implementing for the 2020 season will bring about meaningful change that will make golf even more enjoyable for the players and our fans, whether they are at the course in person or watching on television.”
The European Tour had already taken some steps to curtail slow play, including introducing the Shot Clock Masters last year. But as slow play has continued to become a hot-button issue, especially on the PGA Tour, it was clear more needed to be done.
Highlighting the new plan will be stiffer rules and fines. A player will now receive a one-shot penalty once that player receives two bad times. Previously, two bad times would only result in players being monitored and then being allowed two more bad times before a penalty would be assessed.
Also, the time allowed to play a shot when being monitored in position has been reduced by 15 percent, and referees are now mandated to target known slow players for in-position timing.
There will be increased fines for players who are “regularly placed on the clock throughout the season.” For example, a player who is timed 15 times in the 2020 season will have to pay £26,000 instead of £9,000.
Other notable details of the plan include:
• Members will be required to pass an interactive rules test every three years, and new members will be assigned a dedicated referee to help educate them on pace of play at the start of their European Tour careers.
• A new pace-of-play system will be tested at the Sept. 19-20 BMW PGA at Wentworth, providing referees with the times for every group through every hole to make sure that no gaps are missed. Also, on-tee displays on a minimum of three holes will provide groups with their position in relation to the group ahead.
• Field sizes at fully sanctioned events will be reduced from 156 to a minimum of 144, provided that all Category 18 members (Nos. 111-125 on the previous season’s Race To Dubai list) are able to compete.
• Larger intervals between starting times will be implemented on the weekend.
“There is no doubt that pace of play is a hot topic in golf and as players we were keen to explore ways to address these issues in various areas,” said five-time European Tour winner David Howell, the tournament committee’s chairman. “We have had some very interesting and robust debates in the process of agreeing the new initiatives. But with a combination of education, deterrents, technology and modifications to the fields, we believe we have arrived at a set of fair and proportional measures to improve the experience for everyone involved in the game.”
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Curry to sponsor creation of golf programs at Howard University
Published in
Golf
Monday, 19 August 2019 01:49

Men's and women's golf is coming to Howard University – and with the help of a golf-obsessed NBA superstar.
The Washington Post reported Monday that Golden State Warriors guard and avid golfer Stephen Curry is making a seven-figure donation to the Washington, D.C.-based university so that it can add a pair of Division-I golf programs to its athletics lineup.
“I was blessed at a young age that we could afford to play,” Curry told the paper. “I just think about how many kids, especially from underserved communities, have the talent to play but just don’t have the funds or the resources.”
Curry was partly inspired by Otis Ferguson, a senior at Howard who turned down an offer to play collegiate golf in order to attend the school, which is among more than 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the country (only 30 of them have golf programs). Ferguson, who helped form a golf club at Howard, had sent Curry several emails about the progress of the nearly-40-person group and how he had talked to the university president about possibly adding an official team.
After the NBA season ended, Curry got with Howard officials and worked out a sponsorship plan. The donation is reportedly set to be paid out over six years so that Howard, which hasn't had a golf team since the 1970s and never a D-I program in its 152-year history, can have to time to become self-sustainable.
The school projects it will take about a year to hire coaches, recruit players and find a place to play and practice. Players on both teams will be expected to volunteer with Eat. Learn. Play., Curry's foundation that encourages healthy development in children.
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A day after the U.S. finalized its 10-man squad for the Walker Cup, the Great Britain and Ireland side announced its roster for the Sept. 7-8 matches at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England.
England's Conor Gough, just 16 years old and the No. 2-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, highlights the selections. Gough will turn 17 two days before the start of the biennial match-play event, making him the second youngest player to ever play a Walker Cup. (Oliver Fisher was 16 years and 11 months old when he teed it up at Chicago Golf Club in 2005.)
Gough, who won the English Amateur earlier this month, is joined on captain Craig Watson's team by fellow Englishmen Thomas Plumb (age 20, No. 76 in WAGR), Tom Sloman (22, No. 35), Harry Hall (21, No. 76) and Alex Fitzpatrick (20, No. 41). Hall recently graduated from UNLV while Fitzpatrick, a rising junior at Wake Forest, is the younger brother of former Walker Cupper Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Three Irish players have also made the squad: Conor Purcell (21, No. 16), Caolan Rafferty (26, No. 23) and The Amateur champion James Sugrue (22, No. 62). The team is rounded out by Scots Euan Walker (24, No. 14) and Sandy Scott (20, No. 51). Walker played college golf at Missouri while Scott is a rising senior at Texas Tech.
Among the notable omissions were Englishmen Ben Schmidt and Joe Pagdin, who are ranked eighth and 30th in the WAGR, respectively.
The U.S. won the last Walker Cup two years ago at Los Angeles Country Club and holds a 36-9-1 all-time advantage, though GB&I has won five of the past six Cups on home soil.
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This week in golf (Aug. 19-25): TV schedule, tee times, info
Published in
Golf
Monday, 19 August 2019 07:22

Here's a look at what's happening in professional golf this week, and how you can watch it:
PGA Tour
Tour Championship
Thursday-Sunday, East Lake GC, Atlanta
Course specs: Par 70, 7,346 yards
Purse: $46 million
Defending champion: Tiger Woods
Notables in the field: Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Cantlay, Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm
Tee times: TBD
TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 1-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday, 1-2:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) and 2:30-7 p.m. ET (NBC); Sunday, Noon-1:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) and 1:30-6 p.m. ET (NBC)
PGA Tour Live: Thursday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET; Saturday, 12:15 p.m.-7 p.m. ET; Sunday, 11:15 a.m.-6 p.m. ET
Korn Ferry Tour
Albertsons Boise Open
Thursday-Sunday, Hillcrest CC, Boise, Idaho
Course specs: Par 71, 6,880 yards
Purse: $1 million
Defending champion: Sangmoon Bae
Notables in the field: Beau Hossler, Viktor Hovland, Justin Harding, Doug Ghim, Harris English
Tee times: TBD
TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 6-8 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday, 5:30-7:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Sunday, 4:30-6:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
LPGA
CP Women's Open
Thursday-Sunday, Magna GC, Aurora, Colo.
Course specs: Par 72, 6,709 yards
Purse: $2.25 million
Defending champion: Brooke Henderson
Notables in the field: Brooke Henderson, Ariya Jutanugarn, Jin Young Ko, Lexi Thompson, Suzann Pettersen
Tee times: TBD
TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday, 2:30-5:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Sunday, 1:30-4:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
European Tour
Scandinavian Invitation
Thursday-Sunday, Hills G&SC, Gothenburg, Sweden
Course specs: Par 70, 6,865 yards
Purse: $1.66 million
Defending champion: Paul Waring
Notables in the field: Matthew Fitzpatrick, Luis Gagne, Min Woo Lee, Alex Noren, Henrik Stenson
Tee times: TBD
TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 5-7 a.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 7-11:30 a.m. ET (Golf Channel)
PGA Tour Champions
Boeing Classic
Friday-Sunday, The Club at Snoqualmie (Wash.) Ridge
Course specs: Par 72, 7,217 yards
Purse: $2.1 million
Defending champion: Scott Parel
Notables in the field: Bernhard Langer, Darren Clarke, John Daly, Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh
Tee times: TBD
TV schedule: Friday, 8-10 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday, 7:30-9:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Sunday, 6:30-8:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
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Tour Championship odds: Thomas favorite to take FedExCup title
Published in
Golf
Monday, 19 August 2019 07:47

Justin Thomas ended Sunday atop the FedExCup standings and as a result begins Tour Championship week as the betting favorite.
According to Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, the 2017 FedExCup champ is listed at 9/4, ahead of Patrick Cantlay (9/2) and Brooks Koepka (9/2).
Here are the full odds for the entire 30-player field at East Lake:
9/4: Justin Thomas
9/2: Patrick Cantlay, Brooks Koepka
8/1: Rory McIlroy
16/1: Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed
25/1: Xander Schauffele, Webb Simpson, Dustin Johnson
40/1: Matt Kuchar, Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Tony Finau, Justin Rose
60/1: Rickie Fowler
80/1: Gary Woodland, Paul Casey, Abraham Ancer
100/1: Tommy Fleetwood
125/1: Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Kisner
200/1: Marc Leishman, Louis Oosthuizen, Bryson DeChambeau
250/1: Sungjae Im, Chez Reavie
300/1: Lucas Glover, Charles Howell III, Jason Kokrak, Corey Conners
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Ruben Neves' stunning strike from outside the penalty area earned Wolves a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in an end-to-end match at Molineux on Monday night.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer handed summer arrival Daniel James, who scored against Chelsea in their opener, his first Premier League start, while Andreas Pereira was dropped to the bench.
United, who recorded two losses and a draw in all competitions against Wolves last season, took the lead before the half-hour when Anthony Martial buried a shot into the roof of the net following some nice build-up play.
The goal was Martial's 50th since joining Man United in the summer of 2015 -- the most by any player over that spell -- and it gave his team a a 1-0 lead at the break.
Wolves came out of the dressing room squarely on the front foot and got a deserved equaliser 10 minutes in when Neves curled in a beauty past David De Gea following a corner kick and the goal standing up after a quick video review for offside.
Paul Pogba drew a penalty in the 67th minute, but the Frenchman's powerful spot kick was saved by Wolves keeper Rui Patricio, who guessed the right way and kept the ball out of the net to preserve the 1-1 draw.
The game was wide open in the final 20 minutes with both sides looking equally likely to score, but no goals came for either Wolves or United and the two teams settled for a point apiece to wrap up matchday two in the Premier League.
The result maintains Wolves 13-game home unbeaten streak in all competitions and puts their record against Man United at two wins and two draws over the last two seasons.
Next up for United is a home match against Crystal Palace on Saturday, while Wolves begin their Europa League campaign against Torino on Thursday before hosting Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday.
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MEXICO CITY -- Estadio Azteca owners are set to take legal action against vendors who were caught watering down beers at the famous stadium by filling part of the cup with liquid from the ice-filled bath the beers are stored in.
A video purporting to show a beer seller employing the practice during Club America's 1-0 victory over Morelia last Saturday went viral in Mexico, where it is normal for vendors to wander around the stands during the game to sell food and beer.
El #EstadioAzteca no acepta prácticas que afecten a la afición. Circula un video que exhibe a vendedores alterando producto. Ya se retiró a los implicados permanentemente de las instalaciones. Estamos ejerciendo acciones legales. No permitiremos estas conductas.
— Estadio Azteca (@EstadioAzteca) August 18, 2019
"Estadio Azteca doesn't accept practices that affect fans," read a statement on the stadium's social media accounts. "A video is circling that shows vendors altering the product. Those implicated have been removed from the premises. We are starting legal action. We won't allow that behavior."
This isn't the first time the issue of diluted beer has made headlines in Mexico during the 2019 Apertura season.
A video taken during a Santos Laguna game in late July appeared to show beer sellers emptying out leftover beer into what appeared to be a dirty bucket on the floor and then re-serving it to customers.
Service provider Eurest Proper Meals launched an investigation into the ongoings and those involved were removed from their positions. The Coahuila state health department also conducted an inspection of the facilities.
"Our permanent commitment is to employ the best practices on our facilities," read a Santos Laguna statement in relation to the video.
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Ousmane Dembele has been ruled out for five weeks with a hamstring strain to leave Barcelona short of forwards ahead of Sunday's game against Real Betis.
Dembele, 22, underwent tests at the club's training ground on Monday after ending Friday's loss to Athletic Bilbao with a slight problem.
The injury to Frenchman comes at an unfortunate time for Barca, who are already without Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Messi hasn't featured for the club since the end of last season after injuring his calf in his first training session back after a summer break earlier this month.
Suarez, meanwhile, was taking off during the first half of the 1-0 loss at San Mames last week, also with a calf problem.
The Uruguayan is not expected back until after September's international break, although coach Ernesto Valverde could potentially have Messi available for the Betis game this weekend.
Messi has not yet returned to full training with his teammates but has been doing recovery work at the training ground for the last week. Valverde opted not to risk him against Athletic.
Antoine Griezmann, therefore, is currently the only fit first-team forward. Rafinha can also play in a more advanced position, as have the likes of Sergi Roberto and Carles Alena in the past, while B team winger Carles Perez has also been training with the first team all summer.
Philippe Coutinho, though, has just completed a move to Bayern Munich and Malcom was sold to Zenit Saint Petersburg.
It leaves Valverde short in attack for the visit of Betis, a game which has grown in importance following a surprise opening day defeat in the Basque Country.
Dembele, a €120 million signing from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, has been plagued by injuries since moving to Camp Nou. He missed the majority of his first campaign at the club with muscle injuries and parts of last season with an ankle injury and a hamstring problem.
His latest in a number of fitness setbacks, coupled with Suarez and Messi both being 32, shows why the Spanish champions are so keen to bring Neymar back to the club.
Sources told ESPN FC on Monday that the club are preparing to make another offer to re-sign the Brazilian this week, firstly on loan with an option to make the move permanent this summer.
Coutinho's move to Bayern -- the ex-Liverpool man was offered in a part-exchange deal last week -- has made it difficult for Barca to sign Neymar outright before the transfer window closes.
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Paris Saint-Germain are set to reject an expected loan offer from Barcelona for wantaway striker Neymar, according to ESPN FC sources.
Earlier on Monday, ESPN FC sources in Barcelona said that the Catalans were set to make a loan offer for Neymar with an option to buy next summer, but it appears that proposal would be dead on arrival in Paris.
The Parisians expect the loan offer to land on Tuesday or Wednesday, but that option does not suit the Ligue 1 holders, according to sources.
PSG's Qatari owners have been disappointed by the attitude of Neymar this summer and are ready to let him leave, but only if they can recoup as much of the €222 million they spent to bring him to Paris in the summer of 2017.
There is also the belief in Paris that Barcelona will not be able to pay the transfer fee in one lump sum next summer should they make the move permanent and would ask to pay in annual installments, which is not ideal for the French club.
PSG sporting director Leonardo is trying to get as much money in cash as possible for Neymar, hoping to recoup at least €200m. The situation is further complicated by Philippe Coutinho's loan move to Bayern Munich, making a potential deal for Neymar harder to pull off as PSG had hoped the Barcelona midfielder could be a makeweight in some kind of cash-plus-players deal.
Neymar still wants to leave the Parc des Princes this summer and his preference is to go back to Barcelona where he played between 2013 and 2017.
Sources say the Brazilian superstar is trying to stay positive but he knows that a deal to see him returning to the Camp Nou is getting more and more difficult.
Neymar, who continues to train on his own away from the first team, has not played in either of PSG's two opening Ligue 1 matches so far this season, with Leonardo saying that he will not be involved until his situation is resolved.
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WOLVERHAMPTON, England -- Paul Pogba had a penalty kick saved as Manchester United missed the chance to go top of the Premier League after a 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night.
Pogba's spot kick was kept out by Rui Patricio after Ruben Neves' stunning 20-yard strike had cancelled out Anthony Martial's opener. It meant that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team had to settle for a point and missed the chance to go top of the Premier League table for the first time since September 2017 -- 695 days ago.
Martial's second goal of the season gave United a deserved lead at half-time before Neves beat David De Gea with a curling effort that kissed the underside of the crossbar as it went in. The goal was given by referee Jon Moss, but only after a protracted video review. United recovered from a shaky start to the second half to end the game on top, but Pogba's miss denied them a first win at Molineux since 2012.
Positives
It was a risk for Solskjaer to sell Romelu Lukaku without signing a replacement but, so far, Martial has justified his manager's faith as United's No. 9. He should have done more with a chance at the back post from Marcus Rashford's cross, but there was nothing wrong with his movement and finish for the opening goal. That's two in two after scoring against Chelsea, and his 50th for the club in little more than four years at Old Trafford. He should be aiming to add at least 20 to that total this season.
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Negatives
After a controlled first half, United didn't start well after the break. Solskjaer was out on the touchline early in the second half trying to lift his players, but it didn't work and Neves scored soon afterwards. It is difficult for any team to stay on top for 90 minutes, but United cannot afford to go through periods of the game where they switch off. Chelsea didn't manage to punish them, but they weren't that fortunate against Wolves.
Manager rating out of 10
5 -- You have to wonder why Solskjaer has not chosen a designated penalty taker. Rashford scored from the spot against Chelsea after a conversation with Pogba, but here Pogba won the debate and his kick was saved. It was the fourth time the Frenchman has missed a penalty from 11 attempts since the start of last season.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK David De Gea, 6 -- Lucky that Raul Jimenez's header didn't end up in the net after hitting him on the way back off the post. Could do nothing about Neves' equaliser.
DF Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 7 -- It's incredible how many times he wins the ball back in situations where he should get nowhere near it. His Spiderman nickname is well deserved.
DF Luke Shaw, 6 -- Played his part in the opening goal with a long burst forward from left-back. Different game for him when Adama Traore came on at half-time.
DF Victor Lindelof, 6 -- Nearly got himself into trouble with a sliced clearance that ballooned into the air on the edge of the box.
DF Harry Maguire, 7 -- Missed a challenge on Jimenez in the first half but won almost everything in the air. Defended well.
MF Scott McTominay, 6 -- Neves and Joao Moutinho dominated the games against United last season, but McTominay did enough to make sure they didn't have it their own way here.
MF Paul Pogba, 6 -- Great run forward from midfield to win the penalty but saw his kick saved by Patricio after taking the ball off Rashford.
MF Jesse Lingard, 6 -- Looks far more effective playing centrally than he does out wide. Puts in a lot of work off the ball that is key to the way Solskjaer wants to play.
FW Daniel James, 6 -- Making his first competitive start for United. Worked hard but didn't get much joy forward. Booked for diving.
FW Marcus Rashford, 7 -- Wonderful skill on the left to create the first chance of the night for Martial. Beautifully weighted pass for the first goal.
FW Anthony Martial, 7 -- Should have done better with an early chance from Rashford's cross but made up for it with a finish punched into the top corner with his left foot.
Substitutes
MF Juan Mata, N/R -- Replaced Lingard with nine minutes remaining.
MF Andreas Pereira, N/R -- Came on for the final minute plus stoppage time in place of Rashford.
FW Mason Greenwood, N/R -- The second of a double substitution in the 89th minute, taking James' place.
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