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Just turn the calendar three times; then it’s World Table Tennis Day 2020!
In order to ease organisation for event planners, already we have sent out three newsletters.
The first summarised the last five editions, announced the new topic of the sixth edition and distributed the WTTD 2019 report as well as the WTTD Toolkit in nine languages. The second newsletter shared different tips to raise the awareness of climate change through table tennis and showed two past WTTD events that have given a very good example.
Our most recent published newsletter revealed how it is possible to have an impact on the ecological environment in the communities by engaging volunteers for your event and how to acquire sponsors.
Further information:
Newsletter
Subscribe to our newsletter, if you would like to stay up to date and receive more useful tips to make your WTTD 2020 event successful. We have also uploaded the Newsletters from 2019 as well as created the webpage “Get inspired” to help you in any possible way to use table tennis for development and peace.
Registered events
So far, we have 17 registered events in 14 countries covering all continents:
- Africa: South Africa
- Asia: Bhutan, India, Malaysia, Singapore
- Europe: Latvia, Malta, Portugal
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela
- North America: Canada
- Oceania: Federated States of Micronesia
Support is highly appreciated we hope you will help break last year’s record of 922 events in 107 countries!
Spread the word
To reach the countries that have already participated and even more, we are working closer with the Continental Development Managers of ITTF High Performance and Development .
However, we need you as well! So, what are you waiting for? Help us spreading the word and organise your own WTTD 2020 event!
Translation
Last but not least, because of our friends from Latvia and Ethiopia, we were able to expand our promotional package from nine up to 11 languages, which includes the WTTD logo in different formats usable for your own printing products, e.g. t-shirts, stickers, banners, etc. It means, it is now available in Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Latvian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
Let us help to individualise your event as well! So do not hesitate to send us the translation of your language of:
- World Table Tennis Day
- April 6
- Popular
- Universal
- Inclusive
We are looking forward to welcoming you in the ITTF Foundation family and as an organiser of a World Table Tennis Day 2020 event.
World Table Tennis Day 2020: Register your event
E-mail for translation service: [email protected]
Celebrating & Sharing our passion for table tennis via #WorldTableTennisDay!
Table Tennis for Everyone, Everywhere!
Yingsha’s decade: Sun to keep rising to new heights?
At 19 years old, Sun Yingsha is now named at no.2 on the World rankings; none who can claim she hasn’t earned her way to the top. Ranked 80 places down in January 2017, the past two years have seen nothing short of immaculate table tennis from this smiling assassin.
A predicted ‘Sun-rise’
At the 2017 China Open, Sun lost to then world no. 1 Ding Ning in the final – it was her first defeat in 12 matches across ITTF World Tour tournaments. She had previously conquered the likes of Liu Shiwen, Chen Meng and Feng Tianwei. This was when the attention of the sport’s top media and coaches shifted to see the first chink her armour – having already claimed the Japan Open in 2017.
“A rising star”, a “genius” and the “next big thing” are all names that have followed her. However, it comes as no surprise that Sun has found herself working harder every year, knowing deep in her heart that rising stars do not eventually shine the brightest.
“I used to be easily satisfied when I played in the past, especially matches between Chinese players. Now I am not. I am not allowing myself to lose to anyone. When I play against foreign players, I have to win.” Sun Yingsha
Sun has found herself to be maturing with every match she plays, no matter whether she emerges victorious or falls short. In her manner of play, there is no chance she does not take away something to consider from each point at the table.
It is the exact reason why Sun has become a more steely and mentally tough opponent. Her seniors provide her with invaluable pointers, even when she is playing against them for the gold.
“When I have a good state of mind, it reflects on how I play. A bad state of mind also influences my play. So my coach and I will communicate.” Sun Yingsha
For the youngest athletes, it will always be important to have goals – and concrete ones at that; when you are a Chinese teenager, there is no target not out of your ambition’s reach. Going for the World Championships becomes second nature and every Grand Slam is podium or bust. Sun, to her credit, has never her eye off the ball and always aims for the top honoujrs – no matter who she’s facing.
This has become evident every time she has shouldered responsibility for Team China. Her composure and resilience have allowed her over the years to beat what were considered “stronger” opponents.
No “Sun-set” in sight
On August 1st 2017, Sun Yingsha made her way into the top 10 rankings for the first time. This, however, was not to last as she found herself in erratic form that did not allow her to hold on to that position for very long.
It was only in July 2019 when she became world no. 11, when her form as a qualifier-turned-champion was quickly becoming a running trend. Her victories at Japan, Australia and Germany were back to back signs that her singles’ journey was on the way up, as was her ranking. This, coupled with her ITTF-ATTU Asian Championship and Team World Cup wins, saw her climb the ranks as the Chinese team’s most reliable members.
Within the time period of six months, Sun has climbed nine spots and made the world no.2 ranking her very own. This, is by no means an easy feat – as her 2019 made her critics understand that this teenager from China means business. Her compact style of play, over the table and near the net both being assets on the attack, enabled Sun to keep breaking and making records last year with remarkable consistency. Her speed of thought matched by quick feet and outstanding positional sense, made her an adversary no one wanted.
Yet, there is no sign of an inflamed ego from the adolescent. Sun has never been shy to call a spade a spade, and she’s open about even the slightest amount of effort lacking on her part. When asked to rate herself out of 100 at the China National Championships, she was as blunt as possible:
“95. I cannot give myself 100. I hope I can still make progress and fight to reach my goals. I am satisfied with my performance here. I won all of my matches except in the mixed doubles first round.” Sun Yingsha
In those words she made another statement for the word to understand – the Sun is on the rise, and there are no signs of an impending Sun-set.
Scottish Rugby chief executive Dodson doubles earnings to £933,000
Scottish Rugby's chief executive Mark Dodson has more than doubled his earnings for the year up to 31 May 2019 compared to the previous 12 months.
The group's accounts showed their "highest paid director" had received £933,000 in salary and benefits.
That's an increase of £478,000.
Scotland did not qualify from their World Cup group in Japan, while the SRU were fined £70,000 for Dodson's criticism over a potential cancellation of their tie with the hosts.
They were also ordered to apologise after an independent disputes committee said he had "brought the game into disrepute".
Increases have been widespread across the board, with the total paid to all company directors jumping from £1.13m to £2.246m.
The other executives on the Scottish Rugby board are chief operating officer Dominic McKay, finance director Andrew Healey and general counsel Robert Howat.
A statement from the national governing body said payments "reflect the individuals' contribution to its Long Term Incentive Plan to deliver on the organisation's strategic initiatives and targets".
The accounts come following a disappointing year for Scotland's national team on the field, with Gregor Townsend's side failing to make it out of the pool stage of the World Cup for only the second time in the competition's history.
They will also be hoping for an improved performance in the 2020 Six Nations, having finished fifth last year, with just one victory.
Turnover for the year was £61m, up from £57.2m, but profit before tax dropped to £308,000 from £1.8m.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – JR Motorsports has confirmed Dale Earnhardt Jr. will compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 21.
The 43-year-old Earnhardt, who stepped away from full-time NASCAR competition at the end of the 2017 season, will drive the No. 8 Chevrolet sponsored by Hellmann’s.
Earnhardt has made one start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series each of the last two seasons. In 2018 he competed at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, leading a race-high 96 laps before fading to fourth at the checkered flag. Last year he raced at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, finishing fifth.
In addition, JR Motorsports also confirmed that Unilever, the parent company of Hellmann’s, has extended its sponsorship agreement with the team. Unilever brands will also appear on the No. 7 Chevrolet driven by Justin Allgaier in five races throughout the NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
This is the 12th-straight season Unilever brands have sponsored JR Motorsports.
“In our sport, partnerships are everything,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, JR Motorsports general manager. “We don’t throw the words ‘cornerstone partner’ around a lot, but when we do, Unilever exemplifies its meaning.”
TULSA, Okla. – Kyle Larson, the 2019 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals runner-up, tops the list of notable names for Tuesday’s Warren CAT Qualifying Night at Tulsa Expo Raceway.
Larson, who has won all but one of his eight starts since launching his own midget program, will pilot the No. 01 Lucas Oil/iRacing-sponsored King/Toyota as he chases his first Golden Driller following a heartbreaking loss to Christopher Bell last year.
The Elk Grove, Calif., native and NASCAR Cup Series star is competing at the Chili Bowl against Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports for the first time in many years, hoping to end his former team’s five-year winning streak in the crown jewel event.
Among the KKM contingent trying to stop Larson in Tuesday’s preliminary will be 17-year-old Zeb Wise, who moved over from Clauson-Marshall Racing to KKM during the winter.
Wise will wheel the No. 71 IWX Bullet/Toyota in his second Chili Bowl appearance, joined by teammate Presley Truedson, driving the No. 71x Prairie Home Doodles Bullet/Toyota in her third Chili Bowl attempt and first for the Keith Kunz-led organization.
Another NASCAR Cup Series star, Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman, will also be racing on Tuesday night. Bowman will pilot his own No. 55X Stewart/SR-11 entry as a teammate to C.J. Leary, who will race later in the week.
Additional notables on Tuesday’s roster include Tanner Carrick, this year in a Toyota-powered Petry Motorsports entry; World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series race director Mike Hess, driving for Jim Neuman; and NBC and MRN broadcast personality Dillon Welch, who will attempt the Chili Bowl for Tucker-Boat Motorsports this year.
The top-two finishers from the 25-lap preliminary A-main will be locked into the finale and will also participate in the pole dash that will set the first five rows of the starting grid.
In addition to the regular racing program, Tuesday is also the traditional race day for the Vacuworx Invitational Race of Champions, a 25-lap all-star event which this year features past Chili Bowl podium finishers, the Chili Bowl preliminary night winners from 2019 and premier sprint car and midget series champions from the preceding year, among others.
Tanner Thorson is the reigning VIROC winner, while Sammy Swindell has won the VIROC more times than any other driver, with four victories in the event.
Warren CAT Qualifying Night Entry List – Jan. 14, 2020
Car No. – Driver – Hometown
0G – Gunner Ramey – Sedalia, Mo.
00 – Rob Yetman – Castleton, N.Y.
01 – Kyle Larson – Elk Grove, Calif.
1J – James Reed – Oklahoma City, Okla.
1K – Brayton Lynch – Springfield, Ill.
2A – Matt Linder – Braselton, Ga.
2BX – Brett Becker – Odessa, Texas
2W – Wyatt Burks – Topeka, Kan.
5B – Bobby Brewer – Cabot, Ark.
5H – TBA – TBA
5J – Jeff Crook – Garden City, Kan.
07W – Mitchel Moles – Fresno, Calif.
7K – Kaylee Bryson – Muskogee, Okla.
7U – Kyle Jones – Kennedale, Texas
7W – Brendon Wiseley – Sand Springs, Okla.
08 – Michael Faccinto – Hanford, Calif.
8J – Jonathan Beason – Broken Arrow, Okla.
8X – Austin Shores – Atoka, Okla.
9JR – Derek Hagar – Marion, Ark.
9U – Doug McCune – Ft. Worth, Texas
11C – Michael Woodruf – Santanta, Kan.
11K – Gage Rucker – St. Louis, Mo.
11S – T.J. Smith – Fresno, Calif.
11T – Larry Petersen – Wahiawa, Hawaii
14F – Cameron Hagin – Broken Arrow, Okla.
14R – Jake Nail – Muskogee, Okla.
15W – Jeff Wimmenauer – Greenwood, Ind.
17A – Austin Brown – Belleville, Ill.
17C – Jeremy Webb – Canterbury, New Zealand
17F – Devin Camfield – Decatur, Ill.
17L – Rocky Silva – Kapolei, Hawaii
19A – Hunter Schuerenberg – Sikeston, Mo.
20H – Noah Harris – Broken Arrow, Okla.
21F – Austin Langenstein – Scranton, Pa.
21H – Ty Hulsey – Owasso, Okla.
21M – Michelle Parson – Abilene, Texas
22L – Lucas Scherb – Decatur, Texas
23P – Brad Wyatt – Kearney, Mo.
23X – Travis Scott – Washington, Okla.
26 – George Willard Jr. – Willoughby, Ohio
27B – Jake Bubak – Arvada, Colo.
28Q – Sean Quinn – Clovis, Calif.
29 – Tyler Thompson – Fulton, N.Y.
31K – Kyle Beilman – Los Angeles, Calif.
35C – Tanner Carrick – Lincoln, Calif.
42 – Hank Davis – Sand Springs, Okla.
44S – Brandon Akau – Waianae, Hawaii
45H – Anthony Pope – Winchester, Ore.
45K – Kyle Hammer – Clinton, Ill.
46 – Kenney Johnson – Bethany, Conn.
47 – Alex Bright – Collegeville, Pa.
47M – Frankie Guerrini – San Rafael, Calif.
51H – Mike Hess – Riverton, Ill.
55D – Nick Drake – Indian Trail, N.C.
55X – Alex Bowman – Mt. Ulla, N.C.
71 – Zeb Wise – Angola, Ind.
71G – Damion Gardner – Concord, Calif.
71X – Presley Truedson – Kennedy, Minn.
73G – Avery Goodman – Broken Arrow, Okla.
73X – Tyler Edwards – Salina, Okla.
74M – Adam Pierson – East Corinth, Vt.
75 – Bryan Stanfill – Bakersfield, Calif.
81X – Dillon Welch – Carmel, Ind.
84M – Alex DeCamp – Locust Grove, Okla.
87X – Nick O’Dell – Mooresville, N.C.
91A – Chris Andrews – Sandusky, Ohio
97W – Kaidon Brown – Sydney, Australia
98 – Ryan Padgett – Anadarko, Okla.
99 – Larry Wight – Fulton, N.Y.
118 – Scott Evans – Rhome, Texas
How to Watch the Chili Bowl:
LIVE From the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Presented by MyRacePass – Story Index Page
News, analysis, interviews, behind-the-scenes and more – updated throughout each day.
LIVE PPV Streaming Broadcast – Racinboys.com
Monday – Saturday coverage
LIVE Television Broadcast – MAVTV.com
Saturday, Jan. 18th at 8:30pm EST
LIVE Timing and Scoring – MyRacePass
https://www.myracepass.com/app
SPEED SPORT’s Chili Bowl coverage is presented by MyRacePass, the official timing and scoring app of the 2020 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. Fans can download the MyRacePass app on their phones to follow all the action during the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. For more information on MyRacePass, visit www.myracepass.com and use the hashtag #GetTheApp on Twitter!
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – HCRR Racing/Ben Evans Racing, backed by Roof Systems of Dallas, Texas, will compete in the AFT SuperTwins class with riders Brandon Robinson and Jay Maloney piloting its FTR750 machinery.
“I could not be more excited to join AFT as a team owner in 2020,” said Jim Hudson, Team Owner of HCRR Racing. “We’ve joined forces with Ben Evans Racing and Roof Systems of Dallas, Texas and between all of the talent we’ve got, we are confident we can win at every event. I’ve been a fan of flat track racing my entire life, so this is a dream come true for me.”
Known as one of the most consistent riders on the circuit, Robinson started 2019 – his inaugural year on the FTR750 – with three wins at the Atlanta Short Track, Texas Half-Mile and So-Cal Half-Mile.
“I am pumped about the 2020 season,” said Robinson. “I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity. Riding for HCRR Racing and Ben Evans Racing with help from Roof Systems gives me the resources to be a real challenger for the SuperTwins championship.”
Earning his national number in 2014, Maloney has been competing in AFT’s premier class as both a rider and team owner for five years. His addition to the HCRR roster for 2020 will enable him to focus on his performance on the racetrack.
“I am extremely excited to be involved with HCRR Racing and Ben Evans Racing in 2020,” said Maloney. “The past few years I have been putting in a lot of work running my own program. I was driving, working on bikes and worrying about setting up programs for the following season. Being a part of a team like HCRR backed by Roof Systems means I can focus on the task-at-hand: strong Main finishes. It is going to be a great year for us in the SuperTwins class.”
“We are very excited about all of the SuperTwins riders we are supporting,” said Jerry Stinchfield, CEO and Team Owner of Roof Systems of Dallas, Texas. “Brandon is one of the strongest riders out there – he got three wins last season, and Jay is a seasoned vet. These two, plus Price and Bromley on the Roof Systems team will really give those other guys a run for their money at every track.”
TULSA, Okla. – Seventeen drivers will do battle in Tuesday night’s Vacuworx Invitational Race of Champions, the annual all-star event featured as part of Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals race week.
Led by defending event winner Tanner Thorson, the field for VIROC XII features drivers who meet any of the following criteria:
– Podium finishers from the previous five Chili Bowl Saturday A-mains
– Top-two finishers from the previous five VIROC events
– Preliminary night winners from the 2019 Chili Bowl Nationals
– 2019 series champions from the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, ASCS National Tour, All Star Circuit of Champions, USAC National Midget Series, USAC National Sprint Car Series and POWRi National Midget League
Despite the removal of the prior stipulations, featuring past Chili Bowl driver champions, owner champion picks and all former VIROC winners, all three drivers currently active in competition who have won the VIROC during its 11-year history are eligible to compete in this year’s edition.
Thorson picked up his second VIRCO victory a year ago, while Sammy Swindell is the all-time VIROC wins leader with four triumphs (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015) and Kyle Larson has topped the invitational twice (2014, 2017).
Former winners Chad Boat (2018), Kevin Swindell (2013) and Brad Loyet (2010) have all stepped back or retired from driving, and of those three, only Boat would have been eligible to race in the 2020 VIROC.
The event has been extended from 20 laps to 25 laps this year, and as opposed to prior years when the lineup was set up by a random draw, this year’s grid for the VIROC will be determined by group qualifying.
Following the time trial session, the top eight on speed will be inverted for the final lineup.
The full entry list for the Vacuworx Invitational Race of Champions, as well as their eligibility criteria, can be viewed below.
Vacuworx Invitational Race of Champions Entry List – Jan. 14, 2020
Driver – Eligibility
Christopher Bell – 2017-19 Chili Bowl Winner
Daryn Pittman – Runner-up, 2017 Chili Bowl Nationals
Spencer Bayston – Third Place, 2018 Chili Bowl Nationals
Damion Gardner – Third Place, 2015 Chili Bowl Nationals
Zach Daum – Third Place, 2016 Chili Bowl Nationals
Logan Seavey – Monday Night 2019 Prelim Winner
Kyle Larson – Tuesday Night 2019 Prelim Winner
Rico Abreu – Wednesday Night 2019 Prelim Winner
Justin Grant – Friday Night 2019 Prelim Winner
Tanner Thorson – 2019 VIROC Winner
Sammy Swindell – 2015 VIROC Winner
Brad Sweet – 2019 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Champion
Sam Hafertepe, Jr. – 2019 Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour Champion
Aaron Reutzel – 2019 All Star Circuit of Champions Titlist
Jesse Colwell – POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League Champion
Tyler Courtney –NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Champion
C.J. Leary –AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Champion
How to Watch the Chili Bowl:
LIVE From the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Presented by MyRacePass – Story Index Page
News, analysis, interviews, behind-the-scenes and more – updated throughout each day.
LIVE PPV Streaming Broadcast – Racinboys.com
Monday – Saturday coverage
LIVE Television Broadcast – MAVTV.com
Saturday, Jan. 18th at 8:30pm EST
LIVE Timing and Scoring – MyRacePass
https://www.myracepass.com/app
SPEED SPORT’s Chili Bowl coverage is presented by MyRacePass, the official timing and scoring app of the 2020 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. Fans can download the MyRacePass app on their phones to follow all the action during the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. For more information on MyRacePass, visit www.myracepass.com and use the hashtag #GetTheApp on Twitter!
Peterhansel Tops Stage, Al-Attiyah Closes The Gap
HARADH, Saudi Arabia – Stephane Peterhansel earned his third Dakar Rally stage win of the year on Tuesday, but it was Nasser Al-Attiyah who made up the most ground.
Peterhansel bested Al-Attiyah by 15 seconds at the conclusion of Tuesday’s 476 kilometer stage. However, thanks to a problem that cost overall race leader Carlos Sainz five minutes early in the stage, Al-Attiyah is now just 24 seconds behind Sainz in the battle for the overall lead.
Peterhansel remains in the hunt as well, a little more than six minutes behind Sainz. Three days remain for competitors to make up ground in the battle for the Dakar Rally victory, with the event set to conclude on Friday in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia.
Pablo Quintanilla took top honors in the bike category, leading Toby Price to the completion of the stage by nearly two minutes. American Ricky Brabec continues to lead the class overall with more than 20 minutes in hand over Quintanilla.
The truck class continued to be dominated by Andrey Karginov, who won his fourth-straight stage in his Kamaz to further extend his lead to more than 38 minutes in the Truck class standings.
Americans Blade Hildebrand, Mitch Guthrie and Casey Currie swept the top-three positions in the SxS class on Tuesday, with Currie remaining the division leader by more than 23 minutes. Hildebrand and Guthrie are both running under the Dakar Experience ruleset and, thus, are no longer eligible to win the event.
The quad class was won by Ignacio Casale, who edged Giovanni Enrico by a scant three seconds to earn the stage win. He now leads the quad division by nearly 45 minutes over his closest pursuer.
Smoltz dreams big in golf, but schedule, body often don't cooperate
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – Eun-Hee Ji isn’t the only defending champion this week at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions. MLB Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz also has a title he’s trying to defend.
The 52-year-old former Atlanta Braves hurler is again part of the celebrity field for the LPGA season opener, which begins Thursday at Tranquilo Golf Club. He is joined by fellow Braves legends Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, former NBA stars Grant Hill and Ray Allen, and NFL future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald, among others, all of whom are competing for a $100,000 first-place check.
Smoltz wouldn’t mind another one of those.
“Pretty ironic to think that check was more than I made in my first year and a half playing baseball,” said Smoltz, who said he made $60,000 per year after being drafted by the Tigers in the 1985 MLB Draft.
Following a baseball career that included 213 wins, 154 saves, eight All-Star nods, the 1996 NL Cy Young Award and 1995 World Series, Smoltz has turned his focus to broadcasting (he’s currently Fox’s lead MLB analyst) and golf, where he’s chasing a second career on the senior circuit.
Smoltz, who qualified and missed the cut at the 2018 U.S. Senior Open, made three starts via sponsor exemptions last year on the PGA Tour Champions, his best finish a T-53 at the Cologuard Classic in Tucson, Arizona, in March. He then attempted to earn his over-50 card at Q-School but failed to advance out of first stage after tying for 54th.
“I never left the fairway the first three rounds of the tournament, but I could not figure out how to get the ball in the hole,” Smoltz said. “The last hole of my third round is what exactly signified my day. I hit it middle of the fairway, then pushed my second shot right into the water, made triple and my grind was over. I hit the golfing wall and just could never get it turned around.
“I just wasn’t ready, but I wanted to see where my game was.”
Smoltz’s practice was limited entering Q-School, having finished his work for the World Series less than 20 days before the first round at TPC Tampa Bay. He planned to not play a round of golf in December while he practiced and worked out in the gym to get ready for this week, which will include six rounds of golf (four competition days and two pro-ams).
Smoltz said he bought a machine before last year’s win that helps him swing the golf club despite a bothersome right shoulder, which has endured three surgeries. His goal this winter was to build up a stronger base to make walking courses easier. Smoltz said eventually he’ll need a double-hip replacement.
“I haven’t been able to work out and do things that I know are conducive to longer stretches of golf,” Smoltz said. “Going into this year (2019), I couldn’t play four days in a row physically. I can at least do that now, but there are things that break down in my body that my schedule and lack of strength is just the reason why.”
Smoltz anticipates another busy year of bouncing between the broadcast booth and golf tournaments. He wants to qualify for another U.S. Senior Open and later give Q-School another shot with hopes of earning his card. He also knows that achieving the level of success he wants on the course is a tall task until he becomes a full-time golfer.
“If after two years I decide to not broadcast again, I’ll be 54, 55,” Smoltz said. “I’ve always wanted to see how far I could take my competitive golf, but I didn’t want to sit and wait for things. I wanted to actually compete in things, and I think that’s the only way you learn about your game. Why not? Why not try to see what I can do in the limited time I have?
“There was a time in my life when I could turn it on and turn it off. I keep convincing myself I can show up at a tournament and turn it on. That doesn’t work anymore. I know a lot of people close to me don’t understand, going into the tournament I got no confidence and they’re like, ‘You can do this,’ and I’m like, ‘No, there are some things you gotta have.’ Last year’s win [at Tranquilo] was huge for me gaining confidence, but there’s no way for me to do what I want in golf with the schedule that I have. I’m trying to find a way to combat that.”
Bryson backs slow-play policy, says length will make him quicker
After finding himself at the center of a slow-play firestorm last year, Bryson DeChambeau is ready for golf's professional circuits to crack down on some of the slowest players in the game.
Both the PGA Tour and European Tour unveiled changes to their respective pace-of-play policies this week, with the new PGA Tour policy set to go into effect at the RBC Heritage in April. DeChambeau has been viewed as a slow player on both sides of the Atlantic, having faced criticism for his 72nd-hole "process" last year en route to winning at Dubai.
But those criticisms reached a fever pitch in August, when a viral video circulated in which he took more than 2 minutes to hit an 8-foot putt at The Northern Trust. Speaking to reporters Tuesday at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, he supported the new rule changes and claimed last year he got an undeserved reputation.
"On the PGA Tour, when stuff was happening, I told you guys, I welcome it," DeChambeau said. "I was playing under the rules and there was no rhyme or reason to be called out, other than the fact that it looked like it was a really, really long time that it took. And it was, absolutely. I'm not saying it wasn't.
"But I was playing under the rules at that point in time, and there's no reason why I should have been given so much heat, considering other things that had occurred that day and previous days of other people that I played with, and other things that occurred."
While the PGA Tour's previous policy offered no way to penalize slow players if their group was not out of position, the new policy will feature a larger focus on individual offenders, with the slowest 10 percent of Tour players subject to additional scrutiny and time restrictions.
While that list won't be disclosed to the public, DeChambeau has claimed on multiple occasions that he's not among the slowest on Tour, even going so far as to cite the speed at which he walks in between shots as a benefit to his overall pace. With his newfound physique yielding eye-popping Trackman numbers, he also believes his recent distance gains will help him move more quickly around the course in the new year.
"Considering how far I'm hitting, I don't think that will be an issue anymore," he said.
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