Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...
I Dig Sports

I Dig Sports

By the numbers: The stats that shaped 2019

Published in Golf
Sunday, 22 December 2019 02:00

Every year, the best players in the world do things that amaze us.

This year was no different.

There were low scores. There were high scores. Eagles. Bogeys. And sometimes no bogeys.

There were streaks snapped; for better (Tiger Woods' major drought) and for worse (Phil Mickelson's top-50 run).

There were big paydays and more big major performances by Brooks Koepka.

Here is a look at some of the most notable statistics of 2019:

0: Bogeys made by J.T. Poston in his Wyndham Championship victory in August. Poston became the first PGA Tour winner to keep a clean card since Lee Trevino at the 1974 Greater New Orleans Open.

0.501: Shots over par that the Golf Club of Houston’s par-4 18th hole played during the Houston Open in October. That scoring average ranked the finishing hole as the toughest hole played on the PGA Tour in 2019. Just 25 birdies were made to go along with 124 bogeys, 46 double bogeys and eight triple bogeys or worse.

0.801: Shots under par that Riviera Country Club’s par-5 first hole played during the Genesis Open in February. That scoring average ranked the opening hole as the easiest hole played on the PGA Tour in 2019. The hole yielded 29 eagles, 299 birdies and just four bogeys or worse.

1.5: As in $1.5 million, which is what Sei Young Kim won by taking the LPGA’s season finale, the CME Group Tour Championship, in November. That is the largest winner’s share in the tour’s history.

2: Majors in which Brooks Koepka had won each of the past two editions of after Koepka captured the PGA Championship in May. Before Koepka, no player had won back-to-back major titles at two majors in the same two-year period.

3: Consecutive bogeys for Tiger Woods to open his Zozo Championship. Woods went on to win the event, becoming the first player to win a PGA Tour tournament after opening with three straight bogeys since the Tour began keeping hole-by-hole data in 1983.

4: Players in golf history to finish fourth or better at each of the four majors in a single year – Jack Nicklaus (1973), Tiger Woods (2005), Jordan Spieth (2015) and Brooks Koepka (2019).

11: Sub-60 rounds in PGA Tour history after Kevin Chappell joined the exclusive club by firing a 59 in the second round at the Greenbrier in September.

14.18: Strokes gained putting for Kevin Na in his victory at the Shriners Open in October, the most by a PGA Tour winner since the Tour began keeping the stat in 2004. The previous best was Michael Kim’s 13.51 mark at the 2018 John Deere Classic. Na also won in Las Vegas with negative strokes gained tee to green (-0.09), the first Tour winner to do so since Bill Haas at the 2011 Tour Championship.

19: Top-10s that Rory McIlroy recorded in 2019. That number included six victories and runner-up finishes.

23: Eagles made by Ariya Jutanugarn, an LPGA record and four more than Laura Davies’ previous record of 19 set in 2004.

34: Weeks this year that Brooks Koepka will have been No. 1 in the world, 24 more than Dustin Johnson, who was No. 1 for 10 weeks in 2019.

35: Worldwide starts made by Sungjae Im, the most of any player in the world top 300 and one more tournament than the 34 events he played in 2018. He also recorded 25 starts in the 2018-19 PGA Tour season, the most since Danny Lee’s 36 in 2014-15.

68.718: Scoring average at La Quinta Country Club during the Desert Classic in January. At 3.282 shots under par, La Quinta was the easiest on the PGA Tour this year and has now yielded the lowest scoring average on Tour for two straight seasons.

72.543: Scoring average at the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, which played 2.543 shots over par, ranking it the toughest course of the year on the PGA Tour.

82: Career PGA Tour titles for Tiger Woods, who notched No. 82 at the Zozo Championship in October to tie Sam Snead’s PGA Tour record.

87: Final-round score for J.B. Holmes at The Open. Not since Lew Taylor’s 87 in 1966 had a player shot 87 or worse in the final round of the Open Championship.

114: Consecutive holes without making a bogey for Jin Young Ko during a three-tournament stretch last summer, the best such streak in LPGA history and four holes longer than Tiger Woods’ 110-hole bogey-free run that set a PGA Tour record back in 2000.

128: Brooks Koepka’s 36-hole total at the PGA Championship, the lowest total through two rounds in major-championship history.

280: Viktor Hovland’s 72-hole total at the U.S. Open, the lowest by an amateur in U.S. Open history and breaking a 59-year record. Jack Nicklaus’ 282 at the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills was the previous low.

1,353: Consecutive weeks that Phil Mickelson spent inside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, a streak that ended in November. Mickelson hadn’t been outside the top 50 since November 1993.

3,954: Days between major victories Nos. 14 and 15 for Tiger Woods, who ended his 11-year major drought with his fifth Masters title in April. That is the fifth longest span ever between major wins. Woods also joined Jack Nicklaus as the only player to win a major in three different decades.

Scott breaks drought with Australian PGA win

Published in Golf
Sunday, 22 December 2019 02:00

GOLD COAST, Australia — Adam Scott sealed his first tournament win in almost four years Sunday when he shot 3-under 69 to win the Australian PGA Championships by two shots.

Scott’s win gave him the 30th title of his professional career and his second Australian PGA crown after his win at Royal Pines in 2013. He was edged into second place by compatriot Greg Chalmers in a thrilling seven-hole playoff on the same course in 2014.

Scott’s last tournament win came three years, nine months and 16 days ago at the WCG Cadillac Classic in Miami where he beat Bubba Watson by a shot.

His win in front of a home crowd — he has a house close by — completed a solid year and lifted him from 18th to 13th on world rankings.

Scott finished with a 72-hole total of 275, 13 under par and two shots ahead of New Zealand’s Michael Hendry who matched Scott’s final round 69. Former U.S. amateur champion Nick Flanagan shot 70 Sunday to finish among a five-way tie for third place.

Scott came into the final round with a one-shot lead over Hendry but fell a shot behind the Kiwi after 11 holes.

He had an unplayable lie on the 12th but got up and down for par and that was the turning point in his final round. He played the next three holes three under par to surge past Hendry into first place.

Hendry’s winning chance evaporated when his approach on the 17th hole clipped trees and plunged into a green-side bunker. He made bogey to fall two shots behind Scott, then bogeyed again when he three-putted the 18th green to give the Australian a three shot lead coming to the last hole.

Scott went through the green at the 17th but saved par, then could afford his bogey on 18 and still claim the title.

“After a good save on 12 it was time to do something and I was behind so there was opportunity for everyone and I was the one who took them today,” Scott said.

“I’m stoked. This has been a long time coming and I’m really happy to win another PGA here. It finishes off a nice year for me.

"It’s been a long time between drinks for me and maybe only once or twice did the thought cross my mind that I’ll never win again.

“It’s very difficult to win and I’m on the wrong side of this age thing now,” the 39-year-old said.

Scott’s 2013 PGA Championship win came before his Masters victory and he now looks towards the Masters in April.

“A win (makes) you feel like you’re just never going to lose again,” Scott said. “I hope it helps; it’s nice to have reassurance and the belief of winning.

“You want to be in contention and find out how you feel and respond and I got some of that today and if I happen to be in that position Sunday at the Masters I can draw on it.”

Hendry battled a painful rib injury over both of the last two rounds and only gave up his title bid with bogeys at the last two holes.

Flanagan was in the mix until late in the final round but had a disastrous double bogey at the 13th, bogeyed the 14th, then finished with bogey to drop back into a tie for third.

De Gea 4/10 as Man United flop vs. bottom Watford

Published in Soccer
Sunday, 22 December 2019 08:21

Manchester United's push for the top four in the Premier League suffered a huge blow this afternoon as they were beaten 2-0 by Watford at Vicarage Road.

The underwhelming visitors couldn't really break through the relegation strugglers in the first half, and it didn't take long for the Hornets to take the lead in the second, Ismaila Sarr opening the scoring following a poor mistake from David De Gea. Troy Deeney made it two within a matter of minutes after Aaron Wan-Bissaka gave away a poor penalty on a dreadful day for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men.

Positives

There were occasions when United strung together some nice passes in and around the box, and whenever they were able to calm things down and play it simple, Watford seemed to get a bit more frustrated which drew them into fouls. They largely played the possession game well, too, which opened up the game more and gave them room to try and build up from the back.

Negatives

The gaps through the back could've been seen from space, and there were points in which United were just being bullied off the ball. There was a real lethargic atmosphere throughout the core of the squad which was evident from the first minute until the very last, and when it came to tracking opponents, it was like watching a League Two team attempting to compete with a top flight side.

Manager rating out of 10

5 -- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stuck to his guns with the lineup, trusting players that he believes could guide United towards a brighter future. In short: it didn't pay off. As a result of the 4-2-3-1 formation, United really struggled to break down the flanks and stretch the game, and as the minutes ticked by, both the substitutions and leadership abilities of the Norwegian came into question.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK David De Gea, 4 -- Had a few bright moments in the first half but that all came crashing down when he made a huge blunder for the first goal. Hard to fault him not saving Troy Deeney's penalty.

DF Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 4 -- Left way too much space down that right side and gave away a really silly penalty in what was probably his worst Manchester United performance yet.

DF Victor Lindelof, 5 -- Needs to stop lingering out from the back and trying to do too much. Seemed to be the target of Watford's attacks and didn't deal with it well, coming across as clumsy more than anything else.

DF Harry Maguire, 5 -- Feels like he's a step or two off the pace of the game at all times. Lacks confidence and, for the most part, looks quite lazy.

DF Luke Shaw, 5 -- Enjoys a burst of electricity from time to time but follows that up with a distinct inability to maintain a high pace for 90 minutes.

MF Scott McTominay, 5 -- Was all over the place in terms of his positional play, and whenever he was on the ball, he was incredibly cheap in giving the ball away.

MF Fred, 6 -- Plays the hot and cold game every week, going from looking solid one week to looking like he's completely out of his depth the next.

MF Daniel James, 5 -- Barely heard his name mentioned throughout the game and went missing in key positions when United needed him the most.

MF Jesse Lingard, 4 -- Fell victim to several challenges under pressure and missed United's best chance of the game with sloppy play.

FW Marcus Rashford, 6 -- Was hungry and active but couldn't find his rhythm, and could do with swapping with Martial on the left.

FW Anthony Martial, 6 -- The Frenchman was at the heart of some nice passages of play but those moments were too few and far between.

Substitutes

MF Paul Pogba, 6 -- Pieced things together in the middle of the park more so than most of the Red Devils and had one chance that was well-saved by Ben Foster.

MF Juan Mata, N/R -- Wasn't really able to influence the pattern or pace of the game in the limited time he had on the pitch.

FW Mason Greenwood, 6 -- Tried to work himself into strong positions up top but it was too little, too late. Went high with lob attempt that could have pulled United within one.

LIVE: Spurs host Chelsea as Mourinho, Lampard face off

Published in Soccer
Sunday, 22 December 2019 08:18

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies?

Source: Shaw, Blue Jays have 1-year, $4M deal

Published in Baseball
Sunday, 22 December 2019 07:29

Travis Shaw and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract, a source confirmed to ESPN.

The source said the deal includes $675,000 in performance bonuses.

The deal ends up creating a swap of infielders between the Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers, who signed Justin Smoak to a one-year, $5 million contract last week.

MLB Network first reported on Shaw's agreement with the Blue Jays.

After two impressive seasons in which he surpassed 30 home runs for the Brewers, Shaw regressed in 2019. The infielder, who was demoted and spent almost a month at Triple-A San Antonio, slumped to a .157 batting average with seven home runs and 16 RBIs in 86 games last season.

Shaw, 29, played mostly at third base in Milwaukee but also saw action at first and second. He was non-tendered after the season as the Brewers parted with a number of key players after finishing behind the St. Louis Cardinals in a heated National League Central race and losing in the wild-card game to the eventual World Series champion Washington Nationals.

"I kind of wanted a fresh start and was willing to risk to see what was out there, free-agent-wise," Shaw told Boston's WEEI after the season, explaining that he was made an offer by the Brewers but declined.

After he was acquired in a multiplayer deal with the Boston Red Sox, Shaw immediately made his impact felt with the Brewers, averaging 4.0 wins above replacement over the next two seasons. He batted .273 with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs in 2017 and followed that with a .241-32-86 line in 2018.

For his career, Shaw is hitting .244 with 99 home runs and 310 RBIs in five major league seasons.

Information from ESPN's Jeff Passan was used in this report.

From wedding to derby win for Williams

Published in Rugby
Sunday, 22 December 2019 06:08

Cardiff Blues have revealed Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams played a crucial role in the derby win against Ospreys in between celebrating his older brother's wedding.

Williams was an usher at the wedding before driving to Swansea to play rugby and returning to the reception in Treorchy.

The 24-year-old created the Blues' only try in the 19-16 win.

"That's what rugby means to him," said head coach John Mulvihill.

Williams was one of three Blues players yellow-carded in Swansea with his transgression being a high tackle on Ospreys flanker Dan Lydiate which ended in a penalty try for the hosts.

The Wales number nine was a controlling forced in the second-half comeback and his deft chip provided the chance for Jarrod Evans to score the Blues' only try.

This was despite the pre-match disruption with the match kicking off at 19:35 GMT.

"Tom wasn't at the pre-match meeting and he wasn't on the bus travelling down," said Mulvihill.

"He arrived here (Liberty Stadium) at six o'clock. He was an usher at his brother's wedding in the afternoon, came and played his game and went straight back there.

"He didn't want to miss this game or the wedding.

"It was a fantastic effort. That's what this club means to him. He is a real competitor who wants to play every minute in every match, and he's played some good ones for us here."

Mulvihill believes Williams' form could lead to a starting spot in Wales' 2020 Six Nations opener against Italy on 1 February where he will face competition from World Cup first choice scrum-half Gareth Davies.

"The other boy is pretty good but in the World Cup Tom went on and changed games," said Mulvihill.

"They (Wales) wouldn't have beaten France (quarter-final) if he hadn't got in there, put pressure on and ripped that ball.

"He adds a spark every time he plays and brings the best out of the people around him.

"We think he's number one, he thinks he's number one, but we'll just wait and see."

Wales coach Wayne Pivac says fly-half Gareth Anscombe will miss the 2020 tour of New Zealand after problems with his rehabilitation.

Anscombe missed the 2019 World Cup after picking up a knee injury against England in the warm-up game in August.

Ospreys confirmed on Saturday that Anscombe needed a second "minor procedure" and Pivac is not considering him to face the All Blacks.

"He's looking like he'll miss the New Zealand tour," said Pivac.

New Zealand-born Anscombe had already been ruled out of the 2020 Six Nations and Pivac believes he will missing for the tour to face the All Blacks in July.

"Gareth's working his way back from an ACL injury, which has had its problems in the healing process," Pivac told 1 News in New Zealand.

"The main thing is that he gets that knee right and gets back to 100 per cent of where he was before the injury."

Ospreys had not officially ruled Anscombe out of appearing before the end of the 2019-20 season but said a clearer diagnosis would be made in early 2020.

Anscombe joined Ospreys from Cardiff Blues at the end of the 2018-19 season and was set to go to Japan as Wales' first choice fly-half before his injury at Twickenham.

Pivac also confirmed New Zealand-born Cardiff Blues centre Willis Halaholo will miss the 2020 summer tour because of a knee injury suffered in November 2018.

Halaholo, who qualified for Wales through residency, had been named in Pivac's first extended squad for the uncapped match against Barbarians on 30 November, which Wales won 43-33.

The All Blacks and Wales will begin their Test series in Auckland on 4 July, in what will be coach Ian Foster's first match in charge before the second Test seven days later.

Losh Banks $10,000 Gateway Modified Check

Published in Racing
Saturday, 21 December 2019 14:59

ST. LOUIS – Derek Losh wrapped up the Gateway Dirt Nationals with a $10,000 victory in the modified feature on Saturday night inside The Dome at America’s Center.

Losh started second alongside polesitter Michael Long for the 30-lap feature, taking the lead in the opening corners. Three quick cautions in the first four laps slowed the field with Losh retaining the lead on each ensuing restart.

Following the third caution of the race, Losh found himself being challenged by Kyle Bronson for the lead. Another caution for the slowing Kyle Steffens kept the battle from intensifying.

During the next restart Bronson hit a rut in the track and nearly lost second in the process, but was able to regain his composure and maintain the position. A caution on lap 10 for Ray Bollinger stopped on the track gave Bronson another shot at Losh.

This time Bronson was able to get alongside Losh into the first corners, but Losh held serve and pulled clear to retain the lead. With 10 laps left Losh found a rut in turn two and was suddenly turned sideways. Bronson managed to avoid hitting him, taking the lead as they raced into turn three while Losh gathered his car back up to slot into second.

Losh moved to the top of the track, bouncing the rear of his car off the wall as he chased Bronson back down. With five laps left the caution waved again for debris scattered across the track, setting up a five lap dash to the finish between Bronson and Losh.

The two immediately started fighting for the lead when the race resumed, but another quick caution for the slowing Tyler Erb stopped it. When the green waved again Bronson held serve, but Losh was all over him and waiting for a mistake to pounce.

That mistake came as they raced towards the white flag. Bronson hit a rut in turn four, which slowed him just enough for Losh to close in on the leader as they took the white flag. Losh went for a crossover move in the middle of turns one and two, but instead slammed into Bronson’s rear bumper.

Bronson raced into the final two corners with the lead, but coming off turn four he again hit a rut and found himself sideways. Losh went to the bottom, taking the lead coming out of the corner to steal the victory and earn a $10,000 paycheck.

Bronson settled for second, followed by Levi Kissinger, Michael Altobelli Jr. and Darron Fuqua.

The finish:

Derek Losh, Kyle Bronson, Levi Kissinger, Michael Altobelli Jr., Darron Fuqua, K.C. Burdette, Josh Harris, Kyle Strickler, Trent Young, Jeffrey Ledford, Tyler Erb, Michael Long, Chris Arnold, Mike McKinney, Kyle Steffens, Rick Conoyer, Ray Bollinger, Mark Anderson, Clay Money, Mike Harrison.

China airs Everton-Arsenal with no Ozil

Published in Soccer
Sunday, 22 December 2019 05:19

Arsenal's 0-0 draw with Everton on Saturday was, just moments before kick off, available for fans in China to watch online with Mesut Ozil not included in their matchday squad.

The absence of Ozil, whose comments on Dec.13 criticising China's policy towards its Uighur Muslim population provoked a major backlash in the country, led PPTV to show the game online, though only with an English commentary.

- Ozil deleted from Chinese computer game
- Toure: Ozil wrong to speak out

The decision of PPTV, in the middle of a three-year contract with the English Premier League worth $700 million, marks a positive turn for Arsenal. The club's game with Manchester City on Dec.14 had been withdrawn in China due to Ozil's comments both on State-run broadcaster Chinese Central Television (CCTV) and PPTV.

While CCTV did not show the Everton game, a source close to the broadcaster told ESPN that, if Ozil does not play, future Arsenal games are likely to be shown on television, starting with the Dec. 26 clash with Bournemouth.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Liverpool apologised to South Korean fans after using a thumbnail with the background of the Rising Sun flag to advertise a video, made available to members on the club's homepage, about the 1981 Intercontinental Cup final played between the club and Flamengo in Tokyo.

The old Japanese imperial flag is seen as a symbol of militarism and oppression in parts of Asia that suffered under Japanese occupation in the first half of the 20th century, especially in South Korea -- which was brutally colonised by its eastern neighbour from 1910 to 1945.

"Yesterday we published an image on our channels that caused offence," Liverpool said in a statement that was visible only to those with South Korean IP addresses. "We took immediate action to rectify the error.

"We would like to apologise to anyone who may have been offended by the image."

As the apology was available to view only in South Korea, there have been calls by Korean fans for Liverpool to post the same statement on all their social media channels. The issue of the Rising Sun flag is still a source of tension in Japanese-Korean relations which has spread to the football pitch in the past.

In 2017, the Asian Football Confederation fined J.League club Kawasaki Frontale after the club's fans displayed the flag in a Champions League game at South Korea's Suwon Bluewings, referring to it as "a banner with a discriminatory symbol relating to national origin and political opinion."

Zlatan statue vandalised again, has nose sawn off

Published in Soccer
Sunday, 22 December 2019 05:18

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's statue in Sweden has been vandalised once again, with the nose sawn off on Sunday.

The statue outside Malmo's stadium was set on fire in November and saw marks were found on its feet earlier in December.

The incidents of vandalisation to the statue have been apparent responses to the former LA Galaxy striker becoming part-owner of Hammarby -- rivals to Malmo, with whom Ibrahimovic, 38, started his career.

The last incident caused police to erect a fence around the statue, which was described by Malmo vice chairman Kaveh Hosseinpour as "completely worthless" and a "piece of junk" after news emerged of Ibrahimovic's involvement with Hammarby.

"He basically stuck a knife in our backs, and then he came along with a sword and chopped off our heads," Hosseinpour said.

Malmo supporters also started an online petition for the statue to be removed.

Soccer

Argentina GK Martínez handed 2-game WCQ ban

Argentina GK Martínez handed 2-game WCQ ban

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsArgentina goalkeeper Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez has been suspended by...

Pep: Arteta should explain inside info comments

Pep: Arteta should explain inside info comments

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPep Guardiola has hit back at Mikel Arteta's claim that he has insi...

LaLiga chief targets game in Miami next season

LaLiga chief targets game in Miami next season

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLaLiga president Javier Tebas has said he is targeting playing a co...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Knicks trade for KAT: What insiders are hearing about the deal's impact

Knicks trade for KAT: What insiders are hearing about the deal's impact

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe final weekend of the offseason brings us another league-shaking...

Foot tendon strain to sideline Hornets' Williams

Foot tendon strain to sideline Hornets' Williams

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCharlotte Hornets center Mark Williams will sit out training camp a...

Baseball

Sources: Marlins' Schumaker won't return in '25

Sources: Marlins' Schumaker won't return in '25

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMiami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker will not return to the team in...

Royals make playoffs a year after 106-loss season

Royals make playoffs a year after 106-loss season

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsATLANTA -- The Kansas City Royals completed one of the most remarka...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated