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Final-round tee times at Hero: Woods, Thomas together again

Published in Golf
Friday, 06 December 2019 08:56

The Hero World Challenge will wrap up on Saturday as U.S. Presidents Cup team members ready for their lengthy journey to Australia for next week's Presidents Cup.

Here's a look at the final-round tee times at Albany (all times ET):

9:37AM: Bryson DeChambeau (+1), Patrick Cantlay (+1)

9:48AM: Tony Finau (E), Bubba Watson (E)

9:59AM: Xander Schauffele (-3), Jordan Spieth (-2)

10:10AM: Kevin Kisner (-5), Webb Simpson (-4)

10:21AM: Justin Rose (-6), Matt Kuchar (-5)

10:32AM: Chez Reavie (-6), Rickie Fowler (-6)

10:43AM: Jon Rahm (-11), Patrick Reed (-10)

10:54AM: Tiger Woods (-11), Justin Thomas (-11)

11:05AM: Gary Woodland (-13), Henrik Stenson (-12)

Thomas still undefeated when grouped with Tiger

Published in Golf
Friday, 06 December 2019 09:40

NASSAU, Bahamas – Tiger Woods may have 14 more major championships than Justin Thomas, but Woods also has never beaten Thomas when the two have played in the same group.

Entering Friday’s third round of the Hero World Challenge, where Woods and Thomas were paired together for the 13th time in their careers, Thomas was 10-0-2 against his counterpart with a 68.75 scoring average.

That record went to 10-0-3 and the average to 68.62 after Thomas equaled Woods’ 5-under 67.

“It’s always comfortable playing with people you know,” Thomas said. “It’s not a coincidence that, you know, it's with him. I mean, I'm sure I have a great scoring average with Jordan [Spieth] or with Rick [Fowler] or other guys, too.”

But then Thomas inserted a slight jab: “But be sure you tell him that, though.”

Woods, who along with Thomas is 11 under and two shots off the lead, didn’t play along, but he did laud Thomas’ performance on Friday.

“You see all the talent that he has,” Woods said. “He drives it long, drives it straight. I think he's had one of the best years he's ever had with his iron game this year. And look at that short game. Just go around and look at the shots he hit today. Every shot from around the greens was, what, inside 2 feet? That's not easy to do, especially on Bermuda. These lies are pretty dicey, so the kid's got a great touch.”

And a great record against Woods, whom Thomas will again play alongside in Saturday’s final round at Albany.

NASSAU, Bahamas – Two big birdies from Gary Woodland gave him the lead in the Hero World Challenge. A closing birdie on a hole that has vexed Tiger Woods put him in range of a third victory this year.

Patrick Reed fully expected to be right there within until watching video of his club moving sand away from his golf ball in a waste area, leading to a two-shot penalty in a round that didn't go all that well in the first place.

The end of an entertaining round in this holiday event in the tropics set up what figures to be a lively conclusion. Woodland's final two birdies gave him a 4-under 68 and a one-shot lead over Henrik Stenson.

Six players were separated by three shots.

That includes Woods, who hasn't won his event since it was in California in 2011. With one eye on being a playing captain at the Presidents Cup next week in Australia, Woods focused on birdies instead of potential pairings at Royal Melbourne was two shots off the lead.

The final round is Saturday so the American team - 11 are in the tournament, Dustin Johnson is coming to the Bahamas to join them on the charter - can get an early start across the globe.

"I just have to focus on going out there and making birdies," Woods said. "And then I have 23 hours on a plan to recover."

Woodland makes his Presidents Cup debut next week, and he appears to be in good form. He dropped only one shot, gave another way by failing to birdie the par-5 15th, and then finished in style. First, he holed a 30-foot putt on the par-3 17th. Then, with the wind at his back, he hit wedge to 3 feet for another birdie.

On Thursday, he ended his round with three straight birdies.

"It was a nice finish, same as yesterday," he said. "So excited about where I'm at and I look forward to tomorrow."

The next two weeks cap off a memorable year for Woods, who won his first major at Pebble Beach in the U.S. Open, and then his wife had twins. This is the first time traveling with the entire family - three kids under 2 - and they couldn't fit all the car seats and strollers on the plane.

It was a forgettable day for Reed in so many ways.

Staked to a three-shot lead, he didn't make a birdie until the 14th hole, a short par 4 that can be reached off the tee. He added two more down the stretch, only to lose two strokes in the scoring room.

Reed was in a sandy waste area left of the fairway on the par-5 11th when video clearly caught his sand wedge removing sand right behind the ball - twice - during practice swings.

Patrick Reed was given a two-shot penalty Friday at the Hero World Challenge after improving his lie of play on the 11th hole at the Hero World Challenge.

That's a violation of Rule 8.1a (4) on removing or pressing down sand or loose soil.

Reed says the club was farther away from the ball than it looked on television, and he said with the face being open, he didn't realize the club had brushed away sand because ''I didn't feel it drag.''

"So after seeing the video, it's a two-stroke penalty. I accept that," Reed said.

He's still very much in the picture after his 74, three shots behind with only five players in front of him after a day feeling as though nothing was going in the hole.

It's an All-Star cast in front of Reed, and chasing Woodland.

Stenson is trying to end 49 starts worldwide without a victory as he tries to get his swing back to when he was at his best. The 43-year-old Swede shot 68 despite chip shots dropping into the wrong cup - a sprinkler head - on consecutive holes. He will be in the last group with Woodland.

Justin Thomas, who has never had a higher score when playing alongside Woods, kept that streak alive. They each shot 67 and will play together again in the final round. Defending champion Jon Rahm had a 69 and was two shots back.

Thomas has become close with Woods, and they are a likely pairing next week in the Presidents Cup. Thomas was particularly artful around the greens with a full flop shot on the ninth, and a 5-wood to putt it up the slope for a tap-in birdie on the par-5 third.

"Look at that short game," Woods said. "Just go around and look at the shots he hit today. The kid's got great touch."

That will come in handy at Royal Melbourne next week. For now, they're all playing for themselves and a $1 million check.

Man United still bigger club than City - Solskjaer

Published in Soccer
Friday, 06 December 2019 14:42

MANCHESTER, England -- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told Manchester City that Manchester United are still the biggest club in the city as they prepare to face off in the first derby of the season.

Pep Guardiola has led City to back-to-back titles and a domestic Treble, while United have not mounted a serious challenge Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

The pair go head-to-head at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday separated by 14 points but Solskjaer insists his club are still Manchester's powerhouse.

Asked whether United are still a bigger club than City, Solskjaer replied: "Yeah. You can't argue, we're too far behind [in the table] but it's a chance for us now to challenge them and bridge that gap a little bit, so we're going there to win, we're going there to get a result, even though we know it's going to be difficult."

With both managers holding news conferences on Friday, the same question was put to Pep Guardiola later in the day and while he conceded City cannot match United's trophy cabinet, he was quick to point out that the scales have tipped in the other direction since he arrived in Manchester in 2016.

"In the time we've been here, we've been better than United," said Guardiola. "At the end of the season, our points show that, so the consistency was incredible.

"Listen, for United's fans, they'll always be the biggest club. For the City fans, they'll always be the biggest club. We love our clubs. Each fan loves their clubs and that's why they support them.

"If you're looking at the trophy cabinet, they [United] are better, no doubts about that. Numbers are numbers and in that situation they've lifted more titles than us. But we're trying to be there for as long as possible and for City fans, Manchester City will always be better. Like United fans believe they are better."

United lost 3-1 and 2-0 in the two derbies last season and City are looking to become the first team to beat United by two clear goals in three consecutive top-flight games since Liverpool achieved the feat between 1978 and 1979.

The immediate challenge for Solskjaer is to build on a positive result against Jose Mourinho's Tottenham on Wednesday, but his long-term task remains bridging the gap with City.

"Our aim is to go past the teams above us," said Solskjaer. "We do have the resources to do it, we do have the people to do it, so why not. As long as we're going in the right direction and we get there, that day when we do it is gonna be a very good day."

On Saturday, Solskjaer will have a player in his team that City tried to sign in the summer in £85 million defender Harry Maguire, but the Norwegian insists United's plan to overhaul City is built on promoting young players from the academy.

"Do I look like I'm gonna spend hundreds of millions of pounds on players we're not sure of?" he said. "As I said, we need to rebuild, we need to change the culture, you want the culture with that hunger and selflessness that most of these players are showing. You've got the [Scott] McTominays and [Marcus] Rashfords and [Jesse] Lingards, the players that know what Man United is."

Why always Manchester? Derby moments of the decade

Published in Soccer
Friday, 06 December 2019 09:06

Saturday marks the final Manchester derby of the decade, and it has been a tumultuous 10 years for both City and United.

It began with United as the kings of Manchester and the dominant force in English football and with City on the rise following Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan's huge investment after his 2008 takeover.

As we approach the 2020s, City have become Manchester's top team, with four Premier League titles this decade, and United have been on a downward spiral since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, also the last time the Red Devils finished above their rivals in the league table. ESPN FC has pinpointed 10 of the most significant moments during a seismic decade between Manchester City and Manchester United.

Rooney threatens to leave United for City | Oct. 20, 2010

Wayne Rooney sparked a crisis at United in October 2010 when, after being approached by City, the then-England captain submitted a transfer request after questioning United's ambition. For four days, it looked as though City would snatch their rival's star player in the January window, but United fought back and kept Rooney by handing him a lucrative contract. However, Rooney's relationship with the United supporters never recovered.

Rooney's overhead kick | Feb. 12, 2011

Rooney had become City's regular tormentor during his time at United, and his 11 goals in the fixture ensure that he remains the all-time top scorer in the Manchester derby, but none proved as memorable or spectacular as his winner in the 2-1 Old Trafford victory in February 2011. Nani's deflected cross fell to Rooney inside the penalty area, where the forward produced a stunning overhead kick to beat City keeper Joe Hart.

City beat United in the FA Cup at Wembley | April 16, 2011

By 2011, it was clear that City were a threat that United had to take seriously, but they had still to end a trophy drought stretching to 1976. But a 1-0 FA Cup semifinal win against United at Wembley, in which Yaya Toure scored the winning goal, proved to be a watershed moment. City went on to beat Stoke City in the final to win a first trophy in 35 years, and the success proved the launchpad for a glittering decade.

The 6-1 win | Oct. 23, 2011

City travelled to Old Trafford in October 2011 having won just once at Old Trafford since 1974. But with United going into the game as defending champions, Roberto Mancini's team inflicted humiliation on their neighbours by securing a 6-1 victory, scoring three of their goals in the final three minutes. Mario Balotelli, who had to call the Fire Service to his house in the early hours after setting off fireworks in his bathroom, revealed a T-shirt with the message "Why Always Me?" after scoring City's opening goal. Indeed.

Kompany wins 'biggest derby ever' | April 30, 2012

The derby clash at the Etihad in April 2012 was billed at the time as the biggest ever, with both teams knowing that a defeat would be a hammer blow for their respective title ambitions. A draw would have kept United at the top of the table with two games to go, but Vincent Kompany's headed goal on 45 minutes proved enough to seal a 1-0 win that sent City to the top. Mancini's team won their next two games to win the title on goal difference.

The Aguerooooooo goal | May 13, 2012

City and United went into the final day of the 2011-12 Premier League season level on points, with City on top by virtue of a superior goal difference. Another win at home to QPR would seal a first title for 44 years, but as United walked off the pitch at Sunderland with a 1-0 win of their own, City were trailing 2-1 going into stoppage time. Edin Dzeko's equaliser was not yet enough to claim top spot, but Sergio Aguero's goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time clinched a 3-2 win to secure the title in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Van Persie snubs City for United | Aug. 17, 2012

Having won the title in 2012, City manager Mancini pushed hard to bolster his squad by signing Robin van Persie from Arsenal, but United manager Ferguson pulled off one of the biggest transfer coups of his 27-year reign by persuading old foe Arsene Wenger to let the Dutchman sign for United for £24M. Van Persie claimed "the little boy inside me was screaming for United," and his 26 league goals -- including a last-minute winner in a 3-2 win against City at the Etihad -- were crucial as United won the 2012-13 title.

Ferguson retires | May 8, 2013

Ferguson's retirement at the end of the 2012-13 season was perhaps the most seismic moment of all. The Scot had just guided United to their 13th title in 20 years, and since his departure, the club has failed to add to their tally. They've finished beneath City in the Premier League in every subsequent season. Having claimed that City would "never in my lifetime" eclipse United, Ferguson has had to watch from the sideline as his empire crumbled.

Pep Guardiola vs. Jose Mourinho | 2016-2018

The biggest rivalry in management came to Manchester in the summer of 2016, with Guardiola and Mourinho renewing their Barcelona-Real Madrid battle as managers of City and United, respectively. There proved to be none of the El Clasico fireworks in Manchester, however, with Guardiola and City going on to dominate while United struggled to rediscover their glory days under Mourinho.

Pogba caps United fight back | April 17, 2018

A win for City against United at the Etihad in April 2018 would have sealed the Premier League title, and the home side looked on course to celebrate in front of their neighbours when goals from Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan put them 2-0 up within 30 minutes. But United mounted an incredible second-half fight back, with Paul Pogba inspiring Jose Mourinho's side with two goals before Chris Smalling sealed a 3-2 victory by scoring from a corner on 69 minutes. City still went on to win the trophy.

Reed gets 2-shot penalty for improving his lie

Published in Breaking News
Friday, 06 December 2019 14:34

Patrick Reed was assessed a two-shot penalty, after conferring with rules officials following his third round at the Hero World Challenge on Friday, for improving his lie in a sandy waste area on the 11th hole at Albany Golf Club.

Video clearly shows Reed taking a practice swing with his club behind the ball and sand moving as he takes the club back twice.

Reed insisted to reporters afterward that there was no intent to improve his lie and that the camera angle from behind doesn't show how much of a gap there was between the ball and where his club touched the sand.

"The face [of the club] is open as I'm going back, and it's barely touching the sand,'' Reed said. "If it was from my angle, you would have thought I would have felt if it was dragging. From the side you would have seen that with the backswing. It was not improving the lie because I was far enough away from the golf ball because when I take my practice swings anyways, I don't ever put the club directly behind the ball because I'm always scared of the ball moving. I'm always going to give myself some room, especially on the practice swings.

"After seeing that camera angle, because it brushed the sand, it's a penalty.''

Reed wasn't convinced he had committed a violation but accepted the penalty because of the video he viewed.

His score of bogey-6 was changed to a triple-bogey 8 and his total score went from 72 to 74.

That means Reed went from being one shot behind leader Gary Woodland through 54 holes to three shots back and in a tie for sixth.

According to the PGA Tour, Reed violated Rule 8.1a (4): "removing or pressing down sand on loose soil.''

Reed, who led the tournament at the start of the day, struggled for much of the third round. His shot into the sandy area on the par-5 11th hole left him contemplating how to play it, and because it is not a bunker, it appeared that there was sand behind his ball. He was playing his third shot; the ball trickled over the green and he ended up making a bogey-6 before the penalty strokes were added.

"That angle that we had was behind [the ball] and he's looking from on top, so I don't know if he could have seen it as clearly as we did,'' said PGA Tour rules official Slugger White. "But he could not have been a better gentleman ... You could see, the club did get behind the ball closer and then when he took it away, you could see the path of the sand come away in two different occasions.''

White said that Reed accepted the verdict and did not try to argue that there was no intent to improve his lie. "Intent would not matter,'' he said.

Cavaliers' Love (illness) to miss Magic game

Published in Basketball
Friday, 06 December 2019 15:38

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Cleveland Cavaliers star forward Kevin Love is sick and will miss Friday night's game against the Orlando Magic.

Love has been ill the past two days, and Cleveland coach John Beilein is hoping another day's rest will help his best player recover.

Beilein said Love could rejoin the team in time for Saturday night's game at Philadelphia.

Love is averaging 16.7 points and 10.7 rebounds for the young Cavs. They have dropped four straight games and 10 of 11.

Love missed three games recently with a bruised back. He scored just eight points in 21 minutes in Tuesday's lopsided loss to Detroit.

Cubs agree to 1-year contract with reliever Winkler

Published in Baseball
Friday, 06 December 2019 15:34

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs and reliever Dan Winkler agreed Friday to a one-year contract that pays $750,000 in the majors.

The 29-year-old right-hander is 8-2 with two saves and a 3.68 ERA in 117 relief appearances over five seasons with Atlanta. He was 3-1 with a 4.98 ERA in 27 outings for the Braves last year before getting traded to San Francisco for pitcher Mark Melancon on July 31. Winkler spent the rest of the season in the minors.

The Cubs went 84-78 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

Winkler gets a $200,000 if he's in the minors. He can earn $750,000 in performance bonuses for games pitched: $50,000 each for 30 and 35, $75,000 apiece for 40 and 45, $100,000 each for 50 and 55, and $150,000 apiece for 60 and 65.

Sarah Inglis hopes for hat-trick in Barbados

Published in Athletics
Friday, 06 December 2019 14:48

Scottish runner looks to end her strong year on a high with another half-marathon win in the Caribbean

Sarah Inglis is targeting a half-marathon hat-trick in Barbados this weekend as she looks to sign off a successful 2019 in style.

Fresh from a runner up finish at the Canadian cross country championships, the Vancouver-based Scot has returned to the eastern Caribbean island to defend the title she has won the past two years, while she’ll also race the 10km and mile as part of a busy Run Barbados Marathon Weekend race programme.

As well as prize money and a return trip on offer for winners, being in Barbados also gives in-form Inglis the chance to reflect on the past year, which saw her return to the GB team for the first time since 2010 and set PBs at distances from 1500m up to the half-marathon.

“2019 has been so good and this has been the perfect end – coming here and racing and relaxing, just to enjoy,” says the 28-year-old, who defends her half-marathon title on Sunday. “It has been a really good end to a really good year.”

Inglis raced for Great Britain as a teenager nine years ago at the World Cross Country Championships in Poland and after a move to Canada in 2013 she is now really seeing all her hard work come to fruition.

The Lothian athlete ran a Canadian all-comers record over 5km in March, with her time of 15:29 also moving her into the top three on the Scottish all-time list and sixth on the GB all-time rankings, while she clocked PBs of 4:11.51 for 1500m, 15:25.01 for 5000m, 32:11.42 for 10,000m and 32:24 for 10km on the road as well as 72:23 for the half-marathon in November.

She also pulled on the GB vest at both the European 10,000m Cup in London and the European Team Championships in Poland, where she finished third in the 5000m.

“It has probably been one of the best years I’ve had, running wise, I made huge improvements,” says the part-time teacher, who trains with the Mustang Endurance group in Vancouver under coach Mark Bomba. “In 2018 I was injured for a large part of it and I think it was a blessing in disguise, having that rest.

“Making two GB teams, it has been a real whirlwind. The progression has been really good.”

While her trip to Barbados gives Inglis the opportunity to reflect, it’s also a time to refocus ahead of 2020 which offers her the chance to return to world-level competition, coincidentally back in Poland which is where she last raced for GB on the global stage.

“It’s a busy year,” she says.” I’m planning to do the Houston half-marathon at the end of January and hopefully run a fast enough time for the World Half Marathon Championships in Poland in March.

“That’s the first target. Then I’ll get on the track and see if I can get to the European Cup 10km and Olympic trials and see how close I can get to that standard.”

Host star Zhang Mo falls in first round upset

Published in Table Tennis
Friday, 06 December 2019 12:45

It was a slow start for Zhang, whose tentative play in the rallies presented an early advantage for Sikorska. She combined short reverse pendulum serves to the forehand with a balanced game of control spin and aggression.

For Zhang the small problems began to increase as she fell behind, losing both the first and second games of the match. A quiet crowd of spectators watched on, wondering the fate of their local heroine.

As the third game began, Zhang came out firing. Playing with more concise strokes, third and fifth ball attack set ups and decisiveness, the Canadian quickly began to settle herself and climb back into the match.

Zhang took back the next three games as Sikorska was left trying to stop the momentum.

As spirits began to rise again the Canadian supporters brought a positive vibe to the venue, helping Zhang on her way. She led 3-2 in the match and looked to be on the right track.

Sikorska had other plans and was far from done, she took off to a strong lead in the 6th, not fazed by the pace changes and difficulty of Zhang’s short pimple forehand side. She pulled to a 7-4 lead.

As Zhang sped to catch up, trailing by just one point at 8-7, Sikorska called “time out”.

A lucky break in a fast-paced backhand exchange, followed by an unforced error on a loose serve receive handed two points to Sikorska. The match would go to seven games.

Neck and neck throughout, it was Zhang who changed ends with a pivotal lead, increasing it to 7-5. Sikorska battled back to trail 7-8, forcing a “time out” by the Canadian. Zhang’s call for a break was initially effective. She held two match points at 10-8.

Sikorska had the serve and forced a receive error before the ball found the top edge of Zhang’s racket, the match was in a deadlock. 3-3, 10-10.

The Polish player held her nerve under the pressure to pull off an outstanding upset. Much to the disappointment of the Canadian fans, the singles run of Zhang Mo on home ground was over.

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