After Thursday’s action at the Mayakoba Golf Classic was completely washed out, players finally got going Friday at El Camaleon Golf Club. Here’s where things stand after 18 holes in Playa del Carmen, Mexico:

Leaderboard: Danny Lee (-9), Brendon Todd (-8), Adam Long (-8), Chris Baker (-7), Vaughn Taylor (-7), Mark Hubbard (-7), Zach Johnson (-7), Billy Horschel (-6), Harris English (-6)

What it means: Soft conditions and preferred lies led to some low scores Friday on a layout that usually punishes lack of precision. None was lower than Lee’s 9-under 62, which continued a strong fall for Lee, who placed runner-up at the CJ Cup and shared 10^th at the Zozo Championship.

Round of the day: It was #59watch early in Mexico as Lee shot a 7-under 29 on the front nine that included an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole. Using preferred lies, Lee threatened Roland Thatcher’s course-record 61, moving to 10 under through 13 holes, before bogeying the par-4 14^th and parring his final four holes.

Best of the rest: Todd, who won two weeks ago in Bermuda, shot 8-under 63 and shares second with Long, who entered the week just outside the top 50 in the FedExCup. Baker, meanwhile, missed his first four cuts this fall before the rookie tied for 31^st in Bermuda. Baker tied Lee for the lead through 15 holes, only to miss short par putts on Nos. 16 and 18.

Biggest disappointment: International Presidents Cup captain can’t be pleased with Joaquin Niemann’s start. The Prez Cup rookie from Chile opened with a quadruple bogey and shot 5-over 76.

Main storyline entering Saturday: After losing an entire day of competition, players will need all of Saturday to complete their second rounds, which means Sunday will likely include the final two rounds with threesomes, split tees and no re-pairs, or we’ll have to finish things up Monday. The last Monday finish at Mayakoba was 2015, when Graeme McDowell won in a playoff. Coincidentally, McDowell is part of a large group at 5 under that also includes Chez Reavie, International Presidents Cupper Abe Ancer, former world No.1 Luke Donald, rookie sensation Scottie Scheffler and sponsor exemption Alvaro Ortiz, an Arkansas grad and Mexico native.

Shot(s) of the day: Unfortunately, we don’t have video for you, but Cameron Tringale and Chase Seiffert aced the par-3 fourth hole in back-to-back groups on Thursday.

Carmelo Anthony isn't expected to make his Portland Trail Blazers debut until Tuesday's game at New Orleans at the earliest, league sources tell ESPN.

Anthony, 35, has to complete a physical with the Blazers before the one-year, non-guaranteed contract is finalized -- and that could some as soon as Saturday, league sources said.

The Blazers are starting a six-game road trip that includes games against San Antonio (Saturday) and Houston (Monday). Struggling with frontcourt injuries, including power forward Zach Collins and center Jusuf Nurkic, Portland has struggled to a 4-8 start to the season. The Blazers reached the Western Conference Finals a year ago.

The Blazers are hopeful that Anthony can bring an immediate presence to a locker room that needs a jolt. Anthony, a 10-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer, hasn't played a game since a 10-game run with the Rockets that ended early in the 2018-2019 season.

Aintree clash for cross-country runners at British & Irish Masters International on Saturday

England host the British and Irish Masters International at a fast and flat course at Aintree racecourse on Saturday (Nov 16) although athletes are basing themselves at Southport, where the presentations will be held on Saturday evening.

There will be five races with the addition of a new event the M65+ and W65+ 6km race to start proceedings at 11am. The W35 to W60 6km race follows at 12 noon, the M50 to M60 8km is at 12.45pm and the M35-M45 8km race is at 1.30pm. There is also an open 6km/8km at 2.15pm.

England are expected to dominate the team competitions but individual honours could well be more spread out.

Race 1: men 65-75 and women W65-75

In previous years the men aged over 65 have run with the women but here they will be will have a clearer run up front and they race up with the older women.

The RunBritain handicap rankings allow a reasonable comparison to be made among British competitors who rarely race each other, but Ireland is not part of that system.

All-time great and M65 2018 runner-up Nigel Gates (handicap 3.2 – the lower the better) in the absence of last year’s winner Alan Davies is clearly the favourite with last year’s third David Butler (4.2), Scotland’s Anthony Martin (4.8) and Andrew McLinden (5.2) and Wales’ Ello Lepore (5.4) the next best on the handicap.

Irish champion Paul Elliott should also place highly but England should easily retain the team title.

The M70 race should be between Northern Ireland’s former M65 winner Terry Eakin (6.9), Scotland’s Alex Sutherland (7.3) and England’s Mick Casey (7.9) and Malcolm Weir (8.6) with Scotland and England the pick of the teams.

England’s guitarist Peter Giles (8.6) looks the class of the M75 field but will be up against last year’s winner Robert Young (10.2) with Martin Ford (10.8) possibly the best of the rest.

Wales won the M75s last year but England have a much stronger squad this year.

Scotland should do well in the W65s with last year’s runner-up Ann White (13.6) backed up by stronger handicaps Jeanette Craig (11.4) and Jane Waterhouse (11.9).

Dorothy Kesterton (11.5), who was third last year, heads an experienced England team with Ireland’s Carmel McDomhnaill looking the other likely challenger.

W70 Angela Copson (11.5) could beat all the W65s and retain her title but could be challenged by European champion Penny Forse (12.3) while fellow team-mates Margaret Moody (13.8) and Ros Tabor (13.9) will dominate for England with Ireland’s Margaret Glavey looking the next best.

Women: Race 2 (W35-W60)

The overall women’s race last year saw Irish W40 Teresa Doherty narrowly win from fellow W40 Kirsty Longley of England and W35 winner Michelle Sandison of Scotland and all three return.

Longley (0.2) has been in better form this year, having run 33:43 for 10km in Leeds recently but Doherty has also been in form, winning the Irish overall title by half a minute.

Sandison (1.8) could see the W35 title go to fellow Scot Katie White (1.2) with White looking a likely overall winner too.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales could all challenge a far from full strength England W35 team, who have no runners in the top 100 British W35s in the RunBritain handicap lists.

England should win the W40s with Elizabeth Renondeau (1.9) and Louise Rudd (2.3) likely to back up Longley.

They also might well dominate the W45s with former international Emma Stepto (2.2), multiple past winner Claire Martin (2.5) and Lucie Tait-Harris (2.8) all potential medallists. Ireland’s Breda Gaffney, who was fourth last year, is another.

They will almost certainly dominate the W50s with Philippa Taylor (3.9) and world masters medallist Sue McDonald (4.0) probably heading the field with Wales’ Niki Morgan (5.0) a potential challenger.

In the W55s, three-time W50 winner Clare Elms (1.6) looks the pick of the field by some distance with Irish pairing Niamh O’Sullivan – a former overall winner – and Kay Byrne potential medallists. England’s Wendy Roethenbaugh (5.8), Caroline Wood (6.9) and last year’s third Monica Williamson (7.0) should ensure another English win.

Defending champion Pauline Moran of Ireland is expected to retain her W60 crown with Northern Ireland’s Patricia Brown (7.7) and England’s Carole Page (7.7) also likely to be to the fore. Ireland could challenge England in the team event.

Men: Race 3 (M50-M60)

Defending champion Tim Hartley (-1.9) has a superb record in the event and should again lead England to team glory but Wales’ Lee Aherne (-0.9) looks the best of the rest on handicaps.

England’s Andrew Mitchell and Wales Lee Jones (both -0.7) should be high up too.

European masters 10,000m champion Andrew Leach (-1.4) should be too strong for the rest and will have current world masters champion Ben Reynolds to back him up.

Another M50 winner Austin Davies (1.8) has not shown the same form of late but is a great competitor and another likely challenger is Irish champion Tommy Hughes, who ran a stunning world age 59 marathon best of 2:27 in Frankfurt.

Scotland’s European masters 5000m and road 10km champion Alastair Walker (0.4) is favourite for the M60 event but he could have trouble retaining his title by Northern Ireland’s David Clarke (0.3), who has the better handicap.

Led by Robert Atkinson (1.4) and Paul Muller (2.2), England should still win the team prize.

Men: Race 4 (M35-M45)

The M35 race will see Northern Ireland’s Mark McKinstry (-3.6) try and retain his title and 2018 runner-up Rossa Hurley also returns.

Conrad Franks (-3.2) may well lead the English team.

European masters 1500m champion Matthew Barnes (-2.7) should be a factor in the M40 age group as should Scot Grant Baillie (-2.1) and Ireland’s Paul Moloney in what could be an open team contest.

England should dominate the M45 team competition led by Andrew Grant and Terry Scott (-2.9) and 2018 third and European masters champion Simon Baines (-2.1).

Last year’s runner-up Scott Brember (-2.5) is sure to challenge the leading English runners.

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Joe Gibbs and Tony Stewart will become adversaries on Sunday afternoon when their organizations do battle for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series crown.

However, Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Gibbs and Stewart were needling one another and cajoling with the media like the old friends they have been since working together two decades earlier.

It was a decidedly different feel than the Championship 4 owners’ press conference has had in years past, particularly in the fact that only two men were on stage as opposed to four team representatives.

That it was Gibbs and his former driver, who became a team owner because of the Super Bowl-winning coach and four-time Cup Series champion owner, was just an added bonus for both.

“It means a lot to me,” said Stewart of fighting Gibbs for the title as car owners. “At the beginning of the season, you don’t know who you’re going to be sitting up here with. It could be three other owners and this year it’s unique in that it’s one guy that I’ve spent a lot of time with and I think the world of. To be able to compete against him for a championship is a really cool deal.”

Tying the matter together even further is the fact that both Stewart and Gibbs will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January.

“This whole year and everything with the Hall of Fame, all of it is really special to be doing a lot of this with Joe,” Stewart noted. “Every week we want to go out and beat his guys as much as anybody else, but at the end of the year to be battling it out and think about where we were, what, 25 years ago now?

“God, we really are getting old, aren’t we?” Stewart quipped with a laugh.

“Yeah, we are,” Gibbs agreed as he grinned widely. “I’m in the fourth quarter.”

The wordplay and jabs started even before that moment, however, when Stewart came into the media center with a team polo on while Gibbs approached the stage in a full suit.

“I guess this is how you dress when you have one car in the championship and (how Gibbs was dressed) is how you dress when you have three,” Stewart joked. “I walked in and I’m like, ‘Are you going to court today Joe?’ Oh, wait a minute, he’s got three cars in and this is the way you’ve got to dress (in that scenario). You’ve got to step it up.”

“This is the way Tony dresses; this is the way Joe dresses,” Gibbs shot back.

Later, Stewart recalled a story about the day he signed his first contract with Gibbs and threw off the veteran owner with a joking question about driving a Top Fuel dragster during his JGR tenure.

“The cutting up and carrying on that we do … it started that day because I let him go for about five seconds believing I was serious when I was just messing with him,” Stewart laughed. “His head started spinning off. It looked like a horror movie.”

Even amid their pending title tilt on Sunday, Stewart was quick to recognize Gibbs’ contributions to his life and his professional career, both as a driver and now as a car owner.

“I learned a lot from this guy in the years I was there. And I’ve said it a million times, but if I didn’t work for him, I wouldn’t be where I’m at now and I wouldn’t be doing the things that I’m doing now,” Stewart said. “I surely wouldn’t be in debt like I am now. And I blame all of it on Joe. (Laughter)”

“But it’s great to have worked with somebody like him because he’s worked with so many great people. It’s not just things that you see that show up at the race track,” he continued. “A lot of it pertains to everyday life, too, and when you get a chance to sit with him long enough and when you shut your mouth and listen, and spend more time listening than talking, you can learn a lot from this guy.

“I promise you, it helps, and I know that I’ve taken a lot away from my years with him.”

And regardless of Sunday’s final outcome, the respect that emanates between Stewart and Gibbs will remain, no matter which one of them is celebrating with their driver after 400 miles on Sunday.

“The goal of every organization at the beginning of the year is to go out and win big races and contend for a championship, and then try to win a championship at the end of the season,” Stewart said. “To get one in was definitely a goal, but our bigger goal is obviously to be in the scenario Joe is in and have multiple cars in. It’s tough, but as much as we’ve always had fun with one another like this, we’ve always had a high level of respect for each other as well.”

“We do have great respect between us, and I think everybody in the garage area has a lot of respect for Tony and Gene and what they’ve built,” Gibbs added. “It has got us scared and worried, I’ll tell you that. If you look at Kevin and what Tony and his group have done, they’re there a bunch and they can win championships, and we know it. If they hit this thing, then we’re going to be in trouble.

“But we’ll just see what happens on Sunday and see which one of us is happy at the end.”

TOPEKA, Kan. – The Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour will be back next season with a calendar that includes 10 events for 20 Hoosier Super Tour races.

For the fourth year in a row, the series will commence its exciting season in January and conduct at least one race weekend each month right through July.

As has become tradition, this year’s Hoosier Super Tour will again open at Sebring Int’l Raceway in Florida before a February visit to Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. However, this year’s stop at COTA will only be a two-day event. Then, competitors head west to Central California’s Buttonwillow Raceway Park in February this year instead of the traditional April visit, a new twist for the 2020 season.

March sees a return to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, followed by an early April date at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit just west of Tulsa, Okla. That is followed by a weekend tentatively scheduled at Virginia Int’l Raceway along the border of North Carolina and Virginia.

One Hoosier Super Tour event will take place in May, and that will be out west at Portland Int’l Raceway in Oregon. Drivers then head back to the Midwest for a tentative date at Road America for the annual WeatherTech Chicago Region June Sprints, which would certainly serve as a preview for Runoffs competition since that venue is hosting the 2020 National Championship.

Next on the Hoosier Super Tour calendar is a June visit to beautiful Watkins Glen Int’l in New York before the season concludes in July with a tentative date at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. This will be the first time the series has capped off its regular season at Mid-Ohio, which has traditionally held its Hoosier Super Tour event in early June.

2020 SCCA Hoosier Super Tour Schedule

Jan. 10-12 – Sebring Int’l Raceway – Sebring, Fla.

Feb. 8-9 – Circuit of the Americas – Austin, Texas

Feb. 21-23 – Buttonwillow Raceway Park – Buttonwillow, Calif.

March 20-22 – Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta – Braselton, Ga.

April 4-5 – Hallett Motor Racing Circuit – Jennings, Okla.

April 10-12 – Virginia Int’l Raceway – Alton, Va.

May 16-17 – Portland Int’l Raceway – Portland, Ore.

June 12-14 – Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wis.

June 19-21 – Watkins Glen Int’l – Watkins Glen, N.Y.

July 17-19 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – Lexington, Ohio

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Jordan Martinook is back with the Carolina Hurricanes a little over a month after having core muscle surgery.

The team on Friday activated the forward from injured reserve. He missed 15 games after having surgery to repair a core muscle injury Oct. 11.

The 27-year-old alternate captain had one assist in four games before he was hurt. He had a career-best 15 goals with 10 assists while playing 82 games during the 2018-19 regular season.

After play was canceled Thursday at the Mayakoba Golf Classic because of heavy rain, players were eager to get some low scores on the leaderboard Friday.

That included Cameron Tringale and Chase Seiffert, who both made aces in back-to-back groups on the 112-yard, par-3 fourth hole at El Camaleon Golf Club.

According to PGATour.com, both players used 56-degree wedges off the tee and were given bottles of Patron tequila as celebratory gifts. 

Tringale went on to shoot 2-under 69 and Seiffert carded one better, a 68. 

Chivas owner Jorge Vergara has died after going into cardiac arrest, his son, Amaury Vergara, confirmed on Friday. He was 64.

"It's with profound sadness and pain that I want to communicate that my father, Jorge Carlos Vergara Madrigal, president and founder of Grupo Omnilife Chivas, left this life today due to a cardiac arrest on Nov. 14 in the city of New York, United States," read a statement from Amaury Vergara.

There had long been rumors and reports about the state of Vergara's health and he had named Amaury club president last June.

pic.twitter.com/mbdFAVBEPh

— Amaury Vergara Z. (@Amauryvz) November 15, 2019

Guadalajara-born businessman Jorge Vergara bought Liga MX giant Chivas in 2002 and modernized the club, winning league titles in 2006 and 2017. The club built a new stadium on the outskirts of Guadalajara, opening it with a 2010 match against Manchester United.

Vergara was sometimes a controversial figure in Mexican football and with the Chivas fanbase, many of whom wanted more investment in the team.

Vergara also founded MLS franchise Chivas USA in Los Angeles in 2004 as he sought to expand the Chivas brand, but the club folded in 2014.

Bitter Chivas rival Club America, with whom Vergara had numerous spats, published a tweet later Friday lamenting Vergara's death and calling him "a great businessman and football person."

The funeral will be held in Guadalajara.