SHANGHAI: Hideki Matsuyama made nine birdies in suddenly chilly conditions for a 7-under 65 that gave him a three-shot lead going into the weekend at the HSBC Champions.
Neither the rain in the opening round nor the bone-chilling cold on Friday seem to matter to the Japanese star, who has made 19 birdies over 36 holes at Sheshan International that got the attention of the players chasing him.
Matsuyama was at 13-under 131.
Defending champion Russell Knox missed a couple of birdie chances late and still had a 68, while Bill Haas shot a 67. They were at 10-under 134.
Rory McIlroy, needing a victory to make it three straight years with a World Golf Championships title, did his best to get back in the game. He was slowed only by an errant tee shot on the 16th that led to his only bogey in a round of 66. McIlroy was six shots behind.
Rickie Fowler started with a pair of bogeys and never quite recovered. He shot a 73 and slipped seven shots back.
“This felt like a cold day at Pebble Beach,” said Daniel Berger, who had a 70 and was in the group five shots behind.
Not everyone handled the brittle conditions. Adam Scott had a pair of double bogeys on par 5s and shot an 80. Kevin Kisner, a runner-up at Sheshan International a year ago, took a 9 on the final hole for an 80. Wyndham Championship winner Si Woo Kim shot 81.
Matsuyama sure didn’t see a 66 when he was on the range and the wind began to strengthen, especially on a Sheshan International course where he tied for 41st and withdrew twice in his three appearances.
During the warm-up this morning, it was starting to get windy and I thought maybe just a couple under par would be a good score,” Matsuyama said. “So I’m really happy with how it ended up today. It was windy and it was cold. The ball, it’s hard to control. It was tough out there today.”
His attitude helped. Given his past experiences, Matsuyama figured he would at least try to enjoy himself and 19 birdies in two days certainly helped.
One goal for Haas over the weekend was to try to make Matsuyama sweat a little, a tall task given how well he is putting and more cold weather in the forecast. Haas did his part to keep up by starting the back nine with back-to-back birdies and dropping only one shot.
Knox ran off three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the front nine, and then hung on when the weather was at its worst.
“It turned nasty with four or five holes to go,” Knox said. “I had a lot of shots from 200 yards, which fortunately is a strength of mine because I don’t hit it very far. It was a battle out there. I’m happy to be done.”
It remains a battle for US Open champion Dustin Johnson, who braved the conditions in a short-sleeved shirt, and then a short-sleeved rain jacket. He went bogey-birdie-double bogey around the turn, tried to turn it around with an eagle on the par-5 14th, and then followed that by going bogey-birdie-bogey, the last one a three-putt. He had another 74 and was at 4-over 148, leaving him 17 shots behind.
He played with Patrick Reed, also in short sleeves, and toward the bottom of the pack.
McIlroy thought a round of 66 would get him back in the mix, and it at least got him going in the right direction. As well as he played, he was surprised to see Matsuyama do one shot better in the cold wind.
Still, he was where he wanted to be going into the weekend. McIlroy made up more ground in fewer holes, so he wasn’t worried with two rounds remaining. The only concern was whether Matsuyama could keep this up.
Matsuyama won the Phoenix Open in early February, and then finally got back on track by winning the Japan Open two weeks ago and finishing runner-up to Justin Thomas last week at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.
“He’s playing very well and he’ll be tough to catch,” McIlroy said. “But I feel like from what I saw out there today, if I can keep that sort of golf going over the next two days, I should have a chance.”
Hideki Matsuyama piles up birdies and leads in Shanghai
Hideki Matsuyama piles up birdies and leads in Shanghai
England’s Livingstone leaves IPL to get ‘knee sorted’
- Livingstone played just seven of 12 matches for Punjab, who have been knocked out of the play-off race
- His injury is reportedly not serious but requires rest before England play Pakistan in four T20Is this month
NEW DELHI: England batsman Liam Livingstone has left the Indian Premier League early to get his knee “sorted” ahead of the T20 World Cup in June, the Punjab Kings player said.
Livingstone, 30, played just seven of 12 matches for Punjab, who have been knocked out of the play-off race for this season.
Livingstone, who has been named in England’s provisional squad for the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States, missed two matches early this IPL after he went down on the field.
He later did not make the playing XI but returned to the starting line-up last week.
“IPL done for another year, had to get my knee sorted for the upcoming World Cup,” Livingstone wrote on social media.
“Thanks once again to the Punjab Kings fans for all their love and support. Disappointing season as a team and personally, but as always I loved every minute of playing in the IPL.”
According to ESPNcricinfo, Livingstone’s injury is not serious but requires rest before England play Pakistan in four T20 internationals this month.
Livingstone managed just 11 runs with a highest of 38 not out and returned three wickets with his spin bowling.
Other World Cup-bound England players including Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Will Jacks, Phil Salt and Reece Topley will begin to return home in the next few days.
‘Ring of Fire’ timepiece marking Fury v. Usyk fight in Saudi Arabia to be auctioned by Sotheby’s for charity
- A piece from the Astronomia Art collection, the “Ring of Fire” watch is a 50-mm rose-gold timepiece, the design and details of which pay tribute to both fighters
RIYADH: A bespoke timepiece created by Jacob & Co. to commemorate the heavyweight boxing clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia will be auctioned on Friday.
All proceeds will go to the Make-A-Wish International charity.
A piece from the Astronomia Art collection, the “Ring of Fire” watch is a 50-mm rose-gold timepiece, the design and details of which pay tribute to both fighters.
A figurine of each world heavyweight champion measuring less than 1 cm-high adorns the watch, while the hour and minute dials are represented by the iconic champion belt of the World Boxing Council and its green color is used on the strap.
Sotheby’s will host the auction, on the evening before fight night, which will also feature other coveted boxing-themed items, with the high-value Ring of Fire watch the star attraction.
British WBC title holder Fury takes on Ukrainian WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO champion Usyk in Riyadh on May 18 at the Kingdom Arena in the clash, also called the “Ring of Fire.”
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the board of directors at the General Entertainment Authority, commissioned Big Time Creative Shop, the GEA’s creative arm, to work alongside luxury watch brand Jacob & Co. to design and craft the timepiece.
“This is an incredible and rare opportunity to own a piece of boxing history. The magnitude of this fight cannot be underestimated,” Alalshikh said.
“It will be spoken about for decades, and the successful bidder will share a special bond with the lead protagonists of this undisputed heavyweight story through the collective ownership of these unique and elegant timepieces.
“We are also pleased to be able to donate all auction proceeds to Make-A-Wish International, so they can help fulfil the wishes of even more children around the world,” he said.
Ever in confident mood, Fury said that the watch would remind the owner of a night of boxing history.
“This watch will forever represent a bit of boxing history and, for me personally, it is going to be a constant reminder of the night I became the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the 21st century,” he said. “This is a rare and incredible timepiece and I hope it can raise lots of cash for an important global cause. I’d also like to thank everyone who has been involved in putting this together,” he said.
His Ukrainian opponent said that he hoped as much money as possible could be raised in auctioning the watch.
“I look forward to the auction and seeing who will be fortunate enough to achieve the winning bid and share with me in owning this masterpiece,” he said.
“I encourage everyone who can to get involved so we see a big donation to help with the good work of Make-A-Wish International. This watch is an excellent allegory of the limited time given to us by God in this world to help others and make it a better place to live.”
Saudi Hockey Federation announces tournament in Western Region to be played in Jeddah
- The tournament will feature six teams comprising 60 players
LONDON: The Saudi Hockey Federation announced on Monday it was organizing the Saudi Arabia Western Region Championship, which will kick off next Friday at the sports hall of Al-Ittihad Club in Jeddah.
The tournament will feature six teams comprising 60 players.
The hockey federation said the championship was part of its plan to develop hockey in the Kingdom and marks the beginning of its series of tournaments for the 2024 season.
The federation said that it would continue to organize similar tournaments, with an aim to expanding them to various regions of the Kingdom, to create a competitive environment for the sport and in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Felix da Costa wins historic third Berlin E-Prix
- Round 10 win at Tempelhof earns TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team first victory on home turf
- Nick Cassidy of Jaguar TCS Racing has a 45-point lead in standings after victory in round 9
BERLIN: Antonio Felix da Costa became the only driver to win three times at the Tempelhof Airport street circuit after he clinched the win in round 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
His win at the Berlin E-Prix also secured Tag Heuer Porsche’s inaugural victory on home turf in Formula E.
“It just feels great to win at a home race for Porsche, it’s amazing,” said da Costa. “We’ve got so many guests here: so many people who work in the factory that don’t normally get to come to the races, our board members are here, so it’s definitely a special one.
“Honestly, it’s been a tough start to the season and we’ve been building a really good momentum, always closing the gap to the championship leaders and it feels good to take this one.”
He added: “You have to work hard when things aren’t right, but when you have the right people around you it makes it a little bit easier. I want to dedicate to this to my engineer’s father-in-law who passed away this week, so it’s for him and his family.”
Da Costa held on throughout the 38-lap race, despite relentless pressure from Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy of Jaguar, the latter being the victor of round 9 on Saturday.
Cassidy executed a last-minute move on Nissan’s Oliver Rowland to secure second place, clinching the fastest lap in the process. Rowland snatched third after a challenging starting position, ahead of Tag Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein, who valiantly battled reigning champion Jake Dennis (Andretti) for fourth.
Cassidy’s teammate, Evans, finished in sixth. Jehan Daruvala of Maserati MSG Racing delivered an impressive seventh-place finish after navigating through the pack from 13th, marking a personal best Formula E result for the Indian driver.
Climbing from 18th to eighth place was 19-year-old Taylor Barnard of NEOM McLaren Formula E, showing remarkable skill in what was his first full weekend in the series. Joel Eriksson (Envision Racing) also achieved his best result to date with a ninth-place finish, while Jean-Eric Vergne (DS PENSKE) rounded out the top ten.
Cassidy leaves Berlin with a substantial 45-point haul and assumes top position in the standings with 140 points, ahead of Wehrlein on 124. Rowland occupies third place with 118 points.
In the team championship, Jaguar TCS Racing leads with 237 points, followed by TAG Heuer Porsche in second place with 183.
Saudi team ready for World Para Athletics Championships in Japan
DUBAI: The Saudi Paralympic team has set off for Kobe, in Japan, where they are competing in the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships.
The team’s preparations included extensive training sessions in both local and international camps.
The first phase took place in Riyadh, Jeddah and Damman from March to April, while phase two was in Dubai and included the team’s participation in the Gulf Games.
The 11th edition of the World Para Athletics Championships begins today and runs until May 27. It is being held at the Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium, where more than 1,000 athletes from 100 nations will compete in 168 events.
The 2024 championships are the first to be held in East Asia and the third one in Asia, following Doha in 2015 and Dubai in 2019.
