ABU DHABI: Three-time Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner Martin Kaymer once again showed his prowess at Abu Dhabi Golf Club with a second round of 66 to lead by a shot heading into moving day.
Kaymer’s second 66 of the week included six birdies, an eagle and a bogey, with a clutch birdie putt on the 18th putting him out in front of Rafa Cabrera Bello, who moved to 11-under for the tournament after his morning round of 66. Ireland’s Paul Dunne, England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Kiradech Aphibarnrat sit in tied-third on 10-under, with Henrik Stenson and 2014 Champion Pablo Larrazabal among the four-man group at 9-under.
Asked if he expected to start his first event of 2017 so well, Kaymer said: “You never know, after a long break like that. I didn’t play a tournament for seven weeks. Then you come out here and shoot 12-under par after two rounds, obviously a brilliant start.
“For me it’s always a nice tournament to start my season with. I’ve won here a few times in the past. It’s a good feeling with the practice that you put in over the last two months pays off right away. So far, very positive.
“But I felt like I played a little bit better than yesterday. It was a bit more difficult today with the wind, especially the first nine. I struck the ball a little bit better and I made a few long putts today, same as yesterday.”
Cabrera Bello, who finished 8th in last season’s Race to Dubai, capitalized on superb conditions on The National Course to set an early clubhouse lead.
“Obviously happy again,” beamed Cabrera Bello. “I felt I continued the line of play of yesterday. I played really good.
“It was very nice this morning. Not a breath of wind. The ball was rolling on the green perfectly. I managed to putt very good and kept myself out of trouble. Didn’t do those mistakes I did yesterday off the tee. In the end, very pleased with minus six.”
Headline American duo Dustin Johnson and defending Champion Rickie Fowler began to show signs of their world-class ability on day two, as the pair shot matching rounds of 68 to beat the 2-under cut mark.
“It would have been nice to play the last couple a little bit better,” said Fowler after his round. “But solid day. Obviously left myself kind of up against the wall yesterday to make sure I got into the weekend today. Happy about that. We’ll keep building on that.”
The joint-lowest round of day two came from amateur Curtis Luck, a beneficiary of a Championship invite. The talented Australian carded a 7-under par 65 to sit comfortably in tied-12th heading into the final two days. Luck’s fellow amateur in the field, UAE-based Rayhan Thomas, produced an impressive display for his 17 years, but a round of 75 left him five shots short of the cut on his second European Tour appearance.
The tournament saw a bumper crowd on ‘Ladies Day’, as visitors soaked up the sun and activities in the Village. A highlight of the day saw lucky Championship-goer Megan Derricott win a trip for two to New York Fashion Week with Etihad Airways in the highly contested ‘Best Dressed’ competition, judged by Emirates Woman magazine.
The fun continues on Saturday with the Championship offering free entry for anyone wearing Championship red. Fans, families and friends will enjoy sports activities, delicious food truck cuisine and competitions in the Championship Village, in between watching the likes of Henrik Stenson, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Martin Kaymer compete on course.
Kaymer on top in Abu Dhabi golf
Kaymer on top in Abu Dhabi golf
From dust to data: NEOM McLaren’s Bird and James eye strong finish after tough Jakarta test
- Despite some setbacks this season, Bird emphasized the importance of staying focused and united as a team
Riyadh: Coming off a demanding weekend at the Jakarta E-Prix, NEOM McLaren Formula E driver Sam Bird and managing director and team principal Ian James joined a media roundtable on June 24 to discuss their takeaways from the race and the team’s trajectory heading into the final stretch of the season.
Bird pointed to the circuit conditions in Jakarta as the toughest challenge of the weekend. He said that while dust was expected at the venue, the addition of rain made the surface even more unpredictable. “We saw a dusty circuit almost get even dustier and even more difficult,” he said.
The only grip available was on the narrow racing line, and deviating from it often meant a ruined lap or a potential crash. “There was pretty much only the racing line that cleaned up, and then if you put one wheel off the racing line, the lap was finished or you were in the wall,” Bird said. That made overtaking extremely limited, and strategy around attack mode became even more critical.
A technical issue with attack mode activation during the race also stood out as a key learning moment for Bird. Despite following standard procedures — pressing the activation button and passing over the loops — his boost failed to activate.
“We put that down to a regulation I didn’t know about with regards to the amount of time that I needed to press the button for,” he said.
In response, the team is now conducting an internal study of his button press durations over the past year to ensure consistency and compliance in future.
Despite some setbacks this season, Bird emphasized the importance of staying focused and united as a team. “If we can all operate at 100 percent — that’s engineers, mechanics, myself, Taylor (Barnard) — then we know that we can score some big points,” he said. Acknowledging a few missed opportunities, Bird noted that the remaining four races are an opportunity to convert potential into performance.
For James, the most rewarding part of his role has been leading a group of highly skilled and motivated individuals. He described the NEOM McLaren Formula E team as “a group of men and women who are brilliant at what they do,” crediting their dedication and collaboration as key drivers of success. “In bringing all of those ingredients, all those team members together, you then really unlock the performance potential of the team,” he added.
Beyond the racing, James highlighted the progress the team has made in brand development and fan engagement. He confirmed that internal benchmarks in these areas have been met, reflecting Formula E’s growing global appeal.
In particular, he pointed to Saudi Arabia as a case study for that growth. He recalled the early days of Formula E in Diriyah in 2018 when the sport was still unfamiliar to many in the Kingdom. “Every year that we’ve gone back, that interest has grown and grown,” he said, noting that the recent move to Jeddah has introduced the championship to new audiences and strengthened its presence in the region.
With the team fourth in the standings with four races to go, James admitted that more work is needed to meet their goal of a top-three finish. Still, both he and Bird expressed confidence that the team has the talent, structure, and momentum to close the season on a high.
Ronaldo renews Al-Nassr contract until 2027
- Ronaldo has scored 93 goals in 105 appearances for the club
RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a two-year contract extension with Al-Nassr, the Saudi Pro League side announced on Thursday, which will keep the Portuguese forward at the club well past his 42nd birthday.
Ronaldo, who joined the club in 2022 after leaving Manchester United to become a free agent, has scored 93 goals in 105 appearances for the club in all competitions.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at @AlNassrFC until 2027,” the club wrote in a post on X.
Pakistan grouped with Saudi Arabia, Iraq in AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers
- Thirty-one international teams to partake in qualifiers from Sept. 20-24
- AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 will be contested in Jan. 27-Feb. 7
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s football team has been selected in Group D along with Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Chinese Taipei for the qualifiers of the upcoming AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) confirmed on Thursday.
Thirty-one teams have confirmed their participation for the 11th qualifiers, which will take place between September 20 to 24. The draw has divided the teams into eight groups— seven groups of four and one group of three— with each to be played in a centralized league format.
“Our journey to the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 begins in Group D, sharing the pitch with hosts Saudi Arabia,” the PFF wrote on social media platform X.
“An exciting draw that sets the stage for some incredible matches. Time to prepare!“
India are in Group A with Kuwait, Australia and Mongolia while top seeds Thailand will have to contend with Korea Republic, Bahrain and Brunei Darussalam in Group B.
Four-time winners Japan are the top seeds in Group C with hosts Tajikistan, Macau and Cambodia their challengers. Group E will see Vietnam, Lebanon, hosts China and Hong Kong face each other while Group F includes Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic (hosts), Timor-Leste and Palestine.
Iran, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and Bangladesh are part of Group G while Afghanistan, Myanmar and Maldives are part of Group H.
The AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 will be contested from January 27-February 7.
Mbappe files harassment complaint against PSG and judicial officials are investigating
- The Real Madrid star is at odds with his former club, arguing PSG owes him $61 million in unpaid wages
- Mbappe stunned PSG in June 2023 by informing the club he would not take the option for an extra year
PARIS: Kylian Mbappe has accused Paris Saint-Germain of moral harassment in a legal filing, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed on Thursday.
The Real Madrid star is at odds with his former club, arguing PSG owes him €55 million ($61 million) in unpaid wages.
Mbappe is also unhappy with the way he was treated by the Ligue 1 club when the France captain was sidelined before the 2023-24 season, following his decision not to extend his club contract.
The prosecutor’s office said Mbappe is “denouncing the ‘lofting’ he claimed to have been subjected to at Paris Saint-Germain.” The word lofting is used in France to describe a practice that involves isolating a player from the main squad for sporting, administrative, or disciplinary reasons.
Mbappe joined Real Madrid last summer on a free transfer after scoring a club-record 256 goals in seven years at PSG, which won the Champions League without him this year.
Mbappe’s relationship with PSG ended amid deep tensions, and some fans booed him in his last home game at Parc des Princes. PSG felt let down by Mbappe after offering him the most lucrative contract in club history when he signed a new contract in 2022.
But Mbappe was frustrated because he felt promises to sign key players were not kept. When he signed that deal, he was paraded in front of fans holding up a jersey with 2025 on it. Mbappe was reportedly annoyed because the contract was until 2024 — with a player’s option for an extra season.
Mbappe stunned PSG in June 2023 by informing the club he would not take the option for an extra year. With his contract effectively into its final year, it put PSG in the position of needing to sell Mbappe to avoid losing him for nothing when the contract expired.
His PSG career could have ended that summer amid a tense transfer standoff.
After telling the club he would not extend, Mbappe was left off a preseason tour to Japan and South Korea and forced to train with fringe players. PSG said it would rather sell him than let the player leave for free in 2024, but he rejected a €300 million move to Saudi Arabia team Al-Hilal.
PSG left Mbappe out of the opening league game of that season but he soon returned to the lineup following talks.
Mbappe’s legal team said in April it would start an action against PSG for harassment because of the way he was treated at the time.
Krejcikova suffers injury scare ahead of Wimbledon defense
- The world number 17 suffered the problem on Wednesday during her second-round victory over Britain’s Jodie Burrage
- The injury worsened overnight and the 29-year-old opted not to risk aggravating it
EASTBOPURNE, UK: Barbora Krejcikova faces a race to prove her fitness in time to defend the Wimbledon title after the Czech pulled out of the Eastbourne Open with a thigh injury on Thursday.
Krejcikova was due to face France’s Varvara Gracheva in the quarter-finals at Devonshire Park, but announced her withdrawal just hours before the match.
The world number 17 suffered the problem on Wednesday during her second-round victory over Britain’s Jodie Burrage.
The injury worsened overnight and, with her Wimbledon first-round tie scheduled for Tuesday, the 29-year-old opted not to risk aggravating it.
Krejcikova is awaiting the outcome of a scan before deciding if she will be fit to chase a second successive title at the All England Club.
“I’m very sorry to have to withdraw from my quarter-final today in Eastbourne as I’m having some soreness in my right thigh,” Krejcikova said.
“Overnight it just didn’t get any better, it actually got worse. I think it’s better with Wimbledon in the next couple of days just to rest it and to see what’s going on and to resolve that.”
Krejcikova has endured a difficult time since defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the women’s singles final at Wimbledon last year.
She lost in the second round of the recent French Open and also missed January’s Australian Open with a back injury, which kept her sidelined until May.
Krejcikova made a poor start to the grass-court season with a shock loss against Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova in the first round at Queen’s Club earlier this month.
The two-time Grand Slam champion had to save two match points before beating Britain’s Harriet Dart in the Eastbourne first round.
The second seed saved three more match points against Burrage.
