ABU DHABI: Ireland’s Shane Lowry won a see-saw battle with Richard Sterne, needing a birdie on the last hole to win the $7 million Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Saturday.
Lowry held his nerves on the back nine to make up a deficit of four shots after losing a three-shot advantage early in the final round.
He closed with a one-under par-71 round for a one-shot win over Sterne, who shot a final round of 69.
It was Lowry’s first win since the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational in August 2015 and he is expected to rise to number 40 in the world ranking from his current 75.
Netherland’s Joost Luiten made two eagles in his round — including a hole-out second shot on the par-four ninth hole — to shoot a 65 on a windy Abu Dhabi Golf Club course to finish solo third at 15-under 273, one better than South African Louis Oosthuizen (66).
World number two Brooks Koepka (70) finished tied ninth on 277, which meant that England’s Justin Rose will remain the world number one irrespective of his finish this week on the US PGA Tour’s Desert Classic.
“It was an emotional roller-coaster today. I obviously went out with the lead by a few and before I knew it, I was four behind. I was brave out there today. I grounded out well and I’m over the moon,” said Lowry, who received $1.16 million for his fourth European Tour title but the first in which he led wire-to-wire.
“People looking from the outside probably thought I was gone, but I holed a couple of great putts on 12 and 13 and I knew I was in it then.
“I said to my caddie walking down 16 that (if I got) three fours on the last three holes we could have a shout here.
He said he had talked in depth with his coach Neil Manchip before the tournament “about hanging in and staying in there no matter what I do and no matter what I shoot and what shots I hit.”
He added: “It definitely helped me out there today.”
Sterne was quick off the blocks and caught up with Lowry with birdies on his first three holes. The Irishman had also started with a birdie on the opening hole, but dropped a shot on the par-four third and found his three-shot advantage at the start of the day soon vanished.
Lowry regained the lead when he birdied his 10th par-three hole of the tournament on the fourth, but the South African chipped in for a birdie on the difficult par-four fifth hole playing into stiff headwind.
However, he did not enjoy the cushion for long and missed a par putt from a couple of feet on the sixth to tie again with Lowry on 17-under.
The tournament looked like becoming a two-horse race, with their closest rivals five shots behind at that stage, but the next two holes changed the equations completely.
Sterne birdied the par-five eighth hole to go one ahead. Lowry then hooked his tee shot straight into the water on the par-four ninth and wound up with a bogey, while Sterne made another impressive 15-foot birdie putt to go ahead by three at the turn.
The drama continued on the back nine. A bogey by Lowry on the 11th hole gave Sterne a four-shot advantage, but the burly Irishman bounced right back with back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th holes.
Sterne then dropped shots on the 14th and 16th and the duo headed to the 18th hole tied on 17-under par.
Both found the fairway, but the South African pushed his second shot into the cart path on the right. He failed to get his up-and-down from there, while Lowry, on the green in two, two-putted for the decisive birdie.
“I’m just glad that I gave a good performance this week with a strong field. It’s been a while since I’ve had a decent tournament, so I’m pretty happy with the way I performed,” Sterne said.
The win takes Lowry to the top of the European Tour’s Race to Dubai, while Sterne’s long wait for a title — his last was at the Joburg Open in February 2013 — goes on.
Irishman Shane Lowry wins see-saw Abu Dhabi battle over Richard Sterne
Irishman Shane Lowry wins see-saw Abu Dhabi battle over Richard Sterne
- It was Lowry’s first win since the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational in August 2015
- Lowry held his nerves on the back nine to make up a deficit of four shots after losing a three-shot advantage
Bellingham leads Madrid past Mallorca to set up a Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona
- Bellingham blasted in the third shot in a row by Madrid after Rodrygo initially hit the post
- Madrid tacked on two goals late in stoppage time
JEDDAH: Jude Bellingham scored again to lead Real Madrid into the Spanish Super Cup final with a 3-0 win over Mallorca in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
The England midfielder, who led Madrid in scoring last season, started this campaign slowly but has netted seven goals in his last eight Spanish league games.
He notched another goal in 63rd minute of the Super Cup semifinal when he finally broke down a tough Mallorca that until his goal had imposed their defensive style on the star-studded Madrid.
Bellingham blasted in the third shot in a row by Madrid after Rodrygo initially hit the post and goalkeeper Dominik Greif blocked a follow-up by Kylian Mbappé.
Bellingham collected the rebound and slotted his shot from just outside the six-yard box under the on-rushing Greif and past three defenders who were trying to protect the goalmouth.
Madrid tacked on two goals late in stoppage time. Mallorca’s Martin Valjent scored an own goal when he inadvertently turned a pass by Brahim Díaz into his net. Rodrygo then took Madrid’s third.
The match ended with a short scuffle after the final whistle before calm was restored.
Barcelona await Madrid in Sunday’s final.
Madrid lost Aurélien Tchouaméni, a midfielder playing as a central defender, in the 54th after he took a hard knock to the head during a collision with a Mallorca player.
Youth player Raúl Asencio replaced him.
Madrid were competing as last season’s Spanish league champion, while Mallorca were invited as the runner-up in the Copa del Rey.
Former Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who now plays in the Saudi Arabian league, was in attendance.
The minor trophy has become a major cash maker for the federation and competing clubs since the federation struck a deal in 2019 to hold it in the Middle Eastern kingdom.
Ronaldo penalty and Mane double propel Al-Nassr to 3-1 victory
- After Savior Godwin gave Okhdood an early lead, former Liverpool star Sadio Mane leveled after 29 minutes
- Ronaldo, who signed for Al-Nassr two years ago, put the Riyadh club ahead from the penalty spot three minutes before the break
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 11th goal of the season to help Al-Nassr defeat Al-Okhdood 3-1 on Thursday as the Saudi Pro League restarted after a month’s break.
After Savior Godwin gave Okhdood an early lead, former Liverpool star Sadio Mane leveled after 29 minutes.
Ronaldo, who signed for Al-Nassr two years ago, put the Riyadh club ahead from the penalty spot three minutes before the break.
The 39-year-old Portugal star was top scorer last season and is now one goal behind Aleksandar Mitrovic of Al-Hilal in the current rankings.
Mane added his second in the 88th minute as Al-Nassr moved into third in the standings, six points behind Al-Hilal and eight behind leader Al-Ittihad.
Atletico blast decision to let Barca’s Olmo play as dissent grows
- The Catalans sought and were granted a precautionary measure by the CSD on Wednesday
- Las Palmas were also upset with the decision by the CSD
MADRID: La Liga team Atletico Madrid criticized on Thursday a “dangerous precedent” set by the Spanish national sports council (CSD) to allow Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo to play on a temporary basis after his license expired.
Olmo and forward Pau Victor were unregistered by La Liga after Barcelona failed to get their short-term licenses extended before the end of 2024.
The Catalans sought and were granted a precautionary measure by the CSD on Wednesday, while their case against La Liga and the Spanish football federation’s decision is analyzed, which would allow Olmo and Victor to play until there is a final ruling.
“Atletico Madrid wish to express their deep concern about the situation in Spanish football following the resolution adopted this Wednesday by the (CSD),” said the club in a statement.
“We believe that this decision puts the current system in jeopardy, questioning the rules of the game.
“This government intervention creates a very dangerous precedent, as it opens the door to breaking the rules and making the same serious mistakes of the past.”
Financially-struggling Barcelona were not in a position to register Olmo and Victor under La Liga’s strict financial fair play rules, until they agreed a deal to sell some VIP seats to Middle Eastern investors in late December, with the paperwork not ready until after the deadline.
Without the missing players Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao to reach Sunday’s Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.
Las Palmas were also upset with the decision by the CSD.
“We believe that this decision poses a serious threat to the integrity of the competition and sets a worrying precedent that could destabilize the foundations of professional football in our country,” said Las Palmas in a statement.
La Liga president Javier Tebas railed against the decision to let Olmo and Victor play, calling the situation a “tragicomedy” in a post on social media.
Tebas expressed his surprise at the CSD measure and highlighted that it contradicted previous decisions made by the council and some courts.
Continental Europe and Great Britain & Ireland set for Team Cup showdown in Abu Dhabi
- Europe captain Francesco Molinari faces off against fellow major champion and Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose, who leads GB&I
- The event tees off on Friday with a fourballs session, is followed on Saturday by 2 sessions of foursomes and concludes with singles on Sunday
ABU DHABI: Continental Europe, led by captain Francesco Molinari, begin their defense of the Team Cup against Great Britain & Ireland at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort on Friday.
The Italian, who became the first golfer from his country to become a major champion when he triumphed at The Open in 2019, was in charge when the Europeans claimed a 14½-10½ victory over GB&I, captained by Tommy Fleetwood, at the inaugural event (then called the Hero Cup) in 2023, personally contributing three-and-a-half points to the cause.
This time, Molinari is facing face off against fellow major champion, and Ryder Cup teammate, Justin Rose, who is captaining the opposition in an event that serves as an important part of Europe’s Ryder Cup preparations ahead of this year’s contest at Bethpage in New York in September.
The members of the two, 10-man Team Cup squads boast a combined total of 69 DP World Tour titles between them, and include four Ryder Cup players: Molinari, Rose, Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton.
“I think that the experience from two years ago is going to come in handy,” Molinari said. “I think a lot of the stuff that we did worked. I think obviously we were lucky to get the support from my brother and the other past Ryder Cup captains.”
Rose said of his role as captain: “It’s an honor, first and foremost. I think it’s been something that’s sort of been on my mind. Because, obviously, sometimes when you play as a player, you’re obviously preparing all the time for tournaments that come up but when you have something like this looming large, you start thinking about it months in advance.”
The Team Cup is a matchplay contest that tees off on Friday with a fourballs session, is followed on Saturday by two sessions of foursomes, and concludes with singles on Sunday. Every player competes in each of the sessions.
Rose will be in action in the first match on the opening day alongside five-time DP World Tour winner Matt Wallace. They will take on the French pair of Romain Langasque, who won the Amateur Championship in 2015, and Matthieu Pavon, who last season became the first Frenchman for more than 100 years to win on the PGA Tour.
Five-time DP World Tour winner Rasmus Hojgaard, who missed the 2023 event as a result of injury, will partner last year’s Challenge Tour Road to Mallorca Rankings winner Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen against the English pair of Laurie Canter and Jordan Smith.
Alongside the action on the course, there will be a host of activities and events throughout the three days of the event for fans to enjoy. This includes musical entertainment, which begins on Friday with a performance by Irish singer Rory McGettigan. On Saturday, Shades of Jade will take the stage with their dynamic blend of jazz, pop, funk and party classics. After the champions are crowned on the 18th green on Sunday, singer-guitarist The Dazzler will round off the event with an evening of his signature singalongs.
Everton fire manager Dyche hours before a game in first big call by new American owners
- Everton announced the move just hours before hosting third-tier Peterborough in the FA Cup third round
- “The process to appoint a new manager is underway and an update will be provided in due course,” Everton said
LONDON: In the first big call by its new American owners, Everton fired manager Sean Dyche on Thursday with the team just two spots above the relegation zone in the Premier League.
Everton announced the move just hours before hosting third-tier Peterborough in the FA Cup third round.
The storied club — a nine-time English champion which have been without a major trophy since 1995 — were bought last month by the Texas-based Friedkin Group in a deal reportedly worth in excess of 400 million pounds ($495 million).
Fronted by Dan Friedkin and his son Ryan, the group also owns Italian team Roma and has made itself unpopular with supporters of the Serie A club for making contentious management changes — including firing Daniele De Rossi, the club’s beloved former captain, early this season.
Removing Dyche might have been necessary, however, with Everton having won just one of their last 11 league games and scoring in just three of them. With 15 goals from their 19 games, Everton are the second-lowest scorer in the division and have plunged to just one point above the bottom three.
“The process to appoint a new manager is underway and an update will be provided in due course,” Everton said in a statement.
Dyche was in charge for nearly two years, during which he maintained Everton’s status as an ever-present in England’s top division since 1954. His style of play was pragmatic and often turgid, relying on not conceding goals more than providing entertainment — and that might be something the Friedkins look to change.
Everton said Leighton Baines, a former player and the club’s under-18s coach, and current club captain Seamus Coleman will take charge of the team on an interim basis.
Everton’s next Premier League game is on Wednesday against Aston Villa.
