ABU DHABI: English golfer Tommy Fleetwood carded course record-equalling 10 under par 62 on Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The Championship is the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs and penultimate event of the 2024 Race to Dubai.
Fleetwood, already a two-time winner of this tournament after claiming back-to-back victories in 2017 and 2018, carded eight birdies and an eagle on a low-scoring day at Yas Links to finish one stroke ahead of former Ryder Cup teammate Thorbjorn Olesen and America’s Johannes Veerman.
The 33-year-old, a seven-time DP World Tour winner, was four under after only three holes with a birdie, eagle, birdie start, and he made six further gains as he signed for a bogey-free round, rolling in a final birdie at the last to take the outright lead.
“Just happy to have got off to a great start. I didn’t feel like I swung it perfectly early on and I actually felt like I started playing better as the round got to the back nine,” Fleetwood said.
The wind picked up a little bit, the Englishman said, but overall it was fairly calm. “I think the course, fairways, are playing fast,” he said.
Fleetwood also has an eye on a second Race to Dubai title because he started the week in fifth place on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
A strong performance in Abu Dhabi would give him an outside chance of catching current rankings leader Rory McIlroy at next week’s DP World Tour Championship.
Denmark’s Olesen is seeking a second Rolex Series victory this week to follow from his 2018 Italian Open success. He won his eighth DP World Tour title earlier this year in the UAE, landing the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in January.
Olesen said: “With the conditions of the greens, if you putted really well, you can make a lot of putts. I’m very happy with that. There’s not that much breeze out there, so it definitely feels hot. I think maybe I’m a bit more used to it now after being out here for a couple of years.”
Moreover, Veerman, who won his maiden title at the 2021 D+D REAL Czech Masters, earned his place in the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs after finishing T8, T14 and T14 in his previous three starts. He carded eight birdies and an eagle to join Olesen on nine under par.
Veerman said: “It went just about as good as I would have hoped, maybe even better. I got off to a really fast start. The conditions on this course are pure so you’re never going to have a bad lie.”
Four-time Rolex Series winner Tyrrell Hatton shares fourth on eight under with fellow Englishmen Laurie Canter and Paul Waring and Italy’s Francesco Laporta.
McIlroy carded a five under par 67 to finish the day in a share of 18th place. The Northern Irishman will win the Race to Dubai for a sixth time if he finishes more than 2,000 ranking points ahead of his nearest challenger after this event.
“It’s nice to be paired with Thriston (Lawrence) and Rasmus (Hojgaard) because you can sort of keep an eye on what they are doing, as well. It’s been a really good year, very, very consistent,” he said.
Fleetwood goes low to lead Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
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Fleetwood goes low to lead Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
- The golf tournament is the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs
- ‘I didn’t feel like I swung it perfectly early on and I actually felt like I started playing better as the round got to the back nine,’ Fleetwood said
India’s Bumrah named cricketer of the year after stellar 2024
- Bumrah beat England batters Harry Brook and Joe Root as well as Australia’s Travis Head to the award — the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, given by the sport’s governing body
- New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr was voted women’s cricketer of the year to win the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy
NEW DELHI: India pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been named men’s cricketer of the year for 2024, the International Cricket Council announced Tuesday, a day after he won the Test award.
Bumrah, 31, ended last year as the top wicket-taker in Tests with 71 wickets and inspired India to the T20 World Cup title in June.
“The year 2024 was incredibly special — winning the men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados and also contributing as much as I could across all three formats of the game,” said Bumrah.
“I dedicate this award to everyone who has believed in me, the power of hard work and dreams, and to bowlers worldwide who continue to inspire and strive for excellence.”
Bumrah beat England batters Harry Brook and Joe Root as well as Australia’s Travis Head to the award — the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, given by the sport’s governing body.
He is fifth Indian to receive the award after Rahul Dravid (2004), Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Ravichandran Ashwin (2016) and Virat Kohli (2017, 2018).
Bumrah has claimed 443 wickets in 204 international matches since his debut for India in 2016.
New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr was voted women’s cricketer of the year to win the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, after she won the T20 cricketer of the year on Saturday.
Kerr becomes the first New Zealander to win the trophy after she inspired the White Ferns to their women’s T20 World Cup victory in October last year.
The 24-year-old overcame South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and Australia’s Annabel Sutherland to win the award.
Liverpool rotate squad for game at PSV Eindhoven to rest Salah, Van Dijk and others
- The Reds have already advanced to the round of 16
- manager Arne Slot opted to take a second-string squad to the Netherlands
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool will give some star players including Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk a rest for the Champions League game at PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.
The Reds have already advanced to the round of 16, so manager Arne Slot opted to take a second-string squad to the Netherlands.
Along with Salah and Van Dijk, the other players who were left in Merseyside were Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz.
Liverpool are in first place and can finish no lower than second in the league phase of the Champions League.
On Tuesday, Slot said with the packed schedule it was a chance for players to “get some freshness back.”
The Premier League leaders play at seventh-place Bournemouth on Saturday.
ABB FIA Formula E World Championship announces rookie free practice session at Jeddah E-Prix
- ‘It’s a crucial next step in fulfilling our commitment to nurturing the next generation of racing talent,’ says chief championship officer
- Teams must nominate driver, allocate race car number 7 days prior to event
JEDDAH: The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship announced on Tuesday a rookie free practice session designed for drivers who have never raced in the championship, as part of the Jeddah E-Prix.
Scheduled for Feb. 13, the 40-minute session will provide experienced racing talent from other motorsport championships valuable track time to discover the new, groundbreaking technology of the Formula E GEN3 Evo car.
Alberto Longo, Formula E’s co-founder and chief championship officer, said: “Following on from the success of our official women’s test in November, we’re thrilled to introduce this dedicated rookie free practice session at the Jeddah E-Prix.
“It’s a crucial next step in fulfilling our commitment to nurturing the next generation of racing talent, including young women.”
The opportunity to drive the cutting-edge GEN3 Evo car will, according to Longo, provide invaluable experience for young drivers, and “we believe it will significantly contribute to developing the future stars of Formula E and motorsport as a whole.”
Pablo Martino, the head of the Formula E Championship, said: “It’s crucial for the FIA to allow drivers to develop their careers through FIA world championships, and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has one of the most competitive grids around.”
Teams must nominate a driver and allocate a race car number seven days prior to the event, meaning the lineup will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The initiative follows the successful inaugural women’s test in Madrid, and further emphasizes the dedication of Formula E and the FIA to creating diverse and inclusive pathways for the next generation of racing drivers.
Ex-Belgium midfielder Nainggolan charged in drug trafficking probe
- The 36-year-old footballer was charged with “participating in a criminal organization” and then conditionally released, his lawyer Mounir Souidi told media
- Antwerp-born Nainggolan came out of retirement last week to join a lower-tier Belgian side
BRUSSELS: Former Belgium midfielder Radja Nainggolan was charged on Monday as part of an investigation into cocaine trafficking on an international scale, a day after he was arrested, the Brussels prosecutor’s office said.
The 36-year-old footballer was charged with “participating in a criminal organization” and then conditionally released, his lawyer Mounir Souidi told media after a hearing in Brussels.
Nainggolan was among 18 suspects arrested following a series of 30 searches carried out on Monday morning in the northern province of Antwerp, as well as in the Brussels area. Ten of them were imprisoned after being brought before a judge.
The majority of those held face charges of “importation, transport and selling of drugs without permission” and with the “participation in organized crime as leaders.”
Nainggolan was released on bail as he was charged with being a “member” of the organization and not a “leader.”
“The investigation concerns alleged facts of importation of cocaine from South America to Europe, via the port of Antwerp, and its redistribution in Belgium,” prosecutors said in a statement on Monday.
In addition to 2.7 kilos (six pounds) of cocaine, police seized around half a million euros ($521,000) in cash and gold coins, a stash of jewelry, and luxury watches including two worth some 360,000 euros each.
They further seized three firearms, two bullet-proof vests and 14 vehicles, prosecutors said.
Antwerp-born Nainggolan came out of retirement last week to join a lower-tier Belgian side — adding a final spell to a long career that saw him play 30 matches and score six goals for the national team.
Having played for Italian teams Cagliari, Inter Milan and Roma, he had been without a club since last summer before signing with Belgian second-tier outfit Lokeren last week.
He marked his debut with a goal at the weekend in Lokeren’s 1-1 home draw to K. Lierse.
He had previously returned from Italy to Belgium in the summer of 2021 to join Royal Antwerp.
A tattooed midfielder known for his off-field antics, he parted ways with Antwerp in early 2023.
A few months earlier he had been suspended for being caught smoking an electronic cigarette on the bench, according to Belgian media.
Neymar thanks Saudi Arabia, Al-Hilal, fans after departing to Santos
- ‘To everyone at Al-Hilal, to the fans, thank you,’ Neymar writes on X
- ‘To Saudi, thank you for giving me and my family a new home and new experiences. I now know the real Saudi and have friends for life’
BEIRUT: Brazilian forward Neymar took the opportunity on Tuesday to thank Saudi Arabia, Al-Hilal, and their fans after concluding his 17-month stint at the Saudi Pro League side.
“To everyone at Al-Hilal, to the fans, thank you,” said Neymar in a social media post on X, after returning to his Brazilian club Santos after originally leaving them in 2013 to join Barcelona.
He wrote: “I gave everything to play and I wish we (had) enjoyed better times on the pitch together.
“To Saudi, thank you for giving me and my family a new home and new experiences. I now know the real Saudi and have friends for life. I always felt your love and passion for the game. I will be following your journey ahead as a club and a country towards 2034.
“Your future will be incredible, special things are happening and I will always support you!”
Marcelo Teixeira, Santos’ president, said on social media channels: “It is the time (to come back), Neymar. It is time for you to come back to your people. To our home, to the club in our hearts.
“Welcome, our boy Ney! A boy of Vila (Belmiro, Santos’ stadium). Come back to be happy again with the white and black shirt. The Santos nation awaits you with open arms.”
The 32-year-old, who has scored 79 international goals for his home country, moved to Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona for a world-record fee of €222 million in August 2017.
Al-Hilal announced Neymar’s departure on Tuesday on X, saying: “The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career at Al-Hilal, and wish the player success in his career.”
Neymar arrived at the Saudi club in August 2023 after signing from PSG, but only played seven games due to injuries.
Italian sports journalist Fabrizio Romano wrote on X: “Teixeira confirms Neymar Jr’s return to the club. Six-month contract to be formally signed this week, as reported.”
