Tiger Woods returns to Riviera to play first event of the year

Tiger Woods returns to Riviera to play first event of the year
Tiger Woods is returning to competition for the first time without the use of a cart since July, announcing on Friday that he will play next week at Riviera in the Genesis Invitational. (AP/File)
Short Url
Updated 11 February 2023

Tiger Woods returns to Riviera to play first event of the year

Tiger Woods returns to Riviera to play first event of the year
  • That Woods can play next week is an encouraging sign that he will return to the Masters in April

NEW YORK: Tiger Woods is returning to competition for the first time without the use of a cart since July, announcing Friday he will play at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles.

Woods was hopeful of playing next week’s tournament at Riviera, where he is the host of an event that typically had the strongest field of the West Coast swing even before it became elevated with a $20 million purse.

The uncertainty came from a bout with plantar fasciitis as he was preparing to play in December. That kept him from playing in his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. He played a made-for-TV exhibition over 12 holes and the PNC Championship with his son. Both times he was allowed to ride in a cart.

Carts are not allowed on the PGA Tour — Casey Martin used one under the Americans with Disabilities Act — and Woods has said he was not interested in using one to play at the highest level.

“I’m ready to play an ACTUAL PGA Tour event next week,” Woods said on Twitter, a reference to playing only three majors last year.

It will be his first regular PGA Tour event since Oct. 25, 2020, when he tied for 72nd against a 78-man field in his title defense of the Zozo Championship. The tournament had moved that year from Japan to Sherwood Country Club in California because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Woods has said he can hit all the shots, “I just can’t get from Point A to Point B.”

“That’s awesome,” Max Homa said of the news after his second round in the Phoenix Open. “I imagine we’ll be carrying him down the hill on 1 and up it on 18, which no one would mind. But it’s awesome. I’m really glad he’s back. I think we’re privileged any time he plays now.”

That Woods can play next week is an encouraging sign that he will return to the Masters in April, although missing the Bahamas was an indication Woods doesn’t entirely control when his legs and feet will act up.

“Any time Tiger can be present on the golf course playing makes the tournament even better,” Jon Rahm said at the Phoenix Open. “So, I’m hoping he can play comfortably and I’m hoping he can play well.”

Woods was recovering from a fifth back surgery in February 2021 when he crashed his SUV on a coastal road in Los Angeles two days after the Genesis Invitational, suffering multiple fractures of his right leg and ankle.

Woods missed 14 months, and it was remarkable that he returned to the Masters last April and made the cut. He also made the cut in the PGA Championship, only to withdraw after the third round of Southern Hills with a severe limp. He skipped the US Open to make sure he was ready for St. Andrews, but missed the cut in the British Open.

“It’s great,” Justin Thomas said at the Phoenix Open. “Any time he is on property, let alone playing, is great for the event.”

Riviera is where Woods made his PGA Tour debut as a 16-year-old amateur in 1992, and remains the one course he has never quite mastered. He played 11 times at Riviera as a pro, the most of any course without winning.


Promoting international standards for women’s polo championship

Promoting international standards for women’s polo championship
Updated 10 June 2023

Promoting international standards for women’s polo championship

Promoting international standards for women’s polo championship
  • Tournament would be attended by 18 players

RIYADH: Details of the international women’s polo championship in November have been released.

The Saudi Polo Federation held a press conference in Riyadh to reveal details of the championship, organized by the federation, in partnership with Al-Hawfer Sports Company, on the fields of AlIttihad Academy in Nova Equestrian Club Resort, Riyadh.

Federation Chairman Amr Zedan, Majid Qaroub, the company’s president, Lisa Robinson, the tournament director, Faisal bin Duweis, executive director of the federation, and the Saudi players, participating in the tournament attended the conference.

Ibrahim Abu Ameh, who is in charge of the women’s training program, presented an overview of the preparatory program for the Saudi female riders in the championship.

Zedan described the establishment of the women’s championship for the first time as an important step toward achieving the goals of the Saudi Polo Federation by promoting the game and women’s participation so that players were fully prepared for upcoming foreign competitions.

Zedan said that the tournament would be attended by 18 players, from Saudi Arabia, Spain, the Netherlands, Britain, the Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and Morocco. The tournament would be held according to international standards for the quality of attendance and the target groups for the game around the world.

Zedan thanked the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee for its interest in the activities of the federation, as well as the Equestrian Authority, and for the support of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Lisa Robinson said that the tournament would be accompanied by traditional and fashion shows to achieve cultural, tourism, entertainment and sports goals by spreading the game and empowering women in Saudi Arabia.


Arab Futsal Cup 2023: Palestine, Kuwait and Morocco win out

Arab Futsal Cup 2023: Palestine, Kuwait and Morocco win out
Updated 10 June 2023

Arab Futsal Cup 2023: Palestine, Kuwait and Morocco win out

Arab Futsal Cup 2023: Palestine, Kuwait and Morocco win out
  • Egypt and Iraq tied at end of second-round matches of group stage

Second-round matches of the group stage of the seventh Arab Futsal Championship, organized by the Arab Football Association and hosted by the Saudi Federation, were held in the Ministry of Sports Hall in Jeddah on Friday.

The Palestinian national team defeated Mauritania 7-4, while Egypt and Iraq tied 3-3, Kuwait defeated the Comoros 7-2, and Morocco defeated Lebanon 6-0.

In the first match, the Palestinian national team points were scored by Muhammad Habous (two goals), Rashid Shawahneh (three goals), Emad Fahjan and Adnan Salloum (one goal each). The points for the Mauritanian team came through Yakhouba Sila, Wedadi Kardid (two goals) and Jamil Ahmed, while Muhammad Habous, the Palestinian competitor, won the best player award.

In the second match, the points for the Iraqi national team were scored by Rafid Issa (two goals) and Haider Darwell, while the goals of the Egyptian national team came through Muhammad Abdel Razek, Muhammad Muhammad and Mustafa Khalaf. Salem Abd of the Iraqi national team won the best player award.

In the third match, the goals of the Kuwait national team were scored by Fahd Al-Khawari.

Other scorers were Abdul Latif Al-Abbasi (3 goals), Nasser Al-Alban, Badr Al-Mansour and Abdulaziz Al-Bassam, while the double for the Mauritanian national team came through Saeed Salem and Suadro Ahmed. Abdullatif Al-Abbasi from the Kuwait national team won the best player award.

In the fourth and final match, the goals of the Moroccan national team were scored by Othman Boumzu (two goals), Khaled Bouzid and Driss Rais (two goals) and Anas Al-Ayyan. The Moroccan national team’s Idris Rais was chosen as best player.


Nuggets now in full command of NBA Finals, top Heat 108-95 for 3-1 lead

Nuggets now in full command of NBA Finals, top Heat 108-95 for 3-1 lead
Updated 10 June 2023

Nuggets now in full command of NBA Finals, top Heat 108-95 for 3-1 lead

Nuggets now in full command of NBA Finals, top Heat 108-95 for 3-1 lead
  • The Nuggets were overwhelming favorites to start the series, for obvious reasons. Denver was the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed; Miami was the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed

MIAMI: Aaron Gordon scored 27 points, Nikola Jokic added 23 and the Denver Nuggets moved one win away from their first NBA championship by beating the Miami Heat 108-95 on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead in the title series.
Bruce Brown scored 21 off the bench for the Nuggets, who took both games in Miami to grab complete command. They’ll have three chances to win one game for a title, two of those in Denver, the first of them in what’s sure to be a raucous atmosphere for Game 5 on Monday night.
Jamal Murray had 15 points and 12 assists — his fourth consecutive double-digit assist game — for Denver.
Jimmy Butler scored 25 points for Miami, which has now fallen into 3-1 holes in each of its last three finals appearances — this one joining 2014 and 2020. Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, while Kyle Lowry had 13 points.
The Heat walked off the floor in silence, fully aware of how much trouble they’re in now.
The Nuggets were overwhelming favorites to start the series, for obvious reasons. Denver was the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed; Miami was the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed. The Nuggets had won nine of the last 10 regular-season meetings between the teams, and their run of success over the Heat has continued through four games of the finals.
Denver led by 13 going into the fourth, and Miami came out for the final quarter with appropriate desperation. The Heat scored the first eight points, Jokic committed his fifth foul and had to go to the bench with 9:24 left — and it was down to 86-81 when Butler converted a three-point play with 8:42 remaining.
But the Nuggets – who fell apart in the fourth quarter of Game 2 for their lone loss of the series – didn’t fold, even with their two-time MVP still out. Murray made a 3-pointer to stop Miami’s 8-0 spurt, and Jeff Green made a huge corner 3 from near the Heat bench for a 94-85 edge with 6:21 left.
Jokic checked out with Denver up 10. He came back with the Nuggets up nine.
Miami didn’t take advantage of that chance, and now finds itself on the wrong end of history. Teams that take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals have won 35 out of 36 previous times, and the Heat will have to buck that trend to keep Denver from winning its title.
The Nuggets even survived a scare. Jokic tweaked his right ankle when he landed on the back of Max Strus’ foot midway through the opening quarter. He remained in the game after it happened, briefly retreated to the Denver locker room before the start of the second quarter and played the rest of the way with no evident issues.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Murray played with tape protecting the bottom of his left hand, thanks to a nasty floor burn he got in Game 3. … It was Denver’s 25th win on the road this season, tying a franchise record set last season. ... Michael Porter Jr. scored 11 for the Nuggets.
Heat: It was retiring 20-year veteran Udonis Haslem’s 43rd birthday and rookie Nikola Jovic’s 20th birthday. Jovic was 58 days old when Haslem signed his first Heat contract. … If it was Miami’s home finale this season, then the Heat went 613-299 in its home arena during his career. … Miami started the playoffs 6-0 at home. The Heat are 0-4 on their home floor since.
SLOW START
Miami led 21-20 after one quarter. The 41 combined points were the fewest in the first quarter of the last 24 finals games; the first quarter of Game 4 of the Toronto-Golden State series in 2019 had 40 points.
CELEB WATCH
Kentucky coach John Calipari was in the crowd, as was Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, two-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields and twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder — who helped the Miami Hurricanes make the Elite Eight in this year’s NCAA women’s tournament.
 


Saudi firm sponsors Newcastle United in $31.4m-a-year deal

Saudi firm sponsors Newcastle United in $31.4m-a-year deal
Updated 31 min 57 sec ago

Saudi firm sponsors Newcastle United in $31.4m-a-year deal

Saudi firm sponsors Newcastle United in $31.4m-a-year deal
  • Magpies announced the record-breaking deal on Friday as they launched their new kit for the 2023/24 Premier League and Champions League campaigns

NEWCASTLE: Saudi company Sela has been announced as Newcastle United’s new front of shirt sponsor in a multi-year deal worth around £25 million ($31.4 million) a year to the club.

The Magpies announced the record-breaking deal on Friday as they launched their new kit for the 2023/24 Premier League and Champions League campaigns. 

Sports event agency Sela, which describes itself as “the driving force behind a wide range of spectacular events, iconic destinations, and attractions in the Middle East”, replaces Chinese betting firm Fun88.

The deal dwarfs the near £6 million-a-year agreement with Fun88, and further strengthens the club’s Saudi connections, with Noon the club’s sleeve sponsor again next season. While the length of the deal was not disclosed, it is widely expected to make Newcastle upwards of £100 million over the contract.

Ibrahim Mohtaseb, Senior Vice President at Sela, said: “This partnership is about Sela being part of the next chapter for the club.

“It’s about us supporting the men’s, women’s and academy teams. And it’s about bringing to life world-class experiences, which is at the heart of what we do as a company.

“For Sela, it all started with football more than 25 years ago. Today, we have grown into a multi-faceted company creating experiences that millions of people enjoy each year, across a range of sport, entertainment, hospitality and retail settings. Now we are embarking on the next stage of our international growth.

“Where we can put our resources and innovation to good use for the benefit of fans, the club and the wider communities it serves, we will do so.”

The club’s new home shirt, a nod to the retro kit worn by club legend Kevin Keegan in the 1980s, is set to go on sale online and at the club shop from Saturday.

News is still awaited on the away and third kits, however Arab News has been told one of those will be a reverse of the third kit from this campaign, described by many as the “Saudi strip.” Instead of white with green trim, this will instead be reversed, a near exact copy of Saudi Arabia’s main kit.

The Sela deal was approved by the Premier League, which ruled that the price was fair and there were no concerns over the company’s links to Newcastle’s Saudi owners PIF.

Darren Eales, CEO at Newcastle United, said: “We are delighted to welcome Sela. This partnership follows a highly competitive commercial process.

“We team up at an exciting time in the history of both organizations. Both share an ambitious vision to expand their brands globally.

“Fan engagement is central to what we do at Newcastle United and in Sela, we are partnering with an organization with shared interests.

“Closer to home, we will work closely on the design and operation of a new fan zone area at St. James’ Park, taking inspiration from Sela’s incredible properties elsewhere.”

Peter Silverstone, Newcastle United’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Sela joins us on our exciting journey back into the UEFA Champions League, enabling us to reach and engage with an even greater global audience together. 

“We are proud to put their brand at the front and center of our next stage of growth as an elite global Premier League club.

“We believe they will market our club and brand accordingly, boosting our aim to be the most supported Premier League club in Saudi Arabia – a country with a young, digitally savvy population that is hugely passionate about football.”


Messi Mania sets off social media, ticketing boom

Messi Mania sets off social media, ticketing boom
Updated 09 June 2023

Messi Mania sets off social media, ticketing boom

Messi Mania sets off social media, ticketing boom
  • Inter Miami's followers on Instagram have quintupled since the former Barcelona great revealed on Wednesday that he would be heading to the Major League Soccer club
  • Inter though remains the second most popular Miami team on social media with the NBA's Miami Heat having 27 million followers on all platforms

MIAMI, USA: Lionel Messi has yet to put pen to paper on his impending deal with Inter Miami but already massive interest in the Argentine’s move is driving huge numbers in social media, ticket sales and more.
Inter Miami’s followers on Instagram have quintupled since the former Barcelona great revealed on Wednesday that he would be heading to the Major League Soccer club.
On Wednesday morning, Inter’s account had around 900,000 followers, a number which had already grown amidst rumors of Messi’s possible arrival.
Less than 24 hours after the news broke, that number had skyrocketed to 6.9 million followers at the time of publishing.
That total is more than double the followers of the NFL’s Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs and even surpasses the 4.5 million enjoyed by ‘America’s team’, the Dallas Cowboys.
Indeed, it is higher than all NFL, Major League Baseball and NHL teams and bigger than more than 75 percent of NBA teams.
Inter Miami now has over 7.5M followers across all social platforms and added more than five million new followers on the day of the announcement.
Inter though remains the second most popular Miami team on social media with the NBA’s Miami Heat having 27 million followers on all platforms.
There are plenty more Messi fans who might be tempted to engage with the club’s content — the player has 469 million followers of his personal instagram account.
That figure makes him the second most popular sportsperson on Instagram, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo who has 588 million.
News of Messi’s decision also hugely impacted the ticket market for MLS games.
Ticketing technology company Logitix analyzed ticket demand across the league in the 24 hours since Messi’s announcement and found there were four-times the number of tickets sold on the secondary market for Inter Miami matches (home and away) compared to the entire on-sale period of 169 days previous.
The average purchase price for Inter Miami home matches increased from $31 to $152 while for away games they increased from $94 to $207.
The largest increase was for Inter Miami’s game against Charlotte FC on August 20 — with average sale prices rocketing from $18 to $169.
The average asking price for tickets for the club’s League Cup match at Mexican team Cruz Azul on July 21 increased from $24 to $521.
Those numbers are sure to lead to MLS teams considering moving games featuring Messi to bigger stadiums.
Many MLS teams now play at purpose built venues holding 20-25,000 and the giant NFL arenas in most cities would offer around triple the capacity.
Miami and MLS are, however, banking on Messi’s massive public appeal and the hunger for content about the player, his performances and his life, bringing more than just social media numbers and bumper attendances.
While Messi’s contract has yet to be finalized and no details have been made public, MLS signed a 10-year deal with Apple TV, which began this season and that is likely to be an element in his contract.
Apple TV this week announced a four-part documentary series about Messi which was filmed in Paris, Qatar and Argentina, following his journey to December’s World Cup win.
Messi gave exclusive access to the film-makers and with Apple having created an entire platform for MLS content there is clearly room for plenty of programming about his time in America.
The seven-times Ballon d’Or winner signed a lifetime endorsement deal with sportswear manufacturer Adidas in 2017 and the German company are likely to also cash-in on the player’s arrival in a league where they are the exclusive kit provider to Miami and all the teams.