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Morbidelli strikes back to lead Zarco and Binder on Day 1 in Barcelona

Sep 26. 2020

 On form on Friday, both the Italian and Zarco bounce back from crashes to head the field – as Binder leaps up the timesheets to complete the top three

Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was struggling with illness the week after his incredible maiden MotoGP™ win in the San Marino GP, but now he’s back – and back on top. The Italian shot to P1 in the afternoon on Friday to rule the roost, a tenth ahead of Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing), with rookie Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) searing up to third by the end of the day’s action.

FP1

The morning, however, belonged to Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) as the Frenchman went faster and faster to end the session over four tenths clear of nearest rival Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team). Dovizioso, in turn, was a couple of tenths clear of Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) down in third, and the two spent a while together on track, whether by accident or design.

It was an uncharacteristic start to the event for Mir just before that, however, as the Spaniard crashed at Turn 5 unhurt, although upon getting back on the Mayorcan went quicker.

Fourth place went the way of Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as last week’s winner was just 0.045 off Mir, that making the top four in the title fight also the top four in FP1. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was less than a tenth off Viñales, in an impressive fifth.

Morbidelli, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) completed the top ten, Crutchlow impressing on his return from injury.

As well as Mir’s crash, there was a tumble for Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) at Turn 2, rider also ok.

FP2

In the much windier afternoon, Morbidelli made sure Petronas Yamaha SRT were top in both sessions of the day. Morbidelli, Binder and Rins all rose into the top four to slot in behind FP1 pacesetter Quartararo initially, with Viñales and Rossi also improving their times. After the first few bouts, Dovizioso, Quartararo, Mir and Aleix Espargaro were the only riders inside the top 10 who hadn’t gone faster in the first 15 minutes of FP2.

Morbidelli was then down at Turn 10 – unhurt – with 24 minutes to go. Before that, Zarco also crashed at Turn 5 – rider ok – and Repsol Honda Team’s Stefan Bradl also went down, the latter at Turn 2. Lecuona later suffered a second crash of the day. Wind or grip? The session was certainly a tougher one in terms of tumbles.

Heading into the final 10 minutes of FP2, there were 12 riders within a second and with automatic entry to Q2 already on everyone’s minds, that meant one thing – cue the time attacks!

The first benchmark came from Binder as he leapt up from outside the top 20 in FP1 to lead the way, four tenths clear. Morbidelli and Zarco were on a charge but lost those laps after Yellow Flags for Lecuona’s crash, but next time around the duo became the first and only riders into the 1:39s, demoting Binder to third overall. Viñales also struck late to slot into fourth, ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). Every rider bar three improved their time in the afternoon by the time the flag came out: Dovizioso, teammate Danilo Petrucci and Quartararo were the outliers.

Overall then, it’s the FP2 fastest five of Morbidelli, Zarco, Binder, Viñales and Nakagami who are also fastest overall, with Quartararo’s FP1 time slotting him into sixth on the combined timesheets. That shuffles Mir down to P7 overall, ahead of Pol Espargaro, Alex Marquez and Rossi. The latter duo are the most successful on the grid at the track across all classes, with three and five wins, respectively.

Next up is another group who all improved, but remain outside the top ten: Rins is 11th and the first man looking to move forward in FP3, ahead of Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), Crutchlow and Aleix Espargaro.Dovizioso, who didn’t go faster in the afternoon, ended the day in P15 overall. For him more than many, FP3 is a chance to shoot back towards the top and it starts at 9:55 (GMT +2). Will he make it through? Find out then, and tune in for qualifying from 14:10 as the grid for the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya gets decided. Click here for combined timesheets MotoGP™: the five fastest on Friday 1 Franco Morbidelli* – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – 1:39.789 2 Johann Zarco* – Esponsorama Racing – Ducati – +0.109 3 Brad Binder – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM – +0.219 4 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.419 5 Takaaki Nakagami* – LCR Honda Idemitsu – Honda – +0.623 *Independent Team rider Lowes leads from Marini on Day 1 The Brit edges ahead of the Championship leader, with Schrötter completing the fastest trio on Friday

Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was back on top on Friday at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, the Brit ahead of closest challenger Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) by two tenths by the end of play. Completing the top three was Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) as the German once again showed some solid speed, fastest in the afternoon.

FP1

Lowes kicked off the weekend fastest with a 1:44.122 to lead Championship leader Marini  from the off, the two split by exactly two tenths in FP1. Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took third as he found some solid form, but the Japanese rider was over half a second off Lowes’ lap. Speed Up machinery made a resurgence in fourth and fifth, meanwhile, with impressive rookie Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team Moto2) getting the better of Fabio Di Giannantonio (HDR Heidrun Speed Up) as the two completed the top five. 

The top 14 were within a second in FP1 and with Lowes half a second faster than Nagashima, that meant it was just half a second covering P3 to P14!

There were three crashes but two crashers in the session, with Andi Izdihar (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) taking a tumble at Turn 10, before Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) followed suit not long after. Corsi also later crashed at Turn 5, rider ok.

FP2

The afternoon saw Schrötter take to the top, with the German 0.066 ahead of Di Giannantonio in the session. Home hero Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) slotted into third, ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) and second in the Championship, Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team), as the latter made a leap up the timesheets in the session at least, from P13 in FP1.

Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) crashed at Turn 2, before Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) did the same shortly after, riders ok. Gardner has been given a six-place grid penalty for the incident after crashing whilst not respecting a Yellow Flag.

Overall then, it’s Lowes and Marini who lead the way thanks to their fastest times in FP1, ahead of Schrötter by virtue of his fastest lap in the afternoon. Di Giannantonio was consistently quick in both sessions but his FP2 best puts him in fourth, with Nagashima completing the fastest five on Friday by virtue of his FP1 lap.

Rookie Canet ends the day in sixth ahead of Marco Bezzecchi, both also courtesy of their FP1 laps, ahead of Xavi Vierge in eighth. 

Next up was the returning Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as the Spaniard’s FP1 best put him P7 in that session and P9 overall, a solid day’s work as he gets back on track after missing two races. Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) completed the top ten on Day 1, but by an infinitesimal 0.002 – with Bo Bendsneyder (NTS RW Racing GP) missing out by the equally tiny margin of 0.005!  That leaves Bastianini down in P12 overall – one better than FP1 – and the ‘Beast’ will be one of many looking for more on Saturday morning as he attempts to hunt down Marini’s five-point title lead. Find out how FP3 shuffles the entrants to Q2 at 10:55 (GMT +2), before qualifying for Moto2™ begins at 15:10. Click here for combined timesheets Moto2™: the five fastest on Friday 1 Sam Lowes – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex – 1:44.122 2 Luca Marini – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex +0.200 3 Marcel Schrötter – Liqui Moly Intact GP – Kalex – +0.409 4 Fabio Di Giannantonio – HDR Heidrun Speed Up – Speed Up – +0.475 5 Tetsuta Nagashima – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – +0.508   Fernandez on formidable Friday form The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider ends the day with a little breathing space once again, ahead of Masia and Fenati

Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is making something of a habit of going fastest on Friday, and the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya was no different as the Spaniard ended the day with a fairly comfortable margin ahead of compatriot Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing). Last week’s winner, Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), completed the top three on the combined timesheets.

FP1

FP1 saw a familiar name at the top once again: Fernandez. The Spaniard made it three FP1s in a row at the top, and was the only man to dip beneath the 1:49 barrier as he pulled four tenths clear with a late 1:48.853. Husqvarna history maker Fenati was the man in second in the session, ahead of his compatriot Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) a further tenth back in third.

Masia ended FP1 0.575 seconds adrift in fourth, but he had some close company courtesy of Petronas Sprinta Racing’s John McPhee. Championship leader Albert Arenas (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) was next up in sixth, with his closest rival as it stands, Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia), down in an uncharacteristic P25.

There were no crashes in the session.

FP2

In the afternoon, the wind was higher to complicate life for the lightweight class, and early on Fernandez stole a few more headlines but this time with a spectacular save. Ultimately it was Masia who came out on top in FP2 though, 0.284 ahead of Darryn Binder (CIP – Green Power). Carlos Tatay (Reale Avintia Moto3) was the only other man within half a second of the top after he put in an impressive session, with the three men at the top of the Championship all a little further back: McPhee took P10, Ogura P13 and Arenas P14. For Ogura, however, that was a move forward after his P25 in FP1.

The main headlines from FP2, however, were the crashes. First to go down was Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) as he tumbled at Turn 3, before McPhee went down at Turn 10. Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) and Stefano Nepa (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) were then both caught out at Turn 1 a few minutes apart, before another crash at Turn 10, this time for Arbolino. He headed to the Medical Centre but was given the all-clear. Masia then crashed at Turn 7, before Davide Pizzoli (BOE Skull Rider Facile Energy) was the final crasher of the session, at Turn 10.

Ryusei Yamanaka (Estrella Galicia 0,0) avoided a crash with a miracle save, adding to Fernandez’ earlier efforts in the sweepstakes for biggest spectacle of the day.

After a day of two halves in Barcelona then, it’s Fernandez’ FP1 time that puts him on top once again, ahead of Masia’s FP2 fastest by 0.281. Fenati and Arbolino’s best times put them into P3 and P4 overall, respectively, with Darryn Binder ending Friday in fifth thanks to his quickest lap in the afternoon.

Despite his crash, McPhee is the fastest of the Championship-leading trio in P6, but Arenas is less than a tenth off. Both set their quickest efforts in the morning. Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) had a good first day as he slots into eighth, 0.029 off Arenas, with Tatay just another 0.033 off Antonelli, in ninth. Kaito Toba (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the top ten.

Ogura ultimately ended the day down in P23, and he’ll be one of the first pushing to improve in FP3 as the fight to head through to Q2 really gets down to business. Tune in for that at 9:00 (GMT +2), before Moto3™ qualifying starts from 12:35. Click here for combined timesheets Moto3™: the five fastest on Friday 1 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM 1:48.853 2 Jaume Masia – Leopard Racing – Honda +0.281 3 Romano Fenati – Sterilgarda Max Racing Team – Husqvarna +0.390 4 Tony Arbolino – Rivacold Snipers Team – Honda +0.409 5 Darryn Binder – CIP – Green Power – KTM +0.565

Click here for more photos (link available from Friday 7pm GMT +2, for one week) Tech talk: Suzuki, Honda and Aprilia weigh in on the 2020 season so far

On Friday at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, it was time to talk technical as Team Suzuki Ecstar Technical Manager Ken Kawauchi, HRC Technical Manager Takeo Yokoyama and Aprilia Racing Track Manager Paolo Bonora joined the first of two Press Conferences this season to take stock of where each manufacturer is this year.

Here are a few key quotes!

KEN KAWAUCHI: “We are satisfied, maybe 80% with the performance! Our step is not so huge but we have been able to improve the bike from last year and also our factory is doing a good job, our riders improved, and the team is doing a good job so we’re more or less satisfied with our performance.

“Our goal is always to achieve more horsepower bit by bit but without losing rideability. This year and next year we can’t change spec so we’re trying to do it very carefully.”

TAKEO YOKOYAMA: “When you have a group of injured riders, it’s so difficult in every aspect. But we still have good riders. Alex is a rookie but he’s growing up and giving us good feedback; Cal, even with the injuries, he’s trying a lot and giving good feedback. And Taka you can see, he’s growing up a lot and fighting for a good position in the Championship. Even without Marc, it’s more difficult it’s true but we’re receiving a lot of feedback, trying our maximum and we’re on our way.

“The Misano test was really successful for us, I think you can see if you compare the Misano 1 result and the Misano 2 result, I think we made some steps forward and this was due to the test in between. The area we’re working on… we’re actually working a bit on everything! Next year we can’t change the engine; we’re working a lot on the chassis side, and trying to understand how to use the Michelin tyre, especially the rear where they changed the construction from last year to this year.. but we’re working a lot on every aspect.”

PAOLO BONORA: “During the winter test, we’ve seen the RS-GP 2020 made a big improvement compared to the previous one. Unfortunately we had a problem initially at the start of the season with the engine, in the reliability, so we asked the other manufacturers to have the chance to change the piston spec compared to the homologated one and we thank then for confirming that.

“At the moment we’re working so hard on the engine side because we saw in Sepang and the first test we did in winter that the bike is good in turning and good in the change of direction. But at the moment we’re missing a bit on the engine side, so our key point is to work on the engine. To gain in the horsepower for sure – the horsepower is never too much for the rider! – but also the rideability of the engine, searching to find a better connection in the initial touch of the engine to give the maximum acceleration and maximum confidence to the rider. At the moment we didn’t see on track the improvement we’ve made on the bike, because for sure having only one rider… Bradley is a good test rider, but having Andrea Iannone on track should have been a different situation for us. We’re suffering a lot, at the moment we have only Aleix Espargaro who is pushing so hard for the bike development, and we’re searching as well to give Bradley the confidence of an official rider to ride the bike.

“Covid-19 created a big difficulty for every manufacturer in engine development, and in bike development. In our case we’re trying to do tests as much as we can during race weekends, but as you know it’s difficult to test things without losing performance for the rider. So at the moment we’re focused on the test team, but having Bradley in the races is difficult for us, but we’re trying to manage as best we can to do some tests with Bradley during the race weekends.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BclopMJ63pA&ab_channel=MotoGP

Watch the full Press Conference! Top photo L-R: HRC Technical Manager Takeo Yokoyama, Team Suzuki Ecstar Technical Manager Ken Kawauchi and Aprilia Racing Track Manager Paolo Bonora

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“The season starts now!”: riders ready for the second half

Sep 25. 2020

 The Pre-Event Press Conference kicks off the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya

With a Championship so close there’s barely anything in it, there were a good few talking points ahead of the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya. Championship leader Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was joined by winner last time out Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), fourth overall Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), local hero Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and rookie Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to talk a little about the weekend gone and the weekend coming, with a lot to play for in Barcelona.

Here are the key quotes from those present, with Dovizioso up first on leading the way…

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO: “I’m very surprised but like everybody is, I think. Apart from Austria and Jerez 1, I’ve never been strong and fast like in the past. I’m surprised I’m leading the championship but it’s been a crazy championship because everybody is struggling. Every race, somebody struggles. This is the reason why the average score is very low. Nobody is very consistent or strong in every race. It looks like the season starts now, more or less. We are very close and unfortunately my feeling with the bike is not the best but I think what we have to change is clear from a few races but it’s very difficult for me to change that at the moment. I think its small things and small things can affect the final race result a lot. I don’t know if we can be competitive in Barcelona because the grip will be very different compared to Misano. I love this track so I think we can be competitive but on paper everybody looks really fast so I don’t know.

“In the way I brake in my career and especially in the last three seasons – it doesn’t work anymore. I’m not able to brake hard or brake in the way I want. I have to change that and I’m trying to change that but it’s not very instinctive, so it’s very difficult to make the perfect move and approach of the bike. But that effects everything. Still I’m not that good at that point and it’s clear that’s the point where I have to be better.”

MAVERICK VIÑALES: “I think that the Championship is still open until the last two races, we will try to be smart and try to be conscious. We will keep building and growing as we are doing. For us it is important the consistency. We will try to build up another good weekend and then we will jump to tracks I love like Le Mans, Aragon and Valencia. Montmelo is a track where we need to take out the maximum, it is a track I love to go so we will try to push very hard. 

“I think our main priority is to start in the front row. The sooner you take the lead the better, because sometimes you struggle. For example the last race I was able to close the gap to Pecco but I don’t know if I was able to overtake. It’s always very hard with our bike to overtake, especially on the tracks where you don’t have two or three corners in a row to get a chance to overtake. We understand (the bike) very well, now we are focusing on the good points of the bike, in the last race I used it to overtake Jack Miller on the first lap, so I understand the bike well and think I’m riding on the point with the 2020 bike. It remains the same question, if you have a bad qualifying it is hard to gain room or pass the riders. We need to concentrate here in Montmelo in sector two or three to see where we can overtake and be sure we are strong.”

JOAN MIR: “This season it’s super important to be 100% focused on the consistency, it’s so important. I think that every one of us already knew that at the start of the season, but for some reason, we weren’t able to do it – I don’t know. Now it’s true we’ve found this consistency and I’m really happy for that. But you know, we found the consistency in the last four races, there are still a lot of races in front of us and it will be important to continue to be as competitive as we are now, here in Barcelona can be a good chance to continue doing that.  

“In the last race I was able to study a little bit the Yamaha of Fabio, also Pol and a couple of bikes because every one of us were really close talking about race pace. In that situation you can see what areas you are better and where you’re not. I could see at the end of the race the lines to what Fabio was doing were really, really similar to mine. Looks like the Yamaha and Suzuki are quite similar. Then I was able to see also the KTM – completely different lines, going in with brakes, braking a bit harder probably and well, more like the Ducati. In Misano I was able to see those bikes a bit more. I think we have a great package, ok we have some point where the bike doesn’t work well, like everyone for sure has problems that the bike struggles in some areas. We have a bike that is really balanced at the moment.”

POL ESPARGARO: “We are not too many points off the leader. Now is the moment when you are angry when the points are gone because of some stupid crashes in the past! Already we need to look forward, we are just at the beginning of this new championship, that is going to be the second part of the season. This race in Barcelona for sure is not one of our best, it is one of the tracks on the calendar where KTM have struggled in the past few years a lot. But you know everything has changed this year, the performance of the bike is much better, the tyres fit better than in the past and the bike performs better, so why not, we can perform similar to the Czech Republic, a track where we struggled in the past but had a great result. 

“From the beginning we got some good strong points like braking into the corner. We brake very deep and still we are powering that part of the bike, every year it’s a little bit better which is nice. We just got this year some more stability and traction from the bottom which allows us to brake even later and stop the bike inside and make this big corner, which I really love to ride like that. I’ve been riding with Fabio and Joan the last race for sure, the last laps of the race with the soft tyre was completely used, it was destroyed, so I couldn’t really do a lot but even with that I was able to defend the position from Fabio. I knew that if I could kill their corner speed they are in a bad situation, I was just braking deep and using the strong points of the KTM and then using the power to go out of the corners, which we also improved the revs this year, so the bike is super powerful. You need to know your advantages, what you can use against the others and if you know who is behind you just be clever to block them.”

ALEX MARQUEZ: “The season has been a little bit hard for us that’s for sure. The Misano test was really good for us, it’s the first test since the Qatar Test in preseason so for a rookie it’s always important to be on the bike, to get a lot of kilometers, to get the pace because in a normal GP it’s always difficult to try new things on the bike and make good progress. Like everyone said, the championship is a little bit crazy, so we need to take profit in some races. At the moment we need a lot of hunger to do it, especially on qualifying because on pace we aren’t bad in many races. Apart from that we need to make progress, first of all make top 10s in more tracks and from that, we need to keep going and keep improving day by day.  

“In the end for sure we are working and we trying to improve, but the Honda has the potential that only you need to know. Where you take that potential, how to manage that potential and it’s a bike where it’s really difficult to take all the profit from the bike. So for sure all bikes have weak points, Honda has a weak point like all manufacturers but I think in the end this year, with small changes, small details make the difference because all the bikes are working really good in a different way, in different points of the tracks but all the bikes are so competitive. The Honda has the potential, the only thing we need is to understand a bit more, to profit from the potential and I’m sure we can be fast from now until the end of the season.”

That’s it from the Press Conference in Barcelona! Tune in for FP1 at 9:55 (GMT +2) on Friday, and get in gear for a slightly later start on Sunday with lights out for MotoGP™ at 15:00 (GMT +2).  Top photo L-R: P Espargaro, Mir, Dovizioso, Marquez and Viñales

Marc Marquez makes a pitstop in the paddock The reigning Champion paid a visit to the MotoGP™ paddock on Thursday, stopping by at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as he continues his recovery. The first time he’s been back trackside since Jerez, Marquez visited his team, box and, of course, his bike!

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Bryce Harper, Phillies push Nationals to the brink of elimination

Sep 24. 2020Bryce Harper rounds the bases on a first-inning home run Wednesday night as Nationals infielders Brock Holt and Luis Garcia look on. Harper had two homers in Philadelphia’s victory in Washington at Nationals Park. MUST CREDIT: Washington Post photo by Katherine Frey 

By The Washington Post · Jesse Dougherty · SPORTS, BASEBALL 

WASHINGTON – There was nothing ceremonious about it, which, in a way, was entirely fitting for the Washington Nationals of 2020. The team that never got to celebrate its 2019 title with fans, never found traction this summer, never did much aside from step on its own feet and fight injuries, lost a game Wednesday and was left to wait for the inevitable elimination to become official. 

And, in the fashion of his short and quiet season, there was no one around to acknowledge the end. No one to jeer a 23-33 record, if they pleased. There was just a tilted score, 12-3 in the Philadelphia Phillies’ favor, and then a bit of tortured scoreboard watching. Once the game went final, and Bryce Harper’s two homers were the difference, the Nationals would be eliminated by wins for any of the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers or San Francisco. 

When you spend most of the season losing, you lose control of your fate, too. 

Erick Fedde had kept the Nationals floating with seven solid innings. But the three runs against him, including two solo shots for Harper, was enough to bury an offense that was puzzled by Zach Eflin for eight innings. The deficit then ballooned in the eighth when Philadelphia, eliminated by the Nationals last September, plated three more off reliever Kyle McGowin, then six more off Ryner Harper in the ninth. 

The Nationals have been looking ahead for a bit now, ever since Dave Martinez started making notes for next spring training. They hadn’t bought or sold at the Aug. 31 trade deadline. They have 14 players on the injured list, with Carter Kieboom joining Stephen Strasburg, Starlin Castro, Adam Eaton, Sean Doolittle and Tanner Rainey, among others, as finished for the season. They have lightly packed it in. 

But beyond the faint chance of advancing – astronomical at best – there are other motives. Harper aside, the Phillies have long been a division rival, once packing Nationals Park with bus loads of screaming fans. So damaging their playoff bid was on the week’s agenda. Just listen to what Mike Rizzo told local radio hosts Wednesday morning, responding to what he wanted the club to get from the close of this year. 

“We’re going to play hard until the end and see if we can shatter a few dreams,” Rizzo, the Nationals’ General Manager, said on 106.7 The Fan. “And see if we can be kind of a fly in the ointment for some teams.”

On Sunday morning, Fangraphs, a popular analytics website, gave the Phillies an 87% chance of making the postseason. But on Tuesday night, after the Nationals swept a doubleheader, using the unlikely heroics of Austin Voth and Yadiel Hernadnez, that number had dipped to 35. Then Harper and Eflin lugged the Phillies upright. 

In the first, after Fedde retired two batters, Harper walked to the plate while faint boos echoed from a nearby rooftop. It was a far cry from the full-throated, full-stadium receptions he received throughout 2019. But it was still a reminder that, yes, he once played here and may never be totally welcome. 

Fedde got ahead of Harper with a sinker, low and outside. The trouble came when he tried the exact pitch a second time. Harper clocked it out to left-center, into the same seats he’d peppered across six seasons in Washington. The faint boos continued while he jogged the bases. 

This was Fedde’s last start of the year, and also one of his best. He set the Phillies down in order in the second, fourth, fifth and seventh. He completed the seventh at 103 pitches, handing the game off with the Nationals trailing 3-1. The Phillies’ second run came in the third, once Fedde loaded the bases and the infield couldn’t complete a double play. Then it was Harper’s second blast, to almost the same spot as the first, that extended the lead in the sixth. 

The Nationals had manufactured a run in the fifth, inching back when Yan Gomes doubled, advanced on a wild pitch and skipped home on Luis García’s groundout. Eflin, though, held them down before he yielded a two-run homer to Juan Soto in the ninth. He struck out García swinging to strand two runners in the seventh. He went one-two-three in the eighth, right after the Phillies jumped on McGowin with Andrew McCutchen’s homer and a two-run single for Jean Segura. 

In 2019, in a season that ended with a World Series victory, the Nationals were known for miracle comebacks. Last September, they erased a six-run, ninth-inning hole to beat the New York Mets. Last fall, as they blazed through the postseason, they won five elimination games despite trailing in each one. But this team was never that team. Some players left, others opted out, many suffered season-ending injuries to make the current roster – the group trudging through this finish – a shell of Rizzo’s vision. 

So there was little pushback once the Phillies separated themselves Wednesday. Soto’s late homer could only dent a yawning deficit. The spoilers, that fly in the ointment, could only do so much.

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Tiger Woods commits to defend title at ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD

Sep 24. 2020

 Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and Tokyo, Japan: Tiger Woods has announced he will defend his title at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD Oct. 22-25, 2020, setting the stage for a potentially historic week on the PGA TOUR.

Woods said: “I am excited to defend my title at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. It is disappointing that we will not be able to play in Japan this year, but Sherwood Country Club will be a great backdrop for what I know will be a great championship.”

Eleven months ago, the American golf legend equalled Sam Snead’s long-standing record of 82 career wins on the PGA TOUR by securing a three-stroke victory at the inaugural ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP played at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan.

In front of large galleries, Woods led the tournament from start to finish to beat Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, while Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Sungjae Im of Korea shared third place in the star-studded tournament which heralded Japan’s first official PGA TOUR Event.

Earlier this month, PGA TOUR and ZOZO Inc. officials announced the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP would not be played in Japan this year due to logistical issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic but will instead move to Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California.

Sherwood is a Jack Nicklaus Signature designed golf course and was the venue for Woods’ tournament, the Hero World Challenge, from 2000 to 2013. Woods has a terrific record at Sherwood where he won his own event five times (2001, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2011) and finished runner-up on five other occasions, thus raising anticipation that the 2020 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD could produce an unprecedented 83^rd PGA TOUR title for Woods.

Kotaro Sawada, President & CEO, ZOZO, Inc. said: “We are delighted that our defending champion, Tiger Woods, has committed to play in the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD this October. His memorable victory at the inaugural tournament in Japan last year was truly historic. While we hope to see Tiger play in Japan again next year, we look forward to him headlining another amazing field at Sherwood, and to see him continue playing brilliantly and rewriting golf history. We believe our tournament can continue to inspire sports fans and viewers as they follow the action closely through the broadcasts in Japan, the United States and all over the world.”

The ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD will feature 78 professionals, including the leading players from the 2019-20 FedExCup points list, players designated by the Japan Golf Tour Organization and sponsor exemptions. In addition to the US$8 million purse, ZOZO, Inc. is planning a variety of charitable activities in Japan, the proceeds from which will be donated to fund programs and measures to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus among other initiatives.

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Korean teenager Kim on a one-track mission to achieve PGA TOUR dream

Sep 24. 2020

 Korean teenager Joohyung Kim is your typical golf nerd – he idolises Tiger Woods, regularly watches the PGA TOUR on TV or mobile device and dreams of becoming World No. 1 and a World Golf Hall of Famer.

Some may think he has his head in the clouds but with five professional victories already under his belt at the age of 18, Kim may well be one of the few young golfers to watch in the coming months and years ahead.

This week, he will enjoy another crack on the PGA TOUR when he tees it up at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship starting on Thursday. The Korean phenom knows the road to the top is long and windy but with age clearly on his side, he is prepared for the grind and stay on track to fulfil his childhood dreams.

“I would obviously love to play (fulltime) on the PGA TOUR,” said Kim on Tuesday.

Last month, he made his major debut at the PGA Championship, shooting rounds of 70 and 77 which saw him miss the halfway cut at TPC Harding Park. He enjoyed a small consolation by getting a photo with his hero, Woods during a practice day. A few weeks later, he made his first PGA TOUR cut at the 2020-21 season opening event, the Safeway Open, where he finished T67 with a 4-under 284 total.

Those experiences have given Kim a better glimpse of the road ahead. “It’s been a journey and I’m just glad to be here and hopefully to play here full time soon. It’s definitely different. The conditions, the greens, the fairways, the rough, it’s all new. And the pin positions as well on the PGA TOUR are different from the tours that I play, so it’s a big learning experience for me, a big step and it just shows how good these players are under these conditions.”

Kim was born in Seoul and is the son of a professional golfer, Chang-ik Kim who later became a golf teacher. The family has lived in Australia, the Philippines and China which means Kim is fluent in English and Tagalog (national language of the Philippines) aside from his native Korean language.

When he was five, his father introduced him to the sport and kept it fun before he developed a keen interest and subsequently turned professional in 2018. He has since won three times on the Asian Development Tour and once on the Asian Tour last season and in July, Kim wrote a small slice of history by becoming the youngest golfer to win a Korean PGA TOUR event which propelled him into the world’s top-100.

Kim is absorbing all that he can during this exciting phase of his fledgling career. “To be honest, I follow all the guys on Tour. That’s why I watch a lot just because, I don’t know, for me golf has always been in my blood. I’m always trying to get better, so 90 percent of it is golf. I watch all these guys play. I’m a bit of a golf nerd, so I know a lot about these players. I study a lot about them, I still do,” he said.

Like most aspiring golfers, Kim adores Woods.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Tiger just because ever since I started golf, I think the first golf tournament I watched was Tiger winning the Masters, I think. And actually I saw him in Australia when I was like six. He came to Australia at that time and I remember he was like a foot away from me and I was wearing his cap that was too big for me, but I wanted to wear it just because it was Tiger’s cap. I was shouting “Go, Tiger” and got a tip of the cap. It was pretty fun,” said Kim.

“He’s been so dominant all these years and it’s pretty cool what he’s done for the game and how he’s impacted golf. So I’ve always looked up to him. And it’s pretty cool that I met him in the PGA Championship and I was able to take a good souvenir picture with him. Yeah, he’s always been a huge idol of mine.”

Kim isn’t afraid to state his long-term career goals in a sport which is flooded with superstars and talents from the U.S. and around the world. “I really would love to be World No. 1. That has always been like a goal just because Tiger Woods was so dominant as World No. 1 for so many years. … win all four majors, be in the Golf Hall of Fame, just those big things I always would love to achieve. I’ve had that mindset ever since I started playing golf, so it’s always with me.”

Interestingly, Kim’s English name is Tom, which was given to him as he enjoyed watching the cartoon series “Thomas the Train” when he was child. “I had the whole thing, I had the lunchbox, I had the toys, yeah,” he laughs.

“Actually, it (name) was actually Thomas. As I grew older, some people started calling me Tom and I thought it was just shorter and just more simple. I think by the time I was like 11 I went just by Tom. And my family calls me Tom as well.”

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Four riders in four points: MotoGP™ hits boiling point in Barcelona

Sep 24. 2020

 Four riders split by four points and eight within a victory of the lead… the Championship contenders are ready for battle at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

They say all good things come to an end but that doesn’t appear to be true of the incredibly close battle for the 2020 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship, with every race only tightening the table.  You’d be laughed out of the non-fiction section if you described the plot, because we’ve had with more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie mystery. And yet, as the paddock arrives at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to begin the second half of the season, it seems too good to be but it’s very much still true. With four riders split by four points, the top eight within a win, six different winners – four for the first time – and still candidates aplenty to keep that record rolling, it Just. Keeps. Getting. Better.

So, let’s start at the top. Despite two races at Misano that saw him pick up a seventh and an eighth, it remains wily veteran Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) in the Championship lead on 84 points. He’s one of only two riders who’ve scored in every race so far, and that’s paying off despite some tougher weekends. The man knows how to finish a race. He also knows how to win at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, over three seconds clear by the flag in 2017. Can he get back on top?

If Yamaha have anything to do with it, the answer is no. The Iwata marque are the most successful manufacturer in Barcelona with 12 wins, and this season has seen their pace at a couple of venues leave the rest in the dust. But then the question becomes, which Yamaha? It’s Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) who’s second in the standings, one point off Dovizioso, and his recent form at the venue is impressive. In Moto2™ he smoked the field in 2018, and in MotoGP™ last season he took his first podium. That was after a mechanical denied him in Jerez too, and this season Jerez saw him return unbeatable. But then, Misano 2019 to Misano 2020 was a more difficult comparison… 

Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), meanwhile, is also on 83 points. But there’s no such thing as equal in the Championship, so ‘Top Gun’ is third because he has one less win than Quartararo. He’s the most recent winner, however, and escaped the field with Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) to end the Emilia Romagna GP in a different postcode to the other Yamahas. Can he do that again? 

And then there’s Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT). Too quick to handle in the first race at Misano, the Italian was then struck by illness the week after, so he’ll be one to watch. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) had great pace before a crash last time out too, and his record at Barcelona is enough to make everyone else blush: five of Yamaha’s 12 wins at the venue come from the ‘Doctor’. It’s also an incredible milestone – although he’s been well ahead of the game for a while – as he’ll start his 350th premier class race. And he’s already started more than a hundred more than anyone else! He was Yamaha’s last winner at the track, so it’s a good weekend for the number 46 to try and hit back.

Going back to nearer the top of the standings though, it’s time to talk about Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). It was a stop-start beginning to the season for the sophomore, as he crashed, took a top five, crashed again… and then began a run of form that has gone from Jaws music for his rivals to full-on Psycho. He’s outscored everyone else for a while now, and has been that which, they say, is the key to taking titles: consistent. And not in the top ten, but the top five or the podium. He’s still missing that first win – although he seemed on for it before the Red Flag in Styria – but who can bet against him taking one? It’s Saturday that could make all the difference for the Mayorcan, as he’s been fighting through from further down the grid, most recently from 11th to a seemingly effortless second. If they can fix that… can he become the seventh winner and fifth maiden winner this year?

Almost managing that last time out was Bagnaia, who crashed out of a lead that seemed ominous, and then started diminishing, but nevertheless remained healthy. With Viñales the man getting past and taking his first win of the year – and having already won a good few premier class races – the stat of fifth maiden winner and seventh winner of the season remains attainable for Bagnaia, and he’ll be guns blazing to bounce back. Teammate Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) will likely be in a similar mindset too, with the Australian forced out of the Emilia Romagna GP after his bike ate a tear off. He’s already won a race, but not this year – although he’s been incredibly close…

KTM could be a force to contend with again too. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took another podium last time out and teammate Brad Binder looked likely to fight for one before he crashed, but most crucially the Austrian factory blasted straight back into that fight at the front after a tougher first weekend at Misano. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) sliced through from P15 on the grid to the top five too, and his teammate Iker Lecuona was battling it out before a crash. How will they fare in Barcelona? Was it the test that saw them bounce back, or was the San Marino GP an anomaly?

The Emilia Romgana GP was also a big step forward for Honda. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was back in the top six (he’s also the second rider to have scored in every race), and rookie Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was only just behind him – ahead of Championship leader Dovizioso. Nakagami will want to keep that consistency rolling, and Marquez could be one to watch if that step forward is a permanent one. He’s won three times at Catalunya, once in Moto3™ and twice in Moto2™, which actually makes him the second most successful rider on the grid at the track across all classes… behind only Rossi! What can he do?

There are plenty more names to look out for too. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was MIA last time out but belongs at the front, Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) is looking for a move forward, Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) is already a podium finisher on the Ducati… Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) has been on pole at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya too, although with a different factory. Can they get further up the fight for the top ten again?

Four riders within four points, eight within a win of the Championship lead, six different winners so far and a good few names who could make it seven… who’s leaving Barcelona on top? Only time will tell, and this time that time is a little later: tune in on Sunday the 27th of September at 15:00 for the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya MotoGP™ race! MotoGP™ Championship Standings 1 Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati – 84 2 Fabio Quartararo* – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – 83 3 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 83 4 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – 80 5 Franco Morbidelli* – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – 64 *Independent Team riders Moto2™: who can conquer Catalunya? It’ll be a new name on the top step in Barcelona, but there are a few usual suspects… Despite the incredibly competitive field – and some seriously experienced runners – no one on the Moto2™ grid has won in the class at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya yet. So we’ll have a new name on the winner’s trophy in the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, but it looks like we have a few prime contenders… First and foremost, the two men at the top. Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) retains the points lead on the way in to Barcelona, and he’s won twice so far this season. If he does it again, the third win will equal his closest challenger: Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team). The former is five points ahead and took the first win at Misano, before the latter hit back as he bolted to victory in the Emilia Romagna GP, so there’s plenty at stake in terms of points, momentum and pride. Bastianini has also previously mastered the track in Moto3™. Third overall Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), meanwhile, has now had a Moto2™ win – and he’s been on the podium three times in a row for the first time since his Moto3™ days. Can that continue and can he go one step better in Barcelona? His pace has been impressive, and he’s now expected at the front. That’s also true of the man now behind him in the Championship, Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), as the Brit recovered well from a pitlane start penalty to take P8 and then followed that up with a podium, consistency on point. He also has some ground to make up, a fitting-in-some-ways 22 points off Bezzecchi, so he’ll be pushing hard to get in the battle for the podium and win. The man who’ll have more than a few eyes on him if he can return, however, has fallen to fifth overall after missing the two races at Misano: Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo). If he’s now allowed to race again, the Spaniard will be on a serious mission to get back on the top step and prove it ain’t over till it’s over. Will he be back to pick up where he left off? And how much risk will he take trying to gain back lost ground if yes? Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) were well in the fight in the Emilia Romagna GP too – with the other frontrunners and each other – and Vierge will be wanting to prove a point after crashing out following contact with Schrötter last time out. He’s on home turf with a fresh contract for 2021 in his pocket, so there’s a bit less pressure and a whole heap of incentive. His teammate Jake Dixon deserves a shout too, having taken a best result of sixth in the Emilia Romagna GP. Can he do that again? Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) went a little MIA at Misano compared to his 2020 form overall, and Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) needs to bounce back as well. What can they do? And what about impressive rookie Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team Moto2) after a couple of tougher race weekends? He’ll want to get back into that battle in the top six or more. A new name will win the Moto2™ race at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, and no one arrives with a record to make the others quiver. It’s anyone’s game, but the Italian trio at the top will take some beating and Jorge Martin will be on a charge. Find out who comes out on top as the lights go out for Moto2™ at the slightly later time of 13:20 (GMT +2) on Sunday the 27th of September. Moto2™ Championship Standings 1 Luca Marini – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – 125 2 Enea Bastianini – Italtrans Racing Team – Kalex – 120 3 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – 105 4 Sam Lowes – EG0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex – 83 5 Jorge Martin – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 79 Two points at the top: Ogura gains ground on Arenas Who will leave Barcelona in the Moto3™ Championship lead? The two likely candidates are split by just two points… Albert Arenas’ (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) Championship lead has been shrinking. The Spaniard has been the class of the field on many an occasion in 2020, but with a couple of crashes and the consistency of his closest rival, the gap has now gone down to the smallest it’s been: two points. Can he fight back in Catalunya? Or will Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) – or John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) – turn the tables? For Ogura, it’s an easier ask as he’s the man just two behind. That means that if he finishes ahead of Arenas on the podium, for one, he’ll most definitely be the Championship leader. So can he? Ending the race on the rostrum is his speciality so far this year, as he’s done it six times – more than any other rider. He’s not yet won, however, so that balancing act of risk vs reward could be a hurdle… but so far it’s done nothing to hold him back from full attack, and a win seems only a matter of time… For McPhee, it’s a bigger deficit. After a tougher second race at Misano, the Brit is now 21 points off and will be focused on fighting back. With Arenas on home turf though, the number 75 will be gunning for the top step as ever – so as the man on the chase, McPhee will need to do the same to start getting back into the mix right at the top. The Scot has bounced back already this year though, and more than knows how to do it. There are more home heroes than just Arenas to contend with though. The likes of Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing), Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) have shown more and more speed in 2020 and can’t be counted out from the fight at the front, and then there are the Italians: Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) have already won this year, and Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) has been on the podium. What can they do in ‘enemy’ territory? And how will that shuffle the deck for the top three in the standings? Find out on Sunday at the slightly later time of 12:00 (GMT +2) as Moto3™ take on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya. Moto3™ Championship Standings 1 Albert Arenas – Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3 – KTM – 119 2 Ai Ogura – Honda Team Asia – Honda – 117 3 John McPhee – Petronas Sprinta Racing – Honda – 98 4 Celestino Vietti – Sky Racing Team VR46 – KTM – 86 5 Tatsuki Suzuki – SIC58 Squadra Corse – Honda – 75

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Eurofins Named Official Testing Partner of the LPGA Tour

Sep 24. 2020

  The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) today announced that Eurofins has been named the Tour’s Official Testing Partner.

Eurofins, a world leader in clinical diagnostics, forensic, pharmaceutical, food and environmental laboratory testing services, will leverage the Eurofins SAFER@WORK^TM protocols to aid in the Tour’s continued safe return to play.  The partnership, slated to run through 2021, will ensure the LPGA has an easy, painless, fast and reliable COVID-19 testing program.

“The health and safety of our athletes, caddies, staff and tournament partners is always our number one priority, and it was very important for us to find a global testing partner that would help fit our needs in the United States and internationally. As a world-wide leader in bio-analysis, Eurofins is a perfect match for our global Tour and schedule,” said Heather Daly-Donofrio, LPGA Chief Tour Operations Officer. “We are excited to welcome Eurofins to the LPGA family as we work to maintain a safe and healthy tournament environment each week on Tour.”

Players, caddies, staff and essential personnel will take self-administered, mid-nasal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at an on-site testing location upon tournament arrival. Direct pathogen detection via PCR is the industry method of choice to detect acute COVID-19 infection. Eurofins will leverage its global network of laboratories to offer the LPGA a dedicated on-site team to monitor sample collection at each tournament and provide results within 24-48 hours.

Eurofins has been at the forefront of COVID-19 testing – launching its first RT-PCR (real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) assay for SARS-CoV-2 on March 13. Since then, Eurofins has rolled out several highly accurate, FDA-approved active infection and antibody assays to thousands of clients nationwide, including hospitals, physicians’ offices, nursing homes, government entities, sports organizations and employers. In addition to individual PCR testing, Eurofins offers a robust group of assays for COVID-19, including pooled, antibody, wastewater, worn-mask, and environmental surfaces and will soon be launching saliva testing.

About Eurofins – the global leader in bio-analysis

Eurofins Scientific, through its subsidiaries (hereinafter “Eurofins” or “the Group”), believes it is the global leader in food, environmental, pharmaceutical and cosmetics products testing and in agroscience CRO services. It is also one of the global independent market leaders in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, discovery pharmacology, forensics, CDMO, advanced material sciences and in the support of clinical studies. In addition, Eurofins is one of the leading global emerging players in esoteric and molecular clinical diagnostic testing. With over 48,000 staff across a network of more than 900 independent companies in over 50 countries generally specialized by end client markets and operating more than 800 laboratories, Eurofins offers a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods to evaluate the safety, identity, composition, authenticity, origin, traceability and purity of a wide range of products, as well as providing innovative clinical diagnostic testing services. The Group’s objective is to provide customers with high-quality and innovative services, accurate results on time and, when requested, expert advice by its highly-qualified staff.

Eurofins is committed to pursuing its dynamic growth strategy by expanding both its technology portfolio and its geographic reach. Through R&D and acquisitions, the Group draws on the latest developments in the field of biotechnology and analytical chemistry to offer its clients unique analytical solutions and a very large range of testing methods.

As one of the most innovative and quality-oriented international groups in its industry, Eurofins is ideally positioned to support its clients’ increasingly stringent quality and safety standards and the increasing demands of regulatory authorities and healthcare practitioners around the world.

Shares in Eurofins Scientific are listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN FR0000038259, Reuters EUFI.PA, Bloomberg ERF FP).

About the LPGA

The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 members representing more than 30 countries. With a vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while the Symetra Tour, the official development and qualifying tour of the LPGA, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. Additionally, LPGA Professionals directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management.

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MEO named as title sponsor for the Portuguese Grand Prix

Sep 24. 2020

 The season finale will bear the name of one of Portugal’s best known brands

Dorna Sports is proud to announce MEO, the consumer segment brand of Altice Portugal, as the title sponsor for the season finale of the 2020 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship. The event is set to take place at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve from the 20th to the 22nd of November and will be officially named the Grande Premio MEO de Portugal. 

Telecommunications brand MEO is one of the biggest brands in Portugal and is committed to promoting Portuguese culture and language worldwide – as well as having become one of the biggest advocates and sponsors of cultural and sporting events in the country. MotoGP™ rider and recent first-time premier class winner Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) is also an ambassador for the brand, strengthening the ties between MEO and MotoGP™ even further. As MotoGP™ returns to Portugal for the first time since 2012, and with Oliveira racing on home turf, this new partnership between MEO and Dorna Sports makes for a perfect match. 

Alexandre Fonseca, Executive President of Altice Portugal: “It is a great honor for MEO to title sponsor the biggest motorcycle racing event in Portugal. This new commitment reinforces our position in the international motorsport scene and enhances the colors of our country. If we already have so many reasons to celebrate Portugal, this is one more reason to raise, with a single and unique voice, our pride in being Portuguese!” 

Pau Serracanta, Managing Director of Dorna Sports: “I am very happy that, in such an exceptional season, we are able to organise a Grand Prix in Portugal with the support of MEO. At Dorna it makes us especially happy to do so as the first Portuguese rider to win a premier class Grand Prix will be participating in the event, racing on home soil.”

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‘Warrior’ Wishaya goes ballistic to win Thailand Championships

Sep 23. 2020Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul and Patcharin Cheapchandej 

By THE NATION

Top seed Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul underlined his status as the Kingdom’s No 1 tennis player by conquering Palaphoom Kovapitukted to win the Bt600,000 Thailand Championships at the LTAT National Tennis Centre on Tuesday.

Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul 

Hard-hitting Wishaya, 25, deployed an array of weapons including explosive serves and booming groundstrokes to subdue his 20-year-old rival in straight sets, 6-2 6-4, and snatch his first title of the season.

The win was a much-needed mental boost for the Thai No 1, who suffered early losses in his two previous tournaments – the National Championships and the Singha Bangkok Open.

Palaphoom, who won the Bangkok Open earlier this month, bounced back in the doubles final when he and veteran buddy Sonchat Ratiwatana beat Pawich Sonlaksap and Thanapet Chantha 6-4 7-6 (7-5).

Patcharin Cheapchandej 

In the women’s singles final, Patcharin Cheapchandej brushed aside Palaphoom’s younger sister Punin, claiming the title with a 6-2 6-3 victory. Patcharin also won the women’s doubles alongside close friend Kamonwan Buayam.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/sport/30394913?utm_source=category&utm_medium=internal_referral

Predators’ Roman Josi wins Norris Trophy; Capitals’ John Carlson finishes second

Sep 22. 2020Capitals’ defenseman John Carlson had a career season but lost out to Nashville’s Roman Josi in Norris Trophy voting. Carlson is shown here chasing the puck down ice during an intrasquad scrimmage at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., on Friday, July 24, 2020. MUST CREDIT: Washington Post photo by Toni L. Sandys. 

By The Washington Post · Samantha Pell · SPORTS, HOCKEY 
The Nashville Predators’ Roman Josi won the NHL’s Norris Trophy on Monday, given to the league’s top defenseman, edging Washington’s John Carlson.

Carlson was considered the favorite after a career year in offensive production, breaking numerous franchise and league records. The 11-year veteran led all defensemen in points (75) and assists (60) and set or tied career highs in every offensive category. Josi was second to Carlson in points with 65. Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman, who finished third in voting, was third in points among defenseman with 55.

Josi was named on 109 first-place ballots and 52 second place; Carlson had 56 first-place votes and 83 for second place.

The announcement came during an unconventional NHL Awards show broadcast from the NHL’s bubble in Edmonton before Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals. Hall of Famer Paul Coffey virtually presented the Norris Trophy to Josi.

Josi had 16 goals and 49 assists, franchise records for a defenseman. He also scored the most points in a season by any Predators player since 2009 and had the eighth-best scoring season in team history.

Carlson was a finalist for the first time in his career after finishing fourth in voting after the 2018-19 season and fifth in 2017-18. Even after his scoring pace slowed in the weeks before the NHL was forced to shut down in March because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Carlson averaged 1.09 points per game, the most by a defenseman since Ray Bourque, Sergei Zubov and Al MacInnis (Calgary Flames) each matched or eclipsed that mark in the 1993-94 season.

Bourque won the Norris Trophy that season.

Carlson was named an alternate captain for the Capitals for the first time this season and had a blazing offensive start to the season. After Carlson recorded five goals and 15 assists in his first 11 games, teammates started openly campaigning for him, with Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin starting a “JohnnyforNorris” hashtag on Twitter.

Carlson earned the NHL’s First Star of the Week on Dec. 9, posting three goals and three assists in three games. By Dec. 31, Carlson had 50 points through 41 games, putting him on pace for 100 points if the season was to be completed as scheduled and earning him some lofty comparisons. There have only been 14 100-point seasons by defensemen in NHL history, and Coffey and Bobby Orr have 11 of them. No defenseman has finished a season with 100 points since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.

“To see him mentioned with those kind of people, it is crazy,” Carlson’s dad, Dick, said in mid-December as he watched John practice in Tampa during the Capitals’ mentors trip. “You kind of have to knock yourself in the head and say, ‘Holy cow, is this your kid?'”

Former Capitals star defenseman Calle Johansson said in a phone interview from his native Sweden over the weekend that he felt Carlson’s game was the most consistent of the three finalists and he was deserving of the award.

Carlson became the Capitals’ all-time leader in points by a defenseman in late February, passing Johansson’s mark of 474. Carlson, who debuted during the 2009-10 season, has 478 career points. He is under contract with the Capitals through 2025-26.

However, regardless of the honor going to Josi, Johansson believes that Carlson could be a Norris Trophy finalist for years to come. Johansson said the blue-liner has the “opportunity to be the best defensive defenseman because of his skating, size and strength.”

Johansson expects this won’t be the first time Carlson is named a finalist.

“This is not a one-time deal,” Johansson said. “If you look around the league and you take out all the defenseman, there are three, four guys, maybe, that have the skill, the strength, the skating, the size, the age. He’s got everything going for him. If he wants to and his mind is with him and gets his head wrapped around it, he could be a finalist for the next five to six years, absolutely.”

Carlson would have been second player in Capitals history to win the Norris. Rod Langway won it twice, in 1983 and 1984. Mike Green was named a finalist in both 2009 and 2010 but did not win in either season.

“He was just outstanding this year,” Johansson said. “I know he’s been good for a lot of years, but this year he took it to a whole other level and got a lot of backup. . . . What he did is tough. You can play 35, 40 games and be successful, but he did it. He just kept on going and going and going all the way through.

“He has it all. I think what people see now is what you get right now, but I can almost expect more from him. I don’t want it to sound negative; it should be a really positive thing. He’s so good now, but he can be so much better.”