PFL continues global expansion through multi-year broadcast partnership with Telesport Group
Aug 05. 2020
By THE NATION
MMA Fans in Russia Can Tune-In to Telesport and Follow Homegrown Talent’s Journeys Through PFL’s Regular Season, Playoffs, and Million-Dollar Championship Format
Professional Fighters League (PFL), the first organization ever to present MMA through a Regular season, Playoffs, and Championship format, announced an international distribution partnership with Telesport Group in Russia.As a rights holder to several federations and leading national and international sporting events, including the Olympic Games through 2024, UEFA Euro 2020, Russian Football Cup and more, Telesport now adds premium MMA content to its portfolio with the PFL. As part of the multi-year agreement, Telesport will broadcast live PFL Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship events. PFL programming on Telesport will also include classic fights from PFL’s vault, including Magomed Magomedkerimov’s million-dollar performance in the 2018 PFL welterweight championship, Ali Isaev’s undefeated run to the 2019 PFL heavyweight championship, and Movlid Khaybulaev’s viral flying knee KO of Damon Jackson.Original programming created by PFL Studios – a fully integrated global media division of the Professional Fighters League producing original MMA content for all platforms including television, digital and mobile – will also be featured. “Professional Fighters League has experienced tremendous domestic and international growth, and with fighters from 25 countries around the world, we are committed to delivering our brand of thrilling, high-quality, differentiated MMA action to a global audience,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the PFL.“Russia is a country that has consistently produced elite MMA talent, many of whom have made a name for themselves in the United States with the PFL. We’re excited to partner with Telesport and provide a rabid fan base of MMA enthusiasts with premium, year-round MMA content, and the opportunity to support homegrown talent.”
ONE Championship announces confirmed bouts for upcoming ‘ONE: NO SURRENDER II’ & ‘ONE: NO SURRENDER III’ broadcasts
Aug 04. 2020
By THE NATION
ONE Championship announced confirmed bouts for ONE: NO SURRENDER II and ONE: NO SURRENDER III to be broadcast and streamed on Friday, 14 August and Friday, 21 August.
The main event of ONE: NO SURRENDER II will see former ONE World Title challenger Saemapetch Fairtex take on countryman Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai showdown.
Saemapetch Fairtex, ONE Super Series Athlete, stated: “It’s such a huge honor and moment for me to return to ONE Championship after having no events in the past few months. There hasn’t been an opportunity to compete for a while, so I am really grateful. I’m also very happy that we will fight in Bangkok. I trained very hard for this fight, and I want to give it my all inside the ring. I just want to tell Rodlek to prepare himself well, because I want us to give the fans an exciting fight.”
Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym, ONE Super Series Athlete, stated: “It’s a privilege to be able to compete right here at home in Bangkok. Saemapetch is a young, hungry fighter, and we’re going to put together a thrilling main event. I know he’s a tough fighter. I’ve seen the way he fights, and he’s very good. But I’m ready to put forth the best performance of my career. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Other ONE Super Series contests at ONE: NO SURRENDER II include a bantamweight kickboxing bout between Leo Pinto of France and Mehdi “Diamond Heart” Zatout of Algeria, a featherweight Muay Thai contest between Thai stars Sorgraw Petchyindee Academy and Pongsiri PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym, and another Muay Thai bout between China’s Huang Ding and Tunisia’s Fahdi “The Gladiator” Khaled.
In mixed martial arts, Thailand’s Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit squares off against Japan’s Akihiro “Superjap” Fujisawa, while Thailand’s Yodkaikaew Fairtex takes on the United Kingdom’s John Shink.
See complete bout information below. All bouts are subject to change.
ONE: NO SURRENDER II
From Bangkok, Thailand
Friday, 14 August
Saemapetch Fairtex vs Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym
Muay Thai (4oz. gloves): 65.8kg
Leo Pinto vs Mehdi Zatout
Kickboxing (8oz. boxing gloves): 65.8kg
Pongsiri Mitsatit vs Akihiro Fujisawa
Mixed Martial Arts: 59.5kg (Catch Weight)
Sorgraw Petchyindee Academy vs Pongsiri PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym
Muay Thai (4oz. gloves): 70.3kg
Yodkaikaew Fairtex vs John Shink
Mixed Martial Arts: 61.2kg
Huang Ding vs Fahdi Khaled
Muay Thai (4oz. gloves): 61.2kg
ONE: NO SURRENDER III, 21 August
The main event of ONE: NO SURRENDER III features Thai stars Sangmanee Klong SuanPluResort and Kulabdam Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai who will face off in a Muay Thai contest in 4oz. gloves.
Sangmanee Klong SuanPluResort, ONE Super Series Athlete, stated: “I’m happy for the opportunity to compete in this event here in Thailand. Even though it’s a closed-door event, ONE Championship has a huge audience worldwide and I’m glad my fans all across the globe can watch my fight and support me. I hope to make new fans as well with my fighting style. My opponent, Kulabdam, is a very dangerous Nak Muay. He’s even more dangerous now that we are going to fight in 4oz. gloves which will no doubt amplify his power. He’s aggressive and powerful. However, I’m one hundred percent physically and mentally ready for this fight. I will try to put my best performance together and get one step closer to my goal of becoming ONE World Champion.”
Kulabdam Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai, ONE Super Series Athlete, stated: “I’m so glad to be able to compete in ONE Championship again. This is my second time in the ONE Championship ring, and I’m excited because this fight is happening in my home country. I’ll be ready to go no matter what. To my opponent, let’s make our fight fun and exciting for the fans. I’ve prepared a sound game plan with my team, and we’ve studied this fight from all angles. I want to show fans what we’ve got planned on event night.”
Also on the card is a trio of highly-anticipated Muay Thai spectacles.
Making their ONE Super Series debuts are four women of the ring. Wondergirl Fairtex of Thailand is set to take on Brooke Farrell of Australia, while Estonia’s Marie “The Valkyrie” Ruumet locks horns with Ayaka “Little Tiger” Miyauchi of Japan. At men’s flyweight, Thailand’s Mongkolpetch Petchyindee Academy will face Cambodia’s Sok Thy.
Lastly, Thai veteran and fan favorite Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai is set to battle France’s Fabio Pinca, who makes his mixed martial arts debut, while the United Kingdom’s Ben Royle takes on the United States’ Quitin Thomas.
See complete bout information below. All bouts are subject to change.
ONE: NO SURRENDER III
Bangkok, Thailand
Friday, 21 August
Sangmanee Klong SuanPluResort vs Kulabdam Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai
Race, race, repeat: the reigning Champion returns to face his rivals for the crown
Aug 04. 2020
By THE NATIONHow do you solve a ‘problem’ like Quartararo? No one was quite sure in Jerez but add a new track, a dash of Marquez and stir…
It’s been quite the start to the 2020 premier class season and a clean sweep for Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) so far, with the Frenchman on a maximum of 50/50 as we return to race in the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky. His two races in Jerez were pitch perfect and within tenths of each other, his gap at the front comfortable – at least in terms of margin – and he’s most definitely the man to beat as we arrive at Brno. The man who held that moniker on the way into Jerez, however, will now be back.
A broken humerus in a dramatic Spanish GP put paid to Marc Marquez’ (Repsol Honda Team) first two chances to score points in 2020, despite a superhuman effort in a couple of sessions in the Andalucia GP to come back and fight for some. But two weeks on, Marquez’ impressive ability to even ride the bike at a competitive level just days after surgery say the reigning Champion may well be managing more than that in Czechia. What can he do now? And what will he be aiming to do?
It’s likely unrealistic – although many have been wrong before – to expect Marquez to fight for the win just yet, but it’s most definitely realistic to start looking at the long game. The season remains extensive despite the delays and cancellations obliged by the Covid-19 pandemic and there’s definitely time. The question just remains as to whose side it’s on.
Looking at the last few Czech GPs, the man third overall – Dovizioso – should allow himself a spring in his step on the return to Brno. A win in 2018 and second place last year speak well of his chances, and something that may well be crucial to the likes of ‘Undaunted Dovi’ is the familiar territory we’re returning to. Although everyone knows Jerez, no one knew Jerez in the 40 degree heat of July. Everyone knows Brno in August.
For Marquez on the comeback, this is good news too – as is the fact that Dovizioso leads the pencilled in expectations, because it was Yamaha who bit first in Jerez. Them fighting each other only buys the reigning Champion time, and Yamaha’s last win at the track came in 2015 as now-test rider Jorge Lorenzo put in a lights-to-flag special. On the one hand, five years seems a long time but on the other, it was four in Jerez since Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) took Yamaha’s last win there… and Quartararo felled that with something that looked like ease, twice in a succession that was most definitely quick. Add that to the fact that five of the six places on the podiums in Jerez were filled by Iwata marque machinery, and Yamaha were 1-2-3 in the Brno test last year, which is the last time we were on track at the venue. Marquez had also expected them to threaten on race day in 2019, that’s why he said he pushed from the off. But then what about their engines used so far? And top speed deficit to some?
But enough about the top three and the number 93, as there are a good few more names in the hat in an astonishingly competitive 2020: Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) has serious speed and will want to unleash that after a crash last time out, and his teammate Francesco Bagnaia looked set for a first podium in the Andalucia GP too before seeing it snatched away by a technical problem. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) suffered a similar story. Rossi was back on the box and knows a fair few things about Brno… and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) had a barnstormer of an Andalucia GP to keep the ‘Doctor’ honest, ending the race fourth overall in the standings to boot.
And what about KTM? The Austrian factory showed awesome speed in Jerez over both race weekends, and although there was some bad luck and trouble for them on Sunday, Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is fifth overall. And his rookie teammate, Brad Binder, had stunning pace. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) too. So what can they do in Brno? On the lead up to two home GPs back-to-back at the Red Bull Ring right after this one, they’ll want a few more points in Czechia – and to confirm their speed.
As Marquez returns, there are also two more riders suffering through the pain barrier, although both managed to finish the Andalucia GP. 2016 Czech GP winner Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), with more recovery time for his scaphoid, will want to be able to go the distance a little better, and Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins, with a dislocated shoulder compounded by a small fracture, will be aiming to take a step forward too. The Spaniard took a hard-grafted tenth place last time out, but after Suzuki’s incredible preseason showing he’ll want to recover more ground and score as quickly as possible. The good news for the Hamamatsu Factory in the second race in Jerez though was Joan Mir, with the number 36 putting a crash in the season opener behind him to take fifth and get some reward for his speed. He’ll be even more keen to conquer Brno too, as the Czech track was the scene of his huge crash in testing last season that sidelined him for two races.
Finally, there’s also the fight for Rookie of the Year to keep an eye on. Quartararo has Independent Team rider standings sewn up so far, but the Rookie fight is closer than the points would have us believe. Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) put in an impressive ride to eighth in the Andalucia GP and has avoided mistakes on race day, but Brad Binder – he of the aforementioned stunning pace – will be looking to fight back after losing out on a bigger points haul, and Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) will want in. Brno is a good track for Alex Marquez though, so the Spaniard will be keen to keep that nice nine-point cushion accrued on home turf…
Fast, undulating corners cut through the forested hillsides the Automotodrom Brno calls home, and they are ready to host the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship. Tune in for the first of a triple-header blockbuster of race weekends as we head east from Jerez to the hills of Moravia. Can Marquez start to play catch up? Or have the likes of Quartararo already bolted?
And remember… there are now 12 premier class races left in 2020, with another Grand Prix in Europe just added.
5 Pol Espargaro – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM – 19
Will Bastianini and Marini overhaul Nagashima in Brno?
Any of the top seven in the Championship on the way into Brno could leave Czechia in the lead. But the Italians appear to be coming…
Three races, three winners is the simplest way to write the story of Moto2™ so far in 2020. It was Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) taking the lead in Qatar before he had to settle for understudy in Round 2, with Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) bouncing back to take the second victory of the season. Then it got even closer, with a crash during the Andalucia GP seeming to put the Japanese rider on the back foot – and a new winner emerging onto the top step, for the first time in the intermediate class no less. The new kid on the victory block was Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team), and it means we head into Brno with only five points separating the top three. 50, 48, 45 – Nagashima, Bastianini, Marini. With another 75 in play in the next three weekends.
Last year, Bastianini was third and took his first podium in Moto2™ in Czechia. That bodes well for him. Marini was fifth, however, and took a podium in 2018, which also bodes well… and Nagashima was ninth last season, which was a solid finish for him at the time. But do past results even give us a clue anymore in a new-look 2020, with Triumph bedded in as official engine supplier and so many on a new roll of form?
MB Conveyors Speed Up’s pairing of Jorge Navarro and Fabio Di Giannantonio will be hoping so. The Spaniard has had an uncharacteristically up and down start to this season and he was only just off the podium last year, and ‘Diggia’ was on it for the first time in Moto2™. Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) will hope track records count for something too, as the Swiss veteran is the man in the field to have previously won a Moto2™ race at the track. Both he and teammate Marcel Schrötter will be hoping for more, having both had a tougher start to 2020 than many expected. Speed has been there, but Sundays have sometimes been an uphill battle and turning it around now would really shake things up.
Aron Canet (Openbank Aspar Team Moto2), however, is also Grand Prix winner at the circuit, only he did it in Moto3™. The Moto2™ rookie has been one of the standout performers of the season so far, quietly – or maybe not so quietly – racking up the points and impressive finishes. Canet is fourth overall in the standings after his first three intermediate class races, which is a record to write home about in itself, but surely a first podium is only a matter of time? Add to that Speed Up’s successes last season in Czechia…
It won’t be easy to make that leap, however. Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), having missed Qatar through injury, was back on it in Jerez and took two fourth places. Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) unleashed his pace into points despite injury, Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) has been on pole and the podium, Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) is still very much in that mix in the standings… and what about Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing)? The American was a star of the show in Qatar before having a tougher time of it in Andalucia, but his best finish before Losail this year was a tenth in Brno. In the rain, but on his Moto2™ debut. And it’s a track he’s loved since racing in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup…
Another weekend, another track, and another 25 points on the table. Any one of seven could leave Czechia on top of the pile, but the momentum certainly seems to be dancing to the beat of Il Canto degli Italiani for the moment. Can Nagashima strike back? Or are we to enjoy a fourth different winner in the fourth race of the season? Find out on Sunday the 9th of August at 12:20 (GMT +2) local time.
Moto2™ Championship Standings
1 Tetsuta Nagashima – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 50
2 Enea Bastianini – Italtrans Racing Team – Kalex – 48
3 Luca Marini – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – 45
4 Aron Canet – Openbank Aspar Team Moto2 – Speed Up – 30
5 Lorenzo Baldassarri – Flexbox HP 40 – Kalex – 28
Can anyone topple Arenas in Czechia?The Championship leader crashed out in the Andalucia GP and the standings tightened up. Will Brno bring another shake up?
Albert Arenas (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) was on the roll of rolls to start the season. Winning in Qatar and coming back to racing after four months to pick up exactly where he left off, the Spaniard had started to require the Jaws music to accompany his well-thought out tactics in the latter stages of a Moto3™ race. But then disaster truck in the Andalucia GP and he crashed out, leaving his rivals with a big chance to hit back. For two of them certainly, it was a chance they were able to take.
One was Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), who is now in second after his stunning win last time out – the Japanese rider looking like a serious threat. He said he was surprised to take pole because he’d been working towards Sunday pace, and Sunday more than saw that pay off as he took command of the front group and seemed the favourite from lights out. John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) made up some ground too after a crash in the Spanish GP, and the three are now covered by just 10 points. Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) was prevented from gaining ground after he hit some bad luck, but he remains in the mix and at Brno, it’s anyone’s game.
For McPhee, the Czech Repubic holds good memories as it’s the site of his first Grand Prix win. Suzuki has had some solid speed at the venue too, and Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) was on the podium there last year. Ogura was in the top six – as a rookie – and Darryn Binder (CIP – Green Power), who stormed from the near back of the grid to take fourth in the Andalucia GP, was a top ten finisher in 2019. The likes of Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) and Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) have solid finishes at the track too, adding more and more names to the hat for who will be fighting it out it what will surely prove another Moto3™ classic battle at Brno.
Albert Arenas remains both the Championship leader and the probable favourite in 2020 despite that crash. But the cast of characters looking to bite back and shuffle themselves to the top is sizeable, and we’ll find out who leaves in the driving seat soon enough. Moto3™ race on Sunday at 11:00 (GMT +2).
Moto3™ Championship Standings
1 Albert Arenas – Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3 – KTM – 50
Justin Thomas wins WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational
Aug 03. 2020
By PGATOUR.com
Losses are often learning experiences, and that was the case for Justin Thomas at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
Losing a three-stroke lead three weeks ago helped him make an unprecedented comeback at TPC Southwind. Thomas now has 13 PGA TOUR victories, but he won this latest one in a way that he never had.
He started Sunday in fifth place. Never before has he won after starting the final round so low on the leaderboard. He also trailed by four, matching the largest final-round deficit he’s overcome on the PGA TOUR.
The victory kept him on an elite pace. Since 1960, only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have reached 13 wins at a younger age. Thomas is 27 years, 3 months and 4 days old.
Thomas shot 13-under 267 (66-70-66-65) for four rounds at TPC Southwind, good for a three-shot victory over Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Daniel Berger and Tom Lewis.
Thomas got into position with a stellar 31 on the front nine. He missed just one green (he hit the fringe) and had birdie putts within 25 feet on all nine holes. He bogeyed the 12th hole but birdies on 15 and 16, the former made possible by a fortuitous bounce, were the difference.
Thomas finished first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, second in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green and second in proximity to the hole.
This was Thomas’ third win of the season, and first since the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January. He increased his lead in the FedExCup to more than 700 points and retook the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking. This was his second World Golf Championships win, as well.
“It was a hard-fought day, but it meant a lot … how we did it, being four behind to start the day.” Thomas said. “I haven’t exactly played well coming from behind in the past and I feel like I learned a lot from that.”
The margin of victory implies an easy victory, but it was anything but. At one point on the back nine, there were five players tied for the lead. A resurgent Koepka, who seems to have regained the form that’s netted him four majors, put pressure on Thomas until the final hole.
Thomas described it as a “grind.”
He spent most of the round unaware of how things stood, though. That was intentional. He didn’t see a leaderboard until accidentally staring at one on the 13th hole.
Thomas parred those two holes before hitting a poor tee shot on the 15th, a short par-4 with a creek that runs down the left side and in front of the green. His ball was headed toward the water, but it hit the cart path and bounced safely over the penalty area. Good breaks aren’t worth much if you don’t convert, though, and Thomas did by knocking his 51-yard wedge shot to 6 feet.
He birdied the next hole with another nifty wedge that carried a bunker before checking up and stopping 3 feet from the hole.
Thomas and Koepka, the past two winners of this event, had separated themselves from the field at that point, but Thomas appeared to have the tournament in hand when Koepka’s own pitch to the 16th rolled over the green. The bogey gave Thomas a two-shot lead.
Koepka has a knack for summoning his best golf in crucial moments, and he did that again Sunday, holing a 40-foot birdie putt from the fringe on 17 to pull back within a shot.
Thomas pushed his drive and approach well right on the 18th hole to ensure he missed the water. A bogey seemed possible, but Koepka drove into the water while Thomas was saving par with a chip he described as “pretty sick.”
This was just Thomas’ second win when trailing by more than two shots entering the final round. He’s held the 54-hole lead in eight of his 13 victories.
He also trailed by four entering the final round of the 2016 CIMB Classic, his second win on TOUR.
“I remember that day kind of being just at ease and just not worried about Anirban (Lahiri, the 54-hole leader) and other guys that were ahead of me,” Thomas said. “I was just strictly trying to make as many birdies as I could because I can’t control what everybody else does.
“And that’s what I tried to do today.”
Three weeks ago, he paid the price for letting his mind wander. He had a three-shot lead with three holes remaining at the Workday Charity Open, but bogeyed two of the final three holes and lost to Collin Morikawa in a playoff. He used that experience Sunday.
“I just didn’t get ahead of myself anytime those last two, three holes, where I felt like my mind was kind of wandering and maybe thinking about winning,” Thomas said. “I basically just told myself to shut up and figure out what you’re doing because I could lose that tournament just as easily as I won it today. I was really, really proud of myself to stay in the moment and get it done.”
Danielle Kang (Photo credit to LPGA)For the first time since Feb. 20, 2020, the LPGA Tour has crowned a champion.
American Danielle Kang earned a wire-to-wire victory at the LPGA Drive On Championship, finishing at -7 to take a one-stroke win over France’s Celine Boutier. Kang has now won in four consecutive LPGA Tour seasons and survived a Sunday battle with Boutier that started in constant rain and ended under gloriously sunny skies.
“I’m really, really happy that I got to pull it off after leading the first day and second day,” said Kang. “Leading after the first day definitely gave me some hope, and I wanted it close it out. It came down to the last hole, last putt, but it was a really good battle out there, and it’s pretty cool.”
Kang held a two-stroke lead through 12 holes, but her advantage fell to one with a bogey at the par-5 13th. Boutier pulled into a tie with a birdie at No. 14, but her own bogey at No. 15 gave Kang a tenuous one-stroke lead.
“I kept telling myself, stick to the game plan. The game plan was to play aggressive and play my game,” said Kang. “No matter what anybody else did it didn’t really matter. It does but it doesn’t, because I still have to hit the shots. So I stayed really aggressive on 16, 17 and 18.”
It all came down to No. 18, where Boutier put her approach from 94 yards out to just 6 feet below the hole. After Kang closed with a two-putt par, Boutier’s birdie putt heartbreakingly lipped out, handing the victory to Kang.
“She was ahead the whole front, and then I just tried to focus on my game, because at that point I hadn’t played that well,” said Boutier. “So I just tried to hit fairways, hit greens, give myself opportunities, and then I managed to make a couple of birdies.”
Australian Minjee Lee took solo third at -4, with Japanese rookie Yui Kawamoto finishing fourth at -3. England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff finished fifth at -2, with the top-five finishers the only players to finish under par at Inverness Club.
The LPGA Drive On Championship is the fifth event of the season and the first of two consecutive events in Toledo, Ohio. Next week, the Tour will take to Highland Meadows Golf Club for the 35th playing of the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana.
KANG IN LOVE WITH INVERNESS CLUB
In just over one year, the LPGA Tour will return to Inverness Club for the 2021 Solheim Cup. It’s safe to say that Danielle Kang will be one of the most excited players to take on the renowned Donald Ross design.
“Inverness Club is definitely a chameleon. That’s what I kept calling it. Depending on the weather, depending on the time, it changes how it how it plays, how receptive it can be, defense. It’s just so different,” said Kang. “I think the best way I can put it is you have to respect the golf course. The golf course changes so often, and you can’t take little shots for granted. I just try and keep as much focus as possible and not let the golf course get to me and try and play the course instead of fighting it.”
IN HER OWN WORDS – DANIELLE KANG ON THE STATE OF HER GAME
“I haven’t played since January at a tournament, and I even said after I won in the winning speech that I’m so thankful for our commissioner and the entire LPGA staff, because I love the decisions that they made, and I am so thankful in how safe they made it for us.
It’s normal — feels a little bit more normal to be back, and I know that the staff and everyone and the diligence that it takes for all the COVID protocols. I know it’s an extra many steps that they have to take, but I’m so thankful that they’re going out of their way to make sure that we can play.
All in all in that sense, I’m really happy and excited even for the LPGA and for the fans that are at home that could be watching and that we’re doing the best we can to put on entertainment and to be on TV.
I’m so thankful for the LPGA Drive On Championship. It’s an inaugural tournament, and at Inverness Club that’s brand new. Well, brand new on our schedule. I know that a lot of people have gone through a lot of tough things in the last many, many months and this year in 2020 has not an easy year for a lot of people, so I’m just thankful to be where I am.
During the COVID, all the time off, I made sure to try and be thankful every day for what I had. I think that really paid off, and I’m just in such a grateful position where I’m trying to do my best to be able to give back, whether it’s excitement or entertainment or happiness or joy, whatever I can.”
BOUTIER COMES OH-SO-CLOSE TO VICTORY
There was an understandable sadness in Celine Boutier’s eyes as she walked off the golf course following Sunday’s final round of the LPGA Drive On Championship. The 26-year-old from the Parisian suburbs had a 6-foot birdie putt that would have sent the tournament into a sudden-death playoff. Instead, the ball hit the left side of the hole and spun away, leaving Boutier straining to find the positives in an otherwise stellar week of golf.
“Any time you have the opportunity to play for the win it’s always positive,” said Boutier, who earned her first LPGA Tour victory at the 2019 ISPS Handa Vic Open. “Then especially after the break you don’t really know where you stand, where the other player stands, so it’s definitely good to have top two. Then it’s just hopefully I just learn from this and take it for experience for the next time I get the chance to play for the win.”
The last nine holes proved to be a preview of the 2021 Solheim Cup, which will be held at Inverness Club next September. Kang and Boutier battled back and forth, with Kang holding the lead for much of the back nine and Boutier holding close. While Boutier ultimately did not walk away with the win, she was the only player in the field to card three rounds of sub-par golf at Inverness Club.
“I definitely had, you know, a little bit of trouble in the beginning,” said Boutier, who has just one over-par round this season. “I just couldn’t get my round going, and especially with the tough conditions. I managed to save some pars here and there, and then the back nine was much better. So I’m definitely happy with the way I overcame my struggles in the front.”
RETURN TO LPGA TOUR WAS ALL ABOUT FAMILY FOR BRITTANY LANG
With daughter Shay in tow and with husband Kevin Spann on the bag, Brittany Lang’s first LPGA Tour event since October 2019 was a shared victory for her new family of three. The 34-year-old Texas tied for sixth at the LPGA Drive On Championship with three consecutive days of shooting even par, nearly seven months after delivering via Cesarean section.
“I had Shay January 23, so it was right before this [pandemic] hit,” said Lang. “It was great for our family just because I needed to heal and get strong. So it’s been great for our family.”
What got Lang through the week at Inverness was having her husband of six years by her side, especially after the caddie she originally hired unfortunately got stuck in a hurricane back at his home in Hawaii.
“When I put Kevin on the bag, I was comfortable. He knows golf. He knows me,” said Lang, who won the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open. “He has a good perspective on being more aggressive, and that’s why I think it was helpful for me. But just having a familiar face, it gives me so much confidence moving forward to have a good finish for sure.”
By the end of what was an especially hard final round at Inverness Club, the player-caddie couple only had one thing on their minds — get to the Smucker’s LPGA Child Development Center and pick up Shay. This first week as a working mom was definitely a learning experience.
“I was a little nervous traveling with her, and then you’re tired after you play golf, but then you have to be a mom. Like you have to be on,” said Lang. “So I’m a little nervous about that because I want to be able to give her my all but also still play. So we’ll see how it goes. Because she deserves my best.”
CME GROUP CARES CHALLENGE – SCORE 1 FOR ST. JUDE
The CME Group Cares Challenge is a season-long charitable giving program that turns aces into donations. CME Group donated $20,000 for each hole-in-one made on the LPGA Tour in 2019, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $500,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is leading the way in how the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
There were no holes-in-one at the 2020 LPGA Drive On Championship. The 2020 season has seen four aces, for a total of $80,000 donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The 2019 LPGA Tour season saw 32 aces from 31 different players, for a total of $620,000. This more than covers the average cost of $425,000 needed to treat a pediatric cancer patient.
Red-hot Gunn Charoenkul won back-to-back Thailand PGA Tour titles following a play-off victory in the Bt2 million Singha-SAT Nakhon Nayok Classic at the Royal Hill Golf Resort and Spa in Nakhon Nayok on Sunday.
Two weeks after celebrating his first win of the season in Hua Hin, the 28-year-old kept his cool to sink in a 21-foot championship birdie putt at the par 4 hole 18. He reigned supreme at the par-71 7,172 yard course and grabbed the winner’s cheque of Bt240,00.
“For the first time in my life, I have won back-to-back titles ” said Gunn who was tied with Nirun at 12 under-par-201 in regulation. “This is also the first time that I fought my way back to win. It will benefit me in terms of mental toughness from now on,” he added.
After a disastrous triple bogey on the ninth hole that pushed him back to nine under, Gunn admitted he gave up hope of winning. But three more birdies at the back nine sent him back up-front alongside Nirun. Heavy-favourite Prayad Marksaeng who was leading with 14 under with three holes to play, stumbled to a double bogey and a bogey which deprived him of the play-off opportunity as he settled with 202 for joint third place with Prom Meesawat.
“Prayad was just unlucky on the 16th hole. Normally he was a very solid player. As for me, I expect to see some big change in my game in tournaments to come,” said Gunn.
French-Thai Boutier among three-way lead at the LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP
Aug 02. 2020Celine Boutier (Photo credit to LPGA)
By THE NATION
With one round to go at the LPGA Drive On Championship, three names are at the top of the leaderboard, looking to become the LPGA Tour’s first winner since February.
After a 45-minute rain delay at Inverness Club, first-round leader Danielle Kang holed a spectacular bunker shot at No. 12 to take a two-stroke advantage over the field. But with consecutive bogeys at 13, 14 and 15, she made a clutch birdie at No. 17 to pull into a three-way tie for the lead at -5 with Celine Boutier and Jodi Ewart Shadoff.
“During the weather delay I talked to my coach, Butch Harmon, and he was saying, ‘Hey, you’re doing great. Just keep it up.’ I go, ‘What are the scores at?’ Because I felt like I was struggling. I was kind of behind the field. He’s like, ‘You’re doing fine,’” said Kang. “So after I made couple birdies. I know I made some mistakes there, too. But no matter how easy some shot may seem, I don’t think it’s playing as easy as I think. It’s just a bit frustrating.”
Boutier, who were born in FRance to Thai parents, and Ewart Shadoff teed off in the morning wave and did not experience the rain until late in their rounds. Those who played in the afternoon endured a full 18 holes of rain and chill.
“I think we got the best end of the draw by the looks of it,” said Ewart Shadoff, who is looking for her first LPGA Tour victory. “But the last four holes are pretty tough, so, yeah, pretty happy with my round considering the weather and the course setup.”
Second-year player Sarah Schmelzel and 2020 LPGA Tour rookie Yui Kawamoto are tied for fourth at -3. Four players are tied for sixth at -2, including Rolex Rankings No. 8 Minjee Lee.
The cut came at +6, with 78 players moving to Sunday’s final round. It was the highest cut since the wind-shortened 2018 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, which also had a +6 cut.
The LPGA Tour is competing for the first time since Feb. 16, 2020, when Inbee Park won the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. The LPGA Drive On Championship is the fifth event of the season and the first of two consecutive events in Toledo, Ohio. Next week, the Tour will take to Highland Meadows Golf Club for the 35th playing of the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana.
FROM TEXAS STATE OPEN WIN TO DRIVE ON, BOUTIER’S PLAY IS SOLID
In June, while the LPGA Tour was still sidelined during the quarantine, Celine Boutier returned to the golf course in style, winning the Energy Producers, Inc. Texas Women’s Open. She also captured a win on the Women’s All-Pro Tour, meaning the Frenchwoman comes into this week’s LPGA Drive On Championship as arguably one of the most prepared players on the course.
“I was purposeful about, you know, playing within a decent amount of range before the first tournament on the LPGA so that I wasn’t too rusty before I started,” said Boutier, who has a U.S. base in Dallas. “I feel like I did handle it pretty well because it also kept me motivated to practice. You know when you don’t have tournaments for three months, sometimes you don’t even want to go to the course. So the fact that I had a couple tournaments — I think I played like three of them the past two months — so the fact that I had something to look forward to and some kind of competition going was kind of nice.”
Those successes aside, the second round at Drive On produced challenges that have nothing to do with Boutier’s extensive preparations – bad weather. But Boutier, who grew up playing in tough conditions, didn’t seem to pay the rain too much mind.
“Obviously I prefer it dry and sunny, but I feel like I can handle tough weather conditions pretty well,” said Boutier with a laugh. “Like in Europe it’s not always great weather, and I played it Great Britain quite a bit. So I feel like whenever the conditions are tough I kind of actually like it, even though I don’t really like enjoy it per se. It’s a good challenge and I think especially on this course you have to be very, very smart.”
Boutier emerged as a star for the European Solheim Cup Team in 2020, going 4-0-0 and leading the squad to victory. She can’t help but think about next year’s competition, which will be held at Inverness Club, the host venue of the LPGA Drive On Championship.
“During the practice round, I was kind of trying to picture what it would be like. I think it’s going to be a fun track,” said Boutier. “I feel like the course this week is in great condition, so I don’t think it’s going to be playing that much different, which is kind of it’s nice. Yeah, I’m really looking forward to watching or playing in the Solheim.”
EWART SHADOFF IN CONTENTION WITH GOOD FRIEND ON THE BAG
As rain plagued the latter half of her second round at the LPGA Drive On Championship, Jodi Ewart Shadoff felt a bit lucky to shoot 72, putting her in tie for first by day’s end. Ewart Shadoff had 10 straight pars through the morning until a bogey on No. 11, following it up with two birdies on Nos. 12 and 14. After double bogey on No. 15, the 32-year-old finished strong with a birdie on the final hole to finish at -5 overall.
“You know, having wind or rain is fine. I like to play in difficult weather,” said Ewart Shadoff. “But having both can be a little bit of a challenge, so I’m glad that yesterday we had the wind and today we had the rain.”
Ewart Shadoff has a buddy on the bag to get her through the rest of the weekend’s challenges – fellow Englishwoman Holly Clyburn. Clyburn, a Symetra Tour Member, signed on as a temporary caddie during the Symetra Tour’s two-week break. Ewart Shadoff’s regular caddie, Shane Codd, will meet up with her in Scotland for the next two events overseas. So far, the friendly partnership is off to a hot start.
“We’ve been practicing a lot together in Orlando and she knows my game really well and we just work really well together, and it’s been good,” said Ewart Shadoff. “She’s a really good green reader. I usually like just for someone to tell me, yeah, that’s good, and she’s really good at obviously reading the greens.”
SCHMELZEL GOES WITH THE FLOW (AND THE RAIN)
Inverness Club received more than a half inch of rain on Friday and those who competed in the afternoon sat through a 45-minute suspension of play due to the constant rain. Only nine players returned below-par rounds, with Sarah Schmelzel and Alena Sharp both shooting the rounds of the day at 3-under 69. Schmelzel, who heads to the final round tied for fourth, actually enjoyed the inclement weather.
“When we were on our way over here we were talking about how much we loved a day like this,” said Schmelzel, whose best career finish is solo sixth at the 2019 Cambia Portland Classic. “You almost throw the technique out of window and you’re just trying to get the ball in the hole in as few shots as possible. So I loved it. I love days like this and looking forward to tomorrow.”
As difficult as the conditions were, Inverness Club is infamous for being tricky even on the best days. Patience and open-mindedness are key, and those traits are exactly what Schmelzel says she hopes to embody in Sunday’s final round.
“I think the course played so different yesterday from the practice rounds. It just got really firm and fast, and I think that’s where I took that mentality of just one shot at a time,” said Schmelzel. “You don’t know what’s going to happen out here. It’s a tough golf course. I think just stayed as patient as I possibly could be. This is such is difficult golf course, and you got to take what it gives you really.”
KAWAMOTO TURNS TO VETERAN CADDIE
LPGA Tour rookie Yui Kawamoto returned one of the few red numbers in Saturday’s second round, carding two birdies and one bogey in her 1-under 71. The 21-year-old from Japan is tied for fourth heading into the final round, and she credits much of this week’s success to a new face on her golf bag – veteran LPGA Tour caddie Colin Cann, who caddied for some of the biggest names in the game, including major champions Annika Sorenstam, Se Ri Pak, Paula Creamer, Sung Hyun Park and In Gee Chun.
“We both met through Paula’s manager, and he’s a super caddie,” said Kawamoto. “He tells me what I need to do; he gives me a lot of options, which makes me really comfortable, and that really made a change in my game.”
Kawamoto made quite a splash in her LPGA Tour debut in January, finishing tied for eighth at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. After missing the cut in both events in Australia, she returned to her home in Japan during the pandemic-related shutdown. Four months later and Kawamoto received a grand airport sendoff, with numerous media members covering her return to the United States for competition. Now, she’s heading into the final round firmly in contention for her first LPGA Tour title.
“I’m just simply very thankful and happy that I’m able to play out here again,” said Kawamoto. “I’ll do the same thing: focus on my game. I’ll be ready for tomorrow.”
OLSON PREPARED FOR RAINY DAY TOMORROW AT INVERNESS
Amy Olson thought she prepared for today’s rain at Inverness Club, but reality hit when she checked her golf bag before her second round at the Drive On Championship. Olson realized she was missing the rain cover for her bag and was about to embark on the course with a broken umbrella.
“It’s been five months since looked at either of those things, and major fail starting out the day,” said Olson, who finished in a tie for sixth at -2. “I borrowed a rain cover from Sarah Burnham because she played this morning, and I had to track down a random umbrella. So I think it’s a good test run for Scotland coming up, and I’ll be ready then.”
Despite the day’s weather challenges, Olson is only three shots out of the lead. With rain in tomorrow’s forecast as well, the 28-year-old said she can take a lot from today’s round into the final day.
“The course conditions I think will be similar. It will just be a lot softer. I definitely kept notes on what I hit off the tees and whether that was good or if I wanted to do something different,” said Olson. “And then coming out today I was really just trying to pay attention to what the greens were doing, because yesterday they released like crazy. Today you just didn’t have to plan on that. So I think tomorrow will be similar to today.”
PLAYER NOTES
Rolex Rankings No. 49 Celine Boutier (68-71)
She hit 14 of 15 fairways and 10 of 18 greens, with 27 putts
This is Boutier’s fourth season on the LPGA Tour; she has one career victory at the 2019 ISPS Handa Vic Open
This is Boutier’s fourth event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is solo fourth at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio
A member of the 2019 European Solheim Cup Team, with a 4-0-0 record
Graduated from Duke University in 2016 with a degree in Psychology and Economics
The 2013-14 NCAA National Player of the Year and helped lead Duke to the 2014 NCAA Championship
Rolex Rankings No. 78 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (67-72)
She hit 13 of 15 fairways and 13 of 18 greens, with 31 putts
This is Ewart Shadoff’s 10th season on the LPGA Tour; her best career finish is second at the 2016 Citi Banamex Lorena Ochoa Invitational and the 2017 AIG Women’s Open
This is Ewart Shadoff’s third event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is a tie for 10th at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open
A three-time member of the European Solheim Cup Team (2013, 2017, 2019), with a 3-6-1 overall record
Graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2010 with a degree in Psychology
Rolex Rankings No. 4 Danielle Kang (66-73)
She hit 10 of 15 fairways and 12 of 18 greens, with 31 putts
This is Kang’s ninth season on the LPGA Tour; she has three career victories, most recently at the 2019 Buick LPGA Shanghai
This is Kang’s third event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is third at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio
In 2019, ranked in the top 10 on Tour in Rolex Player of the Year (eighth), Race to the CME Globe (eighth), Official Money (eighth) and greens in regulation (ninth)
A two-time member of the USA Solheim Cup Team (2017, 2019), with a 4-4-0 overall record
Partners with UNICEF for the Birdies to Build Better Futures campaign
Cardinals’ coronavirus outbreak grows with four more positives, further imperiling MLB season
Aug 02. 2020
By The Washington Post · Dave Sheinin · SPORTS, HEALTH, BASEBALL, HEALTH-NEWS
Major League Baseball’s hopes of salvaging its 2020 season amid a pandemic took another ominous turn Saturday, when the St. Louis Cardinals received word of additional positive tests for the novel coronavirus, requiring the postponement of the entire Cardinals-Brewers weekend series in Milwaukee and deepening the level of pessimism around the sport that the season can go on.
The Cardinals, who reported two positive tests Friday, saw another four positives Saturday, one of which was a player, using rapid tests. For the second straight day, that day’s Cardinals-Brewers game was called off – the 16th game of this abbreviated MLB season to be postponed because of the virus – and MLB later announced a scheduled doubleheader for Sunday also had been postponed.
The Cardinals’ outbreak is one of two that have arisen in the past week, casting doubt on baseball’s ability to contain the virus and safely navigate a 60-game regular season. The Miami Marlins have seen 18 players and two coaches test positive in the past week, halting their season until Tuesday, when they are expected to resume following an eight-day hiatus.
“We are playing,” Commissioner Rob Manfred told ESPN’s Karl Ravech. “The players need to be better [about following health and safety protocols], but I am not a quitter in general, and there is no reason to quit now. We have had to be fluid, but it is manageable.”
Both outbreaks occurred during road trips, with the Cardinals’ believed to have originated in Minneapolis, where they played against the Minnesota Twins before continuing on to Milwaukee. The Cardinals are likely to remain in self-isolation at their Milwaukee hotel, where they are undergoing daily coronavirus testing and contact tracing. News of the Cardinals’ latest positive tests was first reported Saturday by former big league third baseman Trevor Plouffe, who is now the co-host of a podcast.
Saturday also brought two new opt-outs from players – Brewers all-star center fielder Lorenzo Cain and Marlins infielder Isan Díaz – illustrating the growing lack of confidence from some players in baseball’s ability to keep participants safe.
“With all of the uncertainty and unknowns surrounding our game at this time, I feel that this is the best decision for me, my wife, and our three kids,” Cain said in a statement. “The Brewers organization was very understanding and supportive of my decision, and I thank them for that. I wish all of my great teammates the best of luck this season and look forward to getting back on the field in 2021. Please stay safe. “
Díaz was not among the 18 Marlins played who tested positive; those infected players were in the midst of an overnight trip on multiple buses from Philadelphia, where they had been in self-isolation at the team hotel since Monday, to Miami.
“This has been a tough week to see so many of my teammates come down with this virus, and see how quickly it spreads,” Díaz wrote in an Instagram post. “. . . This has been a decision that I have discussed with my family, and I feel it’s the best one for me and my overall well-being.”
The news came at the start of the second weekend of the 2020 season and at a critical juncture in baseball’s fight against the coronavirus. Six of the 30 teams – the Cardinals, Brewers, Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals and Toronto Blue Jays – are sidelined, with the latter four stemming from the Marlins’ outbreak.
The Phillies, who have been on hiatus since Monday after they hosted the Marlins for three games last weekend, reported no new positive tests Saturday and were allowed to resume workouts at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies have seen no players test positive since the Marlins series, but three staff members did. However, a statement from MLB on Saturday characterized two of those three as false positives. Assuming no new positives in the meantime, the Phillies’ season is expected to resume Monday in New York against the Yankees.
The extended shutdowns of the Phillies and Marlins required another round of schedule-shuffling for this coming week, with the Marlins and Baltimore Orioles, who were previously scheduled for four games this past week, now set to meet four times beginning Tuesday in Baltimore, with the Marlins – who have had to acquire extra players and promote some from their supplemental roster to cover the losses of their infected players – serving as “home” team for two of the four.
That decision appears to be in response to players’ reluctance to travel to Miami, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus. On Monday, Nationals players voted overwhelming not to travel there for a series this weekend, but the series was eventually postponed because of the Marlins’ outbreak. MLB has not said when the Marlins will play in Miami again; their next scheduled game at Marlins Park is Aug. 14 against the Atlanta Braves.
In addition to postponing the Cardinals’ weekend series with the Brewers, MLB has shifted the start of St. Louis’s next series, with Detroit, from Monday to Tuesday. Rather than play two games in Detroit followed by two games in St. Louis, as originally scheduled, the teams will play all four games in Detroit, with the Cardinals treated as the home team for two. To make up for Monday’s game, the Cardinals and Tigers are scheduled to play a doubleheader Wednesday.
MLB “will continue to follow a conservative approach in addressing positive test results because the health and safety of our players, employees and the public at large is paramount,” it said in a statement Saturday. “We are in daily contact with the Players Association, public health officials, and our own medical experts in order to make decisions that will best protect individuals from being exposed to COVID-19.”
Manfred has been mostly silent and out of public view in recent days – with the exception of an interview Monday on MLB Network, in which he said the Marlins’ outbreak was not a “nightmare” scenario and expressed confidence in baseball’s health and safety protocols – but the mood around the major leagues has grown darker. Manfred, according to several media reports, told union chief Tony Clark the season could be shut down in the coming days if the situation does not improve.
“This is veering quickly into ‘shut all of MLB down’ territory for me,” Zachary Binney, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at Oxford College of Emory University, tweeted in the wake of Saturday’s news regarding the Cardinals. “At these numbers whether it’s players or staff is largely irrelevant to the decision of when to resume – and the answer is emphatically not [Sunday]. You have a large outbreak in a traveling party that spends time indoors together. Assume anyone could be infected at this point.”
Teen sensation Joohyung Kim of Korea has been proclaimed the winner of the 2019/20 Panasonic Swing after officials decided to conclude the third edition of the series following the cancellation of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship which was slated to take place in Japan this September.
The Panasonic Swing, a ranking based on aggregate points earned by players at selected tournaments across Asia, was originally planned to span across events in five countries, with the top-three finishers sharing a total prize purse of US$150,000 via a bonus pool reward scheme.
Disruptions caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, however, have forced officials to conclude the 2019/2020 Panasonic Swing where the top-three winners will now be decided based on points accumulated from three events – 2019 Thailand Open, 2019 Panasonic Open India and 2019 BNI Indonesian Masters. The total prize purse has also been adjusted accordingly to US$90,000.
Kim, who turned 18 years old last month, will take home a bonus prize of US$50,000 after sealing the top spot with a total of 2,172.60 points. Kim claimed a notable tied-sixth finish at the Thailand Open, where he made his second Asian Tour start last season and first after securing three victories on the Asian Development Tour the same year.
The talented Korean went on to clinch a sensational breakthrough at the Panasonic Open India a week later, becoming the second youngest professional to win on the Asian Tour at the age of 17 years and 149 days.
He would then conclude his dream rookie season with a tied-21st place finish at the BNI Indonesian Masters, which has now become the third and last leg of the 2019/20 Panasonic Swing.
“I’m thrilled to win the Panasonic Swing. It has been a solid run for me. I would like to thank everyone who has helped me in my journey so far. A big thank you to Panasonic for their support as well. This is a great boost to me. I will continue to work hard,” said Kim.
Kim’s amazing run spilled over to the 2020 season, where he secured back-to-back top-five finishes in four starts to sit in sixth place on the current Order of Merit.
His fourth-place result at the SMBC Singapore Open earned him a coveted spot at The 149th Open, which will now be held at Royal St. George’s in 2021.
His Major debut, however, came earlier than expected as he is now set to tee up in the PGA Championship next week, thanks to his first victory on home soil which saw him break into top-100 on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) earlier this month.
India’s Shiv Kapur, winner of the inaugural Panasonic Swing, came in second with 1,960 points while American John Catlin took third place with 1,903.60 points. They will take home prize purses of US$25,000 and US$15,000 respectively from the reward scheme.
Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Tour, said: “Panasonic has always been a great supporter of the Asian Tour. We are very thankful for their continued commitment and contributions in promoting professional golf across the region despite the challenging circumstances the world is experiencing in 2020.
“It’s unfortunate that we have to shorten the third edition of the Panasonic Swing but I believe the long-lasting partnership we have forged over the years will continue to grow as we strive for more collaborations in future seasons.”
Tetsuro Maruyama, Head of Secretary Office at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship, said: “We would like to congratulate Kim on winning the 2019/20 Panasonic Swing. Kim’s a really talented player and his performance has been impressive. We wish him continued success and we believe he will become a world-class player soon!
“Although the 2019/20 Panasonic Swing was forced to be shorten, we are very pleased to stage three successful editions with the Asian Tour. Not only did we witness exciting golfing action, but we also did our part to support the players and promote the game of golf across the region. Furthermore, we had a confident that the sports always create a better life and a better world for people.
“We would like to thank the Asian Tour and their players for their participation. We look forward to the day when we can play and enjoy the game peacefully again.”
Rodtang ousts Petchdam to defend ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World title
Aug 01. 2020
ONE Championship made a successful return to its flagship event schedule, starting off with ONE: NO SURRENDER on Friday.
The event was broadcast live around the world from a closed-door, audience-free venue. Once again, the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent showcased their skills in the ONE Championship ring.
In the main event, reigning and defending ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon successfully defended his title against former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion “The Baby Shark” Petchdam Petchyindee Academy after five action-packed rounds.
Petchdam established his jab early in the first round, setting up his vaunted left kick. Rodtang was slow to start, as he instead opted to get reads on his opponent from a distance. Rodtang turned up the pressure towards the end of the second round, hunting Petchdam with his trademark boxing combinations and thunderous elbows.
In the third round, Rodtang began walking Petchdam down with his punches. The champion caught Petchdam with a left hook, testing the challenger’s chin on wobbly legs, but the latter recovered well. In the fourth round, Rodtang resumed his onslaught, rolling forward like a tank as Petchdam fired away with kicks to the body.
In the fifth round, Petchdam again found success with his left roundhouse kick, but it wasn’t enough to thwart Rodtang’s forward pressure. After five fiery rounds, two of three judges scored the bout in favor of Rodtang to win by majority decision, who retaind his title.
Petchmorakot Petchyindee
Reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy turned in perhaps the most important victory of his career, outlasting legendary Thai striker “The Boxing Computer” Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex to retain his title in the co-main event.
The first round saw the legendary Yodsanklai connect on his patented triple uppercut, while Petchmorakot tried to shake off the cobwebs. Petchmorakot upped the aggression in the second round, catching Yodsanklai’s kick as he uncorked a myriad of straight punches to the head. Yodsanklai answered back with slicing elbows, creating a cut on the defending champion’s eyelid.
In the third round, Petchmorakot opened up the action with a left elbow, while Yodsanklai countered with a straight left hand down the middle. Petchmorakot increased his punch output in the fourth, tagging Yodsanklai with elbows and straights, but the legend would not surrender.
In the fifth and final round, Yodsanklai ambushed Petchmorakot with combinations, while the champion danced away to keep himself safe from range. In the end, Petchmorakot did just enough to earn the victory by a close majority decision.
In a ONE Super Series Kickboxing Super-Bout, Thai featherweight talents Superbon and Sitthichai “Killer Kid” Sitsongpeenong figured in a thrilling three-round war of attrition.
The first round was close, as both Sitthichai and Superbon traded their best offense at the center of the ONE Championship ring. The second round saw much of the same action, with both men winding up on their kicks and doubling up on their punches, but it was Superbon who started to pull away with a higher output and more impactful strikes.
In the third and final round, Sitthichai and Superbon turned on the aggression, attacking each other from multiple angles with neither man willing to take a step backward. In the end, Superbon recorded a hard-earned victory, getting the better of his trilogy with Sitthichai via unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.
Stamp Fairtex (left) delivers a kick to Susina Srisen
In the mixed martial arts women’s atomweight division, reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Stamp Fairtex continued her rise through the ranks with another exciting victory. Stamp put together another masterful striking performance, dominating fellow Thai warrior Sunisa “Thunderstorm” Srisen to earn win number five in her young career.
At the sound of the first round bell, Stamp came out aggressively, looking for the Thai clinch. Once she had Srisen secured in close quarters, Stamp began unloading on a plethora of hard knees to the midsection. Srisen showed incredible toughness in enduring Stamp’s offensive barrage, but the end came shortly after. Stamp capitalized on a botched takedown from Srisen, winding up on her opponent’s back where she finished the bout with a series of punches.
In a mixed martial arts catchweight contest, Brazilian newcomer Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade made an impressive ONE Championship debut, dominating Mark “Tyson” Fairtex Abelardo of New Zealand and the Philippines en route to a spectacular finish within two rounds. Action started off on the feet in the first round, with each man landing significant power shots. Abelardo stalked and chased Andrade across the ring, but the Brazilian showed poise and was able to pick the Filipino-Kiwi apart from the outside.
In the second round, Andrade continued his elusive movement, peppering Abelardo from range before swiftly taking his back when the opportunity presented itself. From there, Andrade latched onto in a deep rear-naked choke. Abelardo faded rapidly, and was effectively put to sleep as the referee called a halt to the contest.
Kicking off the action at ONE: NO SURRENDER were Thai striking superstars “The Angel Warrior” Panpayak Jitmuangnon and “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9, who squared off in a three-round ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest. This was the first time the two flyweights met inside the ONE Championship ring, after having faced each other multiple instances before in Thailand’s biggest arenas. Superlek was aggressive to start the bout, connecting on a series of combinations in the opening round.
Panpayak scored with a handful of solid counter shots in the second frame, as Superlek continued his onslaught. In the third and final round, Superlek repeatedly found a home for his right kick on Panpayak’s body, as he ran away with a unanimous decision victory on the judges’ scorecards.
Official results for ONE: NO SURRENDER
ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship: Rodtang Jitmuangnon defeats Petchdam Petchyindee Academy by Majority Decision (MD) after 5 rounds
ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship: Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy defeats Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex by Majority Decision (MD) after 5 rounds
Kickboxing Featherweight bout: Superbon defeats Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Mixed Martial Arts Atomweight bout: Stamp Fairtex defeats Sunisa Srisen by TKO (Strikes) at 3:59 minutes of round 1
Mixed Martial Arts Catch Weight (67.0 KG) bout: Fabricio Andrade defeats Mark Fairtex Abelardo by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:11 minutes of round 2
Muay Thai Flyweight bout: Superlek Kiatmoo9 defeats Panpayak Jitmuangnon by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 r
Prom Meesawat 
Celine Boutier (Photo credit to LPGA)
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The event was broadcast live around the world from a closed-door, audience-free venue. Once again, the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent showcased their skills in the ONE Championship ring..jpg)
Petchmorakot Petchyindee 
Stamp Fairtex (left) delivers a kick to Susina Srisen
SootinClaimon.Com 