“The hype back then was the electric fastball and the snap-dragon curveball that he had,” said Menhart, now the Nationals major-league pitching coach. “And what I noticed right out of the chute was I thought people were missing the boat. I thought the most effective pitch – and the pitch that was going to make him a superstar – was his change-up.”

It’s more than a decade later. Strasburg’s fastball is less electric, but perhaps more effective. His curveball is a nasty, known commodity.

But walk through a major league clubhouse, and the pitch that makes the eyes of ballplayers bug out is that floating, fluttering change-up. It’s my favorite pitch in baseball. I don’t feel like I’m alone.

“Oh my gosh,” Hunter Strickland said.

“It’s like a bowling ball,” Daniel Hudson said.

“It literally looks like it stops,” Brandon Snyder said, “and dies.”

This spring, Strasburg is a World Series MVP who has twice re-signed with Washington – the latest a seven-year, $235-million deal that likely will keep him here for the entirety of his career. He has the reputation as a complete pitcher.

Part of being complete is knowing how and when to deploy a change-up that plays perfectly off his two-seam fastball. When Strasburg was at San Diego State, he barely had to use the pitch because his fastball and curveball easily overwhelmed almost all college hitters. But his first big-league spring training camp was in 2010, and his catcher when he arrived was Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, who’s now in the Hall of Fame.

“I remember Pudge catching me the first couple of bullpens, and he was just raving about it,” Strasburg said. “And I was like, ‘That’s cool.’ I felt good about throwing it even though I hadn’t used it a ton. And then once I got to the big leagues, he was calling it a lot, and I was like, ‘I’ll throw whatever he calls and just go with it.'”

The result is a wonder to watch, not only because of the action of the pitch but because of the embarrassing swings it induces. Hitting a baseball can be about guessing. Eliminate the guessing – be it by listening to the bang of a bat against a trash can or a manner less illicit – and the hardest task in sports becomes a heck of a lot easier. Long before the Houston Astros schemed to illegally swipe signs to let their hitters know what pitch was on the way, hitters were trained to notice any variance in a pitcher’s delivery that might tip off the subsequent pitch.

Strasburg’s delivery offers no clues. The look of his body has no difference from his fastball. The angle, or “slot,” of his arm is the same. The speed of his arm is the same. The only difference, from the hitter’s perspective: His fastball last year averaged 94.3 mph. The change-up comes in at 88.1, according to data compiled by FanGraphs. That’s not what Menhart describes as the “classic 10-mph separation,” but when you have four-tenths of a second to make a decision on whether to swing or not, it’s more than enough.

“It’s the sell that makes it effective,” Menhart said. “I use the analogy, in poker, if you ever watch those Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments, guys have tells, whether they’re bluffing or not. He doesn’t have a tell when he throws this pitch.”

Which is exactly how Strasburg wants it, and how he must think of it. When he throws his change-up – which he did just more than once every five pitches last year, the highest rate of his career – he grips the ball differently. It’s not a classic “circle change,” in which a pitcher essentially makes an “OK” sign with his thumb and index finger and then allows the ball to roll off his other three fingers. Rather, Strasburg holds his index finger away from the ball and grips it with his thumb underneath and middle and ring fingers on top.

“It’s like I got my index finger cut off,” he said, “and I’m throwing a two-seam fastball with these other fingers.”

Some pitchers talk about the change-up as a “feel” pitch, and they spend time and effort manipulating the ball in their fingers. Strasburg actually approaches his change-up with power. He’s not only selling the hitter that it’s a fastball. He’s selling himself. That allows him to do everything else as he would when throwing a fastball, and let the grip alter the ball’s flight.

“It’s gonna do what it’s gonna do,” Strasburg said. “But where my sights are is I’m going through the [catcher’s] glove, trying to knock over the glove.”

The resulting action of the baseball is stunning. During spring training here, other pitchers have examined Strasburg’s bullpen sessions, mostly to study the change-up. Hudson watched from off to the side last week. “It’s pretty special,” he said, and he wondered about the physics involved. Strickland, another reliever, has talked to Strasburg about his grip and his mentality. Snyder, a journeyman infielder who caught Strasburg’s offseason bullpen sessions at Nationals Park, marvels at the pitch.

“It’s coming out of his hand so quick that it seems like it gets to about where the dirt is – and stops,” Snyder said. “That’s the only way to explain it.”

Strasburg has such command of the pitch that he can throw it in counts from which other pitchers would shy away.

“It’s one of those pitches that you’re safe calling it at any time,” catcher Yan Gomes said. Gomes’s counterpart, Kurt Suzuki, heard this conversation, and chimed in.

“It’s heavy, the action on it,” Suzuki said. “It’s almost like a split-[fingered fastball.] It must have something to do with how big his hands are.”

Before he returned to the Nationals last year, Suzuki faced Strasburg 14 times as a member of the Atlanta Braves. He must have encountered the change-up, right?

“Yep,” he said. “I spit on it.”

Seriously?

“Nope. Swing and a miss.”

He’s not alone. Last year, opposing hitters managed a .140 batting average against Strasburg’s change-up, according to MLB.com’s “Statcast” data. That doesn’t account for all the swings and misses Strasburg generated earlier in at-bats. Only two pitchers who threw at least 100 change-ups – Cincinnati ace Luis Castillo and New York Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle – allowed a lower average against their change-ups. And that number compares favorably with Strasburg’s deathly curveball, on which he allowed a .161 average.

By virtue of his accomplishments – a 1.46 postseason ERA, the World Series victory, on and on – Stephen Strasburg is a pitcher worth emulating. But the change-up, in how he throws it and how he sells it, can’t really be copied. Don’t even try. Just enjoy.

“How to teach it?” Menhart said. “I wish I knew how. I’d be a super-coach. He’s got a gift that allows him to feel comfortable in just letting it rip.”

The continued health concerns and advisories from the Thailand health authorities means that the inaugural event will be postponed to a later date.

Asian Tour’s Commissioner and CEO, Cho Minn Thant said: “The Asian Tour and the event promoter- Grand Prix International have decided to postpone the Royal’s Cup 2020 on the advice of the health authorities of Thailand.

“Up until this week, the promoter, sponsors and the Tour were committed to delivering the event as scheduled.

“However the current situation is now beyond our control. While we are disappointed the Royal’s Cup 2020 will be postponed, the health and safety of our players, staff and officials remain our highest priority and we look forward to announcing its return when the situation has stablised.”

Several big sporting events have been called in Thailand due to the virus concern. These include LPGA Thailand in February and MotoGP in March.

MotoG  partner Motul, a high-tech premium lubricant and chemical product from France, has contributed greatly to the development of the international racing world and has a key presence in MotoG as both event sponsor and team sponsor. Founded in 1853, Motul has also been present in Indonesia for more than 20 years and since 2016 has been managed by PT Perkasa Teknologi Indolube, which is Motul’s official importer and distributor in Indonesia.

With a huge market for motorcycles, Indonesia has become the country one of the largest and most dedicated MotoGP™ fan bases in the world. The pull of MotoGP™ is also getting stronger in the country as Lombok will host a Grand Prix from 2021 at the Mandalika International Street Circuit, the world’s first street circuit with beautiful views and 17 corners along its 4.31 kilometers.

All this is what drives PT Perkasa Teknologi Indolube to invite consumers in Indonesia to experience MotoGP™ directly by launching two new lubricant products: Motul GP Power and Motul GP Matic.

Managing Director of Motul Indonesia, Carlo Savoca: “Motul GP Power and Motul GP Matic are the results of a collaboration between Motul and Dorna, the organizing organization of MotoGP. We are proud to be able to introduce this product to the people of Indonesia, because these two products are the first and the only one MotoGP Official Licensed Lubricants in Indonesia. Motul GP Power and Motul GP Matic are solutions to meet the competitive needs of the market with products for quality two-wheeled vehicles.”

Motul Indonesia’s Head of Automotive Sales, Johan Wijaya: “To meet the needs of Motul consumers throughout Indonesia, to date Motul products are distributed by 27 distributors in various islands such as Sumatra, Riau Islands, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali and Lombok. And now Motul products can be purchased on almost all e-commerce platforms, namely Tokopedia, Bukalapak, Shopee, JD.ID, Blibli and Ralali with the official store name ‘Motul Indonesia’.”

Marketing Manager Motul Indonesia Pebruono Christiawan: “During 2020, specifically for these two products Motul conducted various promotional activities for consumers. One of them, Motul is working with Darbotz, the Indonesian well-known street artist. Through the Scratch and Win program, consumers can get coupons when purchasing one Motul GP Power or Motul GP Matic product, and can be exchanged directly at Motul’s exclusive merchandise in the workshop or shop, with a choice of Darbotz T-shirt limited edition, limited edition Darbotz stickers , chamois, key chains, Motul pens, while supplies last. At the same time, consumers who have purchased a Motul GP Power or Motul GP Matic product can also get an online promo by scanning a QR Code on the label of Motul GP Power or Motul GP Matic, then filling in their personal data and uploading evidence purchase on the microsite that has been provided. Consumers can get a limited edition Darbotz T-shirt, also while supplies last.

“We also invite consumers to continue to monitor Motul GP Power and Motul GP Matic promos throughout 2020 to win the VIP Trip MotoGP Experience for free! For more information please follow Instagram and Facebook @motulIndonesia or visit the website, motul.com.”

Pau Serracanta, Managing Director at Dorna Sports: “I’m delighted to announce the license agreement and launch of the official MotoGP Motul GP Power and Motul GP Matic lubricants in all Indonesian markets. This deal further cements our existing long-term partnership with Motul and their involvement in MotoGP as both as global and team sponsor which will now also deliver 2 exclusive lubricants tailored to all motorcycle and MotoGP enthusiasts.”

The presence of Motul GP Power and Motul GP Matic coupled with a variety of attractive promos offered, Motul automatically opens opportunities for consumers to feel the sensation of MotoGP™, because with Motul GP Power and GP Matic, Every Ride is A Race.

Motul GP Power and Motul GP Matic are sold in 1-liter packs with the highest retail price of IDR 90,000. The GP Power Motul was created for the 4-stroke manual motorcycle with the standard JASO MA2, preventing wet clutch slippage. Meanwhile, Motul GP Matic is presented for automatic motorcycles/scooters with JASO MB standard, for better fuel economy.

Both of these products have SAE 10W40 with various benefits and advantages, including making the engine cleaner, saving fuel, maintaining the ideal engine temperature, providing wear protection, and extending engine life. The selection of SAE 10W40 for Motul GP Power and Motul GP Matic is based on the highest number of SAE uses in Indonesia.

The talented 17-year-old, who came close to winning in New Zealand last week before settling for fourth, hopes to make amends by putting up a strong title assault at the storied event, which returns to the Asian Tour this week after a four-year hiatus.

Kim made his mark on the region’s premier Tour when he claimed his breakthrough in India last November, just a month after securing his third victory on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) last season to earn his Asian Tour card for the remainder of the 2019 season.

Prior to his solid fourth-place finish in New Zealand, the talented Kim also enjoyed a fourth-place result at the Singapore Open in January to secure his berth at The 149th Open at St. George’s this July where he will be making his Major debut.

Order of Merit leader Wade Ormsby, who also came in top-10 in New Zealand last week, is looking to extend his fine form into the US$1 million event, which is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).

The 39-year-old Australian endured a slight dip in form after winning his third Asian Tour title at the season-opener in Hong Kong but was pleased to rediscover his ‘A’ game just in time for his sixth appearance at the Malaysian Open, where he came in tied-11th in 2015.

Korea veteran Charlie Wi, who has won seven Asian Tour titles including the 2006 Malaysian Open, hailed the emergence of young talents such as Kim and reckoned they should be the players to look out for when the tournament gets underway on Thursday.

Wi returned to play on the Asian Tour after a five-year absence at the Hong Kong Open two months ago and came in tied-seventh. He denied Thai star Thongchai Jaidee of a record third straight victory in the event when he sank a 10-footer for birdie on the last to win by one shot in 2006.

The highly acclaimed Bandar Malaysia Open, which boasts a new tagline ‘Pride, Passion, Prominence’, is the flagship event for the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA).

The fist bump (or elbow bump), it suggested in a memo, is a less infectious option. The league also urged players to avoid handling items from fans – such as pens, balls and jerseys – for autographs. “The coronavirus remains a situation with the potential to change rapidly,” the league’s memo stated.

A team executive confirmed the memo’s contents to The Washington Post. It was first reported by ESPN.

The league and the National Basketball Players Association have been in communication with experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ESPN reported. The memo also suggested that players make sure their vaccinations are current, “including the flu vaccine,” though it is not effective against the coronavirus.

Washington Wizards guard Ish Smith is one player who has been careful. He has constantly washed his hands and has been cognizant not to touch his face so often. And Smith, whose Wizards will face the Kings in Sacramento on Tuesday night, has not panicked.

“What’s funny is you can have like a regular cold or maybe I might [cough] because we’ve been traveling and people are like: ‘Ohh! You got [it]!’ ” Smith said Tuesday morning. “Nah, bro. Relax.”

The Wizards were in the middle of their West Coast road trip when the league sent the memo advising players to engage fans with fist bumps over handshakes. The team directed all inquiries about their organizational response to the coronavirus to the NBA.

Although the memo made news, the response from several Wizards players was universal: stay calm and play basketball.

“It’s not crazy high,” Smith said of his level of concern. “I think for me, I think maybe it’s three, four, I don’t know, because it hasn’t affected anybody that’s kind of close. Usually when it hits close to home, that’s when it kind of hits you. But I’m just praying for everybody to be healthy and for this thing to kind of die on out so people can get back to their regular scheduled programming because you know how we do. We get extreme when something’s bad.”

The coronavirus, a respiratory illness, has infected thousands of people across the globe. The outbreak’s epicenter is in China, but the virus has emerged in several countries, including the United States, as it has continued to spread.

“The health and safety of our employees, teams, players and fans is paramount,” the NBA said in a statement. “We are coordinating with our teams and consulting with the CDC and infectious disease specialists on the coronavirus and continue to monitor the situation closely.”

The worldwide death toll for the coronavirus has topped 3,000. Nationally, it has been reported in 15 states, including California.

Wizards forward Davis Bertans said he has followed the news about the virus, but he hasn’t gone to extreme measures to change his normal routine. “I’m not that worried about it,” Bertans said.

“For people our age [who are] healthy, there are no issues,” Bertans said. “I think at some point it’s going to become a common flu for everybody. Now it’s spreading and everybody is afraid and scared, but, you know, [a disease like this] happens every 10 years.”

Bertans is the father of a baby girl, and his teammate Bradley Beal has two young children. Both players mentioned how their significant others have taken measures back home. The fathers on the road, however, plan to wash their hands and carry on.

“I take precautions and being mindful of where I put my hands and what I touch,” Beal said. “It’s tough because we don’t really know anything about it.”

Other players are paying attention, too. Bobby Portis of the New York Knicks offered fist bumps before the game against the Houston Rockets on Monday night, explaining simply, “Corona.”

Portland’s CJ McCollum tweeted that he is “officially taking a break from signing autographs until further notice.” He went on to retweet NBC News’ series of recommendations and noted that “fist pounds” are better than high-fives and “cleanliness is next to godliness. Stay germ free.”

There is presently no way to prevent coronavirus, and tests aren’t widely available.

In the past, the NBA and other sports leagues have taken steps to limit outbreaks of, among other bugs, swine flu. In the fall of 2009, it issued a memo stating that if a player has flu-like symptoms, he must be seen by a doctor, and if he has a fever, he must not travel and must stay away from teammates.

After a few days on track at Jerez and then again Qatar, it’s safe to say we have a number of names who look like they’ll be challenging at the front in Moto2™ this year. But testing never tells the whole story as some focus one way and others the other, and the first race of the season has plenty in store.

The man who was fastest by the end of testing at Losail International Circuit was Jorge Navarro (Beta Tools Speed Up), and the Spaniard is certainly on that list of those we expect to be fast. With a good number of intermediate class podiums to his name in 2019, Navarro already had some momentum too – and although he’s still looking for that first Moto2™ win, his consistency has been impressive. His teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio was also a pretty consistent performer last year as he found his feet as a rookie as well, and testing showed another step for him so they’ll be coming out swinging.

Speed Up in general were impressively quick in preseason, which now includes the Aspar Team as they make to switch to the chassis, so it could be an interesting battle of the manufacturers. The headlines in the team were stolen by Aron Canet as the rookie Spaniard proved a revelation and was often up inside the top five or six, but Hafizh Syahrin had also started to re-adjust to Moto2™ by the end of testing as the Malaysian moves back into the class. Two more contenders? It seems so.

Jorge Martin (Red Bull TM Ajo), meanwhile, was the fastest Kalex runner overall – and another to switch chassis. The Spaniard was second to Navarro and showed off that momentum he’d been gaining throughout the latter half of 2019 despite the change in machinery; something that bodes well for him. Fellow sophomores Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) were also inside the top ten after they impressed, and the interesting mix of veterans and newer faces continued in ninth as American Joe Roberts put in a stunner at Losail. Like Martin, he’s switched chassis – can that form continue into the race weekend?

Experience was scattered throughout the timesheets, however, with some fast after time attacks and others we expect to burst out the gates higher up once the flag drops and the talking stops. Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) led the charge in third, Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) was fifth, Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) tenth, Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) 11th… and the two men who duelled for the win in the desert last year, Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) and Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP), were 12th and 13th. With that amount of experience and success all a little further down the timesheets, it seems likely we’ve not seen everyone’s full hand – but now we will.

Moto2™ go racing at Losail International Circuit on Sunday 8th March at 18:00 LT, tune in to see some more pieces of the puzzle revealed in what will doubtless prove another classic encounter.

QATAR TEST COMBINED TIMESHEETS1 – Jorge Navarro – (Beta Tools Speed Up) – Speed Up – 1:58.520

2 – Jorge Martin – (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – +0.135

3 – Remy Gardner – (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) – Kalex – +0.144 

4 – Fabio Di Giannantonio – (Beta Tools Speed Up) – Speed Up – +0.311

5 – Marcel Schrötter – (Liqui Moly Intact GP) – Kalex – +0.408

Moto3™: predicting the unpredictableTesting teased more of the same from Moto3™ – which is exactly what we wantThe lightweight class of Grand Prix racing can usually be described in one word: close. And after six days of official preseason testing at Jerez and Losail, 2020 looks likely to be no different. There were a few standout performers who pulled a gap on the rest at times, but in a race scenario? We’ve seen before how hard it really is to break away – and that’s just how we like it.

On the combined timesheets heading into the first race of the season, it’s Czech rider Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) who can arrive with a little swagger, having ended the test half a second clear of his nearest competitor. That nearest competitor was a very consistent frontrunner throughout preseason, however: Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia). A rookie podium finisher, the Japanese rider has kicked it up a notch for season two and was on the pace in both Jerez and Qatar.

Behind those two impressive performers lurks some big experience, however. Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) was third quickest, Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) fourth, Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) fifth… and the names you know can stay with the front group just keep on rolling throughout the top ten: Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3), Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing), John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Albert Arenas (Aspar Team)… the class is stocked with speed, talent and experience, and we know that’s a recipe for some incredible racing.

There’s also the likes of Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) getting to grips with his new team, recent winner Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0), pacesetter in the rookie camp Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3)… and the likes of Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) loiter just behind them, likely with more cards to play on race day…

In Moto3™, riding alone is very different to riding in a group with the help of the slipstream, and there are also the hurdles of Q1 and Q2 to master. A couple of names may have been nearest the top in testing so far, but the timesheets were otherwise incredibly tight – and if there’s one thing you can predict in Moto3™, it’s that the racing will be incredible.

Tune in on Sunday the 8th of March at 16:20 LT as the season opens for the lightweight class, with everything to play for.

QATAR TEST COMBINED TIMESHEETS1 – Filip Salač – (Rivacold Snipers Team) – Honda – 2:04.892

2 – Ai Ogura – (Honda Team Asia) – Honda – +0.519

3 – Tony Arbolino – (Rivacold Snipers Team) – Honda – +0.545

4 – Tatsuki Suzuki – (SIC58 Squadra Corse) – Honda – +0.555

5 – Dennis Foggia – (Leopard Racing) – Honda – +0.585

The trio, who holds a combined total of four Asian Tour wins and nine Asian Development Tour victories, are part of the 47-man strong local challenge vying to become the first Malaysian to win their National Open, which returns to the Asian Tour this week after a four-year hiatus.

Leong, the only Malaysian to win an Asian Tour event on home soil, is optimistic of his chances but will adopt a relaxed approach when he chases for a second victory and first since 2008 at the US$1 million event, sanctioned by the Asian Tour and in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).

Chia, a two-time Asian Tour winner, found an opportunity to give back to the game when he hosted a junior event, which was held in conjunction with the Bandar Malaysia Open, on the same venue last week. The 47-year-old enjoyed a tied-25th place finish when the event was last staged in 2015.

Fung, whose best finish at the Malaysian Open remains a tied-47th place result in 2014, believes he has the game to contend in his National Open. He got his season off to a disappointing start with two missed cuts in three events but will be looking to turn the corner with a fine showing this week.

India’s Rahil Gangjee and Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe, who is still chasing for an Asian Tour breakthrough, will feature in the talented 156-man field from 23 countries, which consists of over 50 Asian Tour champions and four Order of Merit winners.

The Malaysian Open boasts an illustrious list of past winners which includes India’s Anirban Lahiri and Arjun Atwal, Thai stars Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, as well as Korea’s Noh Seung-yul, who have gone on to lift the coveted Asian Tour Order of Merit crowns following their victories in the storied event.

The highly acclaimed Bandar Malaysia Open, which boasts a new tagline ‘Pride, Passion, Prominence’, is the flagship event for the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA).

Players’ quotes

Danny Chia (MAS)

It’s great to finally play our own National Open again. I was surprised when I heard about the return of this event. It’s a great news for Malaysian golf and all the local professionals. I have had a lot of good memories playing in the Malaysian Open, especially on this course.

We last played the Malaysian Open here in 2008 and I remembered I was tied for the lead after two rounds here. It’s nice to be back here. The course’s looking fantastic. It’s possibly one of the best around this area. The greens are fast. They did a really good job.

I hosted a junior event for the first-time last week. I had fun. It was a good experience. It was pretty stressful and I was very busy but it’s rewarding. It’s good to see so many people and companies coming out to support too. It’s important that we give back to the game.

I would like to see these juniors playing in more international events in the future. It will be a great experience for them to play against other top ranked players around the world and see where they stand. If you always play with the same people, it’s very hard to progress to the next level.

I have been struggling with a back injury. I can still play on the challenge tour in Japan. I am 47 this year and I will try to play till I turn 50 and join the seniors tour.

Ben Leong (MAS)

It’s great to have Bandar Malaysia coming on board to support the Malaysian Open and the development of golf in Malaysia. It’s great to see the Malaysian Open back after four years. It’s really motivating.

We played a small event here with the juniors last week. It was hosted by our countryman Danny Chia. We had good fun and I got a chance to see the course firsthand which helps. As usual, the course at Kota Permai is in great shape and the greens are running a little quick than usual. It will be interesting.

I’m going to treat this like any other event. Just normal, I know it’s easier said than done, but you know, that’s the mindset for this week. We have a good representation of Malaysian golfers this week with 47 of us in total. A big shout out to the Malaysia Golf Association for being so supportive.

Tee shots are important to set up birdie chances out there. It’s tough coming out from the rough and the fairways are not small and they are not big. They are just in between sizes so being on the short grass is definitely an added bonus.

I think my three-wood and five-wood need to perform well this week to have a chance. I had a tough year last year. I hope to do better this year and my aim for this season is to try and crack top-30 on the Order of Merit.

Nicholas Fung (MAS)

I have been playing well and hitting the ball good. I just think it’s not coming at the right time and that’s why results are not showing. I did some work with my coach Steven and did some club fitting as well. Checked with my team and it seems like all is good and we’re ready to go.

I’ve been missing the cut by a few shots. I think it’s my poor judgement with my second shots. Otherwise, all else feels good. We have a strong field this week but the local players have advantage because we get to practise here before the tournament week.

It was very nice of Kota Permai and I believe the local boys have all got good preparations done for this week. I won’t say it’s impossible for one of us to win the Malaysian Open for the first time this week.

I won’t put so much pressure on myself. I just want to go out there and have fun and enjoy myself out there. If you hit the ball well, the win will come. I had a tied-11th place finish on this course before.

But the course is not playing the same now. The trees have grown taller. It’s not a long course and placements are key on this course. Not so much an advantage for the big hitters.

Rahil Gangjee (IND)

The course is looking good. I’m pleasantly surprised by the conditions because you know it’s very humid out there. Greens are firm and fast, which is great for me. I remember playing here many years ago and I remember Arjun (Atwal) won here.

The game’s feeling a little rusty but I hope to get back into it quick. I had like a one-month off and I went to Kenya for holiday. I had a great time there. Feeling refreshed and recharged for this week.

I’m just trying to keep my body in check. To keep it nimble, so that I wouldn’t have to face too many problems and my mind will be fresh and clear, which is very important for us.

I want to win again, that’s for sure. That’s a bigger goal for this year. I looked at my stats with my psychologist and we realised that I need to play better on my par-fours. I am playing my par-fives decent but I need to work on my par-fours and try not to lose too many shots there.

That is my short-term goal now. I’m hitting long lines into the greens and that’s probably why I am making moves and stuff so I got to have to figure out a way to be better.

Scott Vincent (ZIM)

This is probably one of the best courses I’ve played in Malaysia. It’s in great conditions. I am very excited. My game needs a bit of work at the moment but it’s good to be back out and playing again.

It was nice to see my good friend Benjamin Follett-Smith coming through the Qualifying School two weeks ago. We’ve been hoping that he’s going to play like that because he’s very talented and he has got a lot of potential.

I am very excited for him to be out here and hopefully we can work together and push each other on. I have been trying to recruit a few players and it has taken a while for someone to come over to Asia and give it a try. It’s nice to have some company with Benjamin securing his Tour card now.

The first Yankees game to stream on Amazon will be April 17. Future games will feature high-profile match-ups, including three against the Boston Red Sox and two against the Houston Astros.

But Amazon’s broadcasts will be limited in reach and not exclusive. The games will only be available to Amazon subscribers in the area where many Yankees fans live: New York, Connecticut, northeast Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey. And they will be simulcast on local channel WPIX and other TV broadcasters.

In August, the Yankees joined forces with Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. and Amazon to buy the team’s cable network in a deal valued at $3.47 billion. The group, which included RedBird Capital Partners, Blackstone’s Tactical Opportunities business and Mubadala Capital, bought the 80% stake from Walt Disney Co.

Seattle-based Amazon has been trying to supplement its video-streaming service with live sporting events for the past few years. The company had a deal with the NFL to stream Thursday-night football games, and in 2018 it made a similar agreement for Premier League soccer matches in the U.K.

Responding to questions in parliament, Seiko Hashimoto said Tuesday she was aware of the comments by International Olympic Committee senior member Dick Pound, who has said late May would be the latest a decision could be made.

“I think the end of May is an important stage,” Hashimoto said. “We will make efforts so that the IOC can be convinced it can be staged safely. We are putting all our strength into that.”

The right to decide whether to push ahead with the event lies with the International Olympic Committee, Hashimoto said. Japanese and Olympic officials have been saying there is no change to holding the games as planned, hoping that the coronavirus, which can spread quickly between people in dense crowds, would be brought under control.

But the stakes are enormous for the world’s biggest sporting event. Tokyo has been preparing for the games for about seven years, spending more than $26 billion to ready the city, according to some estimates.

Japan is grappling with an outbreak of the deadly virus, which has seen more than 250 people infected and at least six deaths excluding those related to the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has requested that all schools be closed for about a month and urged people to rethink large-scale events.

The Olympic Games haven’t been canceled since the summer of 1944, when they were called off due to war raging across much of Europe and Asia.

The IOC’s Executive Board, which is holding a scheduled meeting at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, released a statement Tuesday morning expressing “full commitment to the success” of the Tokyo Olympics taking place from July 24 to Aug. 9 as originally planned.

The IOC said it intends to follow advice from the World Health Organization and encouraged athletes to continue training for the Olympics to move forward as planned. A suspension or cancellation would be massively disruptive for athletes, many of whom design training schedules years in advance to peak for the Olympics.

Tuesday in Japan, Japan’s Olympics minister said the country’s contract with the IOC would allow it to suspend the games.

“The contract calls for the Games to be held within 2020. That could be interpreted as allowing a postponement,” Seiko Hashimoto said in response to a lawmaker’s question in parliament, Reuters reported.

Speculation about the fate of the Olympic Games, even five months away from their start, has grown as the coronavirus has spread. Canadian IOC member Dick Pound said in an interview with the Associated Press last week that the IOC would have until late May, about two months before the start of the Games, to decide whether to cancel the Olympics. He said moving the Games would present too many logistical challenges.

Postponing the Games would also raise issues, the thorniest of them coming from financial considerations. The IOC receives the majority of its revenue from its television rights contract with NBC, which would not want to pit Olympic broadcasts against NFL programming in the fall.

In interviews last week, multiple health experts said it is too early to know how the coronavirus could affect the Olympics, in part because so little is known about the disease and when possible vaccines or medication will become available. But they cautioned against the IOC’s insistence everything will be fine.

“They should let people know that we are currently in the midst of a pandemic and social distancing is a significant public response element of pandemics,” said University of Nebraska professor Ali Khan, formerly the director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We should expect that we will have to factor that into the Olympics.

“I do not like the message that the risk is low and there’s nothing to worry about and things will be fine. I think they should engage their community to say that there’s a possibility if this epidemic is not in check, we will need to make adjustments and cancel the event. That’s what I would want to hear: If they have to cancel the Olympics, what are they going to do?”

The coronavirus has already wreaked havoc on international qualifying events. Last week, the International Triathlon Union announced that its qualifying event would be moved from China to Spain. On Friday, FINA announced the women’s water polo qualification tournament, hosted in Trieste, Italy, would be delayed from March 8 to May 17. On April 20, it will decide if Triest can still host the event or if needs to be moved. Baseball’s qualifying tournament, scheduled to be held in Taipei, was pushed from April to July, the sport’s governing body announced Monday.