It has been more than a decade since Australia’s Adam Scott retained the iconic Singapore Open title at the Serapong Course in Sentosa Golf Club in 2005 and 2006, which is also the Home of the Asian Tour.

But with the form that the 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion is currently enjoying, he is once again expected to be one of the favourites for the Singapore showpiece, which continues to be part of The Open Qualifying Series for the fourth consecutive year.

“Winning the SMBC Singapore Open last year really opened a lot of doors for me last year. I managed to break into the world’s top-100, got into many tournaments and had many other new opportunities. I have to thank this tournament and I am really happy to be back this year. I got the same locker as last year so hopefully this year the same magic happens. If you play well here, you can get started to get the ball rolling for the year,” said the Asian Tour No 1.

Jazz enjoyed a season like no other in 2019 when he swept aside all his rivals with four victories along with capturing the coveted Order of Merit trophy.

“It is a very big week and a good start for the year. I think it is important to be strong mentally, especially on the golf course when you have to hit the straight and long shots. I need to pick which tournament would be the best for me out of all the tournaments. If I am playing America, I would just stick to that country for that period, and likewise for Europe or Asia,” he added.

Korea’s Doyeob Mun, who secured one of the four spots to The Open at the SMBC Singapore Open last year, still holds vivid memories of his last outing to the Lion City and is relishing the challenges at the Serapong course again.

Singapore’s highest ranked professional Quincy Quek is also back on home soil along with promising amateur James Leow, ready to fly the country’s flag.

Quek, a two-time Asian Development Tour (ADT) winner, emerged as the best amateur at the 2007 edition while Leow won the South East Asian (SEA) Games individual Gold medal in Philippines last December.

Quek also finished tied-26th for the tournament, which remains his best result at the SMBC Singapore Open so far.

“At this point last year, I was just getting to the point where I was finally hitting balls,” Stanford said. “Now being here and seeing what I missed, it just makes me more mad.”

Stanford also endured what she termed her “first really bad year,” never cracking the top 20 for the first time in her career and failing to qualify for the season’s last five tournaments.

“It made me rethink some things. It made me wonder how hard I’m working,” said Stanford, whose Evian win at age 40 made her the second-oldest first-time major winner in LPGA Tour history. “It made me realize I have to work harder because these kids are so good today. So I had some time to think about some stuff.”

2020 marks Stanford’s 20th season on the LPGA Tour and she’s aiming to quickly rebound from that season to forget. She doubled down on her off-season conditioning by using the extended break to train for a marathon, a goal she said has long been on her bucket list.

“I didn’t feel very strong mentally last year. I felt pretty weak in general. I thought, you know what, I’m going to figure out how to beat this,” said Stanford, who plans to run the Los Angeles Marathon on March 8. “I have to be stronger mentally out here. I guess the best way to do that is to train for something. So I’m going to do it. And not qualifying for Asia was a blessing for me at this time in my life. I’ve always enjoyed going to Asia and playing there, but it was nice to be at home in October.”

The Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions is the perfect place for Stanford to begin her season. One of the biggest sports fans on the LPGA Tour, Stanford has thrown out the first pitch three times for her beloved Texas Rangers and even has a Rangers logo on her yardage-book cover. But even the most seasoned fan can be totally starstruck when she comes face to face with some of the biggest stars in sports.

“I go out (at the pro-am party) and I’m staring right at Justin Verlander and I’m like, wow,” said Stanford with a laugh. “I just kind of stopped. I’m like, how cool is this?”

DANIELLE KANG, MARCUS ALLEN FORGE BOND THROUGH RESPECT

Danielle Kang, who sits fourth in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, is eager to make her second start at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions presented by Insurance Office of America. She also hopes to tee it up one day with good friend and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Marcus Allen.

“He was like my uncle growing up, so fingers crossed that I’ll get to play with him,” said Kang, who won the 2018 and 2019 Buick LPGA Shanghai to secure a spot in the 26-player field at the Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando. “He’s like my role model and I would love to be able to play with him if that’s possible at least some of the round. I know we get to re-pair (after each round), and that’s kind of the interaction we had last year.”

“You must tell them when you were an amateur you never beat me, so this is why you want to play me so badly,” Allen added with a laugh. “You can’t typecast her, knowing Danielle. She’s funny and able to do so many things. There is an adventurous side to her, and I think drama as well would fit her repertoire. She is a versatile young lady.”

Not to be lost is their mutual respect. It’s a relationship that has transformed since the death of Kang’s father in 2013.

“I adore her, she calls me her uncle. I’ve got to tell you, when she won her first major it almost brought me to tears,” said Allen. “I think I was one of the first people to call her and leave a message because I was so proud of her and knew she worked so hard for that to happen. She wants to make her dad proud and he would be proud, I know that’s never far from her mind. I want her to realize that dream because she has the makings to be one of the great players in golf, period.”

As the LPGA Tour’s 70th anniversary season gets underway tomorrow, Kang has her goals set on the Olympics and reaching No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings. She looks forward to beginning that push with Allen by her side to jumpstart her 2020 campaign.

“Marcus has known my goals since I was a kid,” Kang said. “Everybody has a different goal on why they start and everyone has a different goal on how they finish. For me, I’m just heading toward my goal and No. 4 is on the way to that.”

ROLEX WOMEN’S WORLD RANKINGS STATISTICAL NOTE

The current average differential between World No. 1 Jin Young Ko and No. 2 Sung Hyun Park is 2.64 points. The last time the difference was at least this large between the top two ranked players was the week of February 13, 2017 when World No. 1 Lydia Ko (10.24) was ahead of No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn (7.40) by 2.84 average points.

The largest average points’ differential between World No. 1 and No. 2 since the Rolex Rankings began in 2006 is 9.87 points. This occurred the week of April 21, 2008, between World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa (19.16) and No. 2 Annika Sorenstam (9.29).

NOTABLE FIRST-ROUND GROUPINGS

Defending LPGA DRTOC winner Eun Hee Ji will tee off at No. 1 at 8:30 a.m. with NFL stars Patrick Peterson and Case Keenum

Defending celebrity DRTOC winner John Smoltz will tee off No. 1 at 9:10 a.m. with Brooke Henderson and fellow MLB player Josh Donaldson

Leading American Nelly Korda will begin her season at 9:30 a.m. off the first tee with World Series champions Justin Verlander and Roger Clemens

Playing in her first event since giving birth to daughter Emery in July 2019, Brittany Lincicome will tee off No. 1 at 9:40 a.m. with NBA stars Ray Allen and Grant Hill

DESIGNATED HOLE FOR AON RISK REWARD CHALLENGE

The season-long Aon Risk Reward Challenge will highlight the world’s best professional golfers as they tackle the most strategically challenging holes across both the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR schedules. The player from each Tour on top of the Aon leaderboard at the end of the regular season will receive a $1 million prize.

The designated Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions is the 550-yard, par-5 17th. The key decision at this hole centers on the second shot. A long drive allows a player to go for the green in two, but with water in front of the green, the risk is evident. 13% of players managed to hit the green in two during last year’s tournament. In 2019, the 17th hole at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions saw one eagle, coming in the second round from Georgia Hall. Last year’s winner Eun-Hee Ji made a birdie at the Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole in the final round and went on to win by two strokes.

For more information about the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, visit www.lpga.com/statistics/aon-risk-reward-challenge.

CASEY CASE NOMINATED FOR LPGA’S AXA LPGA VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD

LPGA tournament volunteer Casey Case says her husband does not understand why she likes to stay as busy as she is.

But it should come as no surprise that a retired director at Verizon who oversaw business accounts and call centers in five states would want to do anything other than stay swamped.

The Baltimore native retired in 1996, moved to Leesburg, Fla., in 1997, and went to work as a volunteer at a number of Orlando-area golf tournaments, including this week’s Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.

Case is the winning volunteer at the 2020 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions and will be honored this week as one of the exemplary nominated volunteers identified at each LPGA tournament this season for the AXA LPGA Volunteer Service Award – presented at the end of the season.

“No matter how much work goes into a tournament, it wouldn’t operate without the hard work of volunteers,” said MacKenzie Meyer, tournament manager of the LPGA’s season-opening event. “Casey Case knows this firsthand, as she has been graciously volunteering for Diamond Resorts tournaments since 2016.”

A penalty kick by Jaroensak Wonggorn put the War Elephants in the driver’s seat in the sixth minute following a handball offence by Iraqi Najm Shwan and a subsequent VAR review.

Despite a fightback goal by Mohammed Nassif just four minutes into the second half, Thailand grabbed the much-needed point from the battle to propel them to the knock-out stage for the first time in the tournament’s history. The home team, with four points, joined group leaders Australia (five points) in the last eight.

“Both the players and the coaching staff have been working hard, which brought this result,” said national coach Akira Nishino of Japan. “At least we’ve gone a step further by reaching the quarter-finals,” added the former Japan World Cup team coach.

Impressive results from the group stage served as a welcome redemption for the Thai under-23 team after they were eliminated from December’s SEA Games in the early rounds.

“I didn’t get to know the players well in the SEA Games. I poorly managed the team as we had to play on artificial grass every other day. That’s why we had poor results in the Games.

Regarding Tuesday’s game, he said: “We made big changes in the first line-up [seven players] because several players were exhausted. So I decided to field reserve players who had done well in training. I just wanted to give them a chance,” Nishino said.

Thailand will play their next match against the Group B leaders on Saturday at the Thammasat Rangsit campus. The tournament’s winner, runner-up and third-place finisher will earn slots for the Olympics.

“We want to challenge the bigger teams more. We’ve gained experience with good teams in this tournament but our players still need to learn more.”

Akira Nishino

The 17-year-old, who will be making his debut at the Singapore showpiece, announced his arrival on the world stage with his maiden Asian Tour win in India last year after showing similar heroics on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) where he won thrice then.

Kim will be up against some of the biggest names in world golf including Major winners Justin Rose of England and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, American Matt Kuchar, a multiple winner on the PGA Tour, as well as Asian Tour Order of Merit champion and defending champion Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, all ranked inside top-50 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

“I’m very excited. There’s Justin Rose, Matt Kuchar and Henrik Stenson in the field. It’s going to be a tough field to beat and it’s going to be a week where you can get a chance to qualify for The Open if you play well.

“I’ve not played at the Serapong course before. I am looking forward to it. The players are telling me that it’s in spectacular condition, so I am really excited,” said Kim, who finished in 25th place on the 2019 Order of Merit, thanks to one win and two top-10s in only five starts.

Kim will feature in the elite 156-man field from 22 countries alongside 54 other Tour winners, which include five former winners of the prestigious Singapore Open. A total of four Order of Merit champions will also tee up in the event, which was voted by the Asian Tour players as the Tournament of the year in 2019.

The Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course also received the accolade of being the players’ choice Golf Course of the year at the 2019 Asian Tour Awards Gala held earlier in Hong Kong this week.

Sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation, the US$1 million SMBC Singapore Open will take place from January 16 to 19 next week and it will continue to be part of The Open Qualifying Series for the fourth consecutive year.

The leading four players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 12 and ties on the final leaderboard will earn coveted spots at the 149th Open at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Kent, England from July 16-19.

The qualifier of 18 holes stroke play will be played on Monday, January 13, at the New Tanjong Course at Sentosa Golf Club. Top 3 places will qualify directly into the SMBC Singapore Open. Ties for last qualifying places will be decided by hole-by-hole playoff.

The third edition of the region’s premier women’s championship will be played at Siam Country Club in Pattaya from 12-15 February. The 2020 WAAP champion will earn starts in two women’s major championships – the AIG Women’s British Open and The Evian Championship – as well as invitations to the Honda LPGA Thailand, the Hana Financial Group Championship and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA).

The championship is expected to feature 83 players from 20 Asia-Pacific countries and as the host nation, Thailand will have the largest contingent with eight representatives in the field. Boonchant, will be joined in Pattaya by her fellow Thai golfers; World number 103 Chanikan Yongyuan, number 161 Kornkamol Sukaree, Suthavee Chanachai, Yosita Khawnuna, Chanettee Vannasaen, Natthakritta Vongtaveelap and Jumpita Chul-Ak-Sorn.

In front of their home fans, they will try to follow in the footsteps of Atthaya Thitikul, who created history at Singapore’s Sentosa Golf Club in 2018 by winning the inaugural championship after a four-way play-off.

Thitikul, who became the first non-Japanese Asian player to be ranked number 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) last year, also finished runner-up in the second edition in Japan.

The 20-year-old Boonchant, majoring in Statistical Science at Duke University, one of US college golf’s most prominent teams, said the success of Thitikul, as well as that of the Jutanugarn sisters – Ariya and Moriya – on the LPGA Tour, have been huge motivating factors.

“Seeing their successes motivated me to work harder and become better. Hopefully, one day my name will be next to theirs. I truly hope to play many tournaments alongside them in the future,” said Boonchant, who will be making her WAAP debut.

“I have always wanted to play WAAP since its inaugural edition but the timing never seemed to work with my academic and college golf schedule. This year, I finally have the opportunity to participate and I’m really looking forward to it.

“It has also been a very long time since I played a tournament in Thailand in front of my friends and family. That’s another reason to be so delighted and excited to play the WAAP this year.”

Boonchant is eager to get back on the golf course with a scorecard in her hand. She played just three collegiate events in the US in September, finishing inside the top six in the last two, after a three month break in June 2019 for an internship.

“I decided to dedicate my summer to extra-curricular activities to broaden my vision of the world and grow as a person. I was able to be one of the students in the ‘Duke Study Abroad in Japan’ programme for two months and then do an internship in Thailand later,” said Boonchant, winner of the 2018 ACC Championship.

“During that time, I got to play just one round of golf and maybe practised three or four times. I have to admit that it was nice to take a break from golf and explore other aspects of life. However, those three months also made me realise how much I missed playing golf and I really want to be back competing.

“Going into the off season, I was pretty happy with how I was playing. I am currently working on my swing with my coach, just making sure that all the pieces come together as I get closer to the WAAP.”

Boonchant is confident Thailand golf will benefit immensely by hosting a championship like the WAAP.

“The WAAP truly means a lot to me personally. It is a great event where top players in the world compete and showcase the great game of golf and its potential. I think it is important for Thailand to host such an event because these players will be able to inspire the next generation of young Thai golfers,” she added.

“The WAAP is such an amazing and fun event. The fans will surely enjoy themselves while supporting the growth of women’s golf.”

The WAAP, developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) to unearth developing talent and provide a pathway for Asia’s elite women amateurs to emerge on the international stage, will be supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “Thailand has a strong presence in golf and there have been a number of men and women players who have excelled at the highest level of the sport. We are delighted to bring the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship here and continuing to inspire other potential future champions in Thailand and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.”

The highest-ranked player in the field is Chinese Taipei’s No. 9 Yu-Chiang Hou, the younger of the two Hou sisters in the field. The field comprise 12 players ranked inside the top-100 of the WAGR, with Chinese Taipei accounting for three of them; Yu-Sang Hou, No. 39 and Chia Yen Wu, No. 47.

The youngest player in the field is the 14-year-old Maribel Ting from Malaysia, while the oldest is 27-year-old Rotana Howard from Cook Islands.

The par-72, 6,608-yard Waterside Course of Siam Country Club is sure to provide an exciting challenge for the field. The golf course hasreceived several awards in the past, with the most recent being the Best Golf Course in Thailand at the Asia Pacific Award last month. The Old Course at the club, the second oldest golf course in Thailand, was ranked 73^rd in Golf Digest’s Top-100 Golf Courses in the World in 2018.

Entry to WAAP will be free of charge for fans.

The championship will be broadcast live on each of the four days. There will be nearly 600 hours of television coverage broadcast to more than 180 million households.

Twelve local teams led by Thai League 1 champions Chiangrai United and four foreign sides including four-time J-League winners Cerezo Ozaka will participate in the tournament which offers Bt3 million in prize money.

The competition will take place in eight provinces: Khao Plong Stadium in Chai Nat, SAT Udonthani Stadium in Udonthani, SCG Stadium in Nonthaburi, Singha Stadium in Chiang Rai, Leo Stadium in Pathum Thani, PAT Stadium in Bangkok, Sam Ao Stadium in Prachuab Khiri Khan, Khon Kaen and Provincial Stadium in Khon Kaen.

All 16 teams will compete in a knock-out format with the final round at Leo Stadium on February 1 at 6.30pm.

Apart from BG Pathum United, the champions of top-flight league, League 2 champions, FA Cup winners, Port and League Cup winners Prachuab, will also be in the fray.

Other local teams include Muangthong United, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chainat Hornbill, Chiangmai, Rayong, Udonthani, Khon Kaen and Nongbua Pitchaya.

The three foreign teams are Tampines Rovers from Singapore, Lao Toyota from Laos and Phnom Pehn Crown from Cambodia.

The Terps managed a couple of defensive stops, briefly showing some energy that could have marked the early signs of a quick run. But on this night, Coach Mark Turgeon said, “We didn’t look like us.” And two of his players pegged to be key scorers this season certainly didn’t look like themselves, either.

Sophomore guard Eric Ayala missed three shots in just over a minute when Maryland had that short blip of promise. The Hawkeyes soon responded with a burst of scoring and maintained firm control in a 67-49 rout.

Ayala finished the game with two points on 0-for-6 shooting, adding an assist and four turnovers. His classmate Aaron Wiggins struggled even more. On Maryland’s first possession, Wiggins dribbled out of bounds, the first of his three turnovers. He only played 17 minutes after running into foul trouble. Wiggins missed all four of his field goal attempts and was held scoreless for the first time in his college career.

“We have some guys that are really good players that just need to act like they’re really good players and play like it,” Turgeon said after the game. “And tonight we didn’t.”

The loss in Iowa City magnified some of Maryland’s offensive concerns, particularly from three-point range and for these two sophomores. In all three of their losses, the Terps shot 33% or worse from the field. Seton Hall and Iowa both held Maryland to under 50 points.

As the Terps (13-3, 3-2 Big Ten) hope to work through the issues, they will have to do so away from home. The matchup against Iowa was the first in a five-game stretch that includes four on the road, with the next test coming Tuesday at Wisconsin (10-6, 3-2) after a quick turnaround. Home teams have won 87% of Big Ten games this season.

Maryland’s occasional trouble – both on Friday night and at other times – doesn’t fall exclusively on Ayala and Wiggins. Those two have still contributed while reversing their roles from last season. Wiggins has started every game and averaged 10.3 points. Ayala now comes off the bench and has scored 9.4 points per game, the fourth most on the team. Wiggins has reached double figures in 10 of 16 games this season, tying his career-high total of 15 points three times.

Both played well on Maryland’s freshman-laden team a year ago, helping the Terps reach the second round of the NCAA tournament, and both entered this season poised to take a leap. Wiggins was viewed as a possible breakout star, and perhaps even someone who might consider an early departure for the NBA if he were to play at a high level this season.

“It’s a lot harder for these kids,” Turgeon said. “When you’re a freshman, a lot of times you don’t know any better. And then all of a sudden, you know what’s going on.”

Both sophomores have showcased their improved physicality with athletic dunks, including Wiggins’s highlight-reel slam after he followed his missed three last month against Notre Dame. Even that night, when Wiggins’s feat was named the night’s top play on “SportsCenter,” players couldn’t decide whose dunk was more impressive because Ayala had a nifty one, too.

But then there’s the three-point shooting, the area in which neither player has found his groove. The pair led the team as freshmen. Wiggins shot 41.3 percent from deep, and Ayala, whose shooting acumen came as a pleasant surprise, made 43% of his attempts. Maryland’s offense ran through Bruno Fernando a season ago, so Maryland shooters benefited from how opponents double-teamed Fernando and left a player open on the perimeter. Ayala said that helped him find a rhythm.

Nearly three months into their sophomore seasons, Ayala has shot 24.7% from three and Wiggins has made 28.8% of his attempts. Both have taken more than 70 shots from behind the arc, and the two have slightly underperformed even compared with their modest season averages in January. In the past couple of games, Turgeon said, Wiggins has let his shooting trouble affect the rest of his game, which hadn’t been the case earlier.

“It’s been a concern of mine all year,” Turgeon said of Wiggins’s struggles. “He’s such a good player, and he’s such a good shooter. I started saying around Christmas, after we lost [at] Seton Hall, it’s my job to give guys confidence and I’m trying with him. He’s just got to believe in himself out there. I know we believe in him.”

The Terps have shot 30.6% from three-point range as a team, a decline from last season’s 34.9%. Maryland’s 41.4% shooting from the field is the worst in the Big Ten. The team’s three-point shooting ranks 12th of 14 schools. The Terps have instead relied on their consistently strong defense to win games, including in their marquee victory last week over then-No. 11 Ohio State.

Ayala had what Turgeon called his best practice of the season Sunday. Ayala said the Iowa game, along with the other two losses, gave him a chance to “reevaluate” himself, and he added that he looked forward to showing that he is a different player.

Both forward Jalen Smith and guard Darryl Morsell have made threes when needed. Freshman Donta Smith has developed into a dependable starter. Senior Anthony Cowan, the team’s leading scorer, can deliver in critical moments. So Maryland doesn’t necessarily need Wiggins and Ayala to be exceptional. They just need to play to their ability, the way they did last year. The two are roommates, and they motivate each other. Ayala said they have talked about how they are going through this together, how they are going to get out of their funk.

“We’ve been able to win 13 games with us not shooting the ball as well as we usually do,” Ayala said. “So I imagine when we do shoot it . . .”

Ayala trailed off, but if Wiggins and Ayala can hit shots, and as long as others maintain their form, Maryland increases its chances of winning important games, the ones down the stretch. Wiggins and Ayala understand their roles and their importance. So when he was asked to finish his thought about what will happen when the two break out of their rut, Ayala said: “Once we start clicking, it’s going to be fun.”

The announcement came from the four-time PGA TOUR winning Australian after his third round at the Sony Open in Hawaii and adds to the fundraising efforts he, and fellow players in the field at Waialae Country Club had already committed.

“I want to thank the rest of the International Team for their contributions to the cause and I know all of Australia – and particularly the victims – will be very grateful,” Leishman said.

“These bushfires are an ongoing crisis that continues to cut a devastating path right across Australia so support from the global community is crucial. It has been heartening to see the resiliency of the Australian people and to see the firefighters and volunteers from around the world coming together to continue this important fight.

“But the scale of the destruction is huge and it will continue to take a team effort from every corner of the globe as we look to the future. The fires are expected to burn through the Australian summer and coming months and the families who lost loved ones, homes and priceless memories will feel the effects for years to come. So too will our unique wildlife so all support is greatly appreciated.”

Leishman and fellow Australian and International Team member Cameron Smith plus TOUR players Matt Jones, Cameron Davis, Rhein Gibson, Cameron Percy and Parker McLachlin had already announced they would donate funds for every birdie and eagle they record in the tournament.

The Presidents Cup and PGA TOUR vowed to match all player donations from the Sony Open up to $125,000 as well. Through two rounds the players had combined for over $14,000 worth of birdies. With the TOUR’s match plus further additions from Leishman’s Begin Again Foundation the number stood over $35,000 with two rounds to go.

The new additional and significant donation comes as a team effort from the International squad that narrowly lost 16-14 last month when the biennial team event was played at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia.

“The International Team was made to feel at home and felt tremendous support and hospitality from the great people of Australia. Our players came together to pitch in to help the efforts of these tragic fires, the brave men and women in harm’s way and those impacted by the devastation,” Els said.

“We hope that our donation can not only have an impact in Australia but will also encourage others to do what they can to help.”

To date, more than 10 million hectares (over 38,610 square miles) have been burned across Australia’s six states – an area about the size of Leishman’s adopted American state of Virginia.

For comparison, the 2019 Amazon rainforest fires burned more than 7 million hectares while California’s wildfires combined to burn just over 100,000 hectares in 2019 and 404,000 hectares in 2018.

Multiple fires are still raging. There have been at least 27 lives lost and destruction of homes is in the thousands. The unique wildlife of the country has also taken a cataclysmic hit with estimates of more than a billion animals being affected. There are fears some smaller species could face extinction or functional extinction – which is where the species declines to a point where they no longer play a significant role in their ecosystem.

International Team veteran Adam Scott has also called on others to join the relief efforts if they can.

“The outpouring of support from across the globe has been incredible, but there is still so much that needs to be done,” the Australian 13-time TOUR winner said.

“Thank you to this team for giving back to a place that is near to my heart and has done so much to support the Presidents Cup and the game. Fires are expected to burn to March so please help out by donating at any point when you can.”

Leishman and his fellow Sony Open players trying to raise funds continue to implore others in the field to join the efforts to ensure the full $125,000 match from the Presidents Cup and PGA TOUR is reached.

The announced attendance in M&T Bank Stadium would be 71,254, and it felt like just about everyone with a ticket was already on the premises shortly after dark, ready to start a playoff march that would end in Miami at the Super Bowl.

About six hours later, when Lamar Jackson’s 50th pass of the night was knocked away from tight end Mark Andrews on a fourth and five from the 16-yard line of the Tennessee Titans with 4:27 remaining, the place began to empty so quickly it resembled how the stadium about 35 miles to the south of here looked like most of this past season.

That team’s season ended with a 3-13 record and the owner finally firing his alter ego as team president. This team’s season wasn’t supposed to end here; it was supposed to end in South Florida, with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell handing the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti.

Instead, after Jackson – the league’s presumptive MVP – threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, it ended with the sixth-seeded Titans leaving Baltimore with a jaw-dropping 28-12 victory in a game that really wasn’t that close.

Maybe it was the weather – 69 degrees for an 8:15 p.m. January kickoff. Maybe it was rust – Jackson and a number of starters hadn’t taken a snap in anger since Dec. 22. Maybe it was an excellent defensive scheme by Titans defensive coordinator Dean Pees – who once worked here in Baltimore. The Titans gave up massive chunks of yardage throughout the night – the Ravens punted exactly once – but only one touchdown. Or maybe, it was all of the above, and a surprisingly human performance by Jackson, who looked anything but during the 12-game winning streak that allowed the Ravens to finish the season 14-2 and secure the top seed in the AFC.

“They played winning football in a tough environment,” Baltimore Coach John Harbaugh said of the Titans. “We didn’t play winning football. This will stick with us for a long time.”

There’s no doubt about that. The Ravens – barring an injury to Jackson – will likely be back in the playoffs a year from now. This loss will be felt until then. And perhaps even after.

“We beat ourselves,” said Jackson, who walked to midfield after the final whistle and hugged and congratulated every Titan he came across. “I had turnovers and that hurt. We fought, we moved the ball, but we didn’t finish when we needed to finish.”

Jackson’s numbers reflect that. He accounted for more than 500 yards of offense himself – 365 through the air, 143 on the ground – but the gaudy numbers didn’t tell his story. Three turnovers – two interceptions and a fumble – did. The first interception came on a throw that sailed on Jackson and went off the hands of Andrews. About four minutes later, the Titans turned it into a touchdown.

Another interception came on a badly underthrown ball in the third quarter, halting a Ravens drive deep in Tennessee territory. There was also the fumble as he was being sacked shortly after the Titans had taken a 21-6 lead. That also led to a score.

And, just as crucially, there were two fourth-and-ones, when Jackson was stopped short. The Ravens had gone for it on fourth and one eight times this season. They had picked up the first down eight times.

The argument could be made that a night that was supposed to be about the Baltimore quarterback was, in truth, about the Tennessee quarterback. Ryan Tannehill’s statistics weren’t eye-opening – he threw for 88 yards and rushed for another 13, but he was sacked only once and he had a quarterback rating for the night of 109.2. Jackson’s was 63.2

Tannehill took over as the Titans quarterback with the team 3-3 after Marcus Mariota faltered in a 16-0 loss to the Denver Broncos. The No. 1 pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2012 (eighth overall), his seven years in Miami were ultimately a disappointment, and he was traded last offseason for a late-round pick to be insurance for Mariota. Saturday night, in fact, marked his first playoff start.

For Jackson, it was his second. And his playoff record now stands at 0-2, including his first-round exit last season to the Los Angeles Chargers, a loss that saw Jackson play three quarters of ineffective football before a fourth-quarter rally fell short. The fourth quarter Saturday night felt eerily similar.

The Ravens spent this offseason building their team around Jackson. The gamble paid off – by midseason, he was dominating the MVP conversation and this stadium, once specked with purple Ray Lewis No. 52 jerseys and Joe Flacco No. 5s, became a sea of No. 8s with “Jackson” on the back.

Ravens fans this season had grown accustom to heroics from No. 8. Saturday night, the heroics came from the visitors. When Derrick Henry, who gashed Baltimore all night for 195 yards rushing, threw a jump pass to Corey Davis for a score midway through the third quarter to push the Titans’ lead to 21-6, Jackson fumbled on the first play from scrimmage on the next drive. Tannehill scored from the one to finish off the drive and, for practical purposes, the Ravens.

Soon thereafter, the Ravens posted the message on the scoreboard warning fans to drive home safely – not at the end of the fourth quarter, but at the end of the third.

It wasn’t supposed to end this way – not again – not after such an exhilarating and remarkable regular season. Jackson shrugged when asked how long it would take to get over this loss. “I don’t know,” he said. “I hate losing. But. we have to move on. We’ve got to get better for next year.”

Akira Nishino 

Akira Nishino’s side must now at least grab a draw against Iraq on Tuesday in the group’s final game to secure a place in the next round as the second-placed finisher. Australia, with four points, should be the favourites to top the group and reserve the other spot. They face Bahrain in their last game on Tuesday.

In Saturday’s game, that drew a record 22,352 spectators, Anon Amornlerdsak lifted the spirits of local fans with a goal in the 24th minute but Aussie Nicholas D’Agostino dashed Thai hopes with a brace. He got the equaliser in the 43rd minute and the winning goal in the 75th minute.

Nishino blamed his team’s physical condition for their defeat.

“Throughout the 90 minutes, we were second to them in terms of physical condition. It’s difficult for us to hang out there in great fitness after many contacts with Australia. But my team did quite well in the first half,” said the Japanese coach.

The Thailand-Iraq showdown is scheduled for 8.15pm on Tuesday at Rajamangala. Fans can watch live coverage on Channel 7.