■GOLF
Pan leads Southern Amateur
Taiwan’s Pan Cheng-tsung shot a seven-under 65 at Shoal Creek in Birmingham, Alabama, on Wednesday to lead after the first round of the 104th Southern Amateur golf tournament. At 18, Pan is among the youngest players in a field dominated by older American university amateurs. He held a one-stroke margin over Patrick Cantley and two strokes over Richard Lamb. At seven-under through his first 12 holes on Wednesday, Pan had officials checking the Shoal Creek competitive course record, but the birdies stopped falling down the stretch and he finished two over the record 63 set by Gary Player in the 1984 PGA Championship. “I feel good about my round today,” Pan said. “I putted well. I like the course.” Pan took up golf in his home town of Miaoli, where his mother worked as a caddy. After showing promise, his father sent him to Bradenton, Florida, to attend the Leadbetter Golf Academy. Bound this year for the University of Washington, he has placed in the top 10 in all three big amateur tournaments he has entered this summer.
■GOLF
Weather forces cancellation
Appalling weather conditions forced the cancellation of Wednesday’s Champions Challenge at St Andrews in Scotland. Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino and Peter Thomson were among the seven team captains for the four-hole event, but gusting winds and stair-rod rain left the Royal & Ancient with no choice but to call it off on the eve of The Open. The organizers said the Champions Challenge prize fund of £50,000 (US$76,000) would be donated to the Seve Ballesteros Foundation. The foundation aims to channel funds into research, particularly into brain cancer, the condition that Ballesteros was diagnosed with in 2008.
■MOTOGP
Rossi set to return to track
Italian motorcycling star Valentino Rossi, who broke his leg on June 5, will probably ride in the German Grand Prix on Sunday, Fiat Yamaha announced. The circuit’s chief medical officer would have the final say on allowing the 31-year-old nine-time world champion to take part in the Sachsenring event, Fiat Yamaha said in a statement on Wednesday. If Rossi is barred from taking part, Japanese rider Wataru Yoshikawa will take his place.
■SOCCER
Silva completes City move
Spain’s World Cup winning winger David Silva completed his move to Premier League club Manchester City from Valencia on Wednesday. The 24-year-old underwent a medical having agreed a four-year contract. City’s Web site did not disclose the fee, but the Abu Dhabi-owned club are reported to have paid about £24 million (US$36.6 million) for Silva. Silva is City’s third signing during the close-season, following Roberto Mancini’s capture of Hamburg SV defender Jerome Boateng and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure from Barcelona.
■SOCCER
Octopus becomes an app
Paul the Octopus, who predicted World Cup matches with uncanny accuracy, is now an iPhone application. The Brazilian software developer behind the program, uTouchLabs, describes it as a “fun way to randomly choose between two options.” “Cinema or theater? Pizza or sushi? Skirt of dress? Marcia or Andrea? Ask the octopus,” it says. The user types in the options and a cartoon octopus chooses between them. Paul, an octopus at an aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany, earned worldwide attention during the World Cup with his match predictions.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely