GOLF
Lipsky secures maiden win
US rookie David Lipsky, pictured, produced a superb chip-in birdie to beat Filipino Elmer Salvador in the first play-off hole and win the inaugural US$300,000 Handa Faldo Cambodian Classic yesterday. The 23-year-old, who won the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School in January, enjoyed his maiden professional victory in front of six-time Major champion Nick Faldo at the Angkor Golf Resort, a course Faldo designed. Starting the day seven shots off the lead, Lipsky closed with a stunning seven-under-par 65 for a 15-under-par 273 total. A gritty Salvador had a 10-foot birdie putt at the last hole in regulation play for the outright win, but he missed for a 68. It was a frenetic final day, with six players tied for the lead at one stage before Lipsky and Salvador, who also lost in a play-off at last year’s ISPS Handa Singapore Classic, edged ahead of the pack. “I really can’t believe I’m here right now,” said a jubilant Lipsky, quoted in a press release from Asian Tour News. Lipsky earned US$47,550 and a priceless winner’s exemption on the Asian Tour till the end of 2014. “The chip-in was unbelievable. I practice my short game pretty hard and I thought I had a chance to make it. It was one of those makeable ones up the hill ... give it a good strike and see what happens,” the Korean-American said. The lanky Irishman Niall Turner was disappointed with his third place, one shot shy of the play-off after an even-par 72, while overnight leader Kim Hyung-sung settled for joint seventh position after signing off with 75. Taiwan’s Hsu Mong-nan and Lu Wen-teh both finished tied for 57th at one-over 289.
Photo: AFP / ASIAN TOUR
FOOTBALL
Broncos vie for Manning
Peyton Manning showed off his throwing strength for the Denver Broncos on Friday, while the San Francisco 49ers emerged as a potential destination for the future Hall of Fame quarterback, according to reports on Friday. John Elway, a former NFL quarterback and current head of football operations for the Broncos, was among the Denver officials who traveled to North Carolina to audition Manning, according to the league’s Web site. The 49ers joined the Broncos and Tennessee Titans as teams looking to land Manning’s services, while the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals are out of the mix, according to ESPN. The four-time NFL Most Valuable Player was cut last week by the Indianapolis Colts, who have decided to rebuild after a 2-14 season without the 35-year-old Manning, who missed the entire season last year after having neck surgery.
BASEBALL
Pettitte rejoining Yankees
Andy Pettitte is coming out of retirement to rejoin the New York Yankees as the former starting pitcher signed a one-year minor-league contract, the team said on Friday. Pettitte, 39, has a career record of 240-138 with a 3.88 earned run average over 16 Major League Baseball seasons spent with the Yankees and Houston Astros. The left-hander last appeared in the majors in 2010 with the Yankees, going 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA and earning a selection to the All-Star team. Pettitte, who won five World Series rings with the Yankees, signed for us$2.5 million, according to New York media reports.
SOCCER
Stuttgart thump Hoffenheim
Vedad Ibisevic scored two first-half goals to help VfB Stuttgart pile on the misery for hapless TSG 1899 Hoffenheim with a 2-1 win in the Bundesliga on Friday. Sejad Salihovic replied with a penalty for the hosts, still smarting from last week’s 7-1 humiliation at Bayern Munich, but it was not enough as they continued a disappointing start for new coach Markus Babbel. Hoffenheim have won once in six Bundesliga outings since Babbel replaced Holger Stanislawski last month and have dropped to 12th in the table with 30 points, seven clear of the relegation playoff spot. Stuttgart are seventh on 36 points. “I think we were too naive over the 90 minutes although we played much better in the second half,” Babbel said. Hoffenheim could not have made a worse start as Khalid Boulahrouz chipped the ball over the defense and Bosnia striker Ibisevic hooked it in with his left foot. “That was too easy,” Babbel said as he analyzed a replay of the goal for German television. The same combination set up Stuttgart’s second goal two minutes before halftime as the Dutchman produced a low cross from the right and Ibisevic got in between two defenders to score with a diving header, his ninth league goal of the season. Hoffenheim fought back in the second half and reduced the arrears in the 74th minute when Salihovic fired his penalty into the roof of the net after Fabian Johnson was tripped by Francisco Rodriguez.
GOLF
De la Riva leads Andalucia
Unheralded Spaniard Eduardo de la Riva drilled in a birdie putt on the final hole to secure a one-shot lead after the second round of the Andalucia Open on Friday in Spain. The 29-year-old, on eight-under 136 after carding a 69, is one ahead of Matteo Manassero (73) of Italy, tournament host Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) and his fellow Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal (69), Ireland’s Damien McGrane (68) and Tommy Fleetwood of Britain (69). Among eight players on six-under are Abu Dhabi Championship winner Robert Rock (69) and Ryder Cup player Edoardo Molinari of Italy who shot a 65, the day’s best round. “I had a poor start,” said De la Riva, who has yet to record a victory. “I was beginning to lose confidence, but then I hit it close and made birdie on the third — that settled me,” he told the tour’s Web site. “I am very pleased with my birdie on 18 which is a challenging par-four.” Jimenez, 48, will become the oldest tour champion if he wins his 19th title.
CRICKET
Bangladesh upstage India
Bangladesh posted an upset five-wicket victory over India in the Asia Cup one-day tournament in Dhaka on Friday, despite Sachin Tendulkar’s 100th international century. Bangladesh achieved the stiff 290-run target with four balls to spare in the day-night match to keep alive their hopes of reaching the final. Tamim Iqbal (70), Nasir Hossain (54), Jahurul Islam (53), Shakib Al Hasan (49) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (46 not out) were Bangladesh’s batting stars, while Indian paceman Praveen Kumar took three wickets. Pakistan have two wins in as many matches, while India and Bangladesh have one victory each after two games. Sri Lanka have lost both of their matches.
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
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was