German veteran Marcel Siem boosted his hopes of a maiden Masters appearance on Thursday when he built a three-shot lead after the opening round of the Trophee Hassan II.
Siem, twice a winner on the European Tour, carded an eight-under-par, a round topped off by an eagle-birdie finish as the world No. 72 eyed the top-50 ranking he needs to make the Augusta qualifying mark.
“I didn’t know I still had a chance for the Masters, but now we know there are four or five of us in the field here who still might be able to get to the Masters if we win,” Siem said.
“It is a nice incentive, but I came here first and foremost to play this tournament and play this golf course. The Masters would be pretty special, but I just have to concentrate on what I am doing in this tournament,” he added.
Spaniard Alvaro Velasco was second overnight after a five-under 67 as both he and Siem enjoyed the better afternoon playing conditions at the Golf du Palais Royal.
Windy conditions in the morning meant that only four players broke par — that group included the 2011 champion, England’s David Horsey, who shot six birdies and two bogeys.
At the other end of the scoreboard, the Czech Republic’s Jakub Svoboda was 21-over after just six holes, before he pulled out with the European Tour’s worst score beckoning.
The 20-year-old, ranked 1,522 in the world, carded a seven, seven, nine, another couple of sevens and a nine at the sixth.
The European Tour record high score for a single round is the 111 set by Mark James at the Italian Open in 1978.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
A soccer jersey carrying a national map including disputed Western Sahara has become a hot commodity in Morocco after a diplomatic dispute with Algeria. Retailers said RS Berkane jerseys have been flying off the shelves after a Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup match against Algerian club USM Alger was canceled last month over the jerseys. “We are overwhelmed by the influx of messages and requests,” said Brahim Rabii, representative of the official RS Berkane jersey distributor. Algeria broke off diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, partly over the issue of Western Sahara. The former Spanish colony is largely controlled by Morocco, but claimed
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just