GOLF
Woods in strong group
Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson have been grouped together for the first two rounds of next week’s US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. The three, all winners of the Masters after Watson triumphed at Augusta National in April, will start on the ninth tee at 7:33am on June 14 and from the first hole at 1:18pm on June 15. Players normally start their rounds from the first and 10th tees, but tournament officials decided to send players off on the first and ninth holes for logistical reasons, as the ninth tee is closer to the clubhouse. Defending US Open champion Rory McIlroy was also put in a star-studded group alongside world No.1 Luke Donald and Lee Westwood. Louis Oosthuizen, who was beaten by Watson in a playoff at the Masters, was paired with last year’s US Open runner-up, Jason Day, and last year’s USPGA runner-up Jason Dufner. Three of the sport’s rising stars, Ryo Ishikawa, Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler, were also paired together. Ernie Els, a two-time US Open champion, will tee off alongside Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 winner, and Angel Cabrera, who won the following year.
RUGBY UNION
Cooper, Beale face probe
Wallabies playmakers Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale face a disciplinary investigation by the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) after local media reported they had been involved in a scuffle outside a Brisbane bar early yesterday morning. The two injured backs were involved in a brawl with security guards at the Victory Hotel in the early hours of the morning after being evicted from the venue, the Daily Telegraph said. The ARU has launched a probe into the incident, a spokesman said, while declining to provide details. The incident comes as the Wallabies prepared for their series-opening Test against Wales in Brisbane today. Neither Cooper nor Beale were named in the match-day 22, as they both continue their recovery from injuries.
OLYMPICS
Swimmers ‘sorry’ about guns
Controversial Australian swimmers Nick D’Arcy and Kenrick Monk apologized yesterday for posting a photo of themselves posing with high-powered guns on the Internet, saying it was just “a bit of fun.” The pair have been blasted as “foolish” by Australia’s Olympic authorities and could face sanctions, although whether their places on the London Games team are under threat remains unclear. “If anyone’s been offended I deeply apologize. It was never the intent, it was never supposed to be offensive,” 200m butterfly star D’Arcy, 24, said on his arrival back in Australia from the US. It was in the US, where they had been competing at the Santa Clara International Grand Prix, that the swimmers posed in a gun shop, with D’Arcy brandishing a pistol and Monk holding two shotguns crossed over his chest.
CRICKET
Free house for Tendulkar
Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has been offered a free five-bedroom house in the center of New Delhi as a perk of his new post as a member of parliament, reports said yesterday. Tendulkar was sworn into the Upper House this week, claiming a seat reserved for distinguished figures in Indian public life. He has been offered a colonial-era bungalow with large lawns on one of the smartest streets in the capital, the Press Trust of India agency reported, adding he would be provided with 24-hour security and two escort vehicles. It was unclear whether Tendulkar would accept the offer.
ADVANTAGE ATLETICO: Well off the pace in La Liga, the Copa del Rey represents Atletico Madrid’s best chance of silverware this season Atletico Madrid on Thursday hammered Copa del Rey holders Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of their semi-final. After an Eric Garcia own-goal sent Diego Simeone’s side ahead early on, Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman and Julian Alvarez struck to give Atletico a landslide lead by halftime. Barca defender Garcia was sent off in the final stages, with Atletico maintaining their significant advantage on the record 32-time winners, which they take into the second leg at the Camp Nou on March 3. Both sides missed good chances in the second half, with Barca’s Pau Cubarsi having a goal disallowed before Garcia was sent off
‘EVERYONE SAW’: The visitors were left fuming after Jules Kounde was fouled by Claudio Echeverri in the buildup to the winning goal and it went unpunished Spanish champions Barcelona on Monday fell to a damaging 2-1 defeat at Girona to leave them trailing Real Madrid by two points at the top of La Liga. Los Blancos beat Real Sociedad on Saturday to overtake the Catalans and Hansi Flick’s side could not defeat Girona in an gripping derby clash to reclaim the lead. Teenage star Lamine Yamal missed a penalty for Barcelona, who took the lead through defender Pau Cubarsi just before the hour mark. However, goals from Thomas Lemar and Fran Beltran helped Girona, 12th, mount an impressive comeback. “In the end Girona deserved it, they had a lot of
Stade Rennais, four days after firing coach Habib Beye, stunned Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 on Friday, snapping the defending champions’ seven-match winning run in French Ligue 1. Second-placed RC Lens could leapfrog the champions and retake top spot last night after press time if they beat Paris FC in the capital. PSG started brightly, with Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue carving openings to no avail. Rennes fired Beye on Monday and promoted his assistant Sebastien Tambouret, and the same players who had lost four games on the bounce seemed transformed. Jordanian forward Mousa al-Tamari bagged the opener, unleashing a fierce strike
Dasun Shanaka hammered the fastest half-century by a Sri Lankan in T20Is as the cohosts thrashed Oman by 105 runs at the World Cup yesterday in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, for their second win in Group B. The 2014 champions piled up 225-5, the highest total of the tournament, before restricting an outclassed Oman to 120-9. The 43-year-old Mohammad Nadeem waged a lone battle for Oman, compiling an unbeaten 53 to become the oldest player to score a 50 in T20 World Cups. Having promoted himself up the order and under pressure to deliver, Sri Lanka skipper Shanaka smashed a 19-ball half-century. It has been
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