18 Sports Wednesday, July 1, 2020 English becomes fifth Photo of the Day PGA player with positive virus test

NEW YORK: American was named on Monday as the fifth US PGA Tour player to test pos- itive for COVID-19 since the tour’s three-month shut- down ended on June 11. He became the second player in as many days to test positive after the PGA toughened coronavirus safety measures. Two players and two caddies tested positive two weeks ago to increase concerns and prompt tighter restrictions, players having to test negative to be al- lowed at courses. The tour said in a statement that English, who did not play last week in Connecticut, tested positive dur- ing the pre-tournament screening process in Detroit for the Rocket Mortgage Classic that starts Thursday. English withdrew from the PGA’s fourth comeback tournament and will begin self-isolation under Cen- ters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guide- lines and tour protocols. “While it’s disappointing to receive this news, as I feel healthy, I’m pleased that the new safety protocols we have in place worked this week,” English said in a statement. “I fully supported the tour’s new rule of not allow- ing anyone on the tournament grounds until testing negative, as protecting others in the field and every affiliated with the tournament and the community should be the number one priority as a result of a positive test. “I appreciate the tour’s support and I look forward to competing again after I’m fully re- covered.” English’s positive came a day after South African Dylan Frittelli tested positive for coronavirus in a test before he was to have flown on a PGA player KUWAIT: Mohammed Burbayea performs in Kuwait City. — Photo taken from www.redbullcontentpool.com charter to Detroit on Sunday from the Travelers Championship.—AFP Spying claims hit America’s Cup in New Zealand A number of employees fired for leaking confidential information

WELLINGTON: Team New Zealand said it has fired was examining claims relating to the organisation of a number of employees for leaking confidential infor- the event. mation as spying claims rocked preparations for next Dalton confirmed the sacked employees were New year’s America’s Cup yachting regatta yesterday. Zealanders working for the event-planning arm of the New Zealand officials said they were investigating organisation, not the yacht racing team. He refused to “structural and financial matters” relating to the pres- say how many people were involved, or speculate on tigious race in Auckland as team managing director their motives. Grant Dalton announced the sackings. Few details were revealed but the America’s Cup, ‘LIKE JAMES BOND’ the world’s oldest international sporting trophy, has a The yachts for next year’s regatta are 23-metre history of intrigue surrounding the cutting-edge de- (75-foot) monohulls that use a state-of-the-art foiling signs employed by teams. design, making them expensive to develop and un- “We’re not 100 percent sure predictable in the water. what they (wanted) or what Dalton said he was con- they got,” Dalton told radio cerned Team New Zealand station NewstalkZB. “But what may have lost valuable intellec- I do know is that the game was Prestigious tual property about the vessels. up quicker than they ex- “Of course I’m worried, ab- pected.” A Team New Zealand race solutely,” he told RNZ. “But I statement said those involved know the competitors and I HAMILTON: File photo taken on June 26, 2017 Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton (L) and Team Principal had also made “highly defama- know their ethics and I can’t Matteo de Nora at the final press conference as winners of the America’s Cup, 2017 in Hamilton, Bermuda. Team tory and inaccurate allega- imagine for one millisecond New Zealand have fired a number of employees for leaking confidential information about next year’s America’s tions” against the organisation that this has gone (to them).” Cup defence, Dalton said yesterday. —AFP and some of its personnel. The America’s Cup, first contested in 1851, has often “These allegations are entirely incorrect,” it said. seen skullduggery as competitors seek to gain an Team New Zealand holds hosting rights for edge in a sport where innovative design can be cru- “We did everything we could within the rules and teams engaged in spying. “The level of reconnais- the America’s Cup after winning the trophy, known as cial. Members of the victorious Australia II syndicate the law but we pushed it to the edge.” sance is right up there,” he said. “It is like James Bond the Auld Mug, in Bermuda in 2017. in 1983 caught a scuba diver linked to a rival team In 2003, US challenger OneWorld was docked or the CIA. We all have teams based where the other It is organising next year’s event with oversight trying to photograph the boat’s revolutionary winged points for breaching race rules because it had Team teams are, watching them all the time.” from the New Zealand government, which has poured keel. US billionaire Bill Koch led America3 to victory New Zealand’s boat data, apparently obtained from “You can learn a lot from the competition. That is more than NZ$120 million ($77 million) into infra- in 1992 and later boasted “we were the ultimate in a Kiwi designer who had switched teams. what it is about in this game. You can look at your structure and associated costs. New Zealand’s Min- spying”. “We hired divers and we picked up people’s Before the 2017 regatta, the then-defending cham- competitors and not only take their lessons but im- istry of Business, Innovation and Employment said it garbage,” he told Boat International. pion Jimmy Spithill of Oracle Team USA admitted all prove on it.” — AFP

Wimbledon grass will be DJ rocks, Ryder Cup wobbles as greener next year: Stubley Daniel Summerhays dreams

LONDON: Neil Stubley should have Stubley said he and his 17 staff plus HONG KONG: One player’s amazing streak con- early as this week. European Tour chief Keith Three hours later he found himself in a playoff been nervously appraising how the grass three temporary workers, reduced from tinued, Ryder Cup speculation grew and a player Pelley orginally promised a decision by the end with Paul Haley II and Kyle Jones but agonisingly he and his fellow Wimbledon ground staff the usual nine, were getting on with the retired with an almost perfect finale — here are of June, when course preparations at the Wis- the fairytale ending did not materialise as Sum- had nurtured was faring on the first day job despite the disappointment of the this week’s AFP Sport talking points in golf. consin layout would need to begin in order to be merhays bogeyed the first playoff hole. Jones of the Grand Slam. cancellation. ready for the September 25-27 USA v Europe won a hole later. Instead, the head groundsman at the “Pride pushes you that way to carry DUSTIN TIME showdown. Many top players, including McIlroy But a beaming Summerhays was still grateful All England Club has seen the “blood, on working,” he said. “Of course it is dis- Dustin Johnson is back up to third in the and Brooks Koepka, have said that holding the for the chance. “Oh man, to be in that position, to sweat and tears” spent in preparing for appointing not to be playing but the big- world rankings after recording his 21st PGA Tour noisiest event in golf without colourful galleries be able to have a little bit of extra golf was spec- the tournament come to nothing. ger picture puts that into perspective. “As win since turning pro in 2008, a tally matched of partisan fans would be unthinkable. tacular,” he told the Golf Channel. The championships, due to start on much as we love our job it has to sit in the only by Tiger Woods over the same period. The US PGA Championship, the first major of And the performance had not changed his Monday, were cancelled for the first time real world.” World number one Rory McIlroy — who also the year in August, has already announced that mind about retirement. “When it comes time for since World War II due to the coron- Stubley defended the decision in April began his pro career in 2008 — is next on the it will be played without spectators, and there school in August, that’s where I’ll be,” he added. avirus pandemic, meaning Novak to cancel the championships even though list with 18 PGA Tour titles in that time, but he has been a surge in coronavirus cases in the US Djokovic and Simona Halep were denied other sports have returned, saying it was has four majors and eight European Tour tro- over recent days. Top 20 the chance to defend their titles. about much more than the playing sur- phies whereas Johnson has only one of each. With five PGA Tour players testing positive Updated Official World Golf Rankings after the Stubley said it was surreal to walk face. Johnson, however, kept up his incredible for COVID-19 in the past week and the Euro- Travelers Championship: around and see his 38 “babies”, as he “The grass courts were fine when it streak of winning at least once in each of his 13 pean Tour unable to restart until next month, the 1. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 9.04 calls the courts set in 42 acres in the leafy was cancelled,” he said. “It is the infra- seasons on the PGA Tour with victory at the most responsible course of action would seem to 2. Jon Rahm (ESP) 8.03 London suburb, not humming with action. structure that takes time. It is not a case Travelers Championship last weekend. be reverting to odd-numbered years for the first 3. Dustin Johnson (USA) 7.59 (+3) “A lot of blood, sweat and tears has of saying two weeks out we can play At the age of 36, the victory puts Johnson time since 1999 — the 2001 event was post- 4. Justin Thomas (USA) 7.29 (-1) gone in to showcase them,” he told an on- them. “There is eight to 10-week spell to three PGA Tour wins behind Gary Player, but poned for 12 months because of the 9/11 attacks. 5. Brooks Koepka (USA) 7.22 (-1) line press conference. “But that disap- get it ready. Come early April in the midst with only one major to his name — the 2016 US 6. Webb Simpson (USA) 7.18 (-1) pointment is across the (All England) of the pandemic it was untenable. “Even Open — opinion is split as to whether he can yet EXTRA TIME 7. Patrick Reed (USA) 5.95 club. We are all very proud of the work be ranked among the all-time greats. American journeyman Daniel Summerhays 8. Adam Scott (AUS) 5.86 now with the restrictions in place it would we do and how well-received it is across But consider this: only Arnold Palmer (17), came within a whisker of a Cinderella sign-off as 9. Patrick Cantlay (USA) 5.85 be impossible to hold them.” Stubley said the world.” The grandly titled head of Jack Nicklaus (17) and Tiger Woods (14) started a professional at the weekend. The 36-year-old 10. Bryson DeChambeau (USA) 5.53 (+1) the groundstaff would follow their usual courts and horticulture at Wimbledon their careers with wins in more consecutive sea- had ground out eight seasons on the PGA Tour 11. Xander Schauffele (USA) 5.44 (-1) routines and instead aim for next season. said the grounds felt bizarrely quiet for sons. Exalted company indeed. without a victory until losing his card in 2017. 12. Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 5.31 this time of year, similar to the atmos- “I always try and get across to people Surely the laid-back, big-hitting “DJ” is only Further lean years followed, and Summerhays 13. Justin Rose (ENG) 5.11 phere after the players had gone home. you are not repairing the courts, you are a couple more major wins from being recognised announced last week that the Korn Ferry’s Utah 14. Tiger Woods (USA) 5.09 “It is an odd time and the best way to preparing for next season,” he said. as truly one of the game’s greatest. Championship on his home course would be his 15. Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) 4.68 (+1) really describe it is you kind of get a “Come August early September it will final tournament before taking up a new career 16. Marc Leishman (AUS) 4.60 (-1) strange quiet feeling,” he said. “I would be the same process — rip the courts up, RYDER DOUBTS as a high school teacher. 17. (USA) 4.49 equate it to having been to a concert — re-seed them, grow through autumn and Speculation has been growing that this year’s And then he nearly won it. Summerhays saved 18. Gary Woodland (USA) 4.28 you get that ringing in your ears for a winter and the same prep work for the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits will be postponed his best till last, signing for a nine-under par 62 19. Matt Kuchar (USA) 4.27 couple of days.” 2021 championships.”—AFP until 2021 — with an announcement likely as on Sunday and the clubhouse lead at 20 under. 20. Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 4.10 (+1). —AFP