TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 SPORTS

Morata not thinking Euro 2016 will not be Manning breaks all-time about Real return moved from France passing yardage record MADRID: Juventus forward Alvaro Morata has not considered a possible HANOVER: The 2016 European Championship soccer tournament will take place LOS ANGELES: Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning surpassed Brett Favre as return to Real Madrid despite reports in Spain claiming the La Liga heavy- in France despite Friday’s deadly attacks in Paris, which could have happened the NFL’s all-time passing yardage leader on Sunday with a four-yard toss in the weights were keen to lure him back. Morata, who turned 23 last month, anywhere, Germany coach Joachim Loew said today. The German, whose team first quarter of yesterday’s game against Kansas City in Denver. joined the Italian champions in July last year for a fee of 20 million euros were playing France in a friendly international in Paris when at least 132 people Manning connected with Ronnie Hillman to boost his career yardage total to ($21.5 million) and scored some crucial goals as Juve won a domestic double were killed in attacks across the French capital, said he expected the tournament to go ahead as planned. “I am certain that the Euro will take place in France,” 71,840 surpassing former Green Bay great Favre’s record of 71,838. The contest and reached the Champions League final. Real have been struggling to find was stopped momentarily to acknowledge Manning’s feat. Hillman the net under new coach Rafa Benitez and Cristiano Loew, whose team have qualified for the June 10-July 10 finals, told reporters. “I am sure the (French) government and security forces will provide security, it will returned the ball to Manning as a keepsake and it was taken Ronaldo’s run of poor form together with Karim make sure the event is safe.” out of the game. Manning, the NFL’s only five-time Most Benzema’s legal problems have prompted speculation Loew said moving Euro 2016 to another country would not guarantee the Valuable Player, is in his 18th season in the league. they could move for Morata in January. It is unclear safety of the event as attacks have been staged in other countries as well. “It He spent his first 14 years in the league with whether any repurchase clause was included in the makes no sense to start talking about different countries now. What happened in Indianapolis, where he won a Super Bowl as a member of deal for the Spain international, whose Juve con- Paris is something that can happen in any other country as well. We expect the the Colts. tract runs until 2019. Speaking on Spanish radio Euro 2016 will be in France and that everything will be done to safeguard the The passing yardage mark was not the only record with- late on Sunday, Morata said the only communica- tournament.” Loew and his players spent Friday night inside the stadium as the tion he has had with Real were messages of sup- attacks took place before leaving straight for the airport on Saturday morning. in Manning’s reach yesterday. He is tied with port from club director Emilio Butragueno. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, in which more than 350 peo- Favre for most career regular-season wins “A return to Madrid is something I cannot think ple were also wounded, saying it sent militants strapped with suicide bombing with 186. Apart from Manning and Favre, about,” he told Onda Cero. “It would be showing a belts and carrying machine guns to various locations in the heart of Paris. There Dan Marino is the only other quarterback in lack of respect to Juventus, they paid a very high was one bombing near the Stade de France, killing three people, during the NFL history to have topped 60,000 career price for me. — Reuters game inside the venue, site of the Euro 2016 final. — Reuters passing yards. — AFP

Shortened race ends Edwards’ Chase dreams at Phoenix

PHOENIX: Carl Edwards drove around in a holding pattern as the rain started to fall, ready to wash away his Chase chances at any second. “We can’t let it end like this,” Edwards told his team on the radio. Unfortunately for them, it did. Five points from earning a spot in the finale of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, Edwards came up just short last night at Phoenix International Raceway when the race was called after 219 laps due to rain. Instead of racing for a long-awaited championship next week in Miami, Edwards will be playing out the string on a solid-just-not-great season. “Just very dis- appointing for this whole Stanley Toyota team, how hard they’ve worked all year to come down to some- thing as simple as a rain out,” said Darian Grubb, Edwards’ crew chief. “We feel like we could have raced our way back in there and had a shot at it.” Edwards entered the Phoenix race fifth in the Chase standings behind Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. Gordon was already in the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway after winning at Martinsville two weeks ago. That left seven drivers vying for three spots. A SHANGHAI: Martin Kaymer rain delay that lasted nearly seven hours included of Germany hits the ball numerous trips back and forth from the garage from the bunker on the 18th added to the pressure of the race and the Chase. hole during the third round Edwards started fourth Sunday and lingered around of the BMW Masters the lead most of the night until a caution came out tournament at the Lake with about 120 laps left. Crews took a while to get Malaren Golf Club in the track cleaned up, leading to an extended cau- Shanghai, China. — AP tion, and NASCAR officials kept the drivers circling in a yellow-flagged holding pattern as more rain start- ed to move into the area.

Tough situation The race was red-flagged after several laps and the cars were parked on pit road, with NASCAR officials telling the drivers not to go too far in case the track McIlroy-chasers close in could be dried quickly. Instead, a downpour followed and the race was called with 93 laps left to the sched- uled finish. Dale Earnhardt Jr won the race, with Harvick second, Joey Logano third and Kyle Busch as season heads for finale fourth. Harvick, Busch and Truex, who finished 14th, advanced on points. Edwards and his team were left wondering what SHANGHAI: Rory McIlroy still has his nose him to finish tied seventh, two strokes winning earlier in the season (at the Dubai chance next week,” he said. Others who might have been had the race continued. “We were in front in the Race to Dubai but the 2015 behind playoff winner Kristoffer Broberg of Desert Classic),” McIlroy told AFP before can still win the Race to Dubai missed a still five points out, just like we were five points com- European Tour season is set for a sprint to Sweden. “Close but no cigar around this leaving Shanghai at the end of the WGC- golden opportunity to go top in McIlroy’s ing in,” Grubb said. “We knew that was going to be a the line after his challengers closed in at course,” said world number six Rose, who is HSBC Champions a week earlier. “I love the absence. tough situation, but it ended up that it bit us and I the weekend. Second-placed Danny Willett 650,999 points adrift of McIlroy with golf course and, yeah, I’ve done well there Ireland’s Shane Lowry and South Africa’s just hate it for these guys.” narrowed the gap yesterday to an almost 1,333,330 available to the winner in Dubai. before.” The world number three, who has Louis Oosthuizen needed second places, Team Penske was left out in the cold rain after negligible 1,613 points after McIlroy’s deci- “Tied seventh is obviously a decent topped Europe’s standings since April 12 but they never got in the mix, finishing well nearly locking both drivers into the finale the past sion to skip Shanghai’s $7 million BMW week but I don’t know if it makes it easier when he took fourth place in the US down at 56th and 37th in the 78-player two weeks. Brad Keselowski had his berth into the Masters, the last event before this week’s or harder next week,” added Rose, who won Masters, has already arrived in Dubai to field. Branden Grace needed to win to take finale snatched away last week at Texas when he was season-ending DP World Tour the old European Tour Order of Merit and prepare, flying in on Saturday. over at the top but ended up 22nd. South passed by Jimmie Johnson in the closing laps and Championship in Dubai. the Harry Vardon Trophy in 2007, two years Korea’s An Byeong-Hun gave himself an entered yesterday’s race sixth in the standings. “It’s going to be close, but regardless of before it reincarnated into the Race to ‘Regroup, chill out’ outside chance with tied third in the BMW Starting 18th yesterday, he lingered around the what happens I guess I have to beat Rory in Dubai. “I caught up a bit of ground on Rory Willett was clearly disappointed with his Masters to move to seventh in the stand- top 10 most of the night and was ninth when the race Dubai,” said Willett, whose bogey on the and Danny. I think I’m going to have to win week’s work in Shanghai. “Putted pretty ings, 1,254,567 behind McIlroy. was called. That left him eight points out of the final par-three 17th at Lake Malaren Sunday left in Dubai now to have a chance.” McIlroy will poorly for four days. Never really got any- A victory for any of them could secure four. “I don’t think it matters what’s fair,” Keselowski him tied 28th and cost him the chance to be hard to beat around Dubai’s Earth thing going,” Willett said. His two-under the Race to Dubai title next Sunday, but said. “It matters what entertains the fans and if the tee up on Thursday as the race leader. course on which he has finished in the top par 70 left him on seven-under for the tour- they would also need McIlroy and Willett to fans are happy, that’s what it’s all about.” Willett’s fellow Englishman Justin Rose five in all but one of his six appearances, nament, 10 shots behind the winner. “I’ve finish well down the elite 60-player field. Logano had hoped to entertain them with a victo- moved up to third in the standings after a winning the title in 2012. got a day-and-a-half off to regroup and Their biggest problem is that McIlroy rarely ry after being intentionally wrecked by Matt Kenseth final day five-under 67 in Shanghai enabled “Yeah, I’m going for a Dubai double after chill out, and I know I’m going to have a does. — AFP while in the lead at Martinsville two weeks ago. He had a strong run at Phoenix, putting himself in posi- tion to win, right behind Earnhardt and Harvick. He never got a chance to track them down on the restart. Park holds off Ciganda to “That’s the way this game is played,” Logano said. “That’s the way this Chase is.” Busch put himself into a tough spot at the drop of the opening green flag, sent to the back for jumping the start. He worked he way toward the front and was seventh when the race claim Ochoa Invitational was called, but need a win to advance. “I had no rea- son to jump the start, no reason to get excited,” Busch said. “We had 312 laps to go race today.” — AP MEXICO CITY: Park In-Bee capped her final round with which came as she was trying to chase down Park for the at the Blue Bay event which saw her clinch rookie-of-the- back-to-back birdies yesterday to win the lead. Like Ciganda, Kim eagled the par-five second hole. She year honours. South Korea’s Ryu So-Yeon finished solo Invitational, setting up a tantalizing showdown with world also had three straight birdies around the turn, beginning fourth after shooting a 67 for a 11-under 277 while Japan’s No. 1 Lydia Ko in next week’s LPGA . at the ninth. Kim was coming off her third win of the season Sakura Yokomine was alone in fifth at nine-under. — AFP The 27-year-old South Korean fired a 64 to reach a 18- under 270 total and finish three strokes ahead of playing partner Carlota Ciganda for her fifth title of the year. Spain’s Ciganda closed with a nine-under 63 while US LPGA Tour rookie-of-the-year Kim Sei-Young (66), who was the other player in the final group, finished third, five strokes behind Park. “It was close to a perfect day,” Park said. “I didn’t make many mistakes and I was able to focus on my game.” Park is playing her first event since withdrawing from the Blue Bay tournament on Hainan Island in China earlier this month because of a cyst on her left hand. Park needed to finish eighth or better at the Club de Golf Mexico course to remain in the Player of the Year chase. She is aiming to take top honours for the LPGA sea- son and to do that she needs to regain the number one ranking from New Zealand’s Ko. Park also is chasing Ko for the most money won on the Tour this season. Ko did not play this week. She and Park will square off at the season-ending Tour Championship in Florida, where Ko will be defending her 2014 title. “It is a big motivation,” Park said of going for the Player-of-the- Year award. “You love to have it when you finish your sea- son but if I don’t get it, it is still a great season as I have two majors. “This is my ninth year on the tour. I have definitely AVONDALE: Kurt Busch waves to the crowd during achieved a lot of things. It has been a thrill.” Park rolled in driver introductions before the NASCAR Sprint a four foot putt on the 72nd hole for the win. Her bogey- Cup Series auto race at Phoenix International free round included eight birdies. Raceway, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, in Avondale, Ariz. “My putter was really good this week. I made some 30 Busch is one of seven drivers looking to clinch a footers out there,” she said. Ciganda got off to a hot start MEXICO CITY: South Korea’s Inbee Park kisses the trophy at the end of the LPGA Lorena Ochoa Invitational in spot in the final Chase for the Cup Championship with an eagle and four birdies in her first seven holes. Her Mexico City, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. Inbee Park won the Invitational, holding off Carlota Ciganda for her fifth victo- race in Homestead, Fla. — AP only blemish on the day was a bogey at the par-three 16th ry of the season and 17th LPGA Tour title. —AP