Sports42 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015

Bridge ‘not a sport’ says Britain’s High Court

LONDON: Bridge players discovered yes- International Olympic Committee and that terday that they have lost a battle at both chess and bridge have been invited Britain’s High Court to have their pastime to apply for inclusion at the 2020 Tokyo recognised as a sport. Games. The English Bridge Union (EBU) took Alex Peebles, from law firm Irwin legal action after funding body Sport Mitchell, said the EBU was reviewing England ruled that bridge was not a sport “potential options for a possible appeal”. because it does not involve “physical Ian Payn, EBU vice-chairman, added: activity”. “This very old-fashioned definition of sport But judge Ian Dove ruled against the means that Sport England is unlikely ever to union, beginning his written ruling on the recognise bridge as a sport. “Unfortunately case with the words: “Bridge is a card ... Dove has found for Sport England. His game.” Dove said he had only been asked decision affects participants in many sports to consider whether Sport England had other than bridge. “erred in law” when refusing to classify We are very disappointed.” Bridge, also bridge as a sport and concluded that its known as contract bridge, is a “trick-tak- decision was in line with legislation. ing” game involving four players in two Lawyers acting for the EBU had argued competing partnerships and is one of the WEST HAMPSTEAD: File photo of a competitor playing bridge at the that chess is recognised as a sport by the world’s most popular card games. —AFP Acol Bridge Club in West Hampstead, London. —AP

Sung Hyun Park shoots McIlroy starts 10-under 62 in S Korea a new season NAPA: Rory McIlroy is starting a new season on the PGA Tour before finishing his other season on the European Tour. Such is INCHEON: South Korea’s Sung Hyun Michelle, there were some holes where two weeks ago for her third victory of the world of a golfer who travels all over it. A recent study con- Park shot a course-record 10-under 62 they shot farther than I did, so we were the season. She won the Korea ducted by one of McIlroy’s sponsors revealed that over the last yesterday to take a four-stroke lead in kind of going back and forth there. ... Women’s Open in June. “It was awe- 12 months, he has spent 350 hours in the air, 287 nights in a the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship. Michelle and Lexi are taller and bigger some to watch, that’s for sure,” hotel and was in 118 airports. And that’s just the travel. The 22-year-old Park birdied three of than I am and they are much more Thompson said. “She shot 10 under, He also walked 932 miles on golf courses. “That’s the sort of the last four holes after making six powerful than I am, but I notice that and I swear it seemed like she birdied travel that you have to do to be a worldwide player,” McIlroy birdies in a seven-hole stretch in the maybe my swing speed is a bit faster every hole. It was amazing to watch. said Wednesday. “It’s crazy numbers. I definitely see a day where those numbers are going to drop. No way I could sus- middle of the round on Sky 72’s Ocean than them.” I’ve never seen her play before and tain that for the rest of my career. Whenever that day is I’m not Course. Making her first LPGA Tour “I think today, I was especially lucky, she’s a great player. Amazing putter sure, but for now, that’s the life I live. and great ball-striker and she hits it “I’m enjoying it, so I’ll do it for a while.” McIlroy is the star long.” attraction at the Frys.com Open, which started yesterday at Silverado to kick off a new season on the PGA Tour. And to Bogey-free round think it has been all of 17 days since Jordan Spieth ended the Thompson had a 68, and Wie shot 71. previous season as the FedEx Cup champion. US Solheim Cup hero and McIlroy is at Silverado because he was among eight players England’s were tied for sec- who took part in an exhibition in Turkey three years ago that ond at 66. Piller had six birdies in a was held the same week as this PGA Tour event. They agreed bogey-free round that started on No. 10. to play the Frys.com Open once over the next three years. “I just made some putts,” Piller said. Justin Rose, Charl Schwartzel and Webb Simpson also are at “The greens are rolling pretty quick and Silverado, and Tiger Woods was supposed to join them until he they are pretty pure. I missed the green recently had a second back surgery. The other three - Lee on the first hole and I had about a 10- Westwood, Matt Kuchar and Hunter Mahan - played last year. footer (for par), so I think that just kind Mahan is the only one who returned. It only adds to McIlroy’s of kick-started the whole day.” busy end of the year no matter the tour or the season. After a Hull birdied five of the first seven week off, he is headed to Turkey, Shanghai and Dubai to finish off holes in a bogey-free round. “Just the Race to Dubai that he currently leads on the European Tour. patience at the moment,” Hull said. “I feel like I’m in the middle of a nice little run to the end of China’s Shanshan Feng was five strokes the year,” McIlroy said. “I guess for a lot of guys, even the guys back at 66 along with South Koreans that played a full PGA Tour schedule last season and then Chella Choi, Hyo Joo Kim, Eun-Hee Ji played the Presidents Cup and they’re coming here, it’s a lot of and Han Sol Ji. Kim and Choi won their golf. But as I said, I haven’t played as much as those guys, so I’m first LPGA Tour titles this season. Kim happy to be playing and happy to play quite a bit until the end took the Founders Cup in Phoenix, and of the year.” In some respects, McIlroy started another “new” Choi the Marathon Classic in Ohio. season in August. He injured his ankle playing football the first “This tournament is my favorite tour- weekend in July and wound up missing two months, including nament the whole year, because my his British Open title defense at St. Andrew, before returning at hometown and my whole family came the PGA Championship. He has tried to pace himself since then out here,” Choi said. “I’m so excited and to make sure the ankle is fully healed. “I guess coming back at I’m really proud of my country.” the PGA for me was a start of a new season, anyway, so it’s Top-ranked had a 69. The been like two mini-seasons a little bit,” he said. This is the third SEOUL: Park Sung-Hyun of South Korea tees off at the 2nd hole during South Korean star won two of the five straight year of the tour’s wraparound season - October to the first round of the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship at the Sky72 majors this year and is tied with second- September - and the Frys.com Open has managed to attract a ranked for the tour victory lead Golf Club in Incheon, west of Seoul, yesterday. —AFP stronger field each year. It helps having McIlroy and Rose at with four. Ko also shot 69. She tied for Silverado, though the field includes players who were not part second last week in the LPGA Malaysia of the Turkey deal. Hideki Matsuyama, Chris Kirk and Steven start, Park played alongside Michelle but looking ahead to the next three after winning her previous two starts in Bowditch came straight over from the Presidents Cup. Wie and and often days, I know that double or triple Canada and France, where the 18-year- Bowditch described his offseason as a “10-hour flight from drove past the long-hitting US stars. bogeys are a possibility,” Park said “So, old South Korean-born New Zealander Korea.” Kirk could barely make it from the practice range to the “I thought it was not an easy course, it’s really anybody’s game at this point. became the youngest major champion. tee box without players stopping to congratulate him for his but my tee shots, my iron shots, my I’m going to try to not focus on winning American , the Malaysia 15-foot birdie putt that was the most significant in another US putting, everything just went really too much and really try to do my best.” winner, opened with a 71. US Solheim victory in the Presidents. It felt as if he had just won a tourna- well,” Park said through a translator. Ranked 54th in the world, Park won Cup captain Juli Inskter, the oldest play- ment. —AP “I have to say that with Lexi and the Korea LPGA’s Se Ri Pak Invitational er in the field at 55, also had a 71. —AP