By the Associated Press

Tiger Woods will have an ear piece, a radio and his golf clubs at the Presidents Cup.

Woods created his own slice of history Thursday night by becoming the first Presidents Cup captain to use one of his wild-card selections on himself.

He is the second playing captain in the Presidents Cup. Hale Irwin played in the inaugural matches in 1994 when he qualified for the team. He had Paul Azinger, who was recovering from cancer, as one of his assistants.

Woods was introduced as captain in March 2018, when he was just returning from a fourth surgery on his lower back. He has won three times since then, including his 15th major when he won the Masters in April.

“It’s going to be a lot of work, but something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” Woods said.

The decision was hardly a surprise. Woods not only is the Masters champion, just two weeks ago he tied the PGA Tour record with his 82nd career victory at the Zozo Championship in Japan. Woods said it was that trip — not just the victory, but the travel — that convinced him he was fully healed from minor knee surgery in August and capable of contributing in Australia.

The Presidents Cup is Dec. 12-15 at Royal Melbourne.

Woods also selected Tony Finau, who finished just outside the top eight who qualified; U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland, who is playing on his first U.S. team; and Patrick Reed.

Missing from the American team is Phil Mickelson, who had played in every Presidents Cup since the matches began in 1994. Woods also left off Rickie Fowler, who got married and has not played since the Tour Championship; and Kevin Kisner, who is 16-5-3 in match play, including a victory and runner-up in the last two Dell Match Play events.

And still to be determined is whether PGA champion Brooks Koepka, the No. 1 player in the world, will be ready to go. Koepka had stem cell treatment in his left knee after the Tour Championship, and that injured the knee while bracing himself after he slipped on a wet piece of cement in the CJ Cup.

Woods said Koepka told him he was rehabbing the knee and that the focus now was on the 12 players who will try to win the Presidents Cup for the eighth straight time.

Woods did not say what kind of contingency plan he had if Koepka couldn’t make it. He also left open the option of adding an assistant captain now that he’ll be playing. He currently has Fred Couples, Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson.

Woods said those three had strong thoughts on him playing, especially Couples.

“Freddie was pretty ardent. ‘You’re on the team, quit being stupid.’ At the time, I haven’t even swung a club,” Woods said. “I got back to him after Japan.”

Everyone is required to play in at least one match ahead of the Sunday singles, meaning Woods only has to play twice. He said he could play more depending on what the team needs.

The rest of the U.S. team is Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, Matt Kuchar, Patrick Cantlay and Webb Simpson. Cantlay, Schauffele and Woodland are the only players who have never competed in a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup.

International captain Ernie Els filled out his team Wednesday, adding two rookies (Sungjae Im and Joaquin Niemann) to a team that already had four Presidents Cup newcomers.

Royal Melbourne is where the International team had its only victory in 1998. The Americans won in 2011 at Royal Melbourne with Woods — a captain’s pick — delivering the winning point.

Woods announced himself with his fourth and final pick.

“As captain, I’m going to choose Tiger Woods as the last player on the team,” he said. “He’s made … nine Cups and he’s played in Australia twice in the Presidents Cup, so this will be his third appearance as a player. And I find it interesting talking in the third person.”

Even more interesting will be his week in Australia — at times in a cart, at times standing over a key putt, all the while thinking about pairings and what it takes to win.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

LAS VEGAS— Cristiano Ronaldo’s lawyers won a courtroom bid Thursday to block a Nevada woman accusing the soccer superstar of raping her in Las Vegas in 2009 from digging into the validity of their 2010 confidentiality agreement and $375,000 hush-money payment.

US Magistrate Judge Daniel Albregts told Kathryn Mayorga’s attorney that it will be up to a higher-level judge to decide if her effort to obtain more money advances to trial or is diverted to closed-door arbitration.

Albregts, who was named in August to the US District Court, now handles filings and pretrial arguments in a case that Ronaldo’s lawyers want dismissed or moved to private talks.

He said his preliminary review of documents filed under seal in the civil lawsuit before US District Judge Jennifer Dorsey led him to agree with Ronaldo’s lawyers that the records should, at least for now, remain sealed.

Mayorga’s attorney, Leslie Mark Stovall, declined to comment about the ruling.

The Associated Press generally doesn’t name people who say they’re victims of sexual assault, but Mayorga gave consent through her attorneys last year to be identified.

Mayorga, now 36, is a former teacher and model who lives in the Las Vegas area. She says in court documents she met Ronaldo at a nightclub and went with him and other people to his suite at the Palms Hotel and Casino, where she alleges he assaulted her in a bedroom.

Ronaldo, through his lawyers, maintains the sex was consensual.

Ronaldo, 34, of Portugal is one of the richest athletes in the world. He plays in Italy for the Turin-based soccer club Juventus and captains his home country’s national team.

Stovall said in court he wanted communication records between Ronaldo and the athlete’s attorneys in the US and Portugal ahead of the 2010 settlement to answer questions that Mayorga now raises about the legality of the contract.

Her lawyer maintains that Mayorga, then 25, had learning disabilities as a child, and the records he seeks would show Ronaldo’s legal team knew she was so distraught that she lacked the legal capacity to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Ronaldo lawyers Kendelee Works and Peter Christiansen say there is no evidence Mayorga was incapacitated or incapable of understanding what she was signing. Works said in court that the existence of the agreement and payment should never have been disclosed publicly.

Now that it is, Ronaldo’s lawyers say the contract calls for out-of-court arbitration to resolve the dispute.

Ronaldo’s lawyers also maintain that news reports in Europe in 2017 about the settlement and payment were based on electronic data that was illegally hacked, stolen and sold by cybercriminals.

They say they believe the documents have been altered and complain that Mayorga’s lawsuit is damaging Ronaldo’s reputation.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

HOUSTON — Astros president Reid Ryan is shifting to a lesser role in the organization and owner Jim Crane’s son is joining the executive team, moves announced 11 days after Crane apologized to a Sports Illustrated reporter and retracted a statement by the club accusing her of trying to “fabricate a story.”

Crane said Thursday he was bringing in his son, Jared, to get more experience and to help in the organization. Crane maintained the moves were not related to the incident with SI or the firing of an assistant general manager.

“It’s a family issue. I have an older son that’s very good, very bright, and has got some experience but he hasn’t been around it, and I want to start teaching him,” said Crane, who turns 66 in January and has owned the team for eight years. “I’ve been working a long time, and very hard a long time, and I have other stuff, and so he’s just coming in to lend a hand.”

The team said that Ryan’s new role as executive adviser of business relations will allow him “more opportunities to focus on his other business ventures while remaining an important part of the Astros organization.”

Jim Crane said Ryan has done a good job for the Astros and will be helping his son and working with the executive team. Crane said it was a “very amicable” situation.

Ryan’s father, Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, told Fox 26 of Houston on Thursday that he was leaving his role as executive adviser that he had held since 2014.

“I will not be back with the club and will leave it at that,” Ryan wrote in a text to the station.

Major League Baseball approved Crane’s purchase of the club from Drayton McLane in November 2011. The Astros won the World Series title in 2017, then won 107 games during the regular season this year and got back to another World Series. They lost in Game 7 at home to the Washington Nationals last week.

Assistant general manager Brandon Taubman was fired for directing inappropriate comments at female reporters during a clubhouse celebration after the team beat the New York Yankees to win the AL pennant on Oct. 19. The Astros have not identified which team officials approved the initial statement criticizing SI on Oct. 21. Taubman issued a statement through the club the following day in which he apologized for using “inappropriate language.” The Astros fired him on Oct. 24.

Reid Ryan was hired as the Astros president in May 2013. He also is part of the ownership group of Triple-A Round Rock.

“Jim Crane has been a great owner for the city of Houston, and I thank him for the opportunity to lead the Houston Astros organization,” Reid Ryan said in a statement released by the team. “Thank you to the many employees, fans, and partners that have supported this team during my tenure as president. Baseball is about bringing joy to people’s lives and I take pride in knowing that we have made so many memories for our fans. While my role has changed, I will remain with the Astros and look forward to another great season in 2020.”

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said on Oct. 25 that Major League Baseball was conducting a wider probe of the Astros beyond Taubman’s behavior, concerned about the team’s initial denial of what happened.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

PHOENIX — Jimmy Butler scored 34 points, Goran Dragic added 25 and the Miami Heat rolled past the Phoenix Suns 124-108 on Thursday night.

Miami bounced back from a 20-point loss to Denver on Tuesday and has won four of its past five games. The Heat improved to 6-2 for the first time since 2012 when they had LeBron James and eventually won the NBA title.

Butler had 18 points by the end of the first quarter and 30 at halftime as the Heat built a 64-57 lead. Miami shot 53.5 percent in the first half, hitting 7 of 14 from 3-point range.

Dragic, who played six seasons in his 12-year career with the Suns, scored 20 of his 25 points in the second half, including a 3-pointer just before the buzzer at the end of the third quarter that put the Heat up 93-86.

Phoenix had its three-game winning streak snapped. Aron Baynes led the Suns with 23 points and Devin Booker added 22. Ricky Rubio had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO— LaMarcus Aldridge scored a season-high 39 points and the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 121-112 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.

Point guard Dejounte Murray had a career-high 10 assists along with 17 points and eight rebounds. The 22-year-old played 26 minutes as San Antonio continues to restrict his minutes after he missed last season following right knee surgery.

DeMar DeRozan added 16 points and nine assists for the Spurs, who had a season-high 32 assists and snapped a two-game skid.

Danilo Gallinari scored 27 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 21 for the Thunder (3-5), who entered the game on a two-game winning streak.

San Antonio (5-3) set a season high with 33 points in the opening quarter with Aldridge and DeRozan shooting a combined 8 for 12. Aldridge made eight straight baskets in the first half after missing his first attempt.
Aldridge finished 19 for 23 from the field.

Chris Paul had 19 points and five assists in 31 minutes.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jayson Tatum scored 23 points, and Kemba Walker got a win in an emotional return to Charlotte as the Boston Celtics defeated the Hornets 108-87 on Thursday night.

Walker had an off night shooting the ball and finished with 14 points and six assists, but the Celtics won their sixth straight game handily.

Walker missed his first six shots and didn’t make a field goal until three minutes into the third quarter.

Gordon Hayward added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who scored 17 points off 21 Charlotte turnovers.

Walker received a rousing, one-minute standing ovation from the home crowd after the Hornets showed a highlight tribute on the videoboard that left the point guard in tears.

The three-time All-Star played eight NBA seasons in Charlotte and is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. He signed with the Celtics this past offseason after Hornets owner Michael Jordan elected not to pay Walker a five-year, $221 million supermax contract.

But he left on good terms with the organization and its fans and said before the game he was expecting a warm response.

“I have always interacted with fans, always signed autographs and always took pictures,” Walker said after shootaround. “I was always nice to everybody, so I don’t think there should be any negative reactions.”

Miles Bridges had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Hornets, who had their three-game win streak snapped. Charlotte was just 6 of 31 from 3-point range.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons will miss Friday’s game at Denver because of a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder.

Simmons will sit out against Denver and will be evaluated again before Sunday’s game against Charlotte.

He was hurt Wednesday in Philadelphia’s loss at Utah. Simmons did not play in the second half after bumping into Royce O’Neale’s chest while posting up on a first-quarter play.

Simmons finished with two points and two assists in 10 minutes.

The All-Star guard averaged 13.1 points and helped lead the Sixers to a 5-2 record.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

METAIRIE, La. — Zion Williamson says he expects his absence from New Orleans Pelicans because of his knee injury to be less than half of the regular season but is offering no specific timetable for a return.

“It’s going very well, day by day, getting better,” the No. 1 overall pick said after teammates finished practice Thursday. “No real timetable. When I’m ready, I’ll come back.”

When the 6-foot-6, 285-pound Williamson had surgery on his torn right lateral meniscus Oct. 21, the Pelicans announced that his recovery was expected to last six to eight weeks.

The Pelicans, who host defending NBA champion Toronto on Friday night, have dropped six of their first seven games this season. But Williamson said he is not concerned about pressure to rush back to try to help his team out of its tail spin.

“It’s not even a conversation I have to have with them about it. It’s a long season. This isn’t like college or something where it’s 30 games. It’s 82 games so I don’t really see a need to rush back,” Williamson said. “When they feel like I’m back to myself, they’ll let me play — simple as that.”

When pressed about what types of physical or basketball activities he’s currently able to do, Williamson smiled and said, “I’m just rehabbing, man. You feel me?”

Williamson said he could not pinpoint the precise moment when the injury occurred. He said he felt soreness after playing a preseason game in San Antonio and learned of his injury when he met with physicians.

As for New Orleans’ struggles out of the gate, Williamson said, “I don’t think people should panic at all. We’re only six games in. It’s a long season.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The NBA fined the Los Angeles Clippers $50,000 on Thursday for statements made by coach Doc Rivers and others that were “inconsistent” about Kawhi Leonard’s health status.

Leonard sat out the Clippers’ 129-124 home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, the second time he’s missed the nationally televised front end of a back-to-back this season. He was in the lineup against Portland on Thursday night.

The NBA initially confirmed the Clippers were compliant with league rules in deciding to rest Leonard because of a knee injury. It was what Rivers said before the game that triggered the fine.

“He feels great,” Rivers said Wednesday. “But he feels great because of what we’ve been doing, and we’re just going to continue to do it. There’s no concern here.”

Rivers cited “a lot of minutes” that Leonard racked up last season while leading Toronto to its first NBA championship.

“I think Kawhi made a statement that he’s never felt better,” Rivers said. “It’s our job to make sure he stays that way.”

Less than 24 hours later, the NBA fined the Clippers for statements, including those by Rivers, that were inconsistent with Leonard’s health while also detailing his knee injury. At the same time, the league reaffirmed the team was in line with NBA rules in sitting Leonard.

“The team has reasonably determined that Leonard is suffering from an ongoing injury to the patella tendon in his left knee and has been placed by the team at this time on an injury protocol for back-to-back games,” the league’s statement said.

Rivers indicated he was disappointed by the fine.

“I think we said it all,” he said Thursday. “I’m not getting into it. What we said, we said.”

Thursday’s game was also set to be broadcast nationally.

Leonard is averaging career highs in points (29.3), rebounds (7.3), assists (5.7), steals (2.3) and blocks (1.0). He’s averaging 30.5 minutes.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

Games Friday (Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City)

1:00 p.m. – SSC-R vs Lyceum (Jrs)

4:00 p.m. – Lyceum vs Letran (Srs)

Letran and Lyceum, two neighboring teams inside the historic ‘Walled City’ of Intramuros, dispute the second finals berth in the stepladder playoffs of NCAA Season 95 Friday at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Lyceum is seeking a third straight finals stint after losing twice to San Beda in the championship series the previous two years, while Letran is eyeing a return trip to the finals after winning it all in 2015.

The third seeded Knights arranged a do-or-die match against the No. 2 Pirates after a thrilling 85-80 win against the San Sebastian Stags in the first phase of the playoffs last Tuesday.

With just two days rest, Letran returns to action when it clashes at 4 p.m. with well-rested Lyceum, which last played Oct. 17 against defending three-time champion San Beda.

The winner will face the Red Lions in a best-of-three showdown starting Tuesday at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.

San Beda claimed an outright finals spot following an 18-0 sweep of the eliminations.

Letran mentor Bonnie Tan, who coached Lyceum during the school’s early years in the NCAA, is upbeat about going to the ‘KO’ match despite the Knights’ 0-2 record against the Pirates in the elimination round.

“It’s a big challenge for us as a team playing Lyceum in a do-or-die… hindi pa kami nanalo sa kanila this season,” said Tan. Letran lost 84-80 on opening day last July 7 and 97-90 in the second round on Sept. 27.

“Pero may kasabihan, may tira, may tsamba. Nandito na kami, subukan na namin.”

Letran will again rely on its depth, which allowed Tan to use his bench players like graduating center Christian Balagasay, Kurt Reyson and Allen Mina at the starting five against the Stags.

Mina had an outstanding shooting performance in that game by going 4-of-9 from three-point territory to finish with 12 points against San Sebastian, while reserve guard King Caralipio had nine points.

Five other players scored in double-digit for Letran with Jerrick Balanza’s team-high 15 points, Bonbon Batiller added 14 points, Larry Muyang had 11 points, Ato Ular and Fran Yu contributed 10 points apiece.

Lyceum, for its part, used the long layoff to prepare for the do-or-die encounter with a healthy Mike Nzeusseu back at full strength. The Cameroonian center was in uniform but didn’t play in the Pirates’ final elims game – an 85-62 loss to the Red Lions last Oct. 17.

Lyceum coach Topex Robinson said the 6-foot-7 Nzeusseu will play.

“Yes he is ready to play. It will be an exciting game because Letran is a strong team,” said Robinson.

In their first round victory against Letran, Lyceum’s Jaycee Marcelino fired 24 points, while his twin brother Jayvee added 18 points.

In the second round, Jayvee Marcelino missed the game because of flu, but Jaycee Marcelino was in his usual deadly form and dropped 25 points, while Reymar Caduyac had 20 points, and Nzeusseu contributed 16 points with nine rebounds.

Source: Manila Bulletin