RIYADH: Chile’s Joaquin Niemann will take a narrow one-shot lead into Saturday’s final round of the PIF Saudi International after firing a six-under 65 on Friday to move to 17-under-par.
Niemann leads Americans Peter Uihlein (66) — who is heading The International Series’ rankings list and has proved his winning pedigree with two victories already this season — and 20-year-old Caleb Surratt, who smashed the course record at Riyadh Golf Club with a 10-under 61 on Friday.
Behind them lurk a host of world-class talents and proven winners, including Britain’s three-time European Ryder Cup player Tyrrell Hatton (66), who shares joint fourth spot with two more Americans — Jason Kokrak and Logan McAllister — on 15-under.
It is still anyone’s guess who will emerge as Saturday’s winner at the Golf Saudi event, and Niemann said afterwards that he knew he would need to be at the top of his game again to take away the handsome silver trophy.
He said: “I don’t know what score would do it. All I know is that it will have to be lower than the others.”
The Chilean has so far been a model of consistency this week, sandwiching first and third rounds of 65 with a 66 on Thursday. On Friday he needed to stay patient, having to wait 10 holes before he added another birdie to his opening two at the first couple of holes.
His round really caught fire on the par-5 15th with an eagle three, and he finished off in style with a birdie at the last to take the slimmest of leads.
Earlier, the focus had been firmly on American Surratt, who only turned professional at the start of the year but has already shown considerable promise in his first handful of tournaments.
That rich potential was translated into a string of eight birdies and an eagle at the long 12th hole to leave him 16-under-par.
The young prospect from Indian Trail, North Carolina, who has yet to win a professional tournament, could hardly believe his own sizzling form, especially on a course that he had never played until this week.
His score could have been even more impressive but his chip just off the green for birdie at the par-4 18th hit the pin and rolled just a couple of inches away.
Surratt said: “It would mean everything (if I win). I don’t have half the experience a lot of these guys do, so I need to keep my head together and play like it’s with my friends back home.”
Saturday’s final round should be a feast of thrilling golf for the sellout crowd at Riyadh Golf Club.
Joaquin Niemann takes 1-shot lead into final round of PIF Saudi International
https://arab.news/r8qms
Joaquin Niemann takes 1-shot lead into final round of PIF Saudi International
- The Chilean has been model of consistency this week, sandwiching first and third rounds of 65 with 66 on Thursday
- Focus earlier had been firmly on American Caleb Surratt
Draper survives scare to reach Queen’s quarterfinals
- If Draper can reach the Queen’s semifinals for the first time after two previous last-eight exits, he will be guaranteed to be seeded fourth at Wimbledon
- Danish fourth seed Holger Rune fought back to seal a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory over American Mackenzie McDonald
LONDON: British second seed Jack Draper survived a scare to reach the Queen’s Club quarterfinals with a gritty 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) win over Australia’s Alexei Popyrin on Wednesday.
Draper was rocked by the world No. 21 in the first set of the second-round tie at the Wimbledon warm-up event.
But the 23-year-old hit back to level the match before taking the final set tie-break to complete his comeback in a tense encounter lasting two hours and 13 minutes in searing heat in west London.
Earlier in his career, such a test of endurance would have been too much for Draper, but he believes he is made of sterner stuff these days.
“Before I felt like my energy wasn’t that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like broke down quite easy,” Draper said.
“Now I’m starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself.
“I have felt better and better every Grand Slam I have played.”
Draper, who reached the US Open semifinals last year, is hoping to make a strong run at Wimbledon this year after failing to get past the second round in his previous three appearance.
The Londoner has made the last 16 at both the Australian and French Opens this year, rising to sixth in the ATP rankings.
If Draper can reach the Queen’s semifinals for the first time after two previous last-eight exits, he will be guaranteed to be seeded fourth at Wimbledon when the grass-court Grand Slam gets underway on June 30.
After losing the first set against Popyrin, Draper’s powerful ground-stroke dragged him level with a double break in the second set.
Popyrin clung on valiantly, saving two match points as he served at 4-5 in the final set.
In the tiebreak he led 4-2, pushing Draper to the brink of a shock defeat.
But the Briton delighted the home crowd as he won five of the last six points, clinching the victory with an ace.
Draper will play Brandon Nakashima in the quarterfinals after the American beat Britain’s Dan Evans 7-5, 7-6 (7/4).
On the day he was awarded a wild card entry into Wimbledon, the 35-year-old Evans was unable to emulate his surprise first-round win against Frances Tiafoe.
In Wednesday’s other matches, Danish fourth seed Holger Rune fought back to seal a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory over American Mackenzie McDonald.
Rune, who reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2023, plays Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals after the Spaniard beat Czech eighth seed Jakub Mensik 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Amy Yang looks to repeat at Women’s PGA in wide-open field
- Yang: That experience (2024 victory) taught me that I can do it. I can still do it
- The entire top 25 in the Rolex Rankings are in the field
FRISCO, Texas: The LPGA has a new commissioner on the way, a new course to play and no shortage of parity as it marks the halfway point of the season at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, which begins Thursday in Frisco, Texas.
It’s an important time on the women’s golf calendar for more reasons than one. Three of the next five events are major championships, and no one is running away with the season-long points competition, the Race to the CME Globe.
Through 15 tournaments in 2025, 15 different players have claimed a title, none of them named Nelly Korda. The first two majors were won by first-timers with scant previous experience in the United States — Japan’s Mao Saigo at the Chevron Championship, followed by Sweden’s Maja Stark at the US Women’s Open.
Korda is World No. 1 and entered the week as the slight betting favorite to win what would be her third major. However, she revealed that she suffered a neck spasm on Monday from hitting a practice shot out of the rough. It was concerning, given she missed time last fall with a neck injury.
“But I have a great physio who takes care of me,” Korda went on to say. “Trying to work through it, but I’ll be ready by Thursday.”
For Korda, it was far from a friendly welcome to PGA Frisco, the new resort that also serves as the PGA of America’s headquarters. The Fields Ranch East course will host the Women’s PGA again in 2031 as well as the men’s PGA Championship in 2027 and 2034.
This week, the course will be a par-72, 6,604-yard setup and serve as a test run for holding major championship golf in the Texas summer heat.
“To my knowledge, I think Gil Hanse and the team, they designed this course to host championships,” Lydia Ko of New Zealand said. “It’s designed with a purpose, and obviously the more frequently you go to these kind of sites, you kind of get more familiar with it.”
Ko played a practice round alongside Craig Kessler, who will take over as commissioner of the LPGA next month. Kessler was previously COO of the PGA of America and will be tasked with increasing the LPGA’s visibility and financial solvency.
“I’m sure he’s busy with still wrapping things up with the PGA of America and transitioning into our role as well, but it’s exciting,” Ko said. “I think it’s a great time for golf. It’s great to have somebody like him that’s enthusiastic and really wants to see where — like how far we can go.”
Korean veteran Amy Yang is the defending champion following a three-stroke victory in 2024.
“I came very close to many major championships and never won before, so on Saturday night I was very nervous and I was questioning myself, ‘Can I do it this time?’” Yang recalled. “But I distracted myself calling my friends and family and just told myself, ‘You know, go out tomorrow and just every hole, every shot, just embrace everything and see what’s going to happen.’
“That experience taught me that I can do it. I can still do it.”
The entire top 25 in the Rolex Rankings are in the field. World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand has one victory this season, but the promising 22-year-old has yet to win a major.
“Every major I just want to make the cut, to be honest,” Thitikul said. “It would be really great to win it, and definitely I can tell that it would be like, everyone dreams to win a major. To me, what I have now under my belt, I’m pretty happy with all I’ve achieved.”
Lakers to be sold in record-breaking $10 billion deal: ESPN
- The Buss era brought the Lakers 11 NBA championships — more than any other team over the same period
LOS ANGELES, United States: The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold in a record-breaking $10 billion deal that makes the iconic franchise the highest-valued sports team in US history, ESPN reported Wednesday.
The report said the Lakers owners, the Buss family, would sell their controlling interest in the team to billionaire Mark Walter, who already owns a minority stake in the franchise.
While Jeanie Buss would continue as Lakers governor, the deal ends the Buss family’s 46-year reign over the NBA giants.
Walter is the chief executive of holding company TWG Global which has built an impressive portfolio of professional sports teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Sparks. He is also part of the ownership group of English Premier League side Chelsea.
TWG also owns the Billie Jean King Cup tennis tournament and the Cadillac Formula One team.
While further specifics of the deal were not disclosed, Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson — a business partner of Walter — was among the first to react to news of the agreement.
“Laker fans should be ecstatic,” Johnson wrote on X.
“A few things I can tell you about Mark — he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way. And he will put in the resources needed to win! I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike.”
Johnson cited Walter’s ownership of the Dodgers baseball team as a reason for optimism.
The Dodgers have won the World Series twice since Walter’s ownership group took over the club, and in recent years have adopted an aggressive recruitment strategy that has seen them sign some of the sport’s best talent, including Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani on a 10-year, $700 million deal.
“Mark is the best choice and will be the best caretaker of the Laker brand,” Johnson wrote. “The proof is in the pudding on what he’s been able to accomplish with the LA Dodgers. Mark has been nothing short of a winner.”
The Buss family selling the Lakers marks the end of an era in the NBA, whose modern popularity owes much to the franchise’s 1980s heyday.
The Lakers were bought in 1979 by charismatic tycoon Jerry Buss, who quickly helped turn the franchise into a sporting powerhouse as well as a globally recognized brand.
The Buss era brought the Lakers 11 NBA championships — more than any other team over the same period — and encompassed golden ages which included the “Showtime” Lakers of Magic Johnson as well as a hat-trick of championships between 2000 and 2002 when the team was spearheaded by Kobe Bryant.
More recently the team recruited superstar LeBron James, who led the Lakers to a 17th championship in 2020, and stunned the league earlier this after swooping for Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic.
Walter has been a minority owner of the Lakers since 2021 when he bought a share in a deal which also gave him first refusal to purchase the club should the Buss family ever decide to sell.
The sale of the club smashes the previous highest figure paid for a US sports team, the $6.1 billion paid for the Boston Celtics earlier this year.
That Celtics sale eclipsed the $6.05 billion that Josh Harris paid for the Washington Commanders in 2023.
Real Madrid wilt in Miami heat as Al-Hilal spoil Alonso’s debut
- A much-needed 30th-minute cooling break gave Real a chance to regroup, with players draping towels over their shoulders and gulping down rehydrating drinks in the sweltering heat
MIAMI: Real Madrid labored to a 1-1 Club World Cup draw against a spirited Al-Hilal in searing heat on Wednesday as Xabi Alonso’s managerial debut for the 15-time European champions delivered flashes of promise but ultimately felt like an exhibition match.
Gonzalo Garcia, stepping in for the fever-stricken Kylian Mbappe, gave Real an early lead with a composed finish, but Ruben Neves levelled from the spot before halftime as Simone Inzaghi’s men showed defensive grit and enough attacking intent to rattle their illustrious opponents.
A last-gasp missed penalty from Federico Valverde summed up a day when Real’s legs, and ideas, wilted in the heat and humidity at a nearly sold-out Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
RB Salzburg and Pachuca meet in the other Group H fixture later on Wednesday. Real will next face the Mexican side on Sunday, while Al-Hilal will take on Salzburg in what could prove a decisive clash for qualification to the knockout stage.
With Mbappe ruled out, it was the 21-year-old Garcia who led the line for Real and he did not disappoint, while new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold was nowhere near the level that persuaded the Spanish club to lure him from Liverpool.
It was Al-Hilal, however, who burst out of the blocks, swarming around the Real penalty area with early intent — though their finishing let them down at crucial moments.
In the 29th minute, Salem Al-Dawsari nearly produced a moment of magic, weaving his way into the box before Aurelien Tchouameni slid in with a crucial interception to steer the ball behind.
The Saudi side thought they had taken the lead shortly after, only for their celebrations to be cut short by an offside flag.
Despite the heat — and with the cheapest tickets in the stadium selling for over $160 while premium seats soared beyond $950 — a vibrant crowd kept the energy high.
A much-needed 30th-minute cooling break gave Real a chance to regroup, with players draping towels over their shoulders and gulping down rehydrating drinks in the sweltering heat. The short pause worked wonders.
Four minutes later, Real struck. A slick team move carved open the Al-Hilal defense, and Garcia showed composure beyond his years, delicately lifting the ball over Yassine Bounou after being teed up by Rodrygo.
But Al-Hilal refused to wilt. They drew level four minutes before halftime when Ruben Neves calmly slotted home a penalty after Raul Asencio pulled back Marcos Leonardo in the area.
On the stroke of halftime, Al-Dawsari went close again, firing narrowly wide after latching onto a clever pass from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to cap another flowing Al-Hilal attack.
Real stepped up a gear after the restart with substitute Arda Guler’s shot crashing against the bar before Bounou made a stunning reaction save to deny Garcia.
A second cooling break in the 68th minute did not refresh Real and although they continued to dominate, the Al-Hilal defense held firm.
Real were awarded a penalty after a VAR review when Mohammed Al-Qahtani’s flailing arm caught Fran Garcia in the last minute, only for Valverde’s soft spot kick to be saved by Bounou.
Foden and Doku power second-string Man City past Wydad
- Manager Pep Guardiola opted to start with several key players on the bench
- Despite fielding a second-string side, City needed less than two minutes to break the deadlock
PHILADELPHIA: Manchester City began their Club World Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca in their Group G opener on Wednesday, courtesy of first-half goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku.
Manager Pep Guardiola opted to start with several key players on the bench, including Erling Haaland, Rodri, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones for what was a sweltering midday kickoff at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.
Despite fielding a second-string side, City needed less than two minutes to break the deadlock.
Phil Foden pounced after Savinho’s cross was parried by Wydad goalkeeper Mehdi Benabid, with the England midfielder striking a first-time effort into the net to hand City an early lead.
City doubled their advantage three minutes before halftime when Foden delivered a pinpoint corner and Jeremy Doku caught the Wydad defense napping to volley home at the far post.
City finished with 10 men after Rico Lewis was given a straight red card for a nasty studs-up sliding tackle on Samuel Obeng in the 88th minute.
Wydad, undeterred after conceding the early goal, showed resilience and threatened on the counter-attack and forward Cassius Mailula nearly equalized with an audacious lob from midfield in the 15th minute.
Moments later, Mohamed Moufid set up Thembinkosi Lorch with a low cross, but the South African forward just failed to get there in time with a sliding effort.
City also had chances to extend their lead before halftime. Omar Marmoush saw his strike from the edge of the box sail just wide, while Nathan Ake’s towering header from a corner went inches over the bar.
At the other end, Wydad squandered a golden opportunity in the 30th minute when Vitor Reis’s misplaced pass gifted the ball to Lorch, only for Mailula’s follow-up shot to be smothered by City keeper Ederson.
After City doubled their lead before the break, the second half saw a dramatic drop in tempo under the scorching midday sun, though City went close to adding a third through Rayan Cherki.
The 21-year-old, signed from Olympique Lyonnais for 40 million euros ($46.06 million) ahead
of the tournament, unleashed a shot from the edge of the area, only for Benabid to produce a fine save.
The Moroccan keeper later denied substitute Haaland with a reflex save in a one-on-one.
City will now turn their attention to Sunday’s clash with United Arab Emirates side Al Ain, while Wydad face Juventus in their next Group G encounter.
