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Monday September 25, 2017

Windy Shaowindysjf@hotmail.com

THE Grand Final of the 14th Mis-sion Hills Golfathon was held in Dongguan on Friday, with Wang Jinbo winning the championship with a score of 71.

Launched in 2004 to celebrate Mission Hills’ recognition as the world’s largest golf club, the golfathon offers enthusiasts the opportunity to play at the club’s award-winning golf courses in Shenzhen, Dongguan and Haikou.

Amateur golfers, both men and women, regardless of age, can all participate in the annual event. The youngest player so far is 5 years old and the oldest is 85. Meng Yi, a 63-year-old, racked up a score of 73 this year.

Over the past 14 years, the Mission Hills Golfathon has attracted nearly 100,000 participants from more than 30 countries to compete over courses designed by golfi ng legends like Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo

and Annika Sorenstam.Dubbed as the longest golf

tournament in the world, this year’s golfathon lasted almost fi ve months, beginning May 1.

In addition to free entry to the 2018 golfathon, the 2017 golfathon champion wins a free golf & hotel package in Mission Hills Haikou, includ-ing a two-night stay in SPA Villa and two green vouchers.

Golfathon attracts thousands of players

►Participants pose before the Grand Final of the 14th Mission Hills Gol-fathon in Dongguan on Friday.

Windy Shao

U.S. President Donald Trump triggered a backlash from the U.S. professional sports world Saturday after withdrawing a White House invitation to the NBA champions Golden State Warriors and condemning NFL players protesting the national anthem.

A day after Trump had decried activist, mostly African American National Football League players as “sons of bitches” for kneeling or sitting during renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the U.S. leader turned his ire to basketball’s reigning champions and their top player Stephen Curry.

Curry said Friday he would not attend a White House reception if his team was invited in accor-dance with a tradition that stretches back several decades. Curry’s remarks followed similar comments by teammate Kevin Durant.

Trump responded with an early morning Twitter on Satur-day. “Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!” he wrote.

Trump’s outburst drew a sting-ing response from across the NBA, with Cleveland Cavaliers

superstar LeBron James among the fi rst to weigh in.

“Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up,” James wrote on Twitter.

The Warriors, meanwhile, said in a statement they would plan their own trip to Washington instead of going to the White House, making the visit a cel-ebration of “equality, diversity and inclusion.”

Trump’s spat with Curry and the Warriors came less than 24 hours after the president raged against NFL players who have protested the national anthem.

The NFL has seen a surge in activism by players since former

San Francisco 49ers quarter-back Colin Kaepernick last year refused to stand for the national anthem that precedes each game in protest at law enforcement brutality toward minorities.

In a tirade in Alabama on Friday, Trump said players who protested during the anthem should be fi red.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reacted with dismay to Trump’s comments.

“Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players,” Goodell wrote.

(SD-Agencies)

NBA, NFL players hit back after Trump tirade

BARCELONA was helped by two own goals from Girona as it eased to a 3-0 win and kept its perfect record in the Spanish league Saturday.

Barcelona went ahead at Montilivi Stadium when Girona defender Aday Benitez defl ected Jordi Alba’s off-target shot back into his net.

Barcelona’s Luis Suarez and Aleix Vidal did more to help pro-voke a second goal three minutes after halftime, when Suarez deftly let Vidal’s dangerous short pass go through his legs, where it hit surprised goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz and went into the net.

Suarez capped Barcelona’s sixth victory in as many league matches — to go with a victory over Juventus in the Champi-ons League — when he was left all alone to take Sergi Roberto’s lobbed pass and beat Iraizoz.

It was a second goal in six matches for Suarez, who missed two matches because of a right knee injury.

The decision by Girona coach Pablo Machin to man-mark Lionel Messi with Pablo Maffeo succeeded in preventing the Bar-celona star from adding to his best ever start to a Liga. Messi scored nine goals in the fi rst fi ve rounds.

“Messi worked for the team,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Val-verde said. “I like the team spirit we are showing. We are mentally focused to get to work.”

Girona, which is playing in its fi rst season in the topfl ight,

Own goals help Barca win at Girona

was left in 15th place with just one win.

Barcelona visits Sport-ing Lisbon in the Champions League on Wednesday. With six wins from six games, Barca has a four-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid, which defeated Sevilla 2-0 in the day’s early kickoff.

Champion Real Madrid moved up to fourth with a win at Alaves but still trails Barca by seven points.

Dani Ceballos fi red a La Liga debut double to ease pressure on boss Zinedine Zidane as Real edged out Alaves 2-1.

Former Real Betis midfi elder Ceballos capped his league debut for Real with a smart fi rst-half brace that set Zidane’s men back to winning ways.

The 21-year-old was reported to have been frustrated to remain an unused replacement as Real lost 1-0 to his former club Betis on Wednesday night.

But Ceballos set any moans aside to put Real back on track against Alaves, despite Manu Garcia’s fi erce headed equalizer and substitute Alfonso Pedraza twice hitting the post for the hosts.

Zidane defended Real’s start to their title defense by joking that one win in their last four games had left his tenure “jinxed,” before reasserting himself as the club’s “shining star.”

(SD-Agencies)

Barcelona’s Aleix Vidal (R), Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi (L) celebrate their second goal scored by Girona’s Gorka Iraizoz at Estadi Montilivi, Girona, Spain, on Saturday. SD-Agencies

JOSEPH PARKER prevented the Fury family from reclaim-ing a world heavyweight title by beating Hughie Fury by a majority decision Saturday, with the judges rewarding the New Zealander’s attacking approach in an uneventful fi ght.

Parker failed to land many clean punches but was never in danger against Fury, who came with a game plan of negating Parker’s power with his move-ment and foot speed and then counterattacking.

Two judges scored the fi ght 118-110 in favor of Parker. The other judge scored it 114-114.

“I felt I won, put on the pres-sure,” Parker said. “It was a close fi ght, but I felt I came out on top.”

It was the second success-ful defense of his belt, leaving Parker (24-0) to look ahead to a potential fi ght against WBA and IBF champion Anthony Joshua. Parker’s promoter, Dave Higgins, said the fi ght could be arranged for the summer of 2018 at a big stadium in Britain.

“I don’t care who I fi ght next, everyone and anyone,” said Parker, who was fi ghting in the U.K. for the fi rst time and plans for more fi ghts here.

Hughie was attempting to match the achievement of his cousin, Tyson, who beat Wladi-mir Klitschko in November 2015 to win the WBA, WBO and IBF belts.

(SD-Agencies)

Joseph Parker retains WBO heavyweight title

Joseph Parker (L) celebrates with the belt after winning the fi ght against Hughie Fury in Manchester, Britain, on Saturday. SD-Agencies