Pinehurst stands apart as a US Open test because of the greens

Pinehurst stands apart as a US Open test because of the greens
Scottie Scheffler of the US hands a club to his caddie, Ted Scott, on the fifth hole during a practice round prior to the US Open at Pinehurst Resort on June 12, 2024 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. (AFP)
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Updated 13 June 2024
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Pinehurst stands apart as a US Open test because of the greens

Pinehurst stands apart as a US Open test because of the greens
  • The greens at Pinehurst No. 2 are the signature of this Donald Ross course
  • Clark won last year at Los Angeles Country Club with a score of 10-under 270

PINEHURST, N.C.: Pebble Beach has the Pacific Ocean. Oakmont is the brute with its church pew bunkers. Pinehurst No. 2 has the cereal bowls turned upside down.

The greens at Pinehurst No. 2 are the signature of this Donald Ross course that hosts the 124th US Open starting on Thursday. They go by any variety of names — upside-down cereal bowls, inverted saucers, turtlebacks or domes.

Whatever they’re called, they are universally regarded as daunting, particularly for a US Open already known as the toughest test in golf.

“You hit it on the green, the hole is not done,” defending champion Wyndham Clark said.

He played when he arrived on Monday and was amazed and how firm and fast they already were, calling them “borderline” in terms of fairness. And this was still three days out from the opening tee shot on Thursday.

Perhaps that’s why in three previous US Opens at Pinehurst No. 2, a total of four players finished the championship under par. One was Payne Stewart, thanks to that famous 15-foot par putt on the final hole to beat Phil Mickelson in 1999 at 1-under par.

Martin Kaymer took advantage of the rain-softened conditions and brilliant golf to win in 2014 at 9 under, with Rickie Fowler and Erik Compton eight shots behind and the only other players in red numbers for the week.

“I’d say in general, I think the best players play aggressively off the tee and conservatively into the greens. I think this course is basically that strategy — just on steroids,” Viktor Hovland said. “I think having a shorter club in is very important. But then into the greens you’ve got to play very, very conservatively. I think just hitting the greens itself is of high value.”

There have been plenty of illustrations of that.

Jordan Spieth was practicing to the right of the par-3 ninth green on Wednesday afternoon, aiming toward a coaster the size of a golf hole on the left side. He pitched it hard, well past the hole to the top of a small ridge so that it would roll back toward his target. And it did just that, but it was a foot too far to the left and before long had run all the way off the green.

“This is one you putt,” Spieth told Sam Burns. Instead of walking over to his bag for a putter, Spieth used the left-handed putter of alternate Josh Radcliff and gave it a whack.

It can be hard to keep track of golf balls, especially when a practice group has four players, with balls rolling all over the place, some of them winding up off the green.

Such is the nature of Pinehurst No. 2. And while the course is more than a decade removed from its restoration project that returned sandy areas with native plans instead of thick rough, it’s the greens that give the course its character.

And then it’s up to the USGA to make conditions so demanding that only the most highly skilled players can handle them. Such is the essence of the US Open.

John Bodenhamer, the chief championships officer at the USGA who is in charge of setting up the course, said 2014 data showed 70 percent of the players hit the fairway, but only 56 percent of them hit the green.

“It is all about these magnificent upside-down cereal bowl putting greens,” Bodenhamer said. “They are difficult to hit, and we need to get the right firm and fast conditions around them.”

And when players miss the greens — from the fairways, sometimes from putts that roll off the crowned edges — there are options.

“I was joking with my caddie, ‘We should probably get our putter checked.’ I’ve never swung so hard on my putter for nine holes, just trying to get up and down the mounds,” PGA champion Xander Schauffele said. “There’s certain spots where you feel like you have to hit it really hard. You hit it too hard, you putt it off the other side of the green.

“Leaving yourself in a really good position is A-1,” he said. “But even when you do leave yourself in a good position, the hole is not over yet. It’s sort of half the battle.”

Clark won last year at Los Angeles Country Club with a score of 10-under 270. That week also started with Schauffele and Rickie Fowler setting a US Open record of 62 in the opening round some 10 minutes apart.

No one expects that kind of scoring this week. Bryson DeChambeau, who studied physics at SMU, cited Boo Weekley, who barely studied at all during his brief time at Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College.

“Pinehurst is no joke. This is a ball-striker’s paradise,” DeChambeau said. “You have to hit it in the middle of the greens. And this is a Boo Weekley quote, but the center of the green never moves. So I’ll try to focus on that this week.”

There is more trouble than just the greens. The sandy areas — “sandscapes” is what they are called in these parts — have wiregrass bushes the size of basketballs speckled across the terrain. Hit in there and hope — it could be a clean lie, it could be trouble.

“It’s a walk up that fairway of a bit of anxiety, because they don’t know what they’re going to get,” Bodenhamer said. “The randomness ... it’s not just 5-inch, green, lush rough. It can be something gnarly, wiregrass, or it can be a perfect sandy lie. I think you’re going to see some players walk to their golf ball and be unhappy, and others are going to be thrilled.

“We think that is pretty cool, and we think that is exactly what Donald Ross intended.”


NEOM Sports Club appoint Alex Leitao as CEO

NEOM Sports Club appoint Alex Leitao as CEO
Updated 04 November 2024
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NEOM Sports Club appoint Alex Leitao as CEO

NEOM Sports Club appoint Alex Leitao as CEO
  • New boss says he is delighted to join club at ‘significant phase’ in Kingdom’s sporting evolution
  • Team currently tops Saudi First Division

NEOM: NEOM Sports Club has appointed Alex Leitao as their new CEO, the club said on Monday.

The former boss of Brazil’s Club Athletico Paranaense and Major League Soccer’s Orlando City joins NEOM as they continue to progress through the ranks of Saudi football.

The club said Leitao would focus on driving the team’s performance, development and brand in alignment with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Moaath Alohali, who was the club’s CEO since its acquisition by NEOM in June last year, will transition to an advisory role. Under his leadership, the club secured the services of several top players and coaching staff and won the Second Division title.

Alohali also established a women’s team, which is currently seeking promotion to the Women’s Premier League, and a youth development program to nurture the next generation of Saudi players.

Club Chairman Mishari Al-Mutairi said: “As part of our development efforts to elevate the club’s sporting standards, we are pleased to welcome Alex Leitao as the club’s CEO and to benefit from his extensive experience in leading global clubs.

“The performance achieved by the club thus far reflects our commitment to attracting the best talents and coaches to NEOM, aligning with our goals of reaching the highest levels. We are currently looking forward to new seasons filled with success.”

Leitao said he was delighted to be a part of Saudi Arabia’s rapidly evolving sporting landscape.

“As we enter a significant phase with the Kingdom’s transformation into a global sports hub, I am delighted to join a sports club to contribute to achieving its sporting and social objectives, adding further distinction to its national journey.

“The rapid growth of NEOM Sports Club, with a focus on professional football as the club’s core sport, is a key factor that enables us to compete, support promising talents, and enhance community engagement in this pioneering region.”

NEOM Sports Club are currently top of the First Division, the second tier of Saudi football.


China’s Zheng downs Rybakina at WTA Finals

China’s Zheng downs Rybakina at WTA Finals
Updated 04 November 2024
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China’s Zheng downs Rybakina at WTA Finals

China’s Zheng downs Rybakina at WTA Finals
  • Zheng rebounded from her opening round-robin defeat by Aryna Sabalenka by claiming her first win from three meetings with Rybakina

RIYADH: Zheng Qinwen improved her chances of advancing to the semifinals at the WTA Finals with a 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-1 victory over world No. 5 Elena Rybakina in Riyadh on Monday.

The seventh-seeded Zheng rebounded from her opening round-robin defeat by Aryna Sabalenka by claiming her first win from three meetings with Rybakina.

Meanwhile, Rybakina suffered a second defeat in as many matches this week in Saudi Arabia and is facing elimination, with one more round-robin clash to go against Sabalenka on Wednesday.

During her on-court interview, Zheng apologized to the Chinese fans in the stands for “losing control” of her emotions at one point during the match, admitting she was “harsh” in her reaction to them, and thanked them for their support.

“I’m really happy to have won this match because I never beat her before and she’s one of the greatest players right now on tour, huge serve and great groundstrokes,” said Zheng.

“I didn’t take my chances in the second set but I was able to come back in the third and I stayed focused.

“I had to stay really focused on my service games, because here, both of us are destroying our serves, it’s really tough to return.”

Zheng arrives in Riyadh on the back of an impressive second half of the season that saw her win titles in Palermo and Tokyo, and an Olympic gold medal in singles in Paris. No woman has won more matches than her within that span.

The first Chinese player to qualify for the WTA Finals since Li Na in 2013, Zheng amassed a 12-2 win-loss record during the Asian swing last month and is the tour leader in most aces struck and percentage of first-serve points won.

Rybakina’s second part of 2024 could not have been more different.

The Kazakh had played just two matches between Wimbledon and the WTA Finals as she struggled with allergies, insomnia, and a back injury.

After saving a pair of break points on her own serve in the third game, Zheng made her move, breaking Rybakina en route to a 4-1 advantage.

Rybakina wiped out her deficit, attacking Zheng’s second serve, and was soon on level terms at 4-4.

The set fittingly went to a tie-break which Zheng sealed on a long forehand from Rybakina on the 58-minute mark.

In a pattern similar to the opening set, Zheng carved out a lead in the second frame, only for Rybakina to strike back and even the score. This time though, the big-hitter took four games in a row to claim the second set and force a decider.

Zheng shook off early trouble on her serve in the final set before surging ahead 4-1. It was the boost she needed to wrap up the win — the ninth of her career against a top-10 opponent.


Saudi Arabia’s Nouf Al-Marwaai appointed president of Asian Yogasan Sports Federation

Saudi Arabia’s Nouf Al-Marwaai appointed president of Asian Yogasan Sports Federation
Updated 04 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia’s Nouf Al-Marwaai appointed president of Asian Yogasan Sports Federation

Saudi Arabia’s Nouf Al-Marwaai appointed president of Asian Yogasan Sports Federation
  • Al-Marwaai, who is also president of the Saudi Yoga Committee, was appointed unanimously during the Asian federation’s sixth general assembly meeting

RIYADH: Saudi Nouf Al-Marwaai has been appointed as the president of the Asian Yogasan Sports Federation, it was announced on Monday.

Al-Marwaai, who is also president of the Saudi Yoga Committee, was appointed unanimously during the Asian federation’s sixth general assembly meeting, held in Dubai.

The event saw participation from representatives of national yoga federations across 13 countries.

Expressing her gratitude, Al-Marwaai highlighted the trust placed in her by the general assembly members and attributed her selection to Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the sports sector.

She emphasized her commitment to furthering yoga across Asia while representing Saudi Arabia’s dedication to promoting wellness and fitness.

“Serving Saudi as the president of the Saudi Yoga Committee has been a privilege, and I am proud to now build on that honor by serving the country as the president of the Asian Yogasan Sports Federation,” said Al-Marwaai.

She also extended thanks to the federation, member countries, the UAE Yoga Federation for their hospitality, and the Saudi leadership for their unwavering support, particularly in empowering Saudi women in sports.


Countdown begins: 60 days until Dakar Rally returns to Saudi Arabia

Countdown begins: 60 days until Dakar Rally returns to Saudi Arabia
Updated 04 November 2024
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Countdown begins: 60 days until Dakar Rally returns to Saudi Arabia

Countdown begins: 60 days until Dakar Rally returns to Saudi Arabia
  • This year, the rally will be run on an entirely new route, beginning in Bisha

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the Dakar Rally for a sixth consecutive year, with just 60 days remaining until the off.

Known as one of the world’s most prestigious and grueling off-road races, the rally will run from Jan. 3-17 next year, bringing new challenges and routes for pilots to navigate across the Kingdom.

This year, the rally will be run on an entirely new route, beginning in Bisha, a southern Saudi city that serves as a gateway between the Asir, central and western regions.

From Bisha, pilots will travel north across Saudi Arabia before venturing into the Empty Quarter — the world’s largest contiguous sand desert — with the finish line in Shubaytah.

The 2024 Dakar Rally, held from AlUla to Yanbu, captivated a global audience as Spanish driver Carlos Sainz, representing Audi, clinched his fourth career win in the car category and his second on Saudi soil.

In other categories, American rider Ricky Brabec triumphed in the bike class, Argentine racer Manuel Andujar took the quad title, and Spanish driver Cristina Gutierrez emerged victorious in the Challenger desert vehicle category.

Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait won in the side-by-side production class, while Czech driver Martin Macík made history with his first win in the truck category after 12 attempts.

The 2025 route will explore previously unvisited regions to highlight what Saudi Arabia has to offer tourists, according to a statement on Monday from the organizers.


Dubai Basketball claim dramatic late victory over SC Derby in ABA League

Dubai Basketball claim dramatic late victory over SC Derby in ABA League
Updated 04 November 2024
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Dubai Basketball claim dramatic late victory over SC Derby in ABA League

Dubai Basketball claim dramatic late victory over SC Derby in ABA League
  • 7 different Dubai players scored double digits in 87-86 win in Montenegro

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball extended their winning streak to four games with a nail-biting 87-86 win over SC Derby in the ABA League, improving their overall record to 6-1 for the season.

Isaiah Taylor’s free throw with 10 seconds remaining proved to be the difference on a thrilling night in Montenegro.

Dubai dominated for long periods, leading by six points with less than 90 seconds on clock, but were forced to continually dig deep against a side that posed a constant threat throughout the night.

Ahmet Duverioglu was top scorer for Dubai with 14 points, backing that up with a team-high eight rebounds and three steals. But the key to Dubai’s victory was their team-first mentality, finding the open man when it mattered most. Incredibly, seven different players on Dubai’s roster scored double digits — the first time that has happened this season.

Dubai Basketball’s head coach, Jurica Golemac, said he knew it would be a tough game from the outset but that his team ultimately deserved the win.

He said: “For sure, it was a difficult game, but that’s what we were preparing for. We had to win this three or four times. They play fast, great basketball and have great quality.

“We led for 35 minutes and the victory was deserved, but this is an indication that we still have to work and train a lot.”

Despite Dubai having a 9-point lead at halftime they were forced to contend with American Eric Neal, who was sensational for the home side. Neal dropped 34 points on the night, more than double his season average — shooting an outstanding 8-for-10 (80 percent) from three-point territory — to keep his team in contention. In previous rounds, Neal had struggled beyond the arc, shooting 6-31 (19.35 percent).

Dubai’s lead would stretch to as many as 12 points midway through the second quarter, but in the third the home side would rally again, cutting the difference to two points with ten minutes remaining.

A Nate Mason three, and a free throw from Duverioglu gave Dubai an eight-point lead in the fourth, before a late surge from SC Derby evened the game at 86-86 — thanks to another Eric Neal three with 33 seconds left on the clock.

Like a flashback from their Round 5 victory over Spartak, the ball — and the game — was placed in Isaiah Taylor’s hands with 10 seconds remaining, as he drove to the rim but was fouled on the play. Taylor would convert his second of two free throws to give Dubai the lead, but with time left SC Derby still had the opportunity to answer back.

With a few ticks of the clock remaining, solid defense by Davis Bertans and Awudu Abass forced SC Derby’s star, Eric Neal, to lose the ball, making a game-winning attempt impossible while closing out the win for Dubai.

Next, Dubai Basketball face ABA League giants Partizan Mozzart Bet, in Serbia on Nov. 10 in what some experts are calling a defining test.

After three games on the road, Dubai Basketball will have been away from their home fans for almost a month when they return to the Coca-Cola Arena to face Krka on Nov. 17.