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Here's a look at what's happening on the PGA Tour and  European Tour this week, and how you can watch it:

PGA Tour

The Honda Classic

Thursday-Sunday, PGA National Resort & Spa (Champions), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Course specs: Par 70, 7,125 yards

Purse: $7 million ($1.26 million to the winner)

Defending champion: Sungjae Im, at 4 under par (this event preceded the shutdown in 2020)

Notables in the field: Daniel Berger, Rickie Fowler, Padraig Harrington, Im, Kamaiu Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Chase Koepka, Shane Lowry, Phil Mickelson, Joaquin Niemann, Ian Poulter, Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood

Tee times: Click here

TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) and 3-6 p.m. ET (NBC Sports)

EUROPEAN TOUR

Magical Kenya Open

Thursday-Sunday, Karen CC, Nairobi, Kenya

Course specs: Par 71, 6,921 yards

Purse: $1.5 million

Defending champion: Guido Migliozzi, 2019 (no event in 2020)

Notables in the field: Jorge Campillo, John Catlin, George Coetzee, Justin Harding, Jazz Janewattananond, Joost Luiten, Migliozzi, Edoardo Molinari, Wilco Nienaber

Tee times: Click here

TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 6-10 a.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 5:30-10 a.m. ET (Golf Channel)

OTHER TOURS

  • Korn Ferry Tour: Chitimacha Louisiana Open, Le Triomphe G&CC, Broussard, La. (March 18-21)
  • Symetra Tour: Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic, Longbow GC, Mesa, Ariz. (March 18-21)
  • Sunshine Tour: Gauteng Championship, Ebotse Links, Benoni, South Africa, (March 18-21)
  • LPGA of Japan Tour: T-Point Eneos Golf Tournament, Kagoshima Takamaki CC, Kagoshima, Japan (March 19-21)

Laporta in €125m battle to avoid 2nd election

Published in Soccer
Tuesday, 16 March 2021 08:14

Barcelona president-elect Joan Laporta has less than 24 hours to secure a bank guarantee worth €125 million or the club will be forced to call a new election process.

Laporta, who was previously Barca president between 2003 and 2010, was voted back into power last weekend ahead of rival candidates Victor Font and Toni Freixa.

However to take office, Laporta and his executive board must first present a bank guarantee worth 15% of Barca's budget within 10 days of being elected.

- Barcelona elect Laporta as president: What it means

Wednesday marks the deadline for Laporta to come up with the guarantee, which must also be ratified by La Liga.

Barca's club statutes demand that the executive board are "liable for their actions" while in charge and the bank guarantee is a way of protecting the club against being run irresponsibly.

The statutes add that the members of the board should be "equally liable for [the total amount] unless individual or internal agreements are made between the members of the board for a different distribution of liabilities."

Laporta's hopes of securing the guarantee were hit over the weekend when it was announced that one of his vice presidents, Jaume Giro, would no longer form part of his team.

Giro was set to oversee the club's finances. Officially, he stepped away due to "professional commitments that will oblige him to spend a lot of time in London" but sources told ESPN there were discrepancies with Laporta.

Given Giro was set to be liable for a large part of the guarantee, he had hoped to be given more power within the club, but Laporta wasn't willing to give him as much as he wanted.

Eduard Romeu, a Barca member and the vice president of Audax Renovables, has been earmarked as Giro's replacement but an agreement has not yet been finalised over his incorporation.

Talks remain ongoing over how much of the guarantee Romeu and Audax would be liable for and how much control they would have at the club.

Meanwhile, Laporta and his board are also in negotiations with banks, possible new board members and other third-party companies and sources told ESPN they're confident of getting the bank guarantee signed before the deadline.

Ibrahimovic back in Sweden squad after 5 years

Published in Soccer
Tuesday, 16 March 2021 08:13

Sweden men's record goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been named in coach Janne Andersson's squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Kosovo, five years after the striker retired from the national team.

Ibrahimovic, 39, scored 62 goals in 116 internationals before quitting the team following their exit at the group stage of Euro 2016.

- Stream FC Daily on ESPN+

"The return of the God," Zlatan wrote on Twitter on Monday, alongside a photo of him playing for Sweden.

"He can be a little bit funny at times," Andersson said with a laugh when told about the striker's tweet during an online news conference.

"First and foremost he is a very good footballer, the best we have had in Sweden. It's obviously very good that he wants to come back.

"Apart from what he can contribute on the field, he has incredible experience and can contribute with that to the other players in the team."

Ibrahimovic opened the door to a return in a newspaper interview in November 2020, and coach Andersson flew to meet him in Milan to pave the way for his comeback, which was announced on Tuesday.

"If [Andersson] called me, I would answer. I would tell him to give me time. I have to think about it. But it has to come from him. If he thinks I'm too big, I'm not interested. If he believes I can bring something [to the group], then I would think about it," Ibrahimovic said at the time.

The former Manchester United and LA Galaxy forward told Swedish fans that he "misses" playing for the national team.

Ibrahimovic and Andersson's relationship has been strained since the veteran striker, who is of Bosnian and Croat descent, claimed last year that the Sweden coach had overlooked the country's players who were of immigrant origin in his first call-up since becoming national team manager.

He has scored 14 goals in 14 Serie A appearances for AC Milan so far this season.

Rapinoe: Jersey represents equal pay, not USSF

Published in Soccer
Tuesday, 16 March 2021 08:14

USWNT and OL Reign star Megan Rapinoe has said that when she pulls on her United States jersey she is not thinking of U.S. Soccer, but her side's ongoing legal case to secure equal pay.

Players for the national team agreed to settlement terms for the portion of the lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation relating to claims of unequal working conditions in December but are still appealing an earlier decision on wage discrimination claims under the Equal Pay Act.

- Explained: What is happening with the USWNT equal pay suit?
- Stream FC Daily on ESPN+

"I would much rather be spending my time doing absolutely anything else other than fighting the federation all the time for something I feel like I deserve, but that is part of it," Rapinoe told ESPN.

"For me, when I pull on the shirt, I'm not thinking about the federation.

"I see them [U.S. Soccer executives] pulling up to the game and I think: That's cute, that's nice.

"I feel like I pull on this shirt for equal pay and for the fans and for kids who want to be in my position. So that never feels in conflict."

Since launching the equal pay lawsuit in March 2019, the USWNT has won its second consecutive World Cup as well as the 2020 and 2021 SheBelieves Cups.

"It's ironic all the time. We play in full times most of the time. We win most of the games," Rapinoe added. "Sponsorships for all of us individually are up. We won the World Cup. We entertain. We do everything we are asked to do so it is frustrating."

"U.S. Soccer have the opportunity to be a beacon. I don't know why they didn't want to stand on the steps of City Hall [on their World Cup victory tour] and claim the credit.

"I'm like Carlos [Cordeiro, former U.S. Soccer president], you could have stood there and had everyone cheering you rather than booing you."

"It's more complicated than that but I feel they have a real opportunity to invest in the future. All this time and money could be going to make U.S. Soccer the best federation in the world."

U.S. Soccer announced on Monday that the USWNT would travel to Le Havre to take on France on April 13 in one of two European games during the international window. It was previously announced that they would take on Sweden on April 10 as they prepare for the Tokyo Olympics.

"I think we still need our punch in the mouth that we haven't got yet," Rapinoe said.

"Normally it is in the SheBelieves Cup but obviously we had some restrictions. It was great just to get together and to play."

R Ashwin's continued excellence in Test cricket for India has prompted questions about why he isn't part of the T20I side. Virat Kohli addressed them in a press conference four days ago, saying they already have an offspin-bowling allrounder Washington Sundar who was doing well and accommodating another would affect the balance of the XI adversely.

Ashwin himself isn't really fussed about the talk around his value in white-ball cricket. Speaking as a guest at the India Today Conclave 2021, he said he is enormously content with where his life is right now and that mindset has given him the confidence that if he does end up getting the call, he would put in "a game-breaking performance".

"A lot of times people tell these lines on leadership forums and dialogues and several motivational quotes where they say you need to compete with yourself," he said. "But I definitely believe I have found a balance and learnt in life about how I must be competing with myself and be at complete peace when I'm competing with myself because when some of these articles or questions get asked about my ODI return or T20 return, what is your ambition, are your white-ball dreams still there and all these things, I find those questions are really laughable.

"I am totally at peace and extremely happy with the kind of cricket and life I'm leading right now that given an opportunity I will make a game-breaking performance which I'm almost certain about because of the kind of space I find myself in. So what questions people have to ask, what opinions people have, I'm not worried about at all. As of now, every single day I play the game out there on the park, I want to leave a smile on everyone's face and mine, most importantly."

Ashwin has been India's leading bowler in Test cricket - especially at home - for several years. His performance against England - where he became the quickest in terms of balls bowled to 400 wickets - was crucial to the team securing a place in the World Test Championship final. The control he showed over his bowling prompted former India opener Gautam Gambhir to wonder on ESPNcricinfo about why he wasn't playing in other formats for India. "It's actually a shame that he hasn't played white-ball cricket for the last two years after winning what nine Man-of-the-Series awards [in Test cricket]," he said.

Kohli, for his part, defended the work his incumbent offspinner has been doing since his debut in 2017 - which is also the year when Ashwin last played a white-ball game.

"Washington has been doing really well for us, so you can't have two players of the same discipline playing in one squad," he said on the eve of the first T20I against England, "Unless, Washi has a drastically horrible season and things go south for him…the question has to be asked with some kind of logic as well. You suggest where you would add Ash and play him in the team when someone like Washington already does that job for the team. So, it's easy to ask the question but you should have a logical explanation to it yourself."

Sundar's performance in the second T20I, when India bounced back to level the series 1-1, drew the critics attention as well, where he showcased the ability to bowl anywhere in the innings, and to anyone in the England batting line-up. In an age where match-ups are everything, Sundar, turning the ball into two big-hitting right-handers, Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy, dismissed them both to help India into a position from where they could push for victory.

Toss England chose to bowl vs India

Eoin Morgan made the first big call of the night in his 100th T20I, as he chose to bowl in the third T20I.

With the series locked at 1-1, after a pair of comprehensive victories for each of the chasing teams in the first two games, Virat Kohli admitted he would also have preferred the chance to field first before the dew sets in in the evening, but acknowledged that the chance for his new-look line-up to get aggressive from the outset would be an important part of their preparation in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup in October.

Both sides made a solitary change to the line-up on Sunday. England resisted the temptation to return Moeen Ali to their starting XI, with Mark Wood passed fit after sustaining a bruised ankle in the opening fixture and trusted to resume the 90mph aggression with which he gave India's batsmen the hurry-up in England's eight-wicket series-opening win. Tom Curran, who endured a chastening return for the second game, returned to the bench.

For India, Rohit Sharma was back at the top of the order, following a break for the opening two games, and he resumed his partnership with KL Rahul, who was retained despite a six-ball duck on Sunday. The man of the moment, Ishan Kishan, will slot in at No.3, following his power-packed debut. His Mumbai Indians team-mate, Suryakumar Yadav, who also made his debut in the second game, made way after being an unused batsman in that match.

This contest will take place on a red-soil surface, as opposed to the black soil used for the first two fixtures, which tends to be a drier loam and offers more bounce for the spinners.

"The wicket looks good, with a covering of grass, a bit of soil, and a short boundary on one side, and it's a bit more humid," Morgan said at the toss. "Whoever plays best has won the game."

"I would have chosen to bowl first but you have to embrace what you do, even when you lose the toss," Kohli added.

After a crowd of more than 66,000 turned out for Sunday's fixture, this match will be played behind closed doors, following a spike in Covid-19 cases in Gujarat, which is a disappointment for the combatants on both sides - England's Jason Roy admitted on Monday that playing in front of fans is a key source of adrenalin for professional sportsmen.

"It is a challenge for us today," Kohli added. "It's good that the series is poised at 1-1, England will come out hard. Crowds add to the emotion and passion of the environment, but we have to be professional."

India 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Ishan Kishan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

England 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood

Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. He tweets at @miller_cricket

Tiger to make video game return with new deal

Published in Breaking News
Tuesday, 16 March 2021 08:18

Tiger Woods is back in the game -- digitally, at least.

Woods has signed a long-term partnership with the company behind the PGA Tour 2K video game series, returning the 15-time major champion to an industry he once dominated with EA Sports.

The deal was announced Tuesday, nearly a month after Woods suffered career-threatening leg injuries when he crashed an SUV on a steep road in the Los Angeles suburbs.

It's possible Woods may never return to the PGA Tour, where his 82 victories are tied with Sam Snead for most all time, but his name and likeness will be used exclusively in the PGA Tour 2K franchise. Woods was not among the players included in last year's 2K game, and it's unclear if he'll be added or if his name or image will be used on the cover. A news release from 2K said only that Woods would be an executive director and consultant.

Woods was partnered with EA Sports for 15 years, and the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series is among the most successful sports video games ever. Woods and EA Sports parted in 2013, four years after news of Woods' extramarital affairs tarnished his public image.

EA Sports rebuilt the game from scratch and put Rory McIlroy on the cover in 2015, but the reboot got subpar reviews. EA Sports hasn't produced a golf game since.

"I am looking forward to making my return to the video game landscape, and with 2K and HB Studios, I've found the right partners to make it happen," Woods said in a statement released by 2K. "I'm honored to take part in this opportunity and look forward to sharing my expertise and insights as we build the future of golf video games together."

Sources: Broncos exercise option on Von Miller

Published in Breaking News
Tuesday, 16 March 2021 08:18

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After 135 games, 106 sacks, eight Pro Bowls and one glorious Super Bowl MVP award, linebacker Von Miller's dance-filled run with the Denver Broncos will go on for at least one more season.

The Broncos elected to exercise an option clause in Miller's contract that guarantees $7 million of Miller's $17.5 million base salary for the 2021 season, sources told ESPN.

The move engages the final year of the six-year, $114.5 million contract Miller signed in 2016.

The Broncos had informed Miller, who will turn 32 later this month, and Miller's representatives in recent days of the decision. Tuesday was the deadline to exercise the option or Miller would have been an unrestricted free agent. The two sides had discussed re-working the deal in recent weeks given Miller's $22.2 million salary cap charge will be the highest on the team.

The Broncos simply posted an image Tuesday morning on their social media accounts of a smiling Miller taken immediately following the team's Super Bowl 50 win with confetti falling the in background.

Free agency officially opens Wednesday afternoon.

However, given the deals for pass rushers that were revealed Monday in the first day of the negotiating period -- many between $16 million and $18 million per year -- Miller's salary falls in line with the market. Miller has spent some time working out in California since the season's end and is fully recovered from the ankle injury that kept him out of the 2020 season.

Earlier this month Broncos general manager George Paton said "we're still working through that,'' when asked if the team would exercise Miller's option. Miller had cleared a potential legal hurdle in the past two weeks off the field when the 18th Judicial District district attorney's office elected not to bring charges against Miller after an investigation by the Parker (Colo.) police department earlier this year.

Paton had said "we want to bring Von back,'' but that the Broncos were monitoring the results of that investigation as well.

Miller is the Broncos' longest-tenured, most-decorated player. Miller was an All Decade selection for the 2010s, has been selected to the most Pro Bowls of any Broncos player since Hall of Famer Champ Bailey and is one of three players in franchise history to win a Super Bowl MVP award.

His 106 career sacks lead all active players -- J.J. Watt is second -- and he is the Broncos' all-time leader in sacks and forced fumbles (25).

Miller did not play in 2020 after he suffered a tendon injury in his ankle in practice just days before the season opener. He had missed just one game in his previous six seasons.

Miller was John Elway's first draft pick as the Broncos' top football decision-maker when the Broncos selected Miller No. 2 overall -- behind Cam Newton -- in the 2011 draft. With 11.5 sacks that year Miller was named the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year and selected for the first of eight Pro Bowls.

The 2013 season has been the only year Miller played in a game for the Broncos and was not selected to the Pro Bowl.

His Super Bowl 50 performance is on the franchise's short list of greatest individual games. Miller had 2.5 sacks, forced two fumbles and knocked down a pass deep in coverage. One of his forced fumbles was recovered for a touchdown and the other the Broncos recovered on the Carolina Panthers' 9-yard line and led to another Broncos touchdown four plays later.

Former Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has called Miller "one of the greatest players to ever play his position ... he can rush the passer like few I've ever seen.''

This past year he was the first NFL player to publicly say, last April, he had battled COVID-19 -- he said "I was scared as hell'' -- and he was one of the Broncos' leading voices on social justice issues, including writing an essay for Time magazine that closed with "Say their names. Hands up. Don't shoot. I can't breathe.''

Asked last summer about how much longer he thought he would play, Miller said: "If you still have a passion for it and you're still doing it at a high level, I don't think I should even think about not playing. I still feel like I'm able to compete; I still feel like I'm fast, most importantly. As long as I can keep doing that, I'm going to play. ... Every year I get to play, every play I get to play, I'll just keep pushing and at the end I'll see how many [years] it is and I'll look up and I'll be cool with that.''

Source: Pats, TE Henry agree to 3 years, $37.5M

Published in Breaking News
Tuesday, 16 March 2021 08:18

The New England Patriots are signing former Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry to a three-year, $37.5 million deal, including $25 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Henry, who turned 27 in December, clicked with rookie quarterback Justin Herbert and had a career-best 60 receptions for 613 yards and four touchdowns for the Chargers last season.

He now joins a Patriots team that is undergoing a pass-catching overhaul. On Monday the team gave out a total of nearly $100 million worth of contracts to tight end Jonnu Smith and wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne.

Henry (6-foot-5, 250 pounds) played last season on the franchise tender, making $10.6 million.

He has yet to play a full season in his NFL career and missed the final two games last season after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. He missed the entire 2018 regular season after tearing his ACL and four games in 2019 after suffering a tibial plateau fracture in an opening-week victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Drafted by the Chargers in the second round of the 2016 draft, Henry has 196 receptions for 2,322 yards and 21 touchdowns in five NFL seasons.

ESPN's Shelley Smith contributed to this report.

British Olympic 10,000m trials head to Birmingham

Published in Athletics
Tuesday, 16 March 2021 05:18
University of Birmingham could see athletes like Mo Farah racing for Olympic selection on June 5 following cancellation of Highgate event

After the cancellation of the Night of the 10,000m PBs at Highgate in north London this year, the British Olympic trials and European 10,000m Cup will now be held at the University of Birmingham track on the same date of June 5.

However, despite coronavirus restrictions gradually lifting, entries will be invitation only and there are unlikely to be spectators.

Key contenders are likely to include US-based Brits Marc Scott and Sam Atkin, while among the women Steph Twell is missing the marathon trials this month to focus on 10,000m.

Another intriguing possible entrant would be Mo Farah, too, as the 10-time global track champion wants to run this distance in Tokyo but needs to post a qualifying time as he has not raced 10,000m since winning the world title in London in 2017.

“We are delighted to have reached an agreement with the University of Birmingham to bring the Müller British Athletics 10,000m Championships and the European 10,000m Cup to Birmingham,” said Katie Brazier, competitions and events director at British Athletics.

“Following consultation with athletes and coaches, as well as other key stakeholders, it is fantastic news that we can host a Covid-19 secure environment for this summer’s event. So, our thanks to the University of Birmingham for their cooperation during conversations over the last few weeks.”

European Athletics interim president Dobromir Karamarinov said: “We are pleased we have been able to work with British Athletics to find an alternative venue for the 2021 European 10,000m Cup and we want to thank the University of Birmingham for stepping forward at this late stage.

“The European 10,000m Cup is one of the most prestigious and long-running fixtures on the European calendar. This year’s event will have an even greater significance as it also serves as an excellent opportunity for athletes aiming to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics later this summer.”

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