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Diaranson 31 augustus 2022

Smith, Niemann among players to join Saudi-backed LIV Golf

British Open champion Carlos Ortiz and Abraham
Cameron Smith and Joa- Ancer of Mexico, Sergio Gar-
quin Niemann are among cia of Spain — and they often
six players to leave the shared a house and brought in
PGA Tour for Saudi- their own chef for the week.
funded LIV Golf, which His manager, Carlos Rodri-
returns this week for a guez of GSE Worldwide, said
fourth tournament, this Niemann still had not signed
time outside of Boston. a LIV Golf deal when he flew
to Boston on Monday.
The signing of Smith, who
had been deflecting ques- Along with winning the Brit-
tions about his imminent ish Open for his first ma-
departure since the day he jor, Smith won The Players
won the claret jug, gives Greg Championship in March by
Norman his first player from one shot over Lahiri. Paul
the top 10 in the world. Casey was two shots behind,
and now all three players
Smith, a 29-year-old from have joined LIV Golf.
Australia, rose to No. 2 in the
world ranking after winning Along with big signing bo-
at St. Andrews. He could nuses — The Daily Tele-
have reached No. 1 with a graph reported $150 million
victory at the start of the Fe- Tour winner from Australia dents Cup, which will be joining the rival league in for Smith — players com-
dEx Cup playoffs. Now, that who at age 38 has dropped played in a month at Quail February until Phil Mickel- plete for $25 million in prize
opportunity is gone. LIV Golf out of the top 50 in the world, Hollow. Leishman and Lahiri son's disparaging comments money at each of the LIV
does not get ranking points, and three others who leave previously have played in the about the Saudis and the Golf Invitational events.
though it filed an application without ever having won on matches. PGA Tour stalled the launch
last month. the PGA Tour — Americans of LIV Golf. Niemann then The Boston event is at The
Harold Varner III and Cam- Because the PGA Tour exclu- won the Genesis Invitational International, which about
The PGA Tour is suspend- eron Tringale and Anirban sively operates the Presidents at Riviera and cited the com- 45 minutes west of Boston.
ing members as soon as they Lahiri of India. Cup — unlike the Ryder petition and history as rea- LIV Golf takes off next week
put a ball in play at LIV Golf Cup, which Europe operates sons he wanted to stay on the because of the European tour
events. Smith and Niemann, who is on home soil — players who PGA Tour. flagship event at Wentworth
from Chile, were among the join LIV Golf are not eligible. in England, and then returns
Others to sign are Marc eight qualifiers for the Inter- But all his best friends in golf Sept. 16-18 to the Chicago
Leishman, a six-time PGA national team at the Presi- Niemann, 23, considered have joined the rival series — suburbs.

Wimbledon women’s champ out in 1st round | US Open updates

NEW YORK (AP) — The most recent Grand Slam not tournament she thought that he couldn't continue because more than 29,000 fans.
Latest on the U.S. Open boosting her in the rank- was unfair, adding she didn't of leg pain or cramps.
tennis tournament ings because no points were even feel like a Wimbledon Top-ranked Iga Swiatek pow-
awarded at the tournament champion. Alcaraz's U.S. Open ended ered into the second round
The Wimbledon women's this year. The men's and last year in a similar manner. of the U.S. Open, beating
champion is out in the first women's tours took that step He reached the quarterfinals Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-0.
round of the U.S. Open. after the All England Club Carlos Alcaraz moved into at 18, the youngest man to get
barred Russian and Belarus- the second round of the U.S. that far in New York in the No. 8-seeded American Jes-
Elena Rybakina lost 6-4, 6-4 sian players from competing Open when his opponent professional era, before stop- sica Pegula also raced through
to Clara Burel of France, who because of the war against was forced to stop because of ping in the second set of his her opening match, like Swi-
came through qualifying to Ukraine. injury in the third set. loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime atek needing just more than
earn a spot in the main draw. because of an upper right leg an hour before beating Vikto-
Rybakina, who was born in The No. 3 seed led Sebastian injury. rija Golubic 6-2, 6-2.
Rybakina was seeded only Russia but represents Ka- Baez 7-5, 7-5, 2-0 when the
25th, with her victory in the zakhstan, said before this Argentine player motioned Alcaraz has followed that by Swiatek is just 5-4 since her
winning four ATP titles this 37-winning streak earlier
year. this year, but the two-time
French Open champion got
Serena Williams will be back sharper as the match went on
under the lights in Arthur Tuesday while supported by a
Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. number of Polish fans wear-
ing red inside Louis Arm-
She will face No. 2 seed Anett strong Stadium.
Kontaveit of Estonia. They
will be followed by defend- She is trying to become the
ing men's champion Daniil first player since Serena Wil-
Medvedev against Arthur liams in 2014 to win seven
Rinderknech of France. titles in a year.

Williams beat Danka Kov-
inic on Monday night to be- A day after Serena Williams
gin what could be the final won her opening match at
tournament of her career. the U.S. Open, sister Venus
That helped draw the largest will begin her tournament
crowd ever for a U.S. Open on the same Arthur Ashe Sta-
night session, which had dium court.