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A18 SPORTS
Thursday 22 November 2018

Over the moon: PGA announces

new tournament in Japan

By STEPHEN WADE
AP Sports Writer
TOKYO (AP) — The PGA
Tour will hold its first official
tournament in Japan. And
the main sponsor of next
year’s event, Japanese bil- In this Friday, Oct. 19, 2018 file photo, Cleveland Cavaliers’
lionaire Yusaku Maezawa, Kevin Love, left, is double-teamed by Minnesota
is describing it as a kind of Timberwolves’ Anthony Tolliver and Jeff Teague, right, in the
“moonshot” for golf in his first half of an NBA basketball game in Minneapolis.
country. Associated Press
Maezawa should know. Cavs’ All-Star forward
The founder of the Japa-
nese fashion website Zo- Love could be out
zotown, Maezawa was an-
nounced earlier this year as until “new year”
the first commercial pas-
senger to attempt a flight
around the moon. From left, Japan Golf Tour Organization President Isao Aoki, By TOM WITHERS
“I think this will be the first ZOZO Inc. President Yusaku Maezawa, PGA Tour Player Hideki AP Sports Writer
Matsuyama and PGA Tour Vice President Christian Hardy join
PGA Tour sponsor that is their hands while posing for a photo during a press conference CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers All-Star forward Kevin
going to the moon,” he in Tokyo, Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018. Love may not be back until sometime in 2019 following
said through an interpreter Associated Press foot surgery.
Tuesday in announcing the Oct. 24-27, will be part of special exemptions. It will Love had an operation on Nov. 2 to relieve pain and
tournament. the PGA’s swing through be played at the Accor- pressure in his big left toe, which he injured in the club’s
“I haven’t decided who I Asia along with stops in dia Golf Narashino Country preseason opener. At the time, the team said Love
will take to the moon with South Korea and China. Club in Chiba prefecture, would be out at least six weeks and his status would be
me yet. I would like to talk The Japanese tournament just outside Tokyo. updated in “approximately” when that period ended.
to many people with an replaces one in Malaysia. Maezawa said he was a On Tuesday, Love said in an interview on ESPN that he
open mind.” The PGA said it was a six- “5-handicap” golfer at his expects “to be back sometime after the new year.”
Japanese golfer Hideki year deal, and driven part- best, but said he may have Love said he’s going to in a restrictive boot for two
Matsuyama was sitting ly by the 2020 Tokyo Olym- slipped to a 9-handicap more weeks.
alongside Maezawa during pics and golf’s high profile — also a high level for an “There’s just no telling at this time with the weight-bear-
the media event at a cen- there. amateur player. ing injury what it is going to be like moving forward,”
tral Tokyo hotel. PGA officials said the Zozo “Finally this day has come,” he said.
“I don’t know whether he Championship will have a the 76-year-old Aoki said. Love’s loss was a devastating blow for the reeling and
will ask me, but I would love purse of $9.75 million with “If I were younger, I’d like to rebuilding Cavs, who are a league-worst 2-13 heading
to go (to the moon),” Mat- a field of 78 — plus 10 des- play in a PGA tournament into Wednesday’s game against LeBron James and
suyama said. ignated by the Japanese in Japan. I wish this day the Los Angeles Lakers.
A five-time All-Star, Love signed a four-year, $120 mil-
The tournament, set for Tour, and eight others with had come earlier.”q
lion contract extension this summer.q
Court: Reds exempt from tax on promotional bobbleheads

By DAN SEWELL the bobbleheads should to the 1975-76 “Big Red
Associated Press be taxed because they’re Machine” champions, and
CINCINNATI (AP) — Quot- bought by the Reds as firsts such as Larry Doby
ing the Cincinnati Reds’ giveaways, not sold with of the Cleveland Indians
longtime play-by-play an- tickets. becoming the first black
nouncer, the Ohio Supreme The Reds argued they’re American League player
Court declared Tuesday exempt because they re- and to the first night game
that “this one belongs to sell the items as part of the being played in Cincinnati.
the Reds.” ticket package and Ohio Then, in explaining the rul-
The state’s high court ruled law exempts companies ing, Fischer wrote that un-
5-2 that the Major League from paying tax on items like a foul ball or a T-shirt
Baseball franchise is ex- they buy for resale. shot into the stands (the
empt from paying tax on Fischer, a Cincinnati resi- Reds use a contraption
the purchase of bobble- dent, led off the opinion nicknamed “Redzilla” to fire
heads and other promo- with a long summary of free T-shirts into the crowd)
tional items the team offers Cincinnati Reds bobbleheads are posed for display, Wednesday, Ohio’s role in baseball his- that fans have no expecta-
to ticket buyers. Nov. 21, 2018, in Cincinnati. tory beginning in 1869, tion of receiving, they buy
The opinion written by Jus- Associated Press when the Cincinnati Red tickets for games that have
tice Patrick Fischer warned Taxation’s chief legal coun- Reds spokesman Rob Stockings became the first been advertised as bob-
that the ruling was specific sel, Matt Chafin, said the Butcher said the club is all-professional team. blehead games expecting
to the case and might not decision essentially shows “happy with the outcome,” There are references to Hall to get the bobbleheads,
apply for other sports orga- professional teams how to but is still reviewing the of Famers from Ohio includ- which last season included
nizations. avoid the “use tax” on pro- opinion. ing players Cy Young, Mike All-Stars Joey Votto and Eu-
But the Department of motional items. The department argued Schmidt and Barry Larkin, genio Suarez.q