Tiger Woods is once again golf's biggest star

Agencies
April 16, 2019

Apr 16: Tiger Woods pulled off one of the most stunning turnarounds in sports history with a Masters win on Sunday, clinching his fifth green jacket and 15th major title -- his first in more than a decade.

It was the first major title since 2008 for Woods, once golf’s most dominant figure until a high-profile sex scandal, divorce and multiple injuries led to a very public fall from grace. There were occasional doubts about whether he’d even continue to play professionally, let alone win another title at one of the most iconic events in world sports.

"It’s overwhelming because of what has transpired," Woods said. "It’s unreal for me to be experiencing this. I’m kind of at a loss for words really."

But he’s still a massive draw, with large galleries following his progress around the manicured fairways and greens of Augusta National Golf Club. He shot a round of 70 to end the tournament at 13-under par, one shot ahead of three players including Dustin Johnson.

Nike released a short video within seconds of Woods holing his winning putt, showing various images of him over the years and with the message, "It’s crazy to think a 43-year-old who has experienced every high and every low, and has just won his 15th major, is chasing the same dream as a 3-year-old."

Woods, 43, turned pro in 1996 and almost immediately became the sport’s dominant player. He won 14 majors before his 33rd birthday, and had a seismic impact off the course, driving new interest in golf worldwide and huge television ratings in the US. He won the Masters in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005.

Things fell apart starting in 2009, when news reports detailed extramarital affairs he was having with a number of different women. That began a 10-year stretch marred by a messy divorce, substance abuse and a litany of injuries.

There had been moments of Old Tiger -- he regained his No. 1 ranking in 2013 -- but his play was largely inconsistent. He missed most of 2017 following back surgery, and in May of that year was arrested for driving under the influence.

Tiger’s Masters Win a Major Boost for the Brands Still With Him

Along the way, sponsors came and went. A number of companies, such as AT&T, Accenture and Gillette dropped him after the infidelity scandal, and Nike, by far his most important corporate ally, recently announced it was getting out of the golf equipment business entirely. It still makes Woods’s clothing. Kowa Co., a Japanese sponsor that makes pain relievers, jumped as much as 23 percent in Tokyo Monday, their biggest intraday gain in more than two months.

No one has dominated the golfing landscape, on or off the course, in the way that Woods did in his heyday. Players from Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth to Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka are among those vying to be the new wunderkind of the fairway, but there’s been no consistent standout.

Top Earner

At the height of his dominance, Woods was making $110 million per year as the world’s highest paid athlete, with $30 million coming from Nike alone, according to Forbes. Last year the magazine reported his earnings as $43.3 million, with just $1.3 million coming from endorsements.

His new partners include Bridgestone, which supplies his golf balls, and TaylorMade, which replaced Nike as his equipment sponsor. Woods’s bag, once branded by Buick, now has logos for Monster Energy drink.

Finally healthy, Woods has been playing better of late. Last September he won the Tour Championship, his first PGA Tour title in five years, and came to Augusta as the world’s No. 12. He’s set to move into the top 10 when they’re updated next.

The championship will stoke renewed interest in his quest to top Jack Nicklaus’s 18 major titles and will reverberate around the golf world.

Ratings for Saturday’s round on CBS suggested a Tiger spike although Augusta’s decision to move the final day’s play to the morning may neuter that effect slightly. Ratings for the third round were 5 percent higher than last year. That halo could extend to golf tournaments moving forward, especially the PGA Championship next month at Bethpage’s Black Course in Farmingdale, New York.

‘Painful’ for Bookmakers

It will also have consequences for sports books across the country. William Hill in Nevada took a $85,000 bet on Woods at 14-to-1 that will pay out $1.2 million, the largest liability on a golf bet in the company’s history taking wagers in the U.S. FanDuel Group said it lost $2 million from Woods’s victory.

"It’s great to see Tiger back. It’s a painful day for William Hill -- our biggest golf loss ever -- but a great day for golf," said Nick Bogdanovich, U.S. director of trading at William Hill.

Superstars are great for sports -- and sports marketing, said Bob Dorfman of Baker Street Advertising.

"Every time someone is head and shoulders above everyone else it tends to bring in not just the hardcore fans, but the casual fans as well," the sports marketing analyst said, citing Michael Jordan in basketball, Tom Brady in football and Woods in golf.

"He moves the needle like no other golfer does or ever has done," Dorfman said. "Nobody can do what he does and it’s amazing he’s been able to do it for as long as he has."

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News Network
January 23,2020

Jan 23: Quinton de Kock has been named as the new captain of the South Africa One-Day International side, taking over from Faf du Plessis, who is dropped altogether from the three-match series against England next month.

Du Plessis led South Africa in their disastrous 2019 World Cup campaign and has hinted at international retirement from all formats following the Twenty20 global finals in Australia later this year.

"We all know the quality of the player that Quinton de Kock has grown to become," CSA director of cricket Graeme Smith said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Over the years we have watched him grow in confidence and become one of the top ODI wicket-keeper batsmen in the world. He has a unique outlook and manner in which he goes about his business and is tactically very street smart."

De Kock leads a 15-man squad with five uncapped players in seamers Lutho Sipamla and Sisanda Magala, left-arm orthodox spinner all-rounder Bjorn Fortuin, opening batsman Janneman Malan and wicketkeeper-batsman Kyle Verreynne.

Magala, leg-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, seamer Lungi Ngidi and hard-hitting opening batsman Jon Jon Smuts must pass fitness tests before they can join the squad.

Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will be rested for the series, while allrounders Chris Morris and Dwaine Pretorius have also not been able to force their way in.

"The road towards the 2023 Cricket World Cup starts now and we want players doing well in our domestic structures to see the rewards of the hard work that they have put in," CSA Independent Selector Linda Zondi added.

The first ODI will be staged in Cape Town on Feb.4th, with the second in Durban three days later and the final match of the series to be held in Johannesburg on Feb.9th.

Squad: Quinton de Kock (captain), Reeza Hendricks, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Jon Jon Smuts, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Sisanda Magala, Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hendricks, Janneman Malan, Kyle Verreynne.

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Agencies
January 6,2020

Washington D.C., Jan 6: 'The Irishman,' and 'Two Popes' were shut out from the winners list despite getting multiple nominations, the movies didn't win a single award at the Golden Globes Award held on Sunday (local time). Other movies in the list include 'Bombshell,' 'Dolemite Is My Name,' 'Harriet,' 'Jojo Rabbit,' 'Knives Out' and 'Little Women.'

According to The Hollywood Reporter, 'The Irishman' may have gone into the 2020 Golden Globes with the second-highest number of film nominations, tied with 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' with five nods, but Martin Scorsese's highly anticipated mob epic for Netflix was completely shut out at the award ceremony.

Netflix landed the most film nominations of any company with 17 mentions, but it won only one award which is the best-supporting actress for 'Marriage Story's' Laura Dern. Netflix's nominated films 'Dolemite Is My Name' and 'The Two Popes' was tied with 'Joker' with four mentions each and failed to grab any awards.

'Dolemite Is My Name' star Eddie Murphy was expected by a number of pundits to win for best actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy.

'Bombshell', 'Harriet',' Frozen 2', 'Jojo Rabbit', 'Knives Out', 'The Lion King', 'Little Women' and 'Pain and Glory' are among the other films that received multiple nominations but didn't win a single award.

On the TV side, Netflix's 'Unbelievable' tied in the race to most small-screen nominations with 'Chernobyl' and 'The Crown' with four nominations, and 'The Crown' won only one award, for star Olivia Colman.

The three-time nominees 'Barry', 'Big Little Lies', 'The Kominsky Method' and 'The Morning Show' also didn't grab any award. 'Catch-22', 'Killing Eve', 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' and 'The Politician' who were two-time nominees that were also iced out.

'Hustlers' star Jennifer Lopez failed to take home the best-supporting actress award as she was predicted to win the award by a number of pundits. Billy porter also failed to make history with the best drama actor win for his role on 'Pose,' if he would've won the award, he reportedly would have been the first openly gay African-American to win that award.

'Chernobyl' won two of its four nominations. Despite that, star Jared Harris didn't win the best actor in a limited series Globe which was predicted by many prognosticators. The award was bagged by Russell Crowe for his portrayal of Roger Ailes in 'The Loudest Voice.' But the star was absent from the ceremony.

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Agencies
January 25,2020

Headingley, Jan 25: England have become the first team in the world to score 500,000 runs in Test cricket. They achieved the feat during the ongoing fourth and final Test against South Africa being played at The Wanderers.

On Friday - the opening day of the Test match -- England captain Joe Root's single through the covers took the Three Lions to a landmark 500,000 run-mark in the longest format of the game. They achieved the feat in their 1022nd Test match.

Australia comes second in the list, with 432,706 runs in 830 Tests. India, meanwhile, are third, with 273,518 runs in 540 Tests, followed by West Indies (270,441 runs in 545 Tests).

In the third Test played at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth, England had become the first team to play 500 Test matches on foreign soil. Australia are the second team to play the most away Test with 404 matches they have played so far.

India have played 268 Tests on foreign soil in which they have won 51, lost 113 and 104 have ended in a draw.

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