THE PESO declined on fears of a global growth slowdown following weak US data. — BW FILE PHOTO
THE PESO ended weaker on Monday due to concerns over weaker-than-expected US non-farm payrolls data released last week.
The local unit closed at P51.86 against the greenback on Monday, weaker by 13 centavos from its P51.73-to-a-dollar finish last Friday.
The peso opened the session at P51.75 versus the dollar, which was also its best showing for the day. Meanwhile, its intraday low was ay P51.93 against the greenback.
Dollars yesterday dropped to $828.6 million from the $1.12 billion seen on Friday.
“The peso weakened after the US non-farm payrolls report last Friday came out weaker than market expectations, which mounted concerns about the future health of the US labor market,” a peso trader said via e-mail.
The US unemployment rate dropped to near a 50-year low of 3.5% in September, with job growth increasing moderately, suggesting the slowing economy could avoid a recession for now despite trade tensions that are hammering manufacturing.
Non-farm payrolls increased by 136,000 jobs last month, the US government’s survey of establishments showed. The economy created 45,000 more jobs in July and August than previously estimated. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast payrolls would increase by 145,000 jobs in September.
September’s job gains were below the monthly average of 161,000 this year, but still above the roughly 100,000 needed each month to keep up with growth in the working-age population. The smaller household survey from which the unemployment rate is derived showed a jump of 391,000 in employment in September.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated on Friday that the economy was “in a good place,” adding that “our job is to keep it there as long as possible.”
Michael L. Ricafort, economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC), said the local unit ended weaker as China showed “reluctance” for a trade deal with the United States.
“The peso closed weaker today after China signalled reluctance on a broad trade deal pushed by the US, to be discussed in the upcoming US-China trade talks on October 10-11, 2019; reluctance by China to commit major issues such as any reforms on China’s industrial policy and government guarantees,” Mr. Ricafort said in a text message on Monday.
“US dollar was also slightly higher vs. major global/Asian currencies after strong US unemployment rate as of September at 3.5%,” Mr. Ricafort added.
For today, the trader sees the local unit moving within the P51.75-51.95 range against the dollar.
“The local currency might weaken further ahead of likely upbeat US producer inflation reports for September 2019,” the trader said. — BMLwithReuters
WITH one of the top two slots in the elimination round of Season 95 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association already taken, the Lyceum Pirates try to advance their push for the remaining berth when they take on the San Sebastian Stags in a key game today at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Second-running in the race with a 12-3 record, the Pirates look to create more separation from the chasing pack in their scheduled 2 p.m. game as they make a push to join defending champions San Beda Red Lions (16-0) as the higher seeds entering the Final Four.
Also playing today are the College of Saint Benilde Blazers (6-8) against the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals (3-12) at 12 noon and the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers (4-10) versus the Perpetual Help Altas (4-10) at 4 p.m.
Intramuros-based Lyceum has been on a tear of late, winning all of its six games in the second round so far after absorbing back-to-back losses to end the first phase of the eliminations.
The most recent of the victories of the Pirates was over EAC, 83-71, on Oct. 4.
Lyceum had to deal with a spirited challenge from the Generals who were looking to fashion out an upset but had more to give in the end on the lead of guard Jaycee Marcelino to pull off the win that extended their winning streak.
Marcelino finished with 23 points on a solid on 10-of-11 shooting for the Pirates with Mike Nzeusseu adding 14 points and 16 rebounds.
Raymar Caduyac finished with 10 points and six assists for Lyceum, which is angling to make it to a third straight finals appearance this season.
In the last two years the Pirates have been runners-up to San Beda.
“We just sustained our run. We made some mistakes but in the end we were able to pull it off,” said Lyceum coach Topex Robinson after their win, which they hope to build on as they finish their elimination round campaign.
Meanwhile, out to stop the streak of Pirates are the Stags (8-6) who are also angling to get their Final Four push back on track.
Lost some ground in the race following three losses in a row, San Sebastian did itself a favor by halting its skid with a 62-59 victory over JRU on Oct. 3.
The Stags struggled versus the Bombers and needed to dig deep down the stretch to extricate themselves for the much-needed win.
Alvin Capobres led three San Sebastian players in double figures in the victory with 21 points on top of eight rebounds.
JM Calma had a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds while veteran RK Ilagan had 11 points.
“The wins are just harder to come by now. We have to be ready each time,” said Stags coach Egay Macaraya, whose team is at solo fourth place at the moment.
NELLE IS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
In other news, San Beda point guard Evan Nelle is the NCAA player of the week (POW).
The league’s top player in assists, Nelle had a solid outing in their victories over the Letran Knights and Mapua Cardinals, averaging 13 points, 7.5 assists, four rebounds and two steals in said games.
His steady performance gave him the nod for the weekly plum given by media covering the league.
In winning the POW award, Nelle beat out Filipino-Canadian teammate James Canlas, Lyceum’s Marcelino, San Sebastian’s Capobres and Perpetual Help’s Kim Aurin.
WASHINGTON — The Los Angeles Dodgers erupted for seven runs in the sixth inning and never looked back, beating the host Washington Nationals 10-4 in Washington, DC, on Sunday night to take a 2-1 National League Division Series (NLDS) lead.
The outburst, which began with the Dodgers trailing 2-1, included two-run doubles from Russell Martin and Enrique Hernandez, and a three-run home run from Justin Turner. Martin added a two-run homer in the ninth to finish 2-for-4 with four RBIs.
Juan Soto homered for Washington, which will turn to veteran right-hander Max Scherzer in a win-or-go-home contest at home Monday in Game 4. The Dodgers will go with 39-year-old lefty Rich Hill.
As for Sunday, Los Angeles right-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-0) allowed two runs on four hits in five innings. He walked two and fanned three.
Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin (0-2) took the loss in relief after surrendering six runs and recording only two outs. He followed starter Anibal Sanchez, who allowed only one run on four hits in five innings while striking out nine and walking two.
The Nationals opened the scoring on Soto’s two-run blast in the first. The 20-year-old belted a high fastball 408 feet to center field for his first career postseason homer.
In the fifth, the Dodgers trimmed the deficit to 2-1. Max Muncy had two strikes against him when he ripped a 398-foot shot to right-center field for his second homer in as many games.
Martin gave the Dodgers a 3-2 lead when he drilled a two-out, two-run double off Corbin in the sixth. The hit to left-center field drove in Cody Bellinger and David Freese, both of whom had singled.
The inning quickly got away from Corbin, who walked Chris Taylor before giving up a two-run double to Hernandez that increased the Dodgers’ lead to 5-2. That spelled the end of the night for Corbin in his first relief appearance since 2017.
Nationals manager Davey Martinez brought in right-hander Wander Suero to face Turner with two on and two out. Turner promptly crushed a three-run homer over the wall in left-center field to make it 8-2.
A wild pitch by Dodgers right-hander Joe Kelly with the bases loaded allowed Washington to score a run in the bottom of the sixth. Two batters later, a sacrifice fly by Asdrubal Cabrera cut the deficit to 8-4.
Martin capped off his big night with a two-run homer in the ninth.
BRAVES AHEAD OF TAKING SERIES
Pinch hitter Adam Duvall’s two-run single capped a three-run, ninth-inning rally as the visiting Atlanta Braves rallied past the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 in Game 3 of a National League Division Series on Sunday afternoon.
The Braves gained a 2-1 edge in the best-of-five series. Game 4 will be played Monday afternoon at Busch Stadium.
Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson had three hits, including the game-tying double in the ninth-inning. Cardinals closer Carlos Martinez (1-1) took the loss after entering with a 1-0 lead in the ninth.
Sean Newcomb (1-0), the fourth Braves pitcher, earned the victory. Mark Melancon closed out the Cardinals, allowing one hit in the ninth, for the save.
Josh Donaldson led off the ninth with a double. After Nick Markakis and Adeiny Hechavarria struck out, Brian McCann got a free pass before Swanson hammered an RBI double into the left field corner. That set the stage for Duvall’s two-run single into center field.
Braves starting pitcher Mike Soroka held the Cardinals to one run on just two hits in seven innings, both by Marcell Ozuna. He struck out seven and walked none.
Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright held the Braves scoreless for 7 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out eight. He worked seven or more innings for the eighth time in his 13 postseason starts.
Ozuna hit a lead-off double in the second inning, advanced to third on Yadier Molina’s groundout and scored on Matt Carpenter’s sacrifice fly to put the Cardinals up 1-0.
After the Braves left the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, Carpenter and Tommy Edman drew walks off reliever Max Fried to open the bottom of the inning.
Paul DeJong popped out before Darren O’Day relieved Fried and picked off pinch runner Harrison Bader at second base. That proved helpful when Jose Martinez lined a single to left.
Newcomb relieved O’Day and coaxed Dexter Fowler to fly out to end the threat.
Duvall is 3-for-3 with four RBIs as a pinch hitter in this series. His two-run homer in the seventh inning of Game 2 provided insurance for the Braves in their 3-0 victory. — Reuters
KANSAS CITY — Marlon Mack rushed for 132 yards on 29 carries Sunday as the Indianapolis Colts controlled the clock with a potent run game and shocked the Kansas City Chiefs 19-13 at Kansas City, Mo.
Mack led a 180-yard ground attack that enabled the Colts (3-2) to control the football for 37-plus minutes on 45 rushes. They kept Patrick Mahomes and the high-powered Chiefs (4-1) from finding any rhythm in handing them their first loss of the season.
Mahomes turned his ankle in the first half and aggravated the injury while playing on it in the second half. He passed for 321 yards but was sacked four times. The Chiefs committed 11 penalties for 125 yards and scored just three points over the final 44-plus minutes.
The outcome left the New England Patriots (5-0) and San Francisco 49ers (3-0) as the only unbeaten teams in the NFL.
Justin Houston, a former All-Pro linebacker for Kansas City, helped the Colts’ defensive effort, recording a fourth-down tackle to stop the Chiefs at their 33 with 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter. The young Colts defense played without two starting safeties and last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in the NFL, linebacker Darius Leonard.
Indianapolis quarterback Jacoby Brissett engineered the upset, completing 18 of 29 passes for 151 yards.
Adam Vinatieri booted four field goals, including a pair of 32-yarders in the first half — the second coming with 10 seconds left to give Indianapolis a 13-10 halftime lead.
Mahomes started fast, going 8 of 9 on the first possession, but a penalty and failure to convert on third-and-long forced Kansas City to settle for a 29-yard field goal from Harrison Butker. The Chiefs’ only touchdown came when Mahomes scrambled and found Byron Pringle for a 27-yard touchdown on a third-and-18 call early in the second quarter.
Chiefs cornerback Bashaud Breeland was flagged for three first-half penalties, including a 53-yard pass interference call that put Vinatieri in position for his first field goal.
The Colts also drove 70 yards for a first-quarter touchdown on a 1-yard keeper by Brissett after Mack got going with 40 yards rushing on that march. — Reuters
THE Philippine men’s national rugby union team has been competing in many international competitions in the last decade and given pride to the country in the process but it admits that playing in front of the Filipinos later this year at the 30th Southeast Asian Games is something they are looking forward to and excited about.
Currently 42nd in the world rankings, the Philippine Volcanoes, the SEA Games gold medallists in the 2015 edition of the sporting meet, said they are expecting the atmosphere to be different playing on home field and they are going to bask in it as they try to go on top anew.
“We are excited to have the home crowd supporting us. The last time we played in front of the home team at the SEA Games was in 2005 which was held here. It’s great to have the people here supporting us. Most of our players come from big families so we love to see them there as well,” said Jake Letts, General Manager of the Philippine Rugby Football Union Inc. in an interview.
In the SEA Games, which the country is hosting from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, rugby will be played at the Parade Grounds in Clark, Pampanga, from Dec. 5 to 9.
Mr. Letts said they are expecting a tough competition during the Games and that they are working hard to be in the best possible shape come tournament time.
“Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore will be strong. But it’s a competitive and level playing field. Each team can compete with one another. The sport is very exciting and you really have to put in the work if you want to succeed,” the Philippine rugby official said.
As part of their preparation for the SEA Games, the Philippine Volcanoes competed at the 2019 Asia Rugby Sevens Series in September where they finished sixth after three legs.
They are also set to see action in the regional qualification for the Tokyo Olympics in Korea in November.
“We would love to see the support of fans here. The competition is not going to be easy but we hope to get better. Also we hope more people will be inspired to pick up rugby as a sport here when they see us play,” said Mr. Letts.
Back in the 2017 SEA Games, the Philippine Volcanoes fell short of a podium finish, winding up at fourth behind host Malaysia (gold), Singapore (silver) and Indonesia (bronze).
The Philippines lost to Indonesia, 26-7, in the bronze medal game.
The 30th SEA Games is touted to be the biggest to be staged in the Philippines, involving 11,000 athletes and officials from the 11 member nations, 9,000 volunteers, 530 events and 56 sports.
Forty-four venues have been short-listed for the event scattered in different parts of the country.
The last time the country hosted the SEA Games was in 2005.
THE DanceSport Council of the Philippines, Inc. (DSCPI) will host the 23rd DSCPI National DanceSport and Breaking Championships on Oct. 12 at the Ballroom Hall of Valle Verde Country Club, Pasig City.
DSCPI President Becky Garcia confirmed that 500 DanceSport, BBoys and BGirls nationwide will join the ranking competition backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Flawless, Dance Results Philippines, Like-FM 105.9, Studio AK, Muebles Italiano and The Greenery Bulacan.
Nine World DanceSport Federation licensed adjudicators Kabdulla Baizhanov from Kazakhstan, Christian Bradbury from Hong Kong, Gloria Alcala from the Philippines, Sylvia Loo from Malaysia, Sutu Ok from Korea, Luis Alberto Pereira from Macau, John Alan Winter from Denmark, Robbin Tanudibrata from Indonesia and Chu Tan Duc from Vietnam will serve as adjudicators.
Japanese Uochi Nao, Taiwanese Liu Chih-Chiang and Singaporean Huang Sze Thian will serve as adjudicators for Breaking.
The DSCPI Board of Directors are Noel Laman (chairman), Andy Fornier (secretary general), Edward Hayco (sports director), Gloria Alcala (treasurer) and directors Marvie Cojuangco-Yulo, Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo, Chona Mercado, Nanette Mendoza, Rebecca Jose and Girme Gutierrez.
Tickets are available at the DanceSport Training Center, PhilSports Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City and at the entrance of the Ballroom of Valle Verde Country Club on October 12.
SINGAPORE — After three exhibition matches, the water polo national team now gets to play in actual game as the Filipinos face Ireland at the start of the 2019 FINA Water Polo Challengers’ Cup today at the OCBC Aquatic Centre here.
The national team defeated Zimbabwe 16-2 Monday morning, and hammered an 8-5 victory versus Malaysia — bronze medalist in the last Southeast Asian Games in KL — in the afternoon session.
Another friendly game is set against India a day before the start of the 10-nation tournament.
Water polo coach Rey Galang said the players are ready considering the execution on offense and solid defense the national team displayed in the first two exhibition games.
“Our players are ready to play in this tournament — physically and mentally,” said Galang, who has former national team player standout Dale Evangelista as part of the coaching staff.
“We know we’re up against a team that is taller and bigger than our players, but I know we have the skills to match up with our opponent,” he added.
The national team takes on Ireland at 4:30 p.m., right after the 2 p.m. game between India and Indonesia, while Austria and Chinese Taipei clash at 6 p.m. before Zimbabwe faces host Singapore at 7:30 p.m.
The team’s participation in this event, made possible by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Swimming Inc. (PSI), is part of training for the Filipinos as they prepare for the 30th SEA Games the country is hosting on Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.
Part of the 13-man team are captain Tani Gomez, Roy Cañete, Mico Anota, Adan Gonzales, Matthew Yu, Macgyver Reyes, Mark Valdez, Aljon Salonga, Romark Belo, Paolo Serrano, Abnel Amiladjid, Mummar Alamara and Filipino-American Vince Sicat.
FIDE World Cup 2019
Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
Sept. 9–Oct. 4, 2019
Results of Semis (winners in bold)
Ding Liren CHN 2811 vs. Yu Yangyi CHN 2763 2.5-1.5
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave FRA 2774 vs. Teimour Radjabov AZE 2758 0.5-1.5
Result of Finals
Teimour Radjabov AZE 2758 vs. Ding Liren CHN 2811 6-4
Result of Match for 3rd place
Yu Yangyi CHN 2763 vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave FRA 2774 2-4
7-round 128 player Knockout event
Time Control: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes play-to-finish with 30 seconds added to your clock after every move, starting move 1
GM Teimour Radjabov
Teimour Radjabov, a 32-year-old Azeri Grandmaster, scored the biggest win of his life by beating top seed Ding Liren in tiebreaks to win the 2019 FIDE World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk and bring home the top prize of $110,000 (P5.6 million). This was a surprise on several levels, first because Radjabov is semi-retired, second because at the beginning of this event he had revealed his plan to completely give up chess, and third because in previous tournaments he had shown a disinclination to fight, frequently agreeing to draws without any real chess being played.
But everything was different here in Khanty-Mansiysk, all his old magic returned and we got to see a lot of power chess — small advantages derived from excellent opening preparation, tactical sharpness in the middlegame, and then ruthless endgame technique to grind home the win.
Radjabov’s road to the title of World Cup 2019 champion.
Round 1. Defeated GM Helgi Dam Ziska, rated 2533, the first and only GM ever from the Faroe Islands 1.5-0.5;
Round 2. Won over GM Sanan Sjugirov (RUS 2662) after tiebreaks 2.5-1.5;
Round 3. Beat the “Amazing People” Daniil Yuffa (RUS 2577) 1.5-0.5. This is the guy I told you earlier who gave an exhibition in front of live TV playing three blindfold simultaneous games while performing classical music pieces on the piano;
Semifinals. Broke the heart of France by eliminating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA 2774) 1.5-0.5;
Finals. Prevailed over Ding Liren (CHN 2811) by winning both blitz tiebreak games 6-4.
Radjabov had inherited the title of the “Beast of Baku” from the original “Beast,” Garry Kasparov himself, and the decisive game from his semifinal match with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is a great illustration of why he deserves the title.
The Azeri’s comments after the game were very interesting: “it’s this stage of exhaustion that you want to attack, sacrifice everything and just finish the tournament. If you win it’s nice, but if you lose you say OK, fine, I don’t have to be tortured anymore!”
Radjabov, Teimour (2758) — Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime (2774) [A34]
FIDE World Cup 2019 Khanty-Mansiysk (6.2), 27.09.2019
Wesley So had used this Anti-Gruenfeld line twice against MVL, so the Frenchman is familiar with this position. In the Norway Stavanger tournament earlier this year Wesley had now played Be3 followed by Nd2 and Qg3 trying to stir up an attack, but MVL countered effectively and their game ended in a draw.
8.Bd3
Surprisingly, this natural move is a novelty. White’s idea is that Black’s usual knight in the kingside is missing, so he will try to stir up an attack with Bd3, Qe2, e4–e5, Qe4, etc etc.
8…Be7 9.Qe2 Bd7 10.0–0 0–0? <D>
POSITION AFTER 10…0-0
Would you believe that Black is now lost? He should have paid more attention to White’s attacking potential and continued with 10…Bc6! followed by Nd7.
11.e5 Bc6 12.Ng5! h6
[12…g6? 13.Nxh7! Kxh7 14.Qh5+ Kg7 15.Qh6+ Kg8 16.Bxg6 fxg6 17.Qxg6+ Kh8 18.Qh5+ Kg8 19.Bh6 with very dire threats]
13.Bh7+! Kh8 14.Bc2
Radjabov move thought this was a very clever move, threatening Qd3, but after the game he said that Bb1 might be better so that the queen has the option of going to either d3 or c2.
14…c4
Preventing 15.Qd3 g6 16.Nxe6! Other moves:
14…Bxg5? 15.Bxg5 hxg5 16.Qh5+ Kg8 17.Qh7#;
14…g6 15.Nh3! Kg7 16.Nf4 Nd7 17.Re1 White has a strong attack. Take note that Bxg6 is currently being threatened.
15.Re1 Qd8 16.Nh3 Qd5!
Vachier-Lagrave is defending with all his might. Take note that 16…b5? would have fallen to 17.Bxh6! gxh6 18.Qh5 Kg7 19.Rad1 Nd7 20.Rd4 Black’s king is a goner.
17.Nf4 Qc5 18.Bb1! Bg5
White’s threats are real. If for example 18…Nd7? then 19.Qc2 g6 20.Be3! (careful with the defense of the f2 square! If immediately 20.Nxg6+? fxg6 21.Qxg6?? then 21…Qxf2+ followed by mate) 20…Qa5 21.Nxg6+ fxg6 22.Qxg6 there is no defense to this.
19.Nxe6 fxe6 20.Bxg5 Qd5!
Not 20…hxg5 21.Qh5+ Kg8 22.Bh7+ Kh8 23.Bg6+ Kg8 24.Qh7#
21.Qg4 Nd7?
MVL has managed to survive this far but here he should have exchanged down to an inferior but playable endgame with 21…Qxg2+ 22.Qxg2 Bxg2 23.Bxh6 gxh6 24.Kxg2 White ends up with an extra pawn so he should still be winning here, but this is the best that Black can do.
22.Be4 Nxe5 23.Qh5 Qb5 24.Bxh6 Bxe4 25.Bf4+
[25.Rxe4?? Nf3+ forces White to give up his queen for the knight]
25…Kg8 26.Qxe5
[26.Bxe5 Rf5]
26…Bd5 27.Re2 Rf5 28.Qe3 Qe8 29.f3!
Radjabov prepares for kingside attack part 2. First he takes away Black’s long diagonal.
A blunder but anyway Black is losing because he has no good defense to h5–h6.
45.Qxf5 1–0
In the Finals Teimour Radjabov fought the rating favorite Ding Liren to a 2-2 draw in the 4-game standard match. In the tie-breaks there were draws in all four rapid games and then Radjabov won both blitz games to win the title.
Radjabov’s best game was in game 3 of the standard match. After the game Ding Liren confessed that he still did not know where he went wrong!
Radjabov, Teimour (2758) — Ding, Liren (2811) [C89]
FIDE World Cup 2019 Khanty-Mansiysk (7.3), 02.10.2019
There is a ton of theory here in the Marshall Attack. We will just point out the highlights.
Ding had won the previous game and Radjabov is in a must-win situation. His choice to allow the Marshall Attack was a surprise — this counter-attack has been analyzed to death, most lines ending in a draw. It turns out that Radjabov has something new planned.
8…d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d3
Some White players prefer this move because, by comparison with the mainline 12.d4, when the white rook gets an opportunity to go to e4 later it would be defended, unlike in the 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Re4 line when Black has some tactical opportunities based on the looseness of the e4–rook.
This was Radjabov’s novelty. He exchanges queens and goes to the endgame where he will try to make something of Black’s vulnerable pawns on the queenside.
On Thursday we will try to fire out how Radjabov was able to keep performing at a high level even though he has not been playing much in the past few years.
Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.
Kevin Na had been putting on a clinic for practically the entire tournament. His penultimate 18 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open was especially remarkable; he posted a 61 — tying the lowest number of his career — to set the 54-hole scoring record at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas. No doubt buoyed by familiarity with his home-state course, he weaved his magic from tee to green, and especially with his putter, through which he carved a strokes-gained stat line that showed him steering clear of the field by a whopping five and a half strokes in each of the middle rounds.
For all the fist pumping Na did, though, he couldn’t steer clear of his closest pursuers. Patrick Cantlay, for instance, likewise had a fondness for the layout as evidenced by a win and a bridesmaid finish the last two years, and appeared ready to keep pace. Still, the stage was set, and destiny was his to forge — until, that is, he made the turn yesterday. Staking a three-shot lead with only nine holes left to negotiate, he promptly turned what seemed to be a red-carpet walk into a roller-coaster ride. He carded a triple bogey on the par-four 10th even though he managed to steer clear of the hazards, and the game was on.
Na retained the advantage because Cantlay bogeyed the same hole, and he was determined to keep it. His playing partner was equally resolute in wresting it from him, and, after matching his par-birdie-birdie-par-birdie outputs over the next five holes, finally did so when his bogey on the 16th after he found water proved two strokes worse. He seemed to be in trouble anew on the 17th when his lie on a greenside bunker required him to play away from the hole, but he saved par from 25 feet. Meanwhile, a bogey from the provisional leader knotted the score anew. Pars on the 72nd hole forced a playoff.
Na would need to traverse the 18th twice more before finally securing the triumph. He did enough to do so, posting a birdie on the first sudden-death hole and then a par on the second. The latter was at least better than the effort of Cantlay, who held the flatstick for birdie from 45 feet after a poor approach shot, wound up six feet short, and then flubbed the putt that would have extended the playoff. In the aftermath, the victor looked relieved and noted that the outcome was “way too close” for comfort.
Nonetheless, Na will take the win, his second of the year after the Charles Schwab Challenge at the Colonial in Texas last May. He began the week ruing the fate that befell compatriot Bi-o Kim in South Korea, whose professional tour saw fit to penalize with a three-year ban after an unfortunate middle-finger flash of anger directed at a spectator who clicked a cellphone camera on the downswing. That he — himself not averse to blowing a fuse or two while in competition — would end it at the podium by keeping his wits about him speaks volumes of his skill set. In the offing, there will be more downs, but there also promises to be many more ups.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte’s approval rating fell in September, amid a Senate investigation of the country’s jail system for corruption that allegedly leads all the way to top police officials.
The president got an approval rating of 78%, 7 points lower than a quarter earlier, according to the latest poll by Pulse Asia Research, Inc. His trust rating also dropped by 11 points to 74%, the polling firm said in an email.
His latest ratings come as senators investigate money-making schemes inside the national jail in Muntinlupa City. The Bureau of Corrections had illegally freed about 2,000 felons for good conduct even if they were ineligible because they were convicted for various heinous crimes.
Mr. Duterte was forced to fire his prison chief, Nicanor E. Faeldon, whom he had retained in several government posts after his stint at the Bureau of Customs.
The Ombudsman has suspended dozens of jail officials for neglect of duty, among other things.
Still, the president retained majority approval ratings across all geographic areas and socioeconomic classes — 69% to 92% and 75% to 84%, respectively, Pulse Asia said.
“Trust is the prevailing sentiment in the different geographic areas and socioeconomic groupings toward President Duterte (62% to 91% and 71% to 80%, respectively),” the pollster said.
Meanwhile, Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo’s approval rating also fell by 5 points to 50% in the third quarter, while her trust rating dipped by 6 points to 46%, according to Pulse Asia.
Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III’s approval rating fell by 5 points to 72%, while his trust rating dipped by 7 points to 66%.
Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin’s approval rating rose by a point to 42%, while his trust rating dipped by a point to 34%, according to the September poll.
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who assumed his post in July, got a majority approval rating of 64% and a trust rating of 62%, Pulse Asia said.
The firm talked to 1,200 adults for the poll, which had an error margin of ±2.8 points.
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte is just doing well after disclosing that he suffers from an autoimmune disease that could potentially have serious complications, the presidential palace said yesterday.
“I don’t think it’s that serious for us to worry about,” presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo told DZMM radio yesterday.
Mr. Duterte, 74, was the oldest person to be elected president of the country, and his health has been the subject of speculations.
Mr. Panelo said the president had complained of not being able to sleep during his flight from Russia. The president told the Filipino community there that he was suffering from a chronic neuromuscular disease.
The condition “causes weakness in the skeletal muscles, which are responsible for breathing and moving parts of the body, including the arms and legs,” according to the US National Institutes of Health website.
A Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll in December found that 66% of Filipinos were worried about Mr. Duterte’s health. — Arjay L. Balinbin
PHILIPPINE authorities said they arrested an Indonesian woman who was carrying eight kilos of crystal meth worth P54 million in her carry-on bag from her flight from Cambodia.
Both the suspect and the illegal drugs will be turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Bureau of Customs said in a statement yesterday.
The smuggled drugs were found wrapped in an aluminum foil and hidden beneath the lining of her baggage, according to the statement.
The woman wept and covered her face in front of TV cameras, as she told officials the bag was not hers.
Customs “remains vigilant against the entry of prohibited drugs and other contraband in all airports and seaports nationwide,” the bureau said. — BML
