Flawless play propels Justin Thomas to lead at Muirfield

ILLINOIS — Justin Thomas shot a second consecutive six-under par to seize the lead from Collin Morikawa at the third round of the Workday Charity Open in Dublin, Ohio, on Saturday.

Bubble setup

By Anthony L. Cuaycong
Complaints started making their way to social media as soon as players arrived at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. And, as usual, the discussions bordered on the flippant. The packed meals, while elaborate, were compared to those served in airlines, or even in the ill-fated Fyre Festival. Needless to say, the criticisms bordered on unfair, what with the situation improving drastically after they cleared quarantine. In fact, notwithstanding the musings of such notables as the Sixers’ Joel Embiid, the Lakers’ JR Smith, and the Rockets’ Ben McLemore, they were nowhere near subjected to what the Lakers’ Rajon Rondo described as a “Motel 6” experience.

Barcenilla to banner PHL chess team after ruling qualifier

Grandmaster Rogelio “Banjo” Barcenilla Jr. did it again.

Bienvenido Marañon grateful for opportunities with Ceres-Negros

A STEADY and notable fixture in the local club football scene in the past half decade, Spanish striker Bienvenido Marañon said he is very thankful for the many opportunities presented to him at Ceres-Negros FC, which unfortunately this week announced that it is talks to sell the franchise and is set to exit the Philippines Football League (PFL).

It’s not all fun and games for NBA at Disney complex

TORONTO — Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park is billed as the “The Most Magical Place On Earth,” but National Basketball Association players arriving at the Florida resort on Wednesday to prepare for the restart of their COVID-19 season can expect something more dreary than fun.

UFC 251 on Abu Dhabi ‘Fight Island’ this weekend

THE ULTIMATE Fighting Championship returns with another offering amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as it holds “UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal” on Sunday (Manila time) at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Ryder Cup postponed due to coronavirus

TORONTO — This year’s Ryder Cup, which was scheduled to be held in late September in Wisconsin, has been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers said on Wednesday.

Bottas sets his sights on historic Austrian double

VALTTERI BOTTAS can make Formula One history in Austria on Sunday as the first driver to win twice at the same circuit in a single season, but the Finn knows plenty can change in the space of a week.

Red Bull R1v1r Runes Civil War on July 20

THE CAST is set for “Red Bull R1v1r Runes Civil War” on July 20.

Big picture

By Anthony L. Cuaycong
Novak Djokovic is seething. He’s being subjected to a “witch hunt,” he said, for having hosted a multi-leg event that had to be scrapped after four players, himself included, tested positive for the novel coronavirus. In an interview published the other day on the Serbia-based sports daily Sportski Zurnal, he noted that he: 1) had only good intentions in trying to steer tennis to some semblance normalcy; 2) spearheaded the event while complying with regulations to ensure public safety; 3) scrapped the remainder of the Adria Tour as soon as he got wind of the test results; 4) apologized after admitting he restarted the sport too early.

Officials: PFL ready when given nod to return

WHILE WAITING for word for their season to start, officials of the Philippines Football League (PFL) said they are ready to get the action going if and when given the approval to do so.

PBA sets meeting with head coaches and team managers to discuss league’s return protocols

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter THE Philippine Basketball Association’s (PBA) push to return to some activities cranks up further as the league is...