Players reach Orlando bubble ahead of NBA training camps
WASHINGTON: Spain’ssecond-rankedjonrahmcan overtake Rory Mcilroy and become world number one for the first time with a victory at this week’s US PGA Workday Charity Open.
The25-year-oldspaniardteesoffthursdayalongside reigning US Open champion Gary Woodland and Norway’s Viktor Hovland at Muirfield Village in Thursday’s opening round.
Four-time major champion Mcilroy of Northern Ireland has topped the rankings since February, just before the start of a three-month hiatus due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
But with Mcilroy idle this week ahead of next week’s Memorial tournament over the same midOhio layout, Rahm has a chance to swipe the top spot with a victory in the new event, created to fill a gap in the schedule ater the John Deere Classic was called off due to COVID-19 issues.
The only Spaniard to hold the world number one ranking was the late Seve Ballesteros, who was there for 61 weeks, exchanging the spot with Australian Greg Norman from 1986-1989.
Rahm credits his willingness to fight for every shot as a reason his results have been consistent enough to give him a chance to reach the top.
“I fight on the golf course for every shot I hit every single day,” Rahm said Wednesday. “That never give up atitude, even if I’m starting 30th in the final round and I’ve got no chance of winning, I still want to finish as high as possible.
“It’s important to fight for those shots. Top 10s are still top 10s. And the beter you play, the more chances you are in the top 10, the more chances you will have to win.” The Workday will be the fith event in a row played without spectators, who were to have returned to the PGA at next week’s Jack Nicklaus-hosted event before spiking coronavirus cases in the area forced officials to scrap that plan.
Rahm was charging earlier in the 2019-20 season, winning last October’s Spanish Open and the World Tour championship at Dubai in November, taking Race to Dubai and European Tour Player of the Year honors. He was a runner-up at Torrey Pines in January and third at the WGC Mexico Championship just before the shutdown.
Since returning from the layoff, Rahm has a missed cut and shares of 33rd and 37th.
“I don’t want to be a player who gets maybe a couple wins and everything else is missed cuts or T40s because that’s not who I am,” Rahm said.
“Every time I tee it up I fight my hardest on every shot. That’s why that grind kind of translates to consistent play.”
Eighth-ranked Patrick Cantlay, the defending Memorial champion, is among seven of the world’s top 15 at the event, including three of the top five with Rahm, fourth-ranked Justin Thomas and number five Brooks Koepka, who withdrew two weeks ago at the Travelers Championship ater his caddie tested positive for COVID-19.
MIAMI: NBA players have started arriving in Orlando to face life in the league’s “bubble” at Walt Disney World ahead of Thursday’s start of training camp workouts.
Airplane-style food trays have brought mixed reviews as 22 teams prepare to restart a 201920 season that was shut down March 11 when Utah’s Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.
Players are tested for coronavirus upon arrival at the quarantined zone designed to prevent outbreaks even as Florida becomes one of the latest US epicenters of the deadly virus.
They must pass another test at least 24 hours later to leave isolation, and partake of hotel restaurants with more than pre-packaged offerings.
“No way Bron eating this. LOL,” tweeted Los Angeles Clippers guard Isaiah Thomas, hinting that LA Lakers superstar Lebron James would have a superior menu when his team arrived Thursday.
“Food is actually a lot beter than what I expected,” tweeted Orlando Magic swingman Evan Fournier. The Frenchman also offered a quick tour of his typical-looking hotel room on social media, complete with a balcony.
Teams can begin training camp workouts once they have completed bubble arrival quarantine. Teams will start to scrimmage each other on July 22 ahead of the planned July 30 restart.
Some players have been outspoken in their lack of confidence in the NBA bubble plan, which was assembled in consultation with the players union and medical experts as well as local and state officials.
“I don’t like the idea,” Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid said. “I still don’t believe in it and I don’t think it’s going to be safe enough.”
The Cameroonian center said he considered not playing but did not want to let down his teammates as they try to capture an NBA title.
“You don’t want to be in a situation where you put your life at risk and all that stuff for just what, the money?” he said. “At the end of the day, basketball is not all that maters.”
Embiid had litle confidence every player on every team would follow all of the restrictions needed to safeguard everyone in the bubble environment from the virus.
“I know I’m going to do the right things,” he said. “But then again, I don’t trust those other guys.”
Portland’s Damian Lillard expressed similar feelings last week.