Mcilroy named Europe’s best
Irish golfer named EPGA Tour’s player of the year for third time in four years
LONDON: World number three Rory Mcilroy was on Tuesday named the European Tour Golfer of the year for the third time in the last four seasons.
The Northern Irishman, 26, is only the seventh player in European Tour history to be crowned European number one in consecutive campaigns.
He takes the award after winning three times in 2015, at the Dubai Desert Classic, the Wgccadillac Match Play and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last month.
The latter prize allowed him to successfully defend his Race to Dubai crown — an honour he also claimed for a third time since 2012.
‘RAIKKONEN WILL BE PHENOMENAL IN 2016’ ROME: Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne says he has seen a new Kimi Raikkonen emerge this year and believes the 2007 Formula One world champion could be set for a ‘phenomenal’ 2016.
“If I can give you some encouraging information, it’s that I have seen a huge change in Kimi during the season,” he told a pre-christmas news conference at Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters on Monday. “We were talking with some of our colleagues over the past three or four days, and we are beginning to look at a different Kimi.”
Marchionne said the 36-yearold Finn, now a proud father, was a lot more settled in his private life and that would help him be more competitive.
VERSTAPPEN THE KING OF OVERTAKING
PARIS: Teenager Max Verstappen may have been racing his debut Formula One season in 2015 but the Dutchman came out on top in the overtaking stakes, F1 tyre manufacturer Pirelli said on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old managed 49 successful overtaking manoeuvres during the season to edge out his Toro Rosso teammate Carlos Sainz Jr into second on 45.
Both were well above the average of 26.8 although the total of 509 overtaking manoeuvres during the season was down 10 percent on 2014 (639).
Malaysia was the most entertaining Grand Prix with 60 while Australia and Singapore both managed just 11 throughout the entire race.
That wasn’t even as many as Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel managed all on his own in Canada where he overtook 13 cars on the way from starting 18th on the grid to finishing fifth.
BOLT FOR LONDON ANNIVERSARY GAMES LONDON: Six-times Olympic champion Usain Bolt will return to London’s Olympic Park to take part in next year’s London Anniversary Games, organisers British Athletics confirmed on Tuesday.
World’s fastest man, Bolt, will compete in London’s world-class Diamond League event on July 22-23, making it his final appearance before the Rio Olympics, the lanky Jamaican said in a statement. “I know the fans in London are very knowledgeable and passionate and will come out in force and create a great atmosphere,” said Bolt.
BUDAPEST A ‘STRONG CONTENDER’: IOC BOSS BUDAPEST: Budapest’s existing sports infrastructure stands it in good stead to win the right to host the 2024 Olympic Games, International Olympic Committee (IOC) boss Thomas Bach said on Tuesday.
Last year, the IOC announced an overhaul in its Games bidding process through the 2020 Agenda recommendations aimed at reigning in spending, after exorbitant costs incurred by former host cities Beijing and London.
The reforms also aimed to encourage smaller countries to join the race.