CHINA DAILY WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2014 sports 23 score board BASEBALL Results of MLB games on Monday (home team in CAPS): NY Mets 5 PHILADELPHIA 3 BALTIMORE 11 NY Yankees 3 PITTSBURGH 11 Detroit 6 LA Dodgers 6 ATLANTA 2 MIAMI 6 St. Louis 5 Milwaukee 3 CHICAGO CUBS 1 Tampa Bay 7 TEXAS 0 Minnesota 4 HOUSTON 2 KANSAS CITY 3 Oakland 2 SAN DIEGO 4 Colorado 3 SEATTLE 11 Toronto 1 AMERICAN LEAGUE East Division W L Pct GB Baltimore 68 50 .576 — Toronto 63 57 .525 6 New York 61 57 .517 7 Tampa Bay 58 60 .492 10 Boston 52 65 .444 15½ Central Division Kansas City 64 53 .547 — Detroit 63 53 .543 ½ Cleveland 59 59 .500 5½ Chicago 56 63 .471 9 Minnesota 53 64 .453 11 West Division Oakland 72 46 .610 — Los Angeles 68 49 .581 3½ Seattle 63 55 .534 9 Houston 49 70 .412 23½ Texas 46 72 .390 26 NATIONAL LEAGUE East Division Washington 63 53 .543 — Atlanta 60 58 .508 4 Miami 58 60 .492 6 New York 57 62 .479 7½ Philadelphia 53 66 .445 11½ Central Division Milwaukee 66 53 .555 — Pittsburgh 63 55 .534 2½ St. Louis 62 55 .530 3 Cincinnati 60 58 .508 5½ Chicago 50 67 .427 15 West Division Los Angeles 68 52 .567 — San Francisco 62 56 .525 5 San Diego 55 62 .470 11½ Arizona 51 67 .432 16 Colorado 46 72 .390 21 GOLF World rankings As of Monday: 1. (1) Rory McIlroy (N. Ireland) 11.27 2. (2) Adam Scott (Australia) 9.28 3. (4) Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 8.22 4. (3) Sergio Garcia (Spain) 7.75 5. (5) Justin Rose (Britain) 7.45 6. (8) Jim Furyk (USA) 6.87 7. (6) Matt Kuchar (USA) 6.66 8. (7) Bubba Watson (USA) 6.60 9. (13) Phil Mickelson (USA) 6.28 10. (9) Jason Day (Australia) 6.28 11. (10) Tiger Woods (USA) 5.75 12. (11) Jordan Spieth (USA) 5.50 13. (18) Rickie Fowler (USA) 5.42 14. (12) Martin Kaymer (Germany) 5.31 15. (14) Zach Johnson (USA) 4.97 16. (15) Graeme McDowell (N. Ireland) 4.87 17. (17) Dustin Johnson (USA) 4.85 18. (16) Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 4.80 19. (20) Jimmy Walker (USA) 4.38 20. (19) Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 4.24 21. (23) Steve Stricker (USA) 4.17 22. (21) Keegan Bradley (USA) 4.08 23. (22) Victor Dubuisson (France) 4.07 24. (24) Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 3.79 25. (26) Luke Donald (Britain) 3.73 26. (25) Patrick Reed (USA) 3.67 27. (27) Jason Dufner (USA) 3.66 28. (28) Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 3.43 29. (29) Ian Poulter (Britain) 3.41 30. (32) Jamie Donaldson (Britain) 3.38 European Tour Race to Dubai money list As of Monday: 1. Rory McIlroy (N. Ireland) 5,120,709 euros 2. Sergio Garcia (Spain) 2,273,917 3. Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 1,696,231 4. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 1,691,231 5. Martin Kaymer (Germany) 1,570,937 6. Jamie Donaldson (Wales) 1,538,785 7. Justin Rose (England) 1,503,781 8. Victor Dubuisson (France) 1,458,102 9. Stephen Gallacher (Scotland) 1,284,633 10. Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 1,226,249 2013-14 PGA Tour money list As of Monday (US unless stated): 1. Rory McIlroy (N. Ireland) $6,965,896 2. Jimmy Walker 5,337,340 3. Bubba Watson 5,185,361 4. Jim Furyk 4,635,595 5. Sergio Garcia (Spain) 4,368,700 6. Dustin Johnson 4,249,180 7. Matt Kuchar 4,129,969 8. Martin Kaymer (Germany) 4,007,537 9. Rickie Fowler 3,942,317 10. Jordan Spieth 3,854,682 CRICKET South Africa vs Zimbabwe Test Zimbabwe was 28 for one in their second innings at the close of play on the third day of the one-off Test against South Africa at Harare Sports Club on Monday. Zimbabwe 256 (B. Taylor 93; D. Steyn 5-46, D. Piedt 4-90) & 28-1 in 13 overs vs South Africa 397 (F. Du Plessis 98, Q. De Kock 81, D. Elgar 61, JP Duminy 55; J. Nyumbu 5-157) TENNIS ATP Tour rankings As of Monday: 1 (1) Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 13130 2 (2) Rafa Nadal (Spain) 12670 3 (3) Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6070 4 (4) Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 5770 5 (5) Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 4410 6 (6) Milos Raonic (Canada) 4375 7 (7) David Ferrer (Spain) 4085 8 (8) Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 3270 9 (9) Andy Murray (Britain) 3060 10 (10) Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) 2860 11 (11) Kei Nishikori (Japan) 2780 12 (12) Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 2680 13 (13) Richard Gasquet (France) 2460 14 (14) John Isner (USA) 2435 15 (15) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 1910 16 (16) Roberto Bautista (Spain) 1785 17 (17) Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 1680 18 (18) Marin Cilic (Croatia) 1665 19 (19) Fabio Fognini (Italy) 1665 20 (20) Tommy Robredo (Spain) 1645 WTA Tour singles standings As of Monday: 1 (1) Serena Williams (USA) 9150 2 (3) Simona Halep (Romania) 6785 3 (2) Li Na (China) 6565 4 (4) Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 5930 5 (5) Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 5625 6 (6) Maria Sharapova (Russia) 4986 7 (7) Angelique Kerber (Germany) 4570 8 (8) Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) 4450 9 (9) Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 3900 10 (11) Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 3683 11 (10) Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 3605 12 (13) Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 3130 13 (12) Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) 3002 14 (14) Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 2970 15 (15) Sara Errani (Italy) 2910 16 (16) Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 2785 17 (17) Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 2750 18 (19) Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 2640 19 (18) Andrea Petkovic (Germany) 2445 20 (26) Venus Williams (USA) 2355 ---- 31 (30) Zhang Shuai (China) 1392 40 (40) Peng Shuai (China) 1175 57 (58) Zheng Jie (China) 933 Cincinnati ATP and WTA Results on Monday: Men’s 1st rd Joao Sousa (POR) bt Chase Buchanan (USA) 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5); Jerzy Janowicz (POL) bt Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) 6-4, 6-4; Gael Monfils (FRA) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Marcel Granollers (ESP) 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (5); Marinko Matosevic (AUS) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (4); Benjamin Becker (GER) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 7-6 (5), 6-4; Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; Tommy Robredo (ESP x16) bt Jack Sock (USA) 7-6 (5), 6-3; Lu Yen-hsun (TPE) bt Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-3, 6-4; John Isner (USA x11) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-3, 6-4; Fabio Fognini (ITA x15) bt Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5); Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-3, 6-2. Women’s 1st rd Pauline Parmentier (FRA) bt Casey Dellacqua (AUS) 7-6 (4), 6-2; Karin Knapp (ITA) bt Belinda Bencic (SUI) 6-2, 7-6 (1); Madison Keys (USA) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-2, 6-4; Taylor Townsend (USA) bt Klara Koukalova (CZE) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5; Kir- sten Flipkens (BEL) bt Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-3, 6-2; Zhang Shuai (CHN) bt Heather Watson (GBR) 6-3, 2-6, 7-5; Elina Svitolina (UKR) bt Lauren Davis (USA) 6-3, 6-2; Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x12) bt Magdala Rybikov(SVK) 6-2, 6-3; Ana Ivanovic (SRB) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROM) 6-1, 7-5; Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x11) 6-3, 6-3; Flavia Pennetta (ITA x13) bt Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-2; Saman- tha Stosur (AUS) bt Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 6-2, 7-5. A new view of Chinese golf By TYM GLASER [email protected] The golf world’s focus was set firmly on Rory McIlroy’s heroics on the back nine during the final round of the PGA Championship at the Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky on Sunday. Among those enthusiasts of the stick-and-ball game, no doubt, would have been Simon Leach, the head of the European Tour’s new Beijing office. However, his overall vision extends well beyond the greens of Louisville and deep into China. The ET (not the alien) has estab- lished itself in a country slowly grow- ing to appreciate the game through its recently-acquired Olympic status but the European Professional Golf Association still wants to consolidate its foothold with two major events per year and four Challenge tourna- ments. The 42-year-old Leach is at the forefront of the drive. “A lot of people ask me why we are coming into the market but the European Tour has been here for a long time — since 1995, actually, with the Volvo China Open,” Chesh- ire-born Leach said. “The difference now is that we have a presence here; we have a physical office, we have people here, well, one person for now. We also have the BMW Masters in Shanghai … and ,of course, there are the HSBC Champions events. “I want to maintain those two major events and hold others in the north of China and the south so we have the complete coverage … I am looking at Shenzhen and Tianjin. I think that Shenzhen will be the first one to be announced, later this year, and Tianjin may take a little longer but then that’s it because you have limited dates and you can’t put too many events in China.” The Challenge events are the plat- form from which young Chinese golfers can leap to the higher levels of the game, and that particularly excites the Englishman who has been in the country for 20 years. “The Chinese Tour is the world’s best platform for young players to get into the big time and the Chinese players need more playing opportu- nities. We already have two; the first one was staged last year in Foshan of Guangdong, The second one, which I will finalize soon, will be held in Chongqing. “For the Chinese players these are the best platform for them … they carry world ranking points which don’t seem like a lot but, in golf, if you win two world ranking points you can shoot up the rankings.” The other two CT/Challenge venues are yet to be decided but Leach wants them to be at diverse locations to spread the game as far as possible. “A very important thing for us is that we talk with the China Golf Association and then we find a long- term (sponsorship) partner which is not close to any government body or organization. Of course we work closely with the CGA but we would also like to have autonomy for each event.” Meanwhile, in the happy sponsor- ship ground known as China, where the world’s elite sporting league’s like to feast, the EPGA finds itself in direct competition with the premier USPGA, but Leach says the organi- zations rarely clash over ground. “It’s a large market and we both have our objectives; at the end of the day we are just trying to boost the game here,” he said. While all seems to be smooth sail- ing for the ET’s new Beijing branch, single-staffer Leach has some con- cerns about the game here despite its growing popularity and the fact it is now an active Olympic sport. “The Olympics have provided a tremendous boost to the sport here but the number of courses may be reduced here instead of increased due to government policies which would ultimately hinder the game,” he said. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Simon Leach is currently playing as a one-man band for the European Tour in Beijing. Englishman Leach leading the European Tour’s charge in China Mighty McIlroy looks set to start another dynasty By REUTERS in Louisville, Kentucky Talk of the ‘Tiger era’ being replaced by a ‘Rory era’ escalated after Rory McIlroy thrust himself into golf’s pantheon of greats by clinching his fourth major title at the 96th PGA Championship on Sunday. While Tiger Woods ended a dis- appointing week at Valhalla Golf Club by missing the cut at a major for only the fourth time as a pro- fessional, McIlroy won his third consecutive tournament with a dazzling display of shot making down the closing stretch. The Northern Irishman over- came a scrappy start to triumph by one stroke after a final-round sho- otout on a rain-softened layout ended in near darkness, and the superlatives were once again being heaped upon the 25-year-old from Holywood. “It’s beginning to look a little Tiger-esque I suppose,” former US Open champion Graeme McDow- ell said of his fellow Northern Irishman, who has won two majors in just three weeks. “I said to the boys at the (Brit- ish) Open (where McIlroy won last month), I didn’t think we were going to see the new Tiger era, as in someone creating their own kind of Tiger-esque era just yet. “I’m not eating my words but I’m certainly starting to chew on them right now with the WGC (Bridgestone Invitational win) and another major this weekend. When the kid is playing well he’s pretty tough to live with. Pretty special stuff, yeah.” McIlroy himself is wary of any hype that golf could now be enter- ing a ‘Rory era’ of individual domi- nance. “I try and put all this talk aside every time it comes up,” he said aft- er becoming the fourth youngest player to land four majors, with only Tom Morris Jr., Jack Nicklaus and Woods ahead of him. “Tiger and Jack are two of the most successful players in our sport of all time. I’m on a nice track at the minute. I’ve still got a long way to go, but to be in their compa- ny at this age is very special.” Whatever McIlroy says, he clear- ly possesses abundant talent, a strong work ethic and that magi- cal ‘it’ factor which is reserved for very few players. His ability to blow away fields, as he did in winning the 2011 US Open and the 2012 PGA Champi- onship by eight shots apiece, or to conjure something extra special when needed, as he did on the back nine at Valhalla, marks him out as a great. A spectacular eagle at the par- five 10th, followed by birdies at the 13th and 17th, secured him his third major crown in his past nine starts and left his defeated rivals purring in admiration. “Better than everyone else right now. He’s good, really good,” said Phil Mickelson, who had been part of a thrilling four-way shoot- out for the title in the final round until McIlroy trumped him by a stroke. “He’s on a role, he is the best play- er in the world and just playing phenomenal golf,” said Swede Hen- rik Stenson, one of five players who held a share of the lead on Sunday before he finished joint third. “He’s got the confidence. He just keeps coming back and playing good golf. So it’s just to take our hats off and give him the apprecia- tion he deserves.” Dubbed the ‘Boy Wonder’ because of the superstar creden- tials he has established at such a young age, McIlroy is a near-per- fect golfing package, both a man of the people and a player of rare skill. Ever humble, he is a perpetual- ly smiling golfer who strides the fairways with a swagger and his shoulders back, always complete- ly at home in his environment. Having now won the fourth major title of his career, many are questioning whether he can go on to reach the 14 piled up by Woods or the record 18 accumulated by Nicklaus. McIlroy embraces the weight of expectation. “You have to welcome it and I don’t think you can see it as a bur- den,” he said. “It’s a great place to be in. “To be the face of golf, or one of the faces of golf, it’s a big respon- sibility but, at the same time, I feel like I’m up to the task of han- dling it well. At 25 years of age, I didn’t think I would be in this position.” McIlroy is taking great pains, though, to adopt a mid-term career strategy instead casting his eyes too far into the future. “I’ve got to take it one small step at a time,” he said. “I think the two next realistic goals are the career grand slam and trying to become the most successful European player ever. “Nick Faldo, the most successful European in the modern era, has six majors. Seve (Ballesteros) has five.” McIlroy would complete a career slam of all four majors if he can win the Masters at Augusta National, where he led by four shots going into the final round in 2011 before he tumbled out of con- tention with an nightmare closing 80. “Hopefully, when I achieve those (goals), I can start to think about other things,” he said. “But right now, that’s what my focus is on.” THOMAS J. RUSSO / USA TODAY Rory McIlroy celebrates his victory at the PGA Championship on Sunday. Q+A | SIMON LEACH What about your management of former world No 1 snooker player Judd Trump? Well, there were a few reasons for that … but the main one was that I had had my eye on Judd for a few years and I knew he was going to be a fantastic talent. I also wanted to do something fresh on the management side. Why did you split with Judd this year? In February, the European Tour asked me to go full-time and open a rep office and they set this one condition that I had to drop snooker. So I said ‘OK’. He had already reached world No 1 and the only thing he hadn’t done was win the world championship and I wasn’t sure how long that was going to take. TYM GLASER What other sporting interests do you have? I am interested in all sports, actually, anything that excites me. My main passion growing up was snooker. I wanted to be a play- er when I was, like, six or seven years old. I liked (Alex) ‘Hurricane’ Higgins but it was immediately decided by my family that they didn’t want me hanging around snooker halls instead of going to school … but I knew I wanted to be involved in snooker somehow. What brought you to China? When we were at university we were offered the opportunity to come to China so I worked for the Shangri-La hotel in Shenzhen. From the hotel I moved into working on events. I worked with a (motor) racing team and we introduced new racing formats into China. GOLF A lot of people ask me why we are coming into the market but the European Tour has been here for a long time — since 1995, actually, with the Volvo China Open. The difference now is that we have a presence here; we have a physical office, we have people here.” SIMON LEACH HEAD OF THE EUROPEAN TOUR’S NEW BEIJING OFFICE