13/09/2025

SPORTS SATURDAY | SEPT 13, 2025

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Hamilton will find form: Prost Scrutiny at Ferrari worse than at any other team, says F1 legend A LAIN PROST believes Lewis Hamilton still has the talent to per form in Formula One, but acknowl edged that the scrutiny at Ferrari when performing poorly is “worse than at any other team.” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1 : “I don’t think so, Charles (Leclerc, finished fourth) was giving it everything, Max is up there now. “We don’t have the pace of Red Bull, today they were rapid, or McLaren, and currently we’re fourth. A podium here or there? Ű BY KIERAN JACKSON

Hughes seizes control in Procore Championship MACKE N ZIE HUGHE S fired 11 birdies in a sizzling 9-under 63 yesterday to take a one stroke lead over Ryder Cup-bound Ben Griffin and Matt McCarty in the US PGA Tour Procore Championship Hughes, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, admitted thoughts of a 59 “crossed my mind for a second,” but after bogeys at 14 and 15 he had to settle for the first-round lead at Silverado Resort in Napa, California. The Canadian got to work early with birdies at the second and third and then began to “pile it on” with birdies at the fifth and sixth and three in a row at eight, nine and 10. “I had a nice feel with the putter, so it was really just about continuing to put my foot on the gas and go forward,” Hughes said. “I did some really nice things. “On 12 I drove it right and had to kind of pitch back to the fairway and I got up and down from 225 yards for birdie. So I did some stuff that you can’t really count on all the time.” Griffin, who won twice this year and was a captain’s pick for his first Ryder Cup team, was the best of the Ryder Cup bunch yesterday. He had eight birdies and rolled in a 17-foot par-saving putt at the 18th to join McCarty, who also had eight birdies without a bogey in his 64. World number four Russell Henley, who will also head to Bethpage Black in New York as part of Keegan Bradley’s US Ryder Cup team, was tied for fourth on 65 alongside Lanto Griffin. – AFP

“There’s a chance to have that at some point. But in terms of pure pace, we don’t have that.” Hamilton’s next chance to finish on the podium comes at the next round in Baku, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, on Sept 19-21, “There’s been plenty of seasons which have felt difficult,” Hamilton added, pre Monza, when asked about his current season. “But this one… I’m at a different place in my life. “I’m really living the dream to race with Ferrari. I had the whole of last year to prepare for it and there were a lot of things you couldn’t foresee; there’s been a lot of adjustment. “They’ve moved heaven and earth to accommodate me, and there’s been a cultural difference. “But the harder it is, the better it can make you. It’s been tough for everyone in the team but it prepares us for better days. “We’ll be stronger for the last six months and I’m excited for the uphill battle from here.” – The Independent

Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton has struggled in his first six months at the Scuderia , failing to finish on the podium in his first 16 races and struggling for performance in a capricious 2025 car. The Brit most recently finished sixth at Ferrari’s home race, the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, but his best result in a grand prix has only been fourth, alongside a sprint race victory in China back in March. Yet French racing legend Prost, who won four F1 world titles and raced for Ferrari from 1990-1991, backed the 40-year-old to find his form. “When you win with Ferrari, it’s better than anywhere else,” Prost told French outlet L’Equipe . “But when you don’t, it’s worse than at any other team. Everyone knows it, everyone writes about it, but in real life, it’s different. “But I absolutely do not believe that Lewis Hamilton’s talent has waned or, worse, gone astray.” In Monza, when asked about being competitive over the season’s remainder,

Ferrari’s F1driver, Lewis Hamilton. – REUTERSPIC

McIlroy five shots off European PGA lead

Jobs

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R O R Y MCIL R OY ended the opening day of the DP World (European) Tour PGA Championship five shots off the lead after finding water on the last hole at a rainswept Wentworth yesterday. The world No. 2, fresh figure when Europe defend their Ryder Cup title against the United States at the Bethpage Black course in suburban New York later this month. It looked as if the Northern Irishman was carrying on from where he left off at the K Club after his first tournament win since completing a career Grand Slam of major titles at the US Masters in April. McIlroy chipped in for a birdie on the first hole at a tournament he won in 2014 before recording three runner-up finishes in his last five visits. A second birdie followed at the par-five fourth only for McIlroy to bogey the subsequent par three. But birdies on the 10th, 12th and from his thrilling playoff win in the Irish Open last weekend, is set to be a key

69 as he completed his first round in near darkness following a rain delay of some 90 minutes midway through the afternoon’s play. Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg – a captain’s pick by Europe skipper Luke Donald for the Ryder Cup – and France’s Tom Vaillant share the overnight lead after they both shot 8 under 64s. “I felt like once I got on the greens, I was rolling the putter really nice and tried to be aggressive with the speed,” said Aberg. “I managed to make a lot of putts, which is nice.” South Africa’s Casey Jarvis is alone in third place following a 7-under 65. England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, another of Donald’s six selections, is just two back after a 6-under 66, with Ryder Cup veteran Justin Rose a shot further adrift following a bogey-free 67. Shane Lowry carded five birdies in his final seven holes to join Rose on 5-under, with 11 of Europe’s 12 Ryder Cup players involved in the first round at Wentworth, southwest of London. – AFP included a tie for 43rd at the Evian Championship followed by a missed cut at the Women’s British Open. After feeling in recent weeks “like I cannot hit the ball” she checked in with her coach last week and on Thursday had a confidence-boosting performance to show for it. “Actually today I played really good,” she said, adding that she was solid with every club in her bag.“I just want to continue to hit like this until the end of the year.” – AFP

16th strengthened his position only for McIlroy’s approach at the concluding par-five 18th to find the water.

The 36-year-old McIlroy was forced to settle for a bogey and a 3 under

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Rory McIlroy. – REUTERSPIC

Petaling Jaya (Five-day week)

Chanettee out in front at Queen City TWO-TIME LPGA winner Chanettee Wannasaen holed out for an eagle on the way to a 9-under 63 yesterday to take a two-shot lead after the first round of the Queen City lighted by her eagle at the par-four 10th, where she hit a “perfect shot” with a nine iron from the fairway that found the bottom of the cup.

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“After I hit, I just felt like, ‘Oh, this one is going to be close to the pin,‘” she said. “I didn’t expect it’s going to roll to the pin!” The 21-year-old won in Portland in 2023 and captured the Dana Open last year, but she’s been frustrated during a 2025 campaign that

Championship in Cincinnati, Ohio. Thailand’s Chanettee added seven birdies in her bogey-free effort at TPC River’s Bend, where American Gigi Stoll shook off a late bogey with a birdie at the last to post a 7-under 65. Chanettee’s round was high

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