18/06/2026

SPORTS THURSDAY | JUNE 18, 2026

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Europe eyes major treble at Shinnecock

“Hopefully I’ll see you in about six days.” Koepka ready after injury FIVE-TIME major winner Brooks Koepka said yesterday he will play in this week’s US Open after withdrawing from last week’s PGA Canadian Open with a left hand injury. The 36 year-old American is making his first trip back to Shinnecock since winning in 2018 to complete back-to-back US Open triumphs. Koepka expe rienced weakness in his left pinky and ring fin ger on Friday and Saturday, making it difficult for him to grip a club, and withdrew from the event Sunday. “It’s getting better day by day,” Koepka said yesterday. “Today there was quite a bit of improvement. I don’t think I would have gone out and played if it wasn’t. I think it’s just the ulnar nerve, just flared up a little bit.” Club gripping issues are behind him enough to chal lenge the tricky Shinnecock layout in windy conditions. “I don’t think the grip strength is 100%, but it’s good enough,” Koepka said. “It’s fine. Ther There’s absolutely no pain, which is kind of the weirdest part of this whole thing. I’d almost prefer there was a little bit of pain. It would make sense why this hurts and that doesn’t. It just feels like you hit your funny bone all the time.” been a motivating factor for me,” Scheffler said. “I always just wanted to be the best version of myself and that got me this far. “So when it comes to this golf tournament, I’m going to step on the first tee and remind myself I’ve done everything I possibly could in order to play well, and now it’s just a matter of going out there and trying to execute and going back to enjoying the competition versus feeling like you have to win for some reason.” Scheffler knows, however, that he and second ranked Rory McIlroy, golf’s biggest stars, complet ing career Slams in consecutive years would be huge for the sport. “It would definitely bring more eyeballs to the sport, which is always a good thing,” Scheffler said. “You learn a lot about yourself. You learn a lot of life lessons through the game of golf.” Scheffler won his first event of the year, and 20th of his PGA Tour career, at the American Express tournament in January, reeled off runner up finishes at the Masters, Heritage and Doral and was third at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May. “If I finish second this week, it’s almost like, hey, you failed in your first chance to win the career Grand Slam. Is finishing second a failure?” Scheffler said. “It can feel that way, but I think sometimes when you look at more of a wider view of the sport and where your game’s at, second is not always that bad, but man, does it frickin’ hurt at the same time. “You can feel like a failure in this sport often times just because you’re not winning,” he said. “I try not to focus too much on my successes or my failures, one, because you get beat up an awful lot in this game. It’s a tough sport. “But, two, if I was feeling so good about all my successes, I probably wouldn’t be too much fun to be around either.” – AFP

PIN HIGH

Spaun hopes to grind out title repeat

WHILE top-ranked Scottie Scheffler chases a career Grand Slam at this week’s US Open, European golfers can achieve an unprece dented treble if one of them wins the title at Shinnecock. The year’s third major tournament begins today over the windy 6,800m Long Island lay out, where lightning-fast greens and thick rough add to the challenge. Golfers from the United Kingdom have won the first two majors of the year, second-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland defending his Masters crown in April after completing his career Slam last year and England’s Aaron Rai taking last month’s PGA Championship. It’s a feat not seen in the four-major era since the Masters began in 1934, and another European victory would match the continent’s best run of three majors in a year since 2014, when McIlroy won the PGA and British Open after Germany’s Martin Kaymer captured the US Open. “A historic start to the major season for golf ers from that part of the world, and I would say this is more a UK/European style of test than certainly the first two majors,” McIlroy said. “So it certainly wouldn’t surprise me to see a few players from Europe and the UK in contention on Sunday.”

Scheffler was stunned UK players had not won the first two majors before now. “It has never happened before?” Scheffler said. “That’s a bit surprising with the amount of talent that has come out of the UK. I think golf is becoming increasingly a global game.” Scheffler said Shinnecock being a links-style course near the water and its breezes make it a prime spot for Europeans who know their links golf. “If you grew up on a links course out towards the coast, yeah, I think there would be some value there, just based on this type of wind,” Scheffler said. “If you’re hitting the ball in the right spots, you can play this golf course. The minute you start hitting the ball offline, you’re like, man, how do I even finish this hole?” McIlroy is wary of Shinnecock luring players into mistakes. “This course demands so much patience and it can lure you into doing things you shouldn’t do,” he said. “If everything is going the way everyone wants it in terms of weather, setup, it’s the best championship test in the country.” – AFP

DEFENDING CHAMPION JJ Spaun plans to use the same formula to win the US Open this week at Shinnecock as he did to capture his first major title last year at Oakmont. The 35-year-old American relied upon resiliency and hot putting when it mattered most to capture the title at Oakmont, sinking a 64-foot birdie putt on the final hole for the title. He birdied four of the last six holes after having made bogeys on five of the first six, fighting back when all seemed lost. And he wants perseverance to pay off again. “I was pretty resilient that week,” Spaun said. “The biggest thing at US Opens is being resilient, tak ing all the punches that are thrown at you, tak ing your medicine. It’s not going to be easy golf. It’s not going to be ho-hum, very boring golf. But the way I persevered and was resilient last year, I’ve been trying to use that since then. I think I’ll lean on that more, especially this week.” Ninth-ranked Spaun returned the US Open tro phy to the US Golf Association (USGA) on Tuesday, giving it one last kiss before setting it down and signing in for this year’s event, saying,

Scottie’s wide-angle view Not even a career Slam will satisfy Scheffler’s goals

Notices

322

IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA AT KUALA LUMPUR IN THE FEDERAL TERRITORIES OF MALAYSIA (COMMERCIAL DIVISION) COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) NO. WA-28NCC-294-03/2026 In the matter of the Companies Act, 2016; And In the matter of Sections 465(1)(e) and (h) and Section 466(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016; And In the matter of Companies (Winding-Up) Rules 1972 And In the matter of NovaTechnology Services Berhad [Company No.: 199901007872 (482772-D)] (previously known as XOX Technology Berhad) BETWEEN 1. AMAZ DIGITAL SDN. BHD. [COMPANY NO.: 202101009527 (1409826-W)] NOVATECHNOLOGY SERVICES BERHAD [COMPANY NO.: 199901007872 (482772-D)] (PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS XOX TECHNOLOGY BERHAD) … RESPONDENT ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION NOTICE is hereby given that a Petition for the Winding-Up of the abovenamed Respondent by the High Court dated 16th March 2026 was presented by AMAZ DIGITAL SDN. BHD. [Company No.: 202101009527 (1409826-W)],MAISARAH BINTI SAHRAN (NRIC No:760625-10-5358) and ASMA BINTI ARIPIN (NRIC No: 760708 07-5318),the above said Petitioners and that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at the High Court of Malaya at Kuala Lumpur at 9.00am,on 14th July 2026 and any creditor or contributory of the said Company desiring to support or oppose the making of an Order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the said Company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same. The first Petitioner’s business address is at No. 6,Jalan DC 1/5,Desa Coalfields,47000 Sungai Buloh,Selangor and its registered address is at 9-3, Jalan 3/146, Bandar Tasik Selatan, 57000 Kuala Lumpur. The second and third Petitioners’ address of service is at No. 6,Jalan DC 1/5,Desa Coalfields, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor. The Petitioners’ solicitors are Messrs The Chambers of Queenie Hoh Li Chian of P-2 16,Plaza Damas,No. 60,Jalan Hartamas 1,Sri Hartamas,50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Signed Solicitors for the Petitioners NOTE : Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the abovenamed solicitors for the Petitioners notice in writing of his intention to do so. The notice must state the name and address of the person, or, if a firm,the name and address of the firm and must be signed by the person or firm, or his or their solicitor (if any) and must be served, or, if posted must be sent by post in sufficient time to reach the abovenamed not later than twelve o’clock noon on 13th July 2026. [Ref No.: QHLC/L/21.253/ASMA MAI AMAZ(M3)] 2. MAISARAH BINTI SAHRAN (NRIC NO: 760625-10-5358) 3. ASMA BINTI ARIPIN (NRIC NO: 760708-07-5318) … PETITIONERS AND

T OP-RANKED Scottie Scheffler can complete a career Grand Slam by winning this week’s US Open but even a victory at Shinnecock will not satisfy the world No. 1. The four-time major winner from the United States has Sunday’s final round on his 30th birthday, but his biggest present would be decades more golf challenges to conquer. “It’s kind of a funny thing,” Scheffler said yesterday. “If I win this tournament, that would be amazing, but I think then I show up the next week, and it’s like, OK, now Scottie has won the Grand Slam, he has won all these golf tournaments. Now where do we go from here? “No matter what, I think as a player and as a professional athlete, you’re never going to live up to the expectations of people. “I think sometimes that’s a little bit of the fallacy in our sport, like, if I win the US Open, then I’m going to be satisfied.

“I’ve won all the tournaments, and my career is essentially over, and I’ve accomplished everything I could want to accomplish. But I think the goal posts are always just moved further and further.” Completing the Slam,

Scottie Scheffler plays a shot during a practice round ahead of the US Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York on Tuesday. – AFPPIC

Scheffler admitted, has never been a driving force pushing his golf dreams. “For me, would it be a dream to win the US Open? Of course. But at the end of the day, the Grand Slam has never

McIlroy sees calmer fans, no lost US Open course RORY MCILROY is getting better treat ment from Long Island golf fans at the US Open than he did at last year’s Ryder Cup and adds he’s confident Shinnecock will not lose the course. Absolutely. If that’s a price to pay to live the life I’m living, then I’m OK with that.” World No. 2 McIlroy has signed auto graphs and found fans much calmer in practice rounds.

McIlroy warned greens are already so fast they might require slowing before expected high winds for today’s opening round. “They certainly don’t need to be any faster,” McIlroy said. “With the wind they are expecting on Thursday, it seems they would want to get the greens back, just because of how heavy the wind is gong to be, gusts 35-40mph (56-64kph). “There were only gusts of 25-30 yes terday and balls wouldn’t stand on the 11th green. That’s where you just have to use a little bit of caution.” – AFP

times Shinnecock hosted the US Open. Green speeds were so fast balls would not stay on the greens, with gusting winds taking a toll also, forcing ground skeepers to water greens between groups. “We’ve seen what’s happened here the last two US Opens. It doesn’t need to get that fast to play incredibly difficult and challenging,” McIlroy said. “As the week goes on, you have the ability for the course to get firmer and faster – with this golf course, only up until a certain point.”

“It was great. It was amazing. Look, New York is New York, and they’re going to make their voices heard,” he said. “But that’s a good thing. That’s a good atmos phere to play in.” McIlroy, 37, also said he has no worries Shinnecock course managers will “lose the course” as many players complained was done in 2004 and 2018, the past two

The six-time major winner from Northern Ireland said yesterday fans at Shinnecock have been fine after McIlroy was profanely heckled beyond reason at the Ryder Cup last September just down the road at Bethpage Black. “The Ryder Cup is us versus them, very partisan. It’s just a different beast,” McIlroy said.“Was it a rough week for me at times?