Li Jane fulfils promise to late grandpa with second home win
PETALING JAYA: For national bowler Sin Li Jane, this year's Malaysian Open was more than just another tournament – it was a promise kept.
Li Jane delivered an emotional performance at Sunway Mega Lanes yesterday to lift the women's Masters title and dedicated the victory to her late grandfather who had passed away just days earlier.
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The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Dane Antonsen ends bane of being second best at Indonesian Open
Denmark's Anders Antonsen react during the men's single match at the Malaysia Open 2025 at Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star PETALING JAYA: It was third time lucky for Danish shuttler Anders Antonsen in the Indonesian Open. Antonsen, who finished runners-up in the 2019 and 2024 editions, finally got his hands on the title by overpowering Taiwan's Chou Tien-chen 22-20, 21-14 at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta yesterday. It was also sweet revenge for the world No. 3 after he was denied by world No. 7 Tien-chen in the 2019 final. Antonsen did not have it easy as he was behind 17-20 in the first game but pulled off an astonishing comeback to stun the 35-year-old. The Dane then used the momentum well to wrap up the match in an hour. Antonsen, who played through pain, was thrilled to end his wait for the crown. "First of all, I want to thank all the fans. Istora Senayan is a fantastic place to play badminton," said Antonsen. "It has changed my life for sure since I first won the Indonesian Masters title here in 2019. "It's an incredible place and I'm really grateful for another final here. "I take a lot of painkillers and my body is pretty banged up. It's tough playing men's singles. I was fighting super hard. "This is my third time playing in this tournament and I wanted to win so badly," added Antonsen. It was Antonsen's first title of the year after he finished runners-up in the Malaysian Open in January and Thailand Open last month. Istora Senayan has always been a happy hunting ground for the 28-year-old as he won the Indonesian Masters in 2019 and 2024. Meanwhile, in the women's singles, South Korea's world No. 1 An Se-young captured her second title in the tourney after brilliantly coming from behind to beat China's world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi 13-21, 21-19, 21-15 in 81 minutes. Se-young added to her crown in 2021 and created history by becoming the first women's singles player to triumph in three World Tour Super 1000 competitions in the same year. The 23-year-old also claimed the Malaysian Open and All-England titles this year.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Scheffler in dazzling form
PEOPLE have long spoken about the men's US Open championship as being the most challenging test in golf. Coming from the very best that have played this game, there's nothing to suggest that that is not the case. At the 125th staging of the US Open at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, starting Thursday, we can expect more of the same as the leading names in the sport battle it out for the season's third major. As things stand, American Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 and champion at the 2025 PGA Championship last month, arrives in Oakmont as the favourite, and the player everyone will be out to thwart. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, winner of the Masters in April, will be keen to add another major to his collection of five titles, including the US Open he won in 2011 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. Bryson DeChambeau, the defending champion of this title, will be plotting to capture a third US Open crown, following his successes at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York in 2020 and at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina last year. Xander Schauffele, winner of two of the majors last season – the PGA Championship and the British Open – is also expected to be in the mix at Oakmont. The world No. 3 can be as consistent as they come, and at Oakmont, the winner will need to be just that. Halfway to the career Grand Slam, Schauffele would dearly love to add the third quarter to the equation. So too will Brooks Koepka be out to make it three US Open titles o go along with his three PGA Championships. The LIV star attraction often appears to bring his best game to the big occasions, and he's bent on showing that again this week. Jon Rahm of Spain, another of the multiple major winners and also from the LIV stable, will be aiming for a second US Open title following his exploits in 2021 at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California. Among the other notables who could throw their names into the hat on the back nine on Sunday is Collin Morikawa, a player with precision accuracy – a trait that should prove crucial around Oakmont. Scheffler has been the outstanding player over the past three and a half seasons or so, and having him tipped as the leading candidate this week comes as no surprise. The tall Texan has won three of his last four tournaments on the PGA Tour, including his third major last month. He is in dazzling form, and he looks like a solid bet for next Sunday. Such has been his dominance in the men's game that he is now often being spoken of in the same breath as Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Indeed, no player has been more rampant and successful than Scheffler in the men's game since Woods' reign. The purists point Scheffler's putting and inconsistent slow starts are areas of his game that he might need to polish up on – and if he did, he would possibly become unplayable, they say. That being the case, Mark Leishman has trashed the talk that LIV players cannot, and will not, win major championships. The Australian, a winner of six US PGA titles before he moved to LIV Golf in 2022, is in the US Open at Oakmont having come through a qualifier. Not in the majors over the last three years, Leishman took aim at comments by commentator Brandel Chamblee, who said Rahm and DeChambeau 'fell out of contention at last month's PGA Championship because of LIV's format and a lack of competition'. The former world No. 12 said: 'I would disagree with that. I think the way our schedule is set up actually lends itself to being able to prepare very well for the majors. 'We're playing against great fields every single week on tough golf courses. 'Yes, it's 54 holes, but it puts a bit of pressure on that first round to get off to a good start because they are a little bit more of a sprint,' he added. 'We're still playing a lot of golf away from tournaments, enjoying golf more, and I think when you are enjoying your golf and it's not so much of a grind, that lends itself to better play.' One would have to say that if Scheffler fell out of the reckoning for some reason, then the title is up for grabs by anyone else in the field.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
LIV continues to make inroads
THINGS are looking up for LIV Golf and there's a lot in store to unfold in the future. That's according to Phil Mickelson, a senior statesman of the circuit, who has been vocal with his praise of LIV Golf since joining in 2022, celebrating its direction and what he views as forward thinking. Mickelson applauded the addition of promising young stars as LIV Golf begins to bolster its case for having the world's best golfers, agencies reported. 'I think that we're well on our way and not that far away from making that happen, and you're seeing it with these good young players that are coming out,' the six-time major champion said. 'If you look at the good young players from different parts of the world, not necessarily the United States, you've got Jose Ballester and Luis Masaveu (both from Spain) and Tom McKibbin (from Northern Ireland), and these young guys from other parts of the world are really interested in wanting to come to LIV and they get what it's about. 'I think over time that's just going to continue to grow just like it has exponentially in the last three years, and I think we're not that far away from having it be what we all want it to be, which is all the best players in the world playing against each other.' Ballester, the US Amateur champion, signed a multi-year contract with LIV Golf this week. Known as 'Josele,' Ballester was due to make his professional debut this week at the Virginia event and be part of the Fireballs team captained by fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia. Ballester, 21, will join Abraham Ancer, David Puig and Garcia on Fireballs. Masaveu, 22, will remain in the Fireballs lineup this week for the team while Davvid Puig, who wo the Malaysian Open last year, deals with a back injury. McKibbin, 22, signed with LIV in January and joined Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt as part of the Legion XIII team. Garcia, speaking about Ballester, said: 'We are very excited about Josele joining the team. 'Personally, I have known him since he could pick up a golf club and he has worked with my father (Victor) as his coach throughout his golf career. 'Josele is going to be a great addition not only to the Fireballs but also to the LIV League and I can't wait to be with him by his side as he makes his professional debut.' Ballester, 21, currently is No. 6 in the Official World Amateur Golf Ranking with victories at the 2020 Spanish Amateur, 2023 European Amateur and the 2024 US Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club. He recently completed his senior season at Arizona State. 'First and foremost, I want to thank my family, coaches, friends, and Arizona State University for supporting me and believing in me to make it to this step of my career,' Ballester said in a statement provided by LIV. 'I am very excited about the opportunity to join Fireballs GC and continue to learn from Sergio and other greats.' Meanwhile, on the US PGA Tour, Sahith Theegala, who has missed tournaments this year because of a neck injury, confirmed on social media that he has withdrawn from this week's RBC Canadian Open and will need to rest 'for a little while'. 'Doctors have advised me to put the clubs away for a little while, as I get treatment and some rest for an injury I've been battling the last few weeks, so this one stings,' Theegala wrote on his Instagram account without specifying the injury. An ambassador representing title sponsor RBC, Theegala wrote that he is very disappointed and with 'a heavy heart' unable to one of his favourite events of the year. The RBC Canadian Open teed off Thursday at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ontario. 'The place looks beautiful, and I've heard so many great things about the golf course and the facility overall,' he wrote.
