Golf: Masters champ Matsuyama returns at PGA Byron Nelso

 WASHINGTON -- Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama will try to recapture his form after a month off, including a celebration in Japan, when he tees off Thursday at the US PGA Byron Nelson tournament.

Matsuyama became the first men's major winner from Japan when he captured the green jacket last month at Augusta National, but had barely picked up a club before practice rounds this week at TPC Craig Ranch in suburban Dallas.

"After you win a tournament, you make some adjustments and you go on," Matsuyama said. "But this time going back to Japan and really not picking up a club much over there, I didn't get to practice very much at all.

"Coming back here, really one of my goals now is just to try to find my game again and prepare for the PGA Championship next week."

Matsuyama, 29, says he is prepared for the extra attention he will receive next week at Kiawah Island at the year's second major tournament.

"I realize now the responsibility that goes with a major championship, especially the Masters," Matsuyama said. "I'm honored. I'm flattered by the added attention.

"At the same time, sometimes it's difficult to say no. But it goes with the territory and, again, grateful that I have this opportunity and I'll try my best to prepare well for what's to come."

World number 15 Matsuyama spent two weeks in Covid-19 quarantine when he got back home, then spent time with his family. While isolated, he read how his exploits were hailed in his homeland.

"I was able to probably read every news article," Matsuyama said. "Seeing how the Masters win was portrayed in Japan was great, really unforgettable.

"A bit embarrassing -- I'm not used to all that attention -- but grateful that people took notice."

He watched highlights of his Masters victory and relived his most nerve-wracking moments.

"While I was watching those highlights, I got nervous again, just like I was playing," he said. "It was, at some points, difficult to watch because I was so nervous and all those nervous memories were brought back."

Matsuyama wore his green jacket to meet the media and when receiving an award from Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, but says it hasn't changed him.

"It was a relief, really, to win the Masters," he said. "Looking forward, I still have the drive to want to win more on the PGA Tour."

Matsuyama plans on getting some advice before deciding on the meniu for the 2022 Masters Champions Dinner.

"Sushi does come to mind," he said. "I'm a little worried. I don't know if everyone will really like sushi or not.

"There's a lot of really good food from Japan, some of the best beef in the world, so I'm thinking about that and looking forward to it next year."

- 'Grinds his tail off' -

Jordan Spieth, third at the Masters, recalled a 2019 event in Japan when he was paired with Matsuyama.

"It was six deep the entire first fairway," Spieth said. "Maybe the most exciting, nerve-wracking crowd I had ever played in front of on a Thursday and Friday. It was just crazy. It's next-level stuff."

American Will Zalatoris, the Masters runner-up, was unable to congratulate Matsuyama at Augusta but did so in the course parking lot Tuesday.

"It was nice to share a moment and just tell him congratulations," Zalatoris said. "Making history like that for an entire country is unbelievable."

Top-ranked Dustin Johnson, last year's Masters champion, withdrew from the Byron Nelson with a knee injury.

South Korean Kang Sung won the most recent Byron Nelson in 2019, before the event moved to his home course.

"I live about five miles from here and I've been practicing here probably the last over 10 years," Kang said. "I'm very excited and I'll be very comfortable this week."

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/12/21/golf-masters-champ-matsuyama-returns-at-pga-byron-nelso

Puerto Rican boxer Felix Verdejo pleads not guilty in lover's slaying

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Puerto Rican former Olympic boxer Felix Verdejo pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the killing of his pregnant lover and their unborn child, in a case that has fanned outrage over violence against women in the US territory.

Verdejo entered his plea in a virtual hearing from prison to the charges that include the murder and kidnapping of Keishla Rodriguez, who was pregnant at the time.

Her death sparked protests in Puerto Rico, which declared a state of emergency in January over its deep-rooted problem of violence against women.

A federal complaint obtained by AFP stated that Verdejo, who is married and was also in a relationship with Rodriguez, allegedly kidnapped the victim in April after she told him she was pregnant.

Verdejo asked another person, whom the affidavit refers to as a "witness," for help in terminating Rodriguez's pregnancy.

Verdejo -- who in his career won 27 fights, 17 by knockout -- "punched the victim in the face, and she was injected with a syringe filled with a substance," stated the affidavit by the FBI agent who led the investigation. 

According to the affidavit, Verdejo and a witness tied Rodriguez's hands and feet with wire, and tied her to a block.

Then they drove to a lagoon in San Juan, where she was "tossed off the side of the bridge and into the water," the affidavit said.

Verdejo, who is being held without bail, then shot Rodriguez when she was already in the water.

The defendant and his alleged accomplice, Luis Antonio Cadiz, have been charged with carjacking, kidnapping resulting in death and killing of an unborn child. 

In another teleconference hearing on Tuesday, Cadiz pleaded not guilty to the charges he shares with Verdejo. He is also being held without bond.

The US territory has seen sustained levels of violence that on average result in one woman's death per week, a 2019 report from non-profit advocacy groups Proyecto Matria and Kilometro Cero said, echoing a problem in other Caribbean and Latin American countries.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/12/21/puerto-rican-boxer-felix-verdejo-pleads-not-guilty-in-lovers-slaying

Prolific actor and director Norman Lloyd dies at age 106

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - American actor, producer and director Norman Lloyd, whose career of more than 80 years included collaborations with legends such as Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles, has died at the age of 106, Variety and Deadline Hollywood reported on Tuesday.

Variety said Lloyd’s friend and fellow producer Dean Hargrove confirmed the death, saying Lloyd died on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the news.

Lloyd had a long run as cancer-stricken Dr. Auschlander on the television hospital drama “St. Elsewhere” in the 1980s.

His last movie appearance as an actor was in the 2015 raunchy comedy “Trainwreck,” starring Amy Schumer and directed by Judd Apatow.

“(Lloyd) lit up the set every moment he was on it,” Apatow wrote in Vanity Fair at the time.

Lloyd’s movie work also included Martin Scorsese’s “The Age of Innocence” in 1993 and playing the headmaster opposite Robin Williams in the 1989 film “Dead Poets Society.”

Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Leslie Adler

https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/12/21/prolific-actor-and-director-norman-lloyd-dies-at-age-106

Table tennis: Sports community remembers Oscar Santelices as ‘kind, selfless’ mentor

 Manolo Pedralvez

Gentle. Generous. Humble.

This was the general consensus of those who knew former national table tennis player, former national coach, and former University of the Philippines Diliman athletic director Oscar Santelices, who passed away early Tuesday morning due to COVID-19. He was 59.

An outpouring of sympathy and prayers flooded the Facebook page of the well-liked mentor, led by UP-Diliman College of Human Kinetics dean Francis Diaz and the UP table tennis squad.

“Coach Osky had an impeccable work ethic as a faculty member of UP CHK. Hindi po matatawaran ang ibinigay at inalay na panahon ni coach Osky sa bawat varsity athlete na pinagsilbihan niya bilang varsity director (We are indebted to him for time and effort he gave to every varsity athlete served as varsity director,” Diaz said.

“Feeling heartbroken,” the dean posted on social media. “May eternal rest be granted and may our Lord’s perpetual light shine on you Coach Osky!”

The UP varsity team closest to his heart also paid tribute to the former national table tennis champion on his FB account.

Philippine Table Tennis Federation president Ting Ledesma said: “He (Santelices) was my coach when I was a member of the national team. I will surely miss him and the local table tennis community mourns his passing. He had contributed greatly to the development of our sport.” 

How big-hearted was Santelices?

Former Philippine Women’s University varsity player Arvy Yuga Rojas reminisced about the late coach on Facebook. 

Rojas described how she pleaded with the coach to accept her on the varsity team even though she knew little about table tennis, and because she couldn’t pay the school tuition.

She said she was surprised when Santelices awarded her with a full scholarship the next term on top making her the team captain. 

Santelices’ younger sister remember her brother’s unselfishness.

 

“Thank you for everything Kuya! You were such a great inspiration and it’s so overflowing to know how you have touched so many people’s lives with your kindness and generosity. I love you so much Kuya Yoshi !!,” Strell Santelices-Alojado said in a social media post.

This writer was also privileged to rub elbows and play ping-pong with the kind-hearted man all the way from our college days at University of Santo Tomas when his varsity exploits were reported in the UST organ, the Varsitarian.

As we prayed for his recovery, one of the messages Oskie, as his friends called him, he texted was: “Thanks, my friend. You are one person dear friend who honored me for being what I am. Thanks for your support and prayers.”

He was referring to an old Sports Weekly feature on him in his prime and whose greying page he carefully kept in his scrap book. 

A graduate and varsity player at UST, Santelices was the national champion in 1982.

He later played for the Philippine table tennis team for several years together with younger brother Eustaquio Santelices, and also became the secretary general of the Table Tennis Association of the Philippines under former president Victor Valbuena.

Santelices is survived by his wife Gwen and children Jose Lorenzo and Juan Miguel.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/12/21/table-tennis-sports-community-remembers-oscar-santelices-as-kind-selfless-mentor

Sakto | Teleradyo (12 May 2021)

PRIORITY - Kape't Pandasal kasama si Fr Nono Alfonso, SJ

NBA: LeBron out vs. Knicks, targeting Wednesday return, say reports

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James won't return Tuesday night after all and is now targeting a Wednesday comeback, ESPN reported.

James wants to rest his ailing ankle one more day, per Tuesday's report. The Lakers play the New York Knicks on Tuesday night and take on the Houston Rockets a night later.

Reports had indicated that James, 36, was planning his return vs. the Knicks.

James suffered a right, high-ankle sprain against the Atlanta Hawks on March 20, forcing him to miss 20 games in a row.

James returned from the injury six weeks later at the end of April. He played in two games against the Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors, both losses for the Lakers.

James complained about sharp pain in his sore right ankle after the Raptors game, shutting it down for the last four games to allow for more time to let his ankle heal.

In all, James has missed 25 games this season. The Lakers are 10-15 in those contests. Los Angeles is 28-15 in games that James started this season.

The Lakers (38-30) remain the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference with four games to play.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/12/21/nba-lebron-out-vs-knicks-targeting-wednesday-return-say-reports

Premier League: Manchester City crowned champions again

MANCHESTER—Manchester City were confirmed as Premier League champions for the third time in four seasons after second-placed rivals Manchester United lost 2-1 at home to Leicester City on Tuesday.

United's defeat means City are 10 points clear with both sides having three games left to play.

City's coronation had been delayed after Pep Guardiola's side suffered a 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea on Saturday, although in truth they have looked uncatchable for several months.

It is Guardiola's third Premier League title for City in his five seasons in charge and eighth domestic honor for the club.

"This has been a season and a Premier League title like no other," said Guardiola, referring to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that has seen matches played in empty stadiums.

"This was the hardest one. We will always remember this season for the way we won. I am so proud to be the manager here and of this group of players," he added on the club website.

"To come through this season, with all the restrictions and difficulties we've faced -- and show the consistency we have is remarkable. It is relentless."

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praised his side for "pushing" City into the final fortnight of the season, even though they were never serious challengers.

"We have pushed Manchester City all the way, until 10-12 days left in the season and it is a very good achievement because they are a very good team," Solskjaer said.

"They are very worthy champions. I have to say congratulations because they have played some fantastic stuff this season."

TOUGH START

Despite City's romp to the title they endured a tough start to the season after picking up 12 points from their first eight games -- their worst start since 2008-09.

Since then they have been head and shoulders above their rivals and after hitting the top have looked unstoppable.

After losing at Tottenham Hotspur in November, slipping to 11th in the table, they have won 22 of their next 27 matches, including a 15-game winning run and a record-equalling 11 successive away league wins.

Guardiola's side, second-best to Liverpool last season, also won a fourth successive League Cup and can claim a treble by beating Chelsea in this month's Champions League final.

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said City were deserved champions. "They are the benchmark. They have been outstanding. Brilliant players. Incredible manager and they thoroughly deserve the title. Congratulations to Pep and his team."

Manchester United had further delayed City's title celebrations by beating Aston Villa away on Sunday but Leicester gave Guardiola's side a helping hand on Tuesday.

Even if United beaten Leicester, and then Liverpool on Thursday, City could have wrapped up the club's seventh English title by beating Newcastle United on Friday.

A huge "Champions" banner was draped outside City's Etihad Stadium while a smattering of fans arrived to mark the occasion.

It will be considerably noisier on May 23 when City host Everton on the final day of the Premier League season with 10,000 fans permitted to attend. (Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/12/21/premier-league-manchester-city-crowned-champions-again

SE Asia Dota 2 Pro Circuit: TNC Predator still team to beat in Week 4

Kennedy Caacbay, ABS-CBN News

TNC Predator tightened its grip on the top seed of the Southeast Asia Dota Pro Circuit with a 4-1 win-loss record, after defeating Boom Esports in Week 4, 2-1.

Medusa looked strong as a carry right now, with TNC relying on the hero in Games 1 and 3 of the series, which they won.

Both the carry and middle players, Kim “Gabbi” Villafuerte and Armel “Armel” Tabios played the hero, respectively, earning at least 22,000 net worth in both wins.

The Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade of Medusa is also buffed right now, with both Gabbi and Armel building the item with the hero. The scepter upgrades Medusa’s Mystic Snake, which allows the user to petrify enemies, turns them into stones, and would take bonus physical damage.

In Game 1, Gabbi even combined the scepter upgrade with Octarine Core, which lets him reduce the usage cooldown of Mystic Snake while boosting Medusa’s mana and health.

TNC still has two series left to play in the tournament. In Week 5, they will play Lilgun, the last team in the standings with a 0-4 record, and the current top 2 seed Fnatic in Week 6. 

Winning at least one series will give them an edge over other teams to qualify for the next major.

The Asia-Pacific Predator League champion also tied their series win in the first season of the SEA Dota Pro Circuit with 4, with their win against Omega.

OB.Neon, meanwhile, won its series 2-0 against fellow Filipino team Smart Omega on Thursday.

The Taguig team looked crisp as they held Omega to only 4 kills in both games: Game 1 with a 23-4 lead, and Game 2 with 27-4.

Erin Jasper "Yopaj" Ferrer also etched 13 kills across his name in game 2, leading all Neon players in kills with his Ember Spirit. 

The series victory kept the team’s hopes up in qualifying for the next major.

Southeast Asia Dota Pro Circuit Season 2 Week 5 starts Wednesday, May 12, with Neon battling Lilgun at 3 p.m. (all times Singapore).

They will also brawl with DPC Season 1 top placer Fnatic on Thursday, 6 p.m. Neon needs to win their remaining series until the sixth week to get another shot in joining the next major.

Smart Omega will also face Boom Esports on Saturday, 6 p.m.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/12/21/se-asia-dota-2-pro-circuit-tnc-predator-still-team-to-beat-in-week-4

Stint with Gilas 3x3 a dream come true for Mo Tautuaa

Filipino-Tongan center Moala Tautuaa has long dreamt of playing for Gilas Pilipinas.

However, he cannot represent the country in a FIBA-sanctioned 5-on-5 event, as he was not able to obtain a Philippine passport before the age of 16. Tautuaa, a former top overall pick in the PBA, did suit up for Gilas in the 2015 William Jones Cup, and helped the national 3x3 team win the gold medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

He will get to wear national team colors anew later this month, as Tautuaa is part of the Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 squad that will compete in the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Graz, Austria from May 26-30.

Once he got the call-up from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to be part of the OQT team, he did not hesitate to answer the call of duty.

"I received a two-part text message to invite me to the team," recalls Tautuaa. "But even before I received the second part of the invitation, I already replied that I wanted to come."

Tautuaa, now a center for San Miguel Beer in the PBA, is well aware that 3x3 is different from the full-court version of the game that he has been playing all his life. The ball is smaller, the shot clock is shorter, and the game is faster.

The 2019 SEA Games marked Tautuaa's 3x3 debut. There, he together with CJ Perez, Jason Perkins, and Chris Newsome were dominant, sweeping the competition en route to the gold.

The level of play will be much higher in the OQT, however, as they face Slovenia, France, Qatar, and the Dominican Republic -- all of whom are active in the global FIBA 3x3 circuit.

Still, Tautuaa is confident especially as they have the country's top player in Joshua Munzon, along with no. 6 Karl Dehesa and no. 8 Santi Santillan, has guided them during their seven-day camp in INSPIRE Sports Academy.

"This is going to be the first time we played against this caliber, this level, me and CJ. Josh, Alvin [Pasaol], Santi, and Karl have experienced it in the pro circuit," he said.

In that brief camp, Tautuaa was quick to realize that their opponents in the OQT will be bigger and more skilled, compared to the competition in the SEA Games. He is thus determined to improve on other facets of his game when they return to the Calamba facility later this week.

"You can't just be fast, you also have to be strong. But you can't just be strong, you also need to shoot or post up in 3x3," he said. 

"I feel I can dabble with all those areas, not at the highest level, but good enough to where the defense will respect me wherever I am on the floor," he added. 

"I'm thankful to the SBP, Boss Al [Panlilio], and Coach Ronnie [Magsanoc] for this opportunity to represent the country," Tautuaa also said. "We want to win and we got that Filipino brand. We're not going to back down to anybody. We're going to go there and see what we go."

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/12/21/stint-with-gilas-3x3-a-dream-come-true-for-mo-tautuaa