������Ƶ

ABU DHABI: European Ryder Cup heroes Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry are the latest stars confirmed for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship from Nov. 6 to 9 at Yas Links.

The duo will join reigning Masters champion and career grand slam winner Rory McIlroy — along with fellow 2025 Ryder Cup stars Ludvig Aberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Hojgaard, Robert MacIntyre, and vice captain Alex Noren — for the opening event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs.

World No. 5 Fleetwood, an Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner in 2017 and 2018, heads to the UAE in spectacular form. Last week at the DP World India Championship, he fired a sublime final round 65 to secure a two-stroke triumph over Keita Nakajima for an eighth DP World Tour title.

The 34-year-old has enjoyed a career-defining season, highlighted by his emotional maiden PGA TOUR victory at the TOUR Championship in August, where he also claimed the FedExCup.

In doing so, Fleetwood became only the second Englishman to capture the season-long trophy, following in the footsteps of Justin Rose.

At the Ryder Cup, Fleetwood was the standout performer in Europe’s historic 15-13 victory over the US, marking the first time an away team has won the event since 2012.

Fleetwood delivered when it mattered most, winning four matches with just one defeat across all five sessions, finishing the week as the leading points scorer in the biennial contest.

“It’s always special to play at home in the UAE, and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is a tournament I look forward to every year,” said Fleetwood, who has lived in Dubai since 2022.

“Yas Links is a great golf course and the atmosphere is always incredible. I’ve had some great memories here over the years, and starting the DP World Tour Play-Offs in front of family and friends gives me that extra bit of motivation to finish the season on a high.”

Lowry sparked emotional scenes at Bethpage Black as the Irishman secured the vital half-point to retain the Ryder Cup for Europe on a tense Sunday singles session.

The 38-year-old is no stranger to success in the UAE.

He lifted the Falcon Trophy in 2019 with his win at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which proved the springboard to one of the greatest years of his professional career that included winning the Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

Lowry’s inclusion on Luke Donald’s historic European Ryder Cup team has secured his spot in the penultimate Rolex Series event of the season, with 2025 Ryder Cup players exempt and included in the field, in addition to the leading 70 players on the Race to Dubai Rankings.

“Abu Dhabi has always been a great place to play golf and I’m really looking forward to being back at Yas Links in a few weeks,” said Lowry.

“The DP World Tour Play-Offs are always an exciting end to our season and it’s great to have the opportunity to compete against some of the best players in the world. I’ll be giving it everything to finish the year on a high.”

Staged by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the DP World Tour, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is the first event of the tour’s end of season showpiece. This event leads straight into the DP World Tour Championship where the Race to Dubai champion will be crowned.

The top 70 available players on the Race to Dubai will battle it out at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which returns for its 20th edition in 2025. The top 50 qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai the following week.

LOS ANGELES: Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points in a sensational NBA return on Wednesday, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 125-92 season-opening victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

The 21-year-old French star hadn’t played since he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder that required surgery in February.

But he launched his third season with a dazzling display on both ends of the floor, adding 15 rebounds, a steal and three blocked shots.

Already known for his combination of size and agility, Wembanyama showed off new strength and was virtually unstoppable at the rim.

He connected on 15 of his 21 attempts, including seven of eight in the second half.

“All dreams are allowed now,” he told broadcaster ESPN. “I’m just glad to be back.”

He set a new Spurs franchise record for most points in a season opener, dominating his matchup with Dallas forward Anthony Davis, who led the Mavs with 22 points and 13 rebounds.

San Antonio’s Stephon Castle, who followed in Wembanyama’s footsteps in winning Rookie of the Year honors last season, added 22 points.

But it was a sometimes rocky NBA debut for Dallas’s 18-year-old No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg, who had zero first-half points but finished with a respectable double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Edgecombe shines

Philadelphia’s third overall draft pick VJ Edgecombe made a stellar NBA debut, scoring 34 points with seven rebounds and three assists in the 76ers’ 117-116 victory over the Celtics in Boston.

Edgecombe’s points were the most in an NBA debut since Wilt Chamberlain’s 43 in 1959 and the third-most in a debut game ever.

He broke Allen Iverson’s franchise record for points in a debut of 30, his 14 first-quarter points breaking a record of 12 set by LeBron James in his debut game in 2003.

“It’s just having confidence,” Edgecombe told NBC Sports Philadelphia. “My teammates keep passing me the ball, telling me to shoot it, so why not?“

Edgecombe’s heroics, coupled with 40 points from Tyrese Maxey, helped the 76ers erase a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit.

The Celtics, with Jaylen Brown and Derrick White the only remaining starters from last season’s 61-win team as Jayson Tatum recovers from a ruptured Achilles tendon, had a final chance to seal the win but Payton Pritchard’s jump shot didn’t fall.

Philadelphia’s oft-injured big man Joel Embiid, limited to 19 games last season, scored four points in just over 20 minutes on court.

The New York Knicks opened the season under new coach Mike Brown with a 119-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in a battle of teams expected to contend for the Eastern Conference title.

OG Anunoby scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Jalen Brunson scored 23.

Donovan Mitchell scored 21 of his 31 points in the third quarter as the Cavs erased a 15-point halftime deficit to take a one-point lead.

But the Cavs, who had the best record in the East last season but fell to the Indiana Pacers in the conference semifinals, couldn’t keep the pressure on as they felt the absences of injured Darius Garland and Max Strus.