Auto Racing
Rosberg wins the pole to pressure Hamilton
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Nico Rosberg won pole position for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Now he just needs someone to get in the way of title rival Lewis Hamilton.
The Formula One world championship will go to one of the two Mercedes rivals Sunday, and Rosberg put himself in a competitive position by edging a nervy-looking Hamilton in Saturday’s qualifying to secure a third consecutive pole and fourth in the last five races.
Hamilton, however, still holds the advantage. He has a 17-point lead and only needs to finish second to guarantee a second F1 title. But with double points on offer – 50 for the winner – Rosberg can clinch his first title if he wins and Hamilton crosses the line in third place under floodlights at the Yas Marina circuit.
Golf
Suzy Whaley is the first female officer at PGA
INDIANAPOLIS – Suzy Whaley was elected the first female officer in PGA of America history Saturday, a move that virtually assures her of becoming the association’s first female president in 2018.
The milestone moment came at the end of the PGA’s annual meeting in Indianapolis. Whaley received 52.63 percent of the vote, Russ Libby got 33.33 percent and Michael Haywood 14.04 percent in the secretary’s race.
In 2016, Whaley will become vice president, then will serve a two-year term as president and two more years as honorary president. Each step requires a formal vote, usually a technicality.
Derek Sprague will take over as president and Paul Levy as vice president. Allen Wronowski received a two-year extension as honorary president to fill the void left by ousted president Ted Bishop.
Woods will collaborate with a swing consultant
NAPLES, Fla. – Tiger Woods hired a swing consultant, as he prepares to return to competition.
Woods announced Saturday on Twitter that Dallas-based Chris Como, a specialist in biomechanics of the golf swing, will be consulting and working with him. Woods did not identify Como as his swing coach.
Woods will return Dec. 4-7 at his Hero World Challenge, an 18-man field of top-50 players at Isleworth.
Soccer
Messi breaks yet another longtime scoring record
BARCELONA, Spain – Lionel Messi broke the Spanish league’s all-time scoring record Saturday, surpassing the previous 251-goal mark by scoring a hat trick in Barcelona’s 5-1 rout of Sevilla.
Athletic Bilbao’s Telmo Zarra set the milestone in 271 La Liga games from 1940 to 1955.
Playing in his 289th league game, the 27-year-old Messi is Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer with 365 goals. He also holds the Spanish league’s single-season scoring record of 50 goals in 2011-12, and his 91 goals in 2012 broke Gerd Mueller’s 40-year-old milestone of 85 goals in one year.
Messi now can focus on breaking Raul’s mark in Europe; his first chance will be at Cypriot club APOEL on Tuesday.
Tennis
Federer closes in on his elusive Fed Cup crown
LILLE, France – Roger Federer will have the chance to clinch the last big prize in tennis eluding him.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion and Stan Wawrinka swept aside Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in the doubles to put Switzerland into a 2-1 lead against France in the Davis Cup final Saturday. Federer can secure the decisive point against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first reverse singles Sunday.
Associated Press
