McIlroy sinks 11 birdies in Abu Dhabi surge

Manila Times - Nov 7, 2026

ABU DHABI — Rory McIlroy charged into contention at the Abu Dhabi Championship with a second round featuring 11 birdies as Jon Rahm moved into a three-way share of the lead Friday. McIlroy shot the round of the day to haul himself back into the mix after receiving a two-shot penalty Thursday for improving his lie on a hole where he made a double-bogey. “I’d much rather be two shots worse off than be called a cheat,” said McIlroy, reflecting on the incident at the 12th hole during his opening round at Yas Links. “I made peace with it and at least I went out today, and it wasn’t playing on my mind. I had a clear conscience, and I could just go and play.” The six-time major champion carded a nine-under 63 in round two, picking up seven birdies on the back nine to bolster his chances of winning a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title. “It wasn’t like I got off to the greatest of starts today, but then obviously I got it going,” said McIlroy, who overcame a bogey on the first hole before finding his groove. “I went out today and played a good round of golf and did get myself back...

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PVL: Chargers survive Flying Titans in 5 sets
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PVL: Chargers survive Flying Titans in 5 sets

MANILA, Philippines — Mars Alba sealed the victory for the Akari Chargers by rejecting Sisi Rondina’s attack, ending a grueling five-set battle, 25-19, 22-25, 25-21, 19-25, 16-14, in the 2026-27 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference-Siklab Series on Saturday night at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. The Chargers held a  14-11 cushion in the deciding set before the Flying Titans stormed back with a 3-0 run, sparked by Eya Laure and Kat Tolentino, to force a 14-all deadlock. Eli Soyud answered immediately with an off-the-block kill that put Akari on match point at 15-14. Rondina loaded up for the equalizer, but Alba was there to block her attempt, allowing Akari to clinch a 16-14 win. Alba then pointed upwards and made a turn around after blocking Rondina. The Akari playmaker finished with 19 excellent sets, along with three points. “I think it’s normal to have high emotions, knowing what kind of player I am, and that’s how I play; there’s always swag. I wasn’t thinking about anything during that block; I just told myself that we should finish the game,” Alba, who played three conferences for Choco Mucho, told the media after the game. Ivy Lacsina made a triple-double performance for Akari with 17 points, along with 11 excellent digs, and 14 excellent receptions, as Soyud also chipped in 17. Choco Mucho relied on Laure’s 16-point outing, while Kat Tolentino added 15. Akari and Choco Mucho are both tied with a 3-3 win-loss record.

Lions rally past Wiz to take Korean Series lead
Nov 7, 2026

Lions rally past Wiz to take Korean Series lead

The Samsung Lions came from behind to defeat the KT Wiz 5-1 in Game 3 of the Korean Series at home Friday, taking a lead in the best-of-seven showdown by riding one big inning. Starter Ariel Jurado tossed seven innings of one-run ball and captain Koo Ja-wook delivered a two-run triple in the crucial second inning before a sellout crowd of 23,550 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu. The Lions now lead the series 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday in Daegu. Park Seung-kyu smoked a solo shot for some insurance in the eighth. This is the 18th Korean Series in which teams were tied at 1-1 through two games. In those instances, Game 3 winners went on to capture the title 16 times. The Lions prevailed despite being outhit 7-4. The Wiz scored the first run in the top of the first, with two doubles off Jurado. Kim Min-hyuck led off the game with a two-bagger down the right field line. Then with two outs, cleanup Sam Hilliard doubled off the top of the center field fence to cash in Kim for a 1-0 lead. It was Hilliard's third double and third RBI of this series. Th

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Nov 7, 2026

Wiz star Hilliard taking advantage of rubber ball training during Korean Series

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Lions manager benches injured catcher for 1st time in postseason
Nov 7, 2026

Lions manager benches injured catcher for 1st time in postseason

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Wiz manager demands more from star slugger with team trailing in Korean Series
Nov 7, 2026

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DAEGU — With his KT Wiz trailing the Samsung Lions 2-1 in the best-of-seven Korean Series, manager Lee Kang-chul on Saturday demanded more from his All-Star slugger Ahn Hyun-min. After three games, Ahn is just 2-for-13 with four strikeouts and two walks at the plate. He won the 2025 Rookie of the Year award in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) after hitting 22 homers and driving in 80 runs. This year, despite being slowed by injuries, Ahn still smacked 14 homers in 94 games. In both years, he had an on-base percentage of over .440, including his league-leading mark of .448 in 2025. His .267 on-base percentage in the Korean Series leaves a lot to be desired for the Wiz, especially because Ahn has batted in front of Sam Hilliard, the regular-season RBI leader with 139, who is also leading the Wiz with three RBIs in the Korean Series. "Hilliard is in great form, but we need Hyun-min to get on base more often in front of him to give him RBI opportunities," Lee said before Game 4 of the series at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu. "Because Hyun-min is not reachi

Lions pitcher Chris Paddack: proud Texan with ice in veins
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Lions pitcher Chris Paddack: proud Texan with ice in veins

DAEGU — Samsung Lions starting pitcher Chris Paddack is a proud Texan. The Austin native dons a full suit, completed with a cowboy hat and boots, on the day of his starts, and he once even asked his team interpreter to put on a suit himself earlier in the ongoing Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. Paddack also takes pride in his work ethic and his ability to rise to the occasion in key spots. The 30-year-old right-hander has been just the type of postseason workhorse that teams need to win championships, and thanks in large part to Paddack, the Lions are sitting two wins away from capturing their first Korean Series title since 2014. They lead the best-of-seven championship battle 2-1. Paddack threw 295 pitches in a recent 10-day span. He made his KBO postseason debut Oct. 26 in Game 1 of the previous series against the Kia Tigers, making 94 pitches in 4 2/3 innings. Then he started Game 4 of that series on three days' rest on Oct. 30, throwing 99 pitches over 5 1/3 innings. On Wednesday, he got the ball in Game 2 of the Korean Series, and he threw 102 pitches in seven inni

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Young pitchers help put Lions on brink of Korean Series title
Nov 7, 2026

Young pitchers help put Lions on brink of Korean Series title

DAEGU — At the tender age of 19, Samsung Lions starter Jang Chan-hee helped put his team on the verge of their first Korean Series title in a dozen years Saturday with a better-than-expected performance. Jang held the KT Wiz to a run on two hits in four rock solid innings, as the Lions prevailed 10-5 in Game 4 of the Korean Series at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu. The Lions lead the best-of-seven series 3-1, and can clinch the championship in Game 5 scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday in Daegu. At 19 years, one month and two days old, became the second youngest pitcher to start a Korean Series game. Before the game, Lions manager Park Jin-man said he hoped Jang would pitch with the level of energy and fearlessness that he had shown during the regular season. Jang had a rocky first inning, though, as he surrendered a solo home run to Jang Jin-hyuk on just his ninth pitch of the game. He walked the next batter but escaped the inning with no further damage. Jang's teammates then staked him to a 6-1 lead, as they batted around and roughed up starter Logan Allen to the tu

Lions beat Wiz to reach brink of Korean Series title
Nov 7, 2026

Lions beat Wiz to reach brink of Korean Series title

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Excitable Lions outfielder continues postseason breakout with big day
Nov 7, 2026

Excitable Lions outfielder continues postseason breakout with big day

DAEGU — Before the Korean baseball postseason started last month, Samsung Lions outfielder Park Seung-kyu told himself he would try to go crazy -- not as in going insane, but having a breakout campaign that could help the club reach the pinnacle. The 26-year-old has mostly delivered, especially so far in the Korean Series. After batting 3-for-4 with three RBIs in a 10-5 win over the KT Wiz in Game 4 on Saturday, Park is batting .500/.538/.833 for the series. Despite not starting earlier games, Park is tied for the team lead with four runs scored and is one of two Lions to have homered, alongside Koo Ja-wook. "I am happy to be going crazy, in a good way," Park said with a smile afterward. Park knocked in a run that made it a 7-1 game for the Lions in the third inning. And after the Wiz scored three times in the top fifth to make things more interesting, Park had the Lions' response with a two-run double in the bottom fifth that pushed the lead to 9-4. Manager Park Jin-man said the player is helping the team in other ways, too. The skipper said Park Seung-kyu gets the entire dugout fired

Lions manager not letting guard down despite taking commanding Korean Series lead
Nov 7, 2026

Lions manager not letting guard down despite taking commanding Korean Series lead

DAEGU — Even as the Samsung Lions built a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Korean Series on Saturday, manager Park Jin-man said this was no time to relax. The Lions defeated the KT Wiz 10-5 in Game 4 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu on Saturday. They will clinch their first championship since 2014 with a victory in Sunday's Game 5, also in Daegu. The Lions have won three straight games, and looked quite convincing in taking the past two games at home. Other than rallying for three runs in the fifth inning Saturday, the Wiz have appeared mostly lifeless in the past two contests. But Park insisted the job is not done until the fourth win is in the books. "We are getting close but in the postseason, one game can be a turning point and then you never know what can happen after that," Park said. "We are not going to let our guard down. We will do our best to finish the series tomorrow." To that end, Park said he will take an all-hands-on-deck approach with his bullpen usage, though he fell short of announcing his starting pitchers Chris Paddack, who threw

NBA: LeBron James has rough return to Cleveland in 76ers loss
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