NCAA: Altas look to avoid complacency vs Stags in play-ins

Nov 6, 2026

McIlroy hit with 2-shot penalty in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI — Rory McIlroy incurred a two-stroke penalty at the end of his opening round at the Abu Dhabi Championship on Thursday for a rules infringement, with Italy’s Francesco Laporta storming into the lead. Officials ruled that McIlroy improved his lie on the 12th hole when he appeared to press down grass behind his ball with his club before chipping at Yas Links. He initially made a double bogey on the par-four hole, but that later became an eight as he posted a two-under 70, leaving him eight shots off the pace set by Laporta in his bid for a record-equaling eighth Race to Dubai title. “There’s no intent. I play by the rules,” said McIlroy. “I try to do everything that I can to never end up in these positions.” “But just by looking at the video, like it doesn’t look very good,” he added. “Obviously that wasn’t my intent. I’m just trying to get a feel for the lie. “I guess the technical term for the rule is if you press down on the piece (of grass). I don’t feel like I pressed down. But at the same time, I don’t want the perception of, like, people thinking like I got away with something either. “So I’m happy to take a 2-shot penalty and move on and move into tomorrow.” Laporta fired a bogey-free 62 featuring eight birdies and an eagle to open up a three-shot lead over Jon Rahm, Bernd Wiesberger and Sam Bairstow. Rahm, making his tournament debut after agreeing a departure from LIV Golf last month, had not played since September following the birth of his daughter. The 36-year-old Laporta is seeking his first European Tour win while also bidding to climb into the 50-player field for the season-ending Tour Championship next week in Dubai. “Everything was just going like a video game, like just hitting shots straight and making some putts and just giving myself opportunities,” said Laporta. “I’m very happy about that.” Current Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra matched McIlroy with an opening 70, while second-placed Patrick Reed struggled and finished two over par for the day. AFP

Nov 6, 2026

Alcaraz into Paris Masters quarterfinals

PARIS, France — Carlos Alcaraz moved into the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters on Thursday (Friday in Manila) after his last 16 opponent Matteo Berrettini withdrew. Alcaraz, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, was scheduled to play the Italian, but Berrettini pulled out ahead of their encounter with an elbow injury. “Unfortunately, the pain in my arm that I’ve been putting up with for the past few days means I won’t be able to take to the court tonight,” Berrettini posted on social media. After receiving a bye through the first round as a top-eight seed, Alcaraz is into the last eight with only one match under his belt in Paris, a straight-sets success against Alex Michelsen. He will meet American Taylor Fritz on Friday for a spot in the semifinals. Fritz beat French sixth seed Arthur Fils, 6-3, 6-4, to stay in the running for a place at the ATP Finals. Alcaraz has never won the Paris Masters. The Spaniard is the top-ranked player remaining in the draw after world number one Alexander Zverev lost on Wednesday. Berrettini, 30, has endured an injury-plagued career and was forced to retire earlier this season in Paris when a hip issue brought a premature end to his French Open quarter-final clash with Matteo Arnaldi. Ben Shelton overcame France’s Arthur Rinderknech in a third-set tie-break to secure his passage into the quarterfinals. The American third seed battled past the 68th-ranked Frenchman, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), to avoid becoming the latest high-profile departure. Shelton will next play compatriot Tommy Paul after the 12th seed beat Frenchman Quentin Halys, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, in the day’s opening match on center court. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been on the court, but I’m looking forward to it,” Shelton said of taking on Paul for the first time since losing to the world number 14 in Dallas two years ago. “He’s in great form right now. A great player, a great friend.” Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata continued his run as he backed up his second-round victory over 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic with a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 win against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Zverev’s vanquisher Lorenzo Musetti, however, failed to use his round-of-32 upset as a springboard to a first 1000-level title, losing a long three-set battle to Frenchman Luca Van Assche. Former world number two Casper Ruud of Norway closed the day’s action with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. Shelton and Paul will open play on Friday, before Alcaraz retakes the court in the night session to battle Fritz, followed by Ruud’s clash with Portuguese lucky loser Nuno Borges. AFP

Nov 6, 2026

Jaguars breeze past rudderless Ravens

WASHINGTON — Trevor Lawrence guided the Jacksonville Jaguars to a straightforward 33-10 victory Thursday (Friday in Manila) over a desperate Baltimore Ravens team forced to rely on its ailing third-string quarterback. Lawrence threw for 242 yards and a touchdown pass to Parker Washington, with Bhayshul Tuten running for a touchdown on the game’s first drive and fellow Jaguars back Chris Rodriguez Jr. sealing victory on a dismal rainy night for Baltimore fans. Deprived of their talismanic quarterback Lamar Jackson and his backup Tyler Huntley due to injuries, Baltimore handed a first L start to undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, who played with enormous heavy strapping on his own injured ankle throughout. Fagnano battled gamely but there was little he could do to prevent the slick Jaguars from moving to 6-2. Having now won 14 of their last 16 regular-season games, Jacksonville’s latest win further burnished their credentials as dark horses in the race for the L championship. “We’ve come together, I think we’ve got a great group that’s all on the same page. We all think similarly. A bunch of hard workers,” said Lawrence. “Everybody’s gelling ... You’re seeing it come to life.” The closing stages of a fourth straight loss for the Ravens — who sank to 4-5 — played out in front of emptying stands at the M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore are already pinning their slim hopes of a playoff run on the expected arrival this weekend of veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Lawrence began the night driving the Jaguars swiftly into the red zone with a 52-yard pass to rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher, before Tuten dashed across the line. The Ravens offense tried every trick in the book to protect their novice quarterback, with star running back Derrick Henry taking multiple direct snaps in wildcat formation. It yielded little, though Henry did move into 7th place in all-time L rushing yards, surpassing LaDainian Tomlinson. In the second quarter Lawrence sprang back to life with two superb passes, the first finding tight end Brenton Strange for a first down, before the second sent Washington 50 yards into the end zone. After a series of field goals, Rodriguez ran in a touchdown from a direct snap to make it 33-3. Baltimore’s Justice Hill sprinted for a 65-yard touchdown to restore some pride with a late score. AFP

Nov 6, 2026

San Diego takes solo lead in Asean chessfest

SINACABAN, Misamis Occidental — As her more illustrious Filipino compatriots fell on the wayside, Woman International Master (WIM) Marie Antoinette San Diego was on fire on a humid Thursday, posting back-to-back wins against foreign rivals to seize the women's open solo leadership before the 7th Asean Individual Chess Championships took a break here Friday. After an impressive victory over Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Altan-Ulzii Enkhtuul of Mongolia, San Diego played with more confidence in handling the white pieces on Thursday afternoon's fifth round, besting erstwhile unbeaten and frontrunner WIM Bordoloi Pratitee of India in 41 moves of the Queen's Gambit Declined. So dominant was San Diego's execution in taking the opening advantage that it led to a favorable tactical melee, thus paving the way for Pratitee to lose a rook, then her queen. The 27-year-old San Diego from Dasmariñas City now has 4.5 points as she handles black at the top board opposite Indian WIM Shakira Devi Herfesa, who has 4.0 points, when the games resume on Saturday here at the Asenso Misamis Occidental Resort and Adventure Park (Amorap). "Talagang magaling si San Diego medyo out of form lang 'nung ginawang elimination that she missed the cut for the Philippine women's team in the recent Samarkand Olympiad. Mas disiplinado siya ngayon (San Diego is truly talented. She just happened to be a bit out of form during the elimination that is why she didn't make the cut for the Philippine women's team for the recent Samarkand Olympiad. She is more disciplined now)," San Diego's former chess coach with De La Salle University Susan Grace Neri-Gonzales told The Manila Times. While the Asean chess fest offers a direct WGM title for the champion in the women's open field, Neri-Gonzales said San Diego's toppling of the top guns at the half of the nine-round Swiss System event had already gained her a WGM norm with performance ratings of 2488. Playing on board 3, Mindanao's biggest female hope WIM Ruelle Canino from Cagayan de Oro took a breather when she gained the upperhand in the opening phase of a Sicilian defense tiff against Herfesa. The country's youngest Olympiad campaigner heads to the middle game with a pawn up and a dominant center. But choosing to complicate matters rather than exchanging major pieces dearly cost her the match. "Nag-panic ako," said Canino, who was time-pressured and outdueled by Herfesa in the race for queening passed pawns. Canino's mentor and Olympiad teammate in the country's only WGM Janelle Mae Frayna won her fifth-round assignment, but early losses dropped her to 19th spot in the 34-man field with only 2.5 points to show heading to the last four rounds. Foreign visitors have continued to dominate the men's rivalry with eight of them making the top ten in the leaderboard headed by the unbeaten duo of International Master (IM) Erdene Baasansuren of Mongolia and Grandmaster Duck Hoa Nguyen of Vietnam with identical 4-point output. Just in striking distance is the highest performing Filipino, FIDE Master Alekhine Nouri from Escalante, Negros Oriental at third place with 3.5 points. While compatriot GM Darwin Laylo, who is also undefeated but with many draws, sits at 7th place with 3 points. "Pero malayo pa 'yan, marami pa ang pwedeng mangyari (It's too early to tell, many things can still happen)," Laylo said. Mindanao hopeful IM Christian Gian Carlo Arca of Zamboanga, after suffering his second loss, rebounded with a victory over veteran Cebuano IM Rico Mascariñas to join a big bunch of 2 pointers in the top 20 among 40 competitors in the men’s side.

Nov 6, 2026

Gilas only has one week to prepare

GILAS Pilipinas coach Tim Cone will be making the most of the weeklong preparations allotted to them before plunging into action on Nov. 27 against Syria for the first of the national squad’s two-game schedule in the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers in Seremban, Malaysia. Cone said the Philippine team will be regrouping on Nov. 20, and will fly out to Kuala Lumpur to start the national squad’s training. “We expect all the players to be available by Nov. 20,” Cone said in a recent message with The Manila Times. Japan B. League Asian imports Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Mike Phillips, Quentin Millora-Brown and Kai Sotto will be available for Gilas Pilipinas duties by that time, along with Kevin Quiambao, who plays in the Korean Basketball League. Carl Tamayo, however, is out for the November window after injuring his ankle. The PBA is taking a break from its Season 50 Governors’ Cup semifinal series to give way for the Philippine team’s preparation and tournament. The Philippines will enter the November window in high spirits following its back-to-back home victories over Jordan and Iran, two traditionally powerhouse basketball squads in West Asia. Sotto has also made himself available for the games against Syria on Nov. 27 and Iran on Nov. 30. The 7-3 Sotto has just recovered from a knee problem which forced him to miss several games with his Japan B.League squad Altiri Chiba. And once he gets the green light, Cone said the shot blocking big man will be ready to reinforce Gilas Pilipinas once more. Sotto played a major role in the Philippines’ wins over Jordan and Iran that saw him average 15.5 points, 15 rebounds and over 3 assists in the Manila window. The Philippines remains in the hunt for a spot in the FIBA World Cup, which Qatar will be hosting in Doha in 2027. The Philippines carry an even 4-4 record, just a game behind Iran and Jordan in Group E standings, which share similar 5-3 slates. They are trailing Australia’s immaculate 8-0 record and New Zealand’s 6-2 card. Syria is at the rear of the group with a 2-6 card, the two victories courtesy of the squad’s wins over Iraq. Barring any major injuries, Gilas Pilipinas is favored to win over Syria. The Iran game though is expected to be a tough match for the Philippines considering how the Filipinos had to battle through poor shooting and an early 13-point deficit, before completing the comeback win at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in their Aug. 30 clash. Bennie Boatwright, who recently acquired his Philippine passport, is expected to don the Gilas Pilipinas jersey for the first time as a naturalized player as Justin Brownlee’s health status is still uncertain. The top three teams will earn outright FIBA World Cup slots, while the best fourth-placed squad between Group E and F will also secure a spot in the tournament in Doha.

Nov 6, 2026

Bolick prioritizes NLEX title over BPC honors

WHILE Robert Bolick’s bid to win his first Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award received a big boost last weekend following NLEX’s entry into the final four, the explosive guard insisted that team championship remains his biggest mission and motivation. The Road Warriors marched to the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup semifinals almost a week ago following their 137-89 win over the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters to complete a three-game sweep of their best-of-five quarterfinal series. The 31-year-old Bolick averaged 24.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.0 steals in NLEX’s dominant quarterfinal outing that enhanced his bid for the BPC plum. The former guard San Beda standout has led the race for the individual award since the end of the elimination round. “Of course that’s fun (but) as a player, that’s (individual awards) not what we are aiming for ... like everyone wants (to win a championship),” he said in Filipino. “The individual awards, it’s nice to have since you work for it everyday (in practice). And I’ve been number one (in stats race) many times but I always fail (to win the BPC award). But now I’m happy because at least, I have an opportunity to win,” he added. Bolick, the third overall pick in the 2018 PBA Draft, admitted that whatever he has reached at this stage is due to the help of his teammates, and even new coach Jimmy Alapag, under whose guidance, NLEX reached the semifinals in just his first conference as head bench tactician. “It’s not just me because the entire team, they (teammates) are the ones who helped me get better, and coach (Alapag), since he joined us, he made some tweaks in the game which helped the players,” said Bolick, who recently played for Gilas Pilipinas in the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. “Today, we are a solid team because it’s not just me, but all of us are contributing,” he continued. “Now it’s tough to defend us and give credit to coach, and credit to my teammates, too. But hopefully, we will really win (the championship).” NLEX reached the semis for the first time since the 2021 Governors’ Cup when the team was still being handled by Yeng Guiao. The Road Warriors though have yet to reach the finals since joining the pro league in the 2014-15 season. NLEX will be facing the winner of the Rain or Shine-Converge quarterfinal series in the semifinals.