Zaragosa wins wild Pueblo de Oro thriller – without knowing he had it sealed

Manila Times - Oct 15, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – Rupert Zaragosa summoned precision to overcome his lack of length, delivered clutch birdies when the pressure peaked, then endured an anxious final-hole bogey before discovering he had done enough to win the ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Championship on Thursday. In a rain-soaked final-round shootout marked by dramatic lead changes, costly mistakes and pressure-packed shots, Zaragosa fired a four-under 68 to finish at 276, edging Keanu Jahns and Zanieboy Gialon by one stroke in one of the most gripping finishes of the Philippine Golf Tour season. The diminutive but gifted shotmaker appeared to have seized control with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17, the latter punctuated by a superb 16-foot putt and an emphatic roar. Yet even as the final-hole drama unfolded around him, Zaragosa remained unaware of the state of the leaderboard – and of just how close he was to ending his winless run this season. Holding what he believed was no assured advantage, he drove safely on the par-4 18th but came up short of the green. His chip stopped six feet from the cup, only for his par putt to slide by, leaving him with a bogey and a closing-round card that suddenly looked vulnerable. After holing out,...

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Rory McIlroy arrives in India with a new fashion style and renewed hope in Race to Dubai finale
Oct 15, 2026

Rory McIlroy arrives in India with a new fashion style and renewed hope in Race to Dubai finale

NEW DELHI — Since completing the career Grand Slam, Rory McIlroy has been constantly looking for new ways to inject some freshness and spark into his golf. Turns out two of his longtime Ryder Cup teammates are providing some inspiration. For this week’s DP World India Championship, McIlroy has brought along a new look — baggy golf pants. After all, Tommy Fleetwood has been wearing them for a while. “I have watched and I have admired Tommy Fleetwood over the past year,” McIlroy said, with a smile, on Wednesday's DP World Locker Room show about his style that has generated plenty of chatter in New Delhi this week. “And in my everyday life, when I don’t have to wear what is my golf uniform, I wear a lot of wide-legged pants. It is the in-thing, the fashionable thing.” But how, McIlroy was asked, do they feel to play golf in? “These hit a little low, maybe a little short … I understand they are maybe not as well-fitting as they need to be,” he said, “but they are a work in progress.” Also in the works for the Northern Irishman is a replica of what he calls his “performance trailer” that he uses in the United States to aid his fitness and recovery during and between PGA Tour events, in an effort to gain an edge over rivals. Now, he wants one for when he plays on the European tour, too. McIlroy said that idea came from tennis great Novak Djokovic but also fellow golfer Justin Rose. “I decided to pull the trigger on it when Justin won in Memphis last year,” McIlroy said. “He’s 45 years old, playing great, contending in major championships, and at that time I was 36. I was like, I want to play really well for the next 10 years — I feel like I need to do something like this.” McIlroy hopes to have that up and running by the summer of 2027 — by which time, who knows, he might have a record-tying eighth Order of Merit title that crowns the year’s No. 1 player on the European tour. There are four events remaining in this season’s Race to Dubai and McIlroy will play in three of them, starting in India. He is third in the standings, behind Patrick Reed and Eugenio Chacarra, but there's little between the three players and plenty of points on offer in the season-ending events in India, South Korea, Abu Dhabi and finally Dubai. While Reed has stumbled of late thanks to an injury-prompted withdrawal at the BMW PGA Championship and a missed cut at the Spanish Open, Chacarra is finishing fast by climbing above McIlroy thanks to a tie for third at the French Open and a tie for second in Spain. “It’s still anyone’s game,” Reed said Wednesday. The American said he was swinging freely after the shoulder injury he sustained at Wentworth. He didn't play in France or at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and returned to shoot 73-71 in Spain, failing to make the weekend. “For me, I was itching about getting back and getting out and playing,” Reed said. “Did I come back too early? Who knows. At the end of the day the good thing is I can’t hurt it worse, and because of that, I have the confidence and the comfort level to come out here and execute and perform at the highest level.”

Medvedev sees off Tsitsipas to reach Shanghai Masters quarters
Oct 15, 2026

Medvedev sees off Tsitsipas to reach Shanghai Masters quarters

Shanghai, China — Daniil Medvedev beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday, setting up a meeting with Tommy Paul. Medvedev did not face a single break point in defeating the 28-year-old Greek 6-4, 7-5. "I felt like I was playing very well today," said Medvedev, the fifth seed. "I put a lot of pressure on him in the first set. "Second set, different story. Very tight one. I'm happy that I managed... to get some good returns, get some good rhythm," the 30-year-old said. The Russian broke his opponent's serve to go up 6-5 in the second set and closed things out in one hour and 24 minutes. The players were meeting in the singles draw for the 16th time on Tour, with 6th-ranked Medvedev improving his head-to-head record to 11 wins. Medvedev won the Shanghai tournament in 2019. His next opponent Paul meanwhile beat Zizou Bergs 7-6 (7/5), 6-4. "I know sometimes it's hard to back up a big win," Paul said of the 39th-ranked Belgian, who upset second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round. Though Paul said Bergs "raised his level" in the second set, narrowing a 0-4 deficit to trail by just one game, it was the American who triumphed in the end. Rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar earlier beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2 to secure his quarter-final spot. It was not without incident, though, with Jodar handed a code violation in the second set for swearing at a ball boy in Spanish when asking for a towel. Jodar will play Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals. The Norwegian advanced when fourth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime retired injured when down 2-5 in the first set. Ruud, ranked 24th in the world, said his opponent's trouble appeared to start in the fourth game of the first set. "It seemed to me that he maybe twisted his knee... it looked like he kind of stumbled a bit with a wrong step," Ruud told reporters. "From that moment it seemed like he was in a lot of pain," he said. Auger-Aliassime needed a medical timeout after the fifth game, starting the next game down 1-4 with white strapping around his left knee.

Warriors' Kristaps Porzingis remains out indefinitely
Oct 15, 2026

Warriors' Kristaps Porzingis remains out indefinitely

SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis visited the team's practice facility and met with general manager Mike Dunleavy and Vice President of Player Health and Performance Dr. Rick Celebrini regarding a health-related matter that has kept the big man out of training camp and preseason games. Porzingis also provided an update Wednesday on his social media. “Hello people, I’m working with doctors and experts to figure out how to be fully back to good health asap. Honestly, I’m getting better and better. I just have to stay patient, and I believe I’ll be feeling great again soon,” he wrote. “It has definitely been frustrating dealing with some health stuff that you can’t exactly pinpoint, on top of injuries throughout my career, so it has added up for sure, but we will get through it. Health is wealth. Thank you for all the support.” The Warriors said Wednesday that Porzingis came to Chase Center on Tuesday for meetings and that he will remain out indefinitely, but will now be around his teammates in some capacity. “An update on his status, including the potential resumption of practice, playing status or timeline, will be provided when available and appropriate,” the team said in a statement. On media day last month, Dunleavy provided no details on what Porzingis is dealing with and wasn’t ready to call it a long-term concern and wouldn't rule him out for the season opener on Oct. 21 at the Los Angeles Lakers. That now would seem in doubt. Porzingis didn't travel with the team to Hawaii for training camp. In March when he missed time with a medical issue and illness, coach Steve Kerr referred to it as “mysterious.” Porzingis reached an agreement on a two-year, $40 million contract in late June. The 31-year-old Latvian joined Golden State at the February trade deadline from Atlanta in a swap that sent Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga to the Hawks. The 7-foot-2 veteran played only 32 games last season combined with the Hawks and Warriors, averaging 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks. Porzingis missed significant time after coming to the Warriors — his sixth NBA team — playing in just 15 games with 11 starts.

PNVF rolls out major organizational reform
Oct 15, 2026

PNVF rolls out major organizational reform

MANILA, Philippines — The promised reform is now being delivered as the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) overhauled its organization with some key appointments that aim to boost the national teams in future international events. PNVF Executive Director Atty. Miguel Carlos Pacifico F. Suarez announced the major changes in the Alas Pilipinas Men's and Women's indoor volleyball teams, while the beach volleyball squads will remain intact following their successful campaign in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya recently. Leading the list of appointments will be the return of Dante Alinsunurin as head coach of the Alas Pilipinas Men squad. Alinsunurin, the head coach of the National University Bulldogs in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), will regain the role he had seven years after steering the Alas Pilipinas Men squad to a historic silver medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019. He will take over from Italian mentor Angiolino Frigoni, who has been tasked to handle the Alas Pilipinas Women squad in an interim capacity as the federation begins its long-term development for the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Cup that the country will host in 2029. Suarez added that to avoid conflict, PNVF president Frank Lao will focus his resources on the Alas Pilipinas Men squad through his Strong Group Athletics (SGA) – the organization behind the PVL franchises Farm Fresh and ZUS Coffee. A distinguished business leader and avid sportsman who was elected as PNVF president just last August, Lao vows to direct all the financial resources to the national athletes to streamline the administrative process and eliminate the delay in the disbursement of allowances. So far, Lao has used his personal funds to cover the financial liabilities and other obligations that he inherited from the previous PNVF administrations. Lao will also chair the national team commission together with Bo Perasol of the UAAP, Victor Calvo of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Sherwin Malonzo of the PVL, and Dr. Ian Laurel of the Shakey’s Super League. “Our president, Mr. Frank Lao, is delivering on his commitment to drive reforms within the federation,” Suarez said in an official statement on Thursday. “He wants to eliminate delays in the issuance of allowances, which is why he is disbursing his financial support directly to our national athletes. By doing so, he is setting a clear precedent for other potential sponsors to follow. Through these steps, we are laying a strong foundation of integrity, credibility, and good governance — values that will anchor our organization moving forward.” Rebisco, on the other hand, will serve as chief sponsor of the beach volleyball teams, bannered by Khylem Progella and Sofiah Pagara who won the bronze medal in the women’s event of the 20th Asian Games. The PNVF also gave bigger roles to Creamline Cool Smashers team coordinator Ma. Carlota Celda and volleyball commentator Jaime Ascalon. Celda will replace Ronwald Kris Dimaculangan as team manager of the Alas Pilipinas Men while Ascalon will be stepping in for Hollie Reyes as team manager of Alas Pilipinas Women. Furthermore, former Cignal Super Spiker team manager Juanito Gregorio will serve as Deputy Executive Director to assist Suarez with administrative duties, while being considered for the Athletes Commission are Alyssa Valdez, Dawn Macandili-Catindig, Ysay Marasigan, Ran Abdilla, Julia Coronel, Rex Intal, Majoy Baron, Jia Morado-de Guzman, Jessie Lopez, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Bernadeth Pons, Alyssa Solomon, and Len Escollante, who was part of the national squad that won a gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games in Singapore in 1993. “These executives bring not only high-level capability, work ethic, and wisdom, but also an unwavering commitment to driving Philippine volleyball to greater heights,” Suarez said. “We are confident that we have the right people, the right vision, and the right strategy to build a national sports federation fully capable of bringing glory to the country on the international stage.” TMT

World No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters impressed with PH's love for pickleball
Oct 15, 2026

World No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters impressed with PH's love for pickleball

MANILA, Philippines — World No. 1 pickleball star Anna Leigh Waters made a visit to the Philippines for the first time and expressed her admiration for the Filipino’s love for the sport. The 19-year-old athlete spent three days in the Philippines, where she interacted with fans, played exhibition matches, and partnered with a wellness brand—also noticing how the Filipinos have a love and passion for the sport. “They’re very passionate about the game. I think the pickleball players in the Philippines enjoy playing it every day; it has become part of their lifestyle. And maybe, it has also become part of the culture here in the Philippines,” Waters said during the press conference hosted by Franklin Sports and IAM Worldwide at the Dusit Thani Hotel at noon on Thursday. “It is really cool to see, even though I know in America the sport has been growing, but pickleball does not have that element it has here in the Philippines… Well, not yet,” she added. Waters has enjoyed her stay in the Philippines, emphasizing the warmth she received on her tour. The American pickleball player played in an exhibition match in Mall of Asia, engaged with fans in Bonifacio Global City, tried cultural elements, and also joined a new wellness journey with IAM Worldwide.  “Thank you to all the Filipinos I met. You guys have been so loving, and the support that you showed has been something that I’ll never forget,” she added.  Waters will return to the Philippines on Dec. 9, playing at the Araneta Coliseum.  Recently, IAM Worldwide has launched its newest commercial starring global pickleball sensation and undisputed World No. 1 Waters.  The campaign spotlights the multi-titled champion promoting the IAM Amazing Organic Barley Gummies, reinforcing the connection between elite athletic performance and accessible daily nutrition. The launch arrives as pickleball continues its meteoric rise as the world's fastest-growing sport. Sweeping across continents from North America to Asia, the paddle sport has transcended casual recreational play to become a global cultural phenomenon.  The Philippines has rapidly emerged as a key epicenter for pickleball in Southeast Asia. Across Metro Manila and key regions, the sport’s accessible, fast-paced, and highly social nature has ignited a nationwide obsession, with dedicated complexes opening nationwide and thousands of local "picklers" joining the movement. In the playful yet high-energy commercial, Waters is seen engaging in a competitive pickleball rally against a cute, animated IAM Gummy Bear, highlighting the dynamic blend of high-level athletic performance and recreational fun.  But beyond the playful action, the 60 seconder also reflects the mental fortitude and physical drive required for Waters to remain at the very top of her sport.  The campaign’s messaging centers on conquering the unexpected and turning constant effort into physical strength, emphasizing how optimal energy, immunity, and stamina allow athletes to dominate every game while having fun along the way.