Paul Casey targets Ryder Cup return with Europe in France 2018

Arizona-based Englishman Casey had to give up his Europe membership after deciding to focus on competing in the PGA Tour to try to make the world's top 50.

His gamble paid off as the 40-year-old rose quickly through the rankings from 75th at the end of 2014 to his current position of 15th.

Concentrating on the PGA Tour meant Casey was ineligible for the Ryder Cup. However, he is set to rejoin the European Tour at the start of the 2017-18 season and will appear at the Abu Dhabi Championship - an event he has won twice - in January.

"I've missed it and it's always bothered me slightly not being a member," Casey said.

"I think ultimately the biggest thing about making this decision is I'm avoiding the regret of not doing this.

"I want to play another Ryder Cup and that's why I need to do this. I genuinely can't tell you how excited I am and how cool it is to think about the possibility of that next September, for multiple reasons.

"I feel I can make a massive contribution on the golf course. I still feel I've got another very good three, four, five years in me, of really good stuff."

Casey was part of the European team for the record nine-point Ryder Cup wins in 2004 and 2006 along with the defeat at Valhalla in 2008 where he was unbeaten in his last three appearances.

However, Casey was not picked as the wild card by Colin Montgomerie in 2010 despite being ranked seventh in the world at the time and has not played in the Ryder Cup since.

Casey has praised the European captain Thomas Bjorn for influencing his return to the tour.

"Thomas has been a massive support," Casey added. "He's assisted in me making the decision with his confidence and his backing of me and my game, but he also hasn't crowded me.

"I sent Thomas a congratulatory message on his appointment and our conversations haven't stopped since."

Source = http://www.skysports.com/golf/ryder-cup/news/26733/11105503/paul-casey-targets-ryder-cup-return-with-europe-in-france-2018

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Tiger Woods to return to competitive golf at next month's Hero World Challenge

The 14-time major winner, who hosts the tournament in the Bahamas, is to return following back surgery which has kept him out of competitive action since he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic at the start of February.

Woods announced his participation in his own tournament with a social media post which read: "I'd like to thank the committee of 1 for picking myself and Daniel Berger to play in this years #HeroWorldChallenge."

Woods underwent a fourth back operation in three years in April and earlier this month the 41-year-old's agent Mark Steinberg said he had been cleared to resume full golf activity following a check-up with his surgeon.

"I am excited to return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge," Woods said ahead of the November 30 start.

"Albany is the perfect setting and it will be great to join this outstanding field. I want to thank Pawan Munjal and Hero MotoCorp for their continued support of this tournament and my foundation.
"I would also like to thank the fans for their unwavering support during my injury."

The tournament host is joined in the field of 18 by Daniel Berger, who won his second PGA tournament this year and represented the United States in the Presidents Cup.

The field also includes the world's current top four ranked players - Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Thomas.

He was also ordered to undergo a diversion programme after being found by police officers passed out in his car with prescription drugs in his system on May 29.

Woods appeared at Palm Beach County Courthouse on October 27 where he was fined US$250 (£190), ordered to pay the same amount to Palm Beach County Victim Services, told to attend a driving under the influence school and complete 50 hours' community service.

Source = http://www.skysports.com/golf/news/12176/11106400/tiger-woods-to-return-to-competitive-golf-at-next-months-hero-world-challenge

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Roger Federer opens with victory at Swiss Indoors in Basel

The world No 2 continued his superb form in front of the local crowd by making quick work of American Tiafoe 6-1 6-3 on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old Swiss, who has competed in a dozen Basel finals, wasted no time in establishing domination of the young gun by quickly rolling 4-0 ahead before his 19-year-old opponent managed to get a game on the board.

Federer then produced a love game and closed out the set in 29 minutes on his first set point.

Tiafoe's resistance stiffened slightly in the second set, with Federer achieving the break in the eighth game for 5-3 before wrapping up victory in 61 minutes.

Home favourite Federer will next face France's Benoit Paire, a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) winner over American Steve Johnson.

Two more seeds joined Federer in the second round, with number three David Goffin defeating German Peter Gojowczyk 6-2 7-5, and fifth seed Jack Sock rallying past Vasek Pospisil 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 7-5 while Argentine Leonardo Mayer knocked out number eight seed Mischa Zverev 7-5 7-5.

Defending champion and second seed Marin Cilic advanced in just 30 minutes after German Florian Mayer was forced to retire injured when trailing 6-3.

Juan Martin del Potro, the winner in 2012 and 2013, is hoping to build on his recent momentum as the Argentine bids to snatch a place for next month's ATP Finals in London. He starts his Basel campaign against Portugal's Joao Sousa on Wednesday.

"I just want to keep winning events," Del Potro said. "I'm not thinking of London, it was not one of my goals this year. I know I'm getting closer, I'm just fighting to win all my matches.

"My goal is to play a good tournament here. I will see how far I can move (in the points race to London).

"I must also see how I feel for Paris (next week's final Masters tournament of the season). I will be playing for four straight weeks, that's something I've not done for three or four years."

Source = http://www.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/11096980/roger-federer-opens-with-victory-at-swiss-indoors-in-basel

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Lewis Hamilton hails Valtteri Bottas' impact on Mercedes harmony

Lewis Hamilton has praised Valtteri Bottas "exceptional" human qualities and backed his team-mate to rediscover his early form at Mercedes.

As part of a revealing insight into the reasons Hamilton believes his relationship with Mercedes is "stronger" this year and why he stands on the verge of a fourth world title, the championship leader spoke warmly of his relationship with Bottas.

"Valtteri is an exceptional human being," said Hamilton.

"You can see he gets it from his dad. His dad's a lovely man, very polite, and comes over and says hi. Valtteri wants to win through merit and through hard work.

"There's never a moment when he's hiding anything from me. In actual fact, it's unusual where he will ask me something or I'm actually just offering it.

"Before the race [in Austin] I was like 'hey, I'm doing this with the car before the start' and he's like 'oh are you?' and then he therefore went and changed as well."

After being signed at the start of the year to replace the retired Nico Rosberg, Bottas ran Hamilton surprisingly close in the season's first half with the Finn claiming the first two wins of his career and outqualifying the Englishman five times in 11 races.

But Hamilton has dominated the Mercedes battle since the summer break, qualifying and finishing ahead in all six races amid his surge to the brink of a world championship crown he can clinch in Sunday's Mexican GP.

"Valtteri naturally wants more and he has more to come," added Hamilton, who leads Bottas by 87 points in the standings.

"It's not an easy car to drive and to come into a new team with a new aero car is definitely tough. But he'll go from strength to strength and I will work with him.

"I don't mind if he wins some races, I don't want him to win them all, but I like that he can push me.

"Particularly at the beginning of the year that was what he was doing, but I've just been able to take the car to another level in the second part of the season. But he's working hard and positive things will come."

Although Hamilton did not draw a direct comparison between his current and former team-mate, it is clear that Rosberg's retirement at the end of 2016 served to diffuse an increasingly intolerable.level of tension at Mercedes.

With Mercedes' pace advantage from 2014 to 2016 such that their two drivers were the only championship contenders, Hamilton likened the effects of the internal head-to-head as being "like a hurricane" with the energy "stuck in the room" rather than being directed at a rival team.

That has changed this year with Ferrari's return to title contention, while Mercedes chief Toto Wolff also believes Bottas' arrival has helped Hamilton.

"You can see also the relationship with Valtteri is an important factor," said Wolff.

"The spirit is great within the team and, through all the difficult moments, that was an essential piece of the jigsaw."

Source = http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/11097509/lewis-hamilton-hails-valtteri-bottas-impact-on-mercedes-harmony

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Eddie Nketiah stars for Arsenal: Who is Norwich’s cup conqueror

Arsenal were heading for Carabao Cup defeat at home to Championship side Norwich City before his intervention. The teenager came off the bench late on and equalised within 15 seconds to take the game into extra time.

Not content with that, Nketiah went on to secure a 2-1 win for the Gunners with his 96th-minute header.

The 18-year-old forward was not even born when Arsene Wenger took over as Arsenal manager and had played just one minute of senior football prior to Tuesday night but he now has Arsenal supporters abuzz about his potential. So, who exactly is Eddie Nketiah?

Arsenal signed up Nketiah after he was released by Chelsea in the summer of 2015. The youngster had been on the Blues' books since he was spotted playing for his local team in south London as a nine-year-old, but the Gunners were quick to pounce when he was told he would not be offered a scholarship.

Nketiah was invited to train with Arsenal just a few days after Chelsea confirmed his release, and their youth coaches liked what they saw. Within a week, Nketiah accepted a scholarship from Arsenal. He's been rising through the ranks ever since.

Nketiah is a quick and skilful frontman who is known for his clever runs in behind opposition defences.

Wenger put him in the squad for the recent third-round tie against Doncaster, praising Nketiah back then. "I like the quality of Eddie's movement, the quality of the areas he gets into, his strength, his determination to finish things off and his work rate as well," said the Arsenal boss.

That assessment echoed the player's own assessment of his game. "My game is mainly pace, movement and finishing," he said in March, before prophetically adding: "I have also worked on my heading." That has paid off in spectacular fashion for Wenger's side.

Of course, Nketiah goalscoring prowess is nothing new to those at the club as he has been doing it for the past two years. He was Arsenal Under-18s top scorer with 24 goals in 28 appearances in the 2015/16 season and passed the 20-goal mark again for the various age-group sides last term.

Nketiah was given his first professional contract in September of last year and confirmed his development with a place on Arsenal's pre-season tour in the summer. His first taste of first-team action came in the 4-2 Europa League win against BATE Borisov last month.

With much of the focus on the big names who want to leave the club, this was a reminder that there are youngsters at Arsenal eager to impress if given the chance. Nketiah will now be hoping to be involved in the quarter-finals. His team would not be there without him.

Source = http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/11097489/eddie-nketiah-stars-for-arsenal-who-is-norwichs-cup-conqueror

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Max Verstappen signs new Red Bull contract to the end of 2020

The 20-year-old is the youngest-ever winner in F1 having debuted in the sport at the age of 17 in 2015.

Both Ferrari and Mercedes, who only gave Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas one-year contract extensions for 2018 earlier this summer in the apparent expectation that Verstappen would become available, were thought to be keen on signing a driver considered to be F1's superstar-in-waiting.

However, in a move that caught the paddock by near-total surprise, Verstappen has opted to commit the next three years of his career to Red Bull despite the ongoing uncertainty about the team's engine supply future.

As Verstappen's previous deal ran until 2019, his new contract effectively amounts to a one-year extension - but on what is likely to be on a vastly increased salary.

"Red Bull has always shown their faith and belief in me with actions," Verstappen said.

"They have always backed me and my ambition and I know we share that ambition. I'm very happy to commit further to Red Bull Racing and I'm looking forward to working together to enjoy more success in the years to come."

Red Bull have struggled to keep pace with Ferrari and Mercedes this term but are currently enjoying a late-season revival. Verstappen's contract extension also spares the team from a nightmare scenario in which both the Dutchman and team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, whose contract expires at the end of next season, would leave in the near future.

"Every team would be trying to sign Max Verstappen, because of his age, speed and the upside potential," said Sky F1's Martin Brundle.

"You've got to remember that Lewis [Hamilton] is 32 years old now, Fernando [Alonso] is 36. Max is so young and has so much potential so for Red Bull to lose him would be crazy.

"I'm sure they've had to dip their hands a long way into their pockets and they'll be telling him what's happening with their engines for the future, what's happening with Aston Martin, and the development of the car. They would have made him a series of promises fro the performance of that car."


Verstappen's retention represents a major coup for Red Bull and a welcome fillip following months of speculation about their driver line-up and future engine plans.

"We gave him his first chance in Formula 1 and now we want to be, together with Max, the youngest world champion. We saw his potential, he is still developing, he believes in the team and we extended the contract until 2020," said Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko.

It's understood Renault, Red Bull's current power providers, have informed the team they will cease to be their suppliers at the end of next season. But Marko revealed that Verstappen had been reassured by the plans outlined to him.

"Of course we discussed everything with Max. He knows what our plans are, he knows what are alternatives are, and this convinced him to extend the contract," he said.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner added: "We are delighted that Max has agreed to extend his contract with Red Bull Racing.

"We had a phenomenal start together in Spain last year and Max has only pushed on from th

"Max is right to be hungry for success and we are looking forward to extending that journey with him in our hunt for Formula One World Championships. As we now look to the long term with Max he is in the best place in the sport to build a team around him to deliver our shared ambition."

ere. It was a great moment for the whole team to see him put the frustrations of this season behind him in taking that fantastic victory in Malaysia last month.

Source = http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/11089963/max-verstappen-extends-red-bull-contract-to-end-of-2020

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Decisions of the Grand Prix Commission at Motegi

The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Paul

The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Paul Duparc (FIM), Herve Poncharal (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA), in the presence of Carlos Ezpeleta (Dorna), Mike Trimby (IRTA, Secretary of the meeting) and Corrado Cecchinelli (Director of Technology), in a meeting held in Motegi on 14 October 2017, made the following decisions:

Technical Regulations - effective season 2018

Airbag Systems

All rider’s race suits must be fitted with an Airbag system designed with the purpose of minimising injuries. The technical specifications of the systems and the testing methods were also approved.

Moto2™ Testing with Triumph Engines

Each manufacturer of Moto2™ chassis who is supplying teams in the 2018 season may test chassis fitted with Triumph engines for a maximum of ten days per manufacturer. Testing may be conducted using any rider and the number of riders who may participate on each test day is not limited.

MotoGP™ Class Wildcard Machines

Each wildcard entry is restricted to the use of three engines for their exclusive use. The technical specifications of the engine, ECU hardware, other electronics. etc., must be as those for the manufacturer of the machine

Sporting Regulations

MotoGP™ Class Testing Restrictions - effective Season 2018

Current arrangements for official tests are unchanged, being a two day test after Valencia, three of three day tests at the beginning of 2018 at circuits outside of Europe and three, one day tests on Mondays after events.

Teams are restricted to five days of private tests with their contracted riders. After the winter test ban period only three days of testing are permitted prior to events and other tests can only take place on a circuit where the event has already taken place.

No testing can take place within 14 days of the event at the same circuit. No testing with contracted riders is permitted in the “summer break”. In 2018 this means between Monday 16 July and Thursday 02 August.

Test teams of Manufacturers may nominate three current Grand Prix circuits at which they may test at any time except within 14 days of the event at that circuit. They may also test during the three days preceding the first official test after the winter test ban period. Such teams may also participate at all official tests.

MotoGP Class Testing Restrictions - effective Season 2019

Regulations will be as per season 2018 above with the following changes:

The number of official, three day tests outside of Europe is reduced to two.

Teams will continue to be restricted to five days of private tests with their contracted riders. However, at least two days of private testing must take place between the last event of the season and 30 November. Remaining tests can take place at any time but not within 14 days of the event at the same circuit.

Wildcard Entries in the MotoGP™ Class - effective Season 2018

Each Manufacturer is permitted to enter a maximum of three wild cards per season. With the exception that Manufacturers who benefit from concessions are permitted to enter a maximum of six wild card entries per season. Entries from any single Manufacturer cannot be at consecutive events.

Duparc (FIM), Herve Poncharal (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA), in the presence of Carlos Ezpeleta (Dorna), Mike Trimby (IRTA, Secretary of the meeting) and Corrado Cecchinelli (Director of Technology), in a meeting held in Motegi on 14 October 2017, made the following decisions

Source = http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2017/10/18/decisions-of-the-grand-prix-commission-at-motegi/242916

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Antonio Conte hits back at Jose Mourinho after Chelsea draw with Roma

Mourinho, speaking after United's 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica in Lisbon on Wednesday

night, did not name names but it was clear he was thinking of his former club Chelsea and Conte, his successor as boss, when he talked of other managers who "cry and cry and cry" about injuries.

And, when the subject was broached after Chelsea's 3-3 draw with Roma at Stamford Bridge, Conte retaliated.


"A lot of time Mourinho has to see what happens at Chelsea," Conte said.

"A lot of time, also last season. I think he has to think about his team and stop... to look at himself, not the others."

Chelsea are already without N'Golo Kante, Victor Moses (both hamstring) and Danny Drinkwater (calf).

And David Luiz suffered a calf injury against Roma which could make him doubtful for Saturday's Premier League clash with Watford, when Chelsea will be seeking to avoid three straight Premier League losses after defeats to Manchester City and Crystal Palace.

Tiemoue Bakayoko, meanwhile, played on despite a groin problem, while Conte played down concerns over captain Gary Cahill after the defender finished the game with a heavily bandaged head, saying it was "nothing serious".

Chelsea had surrendered a two-goal lead, earned through strikes from David Luiz and Eden Hazard, to trail 3-2 with 20 minutes remaining.

Edin Dzeko's quick-fire double, after fellow former Manchester City man Aleksandar Kolarov's strike, looked like handing the visitors victory before Hazard headed in an equaliser.

It meant Chelsea avoided what would have been the first three-match losing streak under Conte's stewardship.

Conte, who deployed defender Luiz in midfield, admitted his tactics contributed to Chelsea being second best.

When Luiz went off for Pedro, Chelsea reverted to their usual 3-4-3 formation.

"I didn't like the type of football we did for a lot of the game, but it's right to take the responsibility for this," Conte said.

"I tried on one hand to protect my team, to become more solid and to move our central defender into midfield. On the other hand we lost totally our style of football.

"Sometimes you have to find the right solution to try to protect your team. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. But you know very well our situation.

"It was good to draw. Roma deserved this result. I have to praise my players, because my players showed me a big effort, a big commitment tonight. Otherwise, we lose the game."

Sources = http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/11087496/antonio-conte-hits-back-at-jose-mourinho-after-chelsea-draw-with-roma

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