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☆ PGA Championship: When Y.E. Yang became ‘The Tiger Killer’ to clinch Asia’s first men’s major trophy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Tiger Woods, world No. Yang?’Despite his giant-slaying efforts, Yang was still relatively unknown when he pitched up to PGA Tour qualifying school the following season. Yang clinched his first PGA Tour title on his fourth start of the season at the Honda Classic to join K.J. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images“I wasn’t that nervous because it’s a game of golf,” Yang told reporters. The 24-year-old American stamped a last-minute ticket to Valhalla with his first PGA Tour victory at the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic on Sunday.

Persons: Yang, –, Woods, ”, Joe, Mike Douglas, Yang –, Joe ”, fatefully, Yang toasts, ’, “, ” AJ Montecinos, texted, “ I’d, ” Montecinos, Montecinos, Jamie Squire, Choi, Montecinos –, Charles Baus, It’s, you’re, – it’s, Streeter Lecka, ” Yang, “ It’s, ” Woods, I’m, Hideki Matsuyama’s, Yang …, Christian Petersen, Montecinos ’, Chris Gotterup, Wanamaker, Tiger Organizations: CNN, Korean –, Hazeltine, Augusta National, –, CBS, European, HSBC, PGA Tour, PGA, Honda, K.J, Koreans, South Korean, Woods, Tiger, Hong, Korean, Southern Hills, Myrtle Beach Locations: Chaska , Minnesota, Jeju, Korea, Asia, Shanghai, China, Korean, Texas, San Antonio, Hazeltine, Woods, Hong Kong, Tulsa , Oklahoma, Valhalla, Kentucky

☆ The Masters: Bruising winds blow a flurry of big names out of ‘borderline unplayable’ Augusta National
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Believe it or not, these are both sound bites from a golf tournament. A storm-delayed first round meant some players had to finish their first 18 holes Friday morning, exacerbating a grueling day. “Even the golf course was saying, ‘Get the hell out of here,’” Homa, chasing his first major, said. South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel clinched a two-shot victory at Augusta National in 2011, but crashed out after shooting 74 and 81. I have a chance to win the golf tournament,” Woods replied when asked by reporters what the milestone means to him.

Persons: Mike Tyson, whisking, toiled, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson –, Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm, ” Rahm, “, Sand, Ashley Landis, Max Homa, Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler, Homa, ‘, ”, DeChambeau, LIV, –, I’ve, Scheffler, Jason, Scheffler’s, Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark –, Justin Thomas, Spieth, Viktor Hovland, Charl Schwartzel, ” Schwartzel, ” Spieth, Warren Little, Shane Lowry, Akshay Bhatia, “ It’s, ” Ireland’s Lowry, Akshay, ” Bhatia, It’s, Garcia, Tyson, African Erik van Rooyen, Woods, Gary Player, Fred Couples, ” Woods Organizations: CNN, National, Sky Sports, Augusta National Locations: American, Augusta, “, British, African

☆ Jordan Spieth’s disqualification reignites ‘dumbest rule in all of sports’ debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Under Rule 3.3b (3) of the USGA Rules of Golf, the world No. “Rules are rules,” he added in his post on X, formerly known as Twitter. Spieth’s fellow pro Michael S. Kim labeled the rule “stupid,” even with “many safeguards,” while PGA Tour caddie Kip Henley lamented “another benchmark in the dumbest rule in all of sports.”“Seriously, why even have scorecards on the PGA Tour?” Henley asked in another post. USGA rules do not disqualify players for returning a score higher than their actual score, only those returned that are lower. The PGA Tour, in accordance with USGA guidelines, follows a multi-step process to check the scorecards of fields peaking at 156-strong.

Persons: Jordan Spieth, Spieth, –, Hideki Matsuyama, Michael S, Kim, Kip Henley, “, ” Henley, ”, Eddie Pepperell, Dylan Wu, Wu, Jared C, Tilton, Roberto De Vicenzo, Tommy Aaron, Vicenzo, Bob Goalby, Wyndham Clark, Carlota Ciganda, Rory McIlroy’s, we’re, ’, ” McIlroy, Ryan Kang, Xander Schauffele, ” “ Jordan, …, ” Schauffele, It’s, Scottie Scheffler, – caddie, ” Scheffler, Ronald Martinez, Luke Kerr, Dineen, Kerr, Joel Beall, ain’t, “ Spieth, “ It’s, ” Beall Organizations: CNN, Riviera Country Club, USGA, Twitter, ”, Tour, Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Evian, CNN Sport, ” CNN, PGA, NBC Sports, “, PGA Tour Locations: American, California, –, Hoylake, England

☆ Hideki Matsuyama overturns six-shot deficit to win Genesis Invitational
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“I’m trying to think if that was the most impressive round I’ve ever seen in person,” the 30-year-old American told the PGA Tour. Harry How/Getty ImagesTriumph secured Matsuyama a $4 million cut of the $20 million prize purse and raised him 35 places to world No. 20, but the victor was more preoccupied with the significance of his ninth win on Tour – his first since Hawaii’s Sony Open in 2022. “After my eighth win, I’d been struggling with my back injury,” Matsuyama told reporters Sunday. “There were a lot of times where I felt I was never going to win again.

Persons: Hideki Matsuyama’s, ”, Patrick Cantlay, Phil Rodgers, Will Zalatoris, Luke, JT Poston, Matsuyama, “ I’m, “ It’s, ” Poston, Harry, –, South Korea’s KJ Choi, “, I’d, ” Matsuyama, I’m, Maruyama, Shigeki, you’ve, KJ Choi, Tiger Woods, Rob McNamara, ” Woods Organizations: CNN, Riviera, PGA, Matsuyama, Sony, Tiger Locations: birdies, South, Matsuyama

He said his strong finish Thursday doesn't give him much momentum because the final two rounds are on the South Course. Aaron Rei (70), Emiliano Grillo (69) and Joseph Bramlett (66) were all at 8 under after playing the South Course. First-round leader Kevin Yu fell off the pace after a 74 on the South Course. 6 Patrick Cantlay also had a rough day on the South Course with a 73. 7 in the world, shot a 70 on the North Course and was at 4 under.

Persons: — Stephan Jaeger, Nicolai Hojgaard, Jaeger, ”, “, it’s, ” Hojgaard, Thomas Detry, Matthieu Pavon of, Pavon, Detry, I’ve, Tony Finau, Michael Kim, Aaron Rei, Emiliano Grillo, Joseph Bramlett, Xander Schauffele, Kevin Yu, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, Hideki Matsuyama Organizations: DIEGO, Farmers Insurance, Torrey Pines, Torrey, NFL Locations: Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Matthieu Pavon of France, Torrey Pines, Dubai

The eight lowest scores came on the North Course, which generally plays a few strokes easier than the South Course on the municipal layouts on a bluff high above the Pacific Ocean. The final two rounds will be played on the South Course. 5 Xander Schauffele and defending champion and seventh-ranked Max Homa, both of whom played the South Course. Yu, a 25-year-old who played at Arizona State, is seeking his first PGA Tour win. You can’t complain when you shoot a 67 on the South Course.”

Persons: Kevin Yu, Patrick Cantlay, Ryo Hisatsune, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Homa, Nicolai Hojgaard, Yu, Kevin Dunlap, I’ve, ” Yu, ” Cantlay, Cantlay, hasn’t, ”, “, “ There’s, Japan who's, Hideki Matsuyama, Shane Lowry, Thomas Detry, Aaron Rai, Alejandro Tosti, Hojgaard Organizations: DIEGO, Farmers Insurance, San Diego State, Farmers, NFL, Arizona State, PGA, American Express, UCLA, U.S, Torrey Pines Locations: Taiwan, Torrey Pines, Denmark, Dubai, Orange County, Japan

☆ Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Japan’s pitching sensation is set to become MLB’s next star
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Watch out baseball fans; Japan’s next big star looks to be on the move. Pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to make a high-profile switch to Major League Baseball (MLB) during the offseason, after he was posted as a free agent by Japan’s Orix Buffaloes on Monday. The 25-year-old is expected to attract the attention of the league’s biggest franchises and could receive a highly-lucrative contract worth around $200m, per Reuters. Yamamoto has certainly impressed during the early part of his career, being awarded the Eiji Sawamura Award – given to the top starting pitcher in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) – on three occasions. Yamamoto is set to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui and current star Shohei Ohtani who have made the switch from Japan to the MLB.

Persons: Japan’s, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Yamamoto, Eiji Sawamura, –, Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Shohei Ohtani Organizations: CNN, Major League Baseball, Japan’s Orix Buffaloes, Reuters, Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, Triple Crown –, NPB’s Pacific League, Tokyo, The Athletic, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, LA Dodgers, MLB Locations: Japan

A woman looks at items at a shop in Tokyo, Japan, March 24, 2023. The spending plan, to be formally decided by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet on Nov. 2, also features payouts to low-income households, the officials said, confirming a report by the Nikkei newspaper. Tax revenue has grown this year, and Murai said the prime minister wanted to find a way to return some of that to the public to support households. "The prime minister will give formal and specific instruction at a meeting tomorrow between officials of the government and the ruling bloc, which will shape up through the ruling party's tax panel debate," Murai said. Kishida is due to discuss wage hikes, among other issues, with auto industry officials when he visits the Japan Mobility Show on Thursday, Murai said.

Persons: Androniki, Fumio Kishida's, Hideki Murai, Murai, Kishida, Takaya Yamaguchi, Yoshifumi Takemoto, Leika Kihara, Shri Navaratnam, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Nikkei, Japan, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, COVID

☆ EU asks Meta for more details on efforts to stop Israel-Hamas war misinformation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, said it had sent the formal request for information to Meta (META) Thursday. The commission also asked TikTok for more information on the steps it had taken to prevent the spread of “terrorist and violent content and hate speech,” it said, but without referring to the Israel-Hamas war. But the European Commission has made it clear it needs more information. Both companies also have until November 8 to detail how they intend to protect the “integrity of elections” on their platforms, the commission said. It has not announced parallel investigations into Meta or TikTok.

Persons: TikTok, Thierry Breton, Meta, Hideki Yoshihara Organizations: London CNN, European, Facebook, European Commission, Meta, EU, Services, DSA, Twitter Locations: Israel

Tokyo/Hong Kong CNN —A Japanese sushi chain targeted in a spate of pranks that has sparked concern over hygiene has devised a digital conveyor belt to serve food to customers. The chain had been subject to a string of pranks dubbed “sushi terrorism” since the start of the year. Inspired by viral online videos, pranksters filmed themselves licking shared soy sauce bottles or tampering with food rotating on conveyor belts at the chain’s restaurants. Three Sushiro outlets have been fitted with the new digital conveyor belts. The student from western Hyogo prefecture said he would miss the convenience of being able to pick up sushi directly from the conveyor belts, if they are eventually phased out completely.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, —, Akindo, pranksters, Sushiro, ”, Alessio Procopio, Hideki Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Police, NHK Locations: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Osaka, Nagoya, Gifu, Japan, Hyogo

☆ Marcus Stroman rejoins Cubs' rotation to face Rockies
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Field Level Media | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Marcus Stroman will make his first start in nearly two months on Saturday when the Cubs try for a second consecutive victory over the Colorado Rockies, who have lost their past eight road games. In a surprising twist, Chicago manager David Ross ended his press conference following the Cubs' 6-0 victory over the Rockies on Friday by proclaiming Stroman (10-8, 3.76 ERA) as his Saturday starter. Stroman went 9-4 with a 2.28 ERA through his first 16 starts, but he went 1-4 with a 9.00 ERA in his next seven starts before landing on the IL. In his past 34 games, Suzuki is batting .359 (46-for-128) with nine homers, 29 RBIs and a 1.112 OPS. Suzuki went 2-for-2 against Chris Flexen, Colorado's scheduled Saturday starter, during the Cubs' 6-4 loss to the Rockies on Sept. 12.

Persons: Marcus Stroman, David Ross, Stroman, hasn't, Jameson Taillon, Ross, Seiya Suzuki, Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Shohei Ohtani, Chris Flexen, Colorado's, Dansby Swanson, Kris Bryant, Bryant, Bud Black, Elias Diaz Organizations: Chicago Cubs, Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Rockies, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado ., Miami Marlins, National League, Marquee Sports Network, Chicago, Flexen, Stroman, Wrigley, Thomson Locations: Chicago, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Colorado . Chicago, Colorado

☆ Cubs big up pivotal win, drub Rockies
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Field Level Media | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

September 22 - Jameson Taillon struck out seven while going six innings and Seiya Suzuki clubbed a two-run homer for one of his three hits, and had three RBIs, as the Chicago Cubs beat the visiting Colorado Rockies 6-0 on Friday. Taillon (8-10) certainly helped the cause, though he was far from dominant while yielding four of Colorado's six hits and four walks. The Cubs loaded the bases with one out in the first against Colorado rookie starter Noah Davis (0-3), but managed only a run via Suzuki's RBI single. Rockies left fielder Nolan Jones cut down Ian Happ trying to score a second run on the same play to end the inning. In his first major league start since June 20, Davis lasted five innings, allowing three runs, four hits, walking three and striking out four.

Persons: Jameson Taillon, Seiya Suzuki, Taillon, Elias Diaz, it's, Noah Davis, Nolan Jones, Ian Happ, Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Shohei Ohtani, Jared Young's, Colorado's Gavin Hollowell, Davis Organizations: Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, NL, Pittsburgh Pirates, Rockies, Cubs, Colorado, Davis, Marquee Sports Network, Thomson Locations: Chicago, Taillon

☆ Woods joins PGA Tour's policy board as player director
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Tiger's voice and leadership throughout his career have contributed immeasurably to the success of the PGA Tour, and to apply both to our governance and go-forward plan at this crucial time is even more welcomed and impactful," said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. "I am honoured to represent the players of the PGA Tour," Woods, who is recovering from ankle surgery in April, said in a news release. The announcement comes nearly two months after the golf world was left stunned by the announcement of a framework agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which controls LIV Golf. According to the PGA Tour, the players and Monahan will work together to amend the Policy Board's governing documents to make it clear that no major decision can be made without the involvement and approval of the player directors. Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Woods, Mike Blake, Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati, Rory McIlroy, Webb Simpson, Jay Monahan, LIV, Monahan, Colin Neville, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Frank Pingue, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Golf, Reuters, PGA, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, PGA Tour, PIF, Thomson Locations: Augusta , Georgia, U.S, Toronto

TOKYO, July 19 (Reuters) - Japan needs to rapidly expand computing power as it vies to become a global leader in artificial intelligence, said Hideki Murai, a special AI adviser to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "The government's key priority is computing power. We feel a real sense of crisis about that," Murai, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker who heads the government's AI strategy team, told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. Japan, the world's third-largest economy, has been slow to invest in the field, and lags the United States in AI computer infrastructure. Some 3,000 companies in Japan have access to a supercomputer at the government's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) offering 0.8 exaflops of computing power.

Persons: Hideki Murai, Fumio Kishida, OpenAI, Murai, Shohei Ohtani, Tim Kelly, Sam Nussey, Miho Uranaka, Sam Holmes Organizations: Liberal Democratic, Reuters, government's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science, Technology, Microsoft, Japan's Ministry of Economy Trade, Industry, SoftBank Corp, AIs, Japan, Major League, European Union, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, United States, AIST, European

☆ McIlroy sees 'big steps of progress' before US Open bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 14 (Reuters) - World number three Rory McIlroy said he has made "big steps of progress" in his game before he begins the U.S. Open with renewed focus and tries to end a nine-year barren run in majors. "I'm certainly feeling a lot better coming into this major championship than I was going to Oak Hill. McIlroy won the U.S. Open in 2011 at Congressional Country Club, storming to victory while setting the mark for lowest 72-hole score in the tournament's history at 16-under-par 268. "I've had my ups and downs in this tournament but I've started to figure out how to handle U.S. Open conditions and tests," McIlroy said. "I think there's certainly a lot more patience in my game than there used to be."

Persons: Rory McIlroy, McIlroy, LIV Golf, I'm, LIV's Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, I've, Hritika Sharma, Tom Hogue Organizations: PGA Tour, Canadian, PGA, U.S, Congressional Country Club, U.S ., Thomson Locations: U.S, Saudi, Toronto, Oak Hill, Hyderabad

☆ McIlroy grouped with Koepka as PGA-LIV battle set to continue at US Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The tournament will be the first major to be played since the bombshell announcement of a partnership between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV circuit. Koepka became the first active member of LIV Golf to win a major when he triumphed by two shots at the PGA Championship three weeks ago. Defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick will go head-to-head with reigning British Open winner Cameron Smith - another LIV recruit - and American Sam Bennett. World number one Scottie Scheffler headlines the morning action when he starts his bid alongside two-times major champion Collin Morikawa and home favourite Max Homa. Masters champion Jon Rahm, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, will also be out early and has been grouped with Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele, ranked fifth and sixth in the world, respectively.

Persons: Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Jonathan Ernst, LIV Golf, McIlroy, Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, LIV, Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Smith, Sam Bennett, Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele, Hritika Sharma, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Golf, PGA, 123rd U.S ., Los Angeles Country Club, Thomson Locations: Augusta , Georgia, U.S, Northern, Saudi, Hyderabad

☆ 'It does stink a little bit', DeChambeau feels for PGA Tour players after LIV merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The sporting world was left stunned when the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and rival Saudi-backed LIV circuit ended their bitter two-year dispute and announced an agreement to merge and form one unified commercial entity. The most aggrieved players are likely to be those, like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama, who turned down eye-watering sums from LIV Golf to remain loyal to the PGA Tour only to see the tours merge. "I do feel bad for the PGA Tour players because they were told one thing and something else happened, and our side, we were told one thing and it's come to fruition," DeChambeau told CNN. "It does stink a little bit from my perspective that the PGA Tour players are not necessarily winning. I think this is one of the saddest days in the history of professional golf," Chamblee said on the Golf Channel.

Persons: Bryson DeChambeau, LIV Golf, LIV, Jay Monahan, Woods, Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, DeChambeau, it's, Yasir Al, Yasir, That's, Brandel, Chamblee, Nick Mulvenney, Peter Rutherford Organizations: U.S, PGA, Canadian, CNN, LIV, Public Investment Fund, Saudi, PIF, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Toronto

☆ Blindsided PGA Tour players want answers over merger with LIV Golf
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

TORONTO, June 6 (Reuters) - PGA Tour players were blindsided by news of a merger with the rebel Saudi-backed LIV Golf on Tuesday that left them, fans and politicians demanding answers. A bitter feud that had divided the sport for almost two years ended without warning when the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf announced a shock agreement to merge and form one unified commercial entity. "I’m guessing the liv teams were struggling to get sponsors and pga tour couldn’t turn down the money. Rickie Fowler, Will Zalatoris and Hideki Matsuyama were all reported to have been offered over $100 million to jump to LIV Golf until Monahan pleaded with them to stick with the PGA Tour. Golf fans took to social media, many blasting the PGA Tour for its hypocrisy.

Persons: LIV Golf, liv, Jay Monahan, Rickie Fowler, Will Zalatoris, Hideki Matsuyama, Monahan, Adam Hadwin, Charlotte ,, Peter Casey, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, LIV, Chris Murphy, Saudi LIV, Terry Strada, Steve Keating, Toby Davis Organizations: TORONTO, PGA, Twitter, Win, PGA Tour, USA, of Fame, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Democratic, Golf, Tour, United, LIV, Saudi shills, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Canada, Charlotte, Charlotte , North Carolina, USA, American, Connecticut, United States, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Toronto

☆ PGA Tour, European Tour and LIV announce merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Frank Pingue | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Additionally, the three organizations said in a joint news release that they will work cooperatively to allow a process for any LIV Golf players to reapply for PGA Tour and DP World Tour membership following the 2023 season. "After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love," PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a joint news release. "We are proud to partner with the PGA Tour to leverage PIF's unparalleled success and track record of unlocking value and bringing innovation and global best practices to business and sectors worldwide." The PGA Tour had sought to fend off competition from LIV by barring PGA Tour players from participating in LIV tournaments. Some PGA Tour players took to Twitter to express their surprise having not been informed of the agreement before its announcement.

Persons: Hideki Matsuyama, Mike Segar, LIV, Jay Monahan, Yasir Al, Tour's Monahan, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Mickelson, Collin Morikawa, Mackenzie Hughes, we’d, Donald Trump, LIV Golf's, Liv Golf, Frank Pingue, Alex Richardson, Christian Organizations: Golf, Tour, LIV, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Public Investment Fund, PGA, Al, Rumayyan, Justice Department, Fame, Twitter, Liv, Thomson Locations: Augusta , Georgia, U.S, Saudi, Collin Morikawa ., Toronto

☆ How to watch the PGA Championship: Start time, channels, and other things to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Rob Schumacher/USA Today Network Tiger Woods walks the 18th green during the second round on Saturday, April 8. David J. Phillip/AP Fred Couples waves to patrons after finishing his second round on Saturday. Patrick Smith/Getty Images Patrick Cantlay plays a shot from a bunker on the 18th hole on Saturday. Rob Schumacher/USA Today Network Adam Scott plays a bunker shot on the second hole Thursday. Rob Schumacher/USA Today Network Hideki Matsuyama, who won the tournament two years ago, looks over a putt on the second hole.

The Japanese company said it expects operating profit in the year to March 31 to fall 3.2% to 1.17 trillion yen ($8.65 billion), lower than an analysts' average estimate of a 1.275 trillion yen profit, according to Refinitiv data. For this business year, the company forecast profit at its gaming and network unit to rise by 8% to 270 billion yen. Software sales ought to have grown in tandem with hardware," Yasuda said. Sony also predicted that image sensor operating profit will dip by 5.8% to 200 billion yen. The firm said overall operating profit for the three months that ended March 31 fell 7.3% to 128.5 billion yen, with full year profit nudging up to a record 1.21 trillion yen.

☆ Sega Sammy says it is considering buying Angry Birds maker Rovio
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Sega Sammy was nearing a deal to buy the Finnish firm behind the mobile game Angry Birds for about $1 billion. Rovio has said it was in talks with Sega Sammy over a possible tender offer. Sega Sammy shares fell 4.3% by midday in a broader market (.N225) that was virtually unchanged. "Sega Sammy's mobile gaming business is centred on the domestic market, while 'Angry Birds' is well known overseas. "But there has been no big hit (from Rovio) other than Angry Birds, which was originally launched more than 10 years ago.

☆ Scheffler gets late Masters tee time, LIV Golf players separated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Frank Pingue | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

World number one Scheffler, bidding to become the fourth player to repeat as Masters champion, will go out in the third-last group at 1:36 p.m. Australian Smith, one of 18 players from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit in the field at Augusta National, will set off at 10:54 a.m. ET in the company of 2021 Masters winner Matsuyama on Japan and South Korea's Im Sung-jae. Among other notable LIV Golf players at the year's first major, three-times Masters champion Phil Mickelson will play alongside fellow American Tom Hoge and South Korea's Kim Si-woo. Dustin Johnson, who won the 2020 Masters before making the move to LIV Golf last year, will tee off with Canada's Corey Conners and England's Justin Rose.

☆ Japan whaling firm pins hopes on vending machines to revive sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Chris Gallagher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] A customer buys whale meat on the opening day of the shop by a Japanese whale-hunting company with vending machines, in Yokohama, Japan, January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki ChristodoulouYOKOHAMA, Jan 24 (Reuters) - A Japanese whaling firm unveiled vending machines offering whale sashimi, whale steak and whale bacon in Yokohama on Tuesday in hopes of reviving sales of a food long in decline and shunned by many supermarkets. At its peak in 1962, annual whale meat consumption was 233,000 tonnes. Conservationists say moves to promote whale meat are desperate attempts to revive interest in a struggling business. Whale meat advocates point to its high protein content and low carbon footprint compared with other meats.

Yet the small companies that provide most of Japan's jobs generally can't increase pay, business owners, economists and officials say. Battered by the pandemic, small firms now struggle to pass on higher costs out of fear of losing customers. They feel they have no choice but to put up with impossible demands from big companies." The trend is most apparent in industries with many small suppliers. The fair trade watchdog last month named 13 big companies it said refused to accept higher prices from suppliers.

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