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SPORTS SECTION E

Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Pro swimmer Lamar looks to secure more funding By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net LAMAR Taylor, making the adjustments from the collegiate to the professional swimming world, said life could be a lot better for him with a little bit more funding. Taylor, the country's top swimmer and multiple national record holder, began competing on the pro circuit after he completed his collegiate eligibility last year with the University of Tennessee Volunteers. The 2024 Olympian is currently home on a break for the holidays and got a chance to compete in the Bahamas Aquatics' final meet for the year on Saturday at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex. "I was just trying to rest and not do anything much," said Taylor, who will return to Tennessee on

December 26. "I swam in the meet on Saturday. "I got to talk to the kids a bit. They always like to see me when I come home. But I wasn't really focused on dropping times or doing any PRs (personal best times). “I just wanted to swim in the meet and have some fun." While he's done with his collegiate swimming at Tennessee, the 22-year-old has moved into the pro circuit where he competed in the Swimming World Cup Series a few weeks ago. He missed the first of the three meets in the World Cup Series in Carmel, Indiana from October 10-12. However, he went to Westmont, Illinois, from October 17-19 where he finished in the top 20 in his events before he went to Toronto, Canada, from October 23-25 and made the finals in two of his three events. "It's been a bit of

LAMAR Taylor displays his silver medal won at the second Junior Pan American Games in Asuncion, Paraguay, earlier this year in the men’s 50 metre freestyle in a time of 22.11 seconds to go with a bronze he captured in the 100m free. adjustment, not having to focus on my team, but on my individual performances,"

Taylor pointed out. "So that's been really hard at the beginning, trying to

find out what I want to do for myself. "I've enjoyed it, but the only thing that I am concerned with is funding, I appreciate all of the money that the Bahamas Olympic Committee and the Bahamas Government give me in stipend monthly. It helps with my accommodations and training, but I still have to pay for my travel and other expenses out of my pocket and what I get from my mother." Compared to pro athletes like Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe, a rookie player in the National Basketball Association with the Philadelphia 76ers and Jasrado 'Jazz' Chisholm, who is with the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball, Taylor said all of their expenses are paid for by their clubs and what they make go directly to their account. He noted that as a swimmer, every money

that is sent to his account is stretched to cover his expenses, which makes it a little harder for him as a professional athlete to train and compete with his peers on a daily basis as swimming doesn't have a pro league where they can earn money. "I really have to focus and budget," he said. "If I really didn't have to worry about my expenses, I could really hone in on what I need to do in a 20-hour training session per week at Tennessee to stay sharp for my competition." Next year, Taylor said he will compete in a few local meets in Tennessee to get him acclimated to the competition he's expected to face later in the year at the Bahamas Aquatics Nationals, the Commonwealth Games, the World Cup Series and the World Championships in that order. • SEE PAGE THREE

Roadmasters shine

Tennis ace Sydney Clarke ends year with ITF ranking of 1,080 By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net FORMER national women’s tennis champion Sydney Clarke saw her reign come to an end at the 2025 Giorgio Baldacci Tennis Open Nationals, held over the weekend at the National Tennis Center. Clarke, who entered the tournament as the defending champion and top seed, was expected to make a deep run but ultimately fell short of retaining her title. The women’s championship was claimed by Simone Pratt, who defeated Addyson Munroe 6-4, 6-3 in the finals to take the crown. Clarke’s road in the tournament saw her face

Munroe in the semifinals, setting up what many expected to be a showdown between the reigning champion and the rising contender. Munroe, 14, rallied from 4-1 down in the final set to defeat Clarke 6-4, 0-6, 7-5, ending the defending champion’s hopes of repeating. The loss was undoubtedly disappointing for Clarke, who had been one of the favourites coming into the tournament. As the number oneranked women’s player, expectations were high, and while she showed flashes of her trademark power and precision, she ultimately fell short of the win needed to claim back-to-back Giorgio Baldacci titles. “I'm still pleased with how I played.

I fought at the end, and I couldn't be more proud of myself. “I just had a really slow day and I played two matches, a lot of people played two matches yesterday, but I think it took a toll on me, and, maybe some more preparations, some stuff that I didn't do well prior, but it's a great learning experience and I know for next time some things that I didn't do in my preparations in regards to preparing for the tournament,” said Clarke. “I can use this as motivation for next year to come back. “Being number one is tough. You know, everybody's looking to take your spot.” • SEE PAGE THREE

PAGE 2, Wednesday, December 24, 2025

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Local Sports Calendar

CARIFTA CHARTER WITH the 2026 CARIFTA Games all set for Grenada over the Easter holiday weekend, persons are being encouraged to secure their seats on the Bahamasair-chartered flight. The charter will depart Nassau on Thursday, April 2 and return on Tuesday, April 7. The airfare is $1,099 per passenger. A non-refundable deposit of $200 per passenger is required. However, it can be transferred. Cash or direct deposits can be made at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) under the account name: Bah Association of (business checking account). Transit No.95165/ Account No.1011089.

Interested persons can contact Laura Pratt-Charlton at 357-3109 or Laketah Charlton at 468-5592 or email baaafriendsandfamily@gmail.com for more information. STAR PERFORMERS MEET THE Star Trackers Track Club is scheduled to hold its 23rd edition of the Star Performers Track and Field Classic on Saturday, January 24, from 9am to 6pm at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The event, sponsored Baker Concrete International Division Greyco Limited, will be open to competitors in all age groups to the open

divisions for boys and girls and men and women. Interested persons can contact Laura Pratt-Charlton at 357-3109 for more information. RED-LINE SONJA KNOWLES TRACK CLASSIC RED-LINE Athletics, “Where Champions are Made,” will hold its sixth annual Sonja Knowles Track Classic over the weekend of January 31 and February 1. The event will take place at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium on January 31 from 11am to 6pm and Sunday, March 1 from 1-6 pm. Competition will be held in the various age groups from under-7 to masters.

Interested persons are urged to contact club founder and head coach Tito Moss at 425-4262 for more information. LEGENDS TRACK INVITE THE Legends Track and Field’s Devynne Charlton Invitational is scheduled for Saturday, February 7 at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The meet, to be held in honour of world indoor 60m hurdles record holder and two-time champion Devynne Charlton, will have her younger sister Anthaya Charlton as one of the special guests. Powered by Speed Capital, it will feature athletes competing from the ages of seven to the open categories for boys and girls.

T-BIRD FLYERS THE T-Bird Flyers will hold its 2026 Track Classic, held in memory of the late Gregory Clarke, on Friday, January 9, starting at 6pm and Saturday, January 10 at noon at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. Interested persons are urged to contact Foster Dorsett at 427-3883 for more details. ROAD RACE MACEDONIA AS a part of its 60th anniversary, Macedonia Baptist Church will hold a Family Fun Run/Walk race that is open to the general public on January 24. The dual event is scheduled to start at 6am at the church on Bernard Road, Fox Hill. The categories

include male and female 15-and-under, 20-and-under, 40-and-under, 60-and-under and over-60 with awards presented to the first three finishers. FLYERS TRACK CLASSIC THE 2026 Flyers Track Classic is scheduled for the weekend of January 9-10. The event is being held in memory of the late Gregory Clarke. The meet will run from 6pm on January 9 and close out on January 10 from noon. The registration fee is $22 per athlete. Trophies will be presented to the winners for all firstplace finishers. Medals will go to second and third place. There will also be divisional team winners and the male and female MVP winners.

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Wednesday, December 24, 2025, PAGE 3

‘VJ’ Edgecombe and Cooper Flagg Lamar Taylor swap jerseys after an NBA game looks to secure more funding • FROM PAGE ONE

76ERS’ Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe, left, and Cooper Flagg, right, swap jerseys following an NBA basketball game on Saturday, December 20, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

‘Buddy’ has his streak of 199 straight regular-season games played snapped

GOLDEN State guard Chavano “Buddy” Hield had his streak of 199 straight regular-season games played snapped in Saturday’s 119-116 win over the Suns. Buddy and the Warriors host Dallas on Thursday for a Christmas Day matinee. Here, he can be seen warming up before an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland, Saturday, December 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

"I expect to do a lot better than what I did this year," Taylor said. "I dropped a lot of times and moved up in the placings, but I want to continue that next year, moving up the ranks and continuing to drop my times. "I've looked back on my college career and my season in general and I noticed that there's several things I can improve on like my diet, my sleep pattern and the supplements that I take. There's some room for improvement and I want to improve on them so I can become the top swimmer that I need to be." Taylor is expected to begin his top-tier pro campaign in March in a local meet in Texas. He will come home to compete in the Bahamas Aquatics' Nationals in June before he heads to Glasgow, Scotland, for the Commonwealth Games from July 23 to August 2. The next World Cup Series will be in Europe. The first stop will be in Baku, Azerbaijan, from October 1-3, the second in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from October 8-10 and the final one in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 15-17, which means that he will have to secure some more funding to help him with his expenses as he travels from stop to stop to compete. The season is expected to conclude at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships that will take place in Beijing, China, from December 1-6. As he gears up for his hectic season, Taylor said he has to concentrate on his technique and increasing his strength and power to be able to be quicker off the blocks and endure his speed during his racing. "While I'm at home, I don't want to do too much, just spend some time with family and friends," he insisted. "This pro life kind of has me stuck in one area, which isn't a bad thing. "But I'm not able to see my family and friends as much as possible, so just being able to spend as much time with them during this break is good." To the Bahamian community, especially the swimming fraternity, Taylor wished everyone a "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Have a great holiday."

Sydney Clarke: ‘With my new ITF ranking, I’m now 1,080, which is awesome, to end the year with that’ • FROM PAGE ONE The outcome highlights the increasing depth of competition in Bahamian women’s tennis, with young and upcoming players like Munroe pushing the standard higher and challenging established names. “She (Munroe) played well, as I said, it was a dog fight and she got the win and, you know, it's just some slight stuff. “I had my chances, but I didn't take them,” said Clarke. “I've been working on my mental game, and I think that yesterday challenged me a lot mentally, and I'm just slowly getting better with that aspect of the game,” said Clarke. Earlier in the season, Clarke showcased her international ambitions as two weeks before the national championships, she advanced to the main draw

of an ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour tournament in Lima, Peru. The event, classified as a W15 level tournament on the clay courts of Peru, featured both qualifying and main draw singles competition, offering valuable ranking points and professional experience to players like Clarke competing on the international circuit. Looking ahead to next year, Clarke said she is looking to head to Martinique for the ITF tournament, which is a $15,000 prize money tournament. “And with my new ITF ranking, I'm now 1,080, which is awesome, to end the year with that. It would have been nice to end the year as well as the national champion but looking forward to that tournament and I know that that'll help me get closer to my goal of qualifying for the Olympics in 2028 and making my step

towards a WT ranking as well.” Earlier in the year, Clarke was an integral part of an historic team achievement for Bahamas tennis when she represented Team Bahamas at the Billie Jean King Cup Americas Zone competition in Santa Tecla, El Salvador, where the team went undefeated in pool play. The squad, consisting of Clarke alongside teammates Jalisa Clarke and Sapphire Ferguson, and current national title holder Simone Pratt also contributed to earlier ties, swept Suriname 3-0 in their match. Despite the setback at the national championships, Clarke remains upbeat about her tennis journey. She has publicly maintained a positive outlook, focusing on her long-term goal of qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Games.

TENNIS player Sydney Clarke represents The Bahamas at an ITF Tour in Lima, Peru.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, December 24, 2025

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Cavaliers snap losing streak with 139-132 win over Hornets By The Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points and De’Andre Hunter had 15 of his 27 in the second half, powering the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 139-132 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night. Darius Garland added 27 points and 10 assists for Cleveland, which pulled away in the second half to snap a three-game losing streak. The Cavaliers also had lost three straight at home and are 2-5 at Rocket Arena since November 30. LaMelo Ball led Charlotte with 23 points and nine assists, making six 3-pointers. Rookie Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller each had 20 points, while Moussa Diabate grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds. Hunter gave the Cavaliers a big boost early in the third quarter, remaining on the court after being bloodied by a flagrant foul to his face by Diabate. He made both free throws, then a 3-pointer on the subsequent possession to push their lead to 98-85. Dean Wade chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds for Cleveland, which took its largest advantage at 131-112. Lonzo Ball had six points and seven assists in the middle contest of a three-game homestand that precedes the Cavaliers’ Christmas Day game at New York. Mitchell ended the first half by banking in a 28-footer at the horn, giving him 18 points and the Cavaliers a 70-63 advantage. Garland scored 17 points, while Knueppel and Ball each had 15 for Charlotte. There were 12 lead changes and 10 ties before intermission, but neither team went up by double digits. CELTICS 103, PACERS 95 BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 14 of his game-high 31 points in the final quarter and Boston rallied from a 20-point, second-half deficit for a victory over Indiana.

CAVALIERS centre Thomas Bryant dunks in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets, Monday, December 22, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) Derrick White finished with 19 points, and Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons each had 11 for Boston, which won its third straight game. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 25 points, and Andrew Nembhard had 20. Indiana, the NBA’s worst 3-point shooting team, missed 19 of its 20 attempts from beyond the arc in the second half in its fifth straight loss. Brown’s best shot in the final quarter came on an off-balance 3 right in front of Boston’s bench, pushing the Celtics ahead 96-91 with 2:25 to play. Nembhard’s 3-point play with 3:49 left had tied it at 91. Trailing 82-74 entering the fourth, Boston went on an 11-2 spree, taking its first lead since the first half on Brown’s reverse layup.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters early in the second half with the Pacers up 69-49. The Celtics whittled the Pacers’ edge to eight points after three. Brown and White reentered with a minute left in the third quarter. NUGGETS 135, JAZZ 112 DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray and Denver raced out to a 19-0 lead in the opening four minutes and tied a franchise record for 3-pointers with 24, cruising to a victory over Utah. It was the second time in 17 days that Utah got down big before hitting a shot or a free throw. The New York Knicks led the Jazz 23-0 on their way to a 146-112 win on Dec. 5. The biggest run to open an NBA game was 29-0 by the Los Angeles Lakers

against Sacramento on Feb. 4, 1987. Denver shot 68.2% in the first quarter and made 15 of 28 from 3-point range in the first half, five by Murray. He scored 27 points and Cameron Johnson went 6 of 6 from deep to finish with 20. Nikola Jokic had 14 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists, and Peyton Watson scored 20 after missing two games. Jokic got his 14th triple-double of the season and 178th of his career when he fed Watson for a layup with 7:10 left in the third quarter. Lauri Markkanen had 27 points and Keyonte George scored 20 for Utah, which has dropped three straight. THUNDER 119, GRIZZLIES 103 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, and Oklahoma City

bounced back after two losses in three games to beat Memphis in a matchup of teams missing several key contributors. Gilgeous-Alexander made 11 of 20 shots and had eight assists and four steals. It was his 100th consecutive game with at least 20 points, adding to the second-longest streak in NBA history. Jalen Williams scored 24 points and Ajay Mitchell added 16 off the bench before leaving midway through the fourth quarter for Oklahoma City, which played without starters Chet Holmgren (illness) and Isaiah Hartenstein (calf soreness). Cedric Coward and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope each scored 15 points for Memphis, which played without injured starters Ja Morant (ankle) and Zach Edey (ankle). The Grizzlies

committed 23 turnovers, leading to 31 Oklahoma City points. The teams combined to shoot 80 3-pointers. The Grizzlies were 18 for 41 (44%), while the Thunder made 15 of 39 (38%). PELICANS 119, MAVERICKS 113 NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson scored 24 points, including 10 straight in a decisive two-minute span of the fourth quarter, to power New Orleans to a victory over Dallas, extending the Pelicans’ season-long winning streak to five games. The Pelicans, who started the season 3-22, have posted their longest winning streak since 2022. New Orleans erased an 87-79 deficit after three quarters with a 38-19 run in the first 10:24 of the final quarter. With New Orleans leading 105-103, Williamson scored on five of the Pelican’s next six possessions, four of them on strong drives to the basket from the right side, to put the Pelicans up 117-106 with 1:37 left. The Mavericks were led by Anthony Davis’ season-high 35 points. They scored seven straight points to cut the New Orleans lead to 117-113 with 18.1 seconds left, but Trey Murphy III iced the game for the Pelicans with two free throws with 10.4 seconds remaining. Derik Queen had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Pelicans, and Saddiq Bey added 19 points and seven rebounds. WARRIORS 120, MAGIC 97 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry roared back from a rough first half to score 18 of his 26 points after intermission, Jimmy Butler had 21 points and Golden State ran away from Orlando Magic in the second half for a win. Curry played on a tender left ankle and missed his initial six 3-point tries — beginning 3 for 13 from the floor — before finally connecting from deep with 8:20 left in the third quarter to pull the Warriors within 71-69. That was all it took to get Golden State rolling on a 14-4 run. The two-time MVP shot 10 for 23 overall, making 4 of 13 3s. He had six assists and two of his team’s eight steals. Paolo Banchero had 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and Desmond Bane scored 20 points for Orlando in the first night of a road back-to-back. Moses Moody scored 20 points for the Warriors, while Brandin Podziemski came off the bench to finish with 16 points, five assists and four rebounds. Draymond Green contributed nine points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes a game after being ejected early in the second quarter Saturday against Phoenix. PISTONS 110, TRAIL BLAZERS 102 PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Jalen Duren had 26 points and 10 rebounds as Detroit held off Portland after blowing a 21-point lead. Ausar Thompson added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons. Duncan Robinson scored 15 and Cade Cunningham had 14 before fouling out early in the fourth quarter. Shaedon Sharpe led the Trail Blazers with 25 points on 11-of-21 shooting but also committed eight turnovers. Deni Avdija added 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Donovan Clingan had 17 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for Portland. Sidy Cissoko scored 16 off the bench. After trailing by 21 late in the third quarter, Portland was still down nine when Cunningham fouled out with 8:32 remaining. But the Blazers outscored the Pistons 12-2 over the next 4:20 to take a one-point lead. Detroit then closed with an 11-2 run to put away the game.

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Wednesday, December 24, 2025, PAGE 7

Indoor TGL set to begin 2nd season but Tiger Woods will have to wait By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer BILLY Horschel recalls a certain buzz about the tech-infused indoor TMRW Golf League when it began last year, and there was plenty of curiosity where it would fit into the golf landscape. Curiosity has given way to a degree of optimism and a little growth when the second season of TGL begins Sunday at 3pm on ABC and ESPN+. The graphics have been upgraded. Spectators in the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, will have ear buds to listen to play banter more easily. Golf course architects — Jack Nicklaus, Gil Hanse and Beau Welling among them — are designing holes. And each team will have a signature hole that reflects their city. It starts with a rematch of the TGL final last year when Atlanta Drive beat New York in a couple of one-point matches that produced some drama. Horschel is part of Atlanta Drive that will not have Justin Thomas, who is recovering from back injury. And yes, he's excited. “I've been on the PGA Tour for 16 years, and I think anyone who’s been on tour for a while, the monotonous grind of it can sort of wear on you a little bit, not that the fire to compete has dwindled,” Horschel said. “So when you can do something that relights that fire and have that sort of kid-like energy ... and that’s what I had, that kidlike energy in this entire TGL (season) because it was something different and something we were all experiencing for the first time." The six teams remain largely in tact, though Jupiter Links will not have Tiger Woods right away as he recovers from back surgery. He has said he would miss the first part of the season. Detroit will have a franchise that starts in 2027, and there is movement for another team, perhaps to get Scottie Scheffler involved. The matches are typically Monday and Tuesday night, though it starts this Sunday (December 28) and the next match involving Rory McIlroy's Boston Common will be Friday, January 2. Scheduling can get tricky. Following the January 2 match, Boston will not play again until January 26, the Monday after McIlroy finishes his two weeks in Dubai as part of the European tour schedule. Horschel said it might get even easier — and perhaps more appealing to players who want to be part of TGL — when the PGA Tour finishes the overhaul of its schedule. “A lot of changes are coming in '27 and may make the scheduling a little bit easier and guys may want to jump on board who had declined," Horschel said. Brief time at the top Davis Love III was reminded last week about the time he was No. 1 on the PGA Tour’s all-time money list. “For two weeks,” Love said. This was in 2000, the season that was all about Tiger Woods, his three straight majors, nine PGA Tour titles and 17 finishes in the top five. Greg Norman went into 2000 atop career earning ahead of Love, the late Payne Stewart, Nick Price and Woods. Love tied for 28th at the Bob Hope and tied for 18th in the Phoenix Open, moving him past Norman. But the next week Woods, who won the season opener at Kapalua, won at Pebble Beach to go to No. 2 in career earnings. The following week, Woods was a runner-up at Torrey Pines to replace Love at No. 1. By the end of the year, Woods had a lead of nearly $6 million. He’s been there ever since.

FANS watch play during a match of the TMRW Golf League (TGL) between Jupiter Links Golf Club and Boston Common Golf, January 27, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Now it’s a matter of who replaces Woods after more than a quarter of a century. Woods is just over $13 million ahead of Rory McIlroy, and Scottie Scheffler is $21 million behind. Scheffler earned $27.6 million this year at $29.2 million in 2024. An eye on Johnson Wagner Three years after joining Golf Channel for its live tournament and studio coverage, Johnson Wagner is moving to CBS Sports. The network said Wagner will join its broadcast team as an on-course reporter starting with the Farmers Insurance Classic at Torrey Pines next month. Another change for CBS is going to a “super tower” with host Jim Nantz, lead analyst Trevor Immelman, and Frank Nobilo and Colt Knost. Johnson became popular at Golf Channel primarily for his attempts at re-creating pivotal moments. He will be providing “original content” on CBS, which suggests those moments will continue. “I look forward to not only contributing to Network coverage on the weekends and engaging with players at events throughout the season but also tapping into new ideas and opportunities to connect with golf fans across CBS Sports’ platforms,” Wagner said in a release. LIV Q-School LIV Golf has set the field for its promotions event on Jan. 8-11 at Black Diamond France in Florida, effectively the Q-school for the Saudi-funded league that is different from most tour's qualifying tournaments. It's 72 holes, but only the top 20 and ties after one round advance to the second round to compete against players who received a pass out of the first round. That group includes the likes of Anthony Kim, who was relegated out of LIV, and Matt Jones, who finished in the top 48 for LIV but is not under contract with any team. Scores are reset after the first round, and after the second round. The top 20 and ties advance to a 36-hole conclusion. The leading two players earn a spot on LIV. Annika's tour Annika Sorenstam has managed to get what LIV Golf has yet to attain in three years — recognition by the world ranking. The circumstances are totally different, of course.

LIV Golf remains held up by having a vast majority of its players selected (most with contracts) for the 54-man league. Trevor Immelman, chair of the Official World Golf Ranking, said discussions with LIV are ongoing. Sorenstam took over the Women's All Pro Tour in 2024, and the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings this week announced it will be included in the ranking starting in 2026. The tour provides a direct path to the developmental Epson Tour, with the top two finishers at each tournament getting exemptions into Epson Tour events and

season leaders getting into the LPGA qualifying series. The women's world ranking also announced a change to its methodology so that every player on the 13 tours will get ranking points if they make the cut. Previously, how many players received points depended on the strength of the field. Divots Former Women's British Open champion Georgia Hall has announced she is expecting a boy in early 2026. Hall says she plans to return to the LPGA in late June. Hall announced in July she is engaged to Paul Dunne, a former British

Masters winner who in 2015 shared the 54-hole lead in the British Open at St. Andrews as an amateur. ... Marco Penge of England will end the year at No. 29 in the world and can already count on a big start to 2026. As the leading European tour player to earn a PGA Tour card, he already has secured spots in The Players Championship and the first two $20 million signature events. Dustin Johnson will be playing the Dubai Desert Classic in January, along with three other LIV players in Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin and Joaquin Nieman.

Stat of the week Four of the 80 professionals already eligible for Masters invitations have yet to win on one of the six main tours in the Official World Golf Ranking — Max Greyserman, Johnny Keefer, Sam Stevens and Jacob Bridgeman. Final word “The Lord for some reason gave me a tremendous amount of talent, and I’m going to meet him pretty soon, and I damn sure don’t want him to be disappointed. Because you know why? If he’s disappointed, I’m probably going to have to caddie for Arnie.” — Lee Trevino.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, December 24, 2025

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An unforgettable celebration of athleticism and community LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE: Participants at the start line of the Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and Relay.

THE Bahamas Roadmasters running club extends heartfelt appreciation to all partners, volunteers, athletes and supporters who helped make this past weekend’s Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and Relay an unforgettable celebration of athleticism and community. Set against the stunning turquoise backdrop of the Western Esplanade, the route ran west along West Bay Street, Baha Mar Blvd., Cable Beach and back to our finish line that provided the perfect setting as 500 local and international participants (runners/ walkers) from The Bahamas, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Colombia, Mexico, Jamaica, The Philippines, France, Germany and United Arab Emirates crossed with pride and determination. This remarkable international turnout showcased not only the spirit of completion but also the global appeal of our beautiful Bahamas. This year’s event was a resounding success thanks to the tremendous teamwork demonstrated across every area of support from our sponsors including Insurance Commission of The Bahamas, Bahamas Power & Light, Carpet and Cabinet World, Veritas Consultants Ltd., Bahamian Brewery, Bahamas Welding & Fire, Caribbean Bottling and Bahamas Boat Tours. The commitment to excellence, whether through services, logistics or event

operation was essential in delivering a world-class experience for runners and spectators alike. “We also proudly recognise and congratulate The University of The Bahamas “Mingoes Distance Runners,” who captured the Relay title for the second consecutive year. Coming in at second is the Royal Bahamas Defence Force “Tridents Team” followed by their “Defenders Team.” A truly exceptional accomplishment. Big congratulations to the "Just Run Running Club" for participating with the largest group of runners. “Your enthusiasm was unmatched and to all the local running clubs who participated, your passion and comradeship continue to strengthen the running community. “A portion of the proceeds from the 2025 race will be donated to the Ranfurly Home for Children, supporting their ongoing mission to provide brightening the lives of the young persons there. "We are deeply grateful to every volunteer and member of the wider community who cheered, encouraged and supported along the route. Together we continue to champion health, unity, and athletic excellence across The Bahamas. "We look forward to an even bigger and better event next year with even more countries represented on our start line," the race organisers noted.

A very special congratulations goes out to our top finishers whose outstanding performances inspired us all. Half Marathon Males: Eamonn Strang, Mackey Williams and Fabian Sautil Half Marathon Females: - Morgan Sarria 10K Males - Curtis Miller, Sergei Fomin and Kristofer Wong 10K Females - Mariya Mikhalchuk, Ragh Cordova and Iola Knowles 5K Males - Kyden Thurston, Malcolm Menzies and Kelunn Francis 5K Females - Suzy Eneas, Tkai Davis and Kyle Williams *Full race results are posted online on the bahamasroadmasters.com