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Mexican flavour at LIV’s Adelaide stop as Rahm lurks

Mexican flavour at LIV’s Adelaide stop as Rahm lurks
Ortiz, who is also looking for a second tour win after victory at Tucson in 2023, said the conditions were tough. (AFP)
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Updated 15 February 2025

Mexican flavour at LIV’s Adelaide stop as Rahm lurks

Mexican flavour at LIV’s Adelaide stop as Rahm lurks
  • Mexican pair Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz joined Sam Horsfield in a three-way share of the lead at LIV Golf’s Adelaide stop on Saturday, with major champion Jon Rahm lurking four shots off the pace

ADELAIDE: Mexican pair Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz joined Sam Horsfield in a three-way share of the lead at LIV Golf’s Adelaide stop on Saturday, with major champion Jon Rahm lurking four shots off the pace.
Ancer nailed six birdies to a bogey in a five-under-par 67 in front of bumper crowds at a blustery Grange Golf Club, while his compatriot mixed five birdies and a bogey in his 68.
British overnight leader Horsfield birdied the last to card a 69 and ensure he stayed in the hunt heading into the final day, with all three nine-under after 36 holes.
“I just tried to stay patient and hit as many greens as possible. I knew the putter was feeling good,” said Ancer, who is gunning for a second LIV title after winning in Hong Kong last year.
“I have a lot of confidence when the greens are rolling nice and firm and fast, so I just try to put the ball in play and don’t get in too much trouble because you can make a lot of bogeys out here, especially with this wind.”
Ortiz, who is also looking for a second tour win after victory at Tucson in 2023, said the conditions were tough.
“I thought it was tricky. It was just a matter of keeping in play,” said Ortiz.
“Same thing tomorrow. Just try to put it in play and then give myself chances.”
The trio are three clear of Chile’s Joaquin Niemann and four ahead of Rahm, who birdied his final two holes, including a sensational chip-in from the bunker.
Fellow major champions Brooks Koepka and Henrik Stenson are a stroke further back.
Once again, bumper crowds produced a carnival atmosphere at the circuit’s most successful event, with more than 100,000 fans expected through the gates over the three-day tournament.
Former US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and Niemann went to the turn in the lead.
But while Niemann kept his focus, DeChambeau imploded with five bogeys on the back nine to end six off the pace.
The LIV Tour’s 14-stop 2025 campaign teed off last week in Riyadh, where Adrian Meronk won the individual title and Rahm’s Legion XIII the team crown.


Pakistan drop out-of-form Hasan Nawaz ahead of Sri Lanka ODI series

Pakistan drop out-of-form Hasan Nawaz ahead of Sri Lanka ODI series
Updated 4 sec ago

Pakistan drop out-of-form Hasan Nawaz ahead of Sri Lanka ODI series

Pakistan drop out-of-form Hasan Nawaz ahead of Sri Lanka ODI series
  • Nawaz replaced after poor performances in last month’s Asia Cup, recent South Africa white-ball series
  • Left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman will replace Nawaz in T20I squad, no player to replace him in ODI team

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan dropped out-of-form middle-order batter Hasan Nawaz from the ODI series against Sri Lanka and an upcoming tri-nation series featuring the Green Shirts, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced recently. 

Nawaz, who fare impressively in Pakistan’s white-ball series against New Zealand and Bangladesh earlier this year, fared to impress at the recent Asia Cup tournament and against South Africa this month. 

Pakistan will play a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Nov. 11, 13 and 15 before the T20I tri-nation series kicks off on Nov. 17. The tr-nation series will be held in Rawalpindi and Lahore till Nov. 29, featuring Zimbabwe as the third team. 

“Hasan has been released to participate in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy – the country’s premier first-class tournament,” the board said in a statement on Sunday. “The seventh round of the competition commences from 11 November.”

“Left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman will replace Hasan in the T20I squad, while no player will be added to the ODI squad as Hasan’s replacement.”

Updated 15-member ODI squad:

Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Wasim Jr., Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha

Updated 15-member T20I squad:

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicket-keeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wicket-keeper), Usman Tariq 

Sri Lanka tour to Pakistan

11 November – First ODI at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

13 November – Second ODI at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

15 November – Third ODI at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

T20I Tri-Series (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe)

17 November – Pakistan v Zimbabwe, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

19 November – Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

22 November – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore

23 November – Pakistan v Zimbabwe, Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore

25 November – Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore

27 November – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore

29 November –Final, Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore