🗞 Rough Day on the Course

G’day Sports Fans,

“I'm not saying my golf game went bad, but if I grew tomatoes, they'd come up sliced." - Lee Trevino

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🇦🇺 AUSSIE SPORTS NEWS

🏏 Adelaide can still play in the KFC BBL|13 finals after comfortably beating Hobart by five wickets at the Adelaide Oval.

The Strikers were set 7-165 for victory on Tuesday night after Hurricanes opener Ben McDermott made a brilliant 95 not out.

Hobart Hurricanes star Nikhil Chaudhary joined the rare ranks of players stumped for a diamond duck.

Aussie wicketkeeper Alex Carey couldn’t help himself with a cheeky swipe at Jonny Bairstow after pulling off a neat piece of work behind the stumps to effect the dismissal.

“Always happy to get a stumping, mate, you know that. However it comes. Up to the stumps or back. It was good, mate.”

🏏 Australia is reportedly closing in on a decision on the replacement at the top of the batting order for David Warner.

The race for the final spot was down to two, according to a report from The Sydney Morning Herald, which claimed that Cameron Green and Steve Smith emerged as frontrunners to partner Usman Khawaja.

But The Herald Sun now reports that Smith is poised to win the race, while Green will regain his preferred place at fourth in the order against the West Indies in Adelaide next week.

🎾 Local hero Thanasi Kokkinakis has crashed out of his hometown Adelaide International after suffering a first-round loss to Serbian party-crasher Dusan Lajovic 3-6 6-1 6-4.

🏉 The Bulldogs’ future is looking bright after locking in up-and-coming playmaker Mitchell Woods until the end of 2027.

It feels like a coup for the Dogs given there was genuine interest in Woods from rival codes.

🇦🇺 Crows veteran Rory Sloane has suffered a second injury setback this summer, aggregating the same hamstring that kept him sidelined ahead of the Christmas break.

While the 33-year-old was able to perform light duties as Adelaide returned to the training track on Monday, 7 News Adelaide reported that Sloane would likely remain outside the main group for "a week or so".

🌎 WORLD SPORTS NEWS

⛳️ Tiger Woods has announced he is no longer a Nike athlete, ending one of the most iconic sports branding partnerships of all time.

The 15-time major champion has been the face of Nike's golf products for the entirety of his professional career, but after 27 years he has decided to go in a different direction.

Tiger could follow in the footsteps of Roger Federer, who left his US$10 million-a-year deal with Nike in 2018? Federer went on to sign with Uniqlo for a 10-year, US$220 million apparel deal, and for his shoes, he signed an equity deal with a new company, On Running. Where his stake is valued at approximately US$400 million.

⚽️ Everton and Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana, 22, is keen on a move to Arsenal. Manchester United want another one in the squad, have also opened talks with him.

🏀 Morant out for the year: Ja Morant will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery after tearing his labrum at practice. He played just nine games following his 25-game suspension.

⚽️ Ange Postecoglou’s January spending spree continues as Tottenham are close to agreeing a deal for Genoa defender Radu Dragusin for a fee of about 25m euros

Bayern Munich have also shown interest in the 21-year-old Romanian.

🏉 USA and Canada will meet in a Test in Las Vegas on the eve of the NRL's historic season opening double header at Allegiant Stadium.

The Test, which will be played on March 1, is the latest event scheduled in what is fast becoming a festival of rugby league in Las Vegas based around the March 2 double-header featuring the Broncos, Rabbitohs, Roosters and Sea Eagles.

🎱 Ding Junhui made a sublime 147 maximum break against Ronnie O'Sullivan but fell to a 6-3 defeat in the Masters first round at Alexandra Palace.

🤔 Wiki Teaser Answer: Mark O’Meley: One of the most damaging and aggressive props of the early 2000s. Unfortunately for him, his bald head and tough demeanour led to him being compared to the biggest movie series of the 2000s – Shrek. “The Ogre”.

📺 LIVE SPORTS ON TV

TODAY

11:00 - Men's NCAA - Kentucky Wildcats v Missouri Tigers (ESPN 2)

12:30 - NBA - Dallas Mavericks v Memphis Grizzlies (ESPN)

13:00 - Men's NCAA - Auburn Tigers v Texas A&M Aggies (ESPN 2)

15:30 - Men's Super Smash - Central Stags v Otago Volts (Fox Cricket)

19:30 - NBL - Brisbane Bullets v Tasmania JackJumpers (ESPN)

19:40 - Big Bash League - Brisbane Heat v Perth Scorchers (Fox Cricket or Channel 7)

THURSDAY

02:30 - SA20 - Sunrisers Eastern Cape v Joburg Super Kings(Fox Cricket)

12:00 - Men's Super Smash - Canterbury Kings v Wellington Firebirds (Fox Cricket)

12:00 - Men's NCAA - North Carolina State Wolfpack v North Carolina Tar Heels (ESPN 2)

12:30 - NBA - Golden State Warriors v New Orleans Pelicans (ESPN)

14:00 - NBA - Utah Jazz v Denver Nuggets (ESPN 2)

19:15 - Big Bash League - Hobart Hurricanes v Adelaide Strikers (Fox Cricket or Channel 7)

19:30 - NBL - Adelaide 36ers v Sydney Kings (ESPN)