Top Shot

Harrington named European Tour's player of July

AKRON, Ohio: Padraig Harrington has been named the European Tour's player of the month for July after clinching his maiden major title at the British Open 10 days ago.

The 35-year-old Irishman beat Spaniard Sergio Garcia by one stroke in a four-hole playoff at Carnoustie, becoming Europe's first major winner in eight years.

"I am delighted to receive this honour after a month which underlined the strength of the European Tour," Harrington said in a statement released by the tour on Wednesday.

"The young guns like Andres Romero and Gregory Havret showed what they are capable of while Monty (Colin Montgomerie) proved he is still a winner.

"A lot of Europeans will definitely be encouraged by my win because they know they can match my game and it will help them visualise the day when they, too, win a major."

Brawn says Ferrari the only team he's considering

LONDON: Former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn said on Wednesday he was talking to the Italian team about returning to them and knocked down speculation that he might go elsewhere.

The Briton, who guided Michael Schumacher to seven Formula One championships with Benetton and then Ferrari, has been taking a year's sabbatical since the German driver retired in October.

"Whilst, I am pleased to say, Ferrari was disappointed with my decision, they understood my reasons and asked me to discuss future options with them when I was ready to return to motor racing," Brawn told the Autosport Web site (www.autosport.com).

"We have now begun these discussions to see if the requirements of Ferrari and my ambitions might match and to see if there is a possibility of working together in the future," he added.

Brawn is considered a likely successor to team boss Jean Todt at Ferrari but he has also been linked in the media to British-based Honda.

Mayweather plans comeback to fight Hatton

LONDON: Floyd Mayweather Jr will come out of his short-lived retirement to take on Britain's Ricky Hatton in a welterweight "super-fight", the British boxer's father Ray said on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old Hatton is expected to move up a division from light welterweight for the bout which will probably be staged on December 8 in Las Vegas where he beat Jose Luis Castillo in June to retain his IBO title.

"The contract provided what we wanted and we are officially signed up and our lawyers have told us that the Mayweather camp have also signed," Ray Hatton was quoted as saying by the BBC.

The boxer's father said victory for his son could represent the greatest achievement in boxing history.

"Ricky is not only fighting the fella on his own turf - Las Vegas - but he is fighting at the time the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet," he said.

"If he could do it, it would be the biggest achievement in boxing, going down whatever years you want."

(China Daily 08/03/2007 page23)