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Harris English, Matt Fitzpatrick in 5-way tie for lead at Open Championship

Harris English, Matt Fitzpatrick in 5-way tie for lead at Open Championship
Harris English of the US plays off the 13th hole during the first round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Thursday. (AP)
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Updated 18 July 2025

Harris English, Matt Fitzpatrick in 5-way tie for lead at Open Championship

Harris English, Matt Fitzpatrick in 5-way tie for lead at Open Championship
  • Scores were bunched together up and down the leaderboard as dealing with the elements became part of the challenge at Royal Portrush Golf Club
  • Fitzpatrick pulled even with the leaders with a chip-in on the par-3 16th hole

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland: Harris English and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick joined Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen, China’s Haotong Li and South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout with 4-under par 67s to share the first-round lead of the Open Championship on Thursday at Portrush, Northern Ireland.

Scores were bunched together up and down the leaderboard as dealing with the elements became part of the challenge at Royal Portrush Golf Club. Golfers battled wind gusts and, for those playing in the middle of the day, rain that was bothersome at times.

“Wind is something that obviously makes links golf challenging, but the rain adds a whole new element to it, especially when you’re hitting the tee balls,” said World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who’s one stroke back after shooting 68.

English reached 5 under for the solo lead with his seventh birdie of the round before a bogey on No. 14 and pars the rest of the way.

“That’s why I come over and play the Scottish (Open) is to get used to links golf,” English said afterward. “I played really well last week. I didn’t have the Sunday that I wanted, but I felt like my game was sharp and I did what I needed to do to get ready for this week.”

Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana and Englishmen Matthew Jordan and Tyrrell Hatton matched Scheffler with 68s.

There are 10 golfers at 2-under 69, including Danish twin brothers Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard, Lee Westwood of England, 2023 Open champ Brian Harman, Rickie Fowler and England’s Justin Rose. Lucas Glover, aided by an eagle on the second hole, reached 4 under through seven holes before a couple of bogeys on the back nine left him at 2 under as well.

Phil Mickelson, the tournament’s 2013 champion, stood at 2 under at the round’s midway mark before finishing with a 1-under 70. He provided an early thrill by holing a shot from the bunker for a par on the third hole.

“I didn’t make a ton of long ones, but I made a lot of short ones and a lot of good up-and-downs and lag putting,” Mickelson said. “You find that going back on past experience, you don’t have to press it. You don’t have to force it.”

Other scores of interest included Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, Ireland’s Shane Lowry and Spain’s Sergio Garcia at 70.

“It was a tough enough day, especially either chopping out of the rough or out of the fairway bunkers most of the time,” McIlroy said. “So to shoot under par was a good effort.”

McIlroy is trying to win his second Open in front of his home-country fans, and Lowry was the champion the last time the major was held here in 2019.

Fitzpatrick pulled even with the leaders with a chip-in on the par-3 16th hole. His attempt from well below the hole hit the pin and dropped in.

“A bit of luck obviously. Sometimes you need that,” he said. “Obviously, it just came out a little bit harder than I anticipated and on the perfect line.”

Earlier, Fitzpatrick posted an eagle on the par-5 second hole.

“Felt like I did everything well,” Fitzpatrick said. “Just drove it well, approach play was good and chipped and putted well. It was just an all-around good day.”

Olesen, who turned pro last year and has two prior starts in PGA Tour events, used an eagle on the par-5 12th hole to move into the lead. His second bogey of the round on the final hole cost him the midday solo lead.

Li had a bogey-free round with a pair of birdies on each side.

“I’ve been playing quite solid the whole year so far until the last couple weeks, so hopefully keep the momentum and have some good results come in,” Li said.

Bezuidenhout has been making adjustments with mechanics, and some of those are working out so far this week.

“I’ve been going through some swing changes and stuff,” he said. “It’s nice to see that paying off.”

Scheffler notched birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 for a strong closing stretch. Two of his five birdies in the round came on par-3s.

Chris Gotterup, who was coming off the weekend’s victory in the Genesis Scottish Open, shot 72. He went 2 under through 12 holes before three consecutive bogeys on Nos. 13-15.

US Open champion J.J. Spaun, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay and Australian Jason Day shot 2-over 73. Brooks Koepka and Collin Morikawa struggled to rounds of 4-over 75, and Bryson DeChambeau shot a 7-over 78 without a birdie. DeChambeau was tied for 144th at day’s end.


PSG in Intercontinental Cup final in December

PSG in Intercontinental Cup final in December
Updated 28 September 2025

PSG in Intercontinental Cup final in December

PSG in Intercontinental Cup final in December
  • European Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain will play their first ever Intercontinental Cup final in Doha, Qatar, on December 17, FIFA announced on Sunday
  • Their opponents will only be determined four days earlier in the final playoff, called the Challenger Cup

PARIS: European Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain will play their first ever Intercontinental Cup final in Doha, Qatar, on December 17, FIFA announced on Sunday.
Their opponents will only be determined four days earlier in the final playoff, called the Challenger Cup.
This will pit Egyptian club Pyramids, the African champions, against the winner of the match between Central American champions Cruz Azul from Mexico and the future winner of the Copa Libertadores.
The South American tournament is currently in the semifinal stage and includes two Brazilian sides.
Palmeiras are up against LDU Quito of Ecuador while Flamengo take on the Argentinian side Racing.
The Copa Libertadores final takes place on November 29.
From 1960 to 2004, the Intercontinental Cup pitted the champions of Europe and South America against each other.
In 2005, it was renamed the Club World Cup to include other continental champions but that competition was relaunched this year as a quadrennial tournament featuring 32 teams with Chelsea as the inaugural winners of the new format.
The Intercontinental Cup was itself relaunched in its new form last year when Real Madrid beat Mexican club Pachuca.


Alcaraz powers into Japan Open semis, Rune crashes out

Alcaraz powers into Japan Open semis, Rune crashes out
Updated 28 September 2025

Alcaraz powers into Japan Open semis, Rune crashes out

Alcaraz powers into Japan Open semis, Rune crashes out
  • “These kind of matches help to keep my confidence really, really high. I played some great tennis,” Alcaraz said

TOKYO:World number one Carlos Alcaraz stormed into the semifinals of the Japan Open on Sunday with a commanding 6-2 6-4 win over American Brandon Nakashima, while Danish third seed Holger Rune was sent packing by Jenson Brooksby.
Alcaraz, who overcame an injury scare in his straight-sets win over Argentine Sebastian Baez in Thursday’s opener, showed scintillating form to dispatch Nakashima for his 65th win of the season, thumping 39 winners in the one-hour 20-minute contest.
The 22-year-old Spaniard, fresh from reclaiming top spot in the world rankings after clinching his sixth Grand Slam title at the US Open earlier this month, next faces Norwegian fourth seed Casper Ruud.
Earlier, Ruud blazed past Australian qualifier Aleksandar Vukic with a clinical 6-3 6-2 win.
“These kind of matches help to keep my confidence really, really high. I played some great tennis,” Alcaraz said.
“It’s great to go through, to play another semifinal. It’s special, because it’s the first time I’m playing in Japan, here in Tokyo. To reach the semis in my first appearance is something great.”
The biggest upset of the day came in Rune’s 6-3 6-3 loss to American Brooksby, ranked 86th in the world.
“Once I get on a roll from a couple of matches, I just think I’m really able to get into my zone. I think that’s one of my big strengths,” Brooksby said.
“I thought I had a pretty good plan on him coming out here. I had never played him before, but I think that’s good maybe, someone who hasn’t faced my unique skills, I guess.
“I had a good rhythm from the first two matches and thought I was playing really good tennis, and I think I just stayed a little bit more consistent today.”
Wimbledon semifinalist Taylor Fritz overcame a second-set blip to beat Sebastian Korda 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3 in an all-American clash.
Second seed Fritz, who is set to climb to fourth in the ATP rankings on Monday, overtaking Novak Djokovic, will take on Brooksby in the semis.


Sharjah Self-Defence Club leads Round 7 of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship

Sharjah Self-Defence Club leads Round 7 of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship
Updated 28 September 2025

Sharjah Self-Defence Club leads Round 7 of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship

Sharjah Self-Defence Club leads Round 7 of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship
  • In youth division competition at Zayed Sports Complex in Fujairah, Palms Sports were second and Al Ain Club third

FUJAIRAH: The seventh round of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship got underway at Zayed Sports Complex in Fujairah on Saturday with U-12, U-14 and U-16 athletes competing in the highly anticipated No-Gi category.

By the end of the day, Sharjah Self-Defence Club had maintained its lead in the overall rankings, followed by Palms Sports in second and Al-Ain Club in third.

Mohammed bin Dalmouj Al-Dhaheri, board member of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, praised the UAE’s emerging jiu-jitsu talent, saying that Round 7 shows significant progress in the younger divisions.

“The great performances we witnessed today offer hope for the future, demonstrating that we have a strong foundation capable of competing regionally and internationally,” he said.

“Today’s event in Fujairah went beyond sport, it became a national celebration, bringing together athletes and families under one roof. The Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship has been deeply ingrained in our social fabric, imparting noble values like discipline, tenacity, and respect while bringing communities together across the emirates,” Al-Dhaheri added.

The competition continues on Sunday with the U-18, Adults, and Masters categories, with the ultimate No-Gi winner of the season to be determined.


Al-Ittihad sack coach Laurent Blanc after 2-0 loss to Al-Nassr

Al-Ittihad sack coach Laurent Blanc after 2-0 loss to Al-Nassr
Updated 28 September 2025

Al-Ittihad sack coach Laurent Blanc after 2-0 loss to Al-Nassr

Al-Ittihad sack coach Laurent Blanc after 2-0 loss to Al-Nassr

Al-Ittihad have sacked manager Laurent Blanc, the Saudi Pro League club said on Saturday following their 2-0 defeat against Al-Nassr a day earlier.
“Al-Ittihad announces the termination of its contractual relationship with the first team’s head coach Mr.Laurent Blanc and his coaching staff,” the club said on X.
Al-Ittihad added that they were also looking for “new technical staff that matches the club’s ambitions.”
Blanc took charge of Al-Ittihad in July last year and led the team to a domestic double, winning both the league title and the King’s Cup.
However, the team began the new season by exiting the Saudi Super Cup in the semifinals following a loss to Al-Nassr, before suffering a second defeat to the Riyadh-based side in the league on Friday. They are third in the standings, three points behind Al-Nassr.
 


Europe take a record lead into Ryder Cup’s Sunday singles

Europe take a record lead into Ryder Cup’s Sunday singles
Updated 28 September 2025

Europe take a record lead into Ryder Cup’s Sunday singles

Europe take a record lead into Ryder Cup’s Sunday singles
  • When a long, loud and obnoxious day ended, Europe set a record for the largest lead going into Sunday singles under the format that dates to 1979: Europe 11 1/2, USA 4 1/2
  • Barring the greatest comeback — or collapse — in Ryder Cup history, the Europeans will be heading back across the Atlantic Ocean with that precious gold trophy

FARMINGDALE, N.Y.: Europe painted Bethpage Black in blue scores Saturday with exquisite golf that demolished and disheartened the Americans, and proved to be the best response to a New York Ryder Cup crowd that was so hostile extra security was brought in to keep it from getting worse.

When a long, loud and obnoxious day ended, Europe set a record for the largest lead going into Sunday singles under the format that dates to 1979: Europe 11 1/2, USA 4 1/2.

“I didn’t imagine this,” European captain Luke Donald said. “Every time the Americans came at us, we came back. The resiliency and confidence they have is really, truly incredible.”

Rory McIlroy caught the brunt of verbal abuse and at one point turned to the spectators and said, “Shut the (expletive) up.” And then he stuffed his shot to 5 feet for birdie that closed out the foursomes match for another blue point.

It was like that all day. The louder the crowd, the better Europe played. And barring the greatest comeback — or collapse — in Ryder Cup history, the Europeans will be heading back across the Atlantic Ocean with that precious gold trophy.

“I’m seeing what looks like to be historical putting. They’re making everything,” US captain Keegan Bradley said. “They’re a great team. They’re great players. They’re a tough team to beat.”

The previous record after the four sessions of team play was 11-5. No team has rallied from more than a four-point deficit on the last day. Europe needs to win only three of the 12 singles matches for the outright win.

Scottie Scheffler also made it into the Ryder Cup record book. The world’s No. 1 player is the first to go 0-4 under the current format.

Nothing summed up the week for the Americans quite like the 10th hole in fourballs. Tommy Fleetwood hit a wedge about 2 feet under the hole. Scheffler followed with a shot that hit the hole and the base of the pin, then caromed into the rough.

But it was far more than one shot. Europe holed putts from big and small, often getting shouted at by the spectators as they lined up the shots. Nothing stopped them.

The Americans had a lead in only three of the 70 holes played in fourballs Saturday afternoon. US Open champion J.J. Spaun hit it tight on the 17th and 18th for birdies as he and fellow San Diego State alum Xander Schauffele squeezed out one of only two US points on the day.

The other belonged to DeChambeau and Cameron Young in the opening foursomes match.

The New York fans didn’t turn on the Americans for their performance. They cranked up the noise against Europe, shouting at them in the moments before — but not during — their shots, booing at every turn.

“Look, in between shots, say whatever you want to me,” McIlroy said. “That’s totally fine. Give us the respect to let us hit shots, and give us the same chance that the Americans have.”

New York State police spokesman Beau Duffy said two fans were ejected. The PGA of America said it added security to the McIlroy match and the other three. It also posted a message on the large video boards on “Spectator Etiquette.”

“Attendees consuming alcohol should do so in a responsible manner. Overly intoxicated attendees will be removed from the premises.”

Fans booed when the message was displayed.

McIlroy ultimately got the last laugh. He is unbeaten in his four matches. Fleetwood is 4-0 and can become the first European to go 5-0 on the road if he wins his singles match.

Whatever chances the Americans had might have ended on the final hole of the final match. Patrick Cantlay holed a few more big putts to keep them in the game, and a win on the 18th hole would have cut the deficit to five points.

Matt Fitzpatrick hit out of a bunker to 2 feet. Tyrrell Hatton, a last-minute sub for Viktor Hovland and his sore neck, hit wedge that nicked his teammate’s ball. It was another example of Europe’s superior play.

Cantlay’s shot spun back against the thick collar of the rough, and Sam Burns could only manage a shot to about 20 feet. Both missed. The throaty cheers of “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole” returned, and the few American fans who stuck around that long were on their way home.

It got a little testy inside the ropes, too.

Fleetwood and Rose had a 3-up lead on the 15th over Scheffler and DeChambeau. Rose was first to putt from about 15 feet. But he felt DeChambeau’s caddie was in his space as he was lining up his putt and he told him so.

Rose made the putt, and DeChambeau matched him from 12 feet. DeChambeau barked at them going to the 16th tee and soon the caddies were involved.

There was warm handshakes a hole later when Europe won.

“I didn’t feel like that space was being honored,” Rose said. “I made my feelings known — asked him to move, maybe not as politely as I could have done, but in the scenario, it’s coming down the stretch. We both have a lot on our minds and it’s intense out there.

“I said to them, ‘If I should have done it a different way, I apologize.’ But other than that, I had to step up and hit a huge putt with a lot going on.”

Bradley was asked what message he would give to his team to keep hopes alive, and the New England native pointed to the Patriots’ stunning comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in 2017.

“Twenty-eight to three. I was at that Super Bowl,” Bradley said. “I watched it. What a cool thing to have witnessed live in person.”

The way this Ryder Cup has played out, 11 1/2 to 4 1/2 feels much bigger.