Club professional Michael Block admits he is hoping to avoid a return to reality for as long as possible after his US PGA Championship heroics.
Block almost stole the show from winner Brooks Koepka at Oak Hill, making a hole-in-one during the final round while playing alongside Rory McIlroy and finishing in a tie for 15th place.
The 46-year-old’s display captured the imagination of the spectators and his tie for 15th secured a place in next year’s US PGA at Valhalla, followed soon after by invites for this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge on the PGA Tour and June’s Canadian Open.
“I’ve said it a lot, but it’s just a dream,” Block told a pre-tournament press conference at Colonial.
“I’m just cruising. I’m actually kind of glad that at this point I haven’t come to the reality about what’s happening so I can actually play pretty good golf.
“I think if I sit down and think about it too much, I’m not sure I could swing the club on Thursday.
“There’s a lot going on and I really apologise to all my friends and fans and PGA members out there that have texted me. I’m sorry I haven’t gotten back to you.
“I literally scroll and scroll and scroll and it’s never ending. I can’t even get to the bottom of any of my feeds to even see how many or who’s seeing me. So it’s been crazy.”
Among the messages Block has been able to reply to was one from his hero Michael Jordan, the former basketball star telling Block that his performance was “why he loves the game of golf so much”.
“I’m a big Jordan guy my whole life,” Block said. “I was a little kid in Iowa saving 100 bucks for a pair of Jordans back in the day. Pretty darn cool, to say the least.”
Block also revealed he became friends with baseball star Albert Pujols after being paired with him in a golf tournament in California and will be attending his wedding in the Dominican Republic in December.
And although he, understandably, has never received such attention before, he has been around the professional game for long enough to get a sense of how it works.
“I’ve been around it in a weird kind of small way in little bits here and there over the last 10 years,” the Block said. “So I’m somewhat comfortable with it.
“It’s just weird now where I come up through a gate and the guys at the gate are screaming ‘Block Party’ when I’m going through – and the guy making me an omelette gave me knuckles and said I did awesome last week.
“I mean, that’s the part where it’s a little beyond me at this point. So it’s cool, but I’m trying to enjoy it.
“I don’t really know what the future is going to hold whatsoever. I’m not trying to guess what’s going to happen. I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing.
“I just show up on Thursday and tee it up with Min (Woo Lee), which is a buddy of mine, which is great – so super comfortable pairing – and just have fun. Whatever comes of it, comes of it. I’ll enjoy it one way or the other. I’ve got a great life both ways so it’s good all the way.”
Valencia will appeal against their five-game partial stadium closure and hefty fine following the racist abuse aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, calling the sanction “unfair and disproportionate”.
Vinicius threatened to leave the pitch in the second half of Sunday’s LaLiga match at the Mestalla after being subjected to alleged monkey chants from the crowd and Real Madrid, who said the incident constituted a “hate crime”, filed a complaint with the Spanish State Attorney General’s Office.
In response, the club have been ordered to shut the Mario Kempes south stand, where the alleged abuse happened, for five matches and have also been fined 45,000 euros (£39,000) by the Spanish football federation (RFEF).
Valencia said in a strongly worded statement: “Valencia CF wishes to show its total disagreement and indignation at the unfair and disproportionate penalty imposed by the competition committee on the club with the closure of the stand for five games.
“Valencia CF wants to publicly denounce that in this resolution of the RFEF competition committee they show evidence that contradicts what the national police and LaLiga say.
“In addition, this sanction is based on evidence that the club has not been able to see and without giving us a hearing.
“Valencia CF has condemned, condemns and will condemn in the most energetic way any act of racism or violence. These behaviours have no place in football or in society and we will continue to act in the most forceful way to eradicate this scourge.
“For this reason, Valencia CF is collaborating from the first minute with the police and all relevant authorities to clarify the events that occurred last Sunday.
“In addition, it has applied the maximum possible sanction with the expulsion for life from our stadium to the fans that the police have identified for their racist behaviour.
“For this reason we consider that penalising and depriving all the fans who were not involved in these unfortunate incidents from seeing their team is a totally disproportionate, unfair and unprecedented measure against which we will fight.
“The fight against racism requires the real commitment of all the parties involved without using it as a pretext to incur serious injustices.
“Valencia CF will appeal to the last instance the closure of the stand, a sanction that it considers totally unfair and one more offence in the latest disciplinary decisions that have been taken against the club. Valencia CF asks for the utmost respect and rigour for our institution and fans.”
An RFEF statement on Tuesday night read: “The competition committee has sanctioned Valencia CF with the partial closure of the Mestalla stadium for five matches, more specifically the Mario Kempes south stand, following the events that occurred during the league match between the local team and Real Madrid CF.
“It is considered proven that, as reflected by the referee in his minutes, there were racist shouts at Vinicius, a Real Madrid CF player, during the aforementioned match, altering the normal course of the match and considering the infractions very serious.
“In addition, an economic sanction of 45,000 euros (£39,000) is imposed on Valencia.”
LaLiga players and officials called for racism to be tackled in Spain in the wake of Sunday’s match.
Before Tuesday night’s games between Real Valladolid and Barcelona, and Celta Vigo and Girona, players from both sides, as well as the match officials, stood behind banners which read ‘Racism, out of football’.
LaLiga shared a pre-match clip from the Celta-Girona game on its official Twitter account with the hashtag #JUNTOSContraElRacismo (#TOGETHERagainstRacism).
The footage also showed a supporter holding up a placard with ‘No Al Racismo’ (No to Racism) written on it.
There were similar sentiments at the Valladolid-Barcelona game as fans showed their support for Brazil international Vinicius.
Barcelona forward Raphinha removed his shirt when substituted to show a message which read: “As long as the colour of the skin is more important than the brightness of the eyes, there will be war.”
Jayson Tatum had 33 points and 11 rebounds as the Boston Celtics kept their season alive for at least one more game with a 116-99 win over the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Derrick White and Jaylen Brown each added 16 points and Grant Williams had 14 Boston, which trails the best-of-seven series 3-1 and will try to avoid elimination again in Game 5 on Thursday in Boston.
No team in NBA history has ever successfully rallied from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series.
The Celtics trailed by nine early in the second half before reeling off 18 straight points for a 70-61 lead. Tatum ignited the run with consecutive 3-pointers, White followed with another, and Marcus Smart also connected from deep.
Boston maintained the lead the rest of the way, though the Heat got within four late in the third. The Celtics responded to score the next seven points and led 88-79 heading to the fourth quarter.
After shooting 11 for 42 from long range in Game 3, the Celtics regained their stroke in this one by going 19 of 45 and limited the Heat to 8 for 32.
Jimmy Butler had 29 points for Miami, which was outscored 48-22 during a 14-minute stretch across the third and fourth quarters.
The French Open will take place without Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004.
The Spaniard’s withdrawal through injury opens the door for the rest of the men’s field, while two-time champion Iga Swiatek will look to cement her dominance of the women’s event.
Here, the PA news agency picks out 10 players to watch at Roland Garros.
Novak Djokovic
While the king of clay is absent, title hopefuls will still have to get past another 22-time grand slam champion. Djokovic has lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires twice and lost in the final on four other occasions. However, his preparation has been far from perfect, with surprise losses and concern over an elbow problem.
Carlos Alcaraz
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While Nadal’s absence undoubtedly leaves a huge hole, Spanish fans have another phenomenon to cheer in the shape of Alcaraz, who has reclaimed the world number one ranking from Djokovic. An early loss at the Italian Open was a shock but the 20-year-old was supreme in winning titles in Barcelona and Madrid and is firmly in the frame for a second grand slam title.
Holger Rune
If neither Djokovic nor Alcaraz lifts the title then the best bet may be on young Dane Rune. The 20-year-old has soared into the top 10 over the last six months and already boasts two wins over Djokovic. Ambitious and not afraid to rile up opponents or the crowd, Rune looks a slam champion in the making.
Daniil Medvedev
The mercurial Russian is no lover of clay but the confidence he has carried from an excellent season has translated to the red stuff, bringing him victory in Rome on Sunday. Medvedev has won more matches than any other man so far this year and will be seeded second in Paris.
Jannik Sinner
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Sinner’s emergence at the top of the game was rather overshadowed by Alcaraz’s even more rapid ascent but their rivalry has been a tonic to a sport adjusting to the loss of its aging superstars. This year has seen the big-hitting Italian establish himself in the top 10 and a grand slam breakthrough may not be too far away.
Iga Swiatek
The Pole strolled to her second Roland Garros title last year as part of a 37-match winning streak. A clay-court natural, Swiatek can appear unstoppable on the surface but the gap at the top of the women’s game has certainly narrowed. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have been the players of the season so far while Swiatek has had a couple of injury niggles.
Aryna Sabalenka
The jocular Belarusian got the grand slam monkey off her back by beating Rybakina in a superb Australian Open final and has continued in the same vein ever since. Defeating Swiatek to win the clay title in Madrid was a big moment, although that is a much faster court. Sabalenka is yet to do well in Paris but she is a different player and competitor to 12 months ago.
Elena Rybakina
Rybakina may have been a surprise Wimbledon winner for many last summer but the danger caused by her power game is self evident, while she is as cool a customer as they come. The 23-year-old has shown excellent consistency this season and lifting the title in Rome saw her climb to fourth in the rankings.
Zheng Qinwen
China has been searching for a star to follow in the footsteps of former French Open winner Li Na and, in 20-year-old Zheng, they might just have found it. Athletic and powerful, she has risen steadily up the rankings into the top 20. Zheng reach the fourth round on her Roland Garros debut last year and was the only player to take a set off Swiatek.
Marketa Vondrousova
Even among the numerous women who have made grand slam finals in recent years, Vondrousova flies under the radar. Beaten by Ashleigh Barty at Roland Garros in 2019 as a teenager, the Czech has struggled with injury since. But she is one of the most naturally talented players on clay and has been showing good signs this season.
Tony Blair was in Downing Street, Carlos Alcaraz a baby and Twitter and Instagram non-existent the last time the French Open took place without Rafael Nadal.
But the Spaniard will be at Roland Garros in statue form only this year after giving notice that the end of one of the great sporting careers is looming.
Nadal’s record on the Parisian clay is absurd – since winning on his debut in 2005, he has lifted the title 14 times, lost three matches and withdrawn mid-tournament once.
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The dynamic will undoubtedly be different without him and, for those players now seeing an opportunity, how they handle the situation will go a long way to determining who walks away with the trophy.
Novak Djokovic takes over favourite status given his history at the tournament – two titles and four more finals – and the 22 slam titles he has already won.
The Serbian turned 36 this week and, although he has shown many times – including at the Australian Open this year – that he can fight through physical issues to win slams, there are major question marks about the state of his right elbow.
Djokovic has suffered defeats to Lorenzo Musetti, Dusan Lajovic and Holger Rune on clay this season but still spoke bullishly about his chances in Paris.
“I know I can always play better,” he said in Rome. “Definitely I am looking forward to working on various aspects of my game, of my body, hopefully getting myself in 100 per cent shape. That’s the goal.
“I always like my chances in grand slams against anybody on any surface, best-of-five (sets).”
Djokovic is increasingly mounting a one-man defence against the younger generation, and 20-year-old Alcaraz reclaimed the world number one ranking from him this week.
Rune, also 20, has established himself as a big-time talent over the past six months while 21-year-old Jannik Sinner is having the best season of his career.
Only Rome champion Daniil Medvedev is within a decade of Djokovic in the top 10, and the Serbian said: “A new generation is here already. Alcaraz is number one in the world. Obviously he’s playing amazing tennis. I think it’s also good for our sport that we have new faces, new guys coming up. It’s normal.
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“We’ve been saying this for years, that we can expect it to come, that moment when you have a shift of generations. I’m personally still trying to hang in there with all of them. I’m, of course, very happy with my career so far. I still have the hunger to keep going. Let’s see how far I’m going to play.”
On the women’s side, a top three has emerged this season, with Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka and Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina closing the gap to world number one Iga Swiatek.
The Pole remains a class act on clay in particular but is certainly not as clear a favourite as 12 months ago, when her second French Open title came as part of a 37-match winning run.
The best hope for a strong British run once again is Cameron Norrie, whose top-16 ranking ensures he will avoid other top players in the early rounds.
The withdrawals of Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu are a blow but 21-year-old Jack Draper has recovered from an abdominal problem in time and will look to show his potential on the big stage again.
Roland Garros will have a very different feel this year with Rafael Nadal absent for the first time in nearly two decades.
But, while the king of clay will be much missed, two major trophies are on the line and a host of young pretenders bidding to claim the silverware.
Here, the PA news agency picks out five talking points for the Parisian fortnight.
Can Alcaraz take Nadal’s crown?
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Spanish tennis fans should not feel too sorry for themselves because the heir to Nadal’s place at the top of the sport is already here. Having only just turned 20, Carlos Alcaraz has already won his first grand-slam title at the US Open and this week reclaimed the world number one ranking. As confident on hard courts as clay, Alcaraz is an astounding athlete while his all-round game and calm temperament belong to a much more experienced player. There is a lot of hype but boy is it justified.
How fit is Djokovic?
Novak Djokovic has two French Open titles on his CV but how many more would there be had he not continually bumped into Nadal? This would appear to be a golden chance not just to win in Paris again but also to move past his great rival and become the first man ever to reach 23 grand slam singles titles. All has not been well with the Serbian since he won the Australian Open again, though, and he goes into the tournament with doubts over an elbow problem.
Swiatek hat-trick?
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Last year it seemed inevitable Iga Swiatek would win a second French Open title, and she duly brushed aside all comers on an unbeaten run that eventually ended at 37 matches. This season has been different, though. The Pole has struggled at times with the expectation on her shoulders, while there have been physical issues, too. A WTA big three is emerging comprising of Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, and the 21-year-old’s number one ranking could soon be under threat.
Norrie carries British hopes
It has been a rather underwhelming spring for Britain’s leading players and hopes of a strong French Open appear remote. With Emma Raducanu recovering from three operations, no British women gained direct entry – a damning statistic. Things are better for the men but Jack Draper’s progress has again been frustratingly held up by injury and Andy Murray has opted to prioritise preparation for the grass-court season. As has become the norm, Britain’s best hope of a second week appearance is Cameron Norrie, who has reached the third round the last two years.
Night session equality?
One of the big talking points last year was how organisers used their new single-match night session. Only one women’s match topped the bill, and tournament director Amelie Mauresmo apologised after saying men’s contests had more appeal. How close to 50-50 they will go this year remains to be seen but, with no Nadal, the star power of the men’s game is reduced, while Caroline Garcia is by some distance France’s best player.
Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt says England “would consider” bidding to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup.
Having won last year’s European Championship on home soil, Sarina Wiegman’s side will bid for the global title in Australia and New Zealand this summer and could soon be in contention to host another showpiece event.
Hewitt told the Times: “We want to be known as a centre for successfully hosting major events.
“It has a hugely positive impact on the country and on local communities who participate, so why wouldn’t we have ambitions to host a Women’s World Cup, particularly as the women’s game is growing?”
Asked whether that meant a possible bid for the 2031 tournament, Hewitt said: “We would certainly consider it.”
The bidding process will not open until the host of the 2027 tournament is decided next May. Should a joint bid from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium be successful, there will not be a second successive European host so England would have to wait until 2035 at the earliest.
Real Valladolid took a massive stride towards LaLiga safety as they moved out of the relegation zone after a shock 3-1 home win against Barcelona at Jose Zorrilla.
The hosts had lost their last five games, but stormed into a two-goal lead after 22 minutes when Andreas Christensen's own goal was followed by Cyle Larin's penalty.
Gonzalo Plata’s second-half strike put the result beyond doubt before Robert Lewandowski grabbed a consolation late on.
The result moves Paulo Pezzolano's side above Getafe and into 17th in the LaLiga table, while Barca remain in search of their first league win since being crowned champions a fortnight ago.
Valladolid had the ball in the net after just 82 seconds when Christensen headed Darwin Machis' cross past his own goalkeeper.
Machis and Raphinha went close at either end before the hosts doubled their advantage in the 22nd minute, Larin converting from the penalty spot after Plata was brought down by Eric Garcia.
Barca were denied an instant response with Masip producing a fine pair of saves to deny Raphinha and Christensen from close range.
Alejandro Balde fired wide shortly after the break, but Valladolid continued to impress, nearly adding a third when Plata's cross struck the outside of the post.
Ferran Torres came closest to igniting a comeback for Xavi's side, but the substitute was unable to turn home Balde's cross at full stretch.
Instead, Valladolid would seal the points in the 73rd minute when Plata's composed finish from Larin's cross was awarded after a VAR check.
Lucas Rosa's deft chip hit the post for the home side late on, though they were denied a clean sheet when Lewandowski pulled a goal back six minutes from time.
Roberto De Zerbi revealed Lewis Dunk has played through the pain barrier to aid Brighton’s European quest as he backed his captain for an England recall.
Seagulls centre-back Dunk has been ever-present in the Premier League this campaign but could begin on the bench against champions Manchester City on Wednesday evening due to ongoing calf and back issues.
Albion boss De Zerbi admits the 31-year-old took time to adapt to his high-intensity, possession-based style of play after he replaced Graham Potter in September.
Yet the Italian says influential leader Dunk has since cemented his status as a guaranteed starter and “deserves” another shot at international football.
“At first it was not so easy for him to understand my idea but he gave me total availability,” said De Zerbi.
“I would like him to be more open because he doesn’t speak a lot but he’s an example inside of the dressing room, inside of the pitch.
“He’s playing with a lot of problems because he has calf and back problems but he is playing every game.
“Tomorrow he can start on the bench but I don’t know because if he can play with me in Brighton, he has to play always.”
England manager Gareth Southgate will on Wednesday name his squad for next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.
Dunk was capped by Southgate in a 3-0 friendly win over the United States in November 2018 but has not featured again for his country.
“He deserves to play in the national team,” said De Zerbi.
“It’s not my work to decide the players of the national team but for us it should be a target.
“I hope he can play in the national team.”
Brighton secured continental football next term with two games to spare thanks to Sunday’s 3-1 win over relegated Southampton.
Sixth-placed Albion will almost certainly be in the Europa League due to their healthy goal difference but need one more point to banish any prospect of having to settle for the Europa Conference League.
De Zerbi has warned the Seagulls must improve their squad during the summer in order to avoid potentially following divisional rivals Leicester and West Ham in slipping from European contenders to relegation candidates.
The Foxes are on the brink of falling into the Sky Bet Championship after playing in Europe during the previous two seasons, while David Moyes’ Europa Conference League finalists were in danger of the drop for much of this campaign.
“I push with Tony (Bloom, Brighton owner) to improve the squad every day,” said De Zerbi.
“I don’t want my club to spend too much money but we have to improve. To compete in four competitions, we have to improve and know the situation.
“Leicester, West Ham this year explain the Premier League.
“If you don’t improve year by year you can find a surprise the year after because our achievement this year is not important for the next year.
“Next year we will start not in sixth position, we start level with the other teams.”
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has called for more than 100 Premier League charges levelled against the club for alleged financial regularities to be resolved immediately.
City were referred to an independent commission in February over alleged rule breaches between 2009 and 2018, with the Premier League also accusing City of not co-operating since the investigation started in December 2018.
The sheer scale of the charges, which the club strongly deny, and the magnitude of the implications if found guilty suggest it is a case which will drag on for months, possibly years.
However, Guardiola does not want a cloud hanging over his side’s remarkable achievements and wants a resolution as soon as possible.
But the Catalan, who has a contract until 2025, stressed he would not walk away from the club while potential sanctions remain.
“I will stay next season while there are 110 breaches against us,” said Guardiola, who when asked whether he could extend three or four years beyond that added: “No, no, no. These two are enough.
“What I would like is if the Premier League and judges could make something as soon as possible, then if we have done something wrong everybody will know it.
“And if, we are like we believe as a club for many years, in the right way then the people will stop talking about that.
“We would love it tomorrow, this afternoon better than tomorrow.
“Hopefully they are not so busy and the judges can see both sides and decide what is the best because in the end I know fairly what we won we won on the pitch and we don’t have any doubts.
“We accept it is there. If it happened it happened. (But) let’s go, 24 hours sit down and lawyers present. Don’t wait two years. Why don’t we do it quicker?
“Let’s have it as soon as possible for the benefit of everyone. We want to defend our principles and if people doubt, OK, let’s go, let’s do it as soon as possible please.”
The alleged breaches concern the reporting of accurate financial information, the submission of details of manager and player pay information within the relevant contracts, a club’s responsibility as a Premier League member to adhere to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations and to the league’s own profitability and sustainability regulations.
The club are also alleged to have breached rules requiring them to co-operate and assist with the Premier League’s investigation into those breaches, which the league says began in December 2018.
City have just won a fifth title in six seasons, and have won it seven times since 2011, and are chasing a treble with FA Cup and Champions League finals to come, but while the charges still loom large over the club Guardiola is not close to losing his hunger to win more domestic titles.
“Introduce me to a manager who doesn’t want to win. I’m scared to lose, I don’t want to be criticised, I want respect from my players,” he added.
“What we say, what we do, is to win. I accept my defeats because I always accept that the opponents can be better and beat us.
“So when people say we failed or lost it is like the others are s***. But the others can be good and beat us. It’s like ignoring the other ones.
“When people say now that next season just Manchester City can win the Premier league they are stupid comments.
“Next season will be tough because all clubs want to beat us. That is the challenge. Next season we defend our crown, it belongs to us for one year and we will work for it.
“If they (rivals) want it they have to do it better than us. But if it happens, we will congratulate them.
“United can beat us (in the FA Cup). Inter can beat us. They have three Champions Leagues, we don’t have any, but we have to do our best to try to avoid it.”
The kick-off return is moving closer and closer towards extinction.
The NFL owners approved a rule on Tuesday that allows teams receiving a free kick (kick-off or safety kick) to get the ball at their own 25-yard line if the team calls for a fair catch anywhere behind their own 25.
The rule has been put in place for just the 2023 season, and will be revisited next offseason.
The intention behind the new rule stems from player safety with concussion rates on kick-offs will be reduced by 15 per cent, according to NFL executive Jeff Miller.
Kick-offs are considered the most dangerous play in the NFL, as data shows concussions occurs more than twice as often on them than on plays from scrimmages.
While the new rule should help with head injuries, it also takes away an exciting part of the game. Under the new rule, models suggest that the kick-off return rate will decrease from 38 per cent to 31 per cent.
There will almost certainly be a backlash among players and coaches, as the new rule will likely bring about more squib kicks and other unreturnable kicks.
This is the second major rule change made to kick-offs in the last decade with the backdrop of player safety in mind.
In 2016, the NFL moved touchbacks on kick-offs up to the 25-yard line from the 20, with the rationale teams will take the ball five yards closer to their own end zone rather than risk getting tackled behind the 25. And fewer returns would also likely mean fewer injuries.
The rule change, however, has taken the ball out of the hands out of kick-off returners, and decreased the likelihood of an exciting return.
There were only nine kick-off returns for touchdowns last season – the fewest in a non-strike season since the 1970 merger.
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