DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley has hit back at LIV Golf rebels and says sanctions imposed on players were "proportionate and fair".
Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter were among 16 DP World Tour members who were last week fined £100,000 and banned from playing in three events – the first being the Scottish Open next week.
They were sanctioned by the DP World Tour for playing in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series event at Centurion Club without permission last month.
In an open letter, which was addressed to Pelley, published by The Telegraph, the 16 players threatened to take legal action against the DP World Tour if the fines and suspensions were not rescinded.
They also claimed that the DP World Tour is playing "second fiddle" to the PGA Tour in an extended relationship between the two.
Pelley provided a strong response as he refused to back down on Friday.
He said in a statement: "There has been a leak to the media of a letter we received on behalf of a number of LIV Golf players which contains so many inaccuracies that it cannot remain unchallenged.
"Before joining LIV Golf, players knew there would be consequences if they chose money over competition. Many of them at the time understood and accepted that. Indeed, as one player named in the letter said in a media interview earlier this year; 'If they ban me, they ban me.' It is not credible that some are now surprised with the actions we have taken.
"The letter claims that these players 'care deeply' for the DP World Tour. An analysis of the past participation statistics on our Tour in recent years of several of the leading players named suggests otherwise
"One player in particular named in the note has only played six Rolex Series events in the past five years. Another one, only four. I wish many of them had been as keen to play on our Tour then as they seem to be now, based on the fact they have either resigned their membership of the PGA Tour or, if they are still in membership, have been suspended indefinitely.
"Furthermore, given how deeply these players say they care about the DP World Tour, perhaps some of them could have played in Ireland this week in support of our new title sponsor, in particular one player who gave us a signed commitment to play at Mount Juliet.
"With that player currently in action at Pumpkin Ridge, you can imagine the allegation in the letter that we are in the wrong, is hard to accept.
"We also take great exception to an allegation made near the end of the letter which states we are somehow playing 'second fiddle' to the PGA Tour. Nothing could be further from the truth.
"We held a player meeting in Ireland on Tuesday where we outlined in great detail all the many benefits of our expanded relationship with the PGA Tour.
"One of those is an unprecedented ten cards on offer to the PGA Tour, cards that many of the players named in this letter desperately wanted to attain in the early stages of their careers. Why now be critical of those trying to do the same?
"The letter also expresses supposed concern about the future of the DP World Tour. Rest assured no-one should have any worries on that score.
"The DP World Tour is a vibrant, independent and global Tour with increasing and guaranteed prize fund growth over the next five years. We have fantastic tournaments across the year including a host of wonderful national Opens, all played in front of huge crowds, illustrated perfectly by this week's Irish Open.
"Finally, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on any potential legal matters.
"I will simply reiterate that our Members' Regulations which have been in force for more than 30 years, have been accepted by all the players, are there to protect all of our members, and we will use them to take all necessary steps to protect their interests.
"The sanctions for those members who knowingly broke our rules by playing at the Centurion Club without a release are proportionate, fair and, I believe, considered necessary by the majority of our members."
Pat Cummins was delighted with Australia's "brave" approach after they thrashed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets on day three of the first Test.
The tourists took a first-innings lead of 109 at the Galle International Stadium on Friday before bowling Sri Lanka out for only 113.
Nathan Lyon took 4-31 after claiming a five-wicket haul in the first innings, and part-time spinner Travis Head, who had never taken a Test wicket, claimed stunning figures of 4-10 as Sri Lanka folded.
Mitchell Swepson took the other two wickets, and after being set only five runs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, David Warner hit Ramesh Mendis for four and then six inside the first over to seal an emphatic victory.
Australia captain Cummins said: "A couple of new words we're using about our approach is about being proactive and being brave.
"We saw some really clear methods from all the batters. They might have been individually a bit different, but you saw everyone being really proactive and putting pressure back on the bowlers. It's something you'd normally talk about in one-day cricket or T20 cricket. But I think that's the style over here that's needed."
He added: "I think it's part of the environment that we are trying to create. Failure is absolutely okay, as long as you are failing in a way you are happy to be."
The paceman lavished praise on spinner Lyon, who moved into the top 10 on the list of all-time leading Test wicket-takers by taking his tally to 436.
"I wouldn't change Lyon for anyone," Cummins said. "He's gone into the top 10 wicket-takers of all time. You saw him out there. He's unplayable for left or right-handers.
"Sometimes out here, bounce for spinners is spoken about [as] something that's not desirable, but he showed here with that bounce he was unplayable. His stamina as well – you give him the ball from one end and say see you at the end of the day."
Wales coach Wayne Pivac is hoping for a first good night's sleep in almost four months when his side get their tour of South Africa underway this weekend.
The tourists kick off their three-match series against the world champions at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday in what will be the teams' second meeting since the Springboks won their 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final encounter.
Armed with several players who partook in the British and Irish Lions' tour to the Southern Hemisphere last year, Pivac will have some experienced heads on hand as he hopes to spring a surprise.
But he admits his time spent masterminding his side's prospects after a dismal start to 2022 means he will only rest soundly when the first game is done and dusted.
"I’ll probably get my first decent night's sleep since the end of the Six Nations," he stated. "That's a fact.
"It just doesn't go away. The thing with coaches and players is you're not happy until you get your next win under your belt. It's been a long time between drinks, and of course there is that memory.
"If you finish on winning the Six Nations then it's quite a nice memory, but losing to Italy has been challenging in terms of the pressure you put on yourself as opposed to the pressure others put on you."
Wales have lost their past three matches and are winless in five away from home, sliding to ninth in the world rankings while South Africa retain top spot.
Pivac is aware his side will be the underdogs, adding: "It's understandable. You've got to look at where the two teams are coming from. They're the world champions, in their own backyard, at altitude.
"It's a tough place for anyone to go, and from the outside looking in, from our last performance, you would write us off.
"The main thing is that we haven't written ourselves off. Some of the players look at it, a lot of them are on social media all the time. It's a fact of the game. I don't mind it at all, because it is just people reporting on the facts.
"If you want to argue, play a bit better. That's where we've got to do our arguing and say that we are better than that, don't write us off and then bang."
Manchester City have made goalkeeper Stefan Ortega Moreno their second signing of the transfer window.
The 29-year-old was a free agent after leaving Arminia Bielefeld and has signed a three-year deal with the Premier League champions in a move that is subject to international clearance.
Ortega Moreno will provide back-up for Ederson for Pep Guardiola's side, with Zack Steffen set to join Championship side Middlesbrough on loan.
The arrival of German Ortega Moreno comes after City landed prolific Norway striker Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund.
"This is a fantastic move for me," Ortega Moreno told the club's official website. "Manchester City are an amazing team – a squad with world-class quality in every area.
"To be given the chance to join this group of players and help continue the club's success is a dream for me.
"I have enjoyed my time in Germany and I want to thank the Arminia Bielefeld fans for their support. But this new challenge of coming to City and playing in the Premier League is too good for me to ignore.
"I can't wait to get started, meet my team-mates and begin working with Pep and his backroom staff."
Meanwhile, City have allowed teenage defender CJ Egan-Riley to join Vincent Kompany's Burnley on a four-year deal.
Michael Hooper says Australia are ready to "rip in" and "turn the ledger" on England when they do battle in the first Test on Saturday.
England have won eight consecutive matches against the Wallabies ahead of the showdown at Optus Stadium.
Australia captain Hooper is determined to end that dismal run in Perth this weekend and take a 1-0 lead over Eddie Jones' side in the three-match series
"It's a motivation to win and turn the ledger," he said.
"We have three games at home to do it. It’s been a long time since we’ve played these fellas out here, so we're excited about it.
"It's the top rivalry, isn’t it? Having the Ashes at the back end of last year and this year, the whole of Australian population gets behind whether they're here or in England, it's bragging rights, so it's big for the fans and us.
"There’s some great history between the two teams and two teams rolling into a World Cup next year.
"We're really excited, history hasn’t been in our favour for quite some time now against the English and we're keen to rip in.
"They’re always a tough outfit. They’ve picked a powerful team with some real skill and experience involved there. We’re expecting a tough time."
Hooker David Porecki and lock Cadeyrn Neville will make their Wallabies debuts on Saturday.
At the age of 33 years and 235 days, Neville is to become the third-oldest Australia debutant since World War II.
Michael Hooper says Australia are ready to "rip in" and "turn the ledger" on England when they do battle in the first Test on Saturday.
England have won eight consecutive matches against the Wallabies ahead of the showdown at Optus Stadium.
Australia captain Hooper is determined to end that dismal run in Perth this weekend and take a 1-0 lead over Eddie Jones' side in the three-match series
"It's a motivation to win and turn the ledger," he said.
"We have three games at home to do it. It’s been a long time since we’ve played these fellas out here, so we're excited about it.
"It's the top rivalry, isn’t it? Having the Ashes at the back end of last year and this year, the whole of Australian population gets behind whether they're here or in England, it's bragging rights, so it's big for the fans and us.
"There’s some great history between the two teams and two teams rolling into a World Cup next year.
"We're really excited, history hasn’t been in our favour for quite some time now against the English and we're keen to rip in.
"They’re always a tough outfit. They’ve picked a powerful team with some real skill and experience involved there. We’re expecting a tough time."
Hooker David Porecki and lock Cadeyrn Neville will make their Wallabies debuts on Saturday.
At the age of 33 years and 235 days, Neville is to become the third-oldest Australia debutant since World War II.
FIFA has confirmed it will utilise semi-automated VAR offside technology at the Qatar 2022 World Cup later this year, says head of refereeing Pierluigi Collina.
The move to introduce further advancements in the VAR process for this year's showpiece tournament has been ongoing over the past few months.
Following trials at the Arab Cup and Club World Cup, the fresh processes – which can cut VAR decision-making from 70 seconds to 25 seconds – is set to be implemented in the Gulf State in November.
Collina, a former World Cup final referee when he took charge of Brazil's win over Germany at Korea/Japan 2002, says the time is now to bring in semi-automated technology, which will further enhance decision-making.
"We are very positive. It is ready," he stated. "I read about robot referees. I understand this is very good for headlines, but it is not the case.
"The match officials are still involved in the decision-making process. The semi-automated technology only gives an answer when a player is in an offside position when they play the ball.
"The assessment of interfering with an opponent and seeing if a handball or foul was committed remains at the discretion of the referee. Our goal is to get referees taking decisions correctly on the field.
"If something wrong should happen, the referee may take advantage of the technology to get a better vision of what happened – but there will still be room for discussion."
Semi-automated technology will make use of in-ball sensors, dedicated multi-tracking camera rigs and 29 rapid data points on players to help calculate exact positions.
The Qatar 2022 World Cup opens on November 21, with Senegal facing the Netherlands and England squaring off with Iran before the hosts play the official opening game against Ecuador.
Henry Arundell could be a "significant player" by the time of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, says England coach Eddie Jones, who compared him to the legendary Bryan Habana after his exploits in training.
The London Irish back is in line for his international debut after he was named on the bench for the tourists' first match of their three-game series against hosts Australia in Perth.
While Jones has rung the changes elsewhere across his squad – with Owen Farrell stripped of the captaincy and Courtney Lawes installed with the armband – he has nevertheless been impressed by the 19-year-old's skill.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's opener at Perth Stadium, the coach illustrated the teenager's exploits amid his squad's preparation – and suggested he could emulate South Africa winger Habana with a bright, fast future.
"Henry scored...how long is the field, 100 metres? He scored a 90-metre try at training on Wednesday. There were a few, I won't use the expletives, 'he's fast!' heard," Jones said.
"We had a number of coaches from different sports watching and they heard this comment.
"He scored a try not many other players in the world would have scored. It was like a try Bryan Habana used to score – one of those.
"He could be a very good player but he's got a long way to go. We feel like if he continues his development and we're able to give him some game time on this tour, by the World Cup he could be a significant player."
England will follow their game in Perth with successive clashes in Brisbane on July 9 and Sydney on July 16, with the visitors looking to extend their eight-match winning streak against Australia.
Jones is looking to reverse a slump in his side's form, ahead of next year's World Cup, where they are currently drawn alongside Japan, Argentina and Samoa in Pool D.
Chelsea are reportedly weighing up a potential £102million move for Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt.
The Stamford Bridge club have been actively searching for ways to plug the gap in the centre of their defence since losing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers, and are said to have also enquired about Inter's Milan Skriniar and Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly.
Kouliably appeared the most palatable option at a fee in the range of £40m, but Chelsea may have decided the 22-year-old Netherlands international is a stronger long-term investment, and they could also potentially include a player swap to avoid forking out the full £102m release clause.
TOP STORY – CHELSEA SET SIGHTS ON ONE OF THE WORLD'S TOP YOUNG CENTRE-BACKS
The Telegraph is reporting that Juventus are holding firm on making any De Ligt suitors meet his release clause, while Football.London claims Chelsea are hoping to get a deal done with £60m plus sending Christian Pulisic to Turin.
All reporting agrees that De Ligt desires a move to the Premier League and that talks are progressing well, indicating it could just be a matter of time before a transfer fee is agreed.
Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake is also said to be on the move to Chelsea – the club he spent five years with before departing to Bournemouth in 2017 – in a deal Calciomercato claims to be in the range of £40m.
Chelsea could theoretically land both Ake and Koulibaly for less than it would take to bring in De Ligt, but if their transfer budget in this current window is close to the reported figure of £200m, money may not be an issue.
ROUND-UP
– The Times claims that Barcelona's finances are in better shape after their recent television rights deal, and the club are now willing to match the £60m required to secure Leeds United winger Raphinha.
– According to Calciomercato, Paris Saint-Germain have raised their bid for 23-year-old Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca, although it is short of their £50m asking price.
– Tottenham are reportedly in advanced talks to land Middlesbrough full-back Djed Spence in a deal worth at least £15m, per Sky Sports.
– The Sun is reporting that Ruben Neves is likely to remain with Wolves for the upcoming season as clubs are unwilling to meet their demands of £75m.
– According to Sky Sports, Kalvin Phillips will undergo his medical on Friday before confirming a £45m move to Man City.
The face of the Memphis Grizzlies will be staying put for the foreseeable future after Ja Morant agreed to a five-year max rookie extension that will pay him at least $193million over five years.
The extension is the largest deal in franchise history and has the potential to reach up to $231m if Morant makes one of the league’s three All-NBA teams. The deal surpasses the five-year, $153 million contract Mike Conley signed with Memphis in 2016.
"Memphis is my home," Morant tweeted six minutes after midnight.
Morant took home the NBA’s Most Improved Player award and finished seventh in MVP voting after averaging 27.4 points and 6.7 assists per game this season. He earned his first All-Star appearance and was named second-team All-NBA after helping Memphis to a 56-26 record, matching the 2012-13 team for the most wins in franchise history.
He averaged 21.5 points, 10.5 assists and 8.7 rebounds as the Grizzlies defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games in the first round of the playoffs. He also scored a combined 115 points over the first three games in the next round against the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors, but missed the final three games with a bone bruise in his right knee.
He joins Jaren Jackson Jr. as members of the Grizzlies’ young core who are locked into long-term deals. Memphis has one of the league’s youngest rosters, and would appear to be set up to challenge for championships for the next few years.
USC and UCLA could be joining the Big Ten Conference as soon as 2024 after league officials voted Thursday to approve the schools’ application for membership.
The move is just the latest in a wave of realignment among college football powers, moving away from the strictly regional model that had organized the sport for more than a century.
In two years, the Big Ten will stretch from coast to coast with campuses from California to New Jersey.
USC athletic director Mike Bohn called the conference "the best home for USC" in a statement on Thursday night.
"Ultimately, the Big Ten is the best home for USC and Trojan athletics as we move into the new world of collegiate sports," he said. "We also will benefit from the stability and strength of the conference."
UCLA chancellor Gene D. Block and AD Martin Jarmond also released a combined statement Thursday, announcing the move.
"Each school faces its own unique challenges and circumstances, and we believe this is the best move for UCLA at this time," they said. "For us, this move offers greater certainty in rapidly changing times and ensures that we remain a leader in college athletics for generations to come."
With Oklahoma and Texas scheduled to join the SEC and both L.A. rivals headed to the Big Ten, many pundits have predicted continued movement until two giant leagues contain all the sport’s traditional powers.
According to multiple reports, USC and UCLA initiated conversations with the Big Ten. The sides first met on Wednesday, with the unanimous membership vote coming just 24 hours later.
The Pac-12 loses two charter members while negotiating a new media rights deal and leaving the conference scrambling to keep up in the realignment arms race.
Since receiving news that Oklahoma and Texas were leaving, the Big 12 has arranged for new members in Cincinnati, UCF, Houston and BYU.
The Pac-12 will now likely look for new members of its own in order to keep up.
"While we are extremely surprised and disappointed by the news coming out of UCLA and USC today, we have a long and storied history in athletics, academics and leadership in supporting student-athletes that we're confident will continue to thrive and grow into the future," the Pac-12 said in a statement.
The Big Ten is currently negotiating its own media rights deal that is expected to exceed $1 billion annually.
Karl-Anthony Towns has agreed to a four-year, $224million 'supermax' contract extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It is a move that ties Towns, 26, to the franchise until after the 2027 playoffs, as he still has two seasons remaining on his five-year, $158m deal he signed ahead of the 2019-20 season.
The Timberwolves centre – who called himself the greatest big-man shooter of all time after winning this past season's Three Point Contest during All-Star Weekend – is coming off his second career playoff appearance, and the first since 2018.
He averaged 24.6 points, along with 9.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists, shooting 41 per cent from three-point range on 4.9 attempts per game.
Partnered with the number one pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves believe they have the cornerstones of what could turn into the most successful era of Minnesota basketball since Kevin Garnett left for the Boston Celtics in 2007.
For the second straight day a Pittsburgh Pirates player has hit three home runs in an 8-7 win – this time with Michael Perez starring against the Milwaukee Brewers.
On Wednesday it was Bryan Reynolds hitting three home runs in an 8-7 win against the Washington Nationals, and Thursday's game started in fine fashion for the Pirates at home, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning.
Those runs came first through a monster 431-foot, two-run blast from Oneil Cruz as he continues to make his case as arguably the most exciting youngster in baseball, before Jack Suwinski followed up with a 412-foot solo shot as the very next batter.
The Brewers fought back in the next couple of frames, with Christian Yelich's RBI triple and Omar Narvaez's RBI double helping to even the score at 3-3 in the fourth inning, and that is where Perez began his memorable night.
In the bottom of the fourth, Perez connected on a 377-foot, two-run homer, driving in Suwinski, and with Suwinski on base again in the sixth inning, Perez repeated the act, this time with a 391-foot, two-run smack.
Perez's longest hit of the game came in the eighth frame, extending his side's lead to 8-4 with a 408-foot solo homer.
With his third long ball of the game, Perez matched his season total entering the contest, and the third turned out to be crucial as the Brewers were able to drive in three runs in the ninth inning, ultimately falling short.
Adding salt to the wounds for the Brewers was starting pitcher Adrian Houser being forced to leave the game in the third inning due to elbow tightness, with the bullpen going on to give up five runs in the last five-and-two-thirds innings.
Guardians walk it off
The Cleveland Guardians only collected three hits in their 5-3 win against the Minnesota Twins, but they saved the best for last.
Twins pitchers Chris Archer, Tyler Duffey and Jovani Moran combined to hold the Guardians to just one hit through the first seven innings – although Archer did hand out six walks.
The Guardians were able to tie things up at 3-3 in the eighth inning as two runs came home on a fielding error from Carlos Correa, setting the table for Andres Gimenez to be the hero in the bottom of the ninth, connecting on a 411-foot, two-run, walk-off blast.
Astros beat the Yankees again
The New York Yankees are 6-3 in their past nine games, but all three losses have come against the Houston Astros after Thursday's 2-1 defeat.
Astros starting pitcher Luis Garcia put in an excellent showing, giving up one run in five-and-a-third innings, holding the Yankees to three hits and two walks from 101 pitches, striking out six.
Houston's only scoring play of the game came in the third inning, with Alex Bregman's two-run double, while the Yankees' sole run came from an Anthony Rizzo homer as the last batter before Garcia was withdrawn.
Mexico's Carlos Ortiz is the outright leader after the first round at LIV Golf Portland, finishing five under after his first trip around Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.
He was on track for a bigger lead than the one stroke buffer he holds, with three birdies from his first four holes after beginning his shotgun start on the ninth tee, before back-to-back bogeys brought him back to the field.
Ortiz finished his round with three birdies on his final five holes, re-taking the lead in the final stages of play.
Dustin Johnson is just one stroke back in outright second place at four under, bogeying his first hole of the day as he started on the 18th, but it would be his only blemish, collecting five birdies and 12 pars the rest of the way.
Rounding out the top-five is Pat Perez, Hideto Tanihara, Wade Ormsby and Branden Grace in a tie for third at three under.
Playing in his first LIV Golf event, Brooks Koepka put in a good showing as one of 13 players to finish under par, tied for seventh along with Hennie du Plessis after their two-under 70s.
Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer, Scott Vincent and Yuki Inamori are tied for ninth at one under, while big names Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau headline the group at even par.
Koepka's brother Chase Koepka is at one over along with Mexico's Abraham Ancer, winner of LIV Golf's debut event Charl Schwartzel is at two over with Ian Poulter, and Phil Mickelson finished at three over with Sergio Garcia and Kevin Na.
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