Justin Rose accepted he had lost out to a "cold competitor" in Xander Schauffele after the American triumphed at the 152nd Open at Royal Troon on Sunday.

Schauffele shot a magnificent final round of 65 to seal a two-shot victory in Scotland, winning his second major after he also came out on top at May's PGA Championship.

Rose joined Billy Horschel in a share of second, the Englishman managing two birdies in his final three holes to close the gap.

Rose – who has gone 11 years without winning a major since claiming the U.S. Open title in 2013 – was proud of his efforts and acknowledged he had simply been beaten by the better player.

"Obviously I tried to enjoy the walk down 18 because we did an incredible job out there," Rose told Sky Sports. "I felt like we played unbelievable golf. 

"But Xander, every credit to him, he made it look so easy on the back nine. He's a cold, cold competitor, but I couldn't be more proud of myself with the way I competed today.

"There was just one little spell in the round where there were putts on 12, 13 and 14 that didn't drop and that's where the momentum shifted to Xander.

"That putt on 18, to finish strong, I knew it was for second place and I think I at least deserved that for the week.

"It's okay to be beaten by someone who shoots 31 on the back nine but I gave that everything."

Fellow runner-up Horschel, who held a one-stroke lead going into Sunday's final round, was disappointed to drop away, saying: "I'm going to always fight until the end. I was rewarded with three birdies there at the end to finish tied second with a good friend, Justin Rose.

"I should feel disappointed. I had a chance to win a major. I was in a really good position. I just made a few too many mistakes today when I didn't need to. 

"But we'll look back on this in an hour and I'll be very happy with what I did this week.

"I did a lot of great things that I can take on to the next few years of majors and hopefully one of these will be my time to step through the door and hold one of them."

Xander Schauffele said his earlier victory at the PGA Championship gave him a sense of calm as he claimed his second major triumph at The Open on Sunday.

Schauffele shot a sensational six-under 65 in the fourth round to come out on top at Royal Troon, beating overnight leader Billy Horschel and Justin Rose by two shots.

The world number three played a brilliant back nine to streak clear of his rivals, birdying the 14th and 16th holes before an excellent shot onto the green on the 17th all but sealed his win.

Speaking to Sky Sports after claiming the Claret Jug, Schauffele said his earlier victory at Valhalla took any nerves out of the occasion.

"I thought that would help me and it actually did," he said. "I had this sense of calm, a calm I didn't have when I played earlier at the PGA.

"For some reason, I was calm and collected. I was telling my caddie Austin that I felt pretty calm coming down the stretch and he said he was about to puke on the 18th tee!

"I told myself to just hit it down there and keep moving along.

"I played that back nine yesterday in really bad weather so I just told myself today is technically easier so go out and get it.

"To have two [major wins] is unbelievable. It took me so long to get one and it gets in your head a little bit, and now I'm just spoiling myself."

The last seven majors have now been won by American players, the longest streak of major victories by Americans since 1982.

While Schauffele won two of four majors this year, Brooks Koepka (2023 PGA), Wyndham Clark (2023 US Open), Brian Harman (2023 Open), Scottie Scheffler (2024 Masters) and Bryson DeChambeau (2024 US Open) have also triumphed in that span.

Ben Stokes hailed Shoaib Bashir after the 20-year-old's five-wicket haul helped England clinch a series victory over West Indies on Sunday.

England surged to a 243-run victory on day four at Trent Bridge, with Bashir finishing with figures of 5-41.

The hosts started the day 248-3 thanks to a terrific partnership between Joe Root (122) and Harry Brook (109), ultimately setting the Windies a target of 385 to win.

Bashir bowled a spell of 3-8 in 15 deliveries, then put some gloss on his performance by rounding off the tail with the dismissals of Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the win, captain Stokes said: "I didn't see it happening that quickly after the opening partnership, I thought they played well.

"You could see at the end of our innings the wicket started misbehaving more than it did in the first three days, a couple were bouncing and then keeping low.

"I thought the way we fought back after that first wicket was impressive, Bashir getting five wickets on a wicket that didn't really do that much.

"I thought he showed his class and his ability to be able to change his pace and undercut the ball. The wicket of Jason Holder showed the world what he's got."

England will now target a series sweep when the Windies go to Edgbaston next week, before taking on Sri Lanka in three Tests between late August and early September.

"It has been a great start after a long break between Test series. I think we've played some good cricket but I still think we can get better," Stokes said.

"I'm really looking forward to the next four matches."

 

Lewis Hamilton labelled his clash with Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix as a "racing incident" after finishing third on Sunday. 

Hamilton and Verstappen made contact coming into turn one at the Hungaroring with seven laps of the race remaining. 

The Dutchman attempted to go on the inside of his former rival to secure the final podium place, but in doing so locked up his front tyres. 

Verstappen and Hamilton made contact, with the three-time world champion briefly sent into the air and off the track as he was overtaken by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. 

The stewards swiftly placed the incident under investigation and conducted their analysis of it after the race, with the pair both escaping punishment for the collision. 

"For me it was a racing incident," Hamilton told Sky Sports. 

"Ultimately he was much quicker and he sent it. I moved a little to defend, but I left enough space on the inside and he locked up and obviously then couldn't turn.

"He came at a different trajectory and clipped my wheels. If he was under control he would have gone by."

“It’s nerve-wracking when you see the pace at which they close the gap on corners," Hamilton added of Red Bull's pace.

"You just laugh to yourself because it’s not something I can do, particularly on the last sector they were very very strong, same as the McLarens.

“I saw him coming from a long way back and he was able to brake a lot later than me, but he sent it up the inside, I stayed still and he clipped the wheel and went over, so I think it was a racing incident."

Hamilton's third-place finish saw him claim a 200th podium, the first driver in the history of the competition to reach that milestone. 

The seven-time world champion, who claimed 49 of those podium finishes with McLaren, was pleased to see his former team produce their first one-two since the Italian Grand Prix in 2021. 

“Big thanks to this amazing crowd and a huge congratulations to the McLarens with the one-two, that’s my old original family so it’s great to see," Hamilton said. 

“For us, the team have done a great job at pushing this car ultimately, we didn’t have the pace of the McLarens or of the Red Bulls but we were just able to hold on at the beginning of the race, it was very tough to hold on and make those tyres last."

In a dramatic turn of events on the fourth day of the second Test at Trent Bridge, the West Indies suffered a resounding 241-run defeat to England, sealing a 2-0 series loss with one Test still to play. Despite the crushing defeat, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite remained optimistic, acknowledging the team's effort while highlighting areas for improvement.

England's Shoaib Bashir was the star of the match, claiming his first five-wicket haul on English soil. His 5 for 41 wrapped up the West Indies innings inside 90 minutes of the final session, ensuring England's dominant victory.

Reflecting on the match, Brathwaite said, "I'm reasonably happy with the performance, but it could have been better with the ball. We were good in the first innings but didn't follow through in the second. The effort from the guys was there; the fitness is evident. We need to be much more disciplined. England showed us how to bowl on this pitch, particularly avoiding getting hit square of the wicket. But the guys will learn. Kavem's hundred followed by a duck is just how Test cricket goes."

Brathwaite continued, "We dropped some crucial catches, and that happens. We need to improve our line and length, but catches win matches. I wouldn't have expected that collapse, but it's gone, it's history. Test cricket is never an easy game. We've got to stay tough and keep fighting."

England's comprehensive win was set up by centuries from Joe Root and Harry Brook, who propelled the hosts to 425 in their second innings. This marked the first time in England's history that they scored over 400 runs in both innings of a Test. Chasing a daunting target of 385, the West Indies started positively, reaching 61 without loss thanks to Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis. However, a devastating spell from Chris Woakes and Bashir saw the team crumble, losing 5 for 21 in the space of 35 balls and ultimately bowled out for 143.

Brathwaite was the top scorer for the West Indies with 47 runs, but his efforts were overshadowed by Bashir's record-breaking performance. At 20 years and 282 days, Bashir became the youngest England bowler to take a five-wicket haul in a men's Test at home, surpassing the previous record held by recently retired seamer James Anderson.

England's first innings score of 416, bolstered by Ollie Pope's 121 and contributions from Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes, set the stage for their commanding position. The West Indies initially responded well with 457, featuring a century from Hodge and notable performances from Da Silva and Athanaze. However, the team faltered in their second innings, leading to a decisive English victory.

 

Xander Schauffele came from nowhere with a brilliant six-under 65 to triumph at The Open, following up his victory at the PGA Championship in May.

Schauffele began Sunday's fourth round as one of six players at three under, one stroke back of overnight leader Billy Horschel in the hunt for the Claret Jug.

But the world number three managed six birdies to beat Horschel and Justin Rose by two shots at Royal Troon, making it the seventh straight major to be won by an American.

Back-to-back birdies at holes six and seven put Schauffele in contention, but it was over the back nine where he really stepped things up to pull clear of his rivals.

He took the outright lead on the 13th, sinking a difficult 13-foot birdie putt as playing partner Rose and fellow contender Thriston Lawrence both dropped a shot.

As was the case at Valhalla in May, Schauffele proved an excellent pace-setter, birdying again on the 14th and the 16th then holding his nerve at the death, finding the heart of the green with ease on the penultimate hole to all but seal the deal.

While Rose shot four under and Horschel three under to share second place, Lawrence was one stroke further back at six under for the week, and Russell Henley finished five under after a bogey-free final round of 69.

Shane Lowry, who had led at the start of the weekend but carded a miserable six over on Saturday, rebounded somewhat with a score of 68 to finish sixth.

Lowry said of victor Schauffele: "You need to hole everything on a day like today, especially to beat someone like Xander, who's in the form he's in.

"It looked like he was running away with it again. He did that on me at the PGA, and he's done it again today.

"He just doesn't really hit many bad shots, does he? I went there two back at the PGA, and I felt like I shot a decent score, and I wasn't anywhere near him. He's obviously good when he's out in front."

Jon Rahm joined Scottie Scheffler and Sung-Jae Im as the only other players with a negative score at one under, having briefly threatened a push for the title with three straight birdies to open his final round before tailing off.

Shoaib Bashir took five wickets as England secured a comfortable 243-run win over West Indies to confirm their series victory at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

Bashir's figures of 5-41 saw England surge towards the win in a single session on the fourth day of the second Test. 

England started the day 248-3 as Joe Root (122) and Harry Brook's first Test century (109) laid the foundations for the triumph, setting West Indies a target of 385 to win. 

The tourists scored 61-0 from the first 13 overs before Chris Woakes (2-28) removed openers Mikyle Louis and Kraigg Brathwaite in quick succession. 

And a spell of five wickets in six overs dismantled any hope of a comeback, as Bashir bowled a magical spell to claim 3-8 in 15 deliveries.

Mark Wood (1-17) sent Kevin Sinclair walking in the 23rd over as Gus Atkinson (2-49) struck twice in three balls to put England within touching distance of the victory.

It would be Bashir who would secure the triumph, bowling out Shamar Joseph to secure his third five-wicket haul in five Test appearances as West Indies were bowled out for just 143. 

It gives England their first series win since the tour of Pakistan in 2022. They will look for a 3-0 sweep when the final Test begins at Edgbaston on Friday.

Data Debrief: Bashir the main man

Root’s 122 was his 32nd Test hundred, one short of Alastair Cook’s England record, moving ahead of Shivnarine Chanderpaul (11,867) to become the eighth all-time run-scorer in Test cricket (11,870).

But on Sunday, it was all about Bashir, England's main man with the ball in hand. He became the first spinner since 2006 to take five wickets in a Test at Trent Bridge.

Arthur Fils came through a decisive tie-break to beat home favourite Alexander Zverev in the Hamburg Open final, securing his second ATP-level title.

The 20-year-old triumphed 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-1) in a three-and-a-half-hour marathon, saving a remarkable 21 of 22 break points, including five in the final set, to follow up his 2023 triumph in Lyon.

Fils raced into a 3-0 lead in the opener before having to fend off four break points in the fifth game as he took the lead, but defending champion Zverev roared back in the second set.

Zverev got the breakthrough six games into a back-and-forth second as the big-serving German forced a decider.

Having saved break points at 4-4 and 5-5 in the third, Fils came on strong in the tie-break, recording the biggest win of his career and his fourth versus a top-10 opponent.

Data Debrief: Fils' rise continues as Zverev falls short

Fils is just the second player aged under 21 to triumph at the Hamburg Open, after Roger Federer in 2002 and Lorenzo Musetti in 2022. 

Zverev, meanwhile, missed the chance to become the fifth man to defend the Hamburg title in the Open Era, after Eddie Dibbs (1973-74), Andre Medvedev (1994-95), Federer (2004-05) and Nikoloz Basilashvili (2018-19).

 

Max Verstappen raged at Red Bull's strategy after finishing fifth at the Hungarian Grand Prix, declaring the team are no longer able to rely on a pace advantage.

Verstappen recorded his joint second-worst finish of the year at the Hungaroring as Oscar Piastri led Lando Norris in a McLaren one-two.

The three-time world champion's race was defined by a collision with old rival Lewis Hamilton, coming into contact with the Mercedes on lap 63 when he overshot a corner on an attempted overtake.

Verstappen vented his frustrations over team radio, telling race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase: "You gave me this s*** strategy. I'm trying to rescue what's left."

Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, the Dutchman refused to apologise for those comments as he said: "I don't think we need to apologise. 

"I just think we need to do a better job. I don't know why people think you cannot be vocal on a radio. This is a sport. If some people don't like that, then stay home."

Verstappen, who also dropped below Charles Leclerc late on, continued: "I'm not happy.

"On a day when we're lacking pace compared to McLaren, you hope we do the right things with strategy, which was not the case.

"You can't rely on a little pace advantage. Maybe last year when the car was quite a lot faster than everyone else, but in the position we are in now, we can't do that.

"Naturally that frustrates me because I want things to be done better. I'm realistic.

"Today we couldn't have beaten the McLarens, but a P3 was on the cards if we were on it a bit more."

Lando Norris said he will always put the team first after handing fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri his maiden Formula One victory at Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Norris started on pole at the Hungaroring but dropped two places at the first corner as team-mate Piastri and world champion Max Verstappen surpassed him.

Verstappen later fell away and ultimately finished fifth, while Norris inched ahead of Piastri after making an earlier pitstop.

Norris – who claimed his first win at the Miami Grand Prix in May – was repeatedly asked to hand the lead back to Piastri but refused to do so until two laps before the finish.

It looked like Norris might refuse the order as engineer Will Joseph told him he would need Piastri's support to push for the world championship, but he told reporters after the race he would always prioritise the team. 

"It's tough. It would be tough for anyone when you're leading the race to give it up," Norris told Sky Sports. "I was obviously put in the position. 

"They made me box first and gave me the chance to lead the race and pull away quite comfortably and to do what I was doing.

"I think it was fair to give the position back. I don't want to come across as the guy who is not fair. Oscar has done a lot for me in the past and helped me in many races.

"He drove a better race than I did. He got a good start, a better start and mine sucked. He deserved it and it was the right thing to do."

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, meanwhile, was proud of the drivers' efforts, telling Sky Sports: "We are on this trajectory together. 

"None of us – the team, Lando or Oscar – can go alone. That's the message that we discussed on Sunday morning.

"With racing drivers you need to refresh this message. That's why we have this meeting every Sunday.

"We are extremely pleased by how our drivers are supporting the trajectory of McLaren which is incredible. For me, that's the news today."

Oscar Piastri labelled the McLaren car as a "beast" after claiming his first win in Formula One at the Hungarian Grand Prix.  

Piastri became the seventh different winner of a race this season and the first Australian to triumph at the Hungaroring since 2014 on Sunday. 

McLaren team-mate Lando Norris finished second to secure a first one-two for the British team since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix. 

The result also marked their 10th podium of the season, the first time they have managed to reach that total since the 2012 season (13). 

“It’s a beast at the moment, it’s fast in every condition, today we had it under control completely," Piastri said.  

"It was an amazing feeling to be able to manage the race like that with both cars and secure a one-two.

“I’m incredibly happy for the whole team and get my first win on the board.”

Piastri claimed his maiden triumph at the 34th attempt for McLaren, having previously finished on the podium twice this season in Austria and Monaco. 

The Australian's win moves him up to fifth in the driver's championship and is now just five points behind Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. 

“Very very special, this is the day I’ve dreamed of as a kid standing on the top step of an F1 podium," said Piastri.

"A bit complicated at the end but I put myself in the right position at the start and thank you for the team for an amazing car.

“It’s a hell of a lot of fun racing with McLaren so I can’t thank them enough for giving me the opportunity to be in F1, and to be winning with them 18 months in is an incredible feeling.”

But the win did not come without its controversy.

Piastri led Norris for most of the race, but an earlier final pit stop for Norris - made by McLaren to protect him against Lewis Hamilton, put him ahead of his team-mate. 

Norris was repeatedly asked to slow and let Piastri back past, and reminded of his responsibility to the team, but he refused to do so until just two laps from the end.

“The longer you leave it of course you get a bit nervous, but it was well executed by the team, it was the right thing, I put myself in the right position at the start," Piastri added.

“With the different strategy we had, yes my pace probably wasn’t as quick as I would have liked in the last stint but I was still in the right position to make it happen.”

Oscar Piastri claimed his first win in Formula One as Lewis Hamilton became the first driver in history to secure 200 podiums at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Piastri was handed his maiden triumph by McLaren team-mate Lando Norris with two laps remaining, with the Brit undercutting his partner in the second round of pitstops before being told to re-establish the order. 

Norris endured a difficult start at the Hungaroring, dropping two places after just one corner with Piastri and Max Verstappen passing him early on. 

But the Dutchman was forced to give the position back to Norris as he continued to squabble over the radio to the Red Bull garage. 

Hamilton was the first of the frontrunners to pit, performing a successful undercut on Verstappen. The three-time world champion then attempted to overtake Hamilton on lap 35 but went off track in the process. 

When Verstappen came close again to his rival, he attempted the overtake into turn one, but they collided, sending the Red Bull up into the air with seven laps remaining. 

After more than 20 laps of being told over team radio to give the lead back to Piastri, Norris finally obliged as McLaren secured a first one-two since 2021. 

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Verstappen made up the top five, with George Russell and Sergio Perez scoring impressive points having started towards the back of the grid.

Data Debrief: Piastri win a long time coming

Piastri's triumph saw him become the seventh different race winner this season, becoming the first Australian driver to win the Hungarian Grand Prix. 

McLaren secured their 10th podium of the season, the first time they have managed that many since 2012 (13). The last time McLaren finished one-two in a race was at the Italian Grand Prix in 2021. On that day, Norris was again the runner-up, this time to his former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

Norris' second-placed finish earned him a 21st podium for McLaren, equalling Denny Hulme as the driver with the eighth-most podiums in the history of the British team. 

Hamilton, meanwhile, claimed a record 200th podium finish (49 with McLaren and 151 with Mercedes), becoming the first driver in F1 history to reach that milestone. 

Top 10

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

2. Lando Norris (McLaren)

3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

8. George Russell (Mercedes)

9. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 265 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 189
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 162

Constructors

1. Red Bull – 389
2. McLaren – 338
3. Ferrari – 322

Erik ten Hag is still convinced Antony can make a success of his time with Manchester United after an underwhelming first two seasons at Old Trafford.

Antony joined United in an £85million (€100m) deal in 2022, reuniting with Ten Hag after playing under him at Ajax.

He has struggled to live up to expectations since arriving in England, only managing five goals and three assists in 54 Premier League appearances.

Ten Hag, however, has refuted suggestions he convinced United to pay over the odds for a player he knew well from his time in the Eredivisie.

The Dutchman also remains convinced the Brazilian will come good as he approaches his third season with the Red Devils.

Speaking to AD Sportwereld, Ten Hag said of the deal to sign Antony: "I don't go over the budget. I've never even had a budget.

"At United, the budgets lie with the owners and management. 

"He certainly showed potential in the first month: he scored three times in his first three games. 

"After that it became more difficult, last season was not good. But I am still convinced that he has the potential to play at this club."

Dani Carvajal has been tipped to beat his Real Madrid team-mates Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham to the Ballon d'Or by Joselu.

Both Vinicius and Bellingham have been touted as contenders for football's top individual honour after helping Madrid win LaLiga and the Champions League.

Vinicius contributed 36 goal involvements throughout 2023-24 (23 goals, 13 assists) with Bellingham managing 33 (24 goals, nine assists), the latter assisting the former for Los Blancos' second goal in their Champions League final victory over Borussia Dortmund.

It was right-back Carvajal, however, who opened the scoring in that showpiece game at Wembley Stadium, and he went on to play a key role as Spain won Euro 2024.

He started five of La Roja's seven matches in Germany and his performances have earned him the support of Joselu – who left Madrid for Qatari side Al-Gharafa last month.

The striker said of Carvajal, as quoted by AS: "I have always said it, he is the one who deserves it the most. 

"He has won everything there is to win, scoring goals, being important, the MVP in finals… he would be more than a deserved winner."

Fabio Cannavaro was the last defender to win the Ballon d'Or in 2006, when he captained Italy to World Cup glory.

Fourteen of the last 15 editions of the award have been won by an attacker, with midfielder Luka Modric (in 2018) the only non-forward to win it in that time. Lionel Messi (eight times), Cristiano Ronaldo (five) and Karim Benzema (once) have all claimed it during that span. 

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