Dustin Johnson has no plans to revisit memories of his 2015 St Andrews collapse after taking the lead at the 150th Open Championship.

The former world number one shot a second-round 67 to move to nine under and top of the leaderboard.

Johnson conceded he was unlikely to remain at the summit come the end of the day, but he will be out to avoid a repeat of his weekend slump at the home of golf seven years ago.

Back then, the American held the 36-hole lead but carded consecutive 75s to fall well short, and he was not keen to dig that out of the memory bank following Friday's fine showing.

"To be honest, I don't even remember the third round from seven years ago," he said. "I've played a lot of golf since then, and that was a long time ago.

"Obviously any time playing in a major and playing golf courses, you learn stuff about yourself, but that was quite a while ago.

"I don't want to go back to it, obviously. It wasn't very good."

Johnson is now waiting to see how the weather will impact his strategy for the weekend as he eyes a third major and first Open title.

"Once I see what the wind direction is and we get the pins later, we kind of go through and map out a game plan," he said.

"It's all based on the wind how you attack the golf course and kind of where you hit it and where you want to hit it.

"I feel like I'm swinging well. Obviously, it's just avoiding the bunkers as much as possible. It's really hard not to hit it in one of the bunkers. I've been in three so far, and two of them I had to chip out sideways, and the other one I had a shot.

"If I can just keep out of the bunkers and just keep playing kind of smart golf where, when I have a good number and a club that I can get it close to the hole, I can be aggressive. But when not, just kind of hit it to 30, 40 feet and try to two-putt."

World number one Scottie Scheffler's 68 kept him within one of the lead, while Tyrrell Hatton's 66 also had him at eight under.

Adam Scott, playing alongside Johnson, signed for a 65 to seven under, with Rory McIlroy a further stroke back ahead of his 14:59 BST (local time) tee-off.

After early rain, conditions have been proving favourable for low scoring, but Tiger Woods was primed to miss the cut after moving to seven over through 15 holes on Friday.

Gabriel Jesus will bring a winning mentality to Arsenal following his arrival from Manchester City, according to new team-mate Granit Xhaka.

The Brazil striker officially joined Arsenal from fellow Premier League side City last week in a deal worth around £45million.

He scored 95 goals in 234 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side in all competitions and won eight major trophies, including four Premier League titles.

Arsenal have also added Matt Turner, Marquinhos and Fabio Vieira to their squad, and Xhaka expects the new arrivals' attitude to rub off on others in the Gunners' ranks.

"The new signings bring something more than only games and wins; they bring the mentality of winning something and that is what we need here," he told Sky Sports. 

"It's not so easy just to speak, but you have to show it on the pitch as well.

“They bring experience and of course Gabby knows the Premier League. He has already won everything, but the most important thing is to bring players that have hunger.

"You can win a lot of trophies and say 'okay, it's enough', but these guys they want to win much more with us. This is what makes us happy to have them."

Jesus took just 90 seconds to score on his first appearance for Arsenal in last week's pre-season friendly victory over Nurnberg.

Excluding penalties, the former Palmeiras ace has averaged 0.81 goals per 90 minutes since arriving at City six years ago.

Of players to have played at least 5,000 minutes over that period, only former City colleague Sergio Aguero (0.91) and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (0.88) boast a better return.

With Jesus set to lead their line in the 2022-23 season, Arsenal will be expected to challenge for a Champions League spot, having finished just outside the top four last time out.

The Gunners have gone back-to-back seasons without any silverware, and six campaigns without a top-four finish, which is something Xhaka is eager to put an end to.

"I would prefer to win the Europa League to get back into the Champions League if I'm honest because it's a trophy," he said.

"But if we can get in the top four in the Premier League and win the Europa League, that would be more special."

Thomas Tuchel acknowledged he did not expect to outlast Roman Abramovich and influential board members at Chelsea, while Romelu Lukaku made it "very clear he wanted to leave".

Chelsea have undergone wholesale change at Stamford Bridge since Todd Boehly's consortium acquired the club, with numerous departures at the top of the hierarchy.

Owner Abramovich, hampered by the sanctions imposed on him following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, ended a 19-year spell with the Premier League side, while Bruce Buck stepped down as chairman.

Director and chief decision-maker Marina Granovskaia is also set to leave after 12 years, and technical and performance advisor Petr Cech was another departure as the boardroom reshuffle continued.

Granovskaia will remain available to Boehly, who is acting as interim sporting director and chairman, for the duration of the current transfer window to help with the transitional period.

The exodus in the Chelsea boardroom has led head coach Tuchel to be more involved with transfer activity, but the German hopes that he will not be required to participate as actively in negotiations in the longer term.

"It is intense," Tuchel said of the new era at Chelsea. "Everybody needs to find their role and have to adjust and adapt, of course.

"[My job] has changed a lot at the moment. I could never have imagined that I stayed longer at the club than Roman, Marina and Petr. 

"This was impossible so now with Marina not in charge and Petr not here anymore it has changed a lot. It's not my favourite thing to do and in the long run the focus has to be on coaching because it is why I am here.

"But, at the moment, of course my help is needed and wanted, and it is necessary that I step up and take the responsibility. 

"I am in contact with Todd directly on a daily basis and sometimes more than once on a daily basis because we are aware that we have a club in transition and change.

"My concern is for the team to be competitive and for this we have to invest a lot of time and we need to be hands on. There is no other way. 

"We compete not only against the best teams, but also against the best managers. We need to be competitive and replace big players and infuse quality.

"I think it's important for everybody at Cobham to take a little bit more responsibility, not only for me."

Tuchel has lost numerous key leaders from his side, with Antonio Rudiger going to Real Madrid and Andreas Christensen to Barcelona, where Cesar Azpilicueta could reportedly join as well.

Lukaku was another departure, sent out on loan to Inter, just a season after Chelsea spent a club-record £97.5million to bring the striker back to London.

The Belgium international labelled his return to Chelsea as a "mistake" on Thursday, and Tuchel suggested it was Lukaku who was intent on returning to Italy for the 2022-23 season.

"There has never been a meeting where I said 'I want this guy out'," said Tuchel. "Never. I was always clear – if he stays we will do everything to put him in a better place, to put him in better shape, to improve my style of coaching, our style of playing, to make him a better fit. 

"It was always a possibility he stayed, but Romelu made it very clear he wanted to leave and the owners took the decision to make the decision straight away.

"Disappointed is the wrong word. I don't know a better word in English. It feels like I take it personally – it's never personal. I am not happy that we couldn't bring more out of him.

"Maybe it would have just taken a bit more time. A bit more fitness, a bit more adaptation in our game. Who knows? But we will not find out.

"Once Romelu gave his clear opinion on the situation and there was a solution on the table, the owners made their choice and had my blessing."

England head coach Eddie Jones has called for World Rugby to take action and stop the "incessant" interventions from the television match official (TMO) during matches.

Jones' side beat Australia 25-17 last weekend in a second Test that saw 26 penalties, two yellow cards and the TMO heavily involved throughout.

The contest spanned almost two hours, while Ireland's victory over New Zealand on the same day saw three yellows and a red dished out in the first half alone in Dunedin.

Speaking on the back of his side's victory in Brisbane that levelled up the three-match series, Jones said rugby union's laws are now "out of control".

And in his final news conference ahead of Saturday's decisive third Test in Sydney, Jones went one step further by urging the sport's top governing body to intervene now.

"I don’t want to see a New Zealand-Ireland game like that ever again," Jones said. 

"Otherwise imagine at the next World Cup … you play a quarter-final, you get a red card and two yellows, you're down to 12 men and it's just ridiculous. 

"I've been speaking to a few ex-coaches. The referees, coaches and players need to get together and say 'This is the game we want. This is the game people want to see'. 

"I'm certainly going to be pushing for it because I've had enough."

The issues previously raised by Jones were further highlighted on Wednesday in the thrilling and high-tempo State of Origin decider.

"We've got to keep the game safe, don't get me wrong, but accidental head contact and this incessant use of the TMO, we've got to cut that out," Jones added.

"We've got to get a better balance in the game. There's a rhythm to how rugby is looked at and officiated and we've got to get in a good rhythm again. 

"We don't have it at the moment. Every time we get a flow in the game, there's a stoppage.

"We've just gone too far down one road. There are discussions all the time and World Rugby are doing their best. 

"But certainly before November I'm going to be agitating for something like [a summit]. Let's get the game going."

Matt Doherty plans to stay and fight for his place at Tottenham despite Antonio Conte being poised to bring in right wing-back Djed Spence.

Spence appears set to become Conte's sixth signing of the transfer window, joining Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Richarlison and loanee Clement Lenglet.

Reports suggest the England Under-21 international will move in a transfer worth in the region of £20million, including add-ons, from Middlesbrough after impressing for Nottingham Forest in a loan spell.

Spence competed for the most duels (508) in the 2021-22 Championship season among defenders, while also attempting (187) and completing (76) the most dribbles in the same group.

An effective presence at both ends of the pitch, Spence helped Forest return to the highest level of English football for the first time in 23 years, and will likely face Steve Cooper's side with Spurs next term.

The 21-year-old will aim to displace Conte's other options at the position, Doherty and Emerson Royal, but the Republic of Ireland international will not give up his first-team spot without a fight.

"There's a lot of competition and that's never a bad thing, it brings everybody's standards up, makes everybody train properly, train hard and that's what you want," Doherty told reporters.

"You want to earn your position on merit. You don't want it handed to you. We're all competitors and that's what we want. We want to fight against each other and get a place."

Asked specifically about his future at the Premier League club, Doherty responded: "Of course. I haven't been told otherwise. My plan is to stay and fight for my place.

"We've got an exciting season ahead. Why would I want to go anywhere else?"

Conte will require a larger squad to rotate across the English top flight and Champions League in the 2022-23 season, with Doherty, Emerson and Spence likely to be utilised in different competitions.

Doherty insists his focus for now, though, revolves around building up his fitness after impressing in the second half of the season following Conte's arrival at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"I was in for a lot of the summer because I had to rehab my knee," he added. "For the first two weeks when everybody left I was in doing rehab with weekends off, out on the pitch doing ball work and fitness work.

"I didn't have a choice. I had to be in. I wanted to be back for pre-season ready to go. I had a week away and then came in for a day.

"I had three weeks off in a row but I came in during the second week for a couple of days and in again during the third week for a couple of days. I made sure I was ready to go.

"You can only feel in so much good shape once you start all that running but I feel OK. I might need to give my knee a little bit of time, that’s normal.

"The more you train and the more reps you get it will go away. I can see that. Sometimes it will bother me and the longer the week goes it will ease off."

Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic "never had any doubts" Robert Lewandowski would report back for the start of pre-season training this week.

The Poland international told Bayern in May he wished to move away from the Allianz Arena this transfer window.

That came on the back of a campaign that saw Lewandowski score 50 goals in all competitions – the most of any player across Europe's top five leagues.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta last week confirmed the LaLiga giants had made an offer for the prolific striker and were awaiting a response from Bayern.

Reports from the German media suggested Lewandowski would delay returning for training, but that did not prove the case as he was present for fitness tests on Tuesday.

While the future of the former Borussia Dortmund star remains far from certain, Salihamidzic praised the 33-year-old for not downing tools in an attempt to force through an exit.

"Robert is a top professional who I know very well," Salihamidzic told Bild. "I never had any doubts that he may not show up for training."

Bayern have offloaded the likes of Niklas Sule, Marc Roca and Corentin Tolisso this window, while Ryan Gravenberch, Noussair Mazraoui and Sadio Mane have arrived.

Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt is another player on the German champions' radar, with Salihamidzic confident an agreement can be reached with Juventus.

"It was important to meet with Juve," he said. "We held two talks and now we have to be patient and see what happens. In principle, I'm an optimistic person."

De Ligt played more minutes (2,675) than any other Juve outfield player in Serie A last season as Massimiliano Allegri's side struggled to a fourth-placed finish.

And although Lewandowski may have asked for a move away, Salihamidzic believes Bayern are still a club that big-name players want to join.

"It's sexy for the players to go into the future with this club and this coach," he said.

"We'll keep our eyes and ears open, see what's happening on the transfer market, and we'll do our best for Bayern."

Bayern face MLS side D.C. United in their opening pre-season friendly next Wednesday as part of their tour of the United States.

Milan boss Stefano Pioli is eager to entrench himself as a club legend, ahead of his side's Serie A title defence.

The Rossoneri only lost one league game from January to claim their first Scudetto since 2011, beating out arch-rivals Inter on the final day of the season.

It was a redemptive achievement for the 56-year-old, who was only hired on an interim basis after Marco Giampaolo's dismissal in October 2019.

This was followed by Milan's chief football officer Zvonimir Boban effectively falling on his sword to keep Pioli at the club in March 2020, with Milan's form improving as Ivan Gazidis negotiated Ralf Rangnick's potential hire.

Pioli is seeking to emulate the club's coaching greats and believes cultivating a diverse squad has been key, as Milan look to restore their status among the best in European football.

"You can see many legends on the walls of Milanello and the opportunity to get there is exciting," the Italian coach said at a fan event.

"The secret is to try to do the best from day one and have the courage to grow day by day. Only after that, one can decide his targets. It's fundamental to identify the path."

"I began my coaching career in 1999 and now I am more focused on priorities. Multicultural dressing rooms are so nice, we must accept everyone's diversity and group with differences. Players become stronger by knowing each other."

The Rossoneri will have their first pre-season run out on Saturday, with a fixture away to Koln.

Marco Verratti plans to seek French citizenship after falling in love with the country during his decade at Paris Saint-Germain.

The Italy midfielder joined PSG from Pescara in July 2012 and has won eight Ligue 1 titles, while also helping PSG reach the 2020 Champions League final.

Verratti was a Euro 2020 winner with the Azzurri, but the 29-year-old now feels such an allegiance to France that he wishes to become a fully fledged citizen of the country.

"Paris is a fantastic city and this country has given me a lot," Verratti told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I feel very French, while remaining Italian. One day, I'll request French nationality, given that my children were born here."

PSG were set to get their pre-season under way on Friday as they faced Quevilly-Rouen in a friendly, their first match since the appointment of head coach Christophe Galtier.

Manuel Pellegrini believes the World Cup will create a unique logistical challenge for club coaches this season in Europe, but his confidence with Real Betis remains high.

Under Pellegrini last season, Betis just missed out on Champions League qualification and finished fifth in LaLiga, as well as claiming the Copa del Rey for the first time since 2005.

With the World Cup break in November and only five players in the squad under the age of 23, finding and maintaining a critical sense of rhythm represents a definitive challenge in building upon last season.

Speaking to Marca as his side commences pre-season, the 68-year-old believes the second half of the upcoming LaLiga season will particularly be like a sprint to the finish.

"It is a different World Cup that is going to cut the championship into two phases, with 45 or 50 days without playing," Pellegrini said. "So you have to try to amortise it with friendly matches, with some occasional vacations, to reach the second part of the championship with all the energy that is needed for the final stretch."

Combining the combative likes of Borja Iglesias and Guido Rodriguez with the more cerebral Sergio Canales and William Carvalho, Betis played a distinct brand of football under Pellegrini last season.

They were one of only five teams in LaLiga last season to score over 60 goals and the Argentine coach raised the idea his side's fans have also been normalised to a particular style of football.

He added, however, that maintaining an attractive style of football while delivering amid heightened expectations is a challenge his side is willing to meet, while competing on domestic and continental fronts.

"Yes, we all want more, the people and us. It is not easy to achieve it, but we are going to fight from the first day to be able to do it," Pellegrini said. "There are four titles in dispute, LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, the Europa League and the Supercopa.

"Of course we are going to try to fight for all of them. It is also a challenge to qualify for Europe again, if it is in the Champions League even better, but the biggest challenge is to maintain a style of play and a style where the fans really feel identified and not looking for a result in any way.

"It is an important challenge, motivating, a hope that we generate ourselves and now we have to take charge because, of course, the Betis fan has to stay with that bar and support the team absolutely the same."

Juventus would move for a top-class replacement if Matthijs de Ligt departs for Bayern Munich, head coach Massimiliano Allegri has promised.

Torino's Gleison Bremer is among the centre-backs to be linked with Juventus recently, and the Brazilian could fit the bill for the Bianconeri.

Talks between Juventus and Bayern have taken place this week, and it appears increasingly likely De Ligt will join the Bundesliga champions before the new season begins.

Juventus have brought in Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria as statement signings already during the close season, and they are determined another would follow should De Ligt's three-year stint in Italy draw to a close.

The 22-year-old was acquired from Ajax, and last season the Dutchman played more minutes (2,675) than any other Juve outfield player in Serie A as Allegri's side stumbled to a fourth-placed finish.

"As you all know, [on Wednesday] there was a meeting with Bayern Munich, but for the moment De Ligt is still a Juventus player," Allegri said in a news conference.

"He is training well. I manage those I have here and De Ligt is here. Then the transfer window is open until August 31, therefore anything can happen.

"That said, I am very happy about what the club are doing and have done bringing in two important players. Should De Ligt eventually leave us, our club would replace him in the best way."

Juventus have friendlies lined up against C.D. Guadalajara, Barcelona and Real Madrid on the upcoming Soccer Champions Tour in the United States, playing games in Las Vegas, Dallas and Los Angeles.

It will be a first chance to see France midfielder Pogba back in action for Juventus, six years after he left for Manchester United, while Argentine playmaker Di Maria has joined from Paris Saint-Germain after seven productive seasons in Ligue 1.

"The signings of Pogba and Di Maria are important technically, they hugely raise our technical level and take the responsibility off some other players," said Allegri. "But mostly, they make our squad's skills much better. That is why I am very happy they are with us now.

"Paul has arrived in the right way, with will and determination to come back playing to his standard level since he hadn't in his last season at United.

"At Juventus he has basically come back home, and I think he can help us a lot since from a physical and technical point of view he is a cut above the others."

Carlo Ancelotti claims Real Madrid have already completed their summer spending as he ruled out any more arrivals at the Santiago Bernabeu.

That underlines a staggering difference between Madrid and their great rivals Barcelona, who have barely got started and are hoping for pieces to fall into place to allow a spree to go ahead.

Madrid, the LaLiga and Champions League double winners, have brought in German defender Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer from Chelsea, while landing French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco for a reported initial €80million.

The club cleared plenty of space on their wage bill by offloading Gareth Bale, Isco, Marcelo and Luka Jovic, and head coach Ancelotti has decided to keep trust with the bulk of the squad that achieved so much last season.

"I can't talk about signings, but I'm already saying that everything is over. We're not going to sign anyone. We're fine like this," Ancelotti said.

As Barcelona wrestle to get players in and out, the message is already clear from Madrid that the champions have their ducks in a row already and cannot wait to get going in the 2022-23 campaign.

Ancelotti, who was speaking to international media ahead of Madrid's pre-season trip to the United States, saw Rudiger and Tchouameni come through their first training sessions with Madrid on Thursday.

The new pair were described by Ancelotti as "the best that could be found on the market".

The first pre-season test for Madrid comes against Barcelona in Las Vegas on the evening of Saturday, July 23. That Clasico clash is "not an exhibition", according to Ancelotti.

Quoted in the Spanish press, the Italian boss said: "It's never a friendly against Barcelona. They are the team we respect the most and the one with the greatest rivalry."

There could be an experiment or two from Ancelotti before the season begins, as he toys with the idea of using Eden Hazard as a 'false nine' striker.

Ancelotti is wary about overburdening captain and star striker Karim Benzema, and he believes Belgian Hazard could thrive in the role when called upon.

Madrid have the defence of their domestic and European titles as obvious targets, and a mid-season World Cup complicates planning for the campaign ahead.

"We have many options for that position. Benzema is number one, but we have to understand that this will be a strange season, different, with the World Cup in the middle, and we have to look at different options," Ancelotti said.

"My idea is to try to see Eden in that position. Given the quality that Eden has, it could be good for us to test him there."

England head coach Eddie Jones returned serve at Australia's Nic White, who said he was expecting more off-the-ball "niggle" in Saturday's deciding Test in Sydney, describing the Wallabies scrum-half as "the biggest niggler of all time".

With one win apiece both teams are out to secure victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground to decide the three-game series and the preceding two games have set up what should be a fiery encounter.

The Wallabies' Darcy Swain was suspended for a headbutt in the first Test, before cameras caught England prop Ellis Genge driving his elbow into White, as the latter was lying face-down on the ground in the second encounter.

White addressed the situation, asserting that Genge leaning on him was a diplomatic way of putting it, before Jones laughed off his implication about the front-rower.

"He’s got plenty to say. I hardly think he’s entitled to make that comment," the England coach said. "He’s the biggest niggler of all time.

"That makes me laugh. The boy from Queanbeyan who niggles everyone, complaining about niggle. That's a bit like the pot calling the kettle black.

"Obviously he thinks that and his perception is reality, so he's got a funny way of looking at reality. He's just trying to look for something."

Australian captain Michael Hooper cited White's competitiveness to brush off Jones' comments ahead of the Wallabies' captain's run, but added the series had ultimately been played in a competitive but fair spirit.

"Whitey is just obsessed with rugby," he said. "The guy is an absolute footy nerd. He just wants to play. He's as competitive as you'll see. Most half-backs are. He'll be doing his usual thing tomorrow.

"It's been competitive and enjoyable. Both teams just want to win and we get a chance to see that tomorrow.

"[I am] expecting [niggle] to be an element in tomorrow's game but ultimately tomorrow is all about who is up on the scoreboard and who can do it for longer."

Barcelona's off-season has the potential to become even more complicated than what it already is.

Trying to balance their ambition with the economic realities of their situation is creating a tricky environment with the players to have departed and are still at the club this off-season.

According to reports, one player whose departure can ease the financial burden Barcelona have placed on themselves does not want to leave.

TOP STORY – BARCELONA INFORM DE JONG OF MANCHESTER UNITED MOVE

Frenkie de Jong has reportedly been told by Barcelona they want him to leave for Manchester United, according to The Athletic.

The Blaugrana are trying to convince De Jong that while they believe he is a talented footballer, they must sell him in order to balance their excessive wage bill.

The clubs have reportedly agreed on a guaranteed transfer fee of £63million (€75m) but the 25-year-old has no apparent desire to leave club, given Barcelona still owe him a deferred salary payment.

Meanwhile, the arrivals of Raphinha and Franck Kessie this off-season complicate the club's pitch of De Jong's transfer being economically necessary, as opposed to the sale being a purely sporting decision.

ROUND-UP

– Juventus have approached Arsenal over signing Gabriel Magalhaes as they eye a potential replacement for Matthijs de Ligt, The Independent reports.

– Meanwhile, the Gunners are working on a deal to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City, per The Athletic

– Leeds United are close to agreeing terms with PSG over 20-year-old striker Arnaud Kalimuendo, Sport is reporting.

– At the same time, PSG have been joined by West Ham in the race to sign Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca, according to Fabrizio Romano.