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• England’s Dale Whitnell holds six-shot lead at Scandinavian Mixed

  England’s Dale Whitnell carded a stunning second round of 61 to open up a commanding six-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed in Stockholm.

  Whitnell fired six birdies in his first eight holes and started the back nine at Ullna Golf and Country Club with three more in succession from the 10th.

  A 10th birdie of the day on the 15th left the 34-year-old needing to play the last three holes in three under to card the second 59 in DP World Tour history, but he could only par 16 and 17 before making a birdie on the last.

  At 17 under par, Whitnell held a six-shot lead over Germany’s Ryder Cup hopeful Yannik Paul, with Scotland’s Richie Ramsay another shot back after a bogey-free 66.

  England’s Alice Hewson and France’s Emma Grechi were the leading female players on five under par in the unique event which sees 78 men and 78 women compete on the same course for one prize fund and one trophy.

  Defending champion Linn Grant, who recorded a stunning nine-shot victory 12 months ago in Halmstad, added a 69 to her opening 72 to lie three under.

• Georgia Hall hopes Ryann O’Toole relationship helps others be true to themselves

  Former AIG Women’s Open champion Georgia Hall hopes her relationship with fellow player Ryann O’Toole will encourage others to be “true to themselves”.

  Hall and O’Toole had been acquaintances for several years before finally being paired in a tournament in 2022 and their relationship blossomed from then on.

  “I knew her, knew her name and knew who she was but we really didn’t play together at all for like five years and we would never be near each other,” Hall said in an interview with the LPGA to mark Pride Month.

  “Then we got paired together a couple of times last year, and we just got on really well and it’s went from there really.”

  Although the couple are not shy about their relationship online, Hall admits she still feels her sexuality surprises some of her fans.

  “There are so many comments from people we don’t know saying like, ‘So happy for you guys.’ They can see on our faces how happy we are and our love,” the 27-year-old from Bournemouth said.

  “Maybe (there are) a few people kind of being like, oh, okay, she’s with a woman. That’s basically it. It’s not negative either.

• Matt Fitzpatrick one off pace in Canada ahead of US Open title defence

  England’s Aaron Rai claimed a share of the lead after the first round of the Canadian Open with compatriot Matt Fitzpatrick a shot behind as he warmed up for his US Open title defence.

  Rai recovered from a terrible start to shoot a five-under-par 67 to sit alongside Corey Connors – looking to become the first Canadian winner in 69 winners – and American pair Chesson Hadley and Justin Lower.

  A week before the US Open in Los Angeles, Fitzpatrick’s bid for a third PGA Tour title began with a four-under-par 68 at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club.

  Having started on the back nine, the 28-year-old fired five birdies and would have been sharing the lead were it not for a bogey on his penultimate hole of the day.

  He was one of nine players on 68, ahead of an even larger group on three-under-par which included former US Open champion Justin Rose and fellow English duo Callum Tarren and Harry Hall.

  Rai had looked in all sorts of trouble after dropping four shots in three successive holes from the third to slump to three over, but he turned things round in remarkable fashion.

  After recording birdies on the seventh and eighth to reach the turn on one over, the 28-year-old from Wolverhampton picked up further shots on the 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th – where he came close to making a hole in one – 16th and 18th to move to five under.

  Defending champion Rory McIlroy, whose build-up to the tournament saw him fielding questions about the shock merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, was one under after an eventful opening 71 that included five birdies and four bogeys.

  “At the end of the day, this is business and my job is playing golf,” said McIlroy. “The more that I can focus on that and focus on the birdies and the bogeys instead of the stuff that’s happened in the boardroom, I’ll be much happier.

  The world number three is seeking a hat-trick of victories at the Canadian Open following triumphs in 2019 and 2022, with the tournament having been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid.

  McIlroy was one behind England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Russell Knox, whose fellow Scot Martin Laird was among those on one-under-par. Tyrell Hatton and Ireland’s Shane Lowry both opened with level par 72s.