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• Matt Fitzpatrick one off lead at Canadian Open as compatriot Aaron Rai sets pace

  Matt Fitzpatrick was one shot off the clubhouse lead jointly held by fellow Englishman Aaron Rai midway through the first round of the Canadian Open.

  A week before his US Open defence, Fitzpatrick began his bid for a third career PGA Tour title in steady fashion with a four-under-par 68 at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club.

  The 28-year-old, having started on the back nine, rolled in five birdies before a bogey on his penultimate hole of the day – the 352 par-four eighth – left him one shot behind the early leaders, which included Rai.

  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 then 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.

  That left him in a four-way share of first place with American pair Chesson Hadley and Justin Lower, and home hope Corey Conners.

  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.

  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.

• Rising sensation Sami DePass to take on the world at International Powerlifting World (IPF) Classic Open Powerlifting Championships in Malta

  In a remarkable display of strength and determination, Sami DePass, the pride of Jamaica, is embarking on a monumental journey to represent the National Powerlifting Association of Jamaica Limited (NPAJ) at the highly anticipated International Powerlifting World (IPF) Classic Open Powerlifting Championships. Set in the scenic city of St. Julians, Malta, the event will be held from June 11th to June 18th, 2023, and promises to be a showcase of powerlifting excellence.

  Since joining the NPAJ on August 24th, 2021, Sami DePass has dominated the sport, leaving a trail of success in her wake. With each outing, she has consistently showcased her phenomenal talent and indomitable spirit. The upcoming championship in Malta presents another golden opportunity for Sami to further cement her status as an unstoppable force in powerlifting.

  Competing in the 76kg weight class, Sami will face off against twenty-six elite athletes from around the world. Standing at the precipice of greatness, she aims to continue her triumphant streak, having already clinched four gold medals in all her previous outings. Her impressive statistics and outstanding performances have solidified her reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the powerlifting community.

  A closer look at Sami DePass'' career reveals her extraordinary achievements and remarkable statistics that have propelled her to the forefront of powerlifting.

  In 2021, she won the gold medal and the title of NPAJ National Champion for the female 76kg category. Her incredible statistics included a squat of 181.4kg, a bench press of 90.7kg, and a deadlift of 213.1kg, totaling a staggering 485.3kg. With an outstanding 96.62 GPL score, Sami claimed the second overall position among 19 remarkable athletes.

  Continuing her ascent in the sport, she journeyed to Texas the following year, where she struck gold as a guest lifter at the 2022 Powerlifting America Classic Open Nationals in the 76kg category. Displaying unparalleled strength, she achieved a squat of 190kg, a bench press of 97.5kg, and a deadlift of 217.5kg, culminating in an impressive total of 505kg. Her remarkable 99.86 GPL score would have secured her a second-place finish out of three phenomenal athletes.

  Returning to her homeland, Sami reaffirmed her dominance by claiming her third gold medal and the title of NPAJ National Champion for the female 76kg category in 2022. Her outstanding performance included a squat of 190.5kg, a bench press of 102kg, and a deadlift of 219.9kg, resulting in a remarkable total of 512.5kg. With a resounding 101.37 GPL score, Sami secured the third overall position among twenty-two formidable athletes.

  Furthermore, Sami etched her name in the annals of powerlifting history by triumphing at the 19th edition of the NAPF Champion in Panama for the female 76kg category in 2022, claiming yet another gold medal. She demonstrated her incredible strength by achieving a squat of 185.5kg, a bench press of 92.5kg, and a deadlift of 220.5kg, resulting in an impressive total of 503.5kg. Her remarkable 99.4 GPL score placed her fifth overall out of an astonishing one hundred and seventy-six athletes.

  As Sami embarks on her journey to Malta, she carries with her the hopes and dreams of the NPAJ and the entire nation of Jamaica. She embodies the spirit of Jamaica's famous saying, "we little but we tallawah," with her unwavering determination and indomitable spirit. Sami aims to conquer the international powerlifting world and make her mark on the global stage.

  With the motto "One Team, One Dream, One Goal," the NPAJ stands firmly behind Sami DePass as she competes at the International Powerlifting World Championships in Malta. The entire nation is united in its support for this extraordinary athlete, wishing her strength, focus, and unparalleled success as she proudly represents Jamaica on the global stage.

   

   

   
• Paul McGinley: PGA Tour players will feel like the losers out of golf merger

  Paul McGinley believes commissioner Jay Monahan faces a “real problem” to persuade PGA Tour loyalists they are not the losers in golf’s peace deal.

  Players reacted with shock and a sense of betrayal at the proposed merger of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour’s commercial operations with those of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls LIV Golf.

  Rory McIlroy, whose previously close friendship with Sergio Garcia broke down after the Spaniard joined LIV, admitted he felt like “a sacrificial lamb” after being the most prominent supporter of the PGA Tour, only to see it join forces with an entity he “still hates”.

  Monahan faced calls to resign at a heated players’ meeting on Tuesday and McGinley believes he faces a huge task to win over the players who, in some cases, turned down massive payouts to remain loyal to the PGA Tour.

  “He’s obviously in a very tricky position,” former Ryder Cup captain McGinley told Sky Sports News.

  “He’s got his players to back him, he’s been very, very strong anti-LIV, he’s been very, very strong trying to build up the PGA Tour. A lot of players have not gone over to LIV because of his persuasion and now all of a sudden there’s a deal done and these guys look like they’re isolated.

  “And that’s the issue I have with the statement that came out a couple of days ago.

  “When a deal is done in the City they make sure that both sides are the winners. And when this was announced this doesn’t look like there were two sides that were winners here.

  “It may look like the LIV guys that went over there and took the money are now coming back in and they’re the winners.

  “They’ve been very giddy on social media and they look like they’re the smartest guys in the room now because they went over there and that really isolates the PGA Tour players who remained loyal.

  “I think that’s where there’s a disconnect for Jay and that’s where he’s got a real problem.

  “The release sounded, and the optics of it were, there were winners and losers and the PGA Tour players looked like they came out on the wrong end of that. That’s why there’s so much angst among them at the moment.”

  It has been reported the merger will face scrutiny from anti-trust regulators in both the United States and Europe, with Monahan openly admitting that a competitor had been “taken off the board”.

  And McGinley believes there is no guarantee the deal will go ahead as planned.

  “The work only starts now, there’s so many complexities here if there is going to be this merger,” he added.

  “There’s so much to entangle here. How are you going to bring the guys from LIV back in, how are you going to make it equitable for the guys who remained loyal to the tours? What’s the schedule going to look like?

  “It looks like a huge amount of complexity. This is far from over or a fait accompli. I think there’s so much that has to happen before we get to even a stage where there’s a kind of equilibrium, never mind anything put in place.

  “The players will be looking at what’s in it for me, how much prize money am I going to get, what’s my job security?

  “The players in Europe are going to think that I’m glad we have this strategic alliance (with the PGA Tour) in place, that puts us at the top table and gives us access to these incredible amounts of funds.

  “Everything is open and on the table. I think the LIV events are very, very complex to integrate back in again because the players own equity in these teams.

  “So if you’re going to have the likes of Rory McIlroy playing in these team events, where the other players are benefiting because they have equity and he doesn’t, how do you make that right?”