The Los Angeles Lakers expect to have Anthony Davis on the court as they again attempt to close out the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of their Western Conference semi-final series on Friday.
After exiting Wednesday’s 121-106 loss with a head injury, Davis apparently is not in the concussion protocol, according to reports, and should be ready to play.
The league’s concussion protocol prohibits a player diagnosed with a concussion from playing in a game that same day or the next calendar day.
An official injury report will be released later Thursday.
Davis’ availability appeared murky after he was inadvertently hit in the head and was reportedly feeling woozy and required a wheelchair to go to the locker room.
Immediate tests after the game were encouraging, however, according to Lakers coach Darvin Ham.
“He seems to be doing really good already,” Ham told reporters after the game.
Davis was injured with 7:43 to go in the fourth quarter when Kevon Looney’s elbow hit him in the head as the two were converging under the basket on D’Angelo Russell’s driving layup.
The 6-foot-10 superstar stayed in the game until the Lakers’ next possession before taking a seat on the bench.
Prior to leaving, Davis was in the midst of another solid game, totalling 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting to go with nine rebounds and three assists. However, he did fail to block a shot for a second straight game after blocking 11 shots in the first three games of the series.
Leading 101-88 when Davis exited, the Warriors remained in control the rest of the way to keep their season alive and cut the Lakers’ advantage in this best-of-seven series to 3-2.
The series now shifts back to Los Angeles, where the Lakers are 5-0 this postseason.
Ollie Lawrence hopes to one day return to a rebuilt Worcester after dedicating his Gallagher Premiership player of the season award to his former Warriors team-mates.
Lawrence’s blockbusting form following his October move to Bath led to an England recall before helping his new club climb the table and qualify for the Heineken Champions Cup on the final day of the regular campaign.
The 23-year-old centre returned from an end-of-season social in Lisbon to be recognised at Premiership Rugby’s annual dinner in central London after a panel of experts judged him to be the league’s best player of 2022-23.
But having spent several days with Bath in Portugal, it was his former colleagues at Worcester who occupied his thoughts as he reflected on his award.
The Warriors went into administration in September due to unpaid debts, triggering their relegation from the Premiership, and their new owners have been blocked from relaunching the club in the Championship, ushering in an uncertain future.
Not all squad members have been able to secure contracts elsewhere, but Lawrence has gone on to make waves at the Recreation Ground.
“Without the Worcester players I wouldn’t have won the award and I wouldn’t be at Bath, so I want to thank them. This is on behalf of those boys as well,” Lawrence said.
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“A huge thanks goes to Bath for managing to get me on board as quickly as they did. And also for the Worcester boys, it’s a big thing for me to represent them. Hopefully one day I can play with them again and play again in front of those fans.
“In general, this year I’ve had to pinch myself sometimes to remember where I’ve come from.
“That desperation knowing that I could have not had a job – some of my best mates still don’t now – makes this pretty special. It’s been pretty surreal. I feel incredibly fortunate.
“But I’ll keep two feet on the ground and just enjoy myself and hopefully go again next season.”
The bonds between the players whose worlds came crashing down eight months ago remain strong and a group of them are heading to Barcelona for a stag do this weakened.
Once that is done, Lawrence’s aim is to ensure he is in the best possible shape for England’s World Cup training camp after Steve Borthwick issued strict instructions on their conditioning.
“Steve has said to the players to make sure you’re fit going into these camps instead of using the camps to get fit,” he said.
“My focus over the next five weeks is to get as fit as possible, train as much as I can and try to get a week abroad somewhere.”
The UK’s Overseas Territories should be given representation in the House of Commons, ministers have heard.
The 14 British Overseas Territories (BOTs), including the Falklands Islands, Bermuda, and Gibraltar, are self-governing, but the UK is responsible for their defence and foreign policy.
A cross-party group of MPs suggested there were strong arguments for giving the territories a “voice” in Parliament on matters that involve them.
Conservative former Cabinet minister Karen Bradley told MPs: “Where in our procedures have we got the ability to give a voice to our friends, our family, in the overseas territories and the crown dependencies?”
Intervening, Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Brighton, Kemptown) said: “My view, as I’ve expressed, is that we should have MPs here, with voting rights.
“But other areas do it differently as well.
“At least in the US, for example, they are without voting rights but full participation rights.
“We must find a solution along those lines, otherwise we are all negligent.
“Because the best people to make their voice heard, is themselves.”
Tory former minister David Jones said: “I think there is a strong argument for saying that in the case of at least some of the territories integration should be pursued, and that those territories should send a member to this Parliament.”
But the Tory chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Alicia Kearns urged caution about the proposals.
She said: “I do think it’s important that we reiterate that is only if that is the wishes of overseas territories, because I would make the point that when the Foreign Affairs Committee spoke to them, many said they would not want to see that.”
Ms Kearns had earlier stressed Government policy in relation to the BOTs must recognise the “unique circumstances of each territory” and make sure “they feel heard, valued and supported”.
She added: “British Overseas Territories span Europe, the Caribbean, the Pacific and the Atlantic.
“They vary in size, population, culture, climate, food, traditions, challenges and opportunities.
“The British global family is diverse and requires policy that recognises this diversity.
“I hope the Government will adopt an ethos that recognises the unique circumstances of each territory and makes sure they feel heard, valued and supported.”
Foreign Office minister David Rutley said the Government was doing more to ensure the BOTs were better represented.
He told MPs the Prime Minister had agreed the Foreign Office should “lead on a new cross-Government strategy for the overseas territories”.
Mr Rutley also suggested “relevant” Government departments would soon select ministers to be responsible for issues in the BOTs, adding: “Lord Goldsmith as minister for the overseas territories will convene a regular meeting of these minsters as a ministerial group to ensure that the UK meets its constitutional responsibilities.”
The minister went on: “Others have suggested that there should be MPs or some form of representation in this House.
“We so far have not had any formal representations from any territory on this matter.”
MPs debated the future of the BOTs as representatives from the territories visited Parliament.
As part of the visit, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle unveiled two stained glass windows celebrating the BOTs and crown dependencies at the entrance of Speaker’s House in the Palace of Westminster on Tuesday.
Joel Embiid may have finally been named as NBA's MVP but winning the championship with the Philadelphia 76ers would push his legacy to "new heights".
That was the message from Embiid's former team-mate Perry Ellis, who played with the 76ers star during his one-year stint of college basketball at the Kansas Jayhawks.
Embiid finished runner-up to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in the previous two seasons but claimed the MVP award this time around after leading the league with a 33.1 points-per-game average.
The six-time NBA All-Star now has his sights on a first championship of his career, attempting to end the 76ers' long-awaited road to glory since last triumphing way back in 1983.
Philadelphia lead the Boston Celtics 3-2 in their second-round playoff series and Ellis believes success for the 76ers would represent a landmark moment in Embiid's already illustrious career.
"It'll be huge for them for, legacy wise, and just for him, mentally, mindset wise, to say you got past that stage," Ellis told Stats Perform.
"We're moving forward, we're pushing to new heights, and I think that would be big for his career. And overall, mentally, I think that'll take him to the next step.
"He's an MVP now but it's even more, just taking it to another step. So I think that's what it could do."
Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo were the other two frontrunners for the MVP award this year, although Embiid's late-season exploits propelled him to the individual accolade.
Doc Rivers declared the MVP race "over" after Embiid scored 52 points against the Celtics in the last week of the regular season, with Ellis revelling in his former teammate's exploits.
"Before he was so close, over the last couple of years," Ellis added. "And this year, he finally got it. I was just so excited for him, he was a teammate of mine for a year.
"Just from that little stint, I could see how much he was growing as a player and he only started playing basketball at maybe 15 years old or so.
"Everybody could see how good he can be. So I had no doubt that someday he could be that type of player."
Embiid hit 30 points for a third straight game in the last outing against the Celtics, offering the 76ers the chance to secure their first NBA Finals appearance since 2001 with victory in the next meeting on Thursday.
Ronnie O’Sullivan is planning to skip UK tournaments to concentrate on playing in Asia.
The seven-time world champion has swung between preferring to play at home and abroad and, in an interview on talkSPORT to promote his new autobiography, Unbreakable, O’Sullivan said he is now looking to travel more.
“I’ve gone the other way now, I’m going to travel and play all the overseas tournaments and miss all the UK tournaments,” he said.
“I can’t do it all. Before I used to say, ‘I won’t travel, I’ll stay in the UK’, which was sweet, but now I think at this stage of my career, obviously Asia’s a big place to play, bigger tournaments, so I’ll do them and miss the UK ones.
“If I don’t do well in the Asian ones than I’ll get home early and then I don’t mind hopping on a plane and going to Scotland or Belfast but, if I do well, I want to have a week at home, chill out with the dogs and then get back on a plane and go back to India or wherever.”
O’Sullivan fell short in his bid to win an eighth world title, losing in the quarter-finals to eventual champion Luca Brecel last month.
He praised the Belgian, saying: “I thought Luca was unbelievable. You talk about talent – (in football) you look at someone who does things with the ball and you think, ‘How does he do that?’ And Luca is that player.
“I know how he does it but trying to do it is another thing. I didn’t think he’d beat (Mark) Selby in the final because I thought over two days Selby would get into him but he just kept playing his game.
“It was phenomenal. He made that tournament, and the young Chinese guy (Si Jiahui) in the semi-final. Just pot, pot, pot, scoring, clearing up in one visit, and that’s what everybody wants to see.”
Stephen Curry led a balanced attack with 27 points and the Golden State Warriors notched a season-extending 121-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday.
Facing elimination, the defending champion Warriors took the lead late in the second quarter and never trailed again to force the series back to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Friday.
Andrew Wiggins had 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Draymond Green had his best game of the series with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, nine boards and four assists.
Gary Payton II (13 points), Jordan Poole (11) and Klay Thompson (10) also reached double figures for Golden State.
The Warriors led by as many as 17 in the third quarter, but the Lakers trimmed the deficit to 104-95 on Austin Reaves' 3-pointer with 5:25 remaining. Curry, however, sank a jumper and a three to put Golden State up 14.
LeBron James scored 25 points and Anthony Davis had 23 and nine rebounds before he left in the fourth quarter after taking what appeared to be an inadvertent elbow to the head from Golden State's Kevon Looney. Davis grabbed his head grimacing before going to the locker room late in the game.
Brunson goes distance as Knicks force Game 6
Jalen Brunson scored 38 points and the New York Knicks kept their season alive with a 112-103 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Brunson played all 48 minutes, shot 12 of 22 from the field and hit 4 of 10 3-pointers while adding nine rebounds and seven assists.
RJ Barrett added 26 points, including four free throws in the final two minutes to preserve the lead, and Julius Randle scored 24 with four threes to get New York within 3-2 in the series.
Jimmy Butler led Miami with 19 points and Bam Adebayo had 18 and eight boards. Duncan Robinson scored 17 points and hit three of his five 3s in the fourth quarter as the eighth-seeded Heat nearly came all the way back after trailing by 19 in the third quarter.
Miami got the deficit down to 103-101 before Isaiah Hartenstein slammed home a follow dunk with 2:07 left. Barrett followed with a pair of free throws and hit another two after Adebayo's dunk to make it 109-103 with under a minute remaining.
The fifth-seeded Knicks will try to force the series back to New York with a road win in Game 6 on Friday.
Joel Embiid can add an All-NBA First Team selection to his resume.
A week after being voted as the league’s most valuable player for the 2022-23 season, the Philadelphia 76ers center was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career after being selected to the All-NBA Second Team four times.
The All-NBA teams were announced Wednesday, and joining Embiid on the first team is guards Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
The second team consists of guards Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers, forwards Jaylen Brown of the Celtics and Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat and center Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
The third team features Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, New York Knicks forward Julius Randle, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and a pair of Sacramento Kings teammates in guard De’Aaron Fox and center Domantas Sabonis.
This marks James’ third time named to the All-NBA Third Team to go with three selections to the All-NBA Second Team and 13 selections to the All-NBA First Team. James’ 19 total selections are the most in NBA history and four more than his closest challengers – Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Antetokounmpo, who won the league MVP in 2018-19 and 2019-20, is on the All-NBA First Team for the fifth time, while Jokic, the league MVP the past two seasons, is on the All-NBA Second Team for the second time after being named to the All-NBA First Team three times.
Doncic’s on the All-NBA First Team for the fourth straight season, Tatum’s on it for the second year in a row and Gilgeous-Alexander is included on an All-NBA team for the first time in his five-year career.
Antetokounmpo was the only unanimous selection, appearing on all 100 ballots, while Tatum received 92 first-team votes. Embiid earned 87, Gilgeous-Alexander got 63 and Doncic 60.
The All-NBA teams will have a different look next year, as the teams will no longer be broken down by the traditional positions of two guards, two forwards and a center.
Embiid was a victim of the position breakdown the past two years, as he was a runner-up to fellow center Jokic in MVP voting but saddled on the All-NBA Second Team.
Jokic was on the short end of the voting this year, as he finished second to Embiid in the MVP race and ended up on the All-NBA Second Team.
Embiid, the league’s scoring leader at 33.1 points per game, received 73 first-place votes for MVP.
Andy Murray will make a decision over the next few days about whether to play in the French Open.
The Scot was knocked out of the Italian Open in the first round by Fabio Fognini on Wednesday evening after a three-set battle lasting nearly three hours.
Murray has failed to win a match at any of the three clay-court Masters 1000 events over the last month but won his first title since 2019 at the second-tier tournament in Aix-en-Provence on Sunday.
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Murray, who turns 36 this week, has only played at Roland Garros once since 2017 and must now decide whether to compete on the Parisian clay potentially for the last time or begin his preparations early for the grass-court season.
He told The Guardian: “I’d still like to play but we did agree that we’d talk and make a decision as a team after Rome.
“That is what I wanted, to see how my game felt, how I was playing and physically how I was doing in some of the longer matches before making a definitive call on it. We’ll have those discussions in the next few days.”
Murray and Fognini have been foes dating back to their junior days and it was the Italian who came out on top 6-4 4-6 6-4 after a tight battle.
“It was a pretty patchy match,” said Murray. “There was some good stuff in there but also some pretty average stuff. He played very well in the third set. My level was OK in the third, but he played really well in the third.”
The result was a setback to Murray’s hopes of being seeded at Wimbledon, while he got into a row with umpire Mohamed Lahyani over a line call late in the first set.
Responding to an Instagram post about the incident, Murray hit out at the Rome fans, saying: “Stadium full of Italians booing and whistling, thinking I’m trying to cheat Fabio out of point all because Mo couldn’t read a mark properly. Cheers mate.”
Fabian Edwards is treating Gegard Mousasi as a stepping stone to a shot at the Bellator middleweight title rather than revelling in sharing the octagon with the Dutch great.
The Birmingham fighter has an opportunity to step out of the shadow of his older brother Leon, the UFC welterweight champion, when he takes on Mousasi at Bellator 296 in Paris on Friday night in a title eliminator.
Victory at the Accor Arena should tee up a showdown later this year against Johnny Eblen, who dethroned Mousasi as the promotion’s 185lb champion with a shutout decision win in Connecticut 11 months ago.
Mousasi is a former two-time Bellator middleweight champion and a veteran of 59 mixed martial arts fights – 46 more than Edwards, who is nevertheless focused on the bigger picture.
“There’s not really any added motivation because it’s him, it’s just added motivation because of the journey that I’m on and after this I get my shot at the title,” Edwards told the PA news agency.
“There’s always respect for the opponent. He’s put the work in and been around for a long time so there’s definitely respect there.
“But when you start putting a guy on a pedestal, you might go in there and treat him like he’s a God. He’s just a human being. He’s just another man at the end of the day.
“Leon’s done his part, I’m two fights away from doing my part. I’m just locked into that. We’ve always been pushing each other, I’ve pushed him to be a champ, he’s going to help me be a champ.”
While Mousasi has fought some of the all-time best MMA combatants, Edwards claimed an impressive scalp 12 months ago when he knocked out ex-UFC light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.
Not many are tipping Edwards (11-2 in MMA) but that was the case when his brother beat long-reigning champion Kamaru Usman twice, and the younger Edwards has no problem with being doubted.
“The more of an underdog I am, the more I shine through,” he said. “I think that way but that’s fine by me because I don’t believe I’m the underdog and that’s all that matters.
“(A win would be) a huge statement in everyone else’s eyes but not mine.
“I’ve just got to be the smarter fighter and that’s it. I’m not going out there thinking it has to be here, it has to be there. I’m going out there ready to mix it up.
“I’ve prepped really well. I know everyone says that because no-one’s going to turn around and say ‘it was a s*** camp’ but honestly I’ve prepped well and I’m in the best shape.”
:: Watch Bellator 296: Mousasi vs. Edwards live on BBC iPlayer on Friday, May 12, from the Accor Arena, Paris from 5pm BST
Madrid Open organisers have apologised for not allowing the women’s doubles finalists to speak on court following Sunday’s match.
The PA news agency understands the WTA is investigating the various issues raised regarding the treatment of its players at the Caja Magica last week, and the tournament’s chief executive Gerard Tsobanian has now issued a public apology.
The convention is for the runners-up and winners to address the crowd following finals, and champions Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia and beaten finalists Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula were shocked to be denied the opportunity.
Tsobanian wrote on Twitter: “We sincerely apologise to all the players and fans who expect more of the Mutua Madrid Open tournament.
“Not giving our women’s doubles finalists the chance to address their fans at the end of the match was unacceptable and we have apologised directly to Victoria, Beatriz, Coco and Jessica.
“We are working internally and with the WTA to review our protocols and are committed to improving our process moving forward. We made a mistake and this will not ever happen again.”
There was also criticism of the revealing outfits worn by model ball girls on the main court as well as the way the tournament celebrated the birthday of male champion Carlos Alcaraz compared to women’s singles winner Aryna Sabalenka.
They share a birthday on May 5 but, while Alcaraz was presented with a huge cake on court after his semi-final, Sabalenka, who was not playing that day, was given a much more modest confection backstage.
It is not the first time the Madrid Open, which is now owned by leading agency IMG, has been accused of favouring men over women, and Azarenka tweeted in response to pictures of two cakes: “Couldn’t be more accurate on the treatment.”
In their speeches after the women’s final, Sabalenka made a joke about the cakes while runner-up Iga Swiatek made clear her unhappiness with being made to play after midnight.
That appeared to be the final straw for tournament director Feliciano Lopez, who had hit back at criticism over the cakes on Twitter.
The WTA has not made any public comment on the matter but it is understood it does not agree with the decisions that were made and is looking into events.
Speaking ahead of the Italian Open in Rome this week, Pegula told reporters: “I’ve never heard of that (not being allowed to speak) in my life.
“I don’t know what century everyone was living in when they made that decision or how they actually had a conversation and decided, like, ‘Wow, this is a great decision we’re going to do and there’s going to be no backlash against this’.”
Australia coach Eddie Jones said he is ready to launch a “smash and grab” campaign to win the Rugby World Cup and Bledisloe Cup after confirming his coaching team.
Jones, who took over the Wallabies in January after being sacked by England the previous month, has named Brad Davis as his attack coach with former Australian internationals Dan Palmer and Berrick Barnes also joining the staff.
“We believe we have a quality coaching staff to plan and prepare the team for a smash and grab campaign, winning the Bledisloe Cup and finishing by winning the Rugby World Cup,” Jones said, who took England to the world cup final in 2019.
“It is experience, diverse and adaptable.”
Former rugby league player Davis coached at London Irish this season having previously worked with Bath, Wasps and Ospreys.
Ex-Wallaby prop Palmer, an assistant coach at ACT Brumbies, will work as lineout coach alongside Neal Hatley, who was named forwards co-ordinator earlier this year.
Former England scrum coach Hatley will join up with the Wallabies after finishing the season with Premiership side Bath.
Barnes, who won 51 caps for Australia as an outside-half, will work as a part-time kicking consultant with former Castres boss Pierre-Henry Broncan appointed as a maul consultant and Jon Clarke leading the strength and conditioning team – a role he filled with England.
Australia kick off their Rugby Championship campaign against South Africa in Pretoria on July 8.
England centre Ollie Lawrence has been named Gallagher Premiership player of the year at the end of a season that saw him emerge from Worcester’s financial ruin to make an impact at Bath.
Lawrence found a new home at the Recreation Ground in October after the Warriors were placed into administration and he took the opportunity to revitalise a career that had been troubled by injury.
Not only did the 23-year-old help Bath qualify for the Heineken Champions Cup, his powerful running saw him recalled by England and he was a mainstay of their midfield during the Six Nations.
He beat fellow nominees Owen Farrell, Jasper Wiese and Robert du Preez to win an award that was decided by experts of the game and presented at Premiership Rugby’s awards dinner in central London.
Breakthrough player of the season went to London Irish’s Tom Pearson, the 23-year-old back row who is pressing hard for England selection.
Saracens’ Mark McCall took the director of rugby of the season award after guiding his team into the Premiership play-offs by finishing top of the table in the regular season.
Andy Murray was beaten by fellow veteran Fabio Fognini to suffer a disappointing first-round exit at the Italian Open.
Murray, fresh from claiming success at an ATP Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence on Sunday, had hoped to extend his five-match winning streak but instead saw his time in Rome end early to the 35-year-old home favourite.
A 6-4 4-6 6-4 defeat to the world number 130 halts the momentum of the Briton, who will now turn his attention to the French Open later this month.
Three-time grand slam winner Murray made the worst possible start in Italy with Fognini able to break him in his opening service game.
While the Scot did force a number of opportunities to break back at 3-2, he failed to seize the moment and his frustration boiled over later in the set with a debate occurring with umpire Mohamed Lahyani over a tight line call that saw Fognini go 5-3 up.
Fognini went on to clinch a 69-minute opener but quickly found himself 4-0 down in the second with Murray hitting his straps, albeit helped by a string of double-faults from his opponent.
A second-set wobble saw the veterans exchange breaks before Murray did force a decider with the encounter by that point edging past the two-hour mark.
Despite Fognini seemingly struggling physically during the second set, he found a new lease of life and took the initiative with an early break in the third.
Murray tried to keep pace with the Italian, who was mixing an array of baseline winners with unforced errors but a concern for the two-time Wimbledon winner occurred when he held his back during the seventh game of the third.
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It was not enough to stop the new world number 42 from continuing, and yet there would be no big fightback on this occasion with Fognini earning a fifth victory in nine meetings thanks to an ace after two hours and 55 minutes.
This latest first-round exit at an ATP 1000 event on clay, after similar losses in Madrid and Monto-Carlo, will give Murray around 10 days preparation before Roland Garros begins on May 22 where he is now unlikely to be seeded.
Elsewhere, fellow Briton Kyle Edmund was also knocked out in the Italian Open first round after he suffered a 6-1 6-3 defeat to Alexandre Muller.
World number 473 Edmund saw his struggles continue against a French player who broke into the top 100 last month.
Muller managed to wrap up the first set in 23 minutes in Rome and, while Edmund was able to push his opponent more in the second, the former Australian Open semi-finalist was consigned to a third consecutive loss.
Scottie Scheffler has been working hard on the one weak link in his game as he bids to win a third PGA Tour title this season.
Scheffler, who can reclaim the world number one ranking from Jon Rahm with victory in the AT&T Byron Nelson, defended his title in February’s WM Phoenix Open and also claimed the prestigious Players Championship at Sawgrass.
And the former Masters champion did so despite ranking just 89th in total putting on the PGA Tour, a stark contrast to leading the categories for strokes gained off the tee and tee to green, as well as greens in regulation.
“I just feel like I’ve seen a lot of putts that I’ve really thought were going to go in that haven’t,” Scheffler told a pre-tournament press conference at TPC Craig Ranch.
“I’m usually pretty dangerous when my putter gets hot, so I’ve been working on it pretty good. Yeah, just hoping to see some putts go in. Instead of lipping out, maybe lipping in.”
Scheffler made his PGA Tour debut in what was then called the HP Byron Nelson Championship as a 17-year-old amateur in 2014, recording a hole-in-one during the third round and eventually finishing in a tie for 22nd.
Nine years later he is the star attraction and the only member of the world’s top 15 in the field following the injury withdrawal of Jordan Spieth.
“It’s definitely a bit different than when I came here in high school,” Scheffler added. “I feel like I’m a little bit more a part of this thing than I was then, but I was just fortunate to get a spot and come out and play.
“Now I guess coming full circle out here is a little different scenario and it’s a lot of fun being able to play in front of the home crowd.
“Now that I’ve had some success out here on Tour, there’s a lot more people that will show up to watch me, which is great.
“I’m fortunate to be able to come out here and support an event that supported me from a young age, and I’m looking forward to going out there and playing in front of the home crowd and hopefully making some birdies.”
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from May 10.
FootballBurnley celebrated their trophy parade.
And sealed a deal!
Manchester City players reflected on their trip to Madrid.
Beth Mead, Lucy Bronze and Luther Blissett were honoured.
CricketMorning motivation from Virat Kohli.
Kevin Pietersen marked his son’s 13th birthday.
GolfJustin Rose was back on the road.
BoxingA tip from Eddie Hearn.
Formula OneFlashback.
Valtteri Bottas was back on his bike.
Nice views from Williams.
Tiger Woods will miss the US PGA Championship as expected after undergoing ankle surgery last month.
Woods was not included in the 155-strong field issued by the PGA of America on Wednesday for next week’s event at Oak Hill Country Club.
The final spot will be filled by the winner of the AT&T Byron Nelson in Texas.
Jordan Spieth was included in the field despite withdrawing from this week’s PGA Tour event with a wrist injury.
Woods pulled out of the Masters during the third round in April, saying at the time it was due to plantar fasciitis.
However, the 47-year-old then had a subtalar fusion procedure in New York to address the problem caused by a previous fracture of his talus, a bone in the ankle joint.
Woods feared his leg would have to be amputated due to the serious injuries he suffered in a car accident in Los Angeles in February 2021.
He made a remarkable return to action 14 months later and finished 47th in the Masters, but withdrew from the US PGA following a third-round 79 and did not contest the US Open before missing the cut in the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.
Woods has accepted that he can only play a handful of times a year going forward and is targeting majors and events with which he has a personal connection.
The US Open takes place at Los Angeles Country Club in June and Woods will hope to defy the odds and be able to compete in July’s Open at Royal Liverpool, where he won a third Open title in 2006 in his first tournament since the death of his father Earl two months earlier.
Katie Taylor believes her career has been shaped by pressure moments so the Irish fighter doubts she will be overwhelmed by her homecoming against Chantelle Cameron later this month.
Taylor (22-0, 6KOs) is headlining the first major boxing card in Dublin since 2016, attempting to emulate Claressa Shields in becoming an undisputed two-weight world champion on May 20 at the 3Arena.
It will be her first professional fight in Ireland but, from winning gold at London 2012 to taking on Amanda Serrano at New York’s Madison Square Garden last year, Taylor is accustomed to blazing a trail.
So the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight champion, who is stepping up to light-welterweight to challenge for Cameron’s four belts, is sceptical about succumbing to fight-night nerves.
“I have the experience of fighting in these big occasions,” the 36-year-old said. “I have the experience of fighting when there is a lot of pressure on my shoulders.
“I don’t really see it as anything too outrageous in terms of what I’ve actually experienced before. Every single time I step into the ring I feel like there’s a lot of pressure on me.
“I am just getting on with things, looking forward to the fight, I’m excited about it, I’m not feeling the burden right now, I’m just excited. This could be the biggest moment of my career so far.
“This is a huge occasion for me and I’m just delighted to have a chance to fight at home. A few years ago, I didn’t think this was ever going to happen so I’m just so excited about it.”
Taylor was initially supposed to fight Serrano again at Croke Park in a rematch of their epic first meeting, which was the first women’s contest to top the bill at the so-called ‘Mecca of Boxing’.
Security cost issues scuppered the initial plan while a switch of opponent was necessary after Serrano suffered an injury, but Taylor remains hopeful of one day fighting inside Ireland’s largest stadium.
“I definitely haven’t given up on it,” she said. “I would absolutely love the opportunity to fight at Croke Park, our most iconic stadium, but these things are genuinely out of my control.”
Taylor, who stepped up to the 140lb division and won the WBO title by beating Christina Linardatou in 2019, was taken to her limits by Serrano in April last year but earned a split decision victory.
She will face height and reach disadvantages against Cameron, who has won all 17 fights in the paid ranks, but Taylor insisted she is ready for whatever the Northampton fighter has to offer.
“I definitely believe this fight has the potential to be the hardest of my career so far and I am ready for that challenge,” Taylor added. “These are the kinds of fights that I am very, very excited about.
“I’ve had my eye on Chantelle for a few years now, this is a fight that I’ve always wanted. The motivation is as high as ever for this fight for me.
“It would have been a lot worse if I was going from Amanda Serrano to a mandatory opponent, a fight I can’t really get up for. This is a fight where I am genuinely motivated for and she is as well.
“I’m going to have to be at my very, very best on fight night. People are saying this is going to be an even better fight than the Amanda Serrano fight so there is a huge appetite.”
Joy Neville will make rugby union history in France later this year when she becomes the first woman to officiate at a men’s World Cup.
The Irish referee has been included among seven television match officials for the tournament.
Neville, 39, controlled the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup final between England and New Zealand in Belfast.
Wayne Barnes, meanwhile, will lead a four-strong contingent of English officials among the 12 referees selected.
Barnes has controlled a world-best 102 Tests and will officiate in a fifth successive World Cup, having made his tournament bow during the 2007 staging.
He is joined by Luke Pearce, Matthew Carley and Karl Dickson, with Carley and Dickson making their World Cup refereeing debuts.
The group of referees announced by World Rugby also includes Irishman Andrew Brace and Nika Amashukeli, who becomes the first Georgian to officiate at a World Cup, with England’s Christophe Ridley and Welshman Craig Evans chosen among seven assistant referees.
“The journey to Rugby World Cup 2023 is not an easy one for match officials,” World Rugby high performance 15s match official manager Joel Jutge said.
“There are fewer roles with as much public scrutiny, but I am proud of how the team has responded to the ups and downs, always being open and acting with integrity.
“Selection is one milestone, and we have a lot of work to do before the start of the tournament with warm-up matches and the Rugby Championship.
“But this team has a great work ethic, an unwavering spirit and a great bond, and we will all benefit from increased time together as we prepare for what will be a very special Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.”
The tournament kicks off on September 8 when France host New Zealand in Paris.
The NFL announced a handful of games for the 2023 season on Wednesday before the league’s full regular-season schedule will be unveiled Thursday night.
A first-ever Black Friday game will take place on November 24, as new Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will lead New York against the visiting Miami Dolphins.
The defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles will host the New York Giants on Christmas Day, while the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Cincinnati Bengals on New Year’s Eve in a rematch of last season's AFC Championship Game.
The NFL also announced there will be five international games – three in London and two in Germany.
In London, the Jacksonville Jaguars will become the first team to play two games outside of the United States in the same season when they face the Atlanta Falcons on October 1 at Wembley Stadium and the Buffalo Bills the following week on October 8 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will also host the third London game on October 15 when the Tennessee Titans take on the Baltimore Ravens.
After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL’s first regular-season game in Germany last season in Munich, the league will return to Germany for two games at Frankfurt Stadium.
Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs will meet the Dolphins on November 5, and the New England Patriots will face the Indianapolis Colts on November 12.
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