Viktor Hovland holds a two-shot lead at the half-way point of the Arnold Palmer Invitational after Rory McIlroy endured a disappointing finish.
Overnight leader McIlroy was not as sharp as he was on the opening day at Bay Hill but still looked in with a chance of retaining his status as pacesetter for much of the round.
That was until the 15th, when he needed three putts from 30 feet. He then missed a birdie opportunity on 16 and failed to save par from eight feet on 17.
The Northern Irishman ultimately finished at level par for the day with 72 – Hovland, who started on the 10th, carded 66, giving him the round of the day and the lead.
His score would have been even better had he not bogeyed the 13th, however he responded admirably to that set-back with three birdies in his next four holes.
Hovland added two more on the fourth and sixth to ultimately set the clubhouse lead as he moved to nine under for the tournament – McIlroy failed to rise to his challenge.
Joining McIlroy two shots back on seven under in a tie for second are Talor Gooch and Tyrrell Hatton, the latter of whom felt his four-under 68 was "pretty flattering".
Similarly, Hovland is not getting carried away with his position in the standings, particularly considering he was only two shots off the lead heading in the weekend last year and went on to finish 15 off the pace.
"I kind of try to forget the weekend here last year," Hovland told the PGA Tour. "I played really well the first few days, very similar to how I played so far this year.
"The course just gets harder and harder every single day, and it started blowing. A few too many bad swings and I ended up in bad spots and just didn't really take my medicine."
As for McIlroy, the four-time major champion was taken aback by how quickly conditions on the course changed from Thursday, adamant he will be better prepared on day three.
"Those are the sort of greens you expect to see late on a Sunday, not late on a Friday," McIlroy added. "It's going to be interesting to see where they go from here, but it's going to be a good test over the weekend.
"I'm glad I got 18 holes in those conditions because the course definitely changed a lot from when I played it yesterday morning to this afternoon. I'll be a little more prepared for it [on Saturday]."
Billy Horschel is one shot further back on six under, and then there's a three-shot gap to a group of seven – world number one Jon Rahm is at two under.
Patrick Reed, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose were among those to miss the cut, which was set at three over par.
Phil Mickelson will skip the Players Championship as his hiatus from golf continues.
Six-time major champion Mickelson was a notable absentee from the 144-player field that features 48 of the top 50 in the world rankings.
The 51-year-old said in February he was taking some time away from the sport following the backlash to his comments promoting a Saudi Arabia-backed Super Golf League.
Mickelson had suggested that although Saudi Arabia has "a horrible record on human rights", the threat of the potential breakaway competition could be used to "reshape how the PGA Tour operates". He subsequently apologised for making "reckless" comments.
While Mickelson has yet to set a date for his return to action, it will not come at TPC Sawgrass next week.
Harris English, Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods were the only other qualified players not to commit to the competition.
Dayana Yastremska maintained her emotional run at the Lyon Open by beating fifth seed Jasmine Paolini in straight sets to book a semi-final spot.
The Ukrainian wildcard secured her place in the last four on Friday with a 6-4 7-6 (7-3) victory over the Italian amid the war with Russia in her home country.
The 21-year-old fled Odessa with her sister last week, separating from her parents in the process, and has spoken about her desire to honour those back in Ukraine with a title.
She will face second seed Sorana Cirstea after the Romanian made short work of Anna Bondar with a 6-3 6-3 victory.
Elsewhere, Caroline Garcia toppled another seed after fighting back to beat Alison van Uytvanck 4-6 6-3 7-5. The home favourite knocked out top seed Camila Giorgi in the first round and has a semi-final clash against Zhang Shuai to look forward to.
Zhang did not have to sweat to make her place after Vitalia Diatchenko was forced to retire at three games down in the first set through injury.
Major League Baseball's Players Association (MLBPA) announced on Friday it will set up a $1million fund to help employees affected by the labour dispute that has delayed the start of the 2022 season.
The support program, which will be overseen by the MLBPA in conjunction with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), is designed to provide financial assistance for stadium workers and other employees who may endure hardship by owners' lockout and cancellation of games.
"There are a lot of people who make our game great. Many aren't seen or heard, but they are vital to the entertainment experience of our games," MLBPA executive board leaders Andrew Miller and Max Scherzer said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, they will also be among those affected by the owner-imposed lockout and the cancellation of games. Through this fund, we want to let them know that they have our support."
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Tuesday that the league has cancelled all games scheduled for the first week of the upcoming season due to the current impasse in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. It's the first work stoppage since the players' strike in 1994-95 that wiped out the 1994 World Series.
The MLPA added that it will work with the AFL-CIO in the coming weeks to determine which areas will be most impacted by the stoppage and outline a plan to distribute its resources to where they will be most needed.
"Whether you're a worker on the baseball field, or a worker behind the scenes, we all deserve respect and dignity on the job," AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler said. "The labour movement will do everything in our power to support these and all workers."
The owners imposed the current lockout on Dec. 2 following the expiration of the previous CBA, and Manfred announced an agreement would need to be reached by Tuesday in order to prevent a delay to the season's start. The two sides met extensively in Florida earlier this week, but remain at odds on key economic elements to prevent a deal from being reached.
Talks broke off between the two parties following Tuesday's deadline, and no decision has yet been made as to when negotiations will resume.
INEOS Grenadiers rider Pavel Sivakov's request to compete for France rather than Russia has been approved by the UCI.
The 24-year-old last week stated that he is "totally against war" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Sivakov revealed he had already wanted to become a French national before Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops to invade Ukraine and cycling's world governing body has now sanctioned his switch.
"I was born in Italy and moved to France when I was one year old," Sivakov said. "France is where I grew up and was educated and where I fell in love with riding my bike which led me to racing. It feels like my home.
"I have wanted to become a French national for some time and had made the request to the UCI, but given what is happening in Ukraine at the moment, I wanted to fast-track this.
"I want to thank the UCI and the team at INEOS Grenadiers for supporting me with this process and helping make this a reality. To now have the opportunity to race as a French national in international events makes me incredibly happy.
"It would be a dream to race in Paris at the 2024 Olympics for France and this is something that the team have said they would fully support.
"As I have previously said, I am totally against this war and all my thoughts are with the Ukrainian people. Like most people around the world right now, I hope for peace and a swift end to the suffering happening in Ukraine."
A struggling Russell Westbrook declared "I'm not a quitter" after another night to forget in the Los Angeles Lakers' defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Westbrook has failed to hit the heights since joining the Lakers from the Washington Wizards in August.
The 2017 MVP could only muster a 17-point haul in a heavy 132-111 loss to the Clippers on Thursday and averages just 18.1 points this season.
That is now four successive defeats for the Lakers, who are ninth in the Western Conference at 27-35 as they continue to fall short without the injured Anthony Davis.
Westbrook said he had been dealing with critics since he was born and was involved in a tense exchange with a reporter after the Lakers' latest loss.
But the 33-year-old insists he will not be throwing the towel in.
"My role and what I'm doing has changed every single night, so I'm just trying to figure that out as I'm playing and to be able to benefit and help my team," he said.
"But my expectations are still the same. I'm not a quitter. It's not in my genes. I don't quit, regardless of what the hell is going on. I'm going to fight to the end and if it don't work, that’s cool, too.
"I can live with the results. But I’m never going to give up or give in because of a little struggle that’s happening this time of the year."
Westbrook says he did not sign for the Lakers with the expectation that it would all be plain sailing.
"Expectation? I come into every situation the same," he said. "The last four years I've been on different teams, so my vision of kind of everything is going to be peaches and cream, I don't.
"That's not life. So for me I come into every situation, start from ground zero and try to figure it out along the way."
Jayson Tatum said having fun was the key to the Boston Celtics' strong form after Thursday's 120-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Celtics moved to 38-27 as Tatum put on a 21-point fourth-quarter blitz, racking up 37 points overall on his 24th birthday.
His stellar showing was key as Grizzlies star Ja Morant impressed again, with 38 points, four rebounds and seven assists.
And Tatum, whose side sit fifth in the Eastern Conference, believes that embracing the fun factor has been crucial to the Celtics' promising season.
“I think watching us now, we play with a lot more passion,” he said. “We just seem like we’re having a lot more fun.
“This is basketball at the end of the day, and it’s supposed to be a lot of fun,” said Tatum. "And we've been having a lot of fun lately.”
Team-mate Al Horford cited the side's solid work on defense as the foundation of their success, with the Celtics boasting a defensive rating of 105.4 – second only to the Golden State Warriors.
However, he conceded there was still work to be done on the offensive front.
“Defensively, I feel like we know who we are,” Horford said. "On offense, I feel like we're continuing to find our identity and how we want to play and what we want to do.
"The more and more you start playing that way, it almost becomes second nature.
"We're not there yet, but I feel like we're making a lot of progress and it's going to be at the point that we're not even thinking about it and we're moving the ball, making the simple reads, and I feel like that's when we'll be at our best.”
Ukrainian top seed Elina Svitolina was made to work hard but triumphed in more than two hours against Viktoriya Tomova as she booked her Monterrey Open quarter-final spot on Thursday.
Svitolina won 7-6 (7-3) 3-6 6-2 over the Bulgarian qualifier in two hours and 24 minutes, having trailed 2-0 in the final set, before rattling off the final six games to set up a last-eight meeting with fifth seed Camila Osorio.
The Ukrainian won the title at Monterrey in 2020, with her victory on Thursday maintaining her unbeaten record at the event.
"It was an extremely tough match today," Svitolina said during her on-court post-match interview. "I think Viktoriya played a really good match, and I had to really fight back in the third set to bring back my best game and try to come back in the match.
"In the end, I managed to win six games in a row, so it's a good effort for me. It was an extremely tough first set, second set didn't go my way, and then the third set I was 0-2 down. I was not playing my best, but I was fighting, until the very end.
"And you know, the Ukrainian flag [in the crowd] really helped me today to fight... I was really fighting until the end, and I found my game in the end."
Last week's beaten WTA Abierto Zapopan finalist Marie Bouzkova maintained her good form with a 6-4 6-2 victory over Petra Martic.
Sixth seed Nuria Parrizas-Diaz won 6-4 7-6 (7-2) over Briton Heather Watson, while Wang Qiang defeated Mayar Sherif 6-0 6-7 (2-7) 6-3.
Kevin Durant returned from injury with 31 points but the Brooklyn Nets' struggles continued with a 113-107 defeat to the Miami Heat.
Durant had missed the past 21 games due to an MCL sprain sustained on January 16, with the Nets going 5-16 in his absence, and they led by 16 points in the first half upon his return, but could not sustain it.
The 2014 NBA MVP had a three-point attempt with 57 seconds left which would have put the Nets in the lead but he missed and the Heat scored from the ensuing possession via Bam Adebayo.
Adebayo finished the game with 30 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, while Tyler Herro came off the bench to contribute 27 points, four rebounds and eight assists.
Durant shot 10-of-21 from the field for his 31 points, including two three-pointers, with four rebounds and four assists.
The result leaves the Nets at 32-32 with a .500 record, while the Heat are top of the Eastern Conference with a 42-22 record.
Tatum leads Celtics final-quarter charge
The Boston Celtics continued their strong form as Jayson Tatum scored 21 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter in a 120-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Ja Morant maintained his own hot streak, with 38 points, four rebounds and seven assists.
Luka Doncic produced a dominant display with 41 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Golden State Warriors for the second time in five days, 122-113. Stephen Curry managed 21 points with nine assists for the Warriors who have lost seven of their past 10 games.
The Chicago Bulls suffered their third straight defeat with Trae Young scored 39 points with 13 assists as the Atlanta Hawks won 130-124.
Struggling Lakers beaten by Clippers
The Los Angeles Lakers slumped to their fourth consecutive loss going down to the Los Angeles Clippers 132-111 after being blown apart in a 40-18 third quarter. LeBron James shot eight-of-18 from the field for his 26 points with four turnovers, while Reggie Jackson scored 36 points for the Clippers.
Kevin Durant ominously said he will "only get better" after he scored 31 points on his return from a 21-game injury lay-off but that was not enough as the Brooklyn Nets lost 113-107 to the Miami Heat.
Brooklyn went 5-16 in Durant's absence, sliding from second in the Eastern Conference to eighth, after he sustained an MCL sprain on January 16.
The Nets led by as many as 16 points in the first half but the Heat fought back to win, with Durant playing 35 minutes on his return, scoring 31 points with four rebounds and four assists.
"I felt great. I'm only going to get better and get more comfortable out there," Durant said during his post-game news conference.
"Take more of the load out there too when I get more games under my belt. I felt solid."
The Nets were missing Kyrie Irving who is unable to play in home games at the Barclays Center due to the New York City vaccination rules, while recruit Ben Simmons is still yet to debut as he builds up his conditioning having not played all season.
Durant played alongside new signings Andre Drummond, Seth Curry and Goran Dragic in the starting line-up for the first time and admitted their cohesion may take time.
"It can take one game, it can take 20 games," he said. "It's a matter of getting out there and seeing what works for us.
"It's not like a certain formula that goes into how you know to build chemistry. It's an organic thing that happens naturally."
The Nets do not have time on their side, with the defeat leaving them at .500 with a 32-32 record having lost three in a row.
"It's to focus on the details every day," Durant said when asked what his short-term focus was. "Obviously winning basketball games, I don’t even need to say that, that's always the goals.
He added: "You've got to give Miami credit. There's no moral victories, but we look at the film, we know how we play, we know what we need to do to win."
Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy leads by two strokes after a first-round 65 that included an eagle at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Florida on Thursday.
McIlroy made six birdies and an eagle on the 16th hole to card a seven-under-65 with a bogey on the 11th the only blemish on his scorecard.
The Northern Irishman, who made 11 of 14 fairways, leads by two strokes from American trio Beau Hossler, JJ Spaun and Billy Horschel, with a group of six players one further shot back including Sungjae Im and Will Zalatoris.
“This is my fourth start of the calendar year. I’ve had one really good chance to win and probably one other half chance," McIlroy told reporters after day one.
"I feel like I’m playing well enough to have chances to win golf tournaments, but all you can ask of yourself is to keep putting yourself in those positions on Sundays and then you see where your game really is.
“Hopefully, this is another week where I put myself in a position where I can really see where my game is when the pressure is on.”
McIlroy's day was highlighted by his 41-foot putt for eagle on the par-five 16th hole.
"I played the par-fives particularly well, and that was the bulk of the score," said McIlroy who won at Bay Hill in 2018.
"I've said this all along: You can play within yourself here and still shoot a good score, I feel, if you're just disciplined and pick off the birdies where you're supposed to."
McIlroy is one of four players from the PGA Tour's top six, with world number one Jon Rahm struggling with an even round on the opening day - including falling short on a gimme putt - to be seven shots off the pace.
Viktor Hovland carded a three-under-round of 69, while Scottie Scheffler is two under after the first day.
Dayana Yastremska delivered a polished performance as the Ukrainian kept her "very emotional" run going at the Lyon Open.
The 21-year-old broke serve five times on her way to a 6-2 6-3 victory over Spain's Cristina Bucsa in an hour and five minutes, booking a quarter-final place.
Yastremska fled war-ravaged Ukraine last week, along with sister Ivanna, escaping through Romania but leaving their parents behind in Odessa after Russia's invasion began.
The three-time WTA tournament winner has spoken of the decision by her mother to stay with her father, and how that left the sisters tearful and agonising over when the family might be reunited.
Yastremska began her campaign in Lyon with a gruelling three-set win over Ana Bogdan and followed up impressively by sweeping aside Bucsa.
"Today, definitely it was a little bit easier. With my emotions, I could keep them under control, so I'm very happy with that," Yastremska said in an on-court interview, broadcast on Amazon Prime.
"I tried yesterday to recover myself as fast as possible to prepare for my match today. Still, I was very nervous because I wanted to win the match for my country.
"This tournament is very emotional for me, but I'm very happy with the win today. To be honest I'm very happy that I'm here, that I'm in a safe place with my sister."
The former world number 21, now down at 140 in the WTA rankings, was joined in the last eight by Zhang Shuai of China and France's Caroline Garcia.
Also going through to the quarter-finals on Thursday was Vitalia Diatchenko, a Russian playing under a neutral flag this week. She beat Swiss third seed Viktorija Golubic in three sets.
England have lost Luke Cowan-Dickie for the remainder of the Six Nations due to a knee injury and Ireland prop Andrew Porter will also play no further part in the tournament.
Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter on Thursday confirmed Cowan-Dickie could be out for the rest of the season as he requires surgery.
The hooker did the damage in a 23-19 win over Wales at Twickenham last weekend and England forwards coach Richard Cockerill says his absence is a blow for the Red Rose in their quest to win the title.
Cockerill said: "We're disappointed for him, for Exeter and obviously ourselves. He's a really important player to the team and a leader to the group as well.
"So it's a bit of a blow to the team, but we've got cover and that's the game isn't it, players get injured, you have to deal with that and someone else gets an opportunity.
"Jamie [George] is a fantastic player; he's proven that for the last 10 years or so. He did a great job when he came on at the weekend and I'm sure he’s looking forward to doing that again."
Ireland will have to do without Porter when they travel Twickenham to face Eddie Jones' side a week on Saturday.
The prop sustained an ankle injury during the 57-6 round three rout of Italy, which left Ireland just a point behind leaders France in second place.
Ireland are hopeful centre Robbie Henshaw is passed fit to take on England after he suffered a head injury in the thrashing of the Azzurri.
Ikem Ekwonu's NFL draft stock has seen a meteoric rise over the past few months, to a point where the North Carolina State offensive lineman has emerged as a serious candidate for the number one overall pick.
Ekwonu confirmed he met with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the current holders of the top choice, earlier this week at the NFL Scouting Combine, and told reporters on Thursday he would not be surprised if he winds up as the team's selection in April.
"I wouldn't be shocked if I went number one overall," he said during his news conference in Indianapolis. "I feel like that's something I've put the work in for it. I feel like when that time comes, I wouldn't be shocked by it."
In a draft that lacks a consensus top prospect and is considered devoid of a surefire franchise quarterback, Ekwonu has been generating increased buzz as a contender to go number one overall. Long-time ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. concurs, as he projected the Jaguars to take the Charlotte native in his latest mock draft released on Tuesday.
Ekwonu, who earned unanimous All-American honours following his junior season with the Wolfpack in 2021, would fill a need for the rebuilding Jaguars. Jacksonville enter the offseason with both starting left tackle Cam Robinson and left guard Andrew Norwell set to be unrestricted free agents.
The six-foot-four, 320-pound prospect looms as a possibility for either position, as he started at both left tackle and guard during his three-year stint at N.C. State.
Ekwonu told reporters he would be open to playing any spot on the line, though he believes left tackle is where his NFL future lies.
"I've never been shy about bouncing inside and do the best thing for the team, but if you're asking me, personally, I definitely see myself as a left tackle," he said.
"I feel like I'm barely scratching the surface of my potential at left tackle, and I feel like with some work and some refinement in my game, I can definitely be great at it."
Ekwonu is currently considered one of four main candidates to go first overall, along with fellow offensive tackle Evan Neal from Alabama and two edge rushers – Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson and Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Offensive linemen are scheduled to take part in combine testing and drills on Friday, with the defensive linemen slated to work on Saturday.
Sara Misir, the Caribbean’s first Formula Woman finalist bagged herself a golden ticket to compete on Friday as one of 15 finalists of Formula Woman after her team stormed to victory in the endurance race on Thursday.
Misir participated as a member of a four-woman team that completed an endurance test for 100 minutes at the PF International Kart Circuit on Thursday and recorded the second-fastest time of the day from a pool of about 75 drivers.
“I am overwhelmed with excitement at my performance today and I’m happy my team won,” she said afterwards.
“We started in 14th position and then shot to first within the first 10 laps and managed to hold on until the end. I look forward to competing on Friday for a spot in the top 10.”
Misir was selected to participate in the Formula Woman final from a field of almost 10,000 applicants. The top four and two reserve drivers will join the McLaren GT4 team in the 2022 GT Cup British Championships.
The 15 finalists will be whittled down to 10 when they compete again on Friday, March 4 at the Croft Circuit with the final race day for the top four slated for March 9. The Formula Woman finalists are tested in the areas of speed, mental performance, fitness and technical knowledge related to motorsport.
“It has been challenging for me because the weather conditions have not been ideal,” she said.
“It was quite cold and wet yesterday which takes a bit of getting used to. I’m feeling confident, and so far this has been an invaluable experience.”
World champion Max Verstappen has extended his contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028.
The new deal, confirmed on Thursday, was hailed as a "real statement of intent" by team principal Christian Horner.
Verstappen now has the longest contract of any driver on the Formula One grid and will spend what should be his peak years with Red Bull.
On the back of claiming his maiden world title in the most dramatic of circumstances last season, the 24-year-old is out to make more history in the 2022 campaign.
With the aid of Opta, Stats Perform takes a look at the numbers behind Verstappen's impressive career.
- At the age of 24 years, two months and 12 days at the time of the eventful 2021 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December, Verstappen became the fourth-youngest driver to win an F1 world title, behind only Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.
- Should he hold off Mercedes' Hamilton – and indeed any other contenders – by coming out on top again this year, the Dutchman would become the second-youngest driver to win multiple world titles after Vettel (24y, 3m, 6d).
- The 10 race victories recorded by Verstappen in 2021 were as many as he managed in his previous seven seasons combined – five years with Red Bull and two with Toro Rosso – with his three victories in 2019 a previous season's best prior to last year.
- On top of his 20 victories across eight years with Red Bull and Toro Rosso, spanning some 141 grands prix, Verstappen has finished on the podium 60 times – 18 of those coming last season alone. That set a new F1 record as he went past the previous mark of 17 podiums, jointly held by Michael Schumacher, Hamilton and Vettel, albeit Verstappen benefited from having more races than in previous seasons.
- The six fastest laps recorded by Verstappen in 2021 was another career high, double his previous best from 2019 and 2020 when finishing third in the drivers' standings on both occasions.
- Verstappen is the first Dutchman to hold claim to being F1 world champion, making the Netherlands the 15th different nationality for a winning driver. He is Red Bull's second world champion, meanwhile, following Vettel's four-year reign on top between 2010 and 2013.
Formula One bosses have torn up their contract with organisers of the Russian Grand Prix, it was revealed on Thursday.
Promoters Rosgonki had a deal that was due to run until 2025, with St Petersburg due to replace Sochi as host of the race next year.
However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine last week led F1 chiefs to declare the 2022 race in Sochi had been cancelled.
Now it has been confirmed the elite stars of motor racing will not compete in Russia for the foreseeable future.
In a widely reported statement, F1 said: "Formula 1 can confirm it has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix promoter, meaning Russia will not have a race in the future."
The news emerged two days after the FIA, motor sport's world governing body, backed F1's decision on the 2022 Sochi race but stopped short of banning Russian drivers from all competitions.
The FIA on Tuesday said none of its events should take place in Russia or neighbouring ally country Belarus until further notice, with flags or symbols of either country also banned for now, along with anthems and national colours.
Teams representing Russia and Belarus have been suspended, but the FIA said drivers from those countries will be allowed to participate in motor sport in a neutral capacity – "subject to specific commitment and adherence to the FIA's principles of peace and political neutrality".
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the governing body was observing events in Ukraine "with sadness and shock", adding that he hoped for "a swift and peaceful resolution". He also spoke of concern for the FIA's Ukrainian members and their current "intolerable hardship".
It remains to be seen whether Haas driver Nikita Mazepin takes part in the new season. The Russian, whose oligarch father Dmitry has links to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, has been barred from competing for Haas at the British Grand Prix following measures introduced by Britain's national motorsport authority.
Christian Horner says Red Bull have made a "statement of intent" by tying "the best driver on the grid" Max Verstappen to a new long-term contract.
It was announced on Thursday the Formula One world champion has extended his stay with Red Bull until at least the end of the 2028 season.
The Dutchman's previous deal only ran until next year, so the team were eager to reach an agreement before he starts the defence of his title at the Bahrain Grand Prix later this month.
Team principal Horner believes Red Bull have demonstrated that they plan to be a force for years to come by retaining Verstappen.
"To have Max signed with Red Bull through to the end of '28 is a real statement of intent," Horner said.
"Our immediate focus is on retaining Max's world championship title, but this deal also shows he is part of the team's long-term planning.
"With the Red Bull Powertrains division working towards the new engine regulations for 2026, we wanted to make sure we had the best driver on the grid secured for that car."
Verstappen was crowned F1 champion for the first time last year in controversial fashion after overtaking title rival Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old is hungry for more success following that maiden triumph.
"I really enjoy being part of Red Bull Racing, so choosing to stay to the 2028 season was an easy decision," he said.
"I love this team and last year was simply incredible. Our goal since we came together in 2016 was to win the championship, and we have done that, so now it's about keeping the number one on the car long term."
Max Verstappen has signed a five-year contract extension with Red Bull ahead of the 2022 season.
The Formula One world champion's previous deal was due to expire next year, but his team on Thursday announced that the 24-year-old will stay on until at least the end of the 2028 season.
Verstappen claimed his first F1 title in 2021 by pipping Lewis Hamilton in controversial circumstances in Abu Dhabi.
The Dutchman said: "I really enjoy being part of Red Bull Racing, so choosing to stay to the 2028 season was an easy decision. I love this team and last year was simply incredible.
"Our goal since we came together in 2016 was to win the championship and we have done that, so now it's about keeping the number one on the car long-term."
Hamilton had seemingly won a record-breaking eighth crown last year, but Williams driver Nicholas Latifi crashed with four laps to go in Abu Dhabi, leading to the safety car coming out.
When the race restarted there was only one lap remaining and Verstappen was able to start just behind his rival despite Hamilton previously having a significant lead over him. Verstappen’s car had been fitted with new tyres, enabling him to overtake the Mercedes driver and sensationally dethrone his rival.
Verstappen would have likely been in line for a new deal regardless of that incredible outcome at the Yas Marina Circuit, with Mercedes generally seen as the only team that could compete with Red Bull from a financial perspective.
Tension between the two teams in the 2021 campaign – not to mention Mercedes already paying Hamilton a fortune – made a switch to their rivals in the near future highly unlikely.
According to reports, Verstappen's new deal puts his earnings in a similar bracket to Hamilton, with the world champion apparently set to be paid €40-50million (£33-42m) per year – the seven-time champion is said to earn €48m (£40m).
Red Bull and Verstappen will be relieved to have such formalities out of the way in plenty of time ahead of the new season, which is due to begin with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20, the weekend after a second round of pre-season testing.
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