Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks will "believe until the end" after they kept their NBA title hopes alive with a Game 4 victory over the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics headed to Dallas on Friday with the chance to clinch a first NBA Championship since 2008, up 3-0 in the series and looking to get the job done on the road.
However, Dallas dominated on their home court, cruising to a 122-84 blowout victory that means Boston will have to wait until at least Monday to seal a record-breaking 18th NBA title.
No team has ever come from 3-0 down in an NBA playoff series, but Doncic says his Mavericks team will not let that deflate their hopes of pulling off a hugely unlikely comeback.
"Like I said at the beginning of the series, it's first to four," Doncic told reporters. "We're going to believe until the end.
"So we've just got to keep going. I have big belief in this team that we can do it."
Doncic was facing criticism heading into Game 4 after fouling out in the latter stages of the previous contest, but he led the way with 29 points on Friday to help his team ease to victory.
Kyrie Irving believes Doncic proved the doubters wrong with his Game 4 showing, saying: "I think he made a few people eat their words in a healthy way.
"I think what you're seeing is him just taking accountability as best he can at this point in his life. He's a young person, still trying to figure it out. I give him that grace.
"I think it's just lessons being learned. When he is locked in like that, not paying attention to the refs, he's a huge, impactful player for us and a great leader for us. We want him to stay consistent on that and not be too hard on himself either."
The Boston Celtics must "reassemble" after missing the chance to clinch the NBA Championship on Friday, says Jaylen Brown.
The Celtics headed into Game 4 on the road at the Dallas Mavericks looking to complete the sweep and seal their first title since 2008.
However, they were outplayed by their hosts, slumping to a 122-84 blowout loss to end their 10-match playoff winning run and leave them with work to do if they are to get over the finishing line.
The Celtics now head home with the opportunity to get the job done on Monday, and Brown has called upon his team-mates to bounce back from Friday's 38-point defeat.
"These are the moments that can make you or break you," Brown told reporters.
"We have to reassemble. We have to look at it and learn from it, and then we've got to embrace it and attack it.
"It's going to be hard to do what we're trying to do. We didn't expect anything to be easy, but it's no reason to lose our head."
Dallas dominated from start to finish in Game 3, holding an 11-point lead just nine minutes into the contest and never looking back as they stamped out any hopes of a Boston comeback.
Brown praised the Mavericks for their response to losing the first three games of the series, saying: "Give credit to Dallas.
"I think they played hard physically, and then they dominated the glass. I think that was the key that put a lot of pressure on us.
"And then we didn't make shots tonight, and I think that's where, you know, we allowed them to play free, once we get them multiple opportunities to make shots, and then also we didn't hit shots on the other end.
"We're going to look at the film and see where we can get better, and then go from there."
Ludvig Aberg emphasised the importance of staying "disciplined and patient" after he took the sole lead of the US Open on Friday.
Aberg heads into the weekend with a one-shot advantage after carding a one-under 69, backing up an impressive 66 in his first round to leave him five under par at the top of the standings.
It leaves Aberg in a great position to become the second US Open debutant to win the tournament and the first since Francis Ouimet in 1913.
To achieve that, though, Aberg says he must remain calm, telling Sky Sports: "It's hard, but it's not supposed to be easy.
"It's what we expect coming into a US Open, even though it's my first one.
"I've had a lot of good discussions with my caddie Joe about course management and about trying to stay disciplined and patient.
"It's not easy, but I feel like we've done a great job of that so far."
Patrick Cantlay and Rory McIlroy held the joint lead heading into day two after both carding five-under 65s on Thursday.
However, McIlroy shot a disappointing 72 for his second round, while Cantlay's 71 leaves him as one of three players one shot behind Aberg, alongside Bryson DeChambeau and Thomas Detry.
The soaring temperatures have proved testing conditions for players and are expected to continue over the rest of the tournament.
Cantlay is predicting a difficult final two rounds, though he also said he was happy with the position he is in.
"I think this golf course is going to play very challenging over the weekend, especially with the forecast that we have," Cantlay told reporters.
"So I think being smart and being patient, it's inevitable there's going to be some mistakes made, but that's just part of playing a US Open."
Tiger Woods hinted that he may have played his final US Open after failing to make the cut on Friday.
Woods shot three over in his second round having carded a four-over 74 on Thursday to leave him at seven over par, two shots off the cut line.
It means Woods has now either failed to make the cut or withdrawn from six of his last nine major tournaments, and at 48-years-old and having faced a host of injury problems, it appears the 15-time major champion's glittering career is nearing its conclusion.
After Friday's disappointing exit from the major he has won three times previously, Woods insinuated that it may well have been the last time he plays in the US Open.
Woods told reporters: "In order to win a golf tournament, you have to make the cut. I can't win the tournament from where I'm at, so it certainly is frustrating.
"I thought I played well enough to be up there in contention. It just didn't work out.
"As far as my last Open Championship or US Open Championship, I don't know what that is. It may or may not be.
"I've only got one more tournament this season. Even if I win the British Open, I don't think I'll be in the [FedEx Cup] playoffs. [There is] just one more event and then I'll come back whenever I come back."
Luis Gil won his ninth straight decision and Alex Verdugo homered and drove in four runs against his former team as the New York Yankees became the first team to 50 wins with an 8-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
Gil allowed one run and four hits over five innings with four walks and six strikeouts in a season-high 104-pitch outing. The rookie is 9-0 with a 1.64 ERA in 11 starts since a loss at Toronto on April 15.
New York’s bullpen pitched one-hit ball with eight strikeouts over the final four innings.
Verdugo, who spent the previous four seasons with Boston before he was traded to the Yankees in December, hit the first pitch he saw from Brayan Bello for a two-run homer in the first inning, doubled home a run in the fifth and added an RBI single in the ninth.
Verdugo matched a career high with four RBIs, done twice earlier this season and three times with the Red Sox.
Bello was tagged for five runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Jose Trevino also homered for the major league-best Yankees (50-22), who won for the 13th time in 16 games.
Bohm lifts Phillies over Orioles in 11th
Alec Bohm ripped a two-run double in the top of the 11th inning shortly after a 71-minute rain delay, and the Philadelphia Phillies topped the Baltimore Orioles, 5-3.
After the Orioles intentionally walked Bryce Harper to put runners at first and second with one out, Bohm followed with a drive to left-center that eluded Austin Hays that scored both runners.
Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a home run and Rafael Marchan hit his first of the season for the NL East-leading Phillies, who bounced back from consecutive losses at Boston to take the opener of a three-game series between two of baseball's top teams.
Anthony Santander hit a tying home run in the eighth, but the Orioles went 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position in their second straight loss following a six-game winning streak.
Baltimore’s Kyle Bradish allowed two runs in five innings before exiting due to elbow pain. He missed the first month of the season with a sprained UCL and will have further tests.
Garver, Castillo keep Mariners surging
Mitch Garver hit a two-run homer to back a strong start by Luis Castillo and the Seattle Mariners extended their AL West lead with a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers.
Castillo gave up two runs – both in the first inning - on four hits in six innings with one walk and seven strikeouts. He improved to 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA in his last five home starts.
Mike Baumann and Andres Munoz each pitched a hitless inning before Ryne Stanek worked around a hit in the ninth for his sixth save.
Seattle took the lead for good in the third when J.P. Crawford scored on a fielder’s choice. Julio Rodriguez hit a grounder to third with runners at the corners and Crawford trotted home to make it 3-2.
The Mariners have won five of six and 14 of 19 to open a 6 ½-game lead over Texas in the West.
Luka Dončić scored 25 of his 29 points in a dominant first half and the Dallas Mavericks rolled to a 122-84 rout of the Boston Celtics to avoid a sweep in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night.
Kyrie Irving added 21 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored all 15 of his in the fourth quarter for the Mavericks, who forced the series back to Boston for Game 5 on Monday night.
Dallas opened a 13-point lead after one quarter, were up 26 at halftime and led by as many as 38 in the third before both sides emptied their benches.
Dereck Lively had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Mavs, and connected on the first 3-pointer of his NBA career midway through the first quarter.
The 38-point final margin was the third-biggest ever in an NBA Finals game, behind only Chicago beating Utah 96-54 in 1998 and the Celtics beating the Lakers 131-92 in 2008.
Jayson Tatum scored 15 points and Sam Hauser had 14 for Boston, which had its franchise-record, 10-game postseason winning streak snapped.
The Celtics shot 36.3 percent (29 for 80) from the field and were outrebounded 52-31.
The 35 points in the first half represented their lowest-scoring total in a half in Joe Mazzulla’s two seasons as coach. The 26-point deficit at halftime was Boston’s largest ever in an NBA Finals game.
Rory McIlroy believes he is in a "great position" as he sits within touching distance of the leaders after two rounds at the US Open, while Tiger Woods is set to miss the cut after a disappointing second round.
McIlroy ended Friday's action at three-under, keeping himself in contention behind Ludvig Aberg, Matthieu Pavon, Patrick Cantlay and a host of other big names.
McIlroy, the 2011 champion, was among the early starters and bogeyed two of his first six holes to fall from the lead after starting on the 10th tee.
However, he steadied the ship on the back nine and the leaderboard might have looked rosier had he not bogeyed his last hole of the day, the par-three ninth, having found the bunker.
"I was not quite as good with the putter [compared to round one] but still, overall in a great position going into the weekend," McIlroy said to Sky Sports.
"Some of the hole locations were definitely a little tougher and you sort of had to have your wits about you. I did a pretty good job at keeping some of the mistakes off the scorecard.
"I wish I had converted a couple more of the chances. I hit the ball pretty well and think I only missed one fairway, so I had plenty of opportunities.
"I was two over pretty early. My goal going into that second nine was if I could get it back to even for the day, I would have been pretty happy.
"Got that birdie on three, I was trying to claw one back there, then ultimately I gave one back again [on nine].
"With the way the golf course is and the way some of those hole locations are, I don't see anyone running away with it."
Aberg, Pavon and Cantlay were among the leaders as Friday's action drew to a close, with Bryson DeChambeau one shot ahead of McIlroy, alongside Thomas Detry.
DeChambeau had a typically eventful round by mixing four bogeys with five birdies, the last of which saw him finish with a flourish on the 18th.
Detry made a splash as he carded an impressive 67. At one stage, the Belgian held the lead after reaching six-under for the day through 14 holes, though he slipped back slightly with two bogeys in his last four.
Hideki Matsuyama went one better than Detry with a four-under 66 at Pinehurst No.2 to ensure he sits in the top 10 heading into the weekend, one shot behind McIlroy.
Meanwhile, Woods followed up his opening round of 74 with a second round of 73, putting him on course to miss the cut at seven-over.
One of the shots of the day saw Francesco Molinari avoid the same fate, though, as he sank a hole-in-one on the 18th when he required an eagle to make the weekend.
PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele is at one-under after posting a 69, but it was a tougher day for world number one Scottie Sheffler, who faces an anxious wait to see whether he made the cut after ending Friday five-over.
Naomi Osaka crashed out of the Libema Open despite fighting to a tie-break in the final set, with Bianca Andreescu progressing to the semi-finals after a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3) win.
Osaka's match was interrupted by rain early on with her in the lead, but Andreescu came back out in top form to take the first set.
The Japanese raced through the second though, taking a 5-0 lead before holding off Andreescu's fightback to go into a decider.
Despite an impressive comeback to force a tie-break in the final set, Osaka became sloppy, with her mistakes contributing to the Canadian's path into the semi-final, where she will face Dalma Galfi.
Elsewhere, Alex de Minaur is through to the semi-finals after a comfortable straight-sets victory over Milos Raonic.
Despite a long break due to bad weather, the Australian eased into the next round with a 7-5, 6-2 victory on Friday.
He will face either Ugo Humbert or Gijs Brouwer in the next round.
Data Debrief: Osaka not close enough, De Minaur in cruise control
Despite winning more points (98 compared to 94), and winning more games (16 to 15), Osaka could not hold her nerve in the tie-break to reach the semi-finals.
Competing as the top seed for the first time in his tour-level career, De Minaur felt no pressure as he rallied in the second set to ensure Raonic would not find a way back into the match, winning his last five games in a row on his way to victory.
Noted sports attorney Dr. Emir Crowne has blasted the Dwayne Barnett-led Jamaican Judo Association (JJA) for what he described as a smear campaign against British-born judoka Ebony Drysdale-Daley, as the sporting body, on Thursday, revealed that the athlete has two whereabouts failures and is on the cusp of being banned.
Crowne, an international sports lawyer, labelled the JJA’s action to disclose such confidential information in a press release as “absolutely atrocious,” and “wildly irresponsible,” as he believes the breach should not go unpunished.
The JJA’s release, which stated in part that Drysdale-Daley “has twice failed to present herself for Anti-doping testing and faces a potential ban if another test is missed,” was a response to the athlete’s widely-circulated video in which she accused the association of bias where selection for this summer’s Paris Olympic Games is concerned.
Drysdale-Daley, 29, who became the country’s first athlete to compete in judo at an Olympic Games, when she graced the 2021 Tokyo edition, has since been given a notice of suspension by the association, a copy of which SportsMax.TV has obtained.
“Somehow the Jamaican Judo association thought it appropriate to publicly disclose that the athlete has two whereabouts failures so far. I say wildly irresponsible because athletes enjoy the protection of confidentiality until there is actually some sort of anti-doping rule violation asserted against them. For whereabouts failures, there is no anti-doping rule violation until there is three whereabouts failures in a twelve-month period. So until that happens, there is no anti-doping rule violation,” Crowne explained.
Ebony Drysdale-Daley in action for Jamaica.
“I would encourage the athlete, and I would encourage bodies that supervise the Jamaican Judo association, like the Jamaican Olympic Association, or the International Judo body, or JADCO…someone needs to sanction the conduct of the Jamaican Judo Association,” he added.
Crowne, who has represented a number of athletes such as Jamaica’s Ryker Hylton, Briana Williams, Kaliese Spencer and Trinidadian Fabian Whitfield, among others, argued that the JJA, in their eagerness to smear the reputation of the athlete, breached all protocols and standards of confidentiality.
“Quite ironically, the Jamaican Judo association, in attempting to paint the athlete in a negative light, has now painted themselves in a negative light through this breach of confidence, and it should not go unpunished,” the Trinidadian declared.
“I encourage JADCO, I encourage WADA, I encourage the JOA, I encourage the international federation to take a hard look at this press release and see if it was appropriate to disclose what is otherwise completely confidential in any other circumstance, in any other country, in any other sport in the world,” he stated.
In her almost four-minute long video released on Tuesday, Drysdale-Daley alleged that her path to qualification for the Paris Olympic Games was deliberately being blocked by the powers that be.
Jamaican Judo Association president Dwayne Barnett.
With only one judo spot available to Jamaica for the Games, she believes that she was being overlooked by the association since her male counterpart Ashley McKenzie came in the picture.
It is on that basis why Drysdale-Daley, the 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, alleges that her self-funded efforts to attend qualifying events in an attempt to possibly overhaul McKenzie is being hindered by the associations hierarchy.
“I feel the federation has shown no impartiality. I feel there is a real question of ethics, a real question of integrity. The Jamaican Judo association is blocking me from attending and competing in my last qualifying event, an event that I have self-funded and paid for,” she said.
The JJA in refuting the claims pointed to the athlete’s disregard for deadlines.
“The JJA advises Ebony Drysdale-Daley to reflect on her disregard for these deadlines, as she has twice failed to present herself for Anti-doping testing and faces a potential ban if another test is missed. Furthermore, she has received a written warning from the JJA regarding behaviour and actions deemed unbecoming of an athlete at the Commonwealth Games 2022,” the JJA release stated.
Rory McIlroy remains in contention at the US Open despite carding a two-over 72 in his second round at Pinehurst No.2, where Bryson DeChambeau is on the charge.
McIlroy, the 2011 champion, was among the early starters on Friday and bogeyed two of his first six holes after starting on the 10th tee.
However, he steadied the ship on the back nine to finish the day at three under for the tournament, two shots behind his fellow overnight leader Patrick Cantlay, who is among the later starters.
The leaderboard might have looked rosier for McIlroy had he not bogeyed his last hole of the day, the par-three ninth, having found the bunker.
DeChambeau continued to make good ground as his one-under 69 improved him to four under for the tournament. The American had a typically eventful round by mixing four bogeys with five birdies, the last of which saw him finish with a flourish on the 18th.
Ludvig Alberg is also at four under and was, like Cantlay, preparing to start his second round just as McIlroy and DeChambeau reached the conclusion of theirs.
Belgian Thomas Detry was making a splash in round two. He had reached five under through 13 holes, putting him level with Cantlay going into the closing stages of his round.
PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele is at one under after posting a 69, but it was a tougher day for world number one Scottie Sheffler, who is five over par after carding a four-over 74 on day two.
Scheffler now faces an anxious wait to see if he will make the cut.
Roger Federer expressed his hopes for former rivals Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray to "keep playing forever", insisting the ATP Tour is "better with them".
Federer called time on his glittering career in 2022, while the other three - who between them formed tennis' 'big four' - appear not to be far away from joining him in retirement.
Nadal, who will miss Wimbledon to focus on his "last Olympics", and Murray are expected to hang up their racquets this year, with the latter revealing in February that he does not "plan on playing much past this summer".
Meanwhile, 24-time major winner Djokovic is also likely be absent from the grass-court major, having undergone knee surgery following his withdrawal from the French Open last week.
Now in their late 30s, all three players are certainly at the twilight of their remarkable careers.
But Federer, who says the quartet all now "get on super well" after years of rivalry, hopes they are not finished just yet.
"I really don't think there are any words of advice that I can give him," he told BBC Sport. "Retirement is so deeply personal. When you take that decision, everybody is in a completely different circumstance.
"We've gone through similar things, but I'm too far away to give advice. If [Andy] called me up, I'd be happy to answer some questions. He's had this massive hip issue and what he is doing is inspirational.
"I hope Andy, like Rafa and Novak, can keep playing forever, like a fan. The tour is better with them. I was watching Roland-Garros last week, and I was like: 'Wow, they're so good - I used to do that too!'
"It's tricky sometimes and there’s definitely moments when you don't like a certain opponent, but then you like him so much. It's important to remember this as a player - it is just tennis and, in the end, we can be normal.
"You see us being super friendly with each other after the rivalry, and we get on super well."
Jamaica’s British-born judoka Ebony Drysdale-Daley has accused the Jamaican Judo Association (JJA) of bias where selection for this summer’s Paris Olympic Games is concerned, as she believes her path to qualification is deliberately being blocked by the powers that be.
With only one judo spot available to Jamaica for the upcoming Games, Drysdale-Daley, who became the country’s first athlete to compete in judo at an Olympic Games, when she graced the 2021 Tokyo edition, argued that she is now being overlooked by the association since her male counterpart Ashley McKenzie came in the picture.
McKenzie, who was also born in England, and won a silver medal at last year’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, currently occupies the coveted spot, as he is nine points ahead of Drysdale-Daley.
It is on that basis why Drysdale-Daley, the 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, alleges that her self-funded effort to attend a qualifying event in an attempt to possibly overhaul McKenzie is being hindered by the association's hierarchy.
“I feel the federation has shown no impartiality. I feel there is a real question of ethics, a real question of integrity. The Jamaican Judo association is blocking me from attending and competing in my last qualifying event, an event that I have self-funded and paid for. They (the JJA) told me that they weren't going to help finance, even though when I was in qualifying position, a fund was in reserve to help athletes in that position. But I never questioned that, I did my best to crowdfund and work for it,” Drysdale-Daley shared in a widely-circulated video lasting almost four minutes.
“They have removed me from competition registry. The Jamaican Judo Association had initially registered me for this event, now they have removed me. I feel there are clear and present inconsistencies and I have evidence and emails to support this. I feel the Jamaican Judo Association have favoured the other athlete in contention over me. They have effectively secured and ensured the other athletes qualification ahead of mine by blocking me from this final tournament of which I have paid flights for,” she added.
That tournament which Drysdale-Daley refers to is the Lima Pan American Open starting on June 21. This represents the final competition before the qualification deadline.
The allegations by the 29-year-old raises questions about fairness and transparency within the Judo Association and beyond, as she also leveled claims that she is being ignored and pushed aside by the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA).
“The Jamaican Olympic Association, and the Jamaican Judo Association have not responded to my emails and have cruelly ignored me. The deadline for me to be re-entered is in two days’ time. This is very time sensitive. I feel let down by my peers. I feel so alone,” Drysdale-Daley noted as she fought back tears.
JJA President Dwayne Barnett.
However, the Dwayne Barnett-led JJA in a release, emphatically denied the allegations, and stressed its steadfast commitment to fairness, integrity, and providing equal opportunities for all athletes.
“The JJA categorically refutes any claims of impropriety or personal interests influencing the selection process. The General Secretary and other mentioned individuals have no personal or vested interests that would compromise the integrity of these processes. The JJA upholds the highest standards of impartiality and professionalism,” the JJA statement read.
On that note, the JJA explained that its decision to omit Drysdale-Dale from qualification was made on the basis of the athlete’s disregard for deadlines, including for Anti-doping testing, which she failed to turn up for on two occasions.
“It is important to clarify that Olympic qualification in judo requires athletes to meet specific criteria. As in most sports, if not in all, qualification is based on merit and current performance of athletes so as to ensure the best representation. The JJA subscribes to this principle,” it declared.
“The decision to exclude Ebony from the upcoming qualifying event was solely based on her consistent failure to comply with deadlines and her repeated attempts to circumvent the processes established by the JJA for efficient management of competition entries. The importance of adhering to these deadlines has been communicated to all athletes on numerous occasions,” JJA added.
Regarding support and funding, the JJA revealed that Drysdale-Daley has received financial support exceeding US$50,000 from the JOA and other strategic partners since the day she began to represent Jamaica in judo.
“The JJA empathizes with Ebony Drysdale-Daley's disappointment and frustration. However, it is imperative to recognize that deadlines are an essential component of our processes. The JJA stands by its decisions, which are made in accordance with established rules and regulations,” the release stated.
Craig Simpson and Aliana McMaster were the top shooters last Sunday at the Jackson Bay Hunting & Fishing Club in Jackson Bay, Clarendon. Simpson, who secured 91 points, had nothing but praise for the venue and the targets, while giving his victory speech.
While acknowledging that it was more challenging than he had expected, that didn’t stop Simpson from putting in the mental work it needed to win. “The wind made it more challenging than you would expect, but still, there was something there for everybody. You had a mixture of targets, some of which were of international standards, testing the best of us. I’m happy that I came out on top,” he said.
Craig Simpson
Aliana McMaster, who scored 86 points, won the ladies section ahead of her mother, Wendy McMaster, with a score of 83, who was dethroned last year as the five-time national female champion. It was all love and support for the mother-daughter duo, as Wendy shared that at one point, she sensed that her daughter was withholding and she had to have a pep talk with her.
Wendy, after accompanying her husband to several bird shooting events in support before he took up clay shooting, said she eventually decided it didn’t seem that hard and she could try it too. She eventually ‘dragged’ her children into it.
For Aliana, while she has no recollection of the exact moment she decided to take up the challenge, she said being exposed to it eventually led to that decision. “To tell you the truth, I was just tired of watching. I was like, I’m going to be here anyway; I might as well participate. So that’s how I got into it, and I think it was maybe the following year that I did my first lesson”.
Fast forward to the 2024 event, and the duo both stated that they are not competing against each other; in fact, they are each other’s biggest supporters. “I’m not competing against my daughter; I’m really competing against all the men in the C class; she competes to win her class,” Wendy, who ended up in the third spot in the C class, shared.
Although, with a smile, she said when Aliana just started “to whop her bottom,” it was a little bit of shaky ground as she thought, ‘Looks like this girl plans to give me a run for my money!” She had no fear, as she said her victories made her proud.
Aliana McMaster
Aliana quickly dismissed the rivalry as she stressed how much she admires and supports her mother in the sport. “I am her biggest supporter.”.
The day was an overwhelming success, and president of the Jackson Bay Hunting and Fishing Gun Club, Sean Clacken, shared that there was a big improvement from last year, with over 150 gunners participating. They also did things a little different for this year’s event. “We created our own trophies; they are all made of wood and have clay on them,” he informed, giving credit to the creators, Chris Lee and Woodman 876.
He also shared that improvements were made to the course as the gunners wanted a shorter walking course, which he informed was ‘easier but trickier’. “We wanted to facilitate those young to the sport, but at the same time give challenges to the more experienced,” he informed.
Sable-Joy McLaren, Senior Manager of group marketing for First Rock Group, title sponsors for the competition, is thrilled with the success of the event. “We’re very pleased with this year’s staging of the competition. The incredible talent and sportsmanship displayed by all the participants made this a great experience.” She continued “It’s actually FirstRock’s second year sponsoring the event, and this time around we supported in a more expansive way, by including other members of our Group, Ultra Financier, Century 21 Jamaica and Optimum Distributors.”
Among the other winners for the day were Liam McConnel with 79 points in the Hunter category, Brian Kong with 83 points in the C category, and Chad Ziadie with 91 points in the A category.
Rory McIlroy believes his "controlled" and "disciplined" start will stand him in good stead at the US Open, where he is eyeing a first major triumph in 10 years.
The three-time major winner opened with a bogey-free opening round of 65 at Pinehurst for a share of the lead with Patrick Cantlay.
It is a good omen for McIlroy, who has gone on to lift the trophy on all three occasions he has started a major without bogeying - achieving the feat at the 2011 US Open, 2012 PGA Championship and 2014 Open Championship.
The 35-year-old also equalled his best-ever start at a US Open, having posted 65 on the way to his 2011 victory and second-place finish 12 months ago.
"It's nice to see your name at the top of the leaderboard after the first day of a US Open," McIlroy, who hit five birdies including two in the last three holes, told Sky Sports.
"I felt like I played a really solid, controlled round of golf. I just stayed disciplined and when I got myself in trouble, I took my medicine, two-putted.
"This is the whole thing about a US Open, it's trying to keep clean scorecards like this. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to keep it bogey-free for the rest of the week. But it's not about how many birdies you make, it's about how many bogeys you don't make.
"I had a run of pars from the 11th through to 15th where I had chances and wasn't able to convert. But I feel like the patience I showed over those five holes was rewarded with two birdies in the last three - a great way to finish.
"I went through a run for a while where my starts at major championships weren't very good. I probably got myself a little too worked up at the start of the week.
"Certainly, the major championships that I've won or the ones that I've played well at, I've always seemed to get off to a good start, and it's nice to get off to another one."
Tiger Woods conceded he was not as sharp as he needed to be during round one of the US Open on Thursday.
The 15-time major winner carded a four-over 74 at Pinehurst No 2, leaving him nine shots adrift of co-leaders Patrick Cantlay and Rory McIlroy.
Woods is making just a third start of the season as he focuses on being able to stay healthy for the majors but the 48-year-old acknowledged that is affecting his ability to compete.
In quotes reported by Sky Sports, he said: "I didn't hit my irons particularly well. Didn't putt that great. Drove it on the string all day, just unfortunately I just didn't capitalise on it.
"I was somewhat conservative in some of my end points. Then again, I didn't hit the ball very well either, so it added up to quite a bit of distance away from the flag. It's not where I wanted to be on a lot of the holes. It just ended up being that far away because I wasn't as sharp as I needed to be."
"I'm physically getting better as the year has gone on. I just haven't been able to play as much because I just don't want to hurt myself pre (majors), then I won't be able to play in the major championships.
"It's pick your poison, right? Play a lot with the potential of not playing, or not playing and fight being not as sharp."
Maikel Garcia delivered a walk-off two-run double off New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes and the Kansas City Royals rallied to avoid a four-game sweep with a 4-3 victory on Thursday.
Holmes retired Freddy Fermin to open the ninth before Drew Waters reached on an infield hit after Holmes and first baseman Anthony Rizzo were confused about who would field the ball. After a fielder’s choice for the second out, Kyle Isbel singled to put runners on the corners and Garcia hit a liner down the left-field line to score both runners.
Alex Marsh took a no-hitter into the seventh against the major league-best Yankees (49-22), who outscored the Royals 25-8 in the first three games of the series. Juan Soto’s leadoff single in the seventh ended his no-hit bid and Marsh retired the next three batters to conclude his 96-pitch outing.
Rizzo homered in the eighth to get New York within 2-1 and an error by second baseman Garrett Hampson set up Anthony Volpe’s RBI grounder. Soto’s RBI single gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
The Royals snapped a four-game skid and the Yankees lost for only the third time in 15 games.
White Sox overcome blown save, top Mariners
Garrett Crochet struck out a career-high 13 over seven innings and Andrew Vaughn homered and drove in the winning run in the 10th inning to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners.
Crochet continued his breakout season by allowing one run and two hits with two walks in a 102-pitch outing. He fanned double digits for the third time in his last four starts and held an opponent to one earned run or less for the seventh time in his last eight games.
His one big mistake came in the fifth when rookie Tyler Locklear golfed a changeup out to left field for his first career home run.
Crochet was denied the win when Michael Kopech served up Julio Rodriguez’s solo home run with one out in the ninth inning.
Nicky Lopez’s single moved automatic runner Korey Lee to third with one out in the 10th, and he scored on Vaughn’s grounder to third.
Tanner Banks struck out two in a perfect 10th for his second save.
Luis Robert Jr. and Vaughn hit back-to-back home runs in the third off Emerson Hancock to give Chicago a 2-0 lead.
Braves cool Orioles, end skid
Reynaldo Lopez pitched two-hit ball over six scoreless innings and Ozzie Albies had four hits as the Atlanta Braves snapped a five-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Lopez allowed only two singles and retired 14 consecutive batters at one point to lower his ERA to 1.69. He walked one and matched a season high with eight strikeouts.
Joe Jimenez worked the eighth and Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for his 17th save.
Marcell Ozuna had a two-run double in the first inning and the Braves’ 12 hits were their most since June 1.
Kyle Stowers hit a three-run homer for the Orioles, who had won a season-best six in a row.
Sam Reinhart and Aleksander Barkov each had a goal and an assist and the Florida Panthers held on for a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers to take a 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night.
Vladimir Tarasenko and Sam Bennett also scored for the Panthers, who can wrap up the franchise’s first Stanley Cup title in Game 4 in Edmonton on Saturday night.
Florida carried a 4-1 lead into the third period, but Philip Broberg scored at 6:02 and Ryan McLeod made it a one-goal game with 5:17 remaining.
The Oilers, however, could not beat Sergei Bobrovsky again and now face the daunting task of trying to win four straight games to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993 – months before the Panthers’ inaugural season.
Only four teams in league playoff history (1975 New York Islanders, 2010 Philadelphia Flyers and 2014 Los Angeles Kings) have won a series after losing the first three games and only once in the final (1942 Toronto Maple Leafs).
Bobrovsky finished with 32 saves to win his sixth straight start. He allowed more than two goals for the first time during that span.
The Panthers showed no ill effects from waiting to fly from South Florida to Alberta, a decision that was questioned when their plane was delayed by storms and got in a few hours late Wednesday – less than 24 hours before puck drop.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to a five-year, $275 million extension that includes $200 million guaranteed, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
With a $55 million average salary, Lawrence ties Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow for the most in NFL history.
Detroit’s Jared Goff, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers are the other quarterbacks making at least $50 million per year.
Lawrence’s deal is surpassed in total guaranteed and fully guaranteed money only by Burrow and Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson.
The 24-year-old Lawrence is entering the fourth season of his rookie deal and the Jaguars exercised his fifth-year option earlier this offseason.
The first overall pick in the 2021 draft, Lawrence has completed 63.8 percent of his passes in 50 regular season starts for 11,770 yards with 58 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. He has compiled a 21-31 record as a starter in three seasons, including 1-1 in the playoffs. He led the Jaguars to an AFC South title and a playoff win in 2022, earning a Pro Bowl selection.
Jacksonville and Lawrence got off to an 8-3 start last season and appeared to be legitimate contenders in the AFC, but the Jaguars lost five of their final six games and failed to reach the playoffs after spending three months atop the AFC South.
Lawrence missed the first game of his career against Carolina on December 31 due to a shoulder injury, a 26-0 victory for the Jaguars.
He also missed significant practice time because of other injuries: a sprained left knee in Week 6, a sprained right ankle in Week 13 and a concussion in Week 15.
Patrick Cantlay set the early pace on day one of the US Open at Pinehurst, with Rory McIlroy later matching his score to share the lead.
McIlroy, part of the headline group with world number one, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, had the chance to equal the lead on the 17th but missed his birdie shot by inches.
However, he held his nerve on the final hole to finish a bogey-free five-under 65, giving him a share of the lead with Cantlay.
A tough round for Scheffler saw him card a one-over 71, while Schauffele missed his birdie putt on the final hole to finish on level par.
Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka briefly led after 10 holes, but a sloppy finish saw him finish on level par, with Collin Morikawa matching his score shortly after.
Meanwhile, Tiger Woods made a promising start with a birdie on the 10th, his first hole of the round, but he struggled as he went on, finishing with a four-over 74.
Bryson DeChambeau was among the later starters in North Carolina.
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