The Seattle Mariners set a new record on Sunday as they defeated the Texas Rangers 6-2 for their 14th consecutive win – the longest winning streak entering the All-Star break in MLB history.
Prior to this season, the longest winning streak heading into the All-Star break was 10 games, set by the 1935 Detroit Tigers, the 1945 Chicago Cubs and the 1975 Cincinnati Reds. All three teams ended up making the World Series.
It was a great showing from the Mariners' top hitters as their two All-Stars drove in a pair of runs each.
A late addition to the American League All-Star roster, Ty France connected on the longest drive of the game with his 432-foot solo home run in the fifth inning, extending the Mariners' lead to 3-1.
Rookie of the Year favourite – and the only rookie All-Star – Julio Rodriguez then drove in a pair of runs with his double in the seventh inning, and Rodriguez was brought home by a France RBI base hit as the very next batter.
Of all rookies in the majors this season, Rodriguez leads in hits (93), home runs (16), RBIs (50), runs (52) and stolen bases (21).
The Mariners are now 51-42 for the season, giving them the fourth-best record in the American League. They are also one game away from tying their longest winning streak of all time, with 15-in-a-row set in 2001.
Soto homers in Nationals win
Washington Nationals star Juan Soto showed why he is expected to fetch one of the largest trade hauls in the history of the league as he connected on his 20th home run of the season in his side's 7-3 win over the Atlanta Braves.
Soto is reportedly on the trade block after turning down a 15-year, $440million contract extension, with the 23-year-old considered one of the purest hitters in the game.
He connected on his homer in the eighth inning to put the finishing touches on the win and continue his barnstorming July. After an uncharacteristically poor start to the season, Soto is 17-of-40 at the plate this month, with an on-base percentage of .589 while slugging .850.
Cease pitches a gem
Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease was at the top of his game as his team hammered the Minnesota Twins 11-0.
Cease, arguably the best pitcher not to be named an All-Star this season, showed his quality with seven scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and two walks while striking out eight.
Nine of the 10 White Sox batters collected at least one hit, with elite first baseman Andrew Vaughn hitting a home run among his three knocks, and their lone offensive All-Star Tim Anderson had a two-RBI single to open the scoring.
Maxime Cressy staged an impressive fightback in the Hall of Fame Open final to outlast Alexander Bublik and scoop his first ATP Tour title.
When he trailed by a set and 3-0, Cressy's hopes looked almost forlorn, yet the French-American came back to win 2-6 6-3 7-6 (7-3) in two hours and 23 minutes.
The run of six consecutive games in the second set saved Cressy's skin, before he edged a decider against Russian-born Kazakh rival Bublik in which neither man could force a break of serve.
Cressy had a brief injury timeout near the end of the third set, before sweeping through the tie-break.
The grass-court tournament in Newport, Rhode Island, earlier saw Lleyton Hewitt inaugurated to the International Tennis Federation's Hall of Fame, with the former US Open and Wimbledon champion on hand to receive the accolade.
Hewitt won the last ATP title of his career at the Hall of Fame Open in 2014, having lost in the final in the previous two seasons.
The 41-year-old Australian described the Hall of Fame entry on Sunday as "an incredible honour", saying he had previously considered it out of his reach and "for the people that were my idols growing up and the absolute legends of the sport".
Newly crowned Open champion Cameron Smith said he was just "here to win golf tournaments" as he declined to say whether he could soon join the breakaway LIV Golf Invitational Series.
The Australian was asked about the prospect in a news conference after landing the first major of his career on Sunday, pipping Cameron Young by one shot and Rory McIlroy by two at St Andrews.
It remains to be seen whether Smith has been tempted by the prospect of signing up for the lucrative, Saudi-backed breakaway competition.
He was not open to giving a direct answer when asked whether there was truth behind rumours he could defect to LIV Golf.
"I just won the British Open, and you're asking about that. I think that's pretty not that good," Smith said.
When asked to answer the question one way or another, Smith replied: "I don't know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff. I'm here to win golf tournaments."
The 28-year-old would be joining the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood if he joins LIV Golf.
Big incentives are on offer for committing to play in the new series, along with hefty prize purses.
Critics of LIV Golf have claimed it is an attempt at "sportswashing" by the Saudi Arabia regime, attempting to improve the country's image amid allegations of human rights violations.
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour have come out in opposition to the series, as have a number of leading players, including Tiger Woods and McIlroy.
Smith's fellow Australian Greg Norman is CEO of LIV Golf.
Norman also happened to be the last Australian winner of the Open until Smith's sublime closing 64 at the home of golf saw him vault to the top of the leaderboard and lift the Claret Jug.
In a congratulatory Twitter message to Smith, Norman, the 1986 and 1993 Open winner, wrote: "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi! A spectacular final round mate. A triumph for you and for Australia as the first Australian to win in 29 years. You’re in good company."
Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale suffered yet another injury Sunday as he broke the pinky finger on his pitching hand when he was hit by a line drive in the first inning against the New York Yankees.
Sale was making his second start of the season after recovering from a fractured rib sustained while working out during the Major League Baseball lockout.
With two outs in the first inning Sunday, Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks hit a liner off Sale’s hand that ricocheted into right field for an RBI single. Sale looked down at his hand and immediately walked to the Boston dugout.
Sale signed a five-year, $145million contract extension with Boston in 2019, but he’s pitched a combined 48 1/3 innings since the end of that campaign.
The seven-time All-Star missed the pandemic-shortened 2020 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery before making his 2021 debut on August 14, going 5-1 with a 3.16 ERA in nine starts.
If Sale needs surgery on his pinky, he could miss the rest of the regular season for a Boston team that heads into the All-Star break in the hunt for an American League wild-card spot.
Open champion Cameron Smith revealed his third-round slump provided all the incentive he needed to get his act together and claim victory with a stunning 64 at St Andrews on Sunday.
The leader after 36 holes, it was widely thought Smith had blown his chances with a scruffy 73 on Saturday which left him four shots adrift of leading duo Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland.
However, a run of five birdies in a row after the turn in his final round put Smith in the ascendancy and he never looked back, showing nerves of steel to save par on 17 before making another gain at the last to render playing partner Cameron Young's eagle immaterial.
The Australian roared to his maiden major after undercutting crowd favourite McIlroy's Sunday score by six strokes, while he was a huge 10 shots better than Hovland across the concluding 18 holes.
Speaking about Saturday's backslide, Smith – who finished on 20 under, a shot ahead of Young – said: "I think I was really frustrated with how the round went.
"I just really put it down to links golf. I think you really have those days on these courses where you get a bit of a weird bounce here and there and puts you in a bad spot.
"So, I shrugged it off pretty good, I think, last night. I really didn't dwell on it too much.
"But to go out there and really stick my head down and keep making birdies and keep making putts, yeah, it was really cool. I think that [Saturday's disappointment] definitely helped."
Smith will have to wait before he can properly celebrate with his close family and friends, as his dad made what proved to be an ill-advised decision not to head over to Fife to see his son in action at the 150th Open Championship.
"I don't have any family here. I've got all my team here," he said.
"My dad was actually meant to come over, and he pulled out in the last minute basically. I had a quick chat with him before. He's kicking himself now.
"I really wish he was here, too. It would have been such a cool week, even without this, to be at the home of golf. Dad loves his golf as well. It would have been awesome."
The Champion Golfer of the Year – whose score of 268 is a record in an Open at St Andrews – had some warm words of praise for McIlroy, who missed out on a second Claret Jug and first major since 2014.
"He's obviously a great player," said Smith after finishing two strokes clear of the Northern Irishman.
"He's one of those guys that you can't help but stop when he's hitting balls on the range, and he just keeps knocking on doors every week, it seems like.
"He's probably the most consistent player out here.
"He's going to get a major, I'm sure, very soon. He's just really solid. For me, I've played with Rory a few times, and there's really nothing that you can fault."
Asked about the mullet hairstyle that makes him so distinctive and whether he would keep it, the 28-year-old added: "I think it's going to stay, mate!"
Cameron Smith struggled to find the words to describe his first major victory but said he achieved "something I've always dreamt of" after triumphing at The Open.
The Australian lifted the Claret Jug following a wonderful final-round 64 at St Andrews, which saw him finish on 20 under par.
Smith headed into the final round on Sunday four shots back from the leading duo of Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland.
Yet an impressive streak of gains on five consecutive holes after the turn saw him leap to the summit on 19 under.
He then held his nerve as the pressure intensified, saving par with a tricky putt on the 17th before a birdie on the last saw him edge out playing partner Cameron Young by one stroke and McIlroy by two.
Smith, who joined the likes of Tiger Woods and Seve Ballesteros in lifting the Claret Jug at St Andrews, revealed his pride at triumphing on the 150th anniversary of the Open on the iconic Old Course.
"First and foremost, I want to thank the team," he told Sky Sports. "All the hard work we've done over the last couple of years is really starting to pay off. This one definitely makes it worth it.
"It was just absolutely awesome out there. The course was exactly how an Open Championship should be played; firm and fast, tough pins. It was just unreal.
"I had a lot of support out there, especially the Aussie guys – you guys really kept me going out there. This one is for Oz!
"It's just unreal. This place is so cool. To have the 150th Open here and walk away with the win, it's something I've always dreamt of. I didn't even know I was going to get this far, it's just awesome.
"To look at these names on this trophy and then add mine, it's unreal, I'm lost for words. I'm definitely going to find out how many beers fit in this thing, that's for sure!"
Rory McIlroy admitted he had allowed himself to dream of Open Championship glory before Cameron Smith snatched the Claret Jug away at St Andrews.
Northern Irishman McIlroy had the bulk of the crowd support as he attempted to win a fifth major, and a first in eight years, but he could not convert a lead into victory.
Having started the day in a share of first place with Viktor Hovland, McIlroy at one stage powered into a two-stroke lead at 17 under par, yet charging Australian Smith surged past him after a run of five birdies from 10 to 14, and that was that.
McIlroy attempted to respond but found little, accepting his putter had gone cold once he completed a two-under round of 70 to reach 18 under for the championship, enough only for third place. American Cameron Young sneaked up to second, one behind Smith whose closing 64 gave him a 20-under winning score.
McIlroy said: "It's not life or death. I'll have other chances to win the Open Championship and other chances to win majors. It's one that I feel like I let slip away, but there will be other opportunities."
He had wondered how it would feel to again win The Open, having triumphed in 2014 at Royal Liverpool.
"Of course. I'm only human. I'm not a robot," the 33-year-old said.
"Of course, you think about it, and you envision it, and you want to envision it. My hotel room is directly opposite the big yellow board on 18. Every time I go out, I'm trying to envision McIlroy at the top name on that leaderboard and how did that feel?
"At the start of the day, it was at the top, but at the start of tomorrow, it won't be. Of course you have to let yourself dream. You've got to let yourself think about it and what it would be like, but once I was on the golf course, it was just the task at hand and trying to play the best golf I possibly could."
McIlroy felt he played well on Sunday until it came to capitalising on chances, particularly in the middle part of the round when many, as Smith showed, made significant gains.
"I wish that I had hit it a little closer with some approach shot shots, and I wish I'd have holed a couple more putts," he said. "The putter just went a little cold today compared to the last three days.
"I've just got to keep putting myself in position, keep putting myself in there. And whenever you put yourself in that shining light, you're going to have to deal with setbacks and deal with failures. Today is one of those times. But I just have to dust myself off and come again and keep working hard and keep believing."
He said he was "beaten by a better player this week".
"But it's been a good week overall," said the world number two. "I can't be too despondent because of how this year's going. I'm playing some of the best golf I've played in a long time. So it's just a matter of keep knocking on the door, and eventually one will open."
Cameron Young admitted his eagle at the last actually made his near miss at The Open a little harder to take.
The American sunk a putt for a two at the 72nd hole, but playing partner Cameron Smith etched his name onto the Claret Jug with a birdie moments later, sealing victory after starting the day four shots behind leading duo Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland.
Young finished on 19 under, one stroke behind Smith, while crowd favourite McIlroy ended up third on 18 under after a closing 70 – five worse than Young's final round, and six more than the imperious Smith.
His last-hole heroics had given Young a glimmer of hope that a play-off might be forthcoming, though he did not expect the on-song Smith to fluff his lines at St Andrews.
"No, Cameron was not going to miss that," he said.
"It probably hurts a little worse to come up one shot short. If you lose by eight you don't really care.
"But I played well. I would have signed up for 65 this morning, and to watch Cameron shoot what he did, it was pretty amazing. I had a front-row seat to I'm sure one of the better rounds that's been played this year.
"And we both started four back of two guys that are capable of as much if not more than just about everybody else in the world.
"I know Cameron Smith's ranked very highly in the world. I don't know exactly what, but I imagine top five or six. And this kind of just is more proof that he is that good and he is one of the very, very best players in the world."
Young was pleased with how he dealt with the pressure of being in the mix on the final day of a major and hopes to keep putting himself in that position.
"I think I handled it pretty well," he said.
"At this point – not as much as some of those other guys – but I've at least been around the lead a lot this year, so it's not the first time I've been in that situation.
"I think I said at the PGA one of these times I'll shoot five under on the back nine and that will be enough, and here I did that and it wasn't.
"I guess one of these times I'll shoot six on the back nine on Sunday and that will be enough!"
LeBron James showed no rust on Saturday in his return to competitive basketball at the Drew League, while former team-mate Kyrie Irving was a no-show after being expected to take the court.
James had 42 points, 16 rebounds and four steals while teaming with Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan at the Drew League, a pro-am event held every summer in the Los Angeles area.
It was James' first action since missing seven of the Los Angeles Lakers' final eight games due to a sprained ankle. James appeared in just 56 games in 2021-22 as he dealt with ankle, knee and abdominal injuries.
However, he managed to average 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists for a Lakers team that missed the playoffs with a 33-49 record.
"I'm 100 percent healthy," James told ESPN on Saturday in his first appearance at the Drew League since 2011.
Irving, meanwhile, was expected to play in the event but instead attended a camp hosted by Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy.
"They were pretty sure he was coming," Drew League Commissioner Dino Smiley told NBA.com of Irving's representatives. "But you know how Kyrie is. I guess he changed his mind in the middle of it."
James and Irving won an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, and rumours have been swirling that they could be reunited in Los Angeles.
Irving recently exercised his $36.5million player option for next season with the Brooklyn Nets, but with Kevin Durant requesting a trade out of Brooklyn, the Nets could be looking to move Irving as well.
ESPN has reported that the Nets and Lakers have been in talks about a deal that would send Irving to Los Angeles and Russell Westbrook to Brooklyn.
"In order to get great talent, you have to give up a lot of great talent and value in draft picks," Lakers president Jeanie Buss told NBA.com. "Every team is sophisticated and smart. Nobody is just asleep at the wheel.
"Everybody is just trying to make their team better. Some teams are pivoting from a path they were on and want to deal because they have players that don't fit what their plans are. So it's a fluid situation. You always have to stay on top of it."
Cameron Smith surged to victory at The Open with a stunning final-round 64, edging out Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young to claim his first major.
The Australian started Sunday's round four shots back from leading duo McIlroy and Viktor Hovland but kept his cool to triumph over Young by one stroke on a thrilling day at St Andrews, finishing on 20 under.
He extinguished McIlroy's hopes of ending an eight-year major drought at the 150th edition of golf's oldest major, where record crowds were treated to a memorable tournament, even if they were denied the champion the majority wanted to see lift the Claret Jug.
McIlroy's closing 70, during which he passed up a series of birdie chances, was only enough for third spot as Young eagled the last to take second and Hovland faded to finish six shots off the pace, alongside Tommy Fleetwood.
The focus initially was firmly on the final pairing, who sat on a four-shot advantage, and it was Hovland who blinked first, three-putting for a bogey five on the fourth and McIlroy's lead was two when he birdied the fifth.
But as Hovland stalled, it was Smith who led the charge of the chasing pack, making gains in five consecutive holes after the turn to move to the summit on 19 under.
He showed nerves of steel to hole a tricky putt for par on the 17th and then made a birdie at the last after Young had found the hole for an eagle.
That left McIlroy needing a two at the par-four last to force a play-off as fans poured onto the 18th fairway at the home of golf, but he could only manage a par as a new major champion was crowned.
Jasper Philipsen secured his first Tour de France victory on stage 15 as race leader Jonas Vingegaard recovered from a crash but lost another Jumbo-Visma team-mate.
Primoz Roglic withdrew due to injury before the 202.5-kilometre ride – the second-longest of this year's Tour – between Rodez and Carcassonne on Sunday.
Steven Kruijswijk became the second Jumbo-Visma to abandon after crashing with 135km to race before Vingegaard came down, but was able to maintain a lead of two minutes and 22 seconds over defending champion Tadej Pogacar.
After the drama of crashes during the climbing section of the stage, Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Philipsen edged out green jersey holder Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen to sprint to victory.
"It makes it super unbelievable," said Pedersen, who had previously finished in the top three eight times in Le Tour sprints without victory.
"I know what losing is like in the Tour de France. I was close many, many times. That it worked out today is incredible. I can't believe it.
"I felt Wout was coming close, but I also knew the finish line from last year. We got boxed in a little bit before the final corner and I knew it was not long anymore after the last corner.
"I knew I had to make up some positions. It was good that I could pass Mads. It's been a massive search for this victory.
"We've worked really hard for it. I'm super proud we can finally finish it off after a tough Tour. We had to wait till stage 15 with the team, but everyone still believed it was possible. I'm super happy."
Vingegaard's rapid recovery to protect yellow jersey
All may have looked lost when yellow jersey leader Vingegaard was involved in a crash that also included Jumbo-Visma team-mate Tiesj Benoot.
But the Dane (4:05) smashed the previous King of the Mountains record on Cote du Lac de Saint-Ferreol, held by Daryl Impey since 2016 (4:18), to maintain his lead over Pogacar and Geraint Thomas.
Yet with no Roglic or Kruijswijk, Le Tour may be blown wide open with a week remaining.
STAGE RESULTS
1. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 4:27:27
2. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) +0:00
3. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) +0:00
4. Peter Sagan (Team TotalEnergies) +0:00
5. Danny van Poppel (BORA–hansgrohe) +0:00
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 59:58:28
2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE-Team Emirates) +2:22
3. Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) +2:43
Points Classification
1. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) 378
2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE-Team Emirates) 182
3. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 176
King of the Mountains
1. Simon Geschke (Cofidis) 46
2. Louis Meintjes (Intermarche–Wanty–Gobert Materiaux) 39
3. Neilson Powless (EF Education–Easypost) 37
Jamaican gymnast Tyesha Mattis has described her debut for Jamaica competing at the Pan American Youth and Senior Gymnastics Championships as an amazing experience and she cannot wait to don the national colours again at the World Gymnastics Championships in England in October.
The 23-year-old Mattis, who along with her sister, recently switched allegiance from England to Jamaica, was the first of 11 All Around gymnasts to qualify for the World Championships.
The All Around gold medallist at the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival said it felt great to be back in competition after a protracted hiatus.
“For me, it was a big experience just to get out there again,” she said. “I didn’t expect the results I had and it was just nice to represent my country and meet my team from Jamaica and it was just an amazing experience.
“I am just grateful to be here on the team and get this experience and I can’t wait to get out there at Worlds and show everybody my routines and my upgraded routines.”
She thanked Jamaica Gymnastics Association President Nicole Grant for affording her the opportunity to “get out there again.”
At the championships that ended Sunday, Jamaica experienced some misfortune as after finishing eighth in the team competition to qualify for the final team spot, a point was deducted from the team, which resulted in the final spot subsequently going to Cuba.
Brazil won the team competition with the USA and Canada finishing second and third, respectively.
It wasn’t all bad news, however, as Team Jamaica’s women made history by making the team qualifications for the first time for the 2023 CAC Games, joining Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, Panama and Venezuela as well as 10 other individuals from others countries with one or two spots at the meet next year.
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s male gymnast Caleb Faulk made some history of his own when he imprinted his name and Jamaica’s in the FIG Code of Points with a very difficult he skill created and flawlessly executed.
According to Grant, the skill was accepted and has been designated an E-value skill worth a massive five points.
The JAGA president thanked her country’s Sports Development Foundation and the Jamaica Olympic Association for the support they provided in helping the team get to the Pan American Championships.
“Thanks also to all the coaches, parents and gymnasts, who also made great sacrifices to compete at the meet,” she said.
Eddie Jones hit back at Australia fans who called him a "traitor" during an altercation after England completed a series win at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Red Rose pulled off a repeat of their tour triumph in 2016 by making it back-to-back series wins Down Under, beating the Wallabies 21-17 in the deciding Test on Saturday.
Jones was head coach of his country between 2001 and 2005, but has been in charge of England since 2015 following a spell with Japan.
After recovering from going 1-0 down in the series with a 30-28 loss in Perth, England won 25-17 in Brisbane last weekend before sealing the series in the decider.
Unsavoury scenes followed the match at the SCG, as two separate incidents emerged on social media that showed Australia fans baiting Jones, with one heading to the front of a stand to shout "You're a traitor" at the Tasmanian, to which the furious 62-year-old responded with, "What did you say? Come here and say it. Come here and say it."
A second video shows another fan also calling Jones a "traitor", which he again took exception to.
When asked for comment over the incident by the Sydney Morning Herald, Jones said: "Clowns think they have full go to abuse coaches."
It was not the first time in the series that Jones felt he had experienced abuse from home fans, suggesting he had faced similar jibes after the defeat in Perth.
"You have got 48,000 people all full of drink and all they want to see is their team win," he said. "When you turn them away, it is a great experience. A great feeling.
"I was coming out from the coaches' box and they all have their scarves on. When did Australians start wearing scarves? It is all the rage isn’t it? They are not so smart now.
"Before the game they are coming up saying to me [saying]: 'You are going to get belted tonight.' Now they are a little bit more quiet. So that's good. I enjoy that."
Despite having a record start to his career, Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson doesn't think he is the best wide receiver in the NFL – at least not yet.
Jefferson gave that accolade to Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders during an interview with Complex this week, but the two-time Pro Bowler was quick to say he expects to come out on top following the 2022 season.
"I'll say after this year I'll be the best receiver in the NFL," Jefferson said. "I definitely have to give it to Davante Adams of now, him being so crazy and dynamic on the field.
"His route running is crazy, so I definitely have to give it to him right now, but I'm pretty sure after this year, it's going to be me."
Jefferson has the numbers to back up that prediction, as his 3,016 receiving yards are the most for a player in their first two seasons in the NFL. His 196 catches are tied with Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints for the most in a wide receiver’s first two campaigns.
After being selected with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Jefferson had 88 receptions and set an NFL rookie record with 1,400 yards to go along with seven touchdowns. Last season, he totalled 108 catches for 1,616 yards and 10 TDs.
Jefferson's 1,616 receiving yards in 2021 were the second-most in the NFL behind Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp (1,947) and slightly ahead of Adams, who had 1,553 yards in his final season with the Green Bay Packers before being traded to the Raiders in March.
"It's definitely tough to outdo 1,600 yards," Jefferson said. "It's not normal for people to get that many yards consistently, back-to-back like that.
“Really just working on my weaknesses that I felt that I had throughout the season, always working on my game. I'm always working on route running, always can work on catching the ball, so just trying to better my craft at all of those different categories."
If Jefferson can better his craft, he believes he will be the best wide receiver in the league.
"I think I have to do it three years in a row for everybody to believe so," he said. "Some people don't think that after two years, you deserve to be at the top of the league.
“And then me, I feel like I'm going to surpass 1,600 yards, too. So I think that I'll become the best receiver after this year."
Sergio Garcia announced he will resign from the DP World Tour and abandon hope of another Ryder Cup appearance, as he completed what is likely to be his last appearance in a St Andrews-staged Open Championship.
The bombshell announcement came after his final round of the major at the 'home of golf', with Garcia underlining his commitment to the controversial, Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.
It remains to be seen whether those on that circuit will be able to play in future majors, but Garcia told Spanish media he is giving up on the idea of playing tournaments on the DP World Tour, which was previously known as the European Tour.
It would leave him sidelined for future editions of the Ryder Cup, the contest between Europe and the United States in which he is the record points-scorer.
"I am quite clear about what I am going to do with the European circuit. Probably leave it," Garcia said, quoted by AS. "Honestly, I want to play where they want me and right now I don't feel wanted on the European Tour."
He reacted angrily to Thomas Bjorn's criticism of the players who have signed up for the lucrative LIV Golf series, saying he did not need to accept "nonsense like that".
"I have what I have and I will try to enjoy it. I'll play less, I'll be at home more, if I don't play majors then I don't play them... I don't care much either," Garcia said.
"I feel a little sorry for the Ryder [Cup], but playing the way I'm playing I'm not going to play the Ryder. We will enjoy what we have, we will play where they want us. I haven't officially communicated anything yet, but I'm going to do it."
The 42-year-old Spaniard, who won the 2017 Masters, is sorry he never had the chance to play with his great compatriot Seve Ballesteros at St Andrews, and said there would be "a little bit of disappointment" if he never wins the tournament.
Garcia has twice been an Open runner-up, losing in a play-off to Padraig Harrington in 2007 at Carnoustie, then finishing two shots behind Rory McIlroy in 2014 at Royal Liverpool.
He made his Open debut as a 16-year-old amateur in 1996 and has not been in the mix this week, with a second round of 66 only serving to repair the damage from a 75 on Thursday.
Asked if there would be a sense of regret if he was sidelined from future Opens and never lifted the Claret Jug, Garcia said on Sunday: "I wouldn't say regret. Obviously a little bit of disappointment because I've been close and I love this championship and these crowds very much. Sometimes you don't get what you want or what you wish."
Looking at St Andrews in particular, Garcia said the Open's next return to the Scottish links, likely to come in 2030, might be too far off into the future for him to return.
"I don't know, when is the next one here? 2030. Yeah, probably tough," he said. "And the way everyone is reacting to us [the LIV Golf players], probably even tougher. It is what it is. Things come to an end."
Garcia, who has had two top-10 finishes in Open Championships at St Andrews, spoke of his memories of the course.
"I have some good ones, obviously. Unfortunately I never got to play with Seve here," he said. "That would have been fun."
The golf from Garcia this week was not good enough to contend, with a closing 73 seeing him finish on two-under par.
Asked how he had enjoyed competing on the Fife coast, Garcia said: "Not very much. I enjoyed the crowd, but that was about it."
Rory McIlroy not only has the backing of the majority of the huge crowd at St Andrews, but he is also Silver Medal winner Filippo Celli's pick to triumph at The Open.
McIlroy moved into a two-stroke lead through six holes on the final day at the 150th edition of golf's oldest major, with playing partner Viktor Hovland his nearest rival.
Already back in the clubhouse having carded a closing 71, Italian Celli is hoping when he receives his low amateur prize it will be McIlroy lifting the Claret Jug at the presentation.
"I'm feeling very happy and proud," said the 21-year-old, who finished on five under.
"Today my golf game was really good, like the last three days. And today I made a lot of stupid bogeys, I can say that, but that's okay because I'm very happy because my dream was to play here, and I won also the Silver Medal.
"I can't ask for a better thing to win the Silver Medal at the 150th Open at St Andrews.
"I hope that Rory McIlroy can win the Claret Jug because he's my favourite player. So going out for the presentation with Rory McIlroy, it will be a real dream. And I can't ask for better in this moment."
Celli revealed his dreamlike week had got off to a memorable start on Monday, when he played the back nine with his hero.
"It started on Monday. I was so lucky because I was playing the practise round with my coach and caddie, Alberto. We were on the 13th green, and the 13th green and the fifth green are the same green," he explained.
"Rory McIlroy was playing the practise round with Dustin Johnson. He's putting on the fifth green. I was alone by myself out there with Alberto putting on 13.
"And I was so happy when Rory, like he turned to the face to me and Alberto, and he asked me and Alberto, 'Hey, guys, you mind if I join you for the back nine?'
"I looked at Alberto and said 'Is he serious or not?' Rory, of course you can!
"I was so lucky and happy because it's a dream come true because I grew up watching the video of Rory and the wins of Rory, all the stuff he won. So it's amazing, unbelievable."
Bernarda Pera secured her first WTA Tour title after defeating Aleksandra Krunic 6-3 6-3 at the Budapest Grand Prix.
Pera, who won two qualifying rounds to reach the main draw in the tournament, will likely re-enter the top 100 in the world rankings after her triumph.
The pair advanced to Sunday's showpiece in Hungary without dropping a set, teeing up a mouth-watering clash between the world number 105 Krunic and 130th-ranked Pera.
Pera, the lowest-ranked contender to play for the title in Budapest since world number 112 Yvonne Meusburger lost to Simona Halep in 2013, raced out the blocks to claim an early 3-0 lead, with the Serbian winning just one point.
Krunic then squandered four break-point opportunities in the fifth game before the American required five attempts to claim the first-set lead, with both missing a plethora of chances.
Moscow-born Krunic seemed to regain her composure, with the pair exchanging breaks to leave the match finely poised at 3-3 in the second set.
But Pera, appearing in her first tour-level final, broke again once more in the following set before holding out on her serve to seize the initiative.
The 27-year-old required just one opportunity to wrap up the match and her maiden title, while she achieved her third career win over Krunic in as many meetings.
Francisco Cerundolo claimed his first ATP title with a straight-sets victory over fellow Argentinian Sebastian Baez at the Swedish Open.
Cerundolo had lost his only previous final, again against a fellow countryman in the form of Diego Schwartzman at last year's Argentina Open.
But he was not to be denied this time around on the clay in Bastad on Sunday.
The two players went into this tournament with just five places separating them in the ATP rankings, and they proved to evenly matched in the first set.
World number 34 Baez struck with a break in the opening game only for the 39-ranked Cerundolo to immediately hit back in kind.
Cerundolo saved six break points to hold for a 6-5 lead but then saw two set points go begging.
He dominated the subsequent tie-break, however, and maintained the momentum in the second, serving out a 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 win to love.
Petra Martic clinched the Ladies Open Lausanne on Sunday after a straight-sets win against Olga Danilovic, prevailing 6-4 6-2.
The world number 85 secured the second WTA title of her career in one hour and 29 minutes on the clay on Sunday after a dominant showing against the Serbian.
Martic had eliminated three seeds on her way to the final and made a strong start as she broke Danilovic in the opening game the contest.
Danilovic recovered well and broke back soon after, before rescuing six break points in the seventh game, but she was unable to keep the Croatian at bay in her next service game as Martic took another break, before serving out to clinch the first set with a beautiful forehand down the line.
Martic's serve was her strength on the day, winning 71.8 per cent of her first serves, but more impressively, 63.2 per cent of her second serves compared to 29.2 per cent from her opponent.
Danilovic was competing in her first WTA Tour final in 1,449 days, with her last one being on July 29, 2018, when she won in Moscow.
A steady start to the second set from Danilovic was undone in the fifth game after a sloppy service game saw Martic break to love.
The 31-year-old was then made to work to hold her own serve, before breaking again following a couple of fortunate moments when the ball clipped the net.
Martic - who had been ranked as high as 14th in the world in 2020 - then served out with ease to clinch her first title since 2019, and despite the comfortable victory, had words of praise for her 21-year-old opponent during her on-court interview post-match.
"When I arrived here the first day, I came to check out the centre courts and I saw Olga playing," she told the crowd. "I said to my manager 'she is going to be a great player'. She already is."
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