Shane Lowry says he is feeling "calm and composed" after recovering from a double-bogey to establish the clubhouse lead on day two at The Open.
The 2019 champion began the day at five under at Royal Troon - a shot behind leader Daniel Brown - and birdied the first, fourth and eight holes to reach seven under at the turn.
However, things started to go wrong on the notorious par-four 11th, when a stray tee shot into the rough was followed by a hook into a gorse bush, with Lowry having to settle for six and moving back to par for the day.
Nevertheless, the Northern Irishman held his nerve in the windy conditions, with four successive pars followed by two birdies on the final three holes.
The second of these saw him roll in a beautiful 20-footer, and Lowry was thrilled by the way he responded to the setback to put himself in a promising position.
"I was in control of my ball and did all the right things for a lot of the round," he told reporters. "Then when I got in a bit of trouble, I feel like I really finished the round well.
"I'm pretty happy with the day. To be leading this tournament after two days; it's why you come here, it's why we're here.
"The job tomorrow as well is to try to put myself in a position to win this tournament on Sunday, and that's what I'll try and do."
"I have felt quite calm and composed the last couple of days. I've felt really in my comfort zone. To shoot in the 60s is very good any day on this course, even when the conditions aren't this bad. I'm very happy."
Rafael Nadal booked his place in the Swedish Open semi-finals after coming from behind to deny Mariano Navone in Bastad.
The 22-time major winner recovered from losing the opening set to prevail 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 7-5 in just under four hours on Centre Court.
Nadal was slow out of the blocks against the fourth seed, who broke his opponent three times in the opening set for a 4-1 lead.
The Spaniard dug deep and responded to lead 6-5 but Navone - a finalist on clay in Rio and Bucharest - dominated the tie-break 7-2 to draw first blood.
Both players continued to struggle on serve in the second set, with Nadal crucially breaking in game 11 before holding to level.
The 37-year-old recovered from an early break in the decider, reeling off five successive games for a 5-2 lead. Navone fought back to 5-5, but was broken in the following game with Nadal subsequently serving out to set up a semi-final clash with Duje Ajdukovic.
Data Debrief: Comeback king Nadal seals semi-final return
Not since Wimbledon in 2022 had Nadal reached an ATP semi-final, withdrawing on the eve of his clash with Nick Kyrgios due to an abdominal injury.
His hopes of doing so seemed bleak early on, with world number 36 Navone threatening to become the lowest-ranked player to beat him on clay since 2016.
However, the 22-time major winner dug deep, and is now just two wins away from his first silverware since landing a 14th French Open crown 25 months ago.
Tiger Woods suggested he will play The Open again next year after a six-over final round ensured he would miss the cut at the 2024 event at Royal Troon.
Woods entered Friday's second round needing a big turnaround after carding an eight-over 79 on Thursday, but he struggled again as his major season came to a premature end.
He shot 77 to finish 14 over par with the projected cut line at four over. Having finished 60th at the Masters, he also failed to make the weekend at the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship.
The 15-time major champion lamented his physical struggles when speaking to reporters at the end of his round.
"I was just fighting it pretty much all day," Woods said. "I never really hit it close enough to make birdies and consequently made a lot of bogeys.
"I loved it. I've always loved playing major championships. I just wish I was more physically sharp coming into the majors.
"Obviously it tests you mentally, physically, emotionally, and I just wasn't as sharp as I needed to be. I was hoping that I would find it somehow, but just never did.
"Consequently, my results and scores were pretty high."
Woods will not compete again until the Hero World Challenge, an event he hosts in the Bahamas in December, despite previously targeting one event per month in 2024.
He does, however, plan to return for the 153rd Open next year, which will take place at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.
"As a past champion, I’m exempt until I'm 60," he said. "I've enjoyed the challenges that Scotland brings, I've missed playing Troon.
"I've had some good memories here and just wish I did a little bit better, but I look forward to that."
Sharpshooting Bahamian Buddy Hield expressed excitement at the opportunity to play for the Golden State Warriors in his first interaction with Warriors media on Thursday.
The 31-year-old joined the seven-time NBA Champions through a sign-and-trade with the Philadelphia 76ers in early July.
The Warriors will be the fifth team Hield has represented since being drafted sixth overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2016 NBA Draft.
“Excited! Excited for the opportunity to come in here and learn from great players, a great organization, great coach, and be a sponge and an open book to everybody around me,” was Hield’s response to a question about his emotions heading into his first season in San Francisco.
Hield was brought in by the Warriors as a like-for-like replacement for franchise legend Klay Thompson who left for the Dallas Mavericks in Free Agency after 13 seasons and four titles with the Warriors.
The Bahamian says he isn’t feeling the pressure of trying to replicate what Thompson gave the Warriors.
“There’s no pressure, I just have to come and do my job. What Klay has done for this organization has been tremendous. I love Klay a lot and I watched him over the years and he’s special,” he said.
“The way he can get hot and change the game as a two-way player. I think it’s fun being in that role,” he added.
One of the hallmarks of the Warriors during their run of dominance in the Steph Curry-Draymond Green-Klay Thompson era has been their complicated offensive scheme.
Hield believes practice is the key to learning where he fits into the offense quickly.
“Taking it day by day in practice, watching a lot of film. Practice will be really important. I’ve watched these guys play since college. Even in the pros when they play, they’re always a fun team to watch,” he said.
“I think it’s a great fit and it shouldn’t be that hard but everything takes time,” he added.
Lando Norris acknowledged the criticism aimed at him and McLaren following last weekend's British Grand Prix was justified.
The Briton was leading ahead of the final round of pit stops at Silverstone, and looking on course to close the gap on drivers' championship leader Max Verstappen.
However, eventual winner Lewis Hamilton undercut Norris, who overran his pit box after McLaren were unable to bring him in at an ideal time.
After McLaren opted for soft tyres during the race's climax, Norris was then surpassed by Verstappen, and had to settle for a third-place finish.
While the 24-year-old understands the scrutiny he and the team came under, he feels the most important thing is the way they respond at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.
"No, not at all, it just depends on how you take it," he told Sky Sports. "I don't think it's unfair because you're always going to have it, that's life.
"People are going to criticise you, people are going to support you, people are going to make mistakes. We're not the only team. There have been times when Red Bull should have won and didn't and Mercedes should have won and didn't.
"At the same time, we didn't blame anyone but ourselves, and it's a tough one because it hurts when you lose your home race, you have a chance to win and those types of things.
"But it's more about how you and we as a team handled it, how we learned from it, we reviewed things, and we come back stronger this weekend and for the future races.
"So, plenty of things to learn, but I'm confident with our team. I think we always accept criticism. Especially when it's constructive, you prefer that way, but you are always going to have people who are supporting and not supporting you.
"How you use that and how you turn it into something positive is the main thing."
Lewis Hamilton has declared it is "game on" for Mercedes at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix as the Silver Arrows target a third straight win.
Mercedes endured a dismal start to 2024 as the team suffered teething problems with their W15 car, but recent upgrades have led to a major upturn.
George Russell triumphed at the Austrian Grand Prix three weeks ago, before Hamilton secured a record-breaking ninth victory at the British Grand Prix a week later.
Mercedes are now just seven points adrift of second-placed Ferrari in the constructors' championship standings, and Hamilton is confident in their chances at the Hungaroring, where he has a record eight wins.
"We definitely don't want to get ahead of ourselves, that's key in our approach," Hamilton said. "But also, we're like, 'it's game on!
"We're fighting, we're chasing, and we're going to try and win as many races as George mentioned or compete for as many wins as possible.
"It may turn out this weekend that the Red Bull is still light years ahead, or the McLaren is, who knows?
"We are united as a team and we are going to try and make sure we finish this season on a high.
"If we can lift the team up in the ladder of constructors, if we can progress – we are not too far off the drivers up ahead of us – then that will be great."
Three of the last four races have seen both Hamilton and Russell finish inside the top four, after neither of the duo managed such a finish in the first eight races of the season.
"If you told us at the start of the year we'd be fighting for three wins in a row, we wouldn't have believed it," Russell said.
"We have led the last four races since the upgrades, which is an incredible turnaround for us and everyone is super motivated."
As three-time grand slam champion Andy Murray prepares to bow out from the sport he loves at the Paris Olympics, he could soon be a man in demand.
The two-time Wimbledon victor got the fitting tribute his career deserved at his home slam, but not in the circumstances he wanted.
A back injury ruled him out of the singles, and his last match on centre court was a doubles defeat alongside his brother Jamie.
Murray will retire following the summer games, where he hopes to add to his two Olympic golds won at London 2012 and Rio 2016.
But one tennis rival may already have his next career path in mind.
When Vasek Pospisil is not on the court, he is busy pushing for improvements for players off the court with the Professional Tennis Players' Association.
Co-founded with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, the PTPA aims to 'address player challenges and calls for change within the business of professional tennis.'
What started as an idea thought up by Pospisil and Djokovic in 2019 was formally created two years later.
Three years and 'thousands of hours' on, players across the ATP and WTA Tours are reaping the rewards.
"The first few years were just growing pains. It was so many thousands of hours. The amount of hours, especially those first three or four years to get some momentum and organise players and just try to get the building blocks in place," Pospisil told Stats Perform.
"Tennis has a long way to go from the player side. But as a sport, it's an incredible sport. It's one-on-one combat.
"That's why it's the third or fourth most watched sport in the world. So there's so much there. And players have been underserviced and it's time for change. And that's where we come in."
"We want hundreds of players to be able to make a living. When I say hundreds, I mean three or 400 on the men's side and three or 400 on the women's side.
"Currently it's about a hundred on each, right? And that's unacceptable in a multi-billion dollar industry with the value that these players are bringing to the table.
"In the meantime, we're trying to generate revenue for players, extra revenue through group licensing programs that hasn't existed prior to the PTPA."
Murray, who Pospisil has competed against on six occasions and beaten just once, has long been a voice of reason on the ATP tour, and has gained respect for his support of the WTA.
That hasn't gone unnoticed by Pospisil, who plans to reach out to the Brit once the curtain comes down on his illustrious career.
"I really like Andy. He was always so nice in the locker room and just a good guy," he said.
"And I know that in previous years, I'd seen several quotes and articles and in the press where he'd spoken out about the importance of having independent player representation.
"I haven't spoken to him in a few years since the start of the PTPA, and it's something that I definitely want to revisit.
"When you really look under the hood, you look past all the all the nonsense that's been spewed as a counter argument to why the PTPA shouldn't exist and why it's bad for tennis.
"So I think if any reasonable person were to sit down and have a 30-minute conversation listening to the PTPA from the horse's mouth, I would be shocked if someone were to leave that conversation and say, 'oh, that doesn't make sense'.
"I'm going to follow up with Andy and some of these big players that are on their way out. I think it would be great to get their endorsement and get them involved."
Should Murray take up the offer, he'll join the likes of Ons Jabeur and Hubert Hurkacz, who sit on the PTPA executive committee.
Carlos Alcaraz "can do everything" and could get "very close" to Novak Djokovic's record of 24 grand slam titles, having denied the tennis great his 25th at Wimbledon.
That is according to Vasek Pospisil, who believes "all the signs" point towards Alcaraz having a career to compare with Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the All England Club final to win his fourth major at the age of just 21.
He is still 20 titles short of his opponent, who holds the men's record and has matched Margaret Court's all-time singles benchmark.
But former Wimbledon doubles champion Pospisil, speaking to Stats Perform as the co-founder of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), believes that gap can quickly close.
Pospisil said: "We can't see into the future, but the fact that he's just 21 and he already has four grand slams...
"You put things into perspective: Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray both have three each, if I'm not mistaken. He already has one more, and he's 21.
"So, for sure, unless he gets injured or unlucky or something out of his control pops up, all the signs are there that he'll be very close to those records if he keeps on the track that he's going, if not break them.
"I mean, we never know, right? Obviously at this stage, time will tell. But these grand slams can tally up pretty quickly.
"Just two years ago, he won his first one, and he's already got four. We just barely even blinked, and he has four slams already.
"So, it'll be interesting to see where he's at in five or six years. He'll be just really entering his prime and he may have 10, 11, 12 grand slams in five years."
Djokovic did not win his fourth major until he was 24, while Federer was 23.
Of the three all-time greats, Nadal was the youngest to that mark, with a fourth successive French Open title coming days after his 22nd birthday.
And it is a young Nadal, another Spaniard, who Pospisil sees in Alcaraz, although the Wimbledon champion might even have a more complete game.
"He brings a similar kind of intensity that Nadal did when he burst onto the scene," Pospisil told Stats Perform.
"It was something that we weren't really used to seeing, someone playing with that kind of force and energy in every shot that he hit, so Alcaraz brings some of that to the table.
"But then he is also just hitting through the court a little bit more. Rafa was a little bit more passive and then started being more aggressive as he got older.
"Alcaraz, right from the get-go, he's really just using that athleticism and power to really put a lot of pressure on players. He can do everything. He's a full-court, all-court player.
"You see he's already won at least one grand slam per surface, so he's clearly extremely versatile."
Rory McIlroy conceded he did not adapt to the difficult conditions at Royal Troon as he carded a dismal first round at The Open.
McIlroy's hopes of clinching his first major title in a decade took an early blow as he went round in a seven-over par 78 on Thursday.
The Northern Irishman came agonisingly close to winning a fifth major title at the U.S. Open last month, only to wobble on the final holes.
And while McIlroy took time away from the game to re-focus, he could never get going on day one in Scotland, and in windy conditions, sliced a shot on the 11th so far into the rough, that spectators had to help look for the lost ball.
"Yeah, a difficult day," McIlroy said.
"I felt like I did OK for the first part of the round and then missed the green at the Postage Stamp there and left it in [the bunker] and made a double.
"But still, I felt like I was in reasonable enough shape being a couple over through nine, thinking that I could maybe get those couple shots back, try to shoot even par, something like that.
"You have a strategy that you think is going to help you, but when you get a wind you haven't played in, you start to think about hitting a few clubs that you haven't hit in practice. I just didn't adapt well enough to the conditions.
"Your misses get punished a lot more this week than last week [at the Scottish Open] or even any week, whether you miss it in a fairway bunker or even the rough. The rough... the balls that I hit in the rough today, the lies were pretty nasty."
McIlroy was not the only big-hitter to struggle on day one, with Bryson DeChambeau – who edged out McIlroy at Pinehurst – also floundered, carding five over.
"I could have thrown in the towel after nine and been like, I'm going home," he said. "It's a difficult test, something I'm not familiar with. I can do it when it's warm and not windy."
Shane Lowry (five under), Justin Thomas (three under) and Xander Schauffle (two under), however, all enjoyed much more fruitful rounds.
Meanwhile, Daniel Brown emerged as the surprise overnight leader. The Englishman carded a bogey-free 65, including six birdies, to take a one-shot lead into day two.
Holger Rune advanced to the Hamburg Open quarter-finals on Thursday as he looks to move on swiftly from his Wimbledon disappointment.
Rune's All England Club campaign was ruthlessly ended by Novak Djokovic in the fourth round, beaten in straight sets by the eventual finalist.
The Dane gave himself little time to lick his wounds and has quickly returned to the court and returned to form with his debut in Hamburg.
Looking for his first ATP Tour title of the year, the second seed followed up a straight-sets win over Fabian Marozsan by defeating Marco Trungelliti 6-4 6-3.
"It's been very intense since Wimbledon," Rune said. "I only had one day off, actually.
"I was like, 'I don’t want to rest, I want to go straight back to practice', because I was very disappointed.
"I went straight back to work on the things that needed to be done, and now I have the chance to train those things in matches."
Next up will be Arthur Fils, who booked his last-eight place by beating 2023 Hamburg finalist Laslo Djere 7-6 (7-3) 6-2.
Top seed Alexander Zverev remains a threat in the top half of the draw, however, and he will face Zhang Zhizhen in the quarters.
Russell Westbrook is on the move once again, but isn't yet at his final destination.
The Los Angeles Clippers agreed to send Westbrook to the Utah Jazz on Thursday, as part of a sign-and-trade deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The Jazz are expected to reach a contract buyout agreement with Westbrook, opening the door for him to join the Denver Nuggets.
Denver will be the sixth team Westbrook has played for in the last seven seasons.
To complete the trade, Utah will also receive a swap of second-round draft picks and cash from Los Angeles, while shipping guard Kris Dunn to the Clippers.
The 35-year-old Westbrook was named the NBA MVP in 2016-17, averaging a career-high 31.6 points, along with 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists.
In 2023-24 for the Clippers, he averaged career lows of 11.1 points and 4.5 assists with 5 boards. He came off the bench in 57 of the 68 games he played, shooting 27.3 per cent from 3-point range - the second-lowest mark among the 226 players with at least 150 attempts from beyond the arc.
The Nuggets still believe he can provide depth off the bench and help them make another run at a title after being eliminated in the Western Conference semi-finals in May.
The Clippers were ousted by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, with Westbrook averaging 6.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in the six play-off games.
In 1,162 games in a 16-year career, Westbrook has averages of 21.7 points, 8.1 assists and 7.1 rebounds. His 199 career triple-doubles are the most in NBA history.
Dunn has career averages of 7.9 points, 4.2 assists and 3.3 boards since being drafted fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2016.
In starting 32 of 66 games for the Jazz last season, the 30-year-old Dunn averaged 5.4 points, 3.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds.
Cameron Norrie could not stand in Rafael Nadal's way as the former world number one stormed into the Bastad Open quarter-finals.
Nadal made light work of the Briton on Thursday, cruising to a 6-4 6-4 victory.
The 38-year-old, who skipped Wimbledon to prepare for the Olympics, will face fourth seed Mariano Navone in the last eight.
Speaking after his victory, Nadal said: "Great feelings. I've been a while without playing on the Tour, since Roland-Garros.
"To have the chance to compete well against a great player like Cameron is a great feeling. I think I played good tennis, in some moments I need to play a little bit more aggressive, but that is part of the journey today.
"I haven't been competing very often, so matches and victories like today help. To be in rhythm the whole match and hold the pressure on the opponent the whole match, that's something that I need to improve, because I didn't play enough."
Data Debrief: Nadal's Norrie dominance
That is now five victories for Nadal against Norrie in six career meetings. The Spaniard's only defeat to Norrie came at the United Cup in 2023.
Nadal has won those five matches without dropping a set in any of them.
Jamaican Fraser McConnell and driving partner Laia Sainz delivered a spectacular performance at the Hydro X Prix, securing a hotly contested second-place finish in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, during Round 4 of Extreme E on July 14th. This achievement followed their impressive second-place finish during the qualifying round on Saturday.
Opening the Round 4 Grand Final, E.ON Next Veloce’s Kevin Hansen stormed into an early lead ahead of ASXE’s Laia Sanz. Hansen built a lead of 10 seconds by the time the teams approached the Switch Zone. After the driver change, E.ON Next Veloce’s Molly Taylor set off with an advantage of 8.8 seconds as ASXE’s Fraser McConnell looked to close the gap heading into lap three.
Racing until the finish line, ASXE’s McConnell was all over the rear bumper of Taylor’s E.ON Next Veloce car in the closing moments but was unable to make the crucial move for the win, finishing just 0.65 seconds behind. The podium finish places McConnell and Sanz second in the championship table.
Opening the Grand Final, E.ON Next Veloce’s Kevin Hansen took an early lead, closely followed by ASXE’s Laia Sanz. RXR and Andretti Altawkilat were in pursuit, with Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Catie Munnings closely contesting the third spot.
Hansen built a commanding 10-second lead by the time the teams approached the Switch Zone. RXR suffered a puncture, allowing Catie Munnings in the Andretti Altawkilat ODYSSEY 21 to pass during the second lap, although Munnings picked up a time penalty for dropped flags.
After the driver change, E.ON Next Veloce’s Molly Taylor set off with an 8.8-second advantage as ASXE’s Fraser McConnell aimed to close the gap. Despite a valiant effort, McConnell was unable to overtake Taylor, who held on to secure a clean sweep for E.ON Next Veloce at the Hydro X Prix. Andretti Altawkilat claimed the final podium spot.
McConnell and Sanz’s consistent performance throughout the weekend has solidified their position as strong contenders in the championship, currently holding second place in the overall standings. This achievement highlights their skill and determination as they continue to compete at the highest level in Extreme E.
Charles Leclerc has said he is looking forward to working with Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, something he described as an "incredible opportunity".
Hamilton will join the Italian team at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season, ending an 11-year stay with Mercedes where he has won six of his seven world titles.
The Brit's arrival at Ferrari will be Leclerc's third team-mate in what will be his seventh year with the team, following Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz.
Leclerc is excited about the opportunity to work with the seven-time world champion, and insisted that Ferrari's move to sign Hamilton was not an indication that the Italian team are losing confidence in the 26-year-old.
"For me, it's an incredible opportunity," Leclerc told BBC Sport. "First, to learn from the most successful driver ever. And to prove myself as well against Lewis, who is a benchmark for everybody."
"Not at all, because Ferrari is Ferrari. And they need the best drivers in their cars. So, for the benefit of Ferrari, it is completely understandable.
"For me, I don't see any negative in that, because it's Lewis Hamilton."
Hamilton has history in his sights following his record-extending ninth win at Silverstone ahead of this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.
The 39-year-old is one podium away from becoming the first driver to reach 200 top-three finishes in the competition's history.
Leclerc said he still needs convincing that he is the faster driver compared to his incoming team-mate, saying he sees no weaknesses in Hamilton's driving despite the veteran campaigner having gone two full seasons without a win before his victory at the British Grand Prix.
"Well, I need to be convinced that I am the fastest driver when I put the helmet on, but I am really looking forward to it, and it will be super interesting for me," said Leclerc.
"I have always said you learn from every single team-mate you have over your career. When I look at the way he drives - because we always look at each other and data - you don't really see any weaknesses. And that's where Lewis is incredible. He's only got strengths.
"So I'm really looking forward to seeing how he works with his engineers, the feedback, and all of these kinds of things, to learn and become better."
Leclerc has endured a difficult time in recent races, failing to score points at Silverstone and the Austrian Grand Prix, as many times in his previous 59 finished races, which has seen him slip to third in the Drivers' Championship.
Should Ferrari score 26 points at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, they will become the first team in history to reach the 10,000-point barrier in F1.
And despite Leclerc believes a return to the points is forthcoming under the guidance of team principal, Fred Vasseur.
"Fred has two very big strengths which are very important in F1 and especially in a team like Ferrari, where the passion is so high that in very good moments there are lots of emotions but there are also very big emotions whenever we are going through a tough time," said Leclerc.
"In F1, you need to be as flat emotionally as possible and Fred is always a little bit the balance.
"Whenever we have very difficult moments, he helps the team to be back at a reasonable level and not be too disappointed.
"And exactly the same when we win, to not be too high and bring us back down and tell everybody we've got to work because this is only one race."
Kevin Magnussen will leave Haas at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season, a statement confirmed on Thursday.
Magnussen's seven-year association with the team will come to its conclusion at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December having enjoyed two spells with the US-based team.
The team's announcement does not confirm who will join Oliver Bearman on the grid next season, with departing Alpine driver Esteban Ocon the emerging frontrunner.
Magnussen has also held seats at McLaren and Renault, but for the bulk of his 175-race career, 135 of those have been with Haas.
The decision means Haas will have an all-new F1 line-up next year, with Magnussen's current team-mate Nico Hulkenberg moving to the Sauber team as it morphs into Audi in time for the German company's official F1 entry in 2026.
Magnussen raced for Haas from 2017 until 2020, and was re-signed before the 2022 season to replace Nikita Mazepin.
His best result for the team is fifth, which he has achieved on three occasions.
Magnussen's highest championship finish for them was in 2018, coming ninth and helping Haas to a best finish of fifth in the Constructors' Championship that year.
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said: "Kevin has truly been a bedrock of our driver line-up over the years.
"Nobody's driven more races for us and we’ve had some memorable highlights together – not least a fifth-place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2022 when Kevin returned to start his second spell with the team.
"He wasn't expecting to be driving a Formula 1 car that weekend, but he put in a remarkable performance that was a tremendous boost to the entire organisation and once again showcased his own talents behind the wheel."
Magnussen currently sits in 16th place in the Drivers' Championship, with five points. His best result came in Austria, finishing in eighth place.
“I’m proud to have raced for such a great team of people these last few years," Magnussen said.
"In particular I'd like to thank [owner] Gene Haas for his commitment to me, notably in bringing me back once again in 2022 when I thought, at that time at least, my time in F1 had ended. I've enjoyed some great moments with this team – memories I'll never forget."
Robert MacIntyre is Scotland's big hope ahead of The Open, though his preparations were delayed somewhat.
That is after he went "absolutely wild" in the wake of his victory at the Scottish Open last weekend.
MacIntyre became the first Scot to win the Scottish Open since Colin Montgomerie in 1999.
It is also 25 years since a Scot last won The Open, with Paul Lawrie triumphing at Carnoustie on that occasion.
MacIntyre is being tipped as an outside bet to lift the Claret Jug, though the 27-year-old said it was nevertheless vital he and his team were able to celebrate his Scottish Open victory in style.
"I'm not a big drinker, but when you get moments like that, and you've got family and friends there that have backed you since you were a young kid, it was quite right to go absolutely wild," he said.
"We did a good job of that. After this week's over, I'll sit down with my team and we'll reflect on it and probably celebrate again because it was a lifetime goal."
Speaking of his approach to The Open, MacIntyre kept it typically low-key.
"I'm not going out there trying to win a golf tournament," he said.
"If you bogey the first, you're thinking the golf tournament is getting further away from you.
"The minute you think that, your emotions are all over the place. You lose all control of yourself. You lose thought process, touch, everything.
"We all start off from level par and I've got as much chance as everyone else in the field.
"It's just about getting in that position on Sunday and seeing where the cards fall. Hopefully I'll have a chance. That's all I want."
Tommy Fleetwood tries not to think about his near misses at the majors, as he bids to put that frustration behind him by winning The Open.
Fleetwood has never won a major, but has finished in the top five in each of the four events.
Indeed, he was second at The Open in 2019, a year after he finished second at the U.S. Open.
Earlier this year, the 33-year-old placed T3 at The Masters, and ahead of taking to the course at Royal Troon on Thursday, Fleetwood said he attempts to ensure the past does not play on his mind.
"I try not to dwell on it too much," he said.
"I get frustrated like anybody else. I get down on myself like anybody else.
"I don't win anywhere near as much as I would like, and I'm probably not in a position in the game where I want to be, even though I'm doing perfectly well.
"It's not where I believe I can be, and the results don't always show that."
Fleetwood is one of four golfers to have finished inside the top 10 at each of the last two editions of The Open, along with Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young and last year's champion Brian Harman.
However, he is yet to win on the PGA Tour, though he does have seven European Tour titles to his name.
He added; "I try to focus on the positives and what I need to do to actually get to where I want to be or contend in tournaments and win tournaments.
"I try to focus on that every day, but yeah, to be sure, the game's annoying.
"Even when you play well, you come off frustrated because you might have missed a putt or you might have finished a shot or two behind where you thought you could."
Jamaica’s Ice Hockey team emerged victorious in the final match of the Challenger Series after beating a very strong Lebanon team 12-8 at the College Ice Arena in Toronto on Saturday evening.
In a pulsating match played before hundreds of cheering supporters, Jamaica took the early lead in the first period but fell behind after Lebanon scored three unanswered goals over the next 15 minutes of the first period. During the second of three 20-minute periods, Jamaica regrouped and fought back to take a 6-4 lead, before Lebanon pulled level at 6-6.
Buoyed by the enthusiastic support from the massive crowd, Jamaica asserted their authority on the contest to end the period at 9–6. With victory in sight at the start of the third and final period, the Jamaicans applied pressure on their Lebanese counterparts and extended their lead to 11-7 with four minutes left in the game.
Tight defensive work then ensured Jamaica added to their tally, though they also conceded another goal in the latter stages of the encounter. Reggie Millette and Givani Smith both scored a brace, while Maleek McGowan, Captain Taos Jordan, Amari Sellers, Tyler Drummond, Dante Sheriff, Avery Grant, Josh Mitton, and Marquis Grant-Mentis got the others.
The Challenger Series is a new tournament involving Puerto Rico, Lebanon, and Jamaica, who are all associate members of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
The Challenger Series began in Chicago in April, continued in New York in June, and culminated in Toronto on Saturday. At the end of the second leg in New York, Jamaica was in pole position and, as such, earned the automatic right to the final by virtue of the accumulation of points over the first two legs.
Lebanon defeated Puerto Rico 9-3 in the playoff for a spot in the final.
Across the three legs, Jamaica won six of their nine matches and now has an overall tally of 22 matches since it started to play competitively in 2019. Their record currently stands at 16 wins and six losses, with over 100 goals to their tally.
Don Anderson, president of the Jamaica Olympic Ice Hockey Federation (JOIHF), said the Federation is now setting its sights on establishing an ice rink in Jamaica as well as building a strong local program that will facilitate the team playing in qualifying tournaments for the Olympics. He added that expert opinion is that this team could be highly ranked globally if it had the opportunity to play at the next level amongst countries with Ice Rinks.
Red Bull's internal issues may hit their Formula One team down the line, so says McLaren chief Zak Brown.
While Max Verstappen remains in control of the drivers' championship, and Red Bull lead the constructors' standings, their 2024 season has been far from ideal to date.
Red Bull remain in pole on the track, but there have been issues off it as team boss Christian Horner's future appears uncertain, while lead designer Adrian Newey is leaving.
Even if they are not caught this season, McLaren chief executive Brown feels the issues will eventually catch up with Red Bull if they do not find a resolution.
And while Red Bull have scored points in each of the last 55 races, with Verstappen having seven wins this season, it was Mercedes who triumphed at the Austrian Grand Prix and Silverstone in the past two races, leaving Horner's outfit short of momentum.
Ahead of this week's Hungarian Grand Prix, Brown said: "I think the turmoil will have more of a mid to longer-term impact.
"Adrian Newey... this car was done last year, what they are racing now was done when everything was fine.
"It's more 2026 when you've got a new engine coming, what's going on with the driver front? That's where you potentially are going to see the lack of stability that appears to be there maybe come through a little bit.
"Winning holds things together and as that becomes more of a challenge for them, that's where you might see some more fractures in various relationships inside that camp."
Brown's McLaren are enjoying a fine campaign. Lando Norris, with one race win under his belt and many other near misses, sits second to Verstappen in the standings, while the team are third in the constructors' championship, just seven points behind Ferrari.
Indeed, six drivers have already tasted victory in 2024, which is the most in a single F1 season since 2012 (eight).
And Brown feels next season will be an even more intriguing battle.
"I think next year could be an epic season, right? You could have four teams fighting for the championship," he said.
"It would be naive to rule out someone who's not in the top four right now, because we do see how quickly things can change.
"Everyone has very similar technology, so there's no reason why others can't do what we've done the last year."
This weekend's race will be the 39th edition of the Hungarian Grand Prix in F1. Since its appearance on the calendar in 1986, it is one of only four races that have been held each year without interruption, along with the British Grand Prix, Italian Grand Prix and Spanish Grand Prix.
DRIVERS TO WATCH
Max Verstappen - Red Bull
Verstappen has won the last two editions of this race, and the Dutchman is aiming to become only the second driver in F1 history to win three in a row at the Hungarian Grand Prix, after Lewis Hamilton between 2018 and 2020.
But the three-time reigning champion comes into the event after finishing fifth and second in his last two outings. He has not gone three successive races without a win since 2021 and on that occasion all three victories went to Mercedes, who have won the last two races.
Is that a bad omen for Red Bull?
Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes
Hamilton celebrated his first victory since 2021 as he triumphed for Mercedes at Silverstone last time out.
The Hungarian Grand Prix has always been one of his favourite races and no driver has won it more times (eight), had more pole positions (nine), reached more podiums (11) and scored more points (271) than Hamilton at the circuit.
There is also a landmark in the offing.
Hamilton has been on the podium 199 times in his F1 career (49 with McLaren and 150 with Mercedes). His next top-three finish will see him become the first driver to finish on the podium 200 times.
And even if Hamilton does not get a front-row placing in qualifying, do not rule him out. The last three Hungarian Grand Prix winners have not started from pole position. If this trend is repeated in 2024, it will be the second time that the winner has not started from pole position in four consecutive editions at the Hungaroring (four between 2008 and 2011).
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 255
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 171
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 150
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 146
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 124
Constructors
1. Red Bull - 373
2. Ferrari - 302
3. McLaren - 295
4. Mercedes - 221
5. Aston Martin - 68
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