Kyler Murray's future with the Arizona Cardinals has been secured after the franchise took up a fifth-year option in the quarterback's contract.
Murray had been at the centre of speculation after his agent Erik Burkhardt issued a statement in February calling for Arizona to make "a real commitment" to the 24-year-old with a new contract offer.
According to a report from the NFL network, the Cardinals have now exercised the fifth-year option in Murray's deal, locking him in for nearly $30million in 2023, an escalation resulting from Murray making two Pro Bowl appearances.
Cardinals general manager Steve Keim indicated in early March that the option would likely be taken up, and with Murray now under contract for a further two seasons in Arizona, the pressure on the franchise to strike a long-term deal with the 24-year-old has been lessened.
The quarterback threw 3,787 yards with 24 touchdown passes and five rushing TDs throughout the 2021 season, also posting the NFL's second-highest completion rate at 69.2 per cent.
Last month, coach Kliff Kingsbury said he was "excited" about Murray's future in Arizona after he helped the team post their best record for six years in 2021 (11-6).
The player himself, meanwhile, insisted in March that he was "happy" in Arizona and "was not too worried" about his future with the team despite the mounting speculation.
Murray was the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and the team have a 22-23-1 record in the games where he has featured.
The Atlanta Braves have activated star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. from the injured list, where he had been since suffering a torn right ACL last July.
The Braves announced the move on Thursday after originally targeting a May 6 return date. The reigning World Series champions decided he was ready to be activated after Acuna went seven for 19 (.368) with one double, three stolen bases and six walks during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett.
The 24-year-old had been named to his second All-Star Game and was in the NL MVP conversation before injuring his knee while trying to make a leaping catch in the outfield at Marlins Park on July 10.
At the time of his injury, he had compiled a .283/.394/.596 slash line with 24 home runs and a league-leading 72 runs scored in 82 games.
The knee injury sidelined him for the final three months of the regular season and forced him to miss Atlanta’s run to the franchise’s first World Series championship since 1995.
The Braves are off to an 8-11 start to the 2022 season, already five and a half games behind the NL East-leading New York Mets. They will conclude a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday at Truist Park before embarking on a seven-game trip to face the Texas Rangers and Mets.
Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic is set to commit to the Denver Nuggets with a supermax extension, "if the offer is on the table".
Jokic, who could be named the league's best player for a second season running, saw his season ended on Wednesday with the Nuggets' 4-1 first-round playoff exit to the Golden State Warriors.
The center only has a single year remaining on his existing deal but appears open to extending his stay in Denver.
According to ESPN, Jokic is eligible for a five-year, $254million deal.
"I would like it, of course," he said after Game 5 against the Warriors. "But it's not something that I'm deciding.
"I think if the offer is on the table, of course I'm going to accept it, because I really like the organisation, I really like the people who work here.
"I'm in a really good relationship with everybody from owner to equipment manager."
Jokic described a second potential MVP win as "a great thing, of course" but added: "If I don't get it, I'm not going to die."
Individual recognition has not been the issue for the Serbian on the Nuggets, with the team instead falling short in the playoffs – albeit this year chiefly due to injury issues.
Jamal Murray missed the entire season following an ACL tear prior to the 2020-21 postseason, while Michael Porter Jr. was limited to nine games.
"We don't know what we can do because we were not healthy," Jokic said. "Do we have some talent? Yes. Can we do something? Probably."
The Vegas Golden Knights are reeling after a remarkable sequence of shootout defeats saw the team miss out on the NHL playoffs for the first time.
The Golden Knights went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season in 2017-18 and had reached the postseason in each subsequent year.
But that perfect record was ended by Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, which means Vegas can no longer overhaul the Dallas Stars in 2021-22.
That outcome, completing the 16-team line-up for the playoffs, required a sensational, unwanted streak for the Golden Knights.
The team lost three consecutive games in shootouts, including to the Stars on Tuesday, failing to score in any of the contests.
The Golden Knights went 0-for-17 across the three shootouts, with only one other NHL team ever losing three straight games via shootouts without scoring. The Florida Panthers went 0-for-9 over three games in 2011.
"I'm surprised. I'm disappointed," said coach Peter DeBoer. "I'm at the front of the line for responsibility.
"There's a lot of expectations on this team. It's not an easy thing and it doesn't feel good for anybody right now."
British rugby league star Zak Hardaker suffered a suspected seizure on the day the 30-year-old's move to Super League club Leeds Rhinos was announced.
Hardaker was out walking with his young son when he collapsed, requiring help from a paramedic who lived on the street where the incident occurred.
The health scare happened on Tuesday, Leeds said, with Hardaker taken to Pinderfields hospital in Wakefield. He had trained with the Rhinos squad earlier in the day.
Leeds said Hardaker underwent "various investigations before being safely discharged home".
His Wigan exit last week was reported to have been as a result of a disciplinary issue, with Warriors executive director Kris Radlinski subsequently saying the Cherry and Whites were "extremely disappointed that his time at the club has had to end in this way".
It paved the way for Hardaker to make a short-term return to Leeds, for whom he played over 100 games earlier in his career, winning three Super League titles and Man of Steel honours.
Hardaker's career has been disrupted by a series of controversies, and the talented back served a drugs ban while at Castleford Tigers after testing positive for cocaine in September 2017.
He had been expected to return to Leeds colours against Hull KR at Headingley on Friday, but he will not feature.
Hardaker said on Thursday: "I would like to say a huge thank you to the paramedic who came to my aid and administered first aid before the ambulance arrived, it does not bear to think about what might have been the outcome without her quick thinking.
"It is so disappointing that I will not get to play on Friday, but the Rhinos have given me great support and I will make sure I complete all the tests necessary, and I hope to be back on the field as soon as possible."
Steph Curry has gone all the way to an NBA championship three times, but merely to clear the first hurdle in the playoffs this time came as a huge relief to the Golden State Warriors superstar.
After two years of failing to reach the postseason, Golden State are back and in the hunt, through to the second round after a 4-1 series win over the Denver Nuggets, sealed by a 102-98 win in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Curry's 30 points, five rebounds and five assists helped the Warriors counter the monumental threat posed by Denver's Nikola Jokic, who also scored 30 points and managed 19 rebounds and eight assists.
It was a first start for Curry since he was eased back from a foot injury, and the Warriors now await the winner of the first-round tussle between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves, with the Grizzlies leading 3-2.
After championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018, the Warriors were beaten in the NBA Finals in 2019 and then endured two taxing seasons.
To be winning again in the playoffs gave Curry obvious satisfaction.
"It means a lot. I never take it for granted," he said. "We understand we hopefully have a lot left to do, but getting to the playoffs and getting through a series and winning four games against a good team, it's hard.
"Every team wants to be in this position at the end of the year. For me, Draymond [Green], Klay [Thompson], [Kevon] Looney, we've all been there before and love the competition and the environment.
"Tonight was just a weird feeling, because we hadn't been there in a while and wanted it so bad and kind of made it a lot more difficult for ourselves, but we still remembered how to do it which was a good feeling."
The Warriors had to reel in a Nuggets side who threatened to take the series to a sixth game.
Curry said: "They had a lot of life in that third quarter, and it was a good reminder of how hard it is to win a playoff game, and how hard it is to close a team out, and just dealing with the nerves of it all because it matters so much. We wanted it so much, it kind of got in our own way a little bit.
"The fourth quarter was just about trying to find a way to get it done, get enough stops to speed up the game, put some pressure on them, and we were able to do that.
"Everyone contributed, so it was a fun way to finish the game. It was not exactly how you would draw it up, but a playoff type of environment where can you get the win and get out of here."
Mike Budenholzer says the Milwaukee Bucks showed their strength in depth by reaching the Eastern Conference playoff semi-finals without Khris Middleton.
The defending champions beat the injury-hit Chicago Bulls 116-100 in Game 5 at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday to advance from the first round of the postseason.
Middleton sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during the fourth quarter of Game 2, but the Bucks proved they could cope without the All-Star.
Budenholzer confirmed Middleton will miss the start of the playoff semi-final series against the Boston Celtics.
But the Milwaukee head coach is confident other players can continue to step up in his absence.
"We've been talking about the depth of the roster, the quality of the roster, a lot this season," Budenholzer said.
"Other guys have gotten opportunities and played well. Our defense has tightened up, and we've leaned hard on that these three games. We've got depth. We've got a good group.
"We miss Khris; I don't think anybody underestimates how important and how effective he is for us. While we don't have him, we've got to be our best all up and down the roster."
Giannis Antetokounmpo played a big hand as the Bucks ended the Bulls' season, putting up 33 points and nine rebounds in Game 5.
The two-time MVP said being "desperate" to get the job done in the absence of Middleton was vital.
"After Game 2, the team knew what the deal was," Antetokounmpo said. "We knew what we had to do, we had to be desperate.
"We had to go out there and compete at a high level. Pay attention to detail as much as possible. Help one another defensively. We've got to do it as a team. It's not a one-man show or two-man show.
"Now we're going to a different series, playing a different team, a very, very good team, and hopefully we can do it again."
Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone says Nikola Jokic deserves to win the Most Valuable Player award this season, despite the team's playoff elimination at the hands of the Golden State Warriors.
The Nuggets' season ended following a 102-98 loss at Chase Center on Wednesday, handing the Warriors a 4-1 series victory.
Without the injured Jamal Murray, Jokic has had to take on a much heavier burden, and he finished Wednesday with 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting, 19 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks.
After the loss, Malone stood up for his All-Star big man and stated his case to retain the MVP award.
"Going into the game, his hamstring was a little tight," Malone said. "I'm sure he was fatigued mentally, physically and emotionally, but he fights through it.
"That guy is a warrior. I just don't understand the people that find a way to criticise Nikola Jokic. Is he perfect? No, I'm not saying he is.
"But the guy is the definition of a warrior. He's competitive, consistent, and he impacts the game in so many ways. Hell of a season, and hopefully he'll win the MVP again, because I think rightfully he deserves it."
It was always going to be a tough series against a Warriors side finding form heading into the playoffs, but the undermanned Nuggets managed to make it difficult.
Extending their season and taking out Game 4 when faced with a sweep, Malone's side held an eight-point lead after the third quarter in Wednesday night's game, but the Warriors simply found another gear.
How the Nuggets stayed competitive with the odds stacked against them provided some kind of solace for the 50-year-old coach.
"Incredibly proud, I really am," Malone said. "When you lose a series 4-1, it's hard to find that silver lining. We didn't win and that's what we came here for.
"As a head coach, I couldn't be more proud of a group that could have rolled over after the third game, fought at home to extend the series and put ourselves in a great position.
"No one gave us a chance to win the series, and there were a lot of people saying tonight was going to be a rout, that we were going to get blown out. That's not who we are."
It was a dominant showing by the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, closing out their series with a 116-100 win against the Chicago Bulls, taking the series 4-1.
The Bulls had their backs up against the wall, and their plight was made even tougher when star Zach LaVine and defensive ace Alex Caruso were ruled out due to health and safety protocols.
By the end of the first quarter, Milwaukee led 34-18, and they went on to also win the second and third quarters to hold a lead of at least 20 points throughou
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks, scoring 33 points on 11-of-15 shooting, also going 11-of-14 from the free throw line.
Jrue Holiday was solid in his point guard duties, dishing nine assists to go with his 10 points and five rebounds, while Bobby Portis was a force inside, scoring 14 points and snatching down 17 rebounds.
For the Bulls, DeMar DeRozan was disappointing in a must-win clash, finishing with just 10 points and seven assists, while only attempting 10 field goal attempts in 42 minutes.
Intriguing second-year forward Patrick Williams led Chicago in scoring with 23 points on nine-of-13 shooting, going four-of-seven from long range, while Nikola Vucevic had 19 points, 16 rebounds and six assists.
The Bucks will now take on the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, with Game 1 set to take place this weekend.
Warriors roll past Nuggets with new starting-five
The Golden State Warriors had to fight back against the Denver Nuggets, closing out the series 4-1 with a 102-98 win while sporting a new-look starting five.
Stephen Curry made his first start since he was eased back from a foot injury, joined by both Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson.
The Dubs left it late though, cutting away at an eight-point deficit from the last change, before a Gary Payton II triple gave them the eventual lead with seven minutes remaining
Golden State will now take on the winner between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves, where the Grizzlies lead 3-2.
Tensions between the St Louis Cardinals and New York Mets boiled over on Wednesday as the benches cleared for a brawl, before the Cardinals won 10-5.
J.D. Davis had to leave at the top of the eighth inning after he was hit in the foot by a Genesis Cabrera pitch, making for the 19th time a Mets hitter has struck by a pitch this season, the most in MLB so far.
Mets reliever Yoan Lopez retaliated against Nolan Arenado later in the eighth inning, launching a fastball near the Cardinals DH's head. Arenado demanded he do it again, before the benches cleared, and he was ejected from the game.
The 31-year-old nine-time Gold Glove winner had an otherwise great day out for the Cardinals, claiming three hits and three RBIs in as many at-bats.
Mets starter Carlos Carrasco had one to forget, though, giving up eight hits and as many runs in 78 pitches, not making it past the fourth inning.
Stanton propels Pinstripes to victory
Giancarlo Stanton hit his 350th career home run, as well as the go-ahead sacrifice fly, with the New York Yankees defeating the Baltimore Orioles 5-2.
Stanton ended a 14-game drought with a two-run drive off Tyler Wells in the first inning, while Joey Gallo notched his third straight game with an RBI, and homered for the second consecutive game.
Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery gave up four hits and two runs over 71 pitches, before making way for Michael King in the sixth inning.
Gallen gives Diamondbacks a shock win
Zac Gallen pitched six scoreless innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks claimed an upset 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 26-year-old starter allowed only two hits and managed five strikeouts with 90 pitches in those six innings.
D-Backs short stop Nick Ahmed homered in the fifth inning, while Mark Melancon claimed his fourth save, not giving up a hit in the final frame.
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker is nearing his return from a hamstring injury, and could reportedly play in Game 6 against the New Orleans Pelicans, or Game 7 if it is required.
Booker, 25, will likely be named to the All-NBA First Team after averaging 26 points, five rebounds and five assists per game, with the Suns going 56-12 in the 68 games he suited up for in the regular season.
He played 41 minutes in Phoenix's Game 1 win against the Pelicans, but hurt his hamstring in the third quarter of Game 2 after scoring 31 points in the first half.
In his absence, the Suns lost Game 2 and Game 4, before recovering to win at home in Game 5, taking a 3-2 lead.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Booker is "progressing toward a return soon, including the possibility as soon as Game 6 or Game 7".
Despite being a true game-time decision, it is reported that Booker will initially be listed as out of Game 6 until he proves his fitness.
Alexander Zverev is out of the BMW Open after a shock straight-sets defeat to Holger Rune in the last 16 in Munich.
The world number three and top seed had no answer to an impressive performance from Rune, with the young Dane ultimately easing to a 6-3 6-2 victory on Wednesday.
Rune set the tempo early on, moving Zverev around the court with plenty of drop shots and heading into a 4-2 lead, before saving two break points on his way to clinching the first set.
An early break in the second then seemed to give the 18-year-old the confidence to see out his first career victory against a top 10 opponent.
"It was a difficult match from the beginning," said Rune on-court after the win. "He's in the top three in the world and has been playing some unbelievable tennis, especially in the past year winning so many big titles.
"I have a lot of respect for him, and I obviously didn't expect to win in two sets, and with a score like this. But it was a really hard match, we played a lot of rallies and I'm really happy about my performance today."
Rune will play Emil Ruusuvuori in the quarter-finals after the Finn beat Maxime Cressy 6-3 6-3.
Elsewhere, fourth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili came from behind to overcome Ilya Ivashka 3-6 6-2 6-4, and will face Miomir Kecmanovic in the last eight after the seventh seed beat Daniel Altmaier 6-2 6-4.
There were also three round of 32 matches on Wednesday, with eighth seed Botic van de Zandschulp, Egor Gerasimov and Alejandro Tabilo all through to the last 16 in Munich.
Over at the Estoril Open, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will play Frances Tiafoe in the quarter-finals after both advanced in Portugal.
Fourth seed Davidovich Fokina beat fellow Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-3 7-6 (7-5) while fifth seed Tiafoe got the better of Nuno Borges 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 6-0.
Fernando Verdasco is also through after a 6-2 6-3 win against Pablo Cuevas, and he will play fellow Spaniard and sixth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who came from a set down against Kwon Soon-woo, 5-7 6-1 6-2.
Donovan Mitchell said there is no danger of him missing the Utah Jazz's critical Game 6 playoff clash against the Dallas Mavericks despite his hamstring complaint.
Mitchell had to leave Game 5, a match in which he scored a playoff career-low nine points and the Jazz's total of 77 points was their lowest score since November 2018.
Trailing 3-2 in the series, with Game 6 headed back to Utah, the Jazz now face two win-or-go-home fixtures to keep their season alive.
Speaking to the Salt Lake Tribune after his MRI came back negative, Donovan Mitchell left no doubt about his status for the contest.
"I'm good to go," he said. "I'll be ready."
He later spoke to the Dallas Morning News and said "everybody knows and feels" the significance of their next game.
"We don't want this to be the end," he said.
"We've got to go out there and give energy. We have one of the best home court advantages for a reason – I'm pretty sure it will be rocking tomorrow night."
Tyson Fury declared "I'm done" and reaffirmed his intentions to retire from boxing after successfully defending his WBC heavyweight belt against Dillian Whyte.
The undefeated Fury delivered a brutal sixth-round knockout of Whyte at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, and either side of the fight suggested he will call it a day on his career following the all-British bout.
Fury, 33, speaking on Piers Morgan's show 'Uncensored' on Talk TV, reiterated his desire to retire from boxing, despite speculation surrounding potential clashes with Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk.
Beaten challenger Whyte, who did not feel the referee should have stopped the bout, is also hungry for another shot at Fury.
"This is the truth, the gospel truth, nothing but the truth – I'm done," Fury said.
"Every good dog has its day and like the great Roman leader said, 'there will always be somebody else to fight'.
"When is enough, enough? I'm happy, I'm healthy, I've still got my brains and I can still talk. I've got a beautiful wife, six kids, I've got umpteen belts, plenty of money, success, fame, glory – what more am I doing it for?
"Boxing is a very dangerous sport. You can be taken out with one punch as we've seen on Saturday and it's one unlucky blow and you may not get up off that canvas.
"I'm quitting while I'm ahead, I'm undefeated and only the second man in history to retire as undefeated heavyweight champion.
"I'm very, very happy, very content in my heart with what I've done and what I've achieved."
Fury, should his claims prove to be true, will join American great Rocky Marciano as the only heavyweight champions to retire with an unbeaten record.
Questions persist whether Fury will face UFC star Francis Ngannou in a boxing-mixed martial arts exhibition event or reappear in professional wrestling after his WWE appearances in 2019.
Yet even if offered the mouth-watering prospect of fighting fellow Brit Joshua or Ukrainian Usyk – who are set to face off in a rematch for the IBF, WBO and WBA-Super belts – Fury insists he will not return to professional boxing.
"It's not worth it," he said. "I've got four young kids to raise and two older ones, I've been away for the last 10 years all over the world travelling for boxing.
"When do I get time to be a father, a husband, a brother, a son? I need this personal time. The fans will always want more, they're always baying for more blood, but at the end of the day I don't have any more to give.
"I've given everything I've got, I've been a professional for 14 years and been boxing for over 20 years.
"Every good dog has its day in the sun and my time is to go out on a high. I always said I wanted to walk away on top of the sport and do it on my terms and didn't want to be the person who said I should have been retired two years ago or whatever.
"They will not forget 'The Gypsy King' in a hurry – and no amount of material assets or money will make me come back out of retirement because I'm very happy."
Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers hit back at reporters on Wednesday, defending his playoff resume from the insinuation that he is responsible for some memorable collapses.
The 76ers are a team under pressure against the Toronto Raptors in their first round series, as they strive to avoid the dubious honour of becoming the first team to ever blow a 3-0 series lead.
After controlling the first three fixtures, the 76ers fell by eight points in Game 4, and 15 points in Game 5 as star Joel Embiid battles a thumb injury that will likely require surgery once Philadelphia's season is over.
Rivers, who won the 2008 NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics, pushed back when questioned about his reputation in the playoffs.
"Well, it's easy to use me as an example," he said "But I wish y'all would tell the whole story with me. All right?
"My Orlando team [in 2003] was the eighth seed. No one gives me credit for getting up against the [Detroit] Pistons, who won the title.
"That was an eighth seed. I want you to go back and look at that roster. I dare you to go back and look at that roster. And you would say, 'What a hell of a coaching job.' Really.
"I mean, the Clipper team [in 2015] that we lost 3-1, Chris Paul didn't play the first two games, and was playing on one leg, and we didn't have home court.
"And then the last one [when the Clippers lost to the Denver Nuggets in 2020], to me, is the one we blew. That's the one I took. We blew that.
"And that was in the bubble. And anything can happen in the bubble. There's no home court. Game 7 would have been in LA."
After highlighting his most famous playoff shortcomings, Rivers insisted it is not a theme, and sometimes it is just the way the cookie crumbles.
"But, it just happens," he said. "So I would say with me... some of it is, I gotta do better, always.
"I always take my own responsibility. And then some of it is, circumstances happen. This one, let's win it, and we don't have to talk about it.
"Being up 3-0, especially 3-0, I would say that [teams feel differently].
"A lot of teams don't win those games. The Celtics are the only one that won that game [in the first round of this year's playoffs]. Everyone else lost that game.
"From a coaching standpoint, you hate that, because you feel like, 'Let's just take care of it.' Then you get to Game 5 the other night, and [Toronto] played better.
"We didn't play well. We didn't play with a sense of urgency. So clearly now, I think both teams have kind of served notice and both teams have the other team's attention.
"If you don't have that, then we're all in trouble."
Emma Raducanu hailed Torben Beltz as "one of the nicest people I've met", despite deciding to split from the German coach.
The US Open champion parted company with Beltz on Tuesday after just five months together.
The duo began working together in November but have now split as the world number 11 plots the way forward ahead of the French Open and Wimbledon.
"Torben is a great guy. I really enjoyed my time with him on and off the court," Raducanu said while preparing for the Madrid Open on Wednesday.
"He is one of the nicest people I've met, so obviously it was a tough one to split with someone like that.
"But I feel like right now I'm very comfortable with my current training. I'm feeling very confident in what I'm doing and how I'm working.
"I feel like over the last few weeks it's definitely become more apparent and especially as I've spent more time on the tour playing more matches against these top opponents, that I kind of understand what I feel like I need more of.
"I think Torben has been great for me because when I wanted someone with tour experience, I think for my first six months on the tour, it was very valuable."
The 19-year-old has recently enjoyed her best week of the season, winning back-to-back matches at the Stuttgart Open, before putting in a respectable performance in defeat to world number one Iga Swiatek.
Beltz is the third coach to move on from working with Raducanu in the last 12 months. She swapped Nigel Sears for Andrew Richardson, who worked with her at the US Open, before deciding to bring in Beltz, who previously worked with Angelique Kerber and Donna Vekic.
Raducanu is scheduled to face Czech player Tereza Martincova on Friday in Madrid and will be assisted by Iain Bates at the tournament, the long-serving head of women's tennis at the Lawn Tennis Association.
Orville Christie shot a three-over-par score of 75 to win the Easter Jamboree -WAGR tournament by seven strokes at the Caymanas Golf Club on the weekend.
In what was a relatively small field Christie’s final round score followed an opening round of 70 followed by a second-round score of 75 for an overall total of 220. Delroy McDonald with scores of 74, 72 and 81 finished second with a combined score of 227 while Martin Butt copped third place after posting scores of par 72, 79 and 79 for a combined score of 230.
"I am very happy with this win. I actually knew I had a great chance coming into this tournament. I have been practising a lot for the last few weeks and I have seen where my game has improved in certain areas, despite having to play in these hot and humid conditions and also having to play 27 holes each day which requires us to be out there more than seven hours,” Christie said afterwards.
“(It) wasn't very easy at all but this is how golf is. It tests your mental ability and your ability to focus for long periods so now I am just trying to keep this momentum going forward and just look towards the remaining tournaments coming up."
Dr Mark Newnham was the best of the amateurs shooting a combined score of 229 (74, 83, 72) to win by a single stroke ahead of Owen Samuda who shot 81, 74 and 75 over the three rounds.
Damion Spencer was a further stroke on 231 (77, 74, 80) while former national champion Sean Morris shot 241 (81, 83, 77).
Dr Newnham did well to recover from his second-round score of 11 over par 83, with an even-par 72 for the final round.
"(I am) proud most of all about the way I was able to bounce back from a five-hole stretch early on the second 27 holes when I shot 10 over par. At that point, I thought I was out of the tournament. I was able to play the next 22 holes one under par. Happy about that most of all. The win obviously was the icing on the cake.”
Among the professional seniors, Peter Horrobin shot a combined 216 (75, 73, 68) while Al Robinson was 10 strokes back in second place with scores of 76, 75, 75 for a total score of 226.
Newly installed president of the Jamaica Professional Golf Association Sebert Walker Sr. was third. He ended on 247 (80, 79, 88).
The Chicago Bulls will have to make do without Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso in their do-or-die Eastern Conference playoffs Game 5 showdown with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Needing a victory to keep the series alive, the Bulls confirmed LaVine and Caruso will play no part at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday.
All-Star LaVine misses out a day after he entered the NBA's health and safety protocol, having revealed he was feeling unwell before a practice session.
Fellow guard Caruso took a blow to his face in the second quarter of an emphatic 119-95 Game 4 defeat on Sunday and is going through concussion protocols.
LaVine had led the Bulls with 24 points, 13 assists and five rebounds in a loss that left them trailing the series 3-1.
A depleted Chicago were already missing Lonzo Ball (knee) and Matt Thomas (leg).
Naomi Osaka believes teen tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has rejuvenated excitement around the ATP Tour, while she labelled Rafael Nadal as an inspiration ahead of the Madrid Open.
Alcaraz needed just 67 minutes to defeat Spanish compatriot Pablo Carreno-Busta 6-3 6-2 at the Barcelona Open last Sunday, claiming his third title of the season after wins in Rio de Janeiro and Miami.
The 18-year-old has surged to a career-high ninth in the world rankings, Alcaraz becoming the youngest player to crack the top 10 since fellow Spaniard Nadal achieved that feat at the same age in 2005.
Coincidentally, Nadal also broke into the top 10 after success on the same day (April 25) at the Barcelona Open and the pair will next compete in Madrid in the ATP 1000 Masters event, which starts on Sunday.
Former women's world number one Osaka revealed she is keen to cast an eye over the duo in the Spanish capital, where she faces a qualifier in the first round, as she hailed the impact Alcaraz has had.
"I feel like he's genuinely made everyone excited about the ATP and I haven't seen that in a very long time," Madrid Open wildcard Osaka said of Alcaraz, who boasts an impressive 23-3 record in the 2022 season.
"I'm not even really thinking about his age, like every time someone brings up his age, I'm like, 'Oh wow, I forget, that's so cool'.
"I think just his game style, just how pumped he is, how I feel like I'm watching him learn with every tournament.
"I don't know what his ranking was last year here, but I've watched almost every tournament that he's played, the US Open when he played [Stefanos] Tsitsipas and just to see the growth I think is really exciting for everyone."
Osaka has won all four of her grand slam titles on hard courts, but the 24-year-old will now search for clay-court success in Madrid.
Japanese Osaka has spent time preparing in Majorca, where she has used 13-time French Open winner Nadal as an inspiration, given his expertise on clay courts.
"I think I stole one of the things that he did and I've been practising it recently," she said of Nadal, who holds the record for most men's grand slam titles with 21 major triumphs to his name.
"It'll either go really good or really bad. There's like no in between. But I think as I've been doing it, it's been going pretty well.
"Honestly I've been wanting to watch the really good clay-court players practice because I feel like I'm the type of person that learns really fast if I see it up close and honestly it's a bit of a waste to have all these really good professional tennis players and not watch them."
Osaka suffered a second-round exit at the Indian Wells Masters in March, impacted by abuse from a heckler in the crowd, but rebounded by making the final in Miami, where she lost to world number one Iga Swiatek.
However, Osaka is looking to use the experience at Indian Wells, where she was reduced to tears by a spectator reportedly shouting "Naomi, you suck", as a learning curve to develop.
"I feel like there are a lot of moments in my career that are like extremely sad for me at the time but I kind of later look back on it and I think to myself, 'Well that really made me grow as a person, and even though I really hated the experience, I'm glad it happened to me'," she added.
"For me, that's one of those moments. I wish it didn't happen, but also I'm glad that it did.
"I feel like it prepared me for a lot of things that may or may not happen, but it's kind of like one of those things you have in your back pocket as experience."
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