Luke Littler will have to wait to win his first major title as he lost in the quarter-final of the UK Open.

The 17-year-old, who burst on to the scene with his run to the final at the World Championship over Christmas, was looking a good bet to claim the silverware in Minehead, but came up against an inspired Damon Heta.

The Australian played the match of his life, averaging 106.04, to claim a surprise 10-8 victory.

Littler has made waves in the first few months on the PDC Tour, having won the Bahrain Masters in his debut tournament in January and competing well in the Premier League, but he leaves his first major empty-handed.

He will have regrets about his defeat as despite Heta’s incredible level, Littler rallied from 8-4 down and missed two darts at his favoured double 10 to send it to a decider.

Heta said: “Credit to myself. I was up for it, sometimes I feel like that in practice so I know what it feels like.

“To come out on top against Luke Littler, who has taken the media and darts by storm, I love him to bits to be fair, it’s a massive boost for darts… but for myself I know what I am up against.

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“These are the guys I need to beat.”

Littler’s exit clears the path for world champion and world number one Luke Humphries.

Humphries, aiming for a fourth successive major ranking title, demolished Masters champion Stephen Bunting 10-2 in the first quarter-final.

And the 29-year-old celebrated by going back to bed before his return to stage later on Sunday.

“I am going to go and have a sleep, I felt fatigued coming on to stage, it’s been a long five days on the road,” he said.

“Usually I’d watch the draw but I am going to sleep.”

Ricky Evans said he was on “cloud 10” after reaching his first major semi-final by beating Rob Cross.

Cross missed a plethora of chances, including 28 darts at a double, to allow Evans to steal a 10-7 win.

“He gave me so many chances and I took them,” a tearful Evans said. “I won and I just looked at the stats and I don’t care.

“I’m on cloud 10, it’s better than nine. I am chuffed to bits and on my sister’s birthday, it’s a present for her.”

LeBron James cannot discount another player going on to reach 40,000 NBA points, as he celebrated reaching the milestone despite a Los Angeles Lakers loss.

The Lakers lost 124-114 to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, though with a haul of 26 points, James reached 40,017 points.

When James reached nine points, he was presented with the game ball and received an ovation from the crowd at the Crypto.com arena.

Coincidentally, James surpassed the 40,000 mark on the 62nd anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks.

While teammate Anthony Davis believes no other player will come close to matching James' points haul, James himself warned records are there to be broken, even though no other active player has yet reached 30,000 career points.

"Obviously we have a lot of great guys in our league that can score the ball, and if they were to stay healthy and they would play a long time, then they can eclipse it," James said.

"And then, records are always meant to be broken. You can never say never for any record. At one point we said that Big O's [Oscar Robertson's] triple-double record would never be broken and Russ [Westbrook] did it, and now looks like Joker [Nikola Jokic] and Luka [Doncic], they're doing it every night.

"I feel like I'm still that threat out on the floor and I am still able to do the things that I was doing 10 years ago. And some things I was doing 20 years ago, which is weird to say."

Davis did joke, though, that James' record-setting games usually come in defeats for the Lakers.

"I was just telling him in the locker room he might have to stop breaking records because we always lose any time he breaks a record," Davis said. "And he said the same thing."

Indeed, that streak is quite something. James was on the losing side when he reached his 30,000th and 35,000th career points. When he became the all-time leading NBA points scorer last year, the Lakers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"For me, the main thing is always the main thing, and that's the win," James said.

"I hated that it had to happen in the defeat, especially versus the team that plays extremely well. We played some good basketball tonight, but weren't able to close it out. So, bittersweet but enjoyed every moment tonight on the floor."

Formula One’s crisis-hit Red Bull team insists it remains “united” after Max Verstappen’s father, Jos, claimed it is “in danger of being torn apart” if Christian Horner remains in his role.

A defiant Horner has said he is “absolutely confident” he will stay on as Red Bull boss for the remainder of the season after overseeing Verstappen lead a one-two finish from team-mate Sergio Perez at the opening round in Bahrain.

Horner has faced intense scrutiny in recent weeks following allegations against him made by a female colleague. Horner has always denied the claims.

But speaking to the Daily Mail newspaper following Saturday’s 57-lap race, Verstappen Snr added further fuel to the fire when he said: “There is tension here while he (Horner) remains in position.

“The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”

Responding to Verstappen Snr’s comments, a Red Bull Racing spokesperson told the PA news agency on Sunday: “There are no issues here. The team are united and we are focused on racing.”

During an extraordinary week in Bahrain, Horner was exonerated by Red Bull Racing’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH, following an internal probe into allegations of “inappropriate behaviour”.

But hundreds of WhatsApp messages, appearing to be exchanged between Horner and the complainant, were then leaked to the F1 world.

Verstappen Snr, who is not an employee of Red Bull Racing, has been accused in some quarters of attempting to oust Horner from his job.

But the 51-year-old father of Red Bull’s three-time world champion continued: “That wouldn’t make sense. Why would I do that when Max is doing so well here?”

Horner strode hand-in-hand with wife Geri in the paddock one hour and 45 minutes before Saturday’s race.

Red Bull’s majority shareholder, Thai billionaire Chalerm Yoovidhya, also joined the duo on the team’s terrace in a public show of support for Horner.

Speaking after the chequered flag had fallen, Horner was asked if he is confident he will stay on as Red Bull team principal for the rest of the season. He replied: “Absolutely. Absolutely.”

He continued: “I have the support of an incredible family, an incredible wife, an incredible team and everybody within that team.

“And my focus is on going racing, winning races, and doing the best I can.

“It was a day about starting the season in the best possible way. My focus is on this team, my family, my wife and racing.”

Horner was also quizzed about the leaked Google file which was sent from an anonymous email account to 149 members of the F1 paddock – including FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem, F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali and the grid’s nine other team principals, as well as members of the media.

“I am not going to comment on anonymous speculative messages from an unknown source,” Horner said. “I am not going to comment on what motives whatever person may have for doing this.

“Obviously, it has not been pleasant with some of the unwanted attention, but the focus is very much on the cars and my focus has been on what is happening on track and the result (on Saturday) demonstrates where the focus is and we move onwards.

“There was a full, lengthy internal process that was completed by an independent KC and the grievance that was raised was dismissed. End of. Move on.”

Horner is set to be back in the spotlight on Thursday when the cars hit the track in practice for the next round in Saudi Arabia.

Sean Bowen has indicated he could prioritise winning chances ahead of Festival rides during Cheltenham week.

The rider is trying to make up lost ground with Harry Cobden in the jump jockeys’ championship, having had his progress halted by a knee injury sustained on Boxing Day that kept him sidelined until early February.

Bowen claimed his first winner since returning to action at Kelso on Saturday, with Cobden 11 victories in front before racing on Sunday.

While the table topper will have a strong book of Cheltenham rides for Paul Nicholls, Bowen could look elsewhere as he tries to rally in the title race.

He said: “I might be there the first day for Not So Sleepy and if it came up really soft, he’d have half a chance, I’ll just pick and choose from there.

“I could be at Ffos Las or Fakenham on Gold Cup day, something like that. I need winners.”

Bowen is attached to Olly Murphy’s yard and the trainer is thrilled to have him back in action.

He said: “It’s tough for these lads, Harry and Sean are going at it but they are two young boys, the pressure they are under to be champion jockey.

“Sean has had a horrible injury and it’s taken him a while to get back rocking and rolling, he’s ridden through pain, he’s chewing pain killers and it’s been hard.

“We haven’t been flying ourselves, they haven’t been running bad, we’ve just had second after second. Hopefully he can get rolling again now.”

Cobden and Bowen are well clear of three-times champion Brian Hughes, who himself often bypassed days at the Festival in order to ride better chances at lower-profile fixtures.

Murphy hailed the talent of both title challengers and believes a proper battle for the crown can only benefit the sport.

He added: “The boys are two fantastic talents, Harry and Sean. It’s really healthy for National Hunt racing and may the best man win, they are two fantastic jockeys. I think it’s fantastic for Britain to have these two.

“They sit next to each other in the weighing room, it’s mentally tough and they are two fantastic lads. I don’t know Harry overly well but he conducts himself well and so does Sean.

“I’m delighted to have Sean on my side, he’s a humongous part of my team.”

For a young jockey, Jack Kennedy is very familiar with the highs and lows that racing can supply.

The 24-year-old has experienced extremes of both throughout his career so far, winning 10 times at the Cheltenham Festival but missing the meeting completely due to injury twice.

He has suffered a broken leg on five different occasions, but each time has returned to action to seamlessly pick up where he left off.

Cheltenham success, which evades many good jockeys for years, came almost instantly to Kennedy when he partnered Labaik to victory in the 2017 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, despite the horse being a 25-1 chance with a history of refusing to race.

The triumph was no fluke, however, and at the 2018 Festival he rode four winners for Gordon Elliott, though the following year he drew a blank and returned to Ireland empty handed.

Injury prevented him from riding at the meeting in 2020, but the all-or-nothing nature of his Cheltenham fortunes was evidenced again in 2021, as he rode four winners, including the biggest prize of them all when partnering Henry de Bromhead’s Minella Indo to Gold Cup victory.

However, the whole event was held behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, something that struck him as he walked back to the paddock past an empty grandstand that would usually be brimming with people.

“It was class, obviously it was a pity there was no one there but the initial feeling I got when I crossed the line was the same as if the stands were packed,” he said.

“The walk down the chute and things afterwards, that’s when you realise there’s no one there, but it was a dream come true.”

Delta Work provided him with a sole victory in 2022 when winning the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase before a fall at Naas the following January scuppered any hopes of riding at the meeting last year.

“Missing it last year was tough and there’s a while to go yet, so hopefully I do make it there,” the rider said.

“I’ll keep going, as when you start thinking about those sort of things, then something goes wrong then. I’ll keep going as usual.

“I suppose it’s just the cards you’re dealt. We seem to be going well this year.

“Labaik seems a while ago and obviously there’s been a couple of years I’ve missed through injury.”

The Cheltenham Festival is the pinnacle of the sport for many and for the big operations, from which people expect success, there is a great sense of pressure to get off the mark as soon as possible.

Spectators will be keenly waiting for the first success from the power stables of Willie Mullins and Elliott and this is a pressure that trails into the weighing room, too.

“To get a winner is great, we’ll try to pick up as many as possible – but if I get one, I’ll be happy,” said Kennedy.

“It’s a big help if you can get one on the board early, it kind of settles you into the week better than if you’re left waiting for one. It’s a massive help if you can get one on the first day.

“If you haven’t had a winner by the Thursday, you’d obviously be getting a bit anxious, but you’d try to not let it get it to you and you just have to keep riding as best you can.

“I suppose I get a bit nervous, but I wouldn’t let it get to me. Sitting in the weighing room, maybe the 10 minutes before you go out, you’re wanting to get on with it, but as soon as you get up on them, it all goes away.

“The weighing room is quieter than everywhere else, as everyone is in the zone. Once you get settled into the whole thing, everyone will loosen up a bit, but before the race people are probably a bit tense.

“It depends what sort of week you’re having, if it’s a good week it flies by and if it’s a bad week it can be the longest week of your life. In 2019, I didn’t have a winner there, that was a long week.”

Kennedy may have ridden a Gold Cup winner for De Bromhead but Elliott is the trainer with whom he is most readily associated and the two have a well-established bond.

“Gordon has been unreal. From the minute I came in here, he hasn’t been afraid to put me up on good horses,” he said.

“I’ve been up here on school holidays since I was 12 or 13 and started here full-time just before I turned 16.

“Myself and Gordon have the same ideas about things and seem to work well together. I’m sure he’s been unhappy with a few rides around there, actually in 2019 after the County Hurdle (unseated from Eclair De Beaufeau at the last), I got a bit of a telling off after that!

“Even if I did something wrong, Gordon would tell me but he forgets about it straight away and it’s on to the next one.”

It is clearly a partnership based on mutual esteem and loyalty and Elliott is unreserved in his praise for the rider, simply saying: “In my mind, he’s the best jockey riding, on either side of the Irish Sea – he’s different class.”

Ben Pauling began training on his own in 2013 and must have thought the game was easy, as Barters Hill and then Willoughby Court scaled heights that quickly brought him plenty of attention.

It is not until this season, however, that Pauling – who counts Cheltenham as his local track – feels he is heading to the Festival with a team of horses capable of taking him back to the top table.

Barters Hill was his first Grade One winner in the 2015 Challow Hurdle, while Willoughby Court broke his Festival duck in the 2017 Neptune (now Baring Bingham) Novices’ Hurdle.

Le Breuil (National Hunt Chase) and Global Citizen (Grand Annual) have provided further Festival success, although both came away from the highest level and this year he has legitimate contenders in all three novice hurdles.

Tellherthename heads for the Supreme having got back to winning ways at Huntingdon, which was also where Baring Bingham hope Handstands won recently, while The Jukebox Man has been kept fresh for the Albert Bartlett since a fine third in the Challow Hurdle.

“I’d say this is going to be our strongest team, certainly in quality if not quite numerically,” said Pauling.

“I think we’ll send between eight and 10 this season and without doubt it is our strongest team, they’ve found their own way there without us pushing to place them, if that makes sense. Hopefully, they’ll all go there and do their best – and if their best is good enough, then fine.”

Reflecting on the early days of his career, he admits he appreciates success a lot more now.

“At the time, I realised how lucky I was to get those two so early in my career, but you can’t appreciate it as much as you should do at the time,” said Pauling.

“It was quite ridiculous with Barters, we just turned up for Grade Ones and expected to win.

“When he won his Challow Hurdle, my first Grade One, he had Politologue 18 lengths behind him absolutely legless, and he went on to win a Champion Chase. He motored through races and was just incredible.

“He’s still cruising around now as a lovely riding horse, but unfortunately his frailties behind cut his career short.

“Willoughby then quickly came along to fill the void, but sadly he passed away with blood poisoning.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had this calibre of horse. We’ve won Festival races with Le Breuil, who you could say was a nice horse but was never a Grade One contender, and then Global Citizen, who won plenty of Grade Twos but couldn’t win a Grade One.

“We’ve had various other stars but never have we had a team like this, three very nice novices going with chances.”

As well as the three novice hurdlers, who should all have bright futures whatever they do at Cheltenham, the 40-year-old has a handful of handicappers with live chances as well.

“The races all pick them themselves really. I suppose the fact the Supreme is the first race of the meeting means Tellherthename is unlikely to get his favoured good ground, but he won on soft at Huntingdon the other day. I just don’t think he handled bottomless ground like it was at Aintree,” he said.

“What I wasn’t prepared to do at Newbury (when a non-runner) was run on bottomless ground so close to the Festival, his owners want Festival winners.

“Once the ground went so soft at Newbury (for the Betfair Hurdle), it was never a question and here we are with a horse who appears to be in very good form, he worked very well at Kempton recently.

“Handstands, I think I’ve persuaded the owners that I’m very keen to go, as they were up in the air.

“He won at Huntingdon recently. He’s a funny horse, as Harry (Cobden) came to school him before Huntingdon and jumped off saying he felt like a 105 handicapper, yet just after the race he said he’d have no idea where the bottom of him is, as he didn’t have to try very hard.

“Hopefully, he’s an improving horse. It’s whether he’s ready for a race like the Baring Bingham.

“The Jukebox Man ran well in the Challow and hasn’t run since because that probably took a lot out of him, I think three miles will be right up his street.”

He went on: “I’m hoping Bowtogreatness might get into the Kim Muir, he ran well last time out and we haven’t been overly hard on him. He is in the amateur race (National Hunt Chase) as well but I do think he’s ahead of his mark.

“Twig will definitely go in the Ultima but he needs good to soft at worse, he’s not great on anything softer than that.

“If the ground is to be on the soft side, then I suspect Shakem Up’Arry will go in the Plate, I think that’s his trip. We did his wind in the summer and while his first run back was a disaster, he needed to trust himself again.

“He was then too keen in the Coral Gold Cup and didn’t get home. It all came together on New Year’s Day, when he looked a different horse – and he finished third in the Plate last year.

“Harper’s Brook will go for the Grand Annual, we might switch the headgear to blinkers from cheekpieces. We’ve hopefully worked out the way of getting the best out of him, it might not work every time but he’s a very talented horse.

“I think Henry’s Friend will run now, too. I actually thought he’d need a rest after the Reynoldstown, but he’s come out of it bouncing. There’s more chance than not he’ll run in the National Hunt Chase.”

Sparks Fly is likely to kick off her year in the Pertemps Network Lincoln after a remarkable season that saw her notch up eight victories.

Bred and owned by Dave Lowe, the four-year-old was a revelation when stepping away from the all-weather in spring last year.

She started out on the turf with a rating of 59 and shot through the rankings when winning six times consecutively under Rossa Ryan and latterly Laura Pearson.

She may have been beaten over an extended mile and a quarter in the Lyric Stakes at York, but she bounced right back to form next time out at Haydock.

That run led her to the Listed Prix Isola Bella at Saint-Cloud in October, where she soared to a 12-length success when never seeing another rival from start to finish.

A return to the same track for the Prix Tantieme did not bring about the same result, as the filly finished sixth in a run connections consider to have been one too many in an otherwise superb campaign.

“She was a real flagbearer for us, she was the winning-most horse in Britain and she started off with a rating of 59 and finished off on 107 – that was exceptional,” said trainer David Loughnane.

“Saint-Cloud was just one run too many, she was well in herself at home but we knew on the day. Even going to post, Laura said she just wasn’t the same horse and she had just gone a little bit over the top.

“Hindsight is a great thing, we got greedy trying to win nine but she owes us nothing and she was a superstar, we’d like to think we could get a bit more black type on her page.”

Sparks Fly has now returned from her winter break and is being prepared for the Lincoln at Doncaster on what is officially the opening day of the Flat season in Britain.

The mile handicap is often run on more testing ground, which the filly relishes, and it is likely that she will be campaigned in two stages, with a break in the middle to avoid quick ground at the height of the summer.

“She’s wintered really nicely, she enjoyed her holiday but she gets bored pretty quickly, so we were quite keen to get her back into work,” said Loughnane.

“She’s not one that likes to be out of work for long but she’s done well for a break.

“At the moment, our first port of call will be the Lincoln if all goes to plan, she gets there on time and the ground is right for her.

“We’ll probably look to campaign her in the first half of the season, give her a little break in the middle part and then bring her back again for the second half.

“This is England after all, so you never know what’s going on with the weather and what we’ll end up with.”

John Hales has been fortunate to own many top-class horses and this year marks the 20th anniversary of one of his very best, Azertyuiop, winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Before his current partnership with Sir Alex Ferguson and Ged Mason had evolved, Hales’ yellow silks with a red star were a very familiar sight on British racecourses.

Of course, they sprang to prominence thanks to another Champion Chase winner, One Man, who spent most of his career over three miles, winning the Hennessy Gold Cup, the King George twice and the Charlie Hall twice before finally ending his Cheltenham hoodoo when dropping back in trip in 1998.

Hales has also won the Grand National with Neptune Collonges, two Supreme Novices’ Hurdles with Noland and Al Ferof and a further Champion Chase with Politologue.

Azertyuiop, whose name came from the top line of a French keyboard, had either the fortune or misfortune, depending on which way you look at it, to be around in a golden age of two-miler chasers.

“Azertyuiop is still alive and well, he’s 27 now and I’m looking out of my window right now at him in the field with Neptune Collonges and Al Ferof, they all get on so well together,” said Hales.

“He’s still very fit and very well, he’s at a great age and it’s lovely to still have him.

“He was a very, very good horse. He might have only ever won two Grade Ones, the Arkle and the Champion Chase, but they are the right ones to win.

“Of course, he was around in that golden era with Moscow Flyer and Well Chief, and there was Flagship Uberalles still around, too.”

Azertyuiop and Moscow Flyer met in two Champion Chases, and it was a little unfortunate that in 2004 Moscow Flyer made a bad mistake and unseated Barry Geraghty four from home and a year later Azertyuiop left his hind legs in the water jump, costing him any chance of victory.

It meant their rivalry is usually best remembered for a titanic battle in the Tingle Creek at Sandown, but for a man as Cheltenham orientated as Hales, winning the Queen Mother for a second time was glorious.

“Moscow Flyer almost fell down the back straight and to be honest, once he’d got over the third-last, he looked the winner and he just had to stay up, which he did,” said Hales.

“Paul (Nicholls) wasn’t afraid to mix it up with him. That season, he ran in the Victor Chandler (now Clarence House) and he just failed to give lumps of weight to Isio, who was a good horse, and the following season we ran him in the King George, when he was third to a Gold Cup winner in Kicking King.

“Azertyuiop would certainly be in my top three, I think – him, Neptune Collonges and One Man.”

While Hales holds Azertyuiop in the highest regard, the inference was there that he might just cherish one horse above all others.

“Azertyuiop was very good the day he won the Champion Chase, but I wouldn’t want to answer who would win between him and One Man!” he said.

“They were both great horses but One Man had spent his life running over three miles.

“There was a famous reporter who said before he won, ‘if One Man can come down from three miles to two and win the Queen Mother, I’ll jump off the roof at Cheltenham’ – well, I’m still waiting for him to jump!”

Hales has some live chances at this year’s Festival but it is two of his horses that are not going to Cheltenham that excite him most, including recent €740,000 purchase Caldwell Potter.

“Kalif Du Berlais, who won at Kempton, is unbeaten, he beat a nice horse (Givemefive) in the Adonis and we think he is a very good horse. He’ll be going over fences next year and we just need to find out his best distance because he’s winning over two but will stay further,” said Hales.

“Caldwell Potter, the horse from Ireland, will be going to Aintree after we decided to give him more time to settle. He looks very good and will also be going chasing next year.

“The thing that clinched it for me to buy him, and it shouldn’t have done, was when Anthony Bromley (bloodstock agent) rang me about him, I asked what his colour was. When he told me he was grey, I shouldn’t have been influenced by that but I was because every major race I’ve won, at some point I’ve won it with a grey. King George, Queen Mother, Grand National – all with greys.

“I’ve got Sonigino (Martin Pipe), Monmiral (Pertemps) and L’Eau Du Sud (County Hurdle), with a few others going this year – and I quite fancy L’Eau Du Sud.”

Katie Boulter vowed to keep having fun on the court after beating Emma Navarro to reach her biggest career final at the San Diego Open.

The British number one, who claimed her maiden WTA Tour title on grass in Nottingham last summer, will bid for the trophy at a WTA 500 tournament for the first time thanks to a 6-3 6-1 win.

Boulter has had a flying start to the 2024 season and victory over her third top-30 opponent of the week guarantees she will rise at least 14 places in the rankings to a new career-high of 35.

She will break the top 30 if she can defeat Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in the final on Sunday night – where she will be watched by boyfriend Alex De Minaur, who scheduled an early-morning flight after retaining his title in Acapulco.

Boulter said: “Today was one of those matches that everything just clicked. I came onto the court and started the first few games and I could feel the power that she had and the way she works and manoeuvres the ball.

“I had to come up with something better and play more aggressive and go for it and I think that was my chance to just trust myself and trust the work I’ve put in and it paid off.

“It’s my biggest career final so far. I’m just going to keep having fun. I’ve got such good vibes going with the team right now so nothing changes there, I’m just going to enjoy myself.”

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The 27-year-old from Leicester dominated on her serve against third seed Navarro, winning more than 87 per cent of first serve points and allowing the American just two break points, both of which she saved.

Rain stopped play early in the second set but the delay did nothing to halt Boulter’s momentum as she wrapped up victory in only 48 minutes of play.

“It was obviously very tricky with the rain delay in the middle of the match,” said Boulter, who was ranked well outside the top 100 a year ago.

“I felt like I had the momentum behind me, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself in the rain delay to stay focused and stay warm and continue that momentum and I think I came out and played some really good stuff to start with and kept that rolling and I think that was super important today.”

Kostyuk is also having one of the best weeks of her career and she stunned American top seed Jessica Pegula, winning 7-6 (4) 6-1.

It was the 21-year-old’s first win over a top-five player after she came back from 5-1 down in the first set.

Outgoing DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley says unification between between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is “inevitable”, even if it takes 10 years.

Golf’s civil war has rumbled on for two years since LIV, the big-money Saudi breakaway venture, began tempting a host of top names with lavish paydays.

“Whether it be in six months, a year, two years or 10 years, I think people are coming to the realisation that a collective product is in the best interest of global golf,” Pelley told the Sunday Times.

“It is the only way growth and prize funds continue at this level. It is inevitable.”

Rory McIlroy said recently he fears golf will remain “fractured forever” unless the opportunity to create a more global game is embraced.

The four-time major winner, initially an outspoken critic of LIV, has suggested a world tour incorporating “corporate America” and Saudi Arabian investment, but one which also elevates historic national Opens in the likes of Australia and South Africa.

“I’m very much aligned with Rory,” added Pelley.

“Rory is the player I have leant on the most, going back to the beginning. You need people who aren’t afraid to say what they really think.”

Christian Horner’s leadership has been cast into fresh doubt after Max Verstappen’s father, Jos, claimed Red Bull is “in danger of being torn apart” if the under-fire team principal remains in his role.

A defiant Horner said on Saturday night that he is “absolutely confident” he will stay on as Red Bull boss for the remainder of the Formula One season after overseeing Verstappen lead a one-two finish from team-mate Sergio Perez at the opening round in Bahrain.

Horner’s job has faced intense scrutiny in recent weeks following allegations against him made by a female colleague. Horner has always denied the claims.

But speaking to the Daily Mail newspaper, Verstappen Snr added further fuel to the fire when he said: “There is tension here while he (Horner) remains in position.

“The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”

During an extraordinary week in Bahrain, Horner was exonerated by Red Bull Racing parent’s company, Red Bull GmbH, following an internal probe into allegations of “inappropriate behaviour”.

But hundreds of WhatsApp messages, appearing to be exchanged between Horner and the complainant, were then leaked to the F1 world.

Verstappen Snr has been accused in some quarters of attempting to oust Horner from his job.

But the 51-year-old father of Red Bull’s three-time world champion continued: “That wouldn’t make sense. Why would I do that when Max is doing so well here?”

The PA news agency has approached Red Bull Racing for comment.

Horner strode hand-in-hand with wife Geri in the paddock one hour and 45 minutes before Saturday’s race.

Red Bull’s majority shareholder, Thai billionaire Chalerm Yoovidhya, also joined the duo on the team’s terrace in a public show of support for Horner.

Speaking after the chequered flag had fallen, Horner was asked if he is confident he will stay on as Red Bull team principal for the rest of the season. He replied: “Absolutely. Absolutely.”

He continued: “I have the support of an incredible family, an incredible wife, an incredible team and everybody within that team.

“And my focus is on going racing, winning races, and doing the best I can.

“It was a day about starting the season in the best possible way. My focus is on this team, my family, my wife and racing.”

Horner was also quizzed about the leaked Google file which was sent from an anonymous email account to 149 members of the F1 paddock – including FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem, F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali and the grid’s nine other team principals, as well as members of the media.

Horner said: “I am not going to comment on anonymous speculative messages from an unknown source. I am not going to comment on what motives whatever person may have for doing this.

“Obviously, it has not been pleasant with some of the unwanted attention, but the focus is very much on the cars and my focus has been on what is happening on track and the result today demonstrates where the focus is and we move onwards.

“There was a full, lengthy internal process that was completed by an independent KC and the grievance that was raised was dismissed. End of. Move on.”

Horner is set to be back in the spotlight in just four days when the cars hit the track in practice for the next round in Saudi Arabia.

Alex de Minaur has defended his Mexican Open title after defeating Norwegian Casper Ruud in straight sets in Acapulco.

The match took just under two hours as the pair battled in long rallies, with the difference being the Australian’s ability to capitalise on break points, nailing three of four while Ruud converted just one of four.

The 25-year-old took an early lead in the first set at 3-1 and served out the rest of the set, while in the second the pair broke each other before de Minaur had the decisive break in the seventh game.

De Minaur won the same competition last year, beating American Tommy Paul, and further solidified his ranking in the top ten.

He has won 10 straight games in Acapulco and is the first player since David Ferrer in 2012 to win back-to-back titles at the tournament.

He defeated Jack Draper in the semi-final after the Englishman retired ill in the third set.

LeBron James scored his 40,000th point, but the Denver Nuggets closed strong and won their sixth straight game, 124-114 over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.

James finished with 26 points and nine assists while reaching his latest milestone on a layup with 10:39 left in the second quarter. He extended his lead as the league’s career scoring leader.

Nikola Jokić had 35 points and 10 rebounds, Michael Porter Jr. added 25 and 10 and Jamal Murray had 24 points, 11 assists and six boards to help Denver get within one-half game of Minnesota for the Northwest Division lead.

The Nuggets closed the game on a 16-6 run, with Aaron Gordon’s 3-pointer with 3:49 left putting them ahead for good.

Jokic made a turnaround hook before Murray hit a jumper and Justin Holiday converted a running layup for a 117-110 advantage. After Anthony Davis’s basket got the Lakers within 117-112 with 1:49 left, Murray made a layup and Jokic added a layup of his own.

Booker injures ankle in Suns’ loss

Jalen Green poured in 34 points with six 3-pointers to lead the Houston Rockets to a 118-109 win over the Phoenix Suns, who lost star guard Devin Booker to an ankle injury.

Booker left late in the game after he injured his right ankle when he stepped on teammate Royce O’Neale’s foot. Booker had 24 points in 38 minutes before departing.

Fred VanVleet scored 24 points and Alperen Sengun added 21 with 10 rebounds as the Rockets snapped a three-game skid and avenged Thursday’s loss at Phoenix.

Kevin Durant had 30 points for the Suns, who had a nine-game home winning streak snapped.

Butler leads Heat past Jazz

Jimmy Butler scored 18 of his season-high 37 points in the third quarter and the Miami Heat defeated the Utah Jazz 126-120 for their 10th win in 13 games.

Bam Adebayo added 23 points and Caleb Martin had 18 for the Heat, who beat the Jazz at home for the seventh straight time.

Butler hit all three of his 3-point attempts and had a steal, extending his streak of having at least one 3 and one steal to 13 consecutive games – the fourth-longest run in the NBA this season and tying Tim Hardaway for the second-longest such streak in Heat history.

Keyonte George scored 31 points and Lauri Markkanen added 25 as the Jazz lost their third straight and eighth in nine games.