Lewis Hamilton says Red Bull and Ferrari "are in a league of their own" as Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen prepare to battle it out once again at the French Grand Prix.
Leclerc came out on top at the Austrian Grand Prix two weeks ago and will start Sunday's race at Circuit Paul Ricard in pole position for the seventh time this season.
The Ferrari driver has momentum on his side, but he still trails Red Bull rival Verstappen by 38 points heading into the 12th race of 2022.
Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez finished third in qualifying after recovering from some flat practice showings, while Mercedes driver Hamilton was a distant fourth.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton is still seeking his first win of the campaign, but that seems unlikely to arrive in his 300th grand prix on the basis of Saturday's qualifying.
"It's not that it is disheartening, but you do a lap and you are told it is 1.7 seconds off and you are like 'what?'" Hamilton said.
"And then you do a really good lap and you are 1.1 seconds off and you are like 'wow'. There is nothing I can do in my power to change that.
"Everyone is working as hard as they can. Each weekend we come with little bits to try and improve, but sometimes that doesn't make a difference and that is difficult.
"The top two teams are in their own league. I came here this weekend hoping we would be within three tenths of them, and we are a second back.
"If it is anything like this it is going to be a while before we win, but it's not impossible."
The driver starting on pole has won the past three French GPs – Hamilton in 2018 and 2019 and Verstappen last year – though not since 1960 has it happened four times in a row.
Leclerc's 16th career pole was achieved in large thanks to a tow from team-mate Carlos Sainz, who will start at the back of the grid after a fourth engine change of the season.
Sainz provided a tow down the straights to help Leclerc edge Verstappen, but the latter does not believe the same tactic would have worked for Red Bull.
"No, because Ferrari gained only two to two-and-a-half tenths with the slipstream, Charles told me," Verstappen said. "It was also very logical that they did it.
"Obviously both me and Sergio Perez want to be in the best position possible. That's why I don't think we're doing that sort of thing. Neither of us had a grid penalty, either.
"It also seems logical to me. We are both still fighting for the title, so it is difficult to explain. It is up to Ferrari if they want to do that, but within our team we haven't talked about it."
Should Verstappen and Perez earn at least 12 points on Sunday, Red Bull will join Ferrari (9,015) and Mercedes (6,535.50) as the third team ever to reach the 6,000 points mark.
Perez has placed in the top two in six of the past seven finished races, two times more than his previous 186, and the Mexican is delighted with his starting position.
"It's been a good recovery. I've been nowhere the whole weekend. To be honest, I've been struggling a lot," he said.
"I think it's probably been my worst weekend up to qualifying, really, and finally we managed to recover well. Now we will try to beat those red cars. They were very strong today."
Former tennis star Mardy Fish said he was "proud" to be the first person to play on both the ATP Tour and the PGA Tour after swapping his racquet for a bag of clubs.
The 40-year-old won six ATP titles and once ranked as high as seventh in the world in 2011, before retiring from tennis four years later.
However, he has recently been playing amateur golf and was given a special exemption to play in the PGA Tour's 3M Open in Minnesota, his hometown.
Fish was unable to make the cut, finishing 13 over par after his two rounds, with only three players carding higher scores.
He was grateful for the opportunity, though, and took to Twitter on Saturday to reflect on his achievement, posting: "What an incredible experience playing in the 3M Open. Truly a week I will never forget.
"I'm proud to be the first person to play on the ATP Tour and the PGA Tour. Chase your dreams, no matter how ridiculous they may be! Thank you for the incredible support all week Minnesota!"
Although he did not quite perform to the level hoped, Fish did card a respectable 74 in Friday's second round, hitting eight of 14 fairways and seven of 18 greens in regulation.
Golf great Jack Nicklaus has previously labelled Fish the best non-professional golfer he has ever played with.
"We played nine holes, and he drove the ball on every single hole in the middle of the fairway; further than I have seen anybody hit it who is not a professional," Nicklaus said.
"He shot 31 for nine holes. I said, 'Mardy, what are you doing? You have got a talent, and you are young enough to take advantage of it. You need to go play golf.'"
Carlos Alcaraz will play Lorenzo Musetti in the Hamburg European Open final following a straight-sets victory over Alex Molcan on Saturday.
The Spanish teenager is targeting a fifth ATP title of the year, which would move him ahead of Rafael Nadal, having already triumphed in Rio, Miami, Barcelona and Madrid.
Alcaraz is set to move into the top five of the ATP rankings for the first time after seeing off Slovakia's Molcan 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 to reach yet another championship match on his debut in Hamburg.
The top seed broke twice in the opening set but was pegged back on both occasions by Molcan, who was striving to reach a third final of 2022 after finishing as runner-up in Marrakech and Lyon.
But the 19-year-old dominated the tie-break, and found another gear to storm into the final as he made it eight successive sets won this week.
"It was tough," Alcaraz said. "Obviously, [Alex] played really well. The first set was really close; I'm really happy to be able to end the first set playing well.
"I couldn't read the drop shots from him. He was better on the drop shots today, so I was a little bit [frustrated] in the first set.
"In the second set, I think he was down a little bit; he didn't play well. I finished the match with a lot of confidence and played very well."
Standing between Alcaraz and another title is Musetti, who will appear in his maiden ATP final after he overcame Francisco Cerundolo 6-3 7-6 (7-3).
The Italian, who is set to climb into the world's top 50 for the first time, had lost six consecutive ATP Tour matches prior to this week.
But the 20-year-old continued his resurgence; ending the Bastad champion's eight-match winning streak by roaring back from 3-1 down in a second-set tie-break.
Meanwhile, Matteo Berrettini and Casper Ruud will target a third title of 2022 when they lock horns in the Swiss Open showpiece.
Berrettini - a winner in Stuttgart and Queen's before a positive COVID-19 test ruled him out of Wimbledon - registered his 12th successive victory, putting former US Open champion Dominic Thiem to the sword 6-1 6-4 in 78 minutes.
Reigning champion Ruud raced past Albert Ramos-Vinolas; winning five out of seven break points in a resounding 6-2 6-0 triumph.
Jonas Vingegaard declared his impending Tour de France title win is the "biggest in cycling" after increasing his lead on the penultimate stage.
The Dane's second place behind Team Jumbo-Visma team-mate Wout van Aert in Saturday's stage 20 time-trial saw him add eight seconds to his advantage over Tadej Pogacar, meaning he has a lead of over three-and-a-half minutes heading into Sunday's final stage.
Vingegaard is set to secure his first Tour title in Paris, and with tears in his eyes, he outlined what it means to him, especially after finishing second behind Pogacar last year.
"It means everything to me," he said. "It's really incredible. It's hard for me to put words on it. It's the biggest win in cycling.
"Since last year, I always believed I could do it. It's a relief that I did. I'm just so happy and proud."
Vingegaard detailed how determined the team was to right the wrongs of two years ago, when Pogacar overturned the lead of another Jumbo-Visma rider, Primoz Roglic, to pip him to the yellow jersey.
"What happened two years ago, we always thought about it and we didn't want it to happen again," he said. "We just wanted to go for it today. [The emotion] just shows how close everyone is in this team. It's a special thing we have."
Pogacar was reflective after finishing third on Saturday, but anticipates many more battles between himself and Vingegaard.
"It's been a good three weeks, with many ups and downs, with lots of bad luck for my team, but the battle between me and Jonas for the yellow jersey has been very special," Pogacar said.
"I think we have some very interesting next two or three years ahead of us. Jonas has stepped up his game this year. I'm motivated and looking forward to the next challenges."
The Phoenix Suns and head coach Monty Williams have agreed to a long-term contract extension, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday.
The exact terms of the deal were not made public, but the extension adds multiple years onto Williams’ original deal, which had two seasons remaining.
Williams has been at the helm during one of the best stretches in franchise history, guiding the Suns to a 2021 NBA Finals appearance and a franchise-best 64 wins last season.
Williams has gone 149-78 (.656 win percentage) in three seasons with Phoenix and was named the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year.
The Suns earned the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs last season and were considered favourites to return to a second straight Finals but were beaten in seven games by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round.
Jonas Vingegaard is poised to win his first Tour de France title on Sunday after all-but finishing off the job in a stage 20 time trial that was won by Wout van Aert.
Vingegaard's Team Jumbo–Visma team-mate Van Aert produced a stunning ride to win the 40.7km stage from Lacapelle-Marival to Rocamadour on Saturday.
Dane Vingegaard - who went into penultimate stage with a near three-and-a-half minute lead over rival Tadej Pogacar - crossed the line 19 seconds slower than Van Aert in second spot, but eight quicker than the third-placed two-time defending champion.
Vingegaard is set to secure the general classification title in Paris and was understandably emotional after finishing the time trial, embracing his wife as the scale of his achievement sunk in.
It could have been a very different story though, as Vingegaard came within inches of crashing in the closing stages, with his tyres clipping a grass verge and almost hitting a wall.
Geraint Thomas, who sits third in the GC standings, also put in a strong showing, finishing in fourth place.
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has bemoaned the disappointing upgrade package introduced for the French Grand Prix, with a clear verdict that it is "not good enough".
A frustrating weekend so far for Mercedes has seen them struggle to find their best approach, despite optimism about an upgrade package that has been introduced for the 12th round of the 2022 season.
Both Hamilton and Russell looked to be in danger of elimination in Q2 but pushed through on their final laps, following the introduction of fresh tyres, though neither showed enough to be much of a threat to the front row and Wolff was disappointed by the showing.
"We knew that once we got the new tyres on and were driving in anger a little bit that we were going to be a third force, like we have been all season, but it's just not good enough," he told Sky Sports.
"You can see when you're a little bit on the back foot, your expectations are on a certain level for the race weekend and then it doesn't come together, the freestyling starts.
Charles Leclerc was full of praise for Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz after he provided a tow down the straights to help Leclerc edge Max Verstappen for pole position in the French Grand Prix.
Sainz, who starts at the back of the grid following a fourth engine change of the season, looked to be the quickest throughout qualifying before switching his approach in Q3 to help Leclerc finish ahead of his title rival.
It secures Leclerc's seventh pole of the season and the 16th of his career as he looks to rejuvenate his title bid following difficulties in recent races, and he was clear it would have been a harder task without Sainz.
"I struggled all weekend to put a lap together, but I managed to do it. I have to say, I also had the help of Carlos and that was amazing teamwork," he said on the grid.
"Without Carlos it would have been much more close so a huge thank you to Carlos and I hope that he can join us in the fight for the win tomorrow.
"The car feels good but it's difficult to understand what the Red Bull guys have done yesterday, as there was loads of difference in terms of lap times, so let's see how it goes tomorrow."
Verstappen looked to be in fine form with the Red Bull ace showing great pace throughout the free practice sessions, but he couldn't quite put it together in qualifying and sits behind Leclerc at the start – the sixth time in 2022 the pair have been on the front row together.
"Overall, I think we were lacking a bit in qualifying, just with general grip. It was a bit more tricky than I would have hoped but we still have a decent race car," Verstappen said.
"Hopefully, tomorrow will come to our favour. We're quick on the straights, so hopefully we can use that tomorrow. It's going to be a bit warmer. Clearly, Ferrari have been very quick again."
Sergio Perez will start third, bouncing back after struggling to find pace in the practice sessions, and admitted it had been a difficult few days.
"It's been a good recovery over the whole weekend, I have been struggling a lot, I think it has been my worst weekend up to qualifying really but we managed to recover well," he said.
Perez sits ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who will start fourth, which means Mercedes' wait for a top-three start on the grid continues, with it already being their longest stint into a F1 season without one.
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:30:872
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.304
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.463
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.893
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.160
6. George Russell (Mercedes) +1.259
7. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +1.680
8. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) +1.908
9. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) No Time
10. Kevin Magnusson (Haas) No Time
Brooke Henderson remains in the lead at the Evian Championship, but a round of 65 from Ryu So-yeon on Saturday saw the South Korean move within two shots at the top of the leaderboard.
After back-to-back rounds of 64, Henderson carded a steady 68 on the third day in France, opening with a bogey before making four birdies and 13 pars to finish on 17-under overall.
Henderson, who won her first major at the Women's PGA Championship aged 18 in 2016, missed a chance to give herself an extra cushion as she slightly pulled a birdie putt on the 18th hole.
Ryu had managed a 67 and 66 on the first two days in Evian-les-Bains, and saw improvement again on Saturday as she carded eight birdies, despite also bogeying the fifth and 10th holes.
World number three Nelly Korda, who had been in second place overnight, struggled to replicate her positive start as the American carded an even-par round of 71, tied for sixth overall.
Sophia Schubert sits two shots further back in third after going round in 66, while Carlota Ciganda and Kim Sei-young are tied for fourth after carding 67 and 68 respectively.
World number one Ko Jin-young produced six birdies and two bogeys for a round of 67, sitting on 11-under-par in joint-sixth place heading into Sunday.
The only player to best Ryu's 65 was Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland, who produced an impressive round of 64 to move from tied for 30th to tied for 11th.
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has been penalised for excessive engine usage, meaning he will start the French Grand Prix from the back of the grid.
Sainz sits in fourth place in the drivers' championship, and finished the final practice in second place.
However, he will now start Sunday's race from the back after Ferrari took their fourth new engine of the season, one more than is permitted.
This penalty has been added on to the 10-place sanction that he had been given for the new electronics control unit that Ferrari opted for on Friday.
He will be joined at the back of the grid by Kevin Magnussen of Haas, who was penalised for changing power unit components.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen was fastest in the final practice, with the reigning champion clear of Sainz's Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, who finished third quickest.
Bernarda Pera claimed her second WTA title in as many weeks by defeating Anett Kontaveit 6-2 6-4 in the Hamburg European Open final.
The world number 81 continued her rich vein of form, having also captured the Budapest Grand Prix crown last weekend.
Pera, who won four out of six break points, stretched her winning streak to 12 matches, while she has also now reeled off 24 sets without reply.
Kontaveit had prevailed as a commanding straight-sets winner when the pair faced off in the opening round at Wimbledon four weeks ago.
Champion in St Petersburg and runner-up to Iga Swiatek in Doha, the Estonian became the fourth player to appear in at least three finals this season after Swiatek, Ons Jabeur and Veronika Kudermetova.
But the top seed was broken in the opening game by Pera, who won 16 out of 19 points on her first serve as she stormed through the first set.
The American then rescued two break points in the second set, while converting two of her own to secure consecutive breaks and move to the brink of the title.
Kontaveit dug deep; breaking back and winning eight of the next 11 points to stay alive at 5-4, but a long forehand in the next game sealed the deal for Pera.
Kyler Murray had no desire to continue his NFL career anywhere other than with the Arizona Cardinals, the quarterback said after signing a five-year, $230.5million contract extension.
Murray and the Cardinals finally reached agreement on a deal that contains $160m guaranteed on Thursday, rewarding him for three seasons of largely stellar play and Arizona's first playoff appearance since 2015 last season.
Negotiations between the two franchises had not always appeared to be harmonious, particularly in late February when Murray and his agent Erik Burkhardt released a statement seemingly urging the Cardinals to prioritise signing the former to a long-term deal rather than simply talking about it.
But, with the saga behind them, Murray is now fully focused on his ultimate goal in the NFL.
"My job is to fulfill my promise and bring a championship here. There's no question about it," Murray said.
"There's no other place that I wanted to be this whole time. And I mean that."
Murray prompted a heated reaction on social media when he deleted all photos relating to the Cardinals from his Instagram account following his appearance in the Pro Bowl.
"All the social media stuff and all that, that's going to happen regardless," Murray added. "Play good, they love you. Play bad, they hate you.
"It is what it is. That's just this day and age. You've got to have tough skin. So, I've grown up in it. So, it's nothing new."
Before being selected as the first overall pick by Arizona in 2019, Murray was picked ninth overall in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics and signed a contract with the A's.
Asked if this extension ends any prospect of Murray eventually switching to baseball, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim interjected and could not resist a dig at the A's, who have parted with a host of their stars in recent times and have the second-lowest payroll in MLB at $48.5m.
"Did you guys see the payroll of the Oakland A's versus this contract?" Keim replied. "Enough said."
Lando Norris believes McLaren's porpoising ahead of the French Grand Prix is a positive, stating it shows the team are heading in the right direction.
McLaren have been unable to keep pace with the likes of Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes so far this season, sitting joint-fourth in the Constructor's Championship alongside Alpine with 81 points.
Meanwhile, Norris sits seventh in the Drivers' Championship after a difficult campaign that has seen just one podium finish, coming at Imola in April, and has finished outside the top five in every race since.
McLaren have introduced a new aero package for the French Grand Prix and, while it has resulted in porpoising, Norris believes that is a sign that things are on the right track.
"It felt like I had a decent amount. The last few races we've had quite a bit at times, Silverstone we had a lot as well, so I'm not surprised. Not a shock," he said.
"Yeah, I'm hoping it's kind of a good thing that, if we can improve the car, sometimes that promotes porpoising.
"Apart from Red Bull, it seems like it's what Ferrari and Mercedes have had a lot of, and they are obviously a lot quicker than us.
"But I think, as we're trying to improve the car, sometimes we expose this phenomenon and yeah, it's maybe not a bad thing. Sometimes it means you're heading in the right direction."
Norris was sixth-fastest in FP2 on Friday, ahead of team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, with both running the new aero package for the second session after the Australian also ran it in FP1 – and Norris admitted the car felt 'different' to drive.
"Just different, I wouldn't say trickier. It's just the feeling you get behind the wheel, you're so sensitive, you get so used to things," he explained.
"As soon as something feels just a little bit off, you have to figure out why that's happening and what it's doing, what the reasoning is for it, and then how to overcome it and maximise it again.
"So I guess I'm playing a little bit of catch-up and just trying to understand all of that, comparing to Daniel, but at the same time, it's been good we've been able to compare data easily today, because we chose that strategy of me not having it, him having it."
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge extended his league-leading home run tally as he connected on number 35 and 36 for the season in his side's 7-6 away win against the Baltimore Orioles.
With the game scoreless in the third inning and with two outs, the Yankees were able to keep the frame alive with a walk to Joey Gallo and a base hit for D.J. LeMahieu, setting up Judge to bring them both home with a 436-foot blast over the left-field wall.
The Orioles struck back nearly instantly, starting their half of the third with a Ramon Urias single, followed by a Jorge Mateo RBI double and a RBI base hit for Cedric Mullins to trim the margin to 3-2.
All-Star catcher Jose Trevino made it 4-2 for the Yankees when his double brought around Josh Donaldson to score in the fourth inning, and an inning later Judge did it again, this time with a monstrous 465-foot solo bomb for his 36th home run of the season.
He is six home runs clear of Kyle Schwarber (30) in second place, and nobody else has more than 28.
The ice-cold Gallo also hit a solo home run to make it 7-3 in the seventh frame, and it proved to be a crucial run as Anthony Santander hit a three-run shot in the bottom of the same inning to make it 7-6.
But the Yankees bullpen was up to the task of defending the lead, with Michael King collecting three outs from the three batters he faced, before Clay Holmes came in for the five-out save.
With the win, the Yankees move to 65-30 for the season, two games clear of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros for the best record in baseball.
Blue Jays score 28 at Fenway Park
The Toronto Blue Jays made a mess of the Boston Red Sox, with an 11-run fifth inning headlining an outrageous 28-5 victory, the most runs ever scored by the Blue Jays in a single game.
There were some horrific fielding mistakes from the Red Sox, with none worse than center-fielder Jarren Duran losing track of a fly-ball in the third inning with bases loaded, allowing Raimel Tapia to come around for an inside-the-park grand slam. It was the first inside-the-park grand slam since 2017.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr finished six-for-seven at the plate, Tapia batted in six runs, Danny Jansen batted in six runs, and nine Blue Jays finished with multiple hits.
Astros snap Mariners' 14-game winning streak
The Seattle Mariners' winning streak has been broken at 14 games, one shy of their franchise record set back in 2001, losing to the Houston Astros 5-2 after rookie All-Star Julio Rodriguez was a late scratching due to wrist soreness.
A strong pitching performance from Astros starter Jose Urquidy kept the Mariners scoreless through the first five innings, allowing the visiting side to build a strong 5-0 lead highlighted by solo home runs to Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Martin Maldonado.
The win ties the Astros with the Dodgers for the second-best record in the majors at 62-32.
Matthew Tkachuk will be trading his winter coat and gloves for sunglasses and sandals after a blockbuster trade sent him from the Calgary Flames to the Florida Panthers on Friday.
In a deal with two of the league’s best players swapping teams, the Panthers acquired high-scoring forward Tkachuk from the Flames in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt and a conditional 2025 first-round draft pick.
Tkachuk, coming off career bests of 42 goals, 62 assists and 104 points this past season, signed an eight-year extension with Florida, a deal that will keep him with the team through the 2029-30 season. He said earlier in the week that he would not sign a long-term contract to stay in Calgary and that led to trade talks, with no shortage of teams hoping to land the 24-year-old.
''Matthew is a tenacious, physical competitor who possesses a tremendously unique skillset,'' Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. ''He is a consistent elite offensive contributor and has emerged as one of the most complete and dynamic young players in the National Hockey League. We are thrilled to be able to add a generational talent to our lineup.''
The Flames, who recently lost standout forward Johnny Gaudreau to free agency, get back a big-time playmaker in Huberdeau, who tied a career best with 30 goals last season, while setting personal bests with an NHL-high 85 assists and 115 points. Only Connor McDavid (123) had more points last season than Huberdeau, the Florida franchise leader in games, assists and points.
''We would like to thank Jonathan and MacKenzie for their immense contributions to the Florida Panthers, both on and off the ice, during their tenures in South Florida,'' Zito said. ''They have both blossomed into exceptional athletes and people. Their contributions as players and people made an indelible mark on our franchise.''
Weegar tallied eight goals with 36 assists last season in 80 games for the Panthers, who had a league-best 122 points in 2021-22 and won a playoff round for the first time since 1996 before they were swept by Tampa Bay in the second round.
Both Huberdeau and Weegar are set to be unrestricted free agents next summer.
The New York Mets were in the market for a power bat and made a move Friday to acquire left-hander Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for relief pitcher Colin Holderman.
Vogelbach, 29, has spent most of his seven-year career as a first baseman, but has primarily served as Pittsburgh's designated hitter this season.
He is batting .228 with 12 home runs, 38 RBIs and 29 runs in 75 games. His 11 homers from the DH position are tied for the second-most in the National League behind Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper.
Vogelbach has been especially effective against right-handed pitching, with an .896 OPS, 12 home runs and 27 RBIs.
His best season came with Seattle in 2019, when he hit 30 home runs with 76 RBIs in 144 games.
The Mets had to part with Holderman, who is 4-0 with a 2.04 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 17 2/3 innings during an impressive rookie season.
Scott Piercy's putter was on fire for the second round in a row, setting up a seven-under 64 to follow his opening 65, and at 13 under he is three strokes clear of the chasing field.
Piercy – who this week changed his coach, swing, caddie, driver and putter – seems to be reaping the benefits of his bold moves, going bogey-free on Friday in a round that included four consecutive birdies to open his round on the back-nine.
He trailed only first-round co-leader Im Sung-jae in strokes gained with the putter on Thursday, and he was again second in that category in his second trip around the course, finishing with 3.96 strokes gained on the greens. Only Danny Willett (5.46 strokes gained) performed better with the flat stick.
In outright second place at 10 under is Argentina's Emiliano Grillo, with a strong 65 that included an eagle. He did not excel in any one area in his first round, but on Friday he was top-10 in both strokes gained putting (3.12 strokes, seventh-best) and in approach shots (2.57, ninth-best).
Grillo is two strokes ahead of England's Callum Taren, who is alone in third place at eight under, and he worked his way there after an even-par opening round.
He shot Friday's round of the day with his eight-under 63, going bogey-free with eight birdies, finishing fifth on the day in strokes gained putting (3.36), second in strokes gained off the tee (2.07) and second in strokes gained tee-to-green (4.92).
There is a five-way tie for fourth at seven under, with American quartet Tony Finau, Robert Streb, Tom Hoge and Doug Ghim, as well as Im after the South Korean followed his six-under opening round with a disappointing 70.
The group tied for ninth are a further two strokes back at five under, which includes Patton Kizzire and Jared Wolfe, while Australia's Cam Davis and England's Willett headlining the group at four under.
Canada's Adam Hadwin finished right on the cut-line at one over, while Davis Riley missed out on the weekend by one stroke, with Beau Hossler at three over and Cameron Tringale at four over.
Patrick Mahomes is not fazed by no longer being the NFL's highest-paid quarterback because his contract still means he is "set for life".
When he put pen to paper on a 10-year, $450million extension with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020, Mahomes became the best-paid player in the league with an average annual salary of $45m.
However, deals signed by Aaron Rodgers, Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson this offseason have bumped the Chiefs signal caller down to fourth on the list.
It is not something that matters to Mahomes, who expects he will slip further away from the top spot in the coming years.
"When I signed my deal, I knew I was going to be pretty set for life regardless of how the market happens,'' Mahomes said.
"You just keep playing. Money is one thing, but when you get those Super Bowl rings at the end of your career, I think that's going to be the thing that you look back upon. I think I've made enough money from the football field and off of it as well that it won't matter at the end of the day.
"Especially at the quarterback position, the next guy is the top-paid guy. Any of these top-tier quarterbacks, they make such a difference on NFL football teams that [older contracts are] going to get passed up.
"They'll keep setting the bar even higher. You always want to get paid and take care of your family, but I want to have a great team around me as well. Whatever way that is, I'm going to make sure I have a great team around me for the rest of my career."
The Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Orlando Brown last March but were unable to sign him to a long-term deal before last week's deadline, and it is unclear whether the left tackle will report for training camp next week.
"He's a great team player. He has a high IQ," Mahomes said. "You want him to be here just because of the guy he is, and he's a leader on this football team.
"But at the same time when it comes to money and contracts and stuff like that, I never force anyone to do anything because I know they're trying to provide for their family long term. But as a team-mate and as a friend, you want him to be here and be a part of this.
"It didn't work out for him this offseason the way that he wanted it to, but whenever he gets here I'm sure he will be ready to go and he'll go out there and show what calibre of player he is again."
Karl-Anthony Towns believes it is "championship or bust" for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Rudy Gobert will be a huge part of the team achieving their goals.
The Timberwolves acquired center Gobert from the Utah Jazz in a blockbuster trade after falling to the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs this year.
It was only the second time Minnesota had made the postseason since drafting Towns first overall in 2015.
The arrival of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Gobert will see Towns spent a lot more time at the power forward position, but he feels the pair will complement each other well and hopes it can push the team into championship contention.
"I expect a lot of winning for sure. I wanna win. I'm not up here blowing smoke, I really wanna try to bring a championship run to Minnesota and Rudy adds a huge component to that," said Towns, who recently signed a four-year, $224million super max contract extension.
"He's gonna be a massive part of us being a championship team and my job is to help him as much as he's gonna help me.
"His strengths are my weaknesses and his weaknesses are my strengths, so we'll be able to play off of each other.
"It's go time. There's no more excuses. We've gotta get it done now. It's championship now or bust."
Last season saw the Timberwolves end a run of three straight years with a losing record, and it was the momentum Towns felt that had been built that convinced him to extend his deal in Minnesota.
"I wanted to keep this going. Last year, after me talking to a bunch of NBA players and front office people and us, the NBA is aware of who we are now," said Towns.
"We set out to go out there and make noise and show everyone this isn't the Timberwolves they're used to, and we've done that. Why not keep that momentum going and bring back a championship or that basketball that the fans and everyone here has been yearning for so much?
"Let's bring it back, and not for just one year. Let's do it for consecutive years and make a run."
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