Category: Golf

• Updates from the second day of play at Quail Hollow
• Live leaderboard | Scheffler ire at mud balls | Mail Scott

The first significant move of the day has been made by Tyrrell Hatton. The entertainingly volatile Englishman has kept a lid on things so far this week, and you’d be in a good mood too had you birdied the last yesterday. His approach at 18 was one of the strokes of the day, and has clearly buoyed him going into round two. Consecutive birdies to start, at 10 and 11, a 15-foot birdie putt followed by another from 20 feet, and Hatton moves into a tie for second. Heading in the other direction: Cam Davis, with bogey at 3, and Aaron Rai with bogey at 1.

-7: Vegas
-5: Hatton (2*), Gerard
-4: Davis (4),Jaeger, Smalley, Fox, Donald
-3: Scott (2*), Rai (1), Campos, Thorbjornsen, Bradley, R Højgaard, MacIntyre, Fitzpatrick, Echavarria, Poston, Hisatsune, Noren

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Couch potatoes and die-hard fans rejoice; all that time and money spent on your sports addiction may just be worth it

And still the feast goes on. Since Rory McIlroy won a Masters for the ages, fans with multiple satellite TV subscriptions – and irregular sleeping habits – have been able to gorge on an extraordinary amount of dramatic sport. Seesawing shifts in momentum? Late twists? Huge shocks? We’ve had them all.

It says something when Barcelona’s epic 3-2 victory against Real Madrid in a Copa del Rey final was only their third-most exciting match in the past month; and when my sober-eyed colleague Robert Kitson describes Northampton’s 37-34 Champions Cup win at Leinster as “one of the all‑time great knockout heists”.

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• Woods, 16, shoots 3-over 75 at Wellington Golf Club
• Teenager impoves on last year’s first effort (81)

Charlie Woods failed to get out of local qualifying for the US Open, the second straight year the son of Tiger Woods missed out.

The 16-year-old Woods was among a record 10,202 entries for the US Open. He improved from last year’s score in 18-hole local qualifying, posting a 3-over 75 at Wellington Golf Club on Thursday. That left him seven shots short of being among those who advanced to the 36-hole final stage. A year ago, he shot 81 in the local US Open qualifier.

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• Dent’s grandson announces golfer’s passing at 85
• Augusta native became one of PGA’s longest hitters

Jim Dent grew up in the caddie yards of Augusta, Georgia, eventually working at the Masters and honing his game at the municipal course known as ‘The Patch’. He went on to become one of the PGA Tour’s longest hitters and one of the top Black golfers of his generation.

Dent died on Friday at age 85, a week before his birthday, his grandson posted on Facebook. The PGA Tour said on its website that Dent suffered a stroke the day after Augusta National announced plans for Tiger Woods to design a par 3 course at The Patch.

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Masters triumph was unique but Northern Irishman knows more silverware will follow if he maintains his fine form

When you have spent so long labouring under a burden associated with the reaching of targets, it would seem ridiculous to set more. At Augusta National this month Rory McIlroy didn’t just win the Masters. He didn’t just complete his career Grand Slam. He didn’t just end a wait for a fifth major that had stretched back to his halcyon summer of 2014. McIlroy did all of this at once; his emotion on the 18th green was partly because of the almighty weight that had been prised from his shoulders.

McIlroy’s subsequent celebration was endearing, but also thought-provoking. He spent time with his parents, his wider family, his lifetime coach and childhood friends. There was no open-top bus parade through the streets of his native Holywood or wild party at the golf club bearing the same name. No public lap of honour. All of that can wait.

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• Scottish course last hosted event in 2009
• R&A says logistics, not politics, are a concern

The R&A would like to see Donald Trump’s Turnberry course in Scotland return as host of the Open but will first need to assess the feasibility of the venue, the governing body’s chief executive, Mark Darbon, said.

Turnberry, a seaside course in South Ayrshire, has staged the Open four times – most recently in 2009 when American Stewart Cink edged past his compatriot Tom Watson to claim the title in a thrilling victory. Trump bought the property in 2014 and has spent £200m upgrading the resort’s courses.

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• Englishman lost in playoff at Augusta for second time
• ‘I could really sense what it would be like to win it’

Justin Rose says he feels “tormented” by a feeling of what might have been after losing a second Masters playoff. Eight years after losing against Sergio García at Augusta National, Rose was beaten on the first extra hole by Rory McIlroy, who holed from short range for birdie after Rose’s attempt had narrowly missed.

Rose had started the final round seven shots behind McIlroy, but made his 10th birdie of the day on the 18th in a closing 66 to set the clubhouse target, with McIlroy then missing from five feet for the title in regulation.

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After four days of great action that ended with Rory McIlroy sealing a career grand slam, a look back at some of our favourite images from the first major of 2025

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• Media in Ireland and US pay tribute to epic achievement
• ‘This means everything to him,’ says Shane Lowry

Tiger Woods welcomed Rory McIlroy to golf’s most exclusive club after his dramatic victory in the Masters. McIlroy, born in Holywood, Co Down, defeated Justin Rose on the first hole of a playoff at Augusta National to join Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen in having won all four major titles.

“Welcome to the club @McIlroyRory,” Woods posted on social media. The 15-time major winner, who achieved three grand slams, added: “Completing the grand slam at Augusta is something special. Your determination during this round, and this entire journey has shown through, and now you’re a part of history. Proud of you!”

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Rory McIlroy reflected on having freed himself of a 'hard load to carry' after winning the Masters in dramatic fashion at Augusta. McIlroy’s defeat of Justin Rose on the first playoff hole means he is the sixth player to win a career grand slam. 'You've had Jack [Nicklaus], Gary [Player], Tom [Watson], Tiger [Woods] - you name it - come through here and all say I'll win the Masters one day,' McIlroy said. 'That's a hard load to carry, it really is.'

• Rory McIlroy secures career grand slam with dramatic Masters playoff win over Justin Rose

• Rory McIlroy relieved to finally lift decade-long ‘burden’ with dramatic Masters win

• With a little boldness and a lot of luck, McIlroy banishes ghosts of 2011

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Rory McIlroy finally joined the career-slam pantheon after a wild rollercoaster ride around Augusta National

Nothing went right for Justin Rose yesterday. His flat stick was stone cold, he shot 75, he spent a fair proportion of the round grumbling away at his perceived bad luck. But he’s in a much chipper mood this afternoon. Sending your approach on 1 from 162 yards to eight feet, then rolling in the birdie putt tends to help with stuff like that. A little fist pump, then a giggle with his caddie, and he moves to -6. Again, like Collin Morikawa, he’s surely too far behind to have much of a chance of winning, unless both Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau do a Ken Venturi. (Jack Burke Jr came from eight back on Sunday in 1956 to win, but he needed the then-amateur Venturi to collapse to 80 to pip him by a stroke.) Still, let’s rule nothing out yet.

Quite a few experts tipped the in-form Collin Morikawa this week. It’s not quite happened for the 2020 PGA and 2021 Open champion, but he’s not been far off, coming into the final day having posted two level-par rounds of 72 sandwiching a 69. He’s surely too far off the pace to threaten today, unless the wheels come off all three of the leading trio, but he’s just followed up birdie at 2 by stroking a 25-footer across 3 for another. Im Sung-jae meanwhile birdies 2, and these lads are the first pair to make inroads near the top of the leader board.

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