It was ironic that, on the day when the European team broke their 13-year Ryder Cup away-win “duck”, US fans bizarrely tried to distract them with “a squeaky duck toy”, said Sky News. But that was the least of the countless insults, slurs and raucous interruptions aimed at Team Europe during golf's premier team competition.

Europe managed to withstand a fierce late comeback from their US hosts at the Bethpage Black course in New York, where “bitterness and toxicity were off the scale”, to win their first Ryder Cup on American soil since 2012.

Golf is “generally a genteel and polite game”, loaded with “many unwritten rules of etiquette”, said CNN, and the scenes at Bethpage this weekend will have led many to conclude that its fans have gone way “too far”.

‘Anything now goes’

One of the most historic competitions in sport has been “appropriated by a nauseating coarseness”, said The Times, giving it the air of the “stag party from hell”. As the weekend drew on, the wife of Masters-winner Rory McIlroy was “called a whore” and had drinks “thrown at her”, and the wife of his teammate Shane Lowry received “dog’s abuse”.

The tone was set early, and not just by fans attending the event. On Saturday, MC Heather McMahan, a comedian and actor, led repeated chants of “Fuck you, Rory!” on the first tee. She later apologised and stepped down from her role for the rest of proceedings.

Europe’s fans are not squeaky clean. They are known to drink a lot and cheer bad shots but it would be “disingenuous” to try to compare their behaviour to the “bile of Bethpage”, said The Times. American fans’ “misguided belief” that “anything now goes” risks marring the “beauty of the Ryder Cup”.

The “ugliness” of US fans’ behaviour was symptomatic of a darker, tribal thread running through “Trump’s all-caps America”, said The Guardian. Hordes of spectators gathered round the greens, bellowing “YEW-ESS-AY! YEW-ESS-AY!” at every European falter, drifting from “partisan into venomous” as the contest developed.

The atmosphere at Bethpage had long been trailed as a “snarling, uniquely American cauldron” that would “rattle Europe”. But “the idiots took it literally”, hurling “homophobic slurs” and “boos during backswings”, and aiming “cheap shots dripping with tiresome stereotypes” at McIlroy in particular.

‘Bedlam at Bethpage’

You would be hard pressed to find anywhere in the world with “obnoxious golf fans quite like America”, said The Independent. And, combined with a “sincerely troubling security presence”, this year’s Ryder Cup match turned into a “travelling bear pit”.

Men “with hats and guns emerged through the trees” mid-round as if they were “quashing an insurgency”. As Lowry celebrated Europe’s win on the 18th green, two fans were “hauled out of the grandstand by police for fighting”, providing a “fitting end to a day of bedlam at Bethpage.”

Organising body the PGA of America did beef up security for the final day, with police officers trailing the players and messages of a “zero tolerance approach to abusive shouting” flashing up on the big screens, said the BBC. But in future competitions, “enforcement has to be swift, visible and consequential or it becomes permission by another name”, said The Guardian. “You can fill a grandstand without emptying your standards.”

The UK's best golf hotels don't just offer "top-notch championship courses", said The Times. Even a "joyful" afternoon on the fairways counts for little without a "superb" place to relax and unwind afterwards. Here are some of our favourite spots to tee off around the country – with plenty to keep even non-golfers entertained.

Rockliffe Hall, County Durham

Set within 375 acres of "sprawling" parkland on the County Durham and North Yorkshire border, Rockliffe Hall is home to a 50,000-sq-ft spa, three restaurants and a cocktail bar, said The Telegraph. The hotel – which shares an owner with Middlesbrough Football Club – also boasts impressive sporting facilities, including an 18-hole course. Golfers can "master" their game at the driving range and practice greens, and book a session with one of the "expert" coaches at the on-site academy.

Castle Cottage Inn, Harlech, North Wales

Housed within two properties dating back to 1585, in the "shadow" of Harlech Castle, this cosy inn has just seven bedrooms along with a restaurant serving "modern" dishes, said The Independent. The hotel is a stone's throw from Royal St David's golf course, "one of the world's finest traditional links golf courses" with its "superb" practice facilities. Located among the dunes on Wales' northwestern coast, you'll have "spectacular" views of the castle and Snowdonia mountain range.

The Grove, Hertfordshire

This "stately" hotel is perfect for a weekend break, said The Telegraph. A short drive from central London, it's set within a "bucolic" Hertfordshire estate. The Grove's 18-hole championship course has been graced by "many greats of the game", including Tiger Woods, who won the WGC-American Express Championship here almost two decades ago. "Sharpen your skills" with one of the highly skilled PGA tutors and keep an eye out for the annual golf tournaments held here.

Gleneagles, Scotland

"Fancy your golf with a side of Michelin-starred cuisine?" said The Times. You'll struggle to do better than Gleneagles (pictured above) where Restaurant Andrew Fairlie serves "indulgent" plates of food, like home-smoked Scottish lobster and hand-dived king scallops with a vibrant pea purée. The hotel is home to three championship golf courses, as well as a nine-hole course, two putting areas and a driving range. Non-golfers are "well catered to" with a luxurious spa, gym and "beauty lodge" with hair stylists and manicurists on hand. "Golf breaks don't come more slick than this."

Star Castle, Isles of Scilly

This "characterful" hotel on St Mary's, the largest island in the Scillies archipelago, gives guests complimentary access to England's most southwesterly golf course, said The Independent. The "challenging" 18-hole course has beautiful views out across the neighbouring islands. Be sure to stop in at the "friendly" clubhouse where you can soak up the "panoramic vistas" from the balcony with a drink.

Even for someone with a habit of "doing it the hard way", Rory McIlroy "pushed the parameters of nerve-jangling entertainment" this week as he dramatically "crossed the threshold into the pantheon of greats", said Rick Broadbent in The Times. "The bare fact is he won a sudden-death play-off with Justin Rose." But the simplicity of that statement belittles the "mesmerising" nature of the final day of "one of the greatest Masters".

Until Sunday, this championship had eluded McIlroy, preventing him from becoming the first European golfer – and only the sixth of all time – to seal the career grand slam he'd been on track for since 2015. So when he made a putt from four feet to seal his fifth major, he "sank to his knees, crying his eyes out" – a recognition, perhaps, that his victory had cemented his status not merely as a "modern great", but as "an all-time one".

This will go down as "one of the greatest and most courageous victories in the history of golf", said Oliver Holt in the Daily Mail. It was not simply that McIlroy recovered from a "terrible start" in the final round at Augusta: having double-bogeyed the first hole, he had turned a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau into a one-shot deficit by the time he'd left the second green. Nor was it the "miracle" wedge shot he pulled off at the seventh, or his wonderful golf on the approach to the 15th, which brought him a birdie at a time when it looked like he might throw the championship away. It wasn't even his recovery in the play-off after he missed a 6ft putt for par on the 18th.

No, what made the sight of McIlroy being fitted with a Green Jacket so special was that he had to "overcome himself" in order for it to happen: he had to "conquer the demons" that have plagued him for the 11 years since he last won a major, and for the 14 years since he "imploded on the back nine" at Augusta in 2011, when he blew a four-shot lead.

McIlroy didn't make it easy for himself, agreed Ewan Murray in The Guardian: in all, he made four double-bogeys during the course of the week, more than any Masters champion in the tournament's long history. But the Northern Irishman's approach in the play-off hole was "a thing of utter beauty", and he deserved his win.

It's hard not to feel for Rose, said Dave Shedloski on Golf Digest. He played "arguably the round of his life" on Sunday; yet he ended up as a runner-up in the Masters for a third time in 11 years – and for a second time via a play-off. But this story is about McIlroy, said Oliver Brown in The Daily Telegraph. Still only 35, he is already the "most compelling player of his era", and showed extraordinary courage to finally get over the line at Augusta. The adoration that greeted him on his walk back to the clubhouse was sincere. "Truly, this was sport at its most monumental."

La Zambra lies about 20 minutes from Malaga airport in the golfing mecca of Mijas. The property sits on the site of a former Byblos hotel, a temple to partying in the golden era of the Costa del Sol. This history is evidenced in its no-expense-spared luxuries, a gorgeously excessive tiled pool and blue tiles dotting the terracotta roof above gleaming white walls (the signature Byblos colours).

In the 80s and 90s, the hotel was a celebrity haunt, its hedonistic charm attracting stars like Julio Iglesias, who would famously fly in by helicopter to join the party. Its wild past now lives on in subtle touches like the Bamboleo Bar, named after the iconic Iglesias song.

On arrival, tall white walls force the eyes upwards to take in the vast skies. Wander through them and you find yourself among a set of cool Spanish finca-style buildings. The entry atrium has a mid-century modern feel with high roofs and lots of wooden beams. Floor-to-ceiling windows reveal views of quiet courtyards dotted with show-stopping oversized fountains and cypress pines.

The rooms

Rooms are located along loggias set around the hotel's beautiful courtyards. They are generously spaced with sizable bathrooms and round, sweeping balconies that face out onto the golf course. The subtle colour scheme of the hotel continues in the rooms with natural linens, wood and stone. A highlight is the very pretty bath encased in stone tiles. Each room has a different artistic interpretation of a dancer – the hotel is named after a barefoot style of flamenco.

Eating and drinking

The hotel has two restaurants and a smaller, poolside offering, La Bartola, for lighter bites. Palmito is the main restaurant for breakfast and dinner: Spanish and typical breakfast buffet classics in the morning, with a snootier set of offerings at lunch and dinner fusing traditional Mediterranean recipes with the flavours of Andalusia. Expect dishes like confit red tuna cheek, cooked with onion broth and Andalusian-style fried squid with black aioli and roasted lime.

The other noteworthy spot is Picador, a Mijas-style restaurant that wouldn’t look out of place in London. Here you'll find a slick, modern menu of tapas dishes like Iberian pork shoulder, sweet potato purée and pickled mushrooms, and lobster croquettes alongside a fabulous wine selection.

If you’d like a taste of something local, head out to Asador Otola, charmingly situated on an industrial estate. You'll overlook the location when you're inside: a warm Spanish welcome is followed up by a plate of aged Basque beef cooked over an open flame, served with grilled peppers, a generous portion of fries and a few glasses of cool Spanish red.

What to do

The area has long appealed to golfers. Located in the middle of Mijas, the property has sweeping views of the perfectly manicured courses from both pools (a larger, two-tier one for adults and another for families, with plenty of shaded beds and cabanas). Beyond the 18 holes, there are a range of activities from outdoor fitness classes to guided hikes. Guests can also unwind in the 5,000-square-metre Mood spa with an indoor pool, wet area and collection of 'journey' treatments crafted around five themes: relax, reconnect, vitalise, heal and glow.

For a little local culture you can head up to the old town of Mijas, where squat, white traditional houses sit on the hillside above the hotel.

The verdict

La Zambra makes for a restful break away from it all in a calming, peaceful and natural environment – a hotel with a boutique feel yet resort-level amenities, it's the perfect fly-and-flop retreat (or fly and fore if that's your bag!).

Will Leigh was a guest at La Zambra Hotel – The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, where prices start from €325 (approx £270) per night on a B&B basis

What happened

Donald Trump spent the weekend in Pennsylvania, putting on an apron for a campaign stop at a McDonald's in suburban Philadelphia Sunday and kicking off a speech in Latrobe on Saturday with "an off-color remark about a famous golfer's penis size and a coarse insult about Vice President Kamala Harris," The New York Times said. Harris spent much of Sunday, her 60th birthday, with Stevie Wonder at Black churches in Georgia to help get "souls to the polls" in the critical swing state.

Who said what

"Arnold Palmer was all man," Trump said in his 12-minute comments on the late golfer. "When he took the showers with other pros, they came out of there. They said, 'Oh my God. That's unbelievable.'" Trump's "crude and vulgar remarks," delivered "17 days before the election in a critical battleground state, added to the impression" that he is "increasingly unfiltered and undisciplined" in the final stretch, the Times said. Trump's "ribald tribute" to Palmer, The Wall Street Journal said, was part of his "unconventional" mix of "humor" and "crude talk that plays to his most ardent backers, particularly men."

At the McDonald's in Feasterville, closed for his visit, Trump spent about five minutes making fries and "about 15 minutes at the drive-through window," The Washington Post said, talking to reporters and handing out bags to prescreened motorists who took "whatever Trump gave them." Trump appeared to have fun, but his visit "mostly served to underscore the obvious," Jacob Gallagher said at the Times: that the born-wealthy billionaire "exists in a vastly different class" than "someone working a service job to get by."

What next?

Harris plans to court moderates and disaffected Republicans this week with Liz Cheney in "suburbs in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin," then rally in Michigan and Georgia with former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, the Journal said. Trump will "court religious leaders and Hispanic voters" in "several swing states."

Live out your star-athlete fantasies without having to be an Olympian. At these eight resorts, sports enthusiasts and athletes of all abilities can unleash their inner Serena Williams or Michael Phelps, taking advantage of tennis and equestrian centers, colossal swimming pools, golf courses, beach volleyball courts and mountain biking trails. 

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Oregon

Bandon Dunes has made GolfDigest's 100 Greatest list for 23 years and counting, thanks to its rugged coastal scenery and its seven courses that are incredibly fun to play. This golfer's delight gives players multiple opportunities to sharpen their skills, whether that is at the 100,000-square-foot Punchbowl Putting Course, in the practice center or out on the green with one of the resort's PGA golf professionals. Lodging here is eclectic, with forest cottages, lakeside rooms and suites with views of the links.  

Beach House Hermosa Beach, California 

Get ready to serve, set and spike in the sand. From sunup to sundown, there is always a rousing game of volleyball happening outside the Beach House Hermosa Beach. Start your own on one of the courts, or if you feel comfortable ask to join a match already underway. Book a Strand Ocean Front studio to watch the action unfold from the comfort of your patio. 

Biltmore Miami-Coral Gables, Florida

Swimmers will want to dive right into this historic property's massive pool, where aquatic sensation Esther Williams once enthralled guests. Covering 23,000 square feet and holding 600,000 gallons of water, this is the largest hotel pool in the continental U.S. and is always heated to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. For a total splurge, rent a private, fully-furnished cabana with outdoor rain shower, so you can go back and forth between the water and shade as you please.

Halekulani, Hawaii 

The best place to learn about modern surfing is where it all began: Hawaii. Right on the beach in Waikiki, the Halekulani hotel offers an Art of Surfing program with activities for guests looking to learn more about the sport and those who already know how to ride the waves. Everyone is invited to head down to the water in the morning for a daily surf demonstration that covers basic stances, with enthusiasts able to sign up for private or semi-private surfing and stand-up paddle lessons tailored to their abilities. 

Keystone Lodge & Spa, Colorado

Keystone Bike Park offers exhilarating downhill mountain biking with lift service so riders can spend more time on the trails. The terrain is professionally maintained and it is accessible to riders of all skill levels, with more advanced bikers loving the technical rock gardens and drops. After spending the day on two wheels, retreat to your room at Keystone Lodge & Spa and enjoy views of the mountains, Keystone Lake or Snake River.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina

Golf may be in the name, but this resort is known for its phenomenal tennis offerings. The revamped Roy Barth Tennis Center boasts 22 tennis courts, including 10 new Har-Tru clay courts, and guests can sign up for group or private lessons with a pro. If pickleball is more your speed, consider attending one of the center's clinics or show up for open play. When your long day on the court is done, relax at The Spa at The Sanctuary or enjoy a cocktail at The Ocean Room.

Omni Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania 

The archery program at Omni Bedford Springs is right on target. There are separate sessions for children and adults, with each group learning how to use a bow before testing their aim, and families wanting to use archery as a bonding experience can book private experiences. Take advantage of being in the Allegheny Mountains and sign up for other outdoor activities, including axe throwing, fly fishing and scavenger hunts.

Salamander Middleburg, Virginia 

The centerpiece of Salamander Middleburg is its impressive Equestrian Center, with a 14,000-square-foot stable, 22 stalls, nine paddocks, an outdoor riding arena and 25 acres set aside for new riders. An array of activities are offered to guests, from group trail rides through the Virginia countryside to family horsemanship lessons. Salamander Middleburg is also home to a sweet miniature horse named Cupcake, and kids can learn how to groom her, feed her treats and give one of her pony friends a bath. Following their experience, guests walk away with a deeper appreciation of horses and the work that goes into caring for them.

Getting from your hotel room to the links in a matter of minutes is everything a golfer on vacation could ask for, especially when the courses offer views so incredible they might distract you from the game itself. Here are 10 beautiful hotels with golf courses on property — or a few steps away — that will thrill any player. 

The Bushmills Inn, Northern Ireland 

The area around The Bushmills Inn is a golfer's dream. Historic clubs are abundant, from the Royal Portrush and its two majestic championship courses to the Portstewart with three emerald courses boasting views of the Atlantic Ocean, Donegal hills and River Bann. The inn offers transportation to the courses, among other amenities like a boutique cinema and traditional Irish breakfast served in the morning. The rooms and suites are charming, with features like four-poster beds and heated towel racks. After a day on the green, unwind at the legendary Bushmills Distillery for a tour and whiskey tasting.

Cabot Cape Breton, Inverness, Nova Scotia 

High on the cliffs above the Gulf of St. Lawrence stands Cabot Cape Breton and its three exceptional golf courses. Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs both made Golf Digest's World's 100 Greatest Golf Courses list, thanks in part to their stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and rolling fairways. The newer Nest is a 10-hole, par 3 course designed for a quicker game. Stay in one of the comfortable rooms at the Cabot Links Lodge — each one has an ocean view — or upgrade to a plush golf villa overlooking the greens. 

Coeur d'Alene Resort, Idaho

This is a golf course with a twist. At the Coeur d'Alene Resort, the 14th hole is a floating green, with a tee that changes positions every day. You get two opportunities to land the ball on the island (if you miss, it gets dropped down) and then hop on an electric-powered boat to finish the hole. The views as you play are just as memorable, with Lake Coeur d'Alene in the background and geraniums, petunias, wildflowers and junipers dotting the landscape. The resort has five different kinds of accommodations; the 2,500-square-foot Hagadone Penthouse, complete with two private terraces and a glass-bottom swimming pool, is the most impressive. 

Half Moon Montego Bay, Jamaica

Golf carts are available to rent, but you are going to want to walk this one. The 18-hole championship Half Moon Golf Course stretches across the grounds of a former sugarcane estate, surrounded by native trees that almost always seem to be swaying in the breeze. Guests also have access to the nearby Cinnamon Hill and White Witch courses and can book private lessons with visiting pro instructors. All of Half Moon's rooms, suites and villas come with private balconies or patios, and there is an option to book a dining plan that lets you explore the hotel's 11 restaurants and bars.

Kawana Hotel and Golf Course, Shizuoka, Japan

You have two courses to choose from at the Kawana Hotel: Fuji and Oshima. The challenging Fuji Course is legendary, with 18 holes surrounded by deep bunkers. It is in a picturesque setting above the Pacific Ocean and in sight of Mount Fuji and must be walked with a caddie. Oshima, one of the oldest golf courses in Japan, is just as gorgeous, but golfers are allowed to use carts, do not need caddies and can play at their own speed. The hotel's spacious rooms make it easy to unwind after a day of golf, as does the Main Bar, where guests can enjoy a drink in a moody space filled with leather and wood.

The Lodge at Sea Island, Georgia

Sea Island entices golfers not only with three championship courses but also enchanting accommodations. Serious players can hone their skills with expert help at the state-of-the-art Golf Performance Center, while those looking to spend quality time with their kids will find it at the 18-hole Speedway putting course. A boutique experience awaits at The Lodge, with its 43 elegant rooms and suites that come with 24-hour butler service and nightly turndowns. The highlight of every evening occurs at sunset, when a bagpiper serenades guests from the Lodge's veranda, heralding the transition from day to night. 

Marine Troon, Scotland 

Put your golf skills to the test in Troon, Scotland, where the rugged Old Course at Royal Troon Golf Club awaits. A striking spot to play, with 18 holes that get more and more challenging, this is one of several courses near Marine & Lawn's Marine Troon. The property makes golfing easy, offering club storage and rentals, an expansive putting green for practicing and a concierge team ready to assist with scheduling tee times. Rooms here are warm and inviting, with colorful wallpaper, traditional artwork and velvet touches.  

Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa, Whitefield, New Hampshire

Make Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa your family's summer playground. Covering 1,700 acres, this immense property in the White Mountains offers a little bit of everything. The lovely nine-hole Mountain View Golf Course, originally built in 1900 and redesigned in 1938, can be played by novices and pros alike. To switch approaches, hang up your clubs and try your hand at disc golf. Afterward, visit the Mountain View Farm and its goats and llamas, play a round of tennis on one of four clay courts with views of the Presidential Mountain Range or jump in the outdoor pool. To ensure there is room for all your guests, book the Presidential Suite with a sleeper sofa and two bathrooms.

The Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach, California

When designing the Ocean North and Ocean South Golf Courses at The Resort at Pelican Hill, architect Tom Fazio wanted every round to feel like "once in a lifetime, every time." He succeeded, as all 36 holes perfectly complement the majestic scenery, with the Pacific Ocean or lush greenery viewed from every tee. For a memorable experience, book a time early in the morning and another at sunset, to see the courses through fresh eyes and at golden hour. Accommodations at the resort include bungalows outfitted with limestone fireplaces and terraces and fully furnished villas featuring gourmet kitchens and marble bathrooms.

Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto, Mexico

Perched above the largest marine preserve in Mexico, Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto seems unreal. Dazzling views of the Sea of Cortez and Sierra de la Giganta mountain range are two perks of staying at this all-inclusive resort, with another being able to play on the 18-hole TPC Danzante Bay Golf Course. It is a remarkable spot, with valleys, dunes, foothills, cliffs and arroyos. Choose one of the resort's premium suites to get a view of the course plus amenities like a mini-bar stocked daily and access to the spa's hydrotherapy circuit.

It's colloquially referred to as "a tradition unlike any other", a moniker coined by CBS Sports broadcaster Jim Nantz, heralding a four-day invitational, extended annually to around 100 professional and amateur golfers, whose dreams can either be realised or crushed, each April in Augusta, Georgia.

But the Masters tournament is so much more than a quartet of competition days culminating with the crowning of a champion whose career triumph and trajectory will forever be altered. It's a chivalrous week-long occasion, now in its 88th iteration, where the great and good of the game gather to pay homage to champions past and renew friendships amid an unparalleled botanical backdrop.

'A thing of beauty'

It is, in short, a unique exercise in the pantheon of sports; in the words of 2013 champion Adam Scott, an event that "really transcends the game of golf. It goes out into the entire sports world. It's really something quite special."

That's because everything about it is different. The most prestigious (and the first in the calendar) of golf's four majors, it is run not by a national golf organisation but by a private club: Augusta National Golf Club, one of the most exclusive and exquisite redoubts in the world and a place with its very own vernacular. For example, there are no fans or spectators to speak of, per se. The galleries of onlookers that frame the bonsai-perfect azaleas and luscious dogwood blooms, the russet-coloured pine straws and the unending emerald carpet of manicured Bermuda grass that rises up hill and down dale against the cobalt that is the Georgia sky are affectionately known as patrons.

They bear not a ticket but a badge – one of the most elusive (and thus sought-after) items in all of sports. And they are unquestionably the most decorous observers in this, the most genteel of settings. They come, or have been coming for generations, to this corner of The Peach State from far and wide, connected only by the love of the game. And the game presented here is unlike anywhere else in the world.

"This golf course is a thing of beauty and it's what makes this tournament special," says Gary Player, the three-time Masters champion, now 88 years old. "It is always in magnificent condition. I always say, if there is a golf course in heaven, this is where I'd like to be the head pro, but I'm not in a hurry to tee off!"

A throwback atmosphere

While golf's three other majors are held at different venues each year, this originally 365-acre undulating site – a long-abandoned commercial nursery that was identified in 1931 and has been expanded, tweaked, altered, lengthened and improved over the years – has been the permanent host of the contest since its inception in 1934. It's a place that puts splendour and tradition at the forefront.

A place where frivolities such as photography and mobile phones are strictly prohibited for patrons, creating an in-the-moment milieu for the 50,000 daily attendees and a throwback atmosphere best discernible to first-timers who suffer from digital detox or an information vacuum by the bank of hardwired courtesy course phones, the only tether to the outside world.

Even the trophy is different, in that it isn't a trophy at all. It isn't rendered in gold, platinum or silver. You wouldn't put it on a mantelpiece. But if you ask the game's greatest champions, rather than receiving any precious-metal award, they'd most likely prefer to don the coveted green Australian wool jacket, a practice that began in 1949.

Rolex link runs deep

With all things of great value, be they covetable objects, crafted experiences or sumptuous set-pieces like this, it's usually their provenance, rooted in years of heritage, coupled with excellence in innovation and a touch of mystique, that creates the enduring legend. Which is why it isn't at all a surprise that the tournament commemorated another milestone this past April when it celebrated 25 years with Rolex as a partner.

The affiliation began in 1967 when Arnold Palmer became the brand's first Testimonee in the sport, joined by his friends and great rivals Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Known together as The Big Three, these legendary players changed the face of golf forever, and their partnership with Rolex marked the beginning of a relationship based on the shared commitment to continuous improvement. Since then, the affiliation has grown and flourished, permeating every level of the game worldwide: from elite players and golf legends to all the game's Major championships, Rolex is ever-present.

The links between the two entities run deep – from a shared commitment to excellence to a reputation for longevity and endurance, a myriad of threads connect the two. And just as Rolex has its own verbiage and signifiers known only to devotees, so too does Augusta National. There is Magnolia Drive and Butler Cabin, Amen Corner and Rae's Creek. It's a place where specific, esoteric designations usually lost to time are known as if they were coined only yesterday – not yesteryear.

And like all great masterpieces, a week at the Masters tournament unfolds and builds like a beautifully composed symphony. The first movements are the practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday. Then comes the Chairman's Press Conference, heeded with even more attentiveness than ever, given the changes in the world of professional golf. It is followed by the Champions Dinner – a tradition that started with Ben Hogan back in 1952 and takes place in the clubhouse, a white colonial-style clapboard structure of diminutive proportions, framed by wisteria and flowering beds, that has many a story to tell.

Take the private nook tucked in the rafters. Called the Crow's Nest, it is home for the amateurs who earn their place in the field. It was, after all, the greatest amateur to play the game, Bobby Jones, who founded Augusta National Golf Club and, to this day, the tournament still honours those who play exclusively for titles and the joy of competition, not pay.

A canvas of perfection

The amateurs join the professionals for the family-friendly Par 3 contest on Wednesday, the last opportunity for the competitors to exhale before embarking on the quest for the Green Jacket, which kicks off on Thursday morning with the Honorary Starters Ceremony, when three legends of the game – this year Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson (all Rolex Testimonees, as they are known) – launch their tee shots and the tournament finally gets underway.

But what about actually playing Augusta National – a notoriously deceptive and devilishly difficult course that has befuddled the finest for decades? "I've always loved playing here," said Tiger Woods this April. "I've been able to play here since I was 19 years old. It's one of the honours I don't take lightly, being able to compete. There is such an aura about playing this golf course that, unless you have played and competed here, you don't really appreciate."

Someone who not only appreciates it but has, forgive the pun, mastered it in relatively short order is Scottie Scheffler, a young Rolex Testimonee who this year won the second of his Green Jackets in just five starts, by three shots. In keeping with tradition, Scheffler received the coveted Green Jacket from fellow Rolex Testimonee, and 2023 champion, Jon Rahm. Discussing what it meant to achieve this historic feat at Augusta National and to follow in the footsteps of many Rolex golf legends, Scheffler said, "It's extremely special to be mentioned in the same context as those individuals. I still remember watching the Rolex commercial from a couple of years ago when I won the Tournament; seeing myself put on the Green Jacket in a Rolex advertisement was pretty wild. I'm proud to be associated with their brand. I'm proud to be associated with those other great champions as well."

True to form, the 27-year-old world No 1 dominated, making six birdies in a nine-hole stretch as he navigated and negotiated his bulletproof game around the sylvan fold of the Georgia dogwoods in this timeless gallery of greatness.

And that's what Augusta National Golf Club is. A canvas of perfection. A tableau of faultlessness rendered across 7,500 yards that each April entices and enraptures us mortals and tests the might and moxie (and the hopes and dreams) of professionals and amateurs alike. No wonder it captures the imagination of the golfing (and non-golfing) world, because it hosts more than a tournament – it's theatre, and a perpetual tradition unlike any other.

Scottie Scheffler, the world's top-ranked golfer and heavy pre-tournament favourite, began this year's Masters knowing that his heavily pregnant wife, Meredith, could go into labour at any moment, said Rick Broadbent in The Times.

Had she done so, the American had "promised to walk off the course", no matter where he stood on the leaderboard. Some things, he said, mattered more than golf, the birth of his first child being one of them. In the event, though, there was nothing to distract Scheffler from doing what he does best: making his rivals look ordinary. He went into the final day leading by a single shot, and "for about two-thirds of an enthralling finale the outcome was in some doubt". 

Yet Scheffler "fended off each assault on his lead" as it arose, and finished four shots clear on 11 under, having struck a nerveless 68. He "finished in exhibition mode", with three birdies on the final six holes. The victory means he has had two wins at Augusta National in the past three years: it is now beyond doubt that he's the "pre-eminent golfer of this era".

Comparisons with Tiger Woods

Such is Scheffler's current dominance of men's golf that "comparisons with Tiger Woods in his pomp" are in no way outlandish, said Ewan Murray in The Guardian. Although his Masters victories are, for now, his only two majors, he has racked up nine titles in total since February 2022, and last month became the first player ever successfully to defend the Players Championship in Florida. 

Even when he doesn't win an event, he rarely finishes outside the top five – a measure of his almost "unparalleled consistency". Scheffler allies a formidable allround game to an almost preternatural ability to remain calm at the most critical moments – a calmness he has often attributed to his Christian faith. "One gets the impression the 27-year-old could be tickled from head to toe with a feather duster and stand completely motionless."

Ludvig Åberg 'the next best' in golf

This Masters was also notable for the "remarkable rookie performance" of the 24-year old Swede Ludvig Åberg, said Oliver Brown in The Daily Telegraph. Playing in his first-ever major, Åberg struck a brilliant 69 on the final day to finish second. 

The "epitome of laconic Scandinavian cool, smiling through the setbacks and walking between holes with his hands in his pockets", he produced one of the tournament's most remarkable individual moments, with a 36-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole. 

It's remarkable to think that just a year ago, Åberg was playing college golf, said David Walsh in The Times. From the 1st hole to the 18th at Augusta, he "just looked like he belonged". There's no doubting that Scheffler is the world's greatest player right now – but on this evidence, Åberg is "in the conversation about who is the next best".

It was an announcement that shocked the world of golf. After a bitter civil war, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf series revealed yesterday that a “landmark agreement” had been reached to “unify the game of golf” on a “global basis”.

The parties have agreed that the “golf-related” commercial businesses and rights of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), including LIV Golf, will be “combined” with those of the PGA and DP World tours into a “new, collectively owned, for-profit entity”.

Following two years of “disruption and distraction”, this is “a historic day for the game we all know and love”, said Jay Monahan, commissioner of the PGA Tour. Keith Pelley, chief executive of the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour), described it as a “momentous day”, while PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan said the partnership “represents the best opportunity to extend and increase the impact of golf for all”.

Former US president Donald Trump, who has hosted LIV competitions at his golf courses, “hailed the deal” on his Truth Social platform, said the Financial Times. Trump posted that it was a “big, beautiful, and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf”.

How the golf pundits reacted

The formation of an “industry powerhouse” is “expected to transform the sport”, said Alan Blinder in The New York Times. It all “came together so quickly” that the new entity “does not yet even have a name”. However, it will be controlled by the PGA Tour and “significantly financed” by the PIF, the sovereign wealth fund chaired by Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Al-Rumayyan will be the new company’s chairman and Monahan will be CEO.

When yesterday’s email “dropped” it was like “reading an April Fools’ Day spoof”, said Iain Carter, the BBC’s golf correspondent. The notion of the established golf tours “harmoniously joining forces” with the “breakaway” LIV circuit was “so far-fetched”. While there is “now peace between rival factions”, there will “still be plenty of turmoil ahead”.

There are “plenty of questions left unanswered” following the announcement, which “rocked the sports world and the golf landscape”, said Kyle Porter on CBS Sports. In his 11 years of covering professional golf, “no single piece of news has been more shocking”.

With golf fans, pundits and officials still digesting the fallout of the shock merger, we break down the winners and losers from the sport’s unification.

Winners: the breakaway LIV players

When LIV Golf launched in 2022 it was able to “lure some of golf’s biggest names away” from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour by offering “staggering sums of money”, said Sky Sports. Stars who joined the breakaway included Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter. This year’s LIV schedule will “continue as planned”, but golfers who were “suspended indefinitely” by the PGA and DP World tours will be able to “re-apply for membership” from the end of the 2023 season.

Mickelson and the other LIV golfers “who got paid” are winners from the “blockbuster” deal, said Tim Crean on ClutchPoints. It seems as though all these players will come back to the “now-larger Tour” and “be able to compete as they had in the past”. The “only real difference” is that the superstars who jumped ship “are now nine figures richer”. Mickelson called it an “awesome day” on Twitter.

Losers: the loyal PGA players

“Stunned” PGA loyalists who “rejected lucrative paydays” to snub the Saudi-backed series “must be sick”, said Daniel Davis in the Daily Mail. Ultimately, “household names” opted to remain on the PGA Tour, “even in spite of the eye-watering packages” being tabled by LIV. Golf icon and 15-time major winner Tiger Woods turned down between $700 and $800m (£575m-£650m) to switch, according to LIV chief Greg Norman. Rory McIlroy is said to have declined £400m and Jon Rahm “waved away” £321m, Davis added.

McIlroy and Woods had “established themselves as the biggest supporters” of the PGA Tour in its battle with LIV Golf, said Sky Sports. However, “both were kept in the dark” about the stunning deal.

Winners: Saudi Arabia

The PGA’s merger with LIV “can’t be seen as anything other than a Saudi victory”, said Ewan Murray in The Guardian. “Forget the talk of released tension”, this deal is “merely a depressing illustration that money can disrupt and distort everything in sport”.

This victory for Saudi Arabia is “another sign that money can overwhelm almost any other force in sports”, said David Leonhardt in The New York Times. As part of the deal, the Saudi investment fund will “have the right of first refusal for future investments in the tour, allowing it to expand its stake”.

Losers: Jay Monahan and Greg Norman

PGA Tour boss Monahan accepts that he will be labelled a “hypocrite” as he had previously ruled out any merger. And after also admitting that players could be compensated for turning down millions to join LIV, Monahan is facing “calls to resign”, said Sky Sports. Following a “contentious” players’ meeting, Tour Advisory Council member Johnson Wagner revealed there were “many moments” where certain players were “calling for new leadership” of the PGA Tour and “even got a couple of standing ovations”.

Another official whose role is expected to be under threat is Greg Norman. The Australian has been a “divisive figurehead” as chief executive of LIV, but the former world No.1 “was not mentioned” during the official announcement, said Ben Collins on BBC Sport. In the 973-word statement, “none of these shocking words were Greg, or Norman”, Jacob Polychronis added on Fox Sports. Having fought a “bitter crusade” as the “frontman” of LIV for nearly two years, Norman’s omission was “curious”. “Chewed up” and “spat out”, he became a “pawn” in golf’s great war “and still lost”.

Winners: sportswashing

The term “sportswashing” means “the use of games and teams and stadiums to cleanse an image and launder a reputation”, said Jon Wertheim on CBS News. A country that has “never won an Olympic gold medal”, Saudi Arabia has “suddenly emerged as a major player in global sport” – hosting events, buying teams, and luring athletes with “staggering” contracts.

PIF already owns Premier League club Newcastle United and in recent years has “poured billions into one-off spectacles” for individual sports, said DJ Dunson on Deadspin. The impending golf merger has brought Saudi sportswashing efforts to an American pro sport and is their “boldest foothold into the American market yet”.

This is a “gigantic victory” for sportswashing, said Ben Freeman, a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He told The Guardian that “in fact, it is the biggest sportswashing win that any authoritarian regime has ever had”. The PIF have “effectively bought the whole of international golf in one swoop”.

“Sportswashing works, kids,” said Murray in The Guardian. The cost of this chapter is to “the tune of several billion dollars”, which is “chump change” to the PIF.

Losers: human rights

The PGA Tour has rolled out a “blood-red carpet” for the Saudis and LIV Golf, said Dave Zirin on MSNBC. The tour and its commissioner have “suddenly decided to ignore all the negative implications” that he said would come with working with Saudi Arabia. As recently as Monday, the “official position” of the PGA Tour was that its competitor was a “scandalous, even odious, operation”, said Zirin. Referring to Saudi Arabia’s horrific human rights record, Monahan said last June: “You’d have to be living under a rock to not understand the implications of involving yourself with the Saudis.” Monahan’s “strong comment” is now “just a reminder that pencils have erasers”.

The Saudi-backed takeover of golf has been criticised as a “betrayal” by the group representing families of 9/11 victims. In a statement, 9/11 Families United said it was “shocked and deeply offended” by the merger, as Saudi operatives “played a role in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and now it is bankrolling all of professional golf”. The PGA and Monahan “appear to have become just more paid Saudi shills”, the statement added. PGA Tour leaders should be “ashamed of their hypocrisy and greed” as it “appears their concern for our loved ones was merely window-dressing in their quest for money – it was never to honour the great game of golf”.

Winner or loser: Ryder Cup

A “big question” to come out of the merger is “how might selection be affected” for the European team for this September’s Ryder Cup in Rome, said Sky Sports. Players who had joined the LIV breakaway – including Ryder Cup stars Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson – are ineligible to play in this year’s event after resigning from the DP World Tour. There’s “only two criteria” to be a Ryder Cup player, DP World Tour chief Pelley told the broadcaster. “You have to be European and you have to be a DP World Tour member. If you’re not a DP World Tour member, you can’t play in the Ryder Cup.”

So, “as things stand”, it is “extremely unlikely” that any of the four will be eligible for this year’s matches in Italy, said John Huggan on GolfDigest. “Conversely”, American players who left for LIV “can still qualify despite being prohibited from playing in PGA Tour events based on still technically being members of the PGA of America”.

The finale of LIV Golf’s first season was held at Donald Trump’s Doral course in Miami this week, said Riath Al-Samarrai in the Daily Mail, and there could be no more “fitting union” than the former president and the brash new league financed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Since it launched its disruptive agenda in June, LIV has trailed lawsuits, bitterness and endless gaffes from its commissioner Greg Norman. Nearly $1bn has been spent recruiting stars – everyone from Sergio García to Lee Westwood to erstwhile Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson. “As a business plan, it has holes so big Trump would not miss with a cold putter on his worst day. But as an act of guerrilla warfare, it has no parallel.”

And there’s no denying that despite the overly complex format of its climactic team championship event, and the continued lack of a broadcasting deal for this deeply unpopular venture, LIV has achieved rapid growth as a start-up, said Al-Samarrai. Look what happened in 2022. It began the year with a cast of has-beens and never-weres, yet its first season ended this week in a shootout between Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith, two of the top golfers in the world, in a “blaze of excessive riches”. Johnson and the three fellow members of his 4 Aces team scooped $4m apiece, and Johnson himself finished the season with more than $35m in winnings, the most a golfer has achieved in a single year. Should its events secure world ranking points, LIV Golf could yet achieve legitimacy – though “they have a long way to go”. The “madness of modern-day golf can be summed up by Cameron Smith”, agreed Ewan Murray in The Guardian. In July, watched by millions, the 29-year-old Australian won his first major; now he has just pocketed $2m for a losing performance while most of the golf world looked away. These are the strangest of times for the sport. Play was halted at the 14th hole in Miami due to a bomb scare; later, with “dubious irony”, the winners were doused in champagne: “They should try that trick in Saudi Arabia.”

The entire tournament has been shrouded in bitter feelings, said Tom Kershaw in The Times. Trump’s hosting of the closing event was itself “an act of spite”: he has nursed a grudge against the PGA Tour ever since it cut ties with him in 2016 for his divisive rhetoric. And while many of the LIV players have praised the unusual camaraderie on the circuit, the schism it has created runs deep. “I feel like the place where they have been able to build their legacy and build their brand, they have just left behind. I think it’s the first time in my life that I have felt betrayal,” Rory McIlroy said of those players who have chosen LIV Golf contracts over Ryder Cup commitments.

The PGA Tour has countersued rival LIV Golf, alleging that the Saudi-backed league interefered with the tour's contracts by offering its golfers large sums of money to defect, The Athletic reports.

"LIV has openly sought to damage the tour's business relationships with its members by inducing them to breach their contractual requirements, even going so far as to pay members' legal fees to make breaching their contracts with tour more enticing," reads part of the PGA's Wednesday complaint.

In August, 11 players suspended for converting to the rival league sued the tour for antitrust violations; LIV signed on to the complaint later. But the PGA's countersuit now "essentially charges that if either body is guilty of anticompetitive behavior it is LIV because its regulations are far more restrictive to the players than the PGA Tour's," The Athletic explains. For example, LIV players are required to play in every league event and wear LIV gear at non-LIV events, among other mandates, The Wall Street Journal notes.

The PGA counterclaim is nothing more than a "transparent effort to divert attention" from the tour's anticompetive behavior, LIV responded, per the Journal. "We remain confident that the courts and the justice system will right these wrongs."

Just three of the 11 golfers who filed the original claim remain involved in the suit — Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Jones, and Peter Uihlein, per Reuters.

American tennis player Frances Tiafoe is making history with his wins in the U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe stadium. On Wednesday, he became the first U.S. man to advance to the U.S. Open semifinals since Andy Roddick in 2006, reported The Associated Press.

He is also the first Black American man to secure a spot in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows since Arthur Ashe in 1972, per Reuters. Tiafoe's historic win against Russian tennis pro Andrey Rublev in the fourth round followed another milestone win against 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal. He celebrated that win in front of a roaring crowd of spectators, including his predecessor, Roddick.

The game was also attended by his agent Jill Smoller, who represents Serena Williams, Tiafoe's twin brother, and their parents. His family emigrated to the U.S. from Sierra Leone to escape a civil war. Tiafoe and his brother eventually took up tennis after their father helped build a junior tennis center in Maryland.

After his historic win over Rublev, Tiafoe told the press, "Every time I win, I just want to inspire a bunch of people to know that anything is possible," according to AP.

If he continues to be successful, he will be on track to be the first American man to win a Grand Slam in nearly two decades.

With one round to go at the Tour Championship, Rory McIlroy looked as if he didn’t have a hope, said James Corrigan in The Daily Telegraph. The Northern Irishman had a chance of finishing second, but he lagged six shots behind the man who’d led all tournament, world No.1 Scottie Scheffler.

Yet defying the odds, the 33-year-old mounted the “comeback of comebacks”, said Kieran Gill in the Daily Mail. His final round of 66 was enough to secure victory by a single shot over Scheffler, whose challenge hit the buffers with an error-strewn 73. Never before has a player made up so many shots on the final round of this Championship – the PGA Tour’s “grand season-ender” held each year in Atlanta, Georgia. It gave McIlroy a record third victory at the tournament.

Almost as striking as McIlroy’s fightback was the amount he pocketed for winning, said Alan Blinder in The New York Times. The Tour Championship isn’t one of golf’s four major titles, but it’s easily the sport’s best-remunerated event: McIlroy’s prize was $18m. Yet despite the eye-watering sums on offer, top players are abandoning the PGA tour for the new, Saudi-backed LIV tour. Already this year some of the biggest names – including Phil Mickelson, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood – have signed up for LIV, lured by the promise of even greater riches (sign-up fees are rumoured to be $150m).

This week, the tour announced its “next raft of recruits”, including world No. 2 Cameron Smith (winner of this year’s Open), and Joaquín Niemann, the “highest-ranked player in the world aged under 25”. All this, not surprisingly, has plunged the sport into a civil war, said Ewan Murray in The Guardian. What a pity that the “exploits” of a player like McIlroy, an outspoken critic of LIV, are being overshadowed as a result.

Eleven golfers playing in the fledgling LIV Golf Invitational Series on Wednesday filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour for suspending them as punishment for joining the Saudi-backed breakaway events, The New York Times reports. The lawsuit — filed by Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford, Matt Jones, Ian Poulter, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Pat Perez, Jason Kokrak, and Peter Uihlein — argues that the PGA Tour is imposing anticompetitive restraints to protect its monopoly.

The PGA Tour's commissioner, Jay Monahan, said the organization was trying to protect its players and fans. "Fundamentally, these suspended players — who are now Saudi Golf League employees — have walked away form the tour and now want back in," Monahan said.

Golf’s civil war escalated this week after Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson was sacked from the role with just 15 months until the next edition in Rome. Stenson’s decision to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series meant his short tenure as skipper was “brought to an end with immediate effect”.

In March the Swede was appointed European captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup, which will take place at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy. But in a statement on Wednesday, Ryder Cup Europe confirmed it had become clear that “he will not be able to fulfil certain contractual obligations” and it is therefore “not possible for him to continue in the role of captain”.

It’s understood that Stenson’s Ryder Cup contract included a clause which would forbid him from playing in the breakaway tournament, said The Irish Times. The search is now on to find a new captain. Possible contenders include 2018 winning skipper Thomas Bjorn, Luke Donald, Paul Lawrie, Robert Karlsson, and 2023 vice-captain Edoardo Molinari.

Stenson ‘disagrees’ with decision

Stenson confirmed that he would be filling one of three remaining spaces at next week’s LIV invitational at the Donald Trump-owned Bedminster course in New Jersey. “His contract on offer from the Saudi breakaway competition is reported to be around £40m,” said Paul MacInnes in The Guardian.

The 2016 Open champion issued a lengthy statement on Twitter and said that while he disagreed with the decision from Ryder Cup Europe, “for now it is a decision that I accept”. The 46-year-old added that “clearly” his decision to play in LIV golf events has been “commercially driven”, but the format, schedule and calibre of player “were also significant factors”.

Seismic rumbles in golf

After becoming the “latest capture for the Saudi rebel circuit”, Stenson’s dramatic U-turn has “sent shockwaves throughout the sport” and it’s a “huge coup” for the LIV Golf Series, said James Corrigan in The Telegraph. He may be down to 171st in the world rankings, and his best days are “clearly in the past”, but the move to the Greg Norman-led series “shows that LIV has the ammunition to convince players to join even from seemingly the most unreachable of places”.

Stenson “may not be as big a draw” in world golf as Bryson DeChambeau or Dustin Johnson, said Alex Perry on National Club Golfer. But taking the Ryder Cup captain from the DP World Tour will create “seismic rumbles” in the game. “Make no mistake – LIV’s Stenson move is about one thing: power.”

‘Lust for Saudi money’

The Ryder Cup captaincy is a role considered perhaps “the most prestigious in the sport” – and also “famously unpaid”, said The Irish Times. Vice-captain to Pádraig Harrington at Whistling Straits last year, Stenson “had been tasked with regaining the trophy” after Europe’s record 19-9 defeat to the United States in Wisconsin.

Even if there is no payment, captains can get “around £4m with endorsements around the gig”, said Riath Al-Samarrai in the Daily Mail. “They don’t go hungry, nor do their grandkids. They earn enough to leave necessity out of their choices.”

Stenson’s “lust for Saudi money” has left the Ryder Cup “in tatters”, Al-Samarrai added. The LIV “did not want” Stenson – they wanted a Ryder Cup captain as a means of “weakening one of the great institutions” of a sport they are “taking over with vindictive cunning”. What an “astonishing mess” this has become.

Cameron Smith produced a scintillating final round to win his first major title at the 150th Open Championship. On the historic Old Course at St Andrews yesterday, the Australian carded a bogey-free eight-under-par 64 to finish on 20 under par – one stroke clear of Cameron Young and two clear of Rory McIlroy.

Northern Irishman McIlroy went into the final round with a four-shot advantage alongside joint-leader Viktor Hovland, and he finished the championship with a two-under 70. “Make no mistake, though”, said Peter Scrivener on the BBC. “McIlroy did not lose this. Smith won it”. The Claret Jug is Smith’s “because he had a magnificent day”.

To win The Open in itself is “probably going to be a golfer’s highlight in their career”, said the 28-year-old Champion Golfer of the Year. “To do it around St Andrews, I think is just unbelievable. This place is so cool. I love the golf course. I love the town.”

Fishing-obsessed ‘lazy’ larrikin

Australia’s newest major champion is “a wizard on a golf course”, said Matt Cleary in The Guardian. He is also a blue-collar Queenslander who likes XXXX Gold and his F1 simulator. There are many reasons why fans love Smith. “He reminds us of ourselves; he is an everyman who happens to be unbelievably good at golf.”

Sporting a “garish mullet”, which is reminiscent of a young Andre Agassi, the “quirky” Australian may buck “conventional approach”, but “there can be no doubting his talent”, said Oliver Brown in The Telegraph. It is no wonder that Smith’s fellow Australians have started nicknaming him a “cashed-up bogan”.

The “mullet man” has gone from being a “beer-swilling, fishing-obsessed ‘lazy’ larrikin” to the “comeback king” of St Andrews, said Josh Alston in the Daily Mail. Now top of the golfing world, Smith’s “love of mullets, beer and fishing” is “well known and won’t change.”

World No.2 Smith adds The Open title to the Players Championship that he won in March. In his career he has eight professional wins, including six on the PGA Tour.

LIV switch? ‘I don’t know, mate’

Similar to the PGA Championship in May and the US Open last month, there was plenty of talk on the sidelines at St Andrews about the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series. Today, Sky Sports has reported that Team Europe skipper Henrik Stenson is “expected to be imminently stripped of his Ryder Cup captaincy”, with the Swede “poised” to join the rebel series.

In his post-tournament interview last night Smith refused to rule out a switch to the LIV and “did nothing” to “kill rumours”, said The Telegraph. When asked about his plans by a reporter he replied “I don’t know, mate”. He then added: “My team worries about all that stuff. I’m here to win golf tournaments. I just won The Open, and you’re asking about that. I think that’s not good.”

Smith has become the first Australian since Greg Norman to win The Open. The Telegraph understands that LIV chief executive Norman is “pursuing the prospect of an entirely Australian team that would include both Smith and Adam Scott”.

If the Open is “a fairytale” and an LIV champion golfer “a nightmare” for some, the reality is the tours and upstarts “will probably have to learn to co-exist, even if that means living snippily ever after”, said Rick Broadbent in The Times. “Whatever happens next, yesterday’s run for home was another dream.”

Is there a bigger spectacle in British sport than The Open Championship golf major taking place on the Old Course at St Andrews? To quote golfing icon Jack Nicklaus: “When the British Open is in Scotland, there’s something special about it. And when it’s at St Andrews, it’s even greater.”

“History alone” sets The Open apart from the other majors, said Doug Ferguson on Golf Channel. And at St Andrews it becomes “a celebration” as much as a championship. “More than 500 years of legend and lore never gets old.”

This year’s championship is the 150th edition and it returns to the home of golf for its milestone anniversary. It’s also the 30th time that St Andrews has hosted The Open. Most recently, in 2015, Zach Johnson won a three-man play-off against Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen. Other notable past champions at the Old Course include Sam Snead (1946), Peter Thomson (1955), Nicklaus (1970 and 1978), Seve Ballesteros (1984), Nick Faldo (1990) and Tiger Woods (2000 and 2005).

The world’s greatest golfers will head to Fife for the final major of the 2022 season and there will be 156 players battling it out at St Andrews. Players such as defending champion Collin Morikawa, three-time Open winner Woods and 2014 champion Rory McIlroy will be among those vying to lift the iconic Claret Jug.

“Fast and firm”, the Old Course “is in shape to play at its best”, said BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter. It will be “a running game, exploiting contours, avoiding bunkers” kind of week. “Just as it was when golf was first played in these parts centuries ago.”

Here we take a look at the main talking points ahead of the 150th Open, plus the pundit predictions and first-round tee times.

1. The 150th Open: dates and UK TV coverage

The first round of The Open will be held on Thursday 14 July, with the fourth and final round on Sunday 17 July. In the UK Sky Sports will present “round-the-clock” coverage from St Andrews, with more than 80 hours of live golf on its dedicated channel, Sky Sports The Open. All times below are BST.

Thursday 14 July

• 6.30am-8.30pm: The Open first round live
• 7.30am-10.30am and 12pm-3pm: Live From The Range (red button)
• 8am-8pm: Featured Groups and Featured Holes (red button)
• 8.30pm-9.30pm: The Open Verdict

Friday 15 July

• 6.30am-8.30pm: The Open second round live
• 7.30am-10.30am and 12pm-3pm: Live From The Range (red button)
• 8am-8pm: Featured Groups and Featured Holes (red button)
• 8.30pm-9.30pm: The Open Verdict

Saturday 16 July

• 9am-8pm: The Open third round live
• 9am-12pm: Saturday at The Open (live on Sky Sports Mix, Sky Showcase and Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel)
• 11am-4pm: Live From The Range (red button)
• 10am-7pm: Featured Groups and Featured Holes (red button)
• 8pm-9pm: The Open Verdict

Sunday 17 July

• 8am-7.30pm: The Open fourth round live
• 8am-11am: Sunday at The Open (live on Sky Sports Mix, Sky Showcase and Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel)
• 9am-7pm: Featured Groups and Featured Holes (red button)
• 10am-3pm: Live From The Range (red button)
• 7.30pm-8pm: The Open Verdict

2. Players to watch and talking points

Tiger Woods

Fifteen-time major champion Tiger Woods is making his first 22nd start in The Open. He has won The Open three times (2000, 2005, 2006), with the first two coming at St Andrews. With a win at St Andrews Woods would set the PGA Tour record for most career wins (83), breaking a tie with Sam Snead. He would also move within two of Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 major championship titles. After sustaining life-threatening injuries in a serious car accident in February 2021 Woods revealed in December that he had one big goal for 2022: playing the 150th Open at St Andrews. He is grouped with Matt Fitzpatrick and Max Homa in Thursday’s first round.

Collin Morikawa

Defending champion Morikawa’s most recent victory on the PGA Tour came at the 2021 Open. Morikawa, a five-time PGA Tour winner, is winless in his last 19 starts, the longest drought of his career. The last player to successfully defend a title in a major was Brooks Koepka at the 2019 PGA Championship, while the last player to do so at The Open was Padraig Harrington in 2008. Morikawa is grouped with Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele.

Matt Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick, winner of last month’s US Open, has made six career starts in The Open Championship. His best result was tied-20th in 2019. The Englishman plays in an Open at St Andrews for the first time.

Rory McIlroy

Four-time major champion McIlroy has not won a major since the start of 2015. He won the final two majors of 2014 (The Open Championship and PGA Championship) and has 16 top-tens in majors since then, the most of any player in that span. McIlroy recently moved into a tie for 31st on the all-time PGA Tour wins list with his 21st career title at the 2022 RBC Canadian Open.

Xander Schauffele

American Schauffele comes into the 150th Open having won on his previous two PGA Tour starts: the Travelers Championship and last week’s Genesis Scottish Open. Schauffele has six top-five finishes in major championships.

Scottie Scheffler

The world No.1 has four wins this season, including his first career major championship title at the Masters.

Thursday’s key groups to watch

Tee-times are BST

• 9.58am: Collin Morikawa, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele
• 10.09am: Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland
• 1.26pm: Scottie Scheffler, Joaquin Niemann, Tyrrell Hatton
• 2.59pm: Tiger Woods, Matt Fitzpatrick, Max Homa
• 3.10pm: Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Harold Varner III

3. Predictions and betting odds

South African golf legend Gary Player has backed Rory McIlroy to end his eight-year major drought. Player, 86, won three of his nine majors at The Open and he has tipped McIlroy to lift the Claret Jug for a second time. “I think that the lightbulb will be switched on and McIlroy will win The Open,” he told Sky Sports. “St Andrews is a wide-open golf course and with his length, it’s going to be an advantage. He is the most talented golfer in the world today.”

The Analyst’s FRACAS model picked McIlroy to win the US Open in June – and “not much has changed”, said Kyle Cunningham-Rhoads. “McIlroy still sits at the top of the FRACAS leaderboard and is once again our pick to become the Open champion.”

Golf Digest has put together its expert picks for The Open and it’s McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Will Zalatoris and Jordan Spieth who are backed. McIlroy is the “rightful” favourite, but Schauffele “might just keep this heater rolling” after winning the Scottish Open, said the Anonymous Caddie. “You’re getting the most confident player in the field who has won on all types of courses over the past month-plus.”

Spieth has had “an interesting year”, one that “may appear underwhelming or disappointing at first glance”, but “not one that should stop us from backing him at the Old Course”, said Chris Gregory on Covers.com. “If at his best this week, the final product will be of him once again hoisting the Claret Jug.”

With his back-to-back wins on the Old Course at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2016 and 2017, Tyrrell Hatton is “one we’ve got our eyes on”, said The Sun. “If he can keep his temper down he can certainly challenge in this one.”

One of the best bets for The Open is Justin Thomas, said Tom Lunn on talkSPORT. “As soon as he sorts the putter out, Thomas is ready to explode.” The 2022 PGA Championship winner hasn’t finished outside the top 22 since 2017 at the Masters and “remains a solid chance in Scotland on that form”.

In his “sleeper” picks to win at St Andrews, CBS Sports’s Patrick McDonald said he can see Max Homa “seriously contending” in his second Open. “It was reassuring to see Homa play well at the Scottish Open, and by all accounts, he appears to be up to the challenge of golf in Scotland.”

A good bet for a top-20 finish is Tony Finau, said Nick Hennion of Action Network. “Don’t look now, but top-10 Tony appears to be back in fine form.” The majors “haven’t necessarily gone his way this year”, but this track “should fit his game well”.

Betting odds

Prices according to Oddschecker, as of 13 July

• Rory McIlroy: 11/1
• Xander Schauffele: 18/1
• Jordan Spieth: 20/1
• Scottie Scheffler: 22/1
• Jon Rahm: 22/1
• Justin Thomas: 22/1
• Shane Lowry: 25/1
• Cameron Smith: 25/1
• Matthew Fitzpatrick: 25/1
• Patrick Cantlay: 28/1
• Will Zalatoris: 33/1
• Collin Morikawa: 35/1
• See the full list at oddschecker.com

4. Thursday 14 July: first round tee-times

All times below BST. Players are US unless stated, (x) denotes amateur.

• 6.35am: Paul Lawrie (Sco), Webb Simpson, Min Woo Lee (Aus)
• 6.46am: Sadom Kaewkanjana (Tha), Ben Campbell (Nzl), Barclay Brown (Eng) (x)
• 6.57am: Dean Burmester (Rsa), Chan Kim, Brandon Wu
• 7.08am: Ian Poulter (Eng), Jamie Donaldson (Wal), Guido Migliozzi (Ita)
• 7.19am: Garrick Higgo (Rsa), MinKyu Kim (Kor), Ashley Chesters (Eng)
• 7.30am: Phil Mickelson, Lucas Herbert (Aus), Kurt Kitayama
• 7.41am: Patrick Reed, Tom Hoge, JooHyung Kim (Kor)
• 7.52am: John Daly, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Tringale
• 8.03am: Cameron Smith (Aus), Brooks Koepka, Seamus Power (Irl)
• 8.14am: Francesco Molinari (Ita), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Justin Rose (Eng)
• 8.25am: Cameron Young, Kyoung Hoon Lee (Kor), Robert MacIntyre (Sco)
• 8.36am: Zach Johnson, Billy Horschel, Corey Conners (Can)
• 8.47am: Brian Harman, Pablo Larrazabal (Esp), Danny Willett (Eng)
• 9.03am: Stephen Dodd (Wal), JT Poston, Lee Westwood (Eng)
• 9.14am: Sepp Straka (Aut), Luke List, Justin De Los Santos (Phi)
• 9.25am: Ernie Els (Rsa), Adri Arnaus (Esp), Brad Kennedy (Aus)
• 9.36am: Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Scott Vincent (Zim), Victor Perez (Fra)
• 9.47am: Jason Kokrak, Nicolai Hojgaard (Den), Sihwan Kim (Kor)
• 9.58am: Collin Morikawa, Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Xander Schauffele
• 10.09am: Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas, Victor Hovland (Nor)
• 10.20am: Will Zalatoris, Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Tony Finau
• 10.31am: Kevin Kisner, Chris Kirk, Takumi Kanaya (Jpn)
• 10.42am: Dylan Frittelli (Rsa), Trey Mullinax, Matthew Jordan (Eng)
• 10.53am: Anthony Quayle (Aus), Zander Lombard (Rsa), John Parry
• 11.04am: Thomas Detry (Bel), Richard Mansell, Marco Penge
• 11.15am: Alexander Bjork (Swe), Oliver Farr, Matt Ford
• 11.36am: Mark Calcavecchia, Ryan Fox (Nzl), Jediah Morgan (Aus)
• 11.47am: Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Sam Bairstow (x)
• 11.58am: Adrian Meronk (Pol), Haotong Li (Chn), Marcus Armitage
• 12.09pm: Thriston Lawrence (Rsa), Fabrizio Zanotti (Par), Alex Wrigley
• 12.20pm: Aaron Wise, Si Woo Kim (Kor), Sam Horsfield (Eng)
• 12.31pm: Talor Gooch, Shaun Norris (Rsa), Wyndham Clark
• 12.42pm: Henrik Stenson (Swe), Russell Henley, Aldrich Potgieter (Rsa, x)
• 12.53pm: Stewart Cink, Sergio Garcia (Esp), Aaron Jarvis (Cay, x)
• 1.04pm: Sungjae Im (Kor), Paul Casey (Eng), Gary Woodland
• 1.15pm: Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott (Aus), Marc Leishman (Aus)
• 1.26pm: Scottie Scheffler, Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Tyrrell Hatton
• 1.37pm: Darren Clarke (Nirl), Richard Bland (Eng), Filippo Celli (Ita, x)
• 1.48pm: Kevin Na, Kazuki Higa (Jpn), Erik van Rooyen (Rsa)
• 2.04pm: David Duval, Justin Harding (Rsa), Jordan Smith (Eng)
• 2.15pm: Shugo Imahira (Jpn), Jason Scrivener (Aus), David Law (Sco)
• 2.26pm: Abraham Ancer (Mex), Yuto Katsuragawa (Jpn), Emiliano Grillo (Arg)
• 2.37pm: Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Harris English, Keita Nakajima (Jpn, x)
• 2.48pm: Padraig Harrington (Irl), Thomas Pieters (Bel), Keith Mitchell
• 2.49pm: Tiger Woods, Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), Max Homa
• 3.10pm: Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm (Esp), Harold Varner III
• 3.21pm: Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns, Mito Pereira (Chi)
• 3.32pm: Keegan Bradley, Sebastian Munoz (Col), Sahith Theegala
• 3.43pm: Laurie Canter, Dimitrios Papadatos (Aus), Matthew Griffin (Aus)
• 3.54pm: John Catlin, Jamie Rutherford (Eng), David Carey (Irl)
• 4.05pm: Mingyu Cho (Kor), Jorge Fernandez Valdes (Arg), Robert Dinwiddie (Eng)
• 4.16pm: Lars Van Meijel (Ned), Jack Floydd (Eng), Ronan Mullarney (Irl)

This week’s US Open Championship will see golf’s big hitters go for glory at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy heads to Boston in fine form after his victory at the Canadian Open on Sunday.

US Open 2011 winner McIlroy, defending champion Jon Rahm, PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler lead a huge field of 156 players for the third men’s major of the year, which starts on Thursday. They are joined by “PGA Tour guys, LIV guys, Korn Ferry guys, DP World Tour guys, amateurs and everyone in between”, said Golf Digest.

With the sport going through a “civil war” following the launch of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Series, there will be a big focus on some of the rebel “LIV guys” competing this week: 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, two-time major champion Dustin Johnson and six-time major champion Phil Mickelson to name just three.

Six-time US Open runner-up Mickelson has “dominated the golf headlines” in recent months for his “controversial comments about Saudi Arabia and the PGA Tour”, said Sky Sports. The American only ended his “self-imposed exile” from golf to compete in the opening event of the LIV Golf Series last week. With a win at the US Open he would make history by completing a career grand slam.

1. UK TV coverage

“Round-the-clock” coverage of the 122nd US Open will be shown live on Sky Sports Golf. The broadcaster will have more than 40 hours of live action from the four tournament days. All times below BST.

• Thursday 16 June – 1pm-1am: first round live
• Friday 17 June – 1pm-1am: second round live
• Saturday 18 June – 4pm-1am: third round live
• Sunday 19 June – 2pm-12am: final round live

2. US Open betting odds

Fresh from their “thrilling” final round in Canada, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas are the favourites to win the US Open, said USA Today. Here we take a look at the latest betting odds according to Oddschecker, as of 15 June.

• Rory McIlroy: 11/1
• Justin Thomas: 12/1
• Scottie Scheffler: 14/1
• Jon Rahm: 16/1
• Cameron Smith: 25/1
• Patrick Cantlay: 25/1
• Xander Schauffele: 25/1
• Sam Burns: 30/1
• Jordan Spieth: 30/1
• Shane Lowry: 30/1
• Will Zalatoris: 33/1
• Matthew Fitzpatrick: 33/1
• Collin Morikawa: 35/1
• See the full list at Oddschecker.com

3. Pundit predictions: who will win the US Open?

As is the case with all major championships, “the field is strong”, said Kyle Cunningham-Rhoads on The Analyst. “It’s tough to win in a field like this”, but according to the site’s FRACAS model Rory McIlroy “projects as the clear favourite with a 6.90% chance of winning”.

This feels “inevitable”, Rory’s “on a mission”, said the Anonymous Caddie on Golf Digest. “He figured out the early-round major woes at the PGA. It feels like the window is open once again for the Northern Irishman to add another major.”

“We’re going back to the Jordan Spieth well,” said Golf Digest. Data scientist and RickRunGood.com founder Rick Gehman, Golf Digest deputy managing editor Stephen Hennessey, and FanShare Sports’s Lee Alldrick have all picked Spieth as their outright winner. “I usually need zero excuse” to bet on Spieth in a major, said Hennessey. And guys like Gehman and Alldrick being on him “mean I’m all in”.

Justin Thomas, this year’s PGA Championship winner, will “take care of business” and also win the US Open, said Johnny Recks on Clutch Sports. “When it comes to a major tournament, Thomas seemingly manages to find another gear.”

Golf stats expert and “proven golf insider” Sal Johnson has released his “highly confident” pick for the US Open, said Sportsline. “Shockingly, Johnson is strongly fading Viktor Hovland, who is among the favourites but has struggled mightily in major championships.”

Despite what the odds may suggest, this year’s US Open is “wide open”, said Patrick McDonald on CBS Golf. Five “sleepers” who “may surprise as winners” at The Country Club include Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Sungjae Im, Corey Conners and Justin Rose.

Another sleeper pick is Shane Lowry, said Nick Goss on NBC Sports Boston. The Irishman has “seven top-ten finishes in majors, including a win at the British Open in 2019”.

“According to my statistical model”, Lowry’s game should “fit this track quite well”, said Nick Hennion in the New York Post. His “best bet” is for Lowry to achieve a top-20 finish.

4. US Open tee-times: first and second rounds

Round one: Thursday 16 June (all times BST)

Starting on hole one

• 11:45 Michael Thorbjornsen (US*), Erik Barnes (US), Matt McCarty (US)
• 11:56 Matthew NeSmith (US), Patrick Rodgers (US), Travis Vick (US*)
• 12:07 Troy Merritt (US), William Mouw (US*), Andrew Putnam (US)
• 12:18 Collin Morikawa (US), James Piot (US), Jon Rahm (Spa)
• 12:29 Jordan Spieth (US), Adam Scott (Aus), Max Homa (US)
• 12:40 Billy Horschel (US), Patrick Cantlay (US), Daniel Berger (US)
• 12:51 Harold Varner III (US), Sebastian Munoz (Col), Alex Noren (Swe)
• 13:02 Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Cameron Young (US), Will Zalatoris (US)
• 13:13 Adam Schenk (US), Stewart Hagestad (US*), Grayson Murray (US)
• 13:24 Guido Migliozzi (Ita), Branden Grace (SA), Mackenzie Hughes (Can)
• 13:35 Beau Hossler (US), Kalle Samooja (Fin), Satoshi Kodaira (Jpn)
• 13:46 Richard Mansell (Eng), Tomoyasu Sugiyama (Jpn), Roger Sloan (Can)
• 13:57 Caleb Manuel (US*), Keith Greene (US), Ben Silverman (US)
• 17:30 Kevin Chappell (US), Chase Seiffert (US), Andrew Novak (US)
• 17:41 Thorbjorn Olesen (Den), Brian Stuard (US), Nick Hardy (US)
• 17:52 Sam Horsfield (Eng), Cameron Tringale (US), Shaun Norris (SA)
• 18:03 Sungjae Im (Kor), Mito Pereira (Chi), Erik van Rooyen (SA)
• 18:14 Justin Thomas (US), Viktor Hovland (Nor), Tony Finau (US)
• 18:25 Joohyung Kim (Kor), Seamus Power (Ire), Min Woo Lee (Aus)
• 18:36 Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), Webb Simpson (US), Dustin Johnson (US)
• 18:47 Phil Mickelson (US), Shane Lowry (Ire), Louis Oosthuizen (SA)
• 18:58 Danny Lee (NZ), Keita Nakajima (Jpn*), Nick Taylor (Can)
• 19:09 Jim Furyk (US), Nick Dunlap (US*), Adam Hadwin (Can)
• 19:20 Richard Bland (Eng), Rikuya Hoshino (Jpn), Ryan Fox (NZ)
• 19:31 Jonas Blixt (Swe), Bo Hoag (US), Todd Sinnott (Aus)
• 19:42 Isaiah Salinda (US), Sean Jacklin (Sco), Charles Reiter (US*)

Starting on hole ten

• 11:45 Fran Quinn (US), Callum Tarren (Eng), Hayden Buckley (US)
• 11:56 Kurt Kitayama (US), Denny McCarthy (US), Sam Bennett (US*)
• 12:07 Wyndham Clark (US), Brandon Matthews (US), Wil Besseling (Ned)
• 12:18 David Lingmerth (Swe), Sepp Straka (Aut), Si Woo Kim (Kor)
• 12:29 Scott Stallings (US), Davis Riley (US), Victor Perez (Fra)
• 12:40 Rory McIlroy (NI), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Xander Schauffele (US)
• 12:51 Kevin Kisner (US), Russell Henley (US), Brian Harman (US)
• 13:02 Keegan Bradley (US), Marc Leishman (Aus), Aaron Wise (US)
• 13:13 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Laird Shepherd (Eng*), Stewart Cink (US)
• 13:24 Marcel Schneider (Ger), Chan Kim (US), Joseph Bramlett (US)
• 13:35 Lanto Griffin (US), Joel Dahmen (US), Jinichiro Kozuma (Jpn)
• 13:46 Chris Gotterup (US), Fred Biondi (Bra*), Harry Hall (Eng)
• 13:57 Chris Naegel (US), Andrew Beckler (US), Luke Gannon (US)
• 17:30 Jed Morgan (Aus), Taylor Montgomery (US), Sean Crocker (US)
• 17:41 Maxwell Moldovan ((US*), Yannik Paul (Ger), MJ Daffue (SA)
• 17:52 Talor Gooch (US), Adri Arnaus (Spa), Tom Hoge (US)
• 18:03 Kevin Na (US), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
• 18:14 Sam Burns (US), Abraham Ancer (Mex), Thomas Pieters (Bel)
• 18:25 Brooks Koepka (US), Cameron Smith (Aus), Scottie Scheffler (US)
• 18:36 Luke List (US), Austin Greaser (US*), Corey Conners (Can)
• 18:47 Gary Woodland (US), Justin Rose (Eng), Bryson DeChambeau (US)
• 18:58 KH Lee (Kor), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Patrick Reed (US)
• 19:09 Jason Kokrak (US), Harris English (US), Lucas Herbert (Aus)
• 19:20 Sam Stevens (US), Ben Lorenz (US*), Davis Shore (US)
• 19:31 Daijiro Izumida (Jpn), Adrien Dumont de Chassart (Bel*), Sebastian Soderberg (Swe)
• 19:42 Ryan Gerard (US), Brady Calkins (US), Jesse Mueller (US)

Round two: Friday 17 June

Starting on hole one

• 11:45 Jed Morgan (Aus), Taylor Montgomery (US), Sean Crocker (US)
• 11:56 Maxwell Moldovan (US*), Yannik Paul (Ger), MJ Daffue (SA)
• 12:07 Talor Gooch (US), Adri Arnaus (Spa), Tom Hoge (US)
• 12:18 Kevin Na (US), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
• 12:29 Sam Burns (US), Abraham Ancer (Mex), Thomas Pieters (Bel)
• 12:40 Brooks Koepka (US), Cameron Smith (Aus), Scottie Scheffler (US)
• 12:51 Luke List (US), Austin Greaser ((US*), Corey Conners (Can)
• 13:02 Gary Woodland (US), Justin Rose (Eng), Bryson DeChambeau (US)
• 13:13 KH Lee (Kor), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Patrick Reed (US)
• 13:24 Jason Kokrak (US), Harris English (US), Lucas Herbert (Aus)
• 13:35 Sam Stevens (US), Ben Lorenz (US*), Davis Shore (US)
• 13:46 Daijiro Izumida (Jpn), Adrien Dumont de Chassart (Bel*), Sebastian Soderberg (Swe)
• 13:57 Ryan Gerard (US), Brady Calkins (US), Jesse Mueller (US)
• 17:30 Fran Quinn (US), Callum Tarren (Eng), Hayden Buckley (US)
• 17:41 Kurt Kitayama (US), Denny McCarthy (US), Sam Bennett (US*)
• 17:52 Wyndham Clark (US), Brandon Matthews (US), Wil Besseling (Ned)
• 18:03 David Lingmerth (Swe), Sepp Straka (Aut), Si Woo Kim (Kor)
• 18:14 Scott Stallings (US), Davis Riley (US), Victor Perez (Fra)
• 18:25 Rory McIlroy (NI), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Xander Schauffele (US)
• 18:36 Kevin Kisner (US), Russell Henley (US), Brian Harman (US)
• 18:47 Keegan Bradley (US), Marc Leishman Aus), Aaron Wise (US)
• 18:58 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Laird Shepherd (Eng*), Stewart Cink (US)
• 19:09 Marcel Schneider (Ger), Chan Kim (US), Joseph Bramlett (US)
• 19:20 Lanto Griffin (US), Joel Dahmen (US), Jinichiro Kozuma (Jpn)
• 19:31 Chris Gotterup (US), Fred Biondi (Brz*), Harry Hall (Eng)
• 19:42 Chris Naegel (US), Andrew Beckler (US), Luke Gannon (US)

Starting on hole ten

• 11:45 Kevin Chappell (US), Chase Seiffert (US), Andrew Novak (US)
• 11:56 Thorbjorn Olesen (Den), Brian Stuard (US), Nick Hardy (US)
• 12:07 Sam Horsfield (Eng), Cameron Tringale (US), Shaun Norris (SA)
• 12:18 Sungjae Im (Kor), Mito Pereira (Chi), Erik van Rooyen (SA)
• 12:29 Justin Thomas (US), Viktor Hovland (Nor), Tony Finau (US)
• 12:40 Joohyung Kim (Kor), Seamus Power (Ire), Min Woo Lee (Aus)
• 12:51 Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), Webb Simpson (US), Dustin Johnson (US)
• 13:02 Phil Mickelson (US), Shane Lowry (Ire), Louis Oosthuizen (SA)
• 13:13 Danny Lee (NZ), Keita Nakajima (Jpn*), Nick Taylor (Can)
• 13:24 Jim Furyk (US), Nick Dunlap (US*), Adam Hadwin (Can)
• 13:35 Richard Bland (Eng), Rikuya Hoshino (Jpn), Ryan Fox (NZ)
• 13:46 Jonas Blixt (Swe), Bo Hoag (US), Todd Sinnott (Aus)
• 13:57 Isaiah Salinda (US), Sean Jacklin (Sco), Charles Reiter (US*)
• 17:30 Michael Thorbjornsen (US*), Erik Barnes (US), Matt McCarty (US)
• 17:41 Matthew NeSmith (US), Patrick Rodgers (US), Travis Vick (US*)
• 17:52 Troy Merritt (US), William Mouw (US*), Andrew Putnam (US)
• 18:03 Collin Morikawa (US), James Piot (US), Jon Rahm (Spa)
• 18:14 Jordan Spieth (US), Adam Scott (Aus), Max Homa (US)
• 18:25 Billy Horschel (US), Patrick Cantlay (US), Daniel Berger (US)
• 18:36 Harold Varner III (US), Sebastian Munoz (Col), Alex Noren (Swe)
• 18:47 Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Cameron Young (US), Will Zalatoris (US)
• 18:58 Adam Schenk (US), Stewart Hagestad (US*), Grayson Murray (US)
• 19:09 Guido Migliozzi (Ita), Branden Grace (SA), Mackenzie Hughes (Can)
• 19:20 Beau Hossler (US), Kalle Samooja (Fin), Satoshi Kodaira (Jpn)
• 19:31 Richard Mansell (Eng), Tomoyasu Sugiyama (Jpn), Roger Sloan (Can)
• 19:42 Caleb Manuel (US*), Keith Greene (US), Ben Silverman (US)

* denotes amateur

The controversial, Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series will finally tee off today at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire.

Before the lucrative event even began it has been accused of “disrupting the dynamics in professional men’s golf”, said USA Today, and threatens to continue doing so as the season goes on.

“Hanging above the shifting balance of power in the business of golf are the questions of ethics and morals facing players and executives who have joined the league,” explained the newspaper.

The new series presents a very real and “controversial threat” to the historic US PGA Tour, according to Martin Rogers on Fox Sports, while the pros joining the new set-up were labelled by Jamie Weir on Sky Sports as a “rag-tag bunch of struggling players” who were purely motivated by the “cold hard cash on offer”.

Potential sanctions

Tuesday’s announcement that former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson would quit the PGA Tour to play in the new eight-match tournament came as the latest significant blow. The American will join five other players in relinquishing their membership of the US tour to join LIV.

Others, like Phil Mickelson and Graeme McDowell, have resisted quitting the official tour but face potential sanctions for their involvement with the new event. The Times reported they could face punishments ranging from “temporary suspensions or fines” to complete bans “depending on the level of involvement”.

High-profile players such as Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods have openly opposed the tournament but the likes of European Ryder Cup stars Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio García are playing in the inaugural Centurion Club event, and The Telegraph reported that American major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed have signed up and will play in the second event, starting in Portland on 3 July.

Eye-watering sums

Backed by the Saudi government controlled Public Investment Fund and fronted by former Australian pro Greg Norman, the LIV Series is offering eye-watering sums of money to attract participants.

Six-time major champion Mickelson is expected to receive $200m for his participation, while the first event in the series will feature an overall prize pot of $25m, with the winner receiving $4m. For contrast, the winner of the US Masters tournament in 2022 received $2.7m from a prize pot of $15m.

LIV’s monetary power, as well as the disruption to the traditional calendar, leaves golf “mired in turmoil” and with uncertainty “it has never encountered before”, said Fox Sports. Players, and LIV frontman Norman, have refused to earnestly engage in questions around Saudi-sportswashing – the country's attempt to “gain legitimacy on the world stage and deflect from [its] human rights violations”, as The Times said.

“Just tell us it’s the money,” said Brendan Quinn in The Athletic. “Stop telling us you’re excited to play what amounts to video game golf.” Weir agreed, writing for Sky Sports: “There’s one motive and one motive alone for these players. Money.”

Fans will decide

Ultimately the success of LIV will rely on how many people consume it, though the tournament will initially only be streamed on the organisers’ website and on Youtube and Facebook. “Fans must choose whether this is a black eye for golf,” said Rogers on Fox Sports.

Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, though, believes controversy around Saudi money will pass as the LIV series attracts viewers. “As much as it’s being used as a stick to beat those guys and it’s a big issue for anyone who is going,” Harrington said, “clearly time will pass,” Sports Illustrated reported.

Tiger Woods withdrew from the PGA Championship on Saturday after posting the worst score of his career in the event, ESPN reports.

The championship announced Wood's exit after the third round, in which he shot a nine-over par 79. "Tiger Woods has informed us that he is withdrawing from the 2022 PGA Championship," PGA of America President Jim Richerson wrote in a statement. "We admire Tiger's valiant effort to compete here at Southern Hills and wish him the best as he continues to recover from his injuries."

The championship was Woods' second major golf event since his serious car accident last year. He played in the Masters in April.

A year ago, Phil Mickelson wrote himself into the record books by becoming the oldest golfer to win a major title, said Ewan Murray in The Observer. The then 50-year-old, long one of America’s most admired players, was “mobbed” by adoring fans after triumphing in the US PGA Championship.

It’s not a scene you can imagine happening today, said Daniel Zeqiri in The Daily Telegraph. For in the past 12 months, the player known as “Phil the Thrill” has suffered a “spectacular decline in popularity”. His problems began in February, when it was revealed that he was considering joining a Saudi-backed rebel tour, led by the former Australian champion Greg Norman. The comments Mickelson made about the scheme made him appear insincere and duplicitous: he insisted it was worth taking seriously as it presented a “once in-a-lifetime opportunity” to reshape how the sport was run, yet at the same time described the Saudis as “scary motherf*****s”. Since then, Mickelson’s “apple pie” reputation has been further tarnished by revelations about the extent of his alleged gambling addiction: according to a new biography, he has frittered away $40m with it.

All this means that the 2022 US PGA Championship opens this week with the sport in a state resembling “civil war”, said Derek Lawrenson in The Mail on Sunday. Most younger players – “happy with the amounts they make on the long-established PGA Tour” – want to maintain the status quo. Ranged against them are a few “grumpy old rebels” who are ready to “forsake their principles in favour of the easy millions on offer from the sportswashing Saudis”.

Mickelson, who hasn’t played since January, won’t be in Oklahoma to defend his title, but other players linked to the Saudi scheme, including Sergio García, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, will be. It will make for a “sulphurous atmosphere”.

Golf’s second men’s major of the year, the US PGA Championship, will get under way on Thursday at the Southern Hills Country Club – and without defending champion Phil Mickelson.

The six-time major winner has been taking a break from the sport since the “fall-out from his explosive comments” about the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Series, said Sky Sports. He also missed the Masters Tournament for the first time in 28 years and has not played since February.

With his exile from golf continuing, Mickelson’s absence “looms large” over the 104th PGA Championship, said Tom Kershaw in The Independent. It has been the “major talking point” as players prepared for Southern Hills, “even more so than the appearance of Tiger Woods”.

Tiger: I believe in legacies

It was “inevitable” that Woods would be asked about the breakaway LIV Golf Series and his long-time rival Mickelson, said Matt Cooper on PlanetSport. And when it happened “he did not pull any punches”.

“I understand different viewpoints”, Woods said, but “I believe in legacies, I believe in major championships and big events, comparisons to historical figures of the past”. When asked about Mickelson he added that it’s “always disappointing when the defending champion is not here”, but “Phil has said some things that I think a lot of us who are committed to the Tour and the legacy of the Tour have pushed back against”.

1. Groups to watch and TV details

One of the groups to watch in the first and second rounds will be Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth – who between them have won 22 major championships. Another “marquee” group is Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa, “the top three in the world”, said the BBC. In the rest of the field, high-profile groups include Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry and Adam Scott, and the all-US trio of Patrick Cantlay, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas.

The 2022 PGA Championship will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Golf, all times BST:

• Thursday 19 May: first round live (1pm to 1am)
• Friday 20 May: second round live (1pm to 1am)
• Saturday 21 May: third round live (2pm to 12am)
• Sunday 22 May: final round live (2pm to 12am)

2. Pundit predictions: who will win?

Staff at PGATour.com have been selecting their picks for the winner of the PGA Championship. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler, the reigning Masters champion, is backed by Sean Martin to lift the Wanamaker Trophy. Scheffler has already won a Big 12 title at Southern Hills, so winning a major here “should be a piece of cake”, Martin said. Rory McIlroy won his fourth, and last, major at the PGA Championship in 2014. The “drought ends, fittingly”, said Cameron Morfit, it’s the major that’s been “the absolute best fit” for the Northern Irishman.

Jordan Spieth has had to wait “a long time to earn another major”, said Ash Wheldon on The Stats Zone. But the 28-year-old’s form over the past year “suggests that he could be in contention to complete a career grand slam” this weekend. Another top tip is Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters winner. The Japanese star “appears to have put his injury issues behind him” and a fourth Tour win in just over a year “would not be a shock”.

The Analyst’s AI-powered FRACAS modelling projects “who’s most likely to win the title, who’s in great shape to finish in the top 10 and which golfers are suited to the course to make the cut”. And according to the stats, Jon Rahm is favourite with a 7.4% win probability, followed by Justin Thomas (5.9%), Rory McIlroy (4.8%) and Patrick Cantlay (4.7%).

It would appear that we’re in for a “wild” PGA Championship week, “full of unexpected twists and turns but also a lot of familiar names atop the leaderboard”, said CBS Sport. Kyle Porter, the network’s senior golf writer, has tipped Irishman Shane Lowry to win this weekend. Lowry is “not often talked about as a star or superstar of the sport”, Porter said. “This week might change that.”

There’s a “Viktor Hovland debate” happening on GolfDigest. The 24-year-old Norwegian is yet to win a major, but is highly fancied by the magazine’s experts. “Everything’s lining up for Hovland’s first major”, said the Anonymous Caddie. “His only weakness is his pitching and chipping, which won’t be as much a factor this week.” Hovland has “somehow become the forgotten man among the elites”, said Pat Mayo. “Yes, it’s going to be devastating when he chips himself out of contention late noon Sunday afternoon, but his ball striking is so good that he’s not going to be scrambling nearly as much as the field.”

3. Betting odds

Scottie Scheffler is the bookies’ favourite to win at Southern Hills, according to Oddschecker. Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth are all highly fancied.

• Scottie Scheffler: 14/1
• Jon Rahm: 16/1
• Rory McIlroy: 18/1
• Justin Thomas: 18/1
• Jordan Spieth: 20/1
• Collin Morikawa: 22/1
• Hideki Matsuyama: 25/1
• Cameron Smith: 25/1
• Patrick Cantlay: 25/1
• Xander Schauffele: 28/1
• Viktor Hovland: 28/1
• Dustin Johnson: 33/1
• Shane Lowry: 40/1
• Will Zalatoris: 40/1
• See the full list at Oddschecker.com

4. Round one tee-times: Thursday 19 May

Starting at hole one (all times BST)

• 13:00 John Daly (US), Shaun Micheel (US), Yong-Eun Yang (Kor)
• 13:11 Matthew Borchert (US), Takumi Kanaya (Jpn), Troy Merritt (US)
• 13:22 Dean Burmester (SA), Chris Kirk (US), Kyle Mendoza (US)
• 13:33 Sam Horsfield (Eng), Nic Ishee (US), Guillermo Mito Pereira (Chi),
• 13:44 Shaun Norris (SA), Carlos Ortiz (Mex), Kevin Streelman (US)
• 13:55 Cameron Davis (Aus), Rikuya Hoshino (Jpn), Matt Kuchar (US)
• 14:06 Stewart Cink (US), Jason Dufner (US, Padraig Harrington (Ire
• 14:17 Abraham Ancer (Mex), Thomas Pieters (Bel), Kramer Hickok (US)
• 14:28 Richard Bland (Eng), Garrick Higgo (SA), Matt Jones (Aus)
• 14:39 Tom Hoge (US), Si Woo Kim (Kor), Beau Hossler (US)
• 14:50 Ryan Fox (NZ), Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Shawn Warren (US)
• 15:01 Yuki Inamori (Jpn), Sebastian Munoz (Col), Zac Oakley (US)
• 15:12 Bio Kim (Kor), Casey Pyne (US), Brendan Steele (US)
• 18:30 Ryan Brehm (US), Min-Woo Lee (Aus), Wyatt Worthington II (US)
• 18:41 Justin Harding (SA), Nicolai Hoejgaard (Den), Sean McCarty (US)
• 18:52 Adam Hadwin (Can), Hudson Swafford (US, Cameron Tringale (US)
• 19:03 Brooks Koepka (US), Shane Lowry (Ire), Adam Scott (Aus)
• 19:14 Patrick Cantlay (US), Dustin Johnson (US), Justin Thomas (US)
• 19:25 Jason Day (Aus), Rickie Fowler (US), Harold Varner III (US)
• 19:36 Collin Morikawa (US), Jon Rahm (Spa), Scottie Scheffler (US)
• 19:47 Daniel Berger (US), Louis Oosthuizen (SA), Ian Poulter (Eng)
• 19:58 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Billy Horschel (US), Kevin Kisner (US)
• 20:09 Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Charl Schwartzel (SA)
• 20:20 Harry Higgs (US), Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Erik van Rooyen (SA)
• 20:31 Alex Beach (US), Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut)
• 20:42 Jared Jones (US), Aaron Wise (US), Joel Dahmen (US)

Starting at hole ten

• 13:05 Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Alexander Noren (Swe), Ryan Palmer (US)
• 13:16 Adria Arnaus (Spa), Colin Inglis (US), Jinichiro Kozuma (Jpn)
• 13:27 Michael Block (US), Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Sadom Kaewkanjana (Tha)
• 13:38 Tony Finau (US), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Xander Schauffele (US)
• 13:49 Bryson DeChambeau (US), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Max Homa (US)
• 14:00 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Cameron Smith (Aus), Will Zalatoris (US)
• 14:11 Rory McIlroy (NI), Jordan Spieth (US), Tiger Woods (US)
• 14:22 Patrick Reed (US), Justin Rose (Eng), Bubba Watson (US)
• 14:33 Lucas Glover (US), Kevin Na (US), Daniel van Tonder (SA)
• 14:44 Sam Burns (US), Davis Riley (US), Cameron Young (US)
• 14:55 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Lee Westwood (Eng), Gary Woodland (US)
• 15:06 Oliver Bekker (SA), Brian Harman (US), Ryan Vermeer (US)
• 15:17 Laurie Canter (Eng), Lanto Griffin (US), Dylan Newman (US)
• 18:25 Brandon Bingaman (US), Talor Gooch (US), Ryosuke Kinoshita (Jpn)
• 18:36 Tim Feenstra (US), Anirban Lahiri (Ind), Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Kor)
• 18:47 Rich Beem (US), Alex Cejka (Ger), Jesse Mueller (US)
• 18:58 Seamus Power (Ire), Russell Knox (Sco), Scott Stallings (US)
• 19:09 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA), Corey Conners (Can), Jason Kokrak (US)
• 19:20 Keegan Bradley (US), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Marc Leishman (Aus)
• 19:31 Cameron Champ (US), Russell Henley (US), Zach Johnson (US)
• 19:42 Branden Grace (SA), Webb Simpson (US), Henrik Stenson (Swe)
• 19:53 JJ Spaun (US), Sepp Straka (Aut), Adam Schenk (US)
• 20:04 Joo-Hyung Kim (Kor), Keith Mitchell (US), Matthew Wolff (US)
• 20:15 Lucas Herbert (Aus), Austin Hurt (US), Chad Ramey (US)
• 20:26 Tyler Collet (US), Chan Kim (US), Maverick McNealy (US)
• 20:37 Paul Dickinson (US), Patton Kizzire (US), Luke List (US)

5. Round two tee-times: Friday 20 May

Starting at hole one (all times BST)

• 13:00 Brandon Bingaman (US), Talor Gooch (US, Ryosuke Kinoshita (Jpn)
• 13:11 Tim Feenstra (US), Anirban Lahiri (Ind), Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Kor)
• 13:22 Rich Beem (US), Alex Cejka (Ger), Jesse Mueller (US)
• 13:33 Seamus Power (Ire), Russell Knox (Sco), Scott Stallings (US)
• 13:44 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA), Corey Conners (Can), Jason Kokrak (US)
• 13:55 Keegan Bradley (US), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Marc Leishman (Aus)
• 14:06 Cameron Champ (US), Russell Henley (US), Zach Johnson (US)
• 14:17 Branden Grace (SA), Webb Simpson (US), Henrik Stenson (Swe)
• 14:28 JJ Spaun (US), Sepp Straka (Aut), Adam Schenk (US)
• 14:39 Joo-Hyung Kim (Kor), Keith Mitchell (US), Matthew Wolff (US)
• 14:50 Lucas Herbert (Aus), Austin Hurt (US), Chad Ramey (US)
• 15:01 Tyler Collet (US), Chan Kim (US), Maverick McNealy (US)
• 15:12 Paul Dickinson (US), Patton Kizzire (US), Luke List (US),
• 18:30 Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Alexander Noren (Swe), Ryan Palmer (US)
• 18:41 Adria Arnaus (Spa), Colin Inglis (US), Jinichiro Kozuma (Jpn)
• 18:52 Michael Block (US), Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Sadom Kaewkanjana (Tha)
• 19:03 Tony Finau (US), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Xander Schauffele (US)
• 19:14 Bryson DeChambeau (US), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Max Homa (US)
• 19:25 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Cameron Smith (Aus), Will Zalatoris (US)
• 19:36 Rory McIlroy (NI), Jordan Spieth (US), Tiger Woods (US)
• 19:47 Patrick Reed (US), Justin Rose (Eng), Bubba Watson (US)
• 19:58 Lucas Glover (US), Kevin Na (US), Daniel van Tonder (SA)
• 20:09 Sam Burns (US), Davis Riley (US), Cameron Young (US)
• 20:20 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Lee Westwood (Eng), Gary Woodland (US)
• 20:31 Oliver Bekker (SA), Brian Harman (US), Ryan Vermeer (US)
• 20:42 Laurie Canter (Eng), Lanto Griffin (US), Dylan Newman (US)

Starting at hole ten

• 13:05 Ryan Brehm (US), Min-Woo Lee (Aus), Wyatt Worthington II (US)
• 13:16 Justin Harding (SA), Nicolai Hoejgaard (Den), Sean McCarty (US)
• 13:27 Adam Hadwin (Can), Hudson Swafford (US), Cameron Tringale (US)
• 13:38 Brooks Koepka (US), Shane Lowry (Ire), Adam Scott (Aus)
• 13:49 Patrick Cantlay (US), Dustin Johnson (US), Justin Thomas (US)
• 14:00 Jason Day (Aus), Rickie Fowler (US), Harold Varner III (US)
• 14:11 Collin Morikawa (US), Jon Rahm (Spa), Scottie Scheffler (US)
• 14:22 Daniel Berger (US), Louis Oosthuizen (SA), Ian Poulter (Eng)
• 14:33 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Billy Horschel (US), Kevin Kisner (US)
• 14:44 Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Charl Schwartzel (SA)
• 14:55 Harry Higgs (US), Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Erik van Rooyen (SA)
• 15:06 Alex Beach (US), Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut)
• 15:17 Jared Jones (US), Aaron Wise (US), Joel Dahmen (US)
• 18:25 John Daly (US), Shaun Micheel (US), Yong-Eun Yang (Kor)
• 18:36 Matthew Borchert (US), Takumi Kanaya (Jpn), Troy Merritt (US)
• 18:47 Dean Burmester (SA), Chris Kirk (US), Kyle Mendoza (US)
• 18:58 Sam Horsfield (Eng), Nic Ishee (US), Guillermo Mito Pereira (Chi)
• 19:09 Shaun Norris (SA), Carlos Ortiz (Mex), Kevin Streelman (US)
• 19:20 Cameron Davis (Aus), Rikuya Hoshino (Jpn), Matt Kuchar (US)
• 19:31 Stewart Cink (US), Jason Dufner (US), Padraig Harrington (Ire)
• 19:42 Abraham Ancer (Mex), Thomas Pieters (Bel), Kramer Hickok (US)
• 19:53 Richard Bland (Eng), Garrick Higgo (SA), Matt Jones (Aus)
• 20:04 Tom Hoge (US), Si Woo Kim (Kor), Beau Hossler (US)
• 20:15 Ryan Fox (NZ), Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Shawn Warren (US)
• 20:26 Yuki Inamori (Jpn), Sebastian Munoz (Col), Zac Oakley (US)
• 20:37 Bio Kim (Kor), Casey Pyne (US), Brendan Steele (US)

When Ash Barty made the shock decision last month to retire from tennis, while No.1 in the women’s rankings, there was big speculation on what the talented Australian sportswoman could do next.

It was the second time that the three-time grand slam champion had walked away from tennis – and during her first break she turned her attention to cricket where she played professionally for Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League.

After Barty announced that she physically had “nothing more to give”, fellow women’s tennis star Simona Halep joked on Twitter: “What’s next for you? Grand Slam champion in golf?!”

It seems like Halep was on to something…

Barty, Pep and Kane on Team ROTW

The 25-year-old has now “fuelled speculation” she may attempt “a top-level career in a third sport” by signing up for a global golf exhibition series, the BBC reported. A keen amateur golfer with a reported handicap of four, she will play in the new Icons Series which begins this summer.

Barty revealed her next sporting move after “wowing onlookers in a secret practice range session” during last year’s US Open, said The Sydney Morning Herald. And she told the paper it was such a “unique opportunity to have fun, test yourself and compete” in the Icons event. “I hope through my participation in the series that we can encourage more women and girls to participate in golf around the world.”

The Icons Series will see two teams of 12 sporting stars play in a series of competitive matchplay format events. Barty will represent a Rest of the World team captained by Ernie Els against a United States team led by another major winner, Fred Couples. The first event will take place at Liberty National in New Jersey in June with further tournaments planned for Europe, Asia and Australia.

She will line up for the Rest of the World team alongside sporting greats such as Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, England captain Harry Kane and Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez. Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps and NFL’s Ben Roethlisberger will play for Team USA.

She is ‘something else’

Barty’s fiancé, Garry Kissick, is a PGA trainee professional and her participation in the Icons series is the “firmest indication” that she will “devote more of her post-tennis time to golf”, said The Sydney Morning Herald.

While Tiger Woods was stunned by Barty’s swing at a Presidents Cup event in 2019, Golf Hall of Famer Karrie Webb said last month that her compatriot has the finesse that could make her a golf champion, Australian Associated Press reported. “She’s a really handy player and just that one day I could tell if she puts some time into it she will be a great player,” Webb said.

Icons Series chief executive Thomas Brookes agreed and said Barty’s golf skills were “absolutely terrific”. He told the Herald and The Age: “She did a range session with Ian Poulter when she was at the US Open, and she had not hit a golf ball for a while. Ian said, ‘just hit a few balls and we’ll see how you go’.

“She hit this ball, I don’t know how far. And he turned around and said, ‘you’re having me on. Let’s just take it a bit deeper. Can you do me a high fade?’ And she did a high fade. Then he said, ‘can you do me a low draw?’ And she did a low draw. He said, ‘oh my goodness, you are something else’. She’s got those skill sets within her locker. With a bit of practice, she can get lower than a three or four handicap.”

Webb could see Barty becoming Australian Amateur champion one day. “I can see her working on her game and being good enough to be one of the best players in Australia for sure.”

What a year it’s been so far for Scottie Scheffler. It’s only April but the 25-year-old American has already climbed to the top spot on the Official Golf World Rankings, having won three out of five starts on the PGA Tour. Then on Sunday he won his fourth tournament of the season, which was the biggest of them all – the Masters, his first career major title.

At Augusta National Scheffler showed why he’s the No.1 golfer in the world and “cemented his place as the dominant force in the men’s game”, said Jonathan Jurejko on BBC Sport. Scheffler claimed the Green Jacket, Masters trophy and the $2.7m (£2m) winners’ purse with a one-under 71 in the final round, finishing on ten-under, three shots clear of Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.

Scheffler held a three-shot overnight lead going into Sunday’s final round of the first major of the year. And afterwards he revealed that he “cried like a baby” on the morning of the final round because “he doubted if he was ready to win one of the sport’s most iconic tournaments”, the BBC added.

In his post-tournament speech, Scheffler said that the first time he thought of winning was “probably Friday in the afternoon”. When asked how it felt to be the Masters champion, he added: “I want to go home! I’m pretty tired right now – I’m really at a loss for words. I can’t thank my family enough – they’ve made many sacrifices over the years. To have the honour of winning the tournament and to have my family with me was incredible.”

With this victory, Scheffler becomes the first player to win four times in a six-start stretch on the PGA Tour since Jason Day in 2015. He becomes the sixth player to win in his first PGA Tour start as world No.1 and sixth world No.1 to win the Masters.

‘Standout player at every single level’

The last two months have been “transformative” for Scheffler, who in February “didn’t have a PGA Tour victory to his name”, said Ben Morse on CNN. Now in the “form of his life”, over the four days at the lush, sprawling golf club in Augusta, Scheffler produced “some excellent golf” and refused to “falter under the pressure of being the tournament’s leader for nearly three days”.

From the junior ranks to the PGA Tour, Scheffler has been “a standout player at every single level in his golf career”, Dane Belbeck on TheScore.com. The last few years have “established him as a player to take notice of at the highest level”, but the Texan’s run since the 2021 Ryder Cup is “an all-time heater for the sport” and has “pushed him to the forefront” of the golfing landscape.

Coaching guru Butch Harmon believes Scheffler’s dominant performance at the Masters was reminiscent of Tiger Woods’ displays earlier in his career, Sky Sports reported. Harmon, who was a previous coach of Woods, said what Scheffler has done over the last couple of months “is beyond, it’s Tiger-esque”. Harmon added: “He does it so calmly, so coolly, so relaxed. I take my hat off to him, it is unbelievable what this man has done. Three months ago, most of the golf world didn’t know who he was. They know who he is right now.”

How Woods and Nicklaus reacted to Scheffler’s win

Golf icon Woods, who was making his comeback after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash, led the praise for the new Masters champion. In a tweet Woods congratulated Scheffler on “an outstanding win” and said “it’s been a special run”.

Eighteen-time major champion Jack Nicklaus said the world No.1 “proved why he’s No.1”. Nicklaus tweeted: “Congrats to The Masters winner & first-time major champ Scottie Scheffler! Scottie didn’t have his best game at times, but he did what champions do. That was to resort to a great short-iron game, excellent putting, and very good discipline.”

Scheffler will now target further success at the next major of the season, the PGA Championship from 19-22 May at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Golf fans around the world are counting down the hours to the start of the Masters Tournament – which takes place at Augusta National from 7-10 April.

One of the four annual majors in men’s golf, and first of the season, the Masters is “so special” and the “best golf tournament in the world”, said Shane Bacon on CBS Sports. “For golf fans, Masters week is the best seven days of the year.”

From the green jackets to the quirky traditions, this is the “greatest sporting event in America”, said Matthew Miller on Bloomberg.

1. Woods makes his ‘greatest comeback’

When Tiger Woods steps onto the first tee at Augusta on Thursday for the opening round of the Masters, it will be “the culmination of one of sport’s greatest comebacks”, said Jim White in The Daily Telegraph.

Earlier this week, the five-time Masters champion and 82-time PGA Tour winner announced he would make a “game-time decision” on whether he can return to competitive action. And on Tuesday he said that “as of right now, I am going to play”.

The 46-year-old has not competed on the PGA Tour since the 2020 Masters after suffering significant injuries to his right leg and ankle in a February 2021 car accident. The 508 days between the final round of the 2020 Masters and first round of the 2022 Masters would be the second-longest span between competitive rounds of Woods’ PGA Tour career.

Speaking in his pre-tournament press conference, Woods insisted that he would not be making his comeback if he didn’t believe he could win his 16th major title, Sky Sports reported.

“I don’t show up to an event unless I think I can win it,” he said. “So that’s the attitude I’ve had. There will be a day when it won’t happen, and I’ll know when that is, but physically the challenge this week is I don’t have to worry about the ball striking or the game of golf, it’s actually just the hills out here. That’s going to be the challenge, and it’s going to be a challenge of a major marathon.”

In the first round on Thursday Woods is grouped with Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann and will tee off at 3.34pm (BST). In Friday’s second round the trio will tee off at 6.41pm (BST).

2. First and second round tee times

All times below are BST

Round one: Thursday 7 April

• 13:00 Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa), JJ Spaun (US)
• 13:11 Austin Greaser US)*, Padraig Harrington (Ire), Mike Weir (Can)
• 13:22 Larry Mize (US), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Sepp Straka (Aut)
• 13:33 Fred Couples (US), Garrick Higgo (SA), Guido Migliozzi (Ita)
• 13:44 Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Kor), Ryan Palmer (US), Vijay Singh (Fij)
• 13:55 Min-Woo Lee (Aus), Hudson Swafford (US), Cameron Young (US)
• 14:06 Stewart Cink (US), Brian Harman (US), Harry Higgs (US)
• 14:17 Aaron Jarvis (Cay)*, Zach Johnson (US), Si Woo Kim (Kor)
• 14:39 Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Luke List (US), Matthew Wolff (US)
• 14:50 Talor Gooch (US), Jason Kokrak (US), Danny Willett (Eng)
• 15:01 Max Homa (US), Shane Lowry (Ire), Kevin Na (US)
• 15:12 Daniel Berger (US), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Kevin Kisner (US)
• 15:23 Paul Casey (Eng), Bryson DeChambeau (US), Cameron Smith (Aus)
• 15:34 Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Louis Oosthuizen (SA), Tiger Woods (US)
• 15:45 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), James Piot (US)*, Justin Thomas (US)
• 15:56 Tony Finau (US), Scottie Scheffler (US), Adam Scott (Aus)
• 16:18 Stewart Hagestad (US)*, Sandy Lyle (Sco)
• 16:29 Cameron Champ (US), Lucas Glover (US), Erik van Rooyen (SA)
• 16:40 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA), Cameron Davis (Aus), Bernhard Langer (Ger)
• 16:51 Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Charl Schwartzel (SA), Laird Shepherd (Eng)*
• 17:02 Takumi Kanaya (Jpn), Justin Rose (Eng), Gary Woodland (US)
• 17:13 Corey Conners (Can), Russell Henley (US), Lee Westwood (Eng)
• 17:24 Lucas Herbert (Aus), Seamus Power (Ire), Patrick Reed (US)
• 17:35 Tom Hoge (US), Keita Nakajima (Jpn)*, Bubba Watson (US)
• 17:57 Sung Jae Im (Kor), Marc Leishman (Aus), Webb Simpson (US)
• 18:08 Sergio Garcia (Spa), Thomas Pieters (Bel), Harold Varner III (US)
• 18:19 Abraham Ancer (Mex), Sam Burns (US), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
• 18:30 Billy Horschel (US), Dustin Johnson (US), Collin Morikawa (US)
• 18:41 Patrick Cantlay (US), Jon Rahm (Spa), Will Zalatoris (US)
• 18:52 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Xander Schauffele (US), Jordan Spieth (US)
• 19:03 Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Brooks Koepka (US), Rory McIlroy (NI)

Round two: Friday 8 April

• 13:00 Stewart Hagestad (US)*, Sandy Lyle (Sco)
• 13:11 Cameron Champ (US), Lucas Glover (US, Erik van Rooyen (SA)
• 13:22 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA), Cameron Davis (Aus), Bernhard Langer (Ger)
• 13:33 Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Charl Schwartzel (SA), Laird Shepherd (Eng)*
• 13:44 Takumi Kanaya (Jpn), Justin Rose (Eng), Gary Woodland (US)
• 13:55 Corey Conners (Can), Russell Henley (US), Lee Westwood (Eng)
• 14:06 Lucas Herbert (Aus), Seamus Power (Ire), Patrick Reed (US)
• 14:17 Tom Hoge (US), Keita Nakajima (Jpn)*, Bubba Watson (US)
• 14:39 Sung Jae Im (Kor), Marc Leishman (Aus), Webb Simpson (US)
• 14:50 Sergio Garcia (Spa), Thomas Pieters (Bel), Harold Varner III (US)
• 15:01 Abraham Ancer (Mex), Sam Burns (US), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
• 15:12 Billy Horschel (US), Dustin Johnson (US), Collin Morikawa (US)
• 15:23 Patrick Cantlay (US), Jon Rahm (Spa), Will Zalatoris (US)
• 15:34 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Xander Schauffele (US), Jordan Spieth (US)
• 15:45 Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Brooks Koepka (US), Rory McIlroy (NI)
• 15:56 Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa), JJ Spaun (US)
• 16:18 Austin Greaser (US)*, Padraig Harrington (Ire), Mike Weir (Can)
• 16:29 Larry Mize (US), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Sepp Straka (Aut)
• 16:40 Fred Couples (US), Garrick Higgo (SA), Guido Migliozzi (Ita)
• 16:51 Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Kor), Ryan Palmer (US), Vijay Singh (Fij)
• 17:02 Min-Woo Lee (Aus), Hudson Swafford (US), Cameron Young (US)
• 17:13 Stewart Cink (US), Brian Harman (US), Harry Higgs (US)
• 17:24 Aaron Jarvis (Cay)*, Zach Johnson (US, Si Woo Kim (Kor)
• 17:35 Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Luke List (US), Matthew Wolff (US)
• 17:57 Talor Gooch (US), Jason Kokrak (US), Danny Willett (Eng)
• 18:08 Max Homa (US), Shane Lowry (Ire), Kevin Na (US)
• 18:19 Daniel Berger (US), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Kevin Kisner (US)
• 18:30 Paul Casey (Eng), Bryson DeChambeau (US), Cameron Smith (Aus)
• 18:41 Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Louis Oosthuizen (SA), Tiger Woods (US)
• 18:52 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), James Piot (US)*, Justin Thomas (US)
• 19:03 Tony Finau (US), Scottie Scheffler (US), Adam Scott (Aus)

* denotes amateur

3. Players to watch

Scottie Scheffler enters the Masters Tournament holding the top spot in both the FedExCup standings and Official World Golf Ranking. Scheffler has wins in three of his last five starts and is the first player to win three times in a PGA Tour season prior to the Masters since Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas in 2016-2017.

World No.2 Jon Rahm has four consecutive top-tens at the Masters, the longest active streak. The Spaniard, who won the 2021 US Open, also has the longest active streak of top-tens in major championships (five).

With victory this week, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy would become the sixth player to complete the career grand slam – wins in all four majors. He would join an exclusive club alongside Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.

4. The history of the Green Jacket

The winner of the Masters does not just lift the trophy, which depicts the clubhouse at Augusta, they also get the legendary Masters Green Jacket.

First introduced in 1937, the idea was that Augusta National members “would wear these jackets during the tournament to make them stand out to members of the public needing guidance or assistance”, said Dan Parker in Golf Monthly. From 1937-1948 only Augusta National members wore the jackets, but in 1949 Sam Snead became the first winner to be honoured with the now famous Green Jacket.

When the champion is confirmed after the final round on Masters Sunday, a green jacket is “borrowed off an Augusta member with roughly the same build as the winner, before the champion is later measured for their own tailored version”.

Beyond the Green Jacket, the Masters holds “additional prestige as the winner each year has a standing invitation to come back and compete in the event for the rest of their life”, said Zephyr Melton on Golf.com. Should he defend his title, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama would become the first player to win the Masters back-to-back since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002.

5. Predictions: who will win the Masters?

Staff from PGATour.com have made their expert picks for the Masters. Senior editor Sean Martin has tipped Spain’s Jon Rahm for the win at Augusta. “If he can get the putter back on track, he’s a perfect fit,” said Martin. Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton has backed Brooks Koepka: “The recent series of payoffs are matching the omnipresent swagger, and he’s presumably as healthy as he can be, so the stars are aligned for him to avenge his co-runner-up in 2019.”

Rahm is one of those players who just “gets” Augusta National, said Golf.com’s Jessica Marksbury. “He has all the tools and hasn’t finished outside the top nine in his past four appearances. This is the year.” Also on Golf.com, Josh Berhow admits that world No.1 Scottie Scheffler is a “trendy pick”, but “what’s not to like?”.

Cameron DaSilva on USA Today’s SportsBook Wire said England’s Matt Fitzpatrick can be a contender this week. “Fitzpatrick only has one top-20 finish at the Masters in his career, a tie for 7th in 2016,” said DaSilva. “That feels like ages ago, and he’s only finished under par once at Augusta. Still, he comes in playing well and is a legitimate threat.”

I get the sense that Dustin Johnson is “the player to beat at the top end”, said Shawn Childs on Sports Illustrated. Rahm “looks poised to win his first green jacket”, while Justin Thomas “could fire on any given weekend”.

If you’re looking for a “sleeper pick”, then Ireland’s Shane Lowry is an “appealing option”, said Jacob Camenker on SportingNews.com. “Lowry missed the cut in three of his first four Masters appearances, but in each of the last two years, he has finished within the top 25.”

6. Masters 2022 betting odds

Prices according to Oddschecker.com, as of 7 April

• Jon Rahm: 12/1
• Justin Thomas: 12/1
• Dustin Johnson: 17/1
• Cameron Smith: 18/1
• Scottie Scheffler: 18/1
• Rory McIlroy: 20/1
• Collin Morikawa: 22/1
• Brooks Koepka: 22/1
• Viktor Hovland: 22/1
• Xander Schauffele: 25/1
• Jordan Spieth: 25/1
• Patrick Cantlay: 25/1
• Will Zalatoris: 40/1
• Shane Lowry: 40/1
• Louis Oosthuizen: 45/1
• Sam Burns: 45/1
• Hideki Matsuyama: 50/1
• Tiger Woods: 55/1
• See the full price list at Oddschecker.com

7. How to watch the Masters on TV in the UK

Action from Augusta National will be live on Sky Sports in the UK, with wall-to-wall coverage on Sky Sports Golf, Red Button, Sky Q and Sky Glass. A free live stream will also be available of the notorious Amen Corner on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel.

Sky Sports Golf’s live Masters coverage

Thursday 7 April

• 2pm-7.30pm: Featured Groups
• 7.30pm-12.30am: The Masters day one
• Red button (exact timings TBC): 1.30pm On the Range; 2.30pm Holes 4-6; 3.45pm Amen Corner; 4.45pm Holes 15-16; 6.30pm Featured Groups

Friday 8 April

• 2pm-7.30pm: Featured Groups
• 7.30pm-12.30am: The Masters day two
• Red button (exact timings TBC): 1.30pm On the Range; 2.30pm Holes 4-6; 3.45pm Amen Corner; 4.45pm Holes 15-16; 6.30pm Featured Groups

Saturday 9 April

• 9am-12pm: Masters Breakfast
• 3pm-7.30pm: The Masters build-up
• 7.30pm-12.30am: The Masters day three
• Red button (exact timings TBC): 3.15pm Featured Groups; 3.30pm Holes 4-6; 4pm On the Range; 4.45pm Amen Corner; 5.30pm Holes 15-16

Sunday 10 April

• 9am-12pm: Masters Breakfast
• 3pm-7.30pm: The Masters build-up
• 6.30pm-12.30am: The Masters day four
• Red button (exact timings TBC): 3.15pm Featured Groups; 3.30pm Holes 4-6; 4pm On the Range; 4.45pm Amen Corner; 5.30pm Holes 15-16

When Tiger Woods won the Masters Tournament in 2019 it was hailed by many golf fans and pundits as the “return of the king” and one of sport’s “greatest ever comebacks”.

His fifth Masters victory, and 15th career major, came 11 years after his last major win and 14 years after his previous triumph at Augusta National. It was a remarkable return to the top after he had fallen to 1,199 in the world rankings in 2017 due to injuries, back surgery and dealing with personal issues.

Now, three years on from that victorious weekend, could the former world No.1 again be making another great comeback? Just 14 months ago Woods suffered serious leg injuries following a car crash in California and the 46-year-old American admitted that he felt “lucky to be alive”.

‘He looked good to me’

Woods has not played any competitive golf since the car crash in February last year. However, the prospect of him making an “incredible” return at the Masters next week has increased after he played a practice round at Augusta on Tuesday, The Guardian said. As Woods’s private jet touched down in Georgia, “bookmakers immediately slashed his odds of claiming what would be a sixth Green Jacket to around 50-1”.

Woods is listed among the expected 91 participants for the Masters, which takes place from 7-10 April. “He’s yet to officially say whether he’s playing”, ESPN reported. But there’s been “stirring anticipation” on social media that he was preparing to play in the Masters.

Because of its “many hills and length”, Augusta is considered “one of the most difficult walks in competitive golf”, the sports website added. But Woods completed all 18 holes with son Charlie and PGA Tour pro Justin Thomas. “He played every one of them,” a source told ESPN. “He looked good to me.”

‘Master of creating mystery’

It appears that Woods used the practice round with Thomas, a close friend of the family, as “a fitness test to see whether he will be able to make a sensational return at the first men’s major of the year”, said the BBC’s Iain Carter. He has until next week to decide whether he will compete and his participation is “likely to depend on how his body reacts to the rigours of playing Augusta’s severely undulating 18 holes” on Tuesday.

In December Woods revealed that he had a goal to play the 150th Open at St Andrews in Scotland in July. But when hosting the Genesis Invitational tournament on the PGA Tour in February, he wished he could say when he would return. “My golf activity has been very limited, it takes time,” he said. “What’s frustrating is it’s not at my timetable. I’ve just got to continue working. I’m getting better, yes. But as I said, not at the speed and rate that I would like. You add in the age factor, too. You just don’t quite heal as fast, which is frustrating.”

While he is the “master of creating mystery”, said The Guardian’s Ewan Murray, the fact that Woods is “willing to visit Augusta at this juncture” means he regards the possibility of playing in the 86th Masters as “a serious one”.

Tiger Woods has played down the chances of a full-time return to professional golf after sustaining life-threatening injuries in a serious car accident in February. The 15-time major champion does, however, have one big goal for next year: playing the 150th Open at St Andrews in Scotland.

The 45-year-old American feels “lucky to be alive” after the crash in California left him with comminuted open fractures to both the tibia and the fibula in his right leg. He spent three weeks in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and faced the possibility of amputation.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Hero World Challenge, Woods “opened up about the struggles he faced during the early stages of his recovery”, Sky Sports said. “I’m lucky to be alive but also still to have the limb,” he admitted. “Those are two crucial things. I’m very grateful that someone upstairs was taking care of me, that I’m able to not only be here but also to walk without a prosthesis.”

‘Making progress’

After months of rehabilitation, Woods has returned to the driving range and last month he posted a video on social media hitting an iron shot which was captioned “making progress”. The video “fueled significant hype and speculation on a return”, but “Woods suggested he is nowhere near ready to compete on the PGA Tour”, Golf Digest said.

“I don’t have to compete and play against the best players in the world to have a great life,” he told the magazine. “I can still participate in the game of golf. I can still, if my leg gets OK, I can still click off a tournament here or there. But as far as climbing the mountain again and getting all the way to the top, I don’t think that’s a realistic expectation of me.”

‘I need to get there’

While a return to playing a full tour schedule is highly unlikely, Woods does want to target certain one-off tournaments. And although he “faces a race to be fit”, clearly next year’s Open is among them, said the BBC’s golf correspondent Iain Carter.

In July the 150th edition of The Open Championship will be played at St Andrews’s Old Course – Woods’s “favourite course in the world” and where he won two of his three Open titles.

“I would love to be able to play that Open Championship, there’s no doubt,” Woods said. “Physically, hopefully I can. The tournament’s not going to go anywhere, but I need to get there.”

The idea of Woods coming back to play full-time was “something that nobody would have expected”, said Sky Sports golf columnist Rob Lee. But for him to say he might be able to play a few tournaments a year is “nothing short of an absolute miracle”.

At 62 years old, Debbie Blount decided it was time to pick her clubs back up and join the women's golf team at Reinhardt University.

That was a year ago, and now Blount is 63, a sophomore, and a vital member of the team — this fall, she played in the TWU Fall Invitational, and was one of three Reinhardt golfers who made all-tournament. "I'm getting to live the dream," she told CNN. "I look around here and I can't believe I get to do it."

Blount first started playing golf at 33, a sport her husband Ben enjoyed as well. He was her caddy in 2011 at the U.S. Senior Am, and always one of her biggest supporters. When he died a few years ago, Blount lost her passion for golf, and felt adrift. After finding an old yearbook from Reinhardt and meeting a young caddy who attended the school, Blount decided these were signs it was time for her to enroll so she could not only become the first person in her family to go to college, but also start playing golf again.

She joined the Reinhardt team as a walk-on, and player Lauren Welte told CNN Blount has been "incredible" and "hits it the straightest out of all of us." Blount, an interdisciplinary studies major, plans on playing at least one more year, which her team is happy about — she brings "good energy," Coach Evans Nichols said, and is proof that "golf is a lifelong sport."

A bronze statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that was taken out of a Dallas park has found a new home at the Lajitas Golf Resort in Terlingua, Texas.

Made in 1935 by Alexander Phimister Proctor, the statue is of Lee and another soldier on horseback, and was removed from the park in September 2017, following the violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The statue was sold during an online auction in 2019, and donated to the golf resort.

Manager Scott Beasley told the Houston Chronicle the statue is "a fabulous piece of art," adding that "of the 60-plus-thousand guests we host each year, we've had one or two negative comments." The defense of the statue rings hollow to activists like Brandon Mack with Black Lives Matter Houston, who told The Associated Press it's hard to imagine other offensive symbols being referred to as works of art. "We don't glorify the swastika," he said. "We don't have monuments [of] Adolf Hitler."

If you ever doubted whether Rory McIlroy cared about the Ryder Cup, doubt no more, said Todd Kelly on Golfweek. McIlroy, and Team Europe, may have had a torrid time as Team USA stormed to a record 19-9 victory at Whistling Straits, but the pride of playing in golf’s big event was clear for all to see following the Northern Irishman’s singles match on Sunday.

McIlroy’s excellent Ryder Cup career was “derailed” as he “struggled mightily” on Friday and Saturday, said Sports Illustrated. He lost both Friday matches and was left out of Saturday’s morning foursomes before “stumbling through a third loss” in the afternoon session.

In the Sunday singles, McIlroy finally got a point on the board for Europe as he beat Olympic champion Xander Schauffele 3&2 in the opening match of the day.

After one of his most difficult weeks in golf, McIlroy had finally won a match, AP said. Then during the post-match interviews his face reddened and his eyes welled up with tears. “To call it a bittersweet finish would probably be too kind.”

‘An absolute privilege’

Although it was a tough weekend for McIlroy he “just can’t wait to get another shot” at the Ryder Cup. “I love being a part of this team, I love my team-mates so much, and I should have done more for them this week,” he told Sky Sports. “It is by far the best experience in golf, and I hope the boys and girls watching this today will aspire to play in this event, or the Solheim Cup, because there’s nothing better than being a part of a team, especially with the bond that we have in Europe.”

Speaking to the Golf Channel, McIlroy again admitted he was “extremely disappointed” that he couldn’t contribute more to Europe’s bid to retain the trophy they had won in France in 2018. However, despite his form in the opening two days, he said it was “an absolute privilege” to be part of the competition.

“It’s been a tough week, but the more I play in this event, the more I realise that it’s the best event in golf, bar none,” he said. “I love being a part of it. I can’t wait to be a part of many more. I don’t think there’s any greater privilege to be a part of one of these teams, European or American. It’s an absolute privilege. I’ve got to do this six times, and they have always been the greatest experiences of my career.

“I have never really cried or got emotional over what I’ve done as an individual. I couldn’t give a s***. But this team, and what it feels like to be a part of, to see Sergio [Garcia] break records, to see Jon Rahm come into his own this week, to see one of my best friends, Shane Lowry, make his Ryder Cup debut. All that, it’s phenomenal and I’m so happy to be a part of it. As I said I’m disappointed that I didn’t contribute more this week, but you know, in two years’ time, we’ll go again and we’ll give it another go again.”

Despite being on the losing side and having struggled with his own game, McIlroy showed at the Ryder Cup what playing for pride - and the team - is all about, said Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “McIlroy gave us a brief glimpse into what this event really means, and why it was such a privilege to see it in our own backyard.”

After their thumping victory the US will defend the Ryder Cup at the next event in 2023, which will be held at the Marco Simone course in Rome, Italy.

In one of the more stunning runs in recent tennis history, Great Britain's Emma Radacanu defeated fellow teenager, Canada's Leylah Fernandez, 6-4, 6-3, on Saturday in the women's final at Arthur Ashe stadium in New York.

It's the first major tournament title for the 18-year-old (the youngest player to achieve such a feat since Maria Sharapova won at Wimbledon in 2004), who was competing in just the second Grand Slam event of her career. She burst onto the scene with a run to the fourth round at Wimbledon earlier this year, but still had to earn her way through qualifiers to enter the main draw at the U.S. Open. No player in the history of tennis has ever won any of the big four tournaments taking that route.

Both Raducanu and Fernandez — who knocked off Naomi Osaka in the third round — were surprise finalists, and it appears women's tennis may have two new stars for years to come.

Canadian tennis player Leylah Fernandez, who turned 19 this week, and 18-year-old British player Emma Raducanu both won upset semifinal victories at the U.S. Open on Thursday, earning the right to face each other in the final Grand Slam of the season. "Over the past two weeks, they have turned the U.S. Open into joyous coming-out parties that have thrilled the crowds at Arthur Ashe Stadium and left the Grand Slam aspirations of more seasoned and accomplished players in tatters," The Washington Post reports.

Fernandez, ranked 73rd in the world and playing in her second U.S. Open, beat the world's No. 2 player, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4. To get to the semifinals she had to win upset victories over defending U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka, three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber, and Elina Svitolina, ranked No. 5 in the world.

Raducanu, "who just this summer finished her high school A level exams in Britain," the Post notes, toppled 17th seed Maria Sakkari of Greece, 6-1, 6-4. Coming into the tournament ranking 150th in the world, she had to win three qualifying matches to earn a spot in the tournament. Now, Raducanu is the first qualifier to play in the U.S. Open finals and the first British woman to reach a Grand Slam final since 1977.

Fernandez and Raducanu will play each other in the finals on Saturday. If Raducanu wins, she will be the youngest Grand Slam winner since Maria Sharapova, then 17, triumphed at Wimbledon in 2004.

Carnoustie, in Scotland, is one of golf’s most celebrated courses, but its 18th hole has often been a source of “carnage”, said Ewan Murray in The Guardian. And in the final round of the Women’s Open, Nanna Koerstz Madsen became its latest victim.

Tied on 12-under-par with Anna Nordqvist of Sweden, she began the hole with a “live chance of becoming the first Dane to win a male or female major”. But having found the fairway with her opener, she made a hash of her next two shots. Her double-bogey handed Nordqvist the title.

This was a Women’s Open Sunday that “had it all”, said Jamie Corrigan in The Daily Telegraph – a brilliant round of 69 by England’s Georgia Hall, which took her into joint second place; and a bizarre setback for another close contender, Madelene Sagström. After finishing her round, the Swede was informed that on the very first hole of the day, “her ball had been moved back at least 15 yards by an overly inquisitive seagull”.

The day ended, though, with the “ever-stylish” Nordqvist establishing “her place among Europe’s greats”. The victory brings her tally of majors to three – meaning she joins Annika Sörenstam and Dame Laura Davies, the “two grand Madames of European golf”, as the “only female players from her continent to win three or more majors”.

“Collin Morikawa is the first-timer who simply loves firsts, the virgin soldier who thinks nothing of being the last man standing on the battlefield,” said James Corrigan in The Daily Telegraph. When the 24-year-old American won The Open at Royal St George’s on Sunday, with a nerveless, bogey-less 66 in the final round, he became the only golfer to win two majors on a debut attempt, having already collected the US PGA last year. He was “unbreakable, unmatchable and unbelievable”.

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen had led the tournament since Friday – but when Morikawa overtook him with a birdie at the seventh, “he was doomed never to recover”. Instead the contest on the back nine was with Morikawa’s countryman Jordan Spieth, who “burst back into the reckoning” after a recent slump in form. The two will surely have more showdowns, but this one was “a veritable cracker”.

There were “shudders of uncertainty” for Morikawa on the tenth green, said Tom Kershaw in The Independent, when his approach shot “sailed over the back of the green and buried itself into a deep tuft of rough that invited whispers of disaster”. But the moment his par-putt reached the hole, “it became clear that Morikawa’s stranglehold on the Claret Jug would never slip”. When Spieth moved within a single shot, having birdied the 14th, Morikawa holed an 18-foot putt on the same green.

The Californian’s steadiness on the final day was “close to serenity”, said Alasdair Reid in The Times. There is “something very Tigerish” about the young man from Los Angeles, who has taken only eight majors to complete half of a career Grand Slam. He turned professional two years ago, and this was only his second outing on a links course. Morikawa has had “a remarkably smooth rise to the top”.

“One can only wonder what Morikawa’s record might have looked like had he not appreciated the value of education,” said Ewan Murray in The Guardian. In 2016, he nearly turned pro after playing as an amateur at his first professional event; but he postponed it for four years to finish his business degree at the University of California, Berkeley. Some have claimed that his US PGA victory was helped by the lack of crowds, but no one could question his calmness in front of 32,000 spectators at Sandwich, where “he discovered a formidable putting touch”. There was also, he declared, a more unorthodox secret to his success: “I never do this but I had a burger for four straight days,” he said. Given “this illustrious CV” at the age of 24, Morikawa seems “on course for greatness”.

Jon Rahm won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines on Sunday, closing with 4-under 67 and just beating Louis Oosthuizen.

Rahm, 26, is ranked No. 3 in the world, and is the first Spaniard to win the golf tournament. Earlier this month, he tested positive for COVID-19 and had to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament.

This U.S. Open win gives Rahm his first major title — a victory he'll likely never forget because it also took place on his first Father's Day. After winning, he hugged his wife, who was holding their two-month-old baby, Kepa. "You have no idea what this means right now," he told his son. "You will soon enough."

Tiger Woods is speaking out about his ongoing recovery months after being seriously injured in a major car accident.

The golfer talked to Golf Digest for his first interview since he sustained injuries in a solo car crash in February, which sent him to the hospital to undergo emergency surgey.

"This has been an entirely different animal," Woods said. "I understand more of the rehab processes because of my past injuries, but this was more painful than anything I have ever experienced."

Woods' rehab is "focused on strengthening his right leg," Golf Digest wrote. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center's Dr. Anish Mahajan said in February the golfer "suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery." Officials later determined that the cause of the crash was speeding, but they said there were "no signs of impairment."

It isn't clear, Golf Digest reported, whether Woods might need any additional procedures or whether he'll be able to fully regain mobility and strength in his leg. Asked if he hoped to play golf again, he told the outlet, "My physical therapy has been keeping me busy. I do my routines every day and am focused on my No. 1 goal right now: walking on my own. Taking it one step at a time."

He added that the outpouring of support he's received since the accident "means so much to me and has helped tremendously."

Officials have disclosed the cause of the serious car accident that sent legendary golfer Tiger Woods to the hospital in February.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva during a news conference Wednesday said the "primary causal factor" of the solo car crash that Woods was involved in was "driving at a speed unsafe for the road conditions and the inability to negotiate the curve of the roadway."

Woods had been driving between 84 and 87 miles per hour in a zone where the speed limit was 45 miles per hour, officials said, per The New York Times. When he struck a tree, Woods was driving about 75 miles per hour, they said. He applied pressure to the accelerator pedal during the collision and there was "no evidence of braking," so it's "speculated and believed that Tiger Woods inadvertently hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal," Capt. Jim Powers said.

The officials reiterated, though, that there were "no signs of impairment," and no citations were issued.

Woods' car reportedly rolled over several times during this solo accident in California, and he underwent surgeries for "significant orthopedic injuries," Harbor-UCLA Medical Center's Dr. Anish Mahajan previously said. But Villanueva said in February that Woods "was not drunk" during the accident and noted that there have been "quite a few accidents over the years" on the road where the crash occurred.

Woods in a new statement Wednesday said he is continuing to "focus on my recovery and family," and he thanked "everyone for the overwhelming support and encouragement I've received throughout this difficult time."

Tiger Woods’s golfing future has been the topic of much speculation this week after the American suffered “significant injuries” following a car crash in Los Angeles.

The 45-year-old was involved in a single vehicle accident on Tuesday and had to be “extricated from the wreck” by firefighters and paramedics.

The 15-time major champion remains in hospital in California but is “awake and responsive” after surgery. According to a statement posted on his Twitter account he suffered “comminuted open fractures to the upper and lower sections of his right leg along with significant trauma to his ankle”.

Woods “now faces a lengthy absence from golf at the very least” says The Guardian, while the BBC reports that “the future of his playing career is in doubt”.

Speaking ahead of the WGC-Workday Championship at The Concession in Florida, Rory McIlroy insisted that Woods surviving the crash outweighs the importance of returning to competitive golf in the future, Sky Sports reports.

“He’s a human being and has already been through so much,” the Northern Irishman said. “At this stage I think everyone should just be grateful that he is here, that he is alive and that his kids haven’t lost their dad.

“That’s the most important thing. Golf is so far from the equation right now, it is not even on the map at this point. He has been in a very bad accident and we are very lucky that he is still here. I feel like we should pay tribute to him every day for being on the PGA Tour and what he has done for golf.”

Should Woods’s professional golf career come to an end, McIlroy believes he has so much to offer in other areas of the sport.

“It’s inevitable that one day he won’t be a part of it, and that’s going to be just something that the game of golf and the Tour is going to have to deal with and adapt to,” McIlroy said.

“Obviously, hopefully he comes back and is able to play but if not, I think he’ll still be a part of the game in some way, whether it’s his design business, his foundation, hosting golf tournaments. It may be the end of seeing the genius at work with a club in his hand but there’s still a lot of other ways that he can affect the game in a great way.”

No charges are expected to be brought after Tiger Woods' serious car crash, which was "purely an accident," Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva says.

The L.A. sheriff provided this update Wednesday after Woods was injured in a solo car accident in California, explaining that reckless driving charges for the golf legend aren't under consideration.

"We don't contemplate any charges whatsoever in this crash," Villanueva said. "This remains an accident. An accident is not a crime. They do happen, unfortunately."

This update was "critical amid speculation there may have been some sort of impairment," CNN's Omar Jimenez noted. But Villanueva shot down such speculation, saying Woods "was not drunk" and reiterating there was "no evidence of any impairment whatsoever." The sheriff also pointed out that there have been "quite a few accidents over the years" on the stretch of road where Woods' crash occurred.

Woods' car rolled over several times in the accident, and wearing a seatbelt likely helped safe his life, officials previously said. He was brought to a nearby hospital and underwent surgery for "significant orthopedic injuries," and he's "currently awake, responsive, and recovering," a statement posted to his Twitter account said Wednesday. Ultimately, Villanueva told CNN that after he saw the wreckage, it was "nothing short of a miracle" that Woods survived, as "we have seen accidents with far less obvious [damage] that are fatalities."

Tiger Woods is "awake" and "responsive" after sustaining "significant" injuries in a serious car accident.

The golf legend was hospitalized Tuesday after being involved in a solo car accident, and a statement on his Twitter account Wednesday said he's "currently awake, responsive, and recovering" at the hospital.

Harbor-UCLA Medical Center's Dr. Anish Mahajan explained that Woods "suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery," during which "comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia." A "combination of screws and pins" was used to stabilize injuries to the bones of his foot and ankle, Mahajan also said.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta offered his reaction to this update on CNN, explaining that while Woods apparently not sustaining more life-threatening injuries was "some good news," he "may need further operations," and "it's probably going to be a long time, months, before you start to think about any sort of significant weight-bearings on" his leg.

"It's going to be a long road, and a very steady progression," Gupta said.

Emergency physician Dr. Jeremy Faust agreed that "it's going to be a long road for Mr. Woods." Dr. John Torres, NBC News medical correspondent, had a similar assessment on Today, explaining that the golfer is "going to get the usual post-recovery from a fracture," which will "take a few months." Torres added, though, that if Woods had to get his ankle fused or "had any big procedures done to that ankle that are going to limit mobility, that's going to take longer to recover," and "he truly might never get that mobility back that he had before."

On Good Morning America, ABC medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton also described this as a "major injury," and while noting "every patient is different," she said there "is the potential for this type of injury to have life-long manifestations."

Golfer Tiger Woods is in serious condition following a solo car accident Tuesday morning near Rancho Palos Verdes, California, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said on Tuesday afternoon.

Woods was driving a Genesis GV80 SUV, which rolled over several times before coming to a stop. After being extracted from the vehicle, Woods was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center with multiple leg injuries, and is undergoing surgery. Contradicting earlier reports, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby said the Jaws of Life tool was not used to remove Woods from the car.

Villanueva said when deputies arrived at the scene, there was "no evidence of impairment," and weather was not a factor in the crash. Deputy Carlos Gonzales was the first officer to reach the vehicle, and he told reporters Woods was conscious and able to communicate but could not stand on his own. Gonzales said Woods was wearing a seatbelt, which "greatly increased the likelihood that it saved his life."

Tiger Woods has been hospitalized after sustaining injuries in a car accident.

The legendary golfer was involved in a "single vehicle roll-over traffic collision" on Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. The vehicle sustained "major damage," and Woods was extracted from the wreck by firefighters and paramedics with the "Jaws of Life," according to the department.

Woods, who was the vehicle's only occupant, was taken to a local hospital for his injuries, officials said. TMZ notes he was in the area for the Genesis Invitational golf tournament.

According to CNN, the Los Angeles County Fire Department described his injuries as "moderate to critical." Woods' agent told Golf Digest he "suffered multiple leg injuries" in the accident and "is currently in surgery." The agent added, "We thank you for your privacy and support." Brendan Morrow

Golfers have been left in the rough during the past 12 months with their favourite courses closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, many players have found a way to improve their game by purchasing equipment to use at home. Including a simulator, putting mat and practice net, we pick out some of the best golf training kit on the market.

1. GCQuad Home Golf Simulator With Golf Ball Data

Foresight Sports Europe

Named best golf simulator by Golf Monthly magazine, the stunning Performance Simulator from Foresight Sports Europe takes players into the realm of real-time projected simulation, gaming and home cinema. Designed to be used in any available space of the correct size – from a garage to a spare room – the Performance Simulator is ideal for those wanting to enjoy the ultimate practice, analysis, and indoor golf experience in their home. Easily self-assembled in around 60-90 minutes straight out of the box, the sim features range practice to course gameplay and can be customised to meet specific requirements.

£23,130; americangolf.co.uk

2. Perfect Putting Mat

Perfect Practice

Endorsed by reigning world No.1 Dustin Johnson and used by more than 100 professional golfers, the Perfect Putting Mat promises to help players “make more putts” and “improve your game fast”. “If you have space for it at home - and the floorboards aren’t too wonkey - the Perfect Practice Putting Mat is a great training aid that will help hone your stroke,” says Golf Monthly’s Neil Tappin. Bill Bush of Driving Range Heroes asks: “Is there a hotter product in golf right now? The Perfect Practice mat is definitely worth your consideration… if you can get your hands on one.”

£129.97; uk.perfectpractice.golf

3. Pop-Up Triangle Practice Net

Pure2Improve

Work on your golf shots without leaving your garden or the house with this practice net triangle by Pure2Improve. According to the manufacturer the golf net is produced from extra-strong fibreglass for the best pitches and chips training and it can be also easily folded into the supplied compact nylon bag for storage and transport.

£179.99; americangolf.co.uk

4. PGA Tour Perfect Touch Practice Net

PGA Tour

With a three net target design, this practice net is perfect for improving your chipping and can be used indoors or outdoors. It has an instant pop-up design which folds away in seconds and comes with a free PGA Tour training DVD. Before you know it your short game will be as good as Phil Mickelson’s… hopefully.

£14.99; thegolfshoponline.co.uk

5. Eyeline Golf Speed Trap 2.0

Eyeline Golf

“The EyeLine Golf Speed Trap 2.0 is one of those training aids that might turn you off at first glance,” says Best Golf Accessories. “However, this is one of our favourite training aids of the year. This golf training aid can help straighten out your slice, teach you how to hit a draw or just hit the dang ball straighter.”

£79.95; golfswingsystems.co.uk

The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of America has voted against using one of Donald Trump’s golf courses for the 2022 PGA Championship men’s major.

Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, was scheduled to host the tournament in May next year, CNN reports. But the PGA said the venue would be “detrimental” to its brand following the riot at Capitol Hill in Washington last week.

In a statement PGA of America president Jim Richerson said: “It has become clear that conducting the PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster would be detrimental to the PGA of America brand and would put at risk the PGA’s ability to deliver our many programmes and sustain the longevity of our mission.

“It was a decision made to ensure the PGA of America and PGA professionals can continue to lead and grow our game for decades to come.”

Seth Waugh, CEO of the PGA of America, added: “We find ourselves in a political situation not of our making. We’re fiduciaries for our members, for the game, for our mission and for our brand. And how do we best protect that?

“Our feeling was given the tragic events of Wednesday that we could no longer hold it at Bedminster. The damage could have been irreparable. The only real course of action was to leave.”

‘Incredibly disappointed’

Trump National Bedminster is one of 17 golf courses owned and operated by the president’s company. The Trump Organization owns 12 courses in the US and five across the rest of the world, including Trump International Golf Links and Trump Turnberry in Scotland.

In response to the decision, the Trump Organization said it has “a beautiful partnership with the PGA of America and are incredibly disappointed with their decision”.

The statement continued: “This is a breach of a binding contract and they have no right to terminate the agreement. As an organisation we have invested many, many millions of dollars in the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster.

“We will continue to promote the game of golf on every level and remain focused on operating the finest golf courses anywhere in the world.”

The president is an avid golfer and according to Trump Golf Count he has reportedly made 298 daytime visits to golf clubs since his inauguration. The website says there’s evidence of Trump playing golf on at least 150 visits and at a cost of “about $144m” (£107m) to the US taxpayer.

Which course will host the PGA in 2022?

The 2022 PGA Championship, awarded to Trump National Bedminster in 2014, was set to be the first men’s major contested at one of Trump’s golf properties, ESPN reports. It had previously hosted the US Women’s Open Championship in 2017.

With Trump National Bedminster now stripped of its hosting rights in 2022, the PGA of America will have to decide on a replacement venue for one of the sport’s four biggest men’s individual events.

In its Tour Confidential column Golf.com asks which venue, in light of the decision, should hold the tournament? “Any course not associated with Donald Trump,” said senior writer Michael Bamberger.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Tuesday said she has "no idea" whether President Trump is actually planning to travel to the country on Jan. 19 — a day before Inauguration Day — but if the rumors are accurate, it sounds like Scotland's national lockdown rules will be the same for him.

"We are not allowing people to come into Scotland now without an essential purpose, which would apply to him, just as it applies to everyone else," Sturgeon said during a press briefing. "Coming to play golf is not what I would consider an essential purpose."

The Sunday Post, a newspaper in Scotland, previously reported Glasgow Prestwick Airport "has been told to expect expect the arrival of a U.S. military Boeing 757 aircraft, that is occasionally used by Trump" on Jan. 19, indicating he may be attempting to visit his golf resort in the Western part of the country, but there has been no confirmation from the president's team, The Washington Post notes.

Trump's Inauguration Day plans are the subject of much speculation, with some people suggesting he plans to get out of town before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in, while others think he may be planning a counter-rally.

When Dustin Johnson was presented with his first Masters green jacket it was fitting that Tiger Woods was there to hand over golf’s most coveted item of clothing.

Johnson stormed to a record-breaking victory at Augusta National after finishing with a score of 20-under - five shots clear of Australian Cameron Smith and South Korea’s Sungjae Im.

The American now has two major titles and becomes the first world No.1 to win the Masters since Woods in 2002, BBC Sport reports.

Having defending champion Woods present the green jacket was a “dream come true” the 36-year-old admitted.

“The Masters is for me the biggest tournament and the one I wanted to win the most,” Johnson said. “I am just very proud of the way I handled myself and finished off the tournament.

“It still feels like a dream. As a kid, I was dreaming about winning the Masters and having Tiger put the green jacket on you still feels like a dream. But I am here and what a great feeling it is. I could not feel more excited.”

Johnson tipped to win more majors

Golf coaching guru Butch Harmon believes Johnson is the “closest thing” to 15-time major winner Woods he’s ever seen.

Harmon, who coached Woods from 1993 to 2004, told Sky Sports: “Now Dustin Johnson has got his second major, he’s going to go on and win a lot of majors and I think he’s going to win this great tournament numerous times. I’ve said it all along that when he is on, I don’t think he can be beaten.

“When he’s firing on all cylinders, like he was this week with his driving and controlling his irons, he’s the closest thing to Tiger Woods I’ve ever seen. The difference to that is that Tiger was on for the best part of 20 years, so he’s got a way to go to get in that category!

“I think it meant so much to DJ that it was Tiger who put the green jacket on him after winning this great tournament. He grew up just 75 miles from Augusta, so this is a tournament he always wanted to win.”

With the 2016 US Open and 2020 Masters titles now in his locker, Johnson is being tipped to complete a career grand slam of majors by adding The Open Championship and PGA Championship to his CV.

Speaking on Sky Sports 2002 PGA Championship winner Rich Beem said: “Butch Harmon has no doubts that Dustin will win more majors, but I am going to go one more than Butch. I think Dustin Johnson in the next three years is going to win the career grand slam.”

Johnson will only have to wait four months to defend his title as Augusta hosts the 2021 Masters in April.

As the news broke about President-elect Joe Biden's projected victory Saturday morning, President Trump was out on the golf course. Meanwhile, Biden supporters began to gather near the White House to celebrate the victory.

Eventually, Trump finished up his round on the green, and headed back home, where the crowd was awaiting his motorcade. As it rolled through, people facetiously waved goodbye to Trump, many of them showering him with boos. But while the jeers may have been loud, the president and his security reportedly had no issues getting onto the White House ground safely.

Take a look at the scene below. Tim O'Donnell

As the major news networks declared Pennsylvania, and thus the presidential race, for Democratic nominee Joe Biden late Saturday morning, President Trump was out to play golf.

Trump has no plans to concede, CBS News notes.

About a half an hour before he was declared lame-duck, Trump tweeted that he won.

Twitter flagged the tweet as premature.

In a fiery speech during the Democratic National Convention, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said that amid President Trump's first term, the "unthinkable has become normal," and for democracy to stand a chance, people must elect former Vice President Joe Biden in November.

Trump, Sanders said, has "deployed the military and federal agents against peaceful protesters" and "suggested that he will not leave office if he loses. This is not normal, and we must never treat it like it is." Under Trump's leadership, "authoritarianism has taken root in our country," Sanders continued. "I and my family and many of yours know the insidious way authoritarianism destroys democracy, decency, and humanity. As long as I am here, I will work with progressives, with moderates, and yes, with conservatives, to preserve this nation from a threat that so many of our heroes fought and died to defeat."

Shifting his attention to the coronavirus crisis, Sanders said by rejecting science, Trump has "put our lives and health in jeopardy," and his inaction "fanned this pandemic, resulting in over 170,000 deaths." The president has "attacked doctors and scientists trying to protect us from the pandemic, while refusing to take strong action to produce the masks, gowns, and gloves our health care workers desperately need," Sanders continued, before dropping the biggest diss of the night. "Nero fiddled while Rome burned," he said. "Trump golfs."

Sanders also thanked his supporters for backing him, and said they "moved this country in a bold new direction, showing that all of us, black and white, Latino, Native American, Asian American, gay and straight, native born and immigrant, yearn for a nation based on the principles of justice, love, and compassion." Biden supports many of the same things they fought for, from raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour to providing 12 weeks of paid family leave, and Sanders said for the sake of democracy, the economy, and our planet, "we must come together to defeat Donald Trump and elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next president and vice president. The price of failure is too great to imagine."