4Aces take LIV Golf Singapore team lead after Johnson’s 8-under 63

4Aces take LIV Golf Singapore team lead after Johnson’s 8-under 63
Dustin Johnson leads LIV Golf Singapore on Day 1 after an 8-under round of 63. (Charles Laberge/LIV Golf)
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Updated 14 March 2025
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4Aces take LIV Golf Singapore team lead after Johnson’s 8-under 63

4Aces take LIV Golf Singapore team lead after Johnson’s 8-under 63
  • Johnson has won once in each of LIV Golf’s first three seasons and can become the first player to win in all four seasons
  • “I couldn’t turn my head to the right,” Johnson explained

SINGAPORE: 4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson is back to full strength — and back at the top of the leaderboard.
Johnson leads LIV Golf Singapore presented by Aramco by three shots after a bogey-free 63 in Friday’s opening round at Sentosa Golf Club. His 8-under round matches his best single-round LIV Golf performance, relative to par, in 109 career regular-season rounds.
His 4Aces, seeking their first win since 2023, lead the team competition by two strokes over Torque GC.
A week ago in Hong Kong, the 40-year-old Johnson woke up prior to the first round with a sore right shoulder that limited his range of motion. He shot rounds of 75 and 72 to drop to last place after the first two days.
“I couldn’t turn my head to the right,” Johnson explained. “I kind of just pulled when I was on the through swing, so I was hitting everything left. It wasn’t a whole lot of fun.”
He received treatment between rounds and his body finally responded prior to Sunday’s final round. He shot a 6-under 64, tying for the third-best score of the day, but the leaderboard damage had been done, as he finished last for the first time at a LIV Golf tournament.
Feeling good about his game entering last week, Johnson said it was easy to dismiss the first two rounds and the final result because of the injury.
“Swung it really nicely on Sunday,” he said. “Obviously, the body loosened back up and I could hit the shots that I wanted.”
In shooting 63 at Sentosa’s Serapong course on Friday, Johnson hit 16 greens, tying for best in the field, and missed just three fairways. Meanwhile, his putter heated up, especially at the par-3 14th when he rolled in a birdie putt from 58 feet.
“I put a lot of work in the last couple of days on the putter,” Johnson said, “and it paid off.”
Johnson will enter the weekend seeking his fourth league individual title. He has won once in each of LIV Golf’s first three seasons and can become the first player to win in all four seasons.
His closest pursuer is Torque’s Sebastian Munoz, who continues to push for his first LIV Golf title. Munoz shot a 5-under 66 to take solo second. He has held or shared second after five of the first 10 rounds of the 2025 LIV Golf season.
“I don’t know if I’m going to get it done this week, but I’m working hard at it,” Munoz said. “I want that opportunity again.”
Eight players are tied for third after shooting 4-under 67, including five team captains: Jon Rahm (Legion XIII), Brooks Koepka (Smash GC), Joaquin Niemann (Torque GC), Louis Oosthuizen (Stinger GC) and Cameron Smith (Ripper GC).
Rahm is the reigning LIV Golf Individual Champion and Niemann already has a win this season. Koepka is the defending Singapore champion while Smith tied for second with teammate Marc Leishman as the Rippers won the team title in 2024.
The 4Aces shot a collective 14 under, while Torque is at 12 under. Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC are another two strokes back, with all four of their players shooting in the 60s. Not only do the Aces have a lengthy winning drought, Torque also hasn’t won since 2023, while the HyFlyers have yet to win a team trophy.
“We’ve got a lot of golf to play in the next two days,” Niemann said. “We’re excited to see what’s coming.”
Team scores
LIV Golf’s new scoring format this season now involves all four scores now counting in every round in the team competition. (Click here for more on the new format). Here are the results and scores for each team after Friday’s Rd. 1 of LIV Golf Singapore.
1. 4ACES GC -14 (Johnson 63, Reed 68, Varner III 69, Pieters 70)
2. TORQUE GC -12 (Munoz 66, Niemann 67, Ortiz 68, Pereira 71)
3. HYFLYERS GC -10 (Tringale 67, Mickelson 69, Ogletree 69, Steele 69)
4. FIREBALLS GC -7 (Ancer 67, Puig 68, Masaveu 70, Garcia 72)
T5. STINGER GC -5 (Oosthuizen 67, Schwartzel 68, Burmester 70, Grace 74)
T5. LEGION XIII -5 (Rahm 67, Surratt 68, Hatton 70, McKibbin 74)
7. RIPPER GC -3 (Smith 67, Herbert 68, Jones 72, Leishman 74)
T8. RANGEGOATS GC -2 (Uihlein 68, Campbell 68, Watson 70, Wolff 76)
T8. IRON HEADS GC -2 (Lee 68, Catlin 70, Jang 72, Na 72)
10. SMASH GC -1 (Koepka 67, Kokrak 68, Gooch 70, McDowell 78)
11. CRUSHERS GC +1 (Casey 67, Lahiri 70, DeChambeau 74, Howell III 74)
12. MAJESTICKS GC +8 (Stenson 71, Westwood 72, Horsfield 73, Poulter 76)
13. CLEEKS GC +10 (Meronk 70, Bland 71, Kaymer 73, Kjettrup 80)
Wild Cards: Lee 70, Kim 73


Jokic, Strawther star as Nuggets down Thunder to tie series

Jokic, Strawther star as Nuggets down Thunder to tie series
Updated 16 May 2025
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Jokic, Strawther star as Nuggets down Thunder to tie series

Jokic, Strawther star as Nuggets down Thunder to tie series
  • Serbian star Jokic was once again the anchor of a composed Denver performance, finishing with 29 points

LOS ANGELES: Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and unheralded bench player Julian Strawther produced a crucial late burst of scoring as the Denver Nuggets scored a series-leveling 119-107 victory over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.
A hardfought NBA Western Conference semifinal series will now go to a decisive game seven in Oklahoma City on Sunday after another ferocious duel between the two sides.
Serbian star Jokic was once again the anchor of a composed Denver performance, finishing with 29 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists to shepherd the Nuggets to victory.
Jamal Murray added 25 points while Christian Braun finished with 23. But arguably the most significant contribution came from the bench, with Strawther scoring 15 points.
Oklahoma City, leading 3-2 in the series, looked ready to clinch a series victory after surging into a 12-point lead late in the second quarter at Denver’s Ball Arena.
But Denver once again refused to roll over and rallied to trim the Thunder lead to 61-58 at the break.
There was little to choose between the teams for most of the third quarter, and with just under two minutes remaining in the frame, the score was level at 80-80.
Yet within moments Denver had suddenly opened a double-digit advantage after a 10-0 run that put the Nuggets into a 90-80 lead.
The scoring spree came from an unlikely source, with the 23-year-old Strawther, in only his second season in the league, suddenly finding his scoring range.
Strawther knocked down back-to-back three-pointers followed by a layup to rattle in eight of the 10 points in the Denver run.
With their noses in front, 2023 NBA champions ruthlessly kept a firm grip on the contest through the fourth quarter, keeping the Thunder safely at arms length to close out the win.


Back on the pitch: Pakistan Super League resumes after conflict-forced suspension

Back on the pitch: Pakistan Super League resumes after conflict-forced suspension
Updated 16 May 2025
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Back on the pitch: Pakistan Super League resumes after conflict-forced suspension

Back on the pitch: Pakistan Super League resumes after conflict-forced suspension
  • The Indian Premier League, also suspended due to the outbreak between the countries, will also resume this weekend
  • PSL organizers first proposed moving the tournament to Dubai but later decided to postpone it after foreign players were reluctant to participate in the tournament due to security concerns

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s premier Twenty20 cricket tournament resumes Saturday after a ceasefire between India and Pakistan was achieved. There will be a handful of foreign players returning for the remaining eight games.

The Pakistan Super League was suspended on May 9 but last weekend Pakistan and India agreed to a ceasefire after talks to defuse their most serious military confrontation in decades.

The Indian Premier League, also suspended due to the outbreak between the countries, will also resume this weekend.

PSL organizers first proposed moving the tournament to Dubai but later decided to postpone it after foreign players were reluctant to participate in the tournament due to security concerns. Around 43 foreign cricketers — competing on six PSL teams — were flown out of Pakistan from an air base in Rawalpindi.

Rawalpindi will host the remaining four league matches between May 17-19 before Lahore hosts the playoffs from May 21, including the final at Qaddafi Stadium on May 25.

Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikander Raza is among some of foreign players who have returned to Pakistan. Raza, who plays for Lahore Qalandars, is available for Lahore’s crucial last league game against Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday before he flies to England for test duty starting next week.

Raza will not be available for Lahore if the two-time champions qualify for the playoffs due to his test commitments.

He said that if the PSL resumed, he planned to return to Pakistan, even for just one match.

“I was very clear in my head that I was always going to go back,” Raza told The Associated Press as he trained with his teammates at Islamabad Club ground on Thursday.

“This PSL is not just about winning a trophy, there’s a lot more to it. All the overseas (players) that have come back, whether they’re in Pakistan or India, I think credit must be given to them because cricket unites and the whole purpose of sports all around the world is to unite cultures, countries.”

Lahore will also have Sri Lanka batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for its must-win last league game against the Babar Azam-led Peshawar side after Tom Curran and Daryl Mitchel were ruled out due to injuries.

Raza said it was tough for the families of all the players living abroad after there was escalation at the borders.

“Whether it’s Pakistan or India, what happened was tough for everybody,” Raza said. “Sometimes when you’re on the ground, things may not be as bad, but (for) people back home watching TV, sometimes it’s very hard to control what media tells you.”

Lahore team director Sameen Rana said it was important that the PSL returns to finish the season.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty and the conditions which were happening on the ground was not the best, it’s unfortunate,” Rana said. “But from our perspective . . . the important thing is that the PSL is resuming, and that’s what matters.”

Defending champions Islamabad United has brought in Alex Hales of England and Rassie van Dussen of South Africa after initially picking both of them in the supplementary draft while Ben Dwarshuis of Australia is flying back to rejoin the team.

Islamabad, the three-time PSL champions, won five games in a row at the start of the season before four successive defeats.

Finn Allen of New Zealand and Rilee Rossouw of South Africa are rejoining first-place Quetta Gladiators, who have 13 points, three points ahead of Karachi and Islamabad.

Karachi is expecting to have its captain David Warner back from Australia in time to lead the team against Peshawar on Saturday.


De Bruyne seeks fitting Man City farewell in FA Cup final

De Bruyne seeks fitting Man City farewell in FA Cup final
Updated 16 May 2025
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De Bruyne seeks fitting Man City farewell in FA Cup final

De Bruyne seeks fitting Man City farewell in FA Cup final
  • He has expressed his “surprise” that City did not seek to extend his stay, filled with the belief that he can still perform at the high

MANCHESTER: Kevin De Bruyne can add another honor to his haul as Manchester City’s most decorated player of all time with a fitting farewell in Saturday’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.
The Belgian’s trophy-littered decade in Manchester will come to an end at the conclusion of the Premier League season.
But Wembley’s showpiece is the 33-year-old’s final chance to lift silverware at the club where he grew into one of world’s best players.
A six-time Premier League winner, De Bruyne could add a third FA Cup to his five League Cups and 2023 Champions League win with City.
He has expressed his “surprise” that City did not seek to extend his stay, filled with the belief that he can still perform at the highest level.
De Bruyne rolled back the years when City rallied from 2-0 down to thrash Palace 5-2 just last month with a goal and an assist.
City will be hoping for more of the same to give him a fitting farewell and save some face from a season to forget for Pep Guardiola’s men.
After an unprecedented run of four consecutive Premier League titles, City are 18 points adrift of champions Liverpool and embroiled in a battle just to finish in the top five to secure a place in next season’s Champions League.
De Bruyne’s decline has played a factor in City’s downturn.
Of his 108 goals and 177 assists for the club in 419 appearances, only six and eight respectively have come this season.

However, he remains “irreplaceable” due to his impact in City’s rise to being the dominant force in English football, according to the club’s prolific striker Erling Haaland.
“To get the balls from him is a dream,” said Haaland. “It has been really special playing with him. Such a joy, and I am going to do everything I can to have this joy in the last few games.
“The future will be different with different players. When Kevin leaves we will need someone to replace him, although Kevin is irreplaceable in so many ways.”
Guardiola has appeared almost apologetic for overlooking De Bruyne at times this season as he searched for solutions to fill the gaps in City’s aging midfield.
“The gratitude I have, we have, is huge,” said Guardiola.
“Kevin is the player in the history of the club with the most titles and that defines what Kevin has done with us.”
A giant mural of De Bruyne alongside his trophy haul as a City player was unveiled in Manchester city center on Thursday.
Guardiola has suggested a statue outside the club’s Etihad Stadium is also just a matter of time.
But after a decade most characterised by a relentless thirst to keep on winning, the most fitting tribute would be for De Bruyne to go out with another medal around his neck.
“The whole team only has one thought and that’s to try and get the trophy and to make the day special for Kevin,” said City midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
“For what he’s done, he deserves to leave like a champion which he obviously is.
“He is a massive figure in City’s success, and he will be remembered as one of the best.”
 


Jhonattan Vegas grabs surprise lead at PGA Championship

Jhonattan Vegas grabs surprise lead at PGA Championship
Updated 16 May 2025
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Jhonattan Vegas grabs surprise lead at PGA Championship

Jhonattan Vegas grabs surprise lead at PGA Championship
  • The 40-year-old Vegas has won four times on the PGA Tour
  • World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shot 2-under 69

CHARLOTTE: Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas surged into the lead late in the first round of the PGA Championship, shooting a 7-under-par 64 on Thursday at Quail Hollow Club.
Vegas, who started on No. 10, posted birdies on five of his final six holes. He capped it with a 27-foot putt on his last hole.
Cameron Davis of Australia and newcomer Ryan Gerard are two shots back.
The 40-year-old Vegas has won four times on the PGA Tour, including last July in the 3M Open. But he has missed cuts in nine of his last 13 majors.
Davis, who tied for fourth in the 2023 PGA Championship before missing the cut in last year’s tournament, racked up seven birdies. He held the lead until a bogey on his last hole.
Gerard, a Raleigh native who played collegiately for North Carolina, is appearing in a PGA Championship for the first time. He led by three strokes after an eagle on No. 15 before making consecutive bogeys to end his round in the early afternoon.
European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald of England shot 4-under 67 and was a co-leader in the clubhouse for a stretch during the afternoon. Donald completed his bogey-free round before Alex Smalley, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, Germany’s Stephan Jaeger and England’s Aaron Rai joined him with 67s.
Jaeger navigated the course with six birdies and two bogeys, including on the final hole that cost him the solo lead.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shot 2-under 69, while defending champion Xander Schauffele finished at 1-over 72 and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, the recent Masters champion and four-time winner of the PGA Tour stop at Quail Hollow, recorded 3-over 74.
Scheffler started on the back nine and notched an eagle on No. 15. But on the next hole, the trio of Scheffler, Schauffele and McIlroy all took double-bogey 6s.
Scheffler finished with birdies on two of his last three holes.
Smalley, who lives about 90 minutes away in Greensboro and has additional in-state ties as a former Duke golfer, was added to the field Wednesday when Sahith Theegala withdrew because of a neck injury.
US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley is among a cluster of golfers at 3 under.
J.T. Poston, also North Carolinian, finished at 3 under after a bogey on the final hole. Michael Thorbjornsen, Englishmen Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton, Colombia’s Nico Echavarria, Japan’s Ryo Hizatsune, Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard, Sweden’s Alex Noren, Scotland’s Robert MacIntire and Puerto Rico’s Rafael Campos also completed rounds at 3 under.
With Donald and Bradley holding top-10 positions, it’s just the second time that two current Ryder Cup captains have ended a round in a major within the top 10 during a Ryder Cup year. It also happened in 1937.


Jordan Spieth’s chance at the career Grand Slam likely ends early with opening-round 76 at the PGA

Jordan Spieth’s chance at the career Grand Slam likely ends early with opening-round 76 at the PGA
Updated 16 May 2025
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Jordan Spieth’s chance at the career Grand Slam likely ends early with opening-round 76 at the PGA

Jordan Spieth’s chance at the career Grand Slam likely ends early with opening-round 76 at the PGA
  • The 31-year-old Spieth struggled in every facet of the game at demanding Quail Hollow

CHARLOTTE, N.C.: Jordan Spieth came to Quail Hollow hoping to follow in Rory McIlroy’s footsteps and complete the career Grand Slam.
After Thursday’s opening round of the PGA Championship, he’d probably be happy just to make the cut.
The 31-year-old Spieth struggled in every facet of the game at demanding Quail Hollow — off the tee, with his approach shots, his chips and even his putting — and shot a 5-over 76, leaving him 12 shots behind leader Jhonattan Vegas and all but ending his hopes this year of capturing the one major that has eluded him since he turned pro 13 years ago.
Spieth could never find his swing and repeatedly misjudged distances to the flag, leaving him scrambling for par all afternoon.
He managed to hold it together early and was even par through eight holes.
Then the wheels came off.
He bogeyed six of of the final 10 holes — chunking a chip from the rough on No. 11 and failed to get up and down for par on No. 18 from the rough, missing a 12-footer to save par. Spieth walked briskly toward the practice range after signing his card and did not take questions.
Playing partner Ludvig Aberg could understand the frustration, but believes Spieth will bounce back.
“Listen, Jordan is an unbelievable player and person,” Aberg said. “I was telling my caddie today that he’s one of the best, nicest guys in the world. I wouldn’t be surprised if gets  someday. But I’m a big Jordan Spieth fan and I will be for a long time.”
It probably won’t be this year.
MGM Sportsbook now lists him at 1000-1 to win.
Spieth became the darling of golf at age 21 when he won the Masters and US Open in 2015. He captured the British Open two years later, bringing him to the doorstep of one of golf’s elite clubs.
But like McIlroy’s struggles to win the Masters until last month, Spieth hasn’t been able to capture the PGA.
He’s had a couple of chances.
He finished second in 2015 and tied for third in 2019. But over the past five years he has been in the middle of the pack — four times finishing between 29th and 43rd. Now he’s in danger of missing the cut for the first time since 2014.