Keegan Bradley invites LIV golfers to Ryder Cup dinner despite PGA Tour-LIV tensions

Keegan Bradley invites LIV golfers to Ryder Cup dinner despite PGA Tour-LIV tensions
Keegan Bradley cares only about fielding the best team. (AP)
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Updated 15 min 42 sec ago
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Keegan Bradley invites LIV golfers to Ryder Cup dinner despite PGA Tour-LIV tensions

Keegan Bradley invites LIV golfers to Ryder Cup dinner despite PGA Tour-LIV tensions

CHARLOTTE, N.C.: Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley hosted a dinner in Philadelphia last week for prospective players high on the points list. Most of them were in the field for the Truist Championship. Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau were not.
Both players from Saudi-funded LIV Golf were invited to Philadelphia to join the informal dinner. DeChambeau’s flight was delayed by weather, and he joined remotely. But it was another strong indication Bradley cares only about fielding the best team.
“They were in there on points and they played on previous teams. It was great to have them there,” Bradley said Tuesday. “This Ryder Cup and what comes with this, no one cares about what’s going on in this PGA Tour-LIV. We’re trying to put the best team together. It could mean there’s one LIV guy, two LIV guys, it doesn’t matter. We’ll see how this year shakes out.
“It was really great to have them together with all the guys,” he said. “It’s been a while since we’ve been able to do that.”
Koepka played in the 2023 matches at Marco Simone, while DeChambeau played in 2021.
“Look, I’ve got to keep playing good golf and ... hopefully I can make it on points alone,” DeChambeau said.
He and Koepka can only earn points in the majors.
Jon Rahm, meanwhile, can earn points for the European team through the majors and European tour events he chooses to play. Rahm had not yet joined LIV Golf when Europe beat the Americans in Italy with Luke Donald as the captain.
He would seem to be a lock for Europe.
“That’s a question for Luke,” Rahm said. “It’s his team. Hopefully I can qualify, and we don’t have to question it. I would like to think that personally I am, but it’s not up to me.”
Southern Hills gets another PGA
Justin Thomas is back at Quail Hollow, where he won his first PGA Championship. He learned on Tuesday he will be going back to where he won his second Wanamaker Trophy.
The PGA Championship is returning to Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2032.
It will be the sixth time Southern Hills has held the PGA, the most of any course, to go along with three US Opens. The Perry Maxwell design — restored by Gil Hanse for the 2022 PGA Championship — has proven a strong test over the years.
Only 45 players in eight major championships at Southern Hills have finished under par.
Thomas tied a PGA Championship record in 2022 when he rallied from seven shots behind in the final round — including a shank on the par-3 sixth hole — and drove the par-4 17th green during a three-hole playoff he won over Will Zalatoris.
Other PGA champions at Southern Hills were Tiger Woods , Nick Price , Raymond Floyd  and Dave Stockton . All but Stockton are in the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Steak and cigars ready
While it’s a tradition that doesn’t get nearly as much attention as the Masters Club dinner at Augusta National, the PGA Championship also has a dinner for past champions.
Defending champion Xander Schauffele was in charge of Tuesday night’s menu, which was set to include smoked goat cheese dates, pickled watermelon, clams casino shooters and steak and bleu cheese crostini as appetizers. The main course was Wagyu New York strip steak, served with blackened jumbo shrimp, whipped sweet potatoes and a bourbon bone marrow reduction. Banana split and strawberry shortcake were for dessert.
Schauffele placed full trust in the chefs at Quail Hollow while choosing the menu, saying they haven’t let him down in his previous trips to Charlotte.
“The only thing I said was sort of steak,” Schauffele said. “I saw a lot of bleu cheese on there. I think we’re kind of tweaking it a little bit, from the last of my knowledge, or making it a little bit more customized; you can have some on or not because it’s sort of a really strong, you either like it or you don’t thing.”
As part of the tradition, Schauffele planned to give his fellow past PGA champions cigars and a humidor.
“The cigars I had input on,” Schauffele said.
Rahm and the Grand Slam
Jon Rahm would love nothing more than to get a career Grand Slam. He’s still two majors away — the PGA Championship and the British Open. Until he gets the third leg, his mind is more occupied with total majors instead of the collection of all four.
“I think obviously it would be a lot more on my mind if I were to win a third different one, kind of like Jordan  has been able to do,” Rahm said. “But right now, if I ever had a thought, I’ll focus more on quantity of majors rather than which ones.
“Let’s say I never achieve it,” he said. “I’d rather have a situation like Sir Nick Faldo where he has six of two of them instead of having maybe three different ones, if that makes sense.”
Faldo won the Masters and the British Open three times each. He has the most majors of anyone who has two legs of the Grand Slam in the last 100 years.
Xander Schauffele, who won the PGA Championship and British Open last year, is on the same page.
“If I win another double major, the Open and the PGA, I’m not going to cry about it,” he said. “I’m trying to win as many as possible. The Grand Slam is obviously on the list of goals. But I’m not picky.”
Scottie Scheffler thought it was “wild” that Rory McIlroy could win the Grand Slam with five majors. Tiger Woods, however, completed the slam by winning one of each , as did Gary Player, who finished with nine majors.


Jhonattan Vegas grabs surprise lead at PGA Championship

Jhonattan Vegas grabs surprise lead at PGA Championship
Updated 55 sec ago
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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 5 min 35 sec ago
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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.


FIFA lift ban on Congo Brazzaville

FIFA lift ban on Congo Brazzaville
Updated 16 May 2025
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FIFA lift ban on Congo Brazzaville

FIFA lift ban on Congo Brazzaville

JOHANNESBURG: A ban on Congo Brazzaville competing in international competitions has been lifted, a FIFA statement said on Thursday.
Congo were suspended last February due to government interference in the administration of football in the central African nation.
This prevented the ‘Red Devils’ playing 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Zambia and Tanzania in March.
Last year, Congo lost away to Zambia and at home to Morocco, and forfeited the points to Niger after a dispute over where the match should be played.


Yamal pearl seals Barcelona La Liga title triumph at Espanyol

Yamal pearl seals Barcelona La Liga title triumph at Espanyol
Updated 16 May 2025
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Yamal pearl seals Barcelona La Liga title triumph at Espanyol

Yamal pearl seals Barcelona La Liga title triumph at Espanyol

CORNELLÀ DE LLOBREGAT, Spain: A stunning Lamine Yamal strike helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win at local rivals Espanyol on Thursday, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table.
Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble.
Only the Champions League escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2023.
Back then, celebrating Barca players were chased from the field by angry home supporters but this time Espanyol turned on the sprinklers to soak the jubilant visitors, who headed down the tunnel quickly.
Yamal opened the scoring after 53 minutes of a tense derby clash with a brilliant curling effort, before Lopez added another in the 95th minute to secure victory.
Outside the stadium before the match several Espanyol fans were hit by a car which drove into a big crowd, although none were seriously injured and police said it appeared to be an accident.
Barcelona were seconds away from sealing their title triumph on Wednesday but Real Madrid snatched a 95th-minute winner against Mallorca to delay the inevitable.
Flick’s side started slowly in Cornella, with Espanyol, 16th, looking dangerous on the counter-attack and keen to secure their top-flight survival.
Wojciech Szczesny made a fine save to deny Javi Puado who broke through on goal in Espanyol’s best chance of the opening period.
Barca dominated the ball but failed to create any clear opportunities themselves in the first half.
The Catalan giants have often blown teams away this season, approaching a century of goals in La Liga, but with the title on the line and a hostile crowd against them, they needed something special to break through.
That came from 17-year-old wing wizard Yamal, who zipped inside off the right flank and unleashed a rocket into the top corner from outside the box, in a replica of his goal for Spain against France in the Euro 2024 semifinals.
It was the teenager’s eighth La Liga strike of the season but with goals in both matches against rivals Real and also in the visit to face Atletico Madrid, he has a penchant for the big occasion.
Barca’s superb display in Sunday’s Clasico, in which they beat their rivals 4-3 in a thrilling battle, effectively won them the title.
They still had to get it over the line against their neighbors, though, and that became easier when Leandro Cabrera was sent off for an elbow into Yamal’s stomach.
Even though they had a player fewer, Espanyol pressured Barcelona heavily until Lopez drilled past Joan Garcia to end the hosts’ resistance.


Al-Ittihad crowned Saudi Pro League champions for 10th time

Al-Ittihad crowned Saudi Pro League champions for 10th time
Updated 52 min 40 sec ago
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Al-Ittihad crowned Saudi Pro League champions for 10th time

Al-Ittihad crowned Saudi Pro League champions for 10th time
  • With 2 games left to play, the Tigers move 9 points clear of Al-Hilal with a 3-1 away victory over already relegated Al-Raed
  • Al-Hilal have 3 games remaining but an inferior head-to-head record means there is no way they can overtake their rivals

JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad were crowned champions of Saudi Arabia for the 10th time after a 3-1 victory at Al-Raed on Thursday.

The Tigers have two games left to play and are nine points clear of second-place Al-Hilal, who have three games remaining but an inferior head-to-head record, which means there is no way they can overtake their rivals.

As Al-Ittihad take the Saudi Pro League trophy back to Jeddah, just two years after their last title triumph, the focus now for Al-Hilal is the battle with Al-Qadsiah, Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli for second place and the prize of qualification for the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite that comes with it.

It looked as if there might be another twist in the title race when Oumar Gonzalez put bottom-place Al-Raed, who are already relegated, ahead after just nine minutes. The Cameroonian pounced on a rare defensive mistake from N’Golo Kante to fire home from close range.
 

With top-scorer Karim Benzema injured and watching from the sidelines, there might have been some concern in the dugout. But if Laurent Blanc’s men were rattled they did not let it show and in the 21st minute they were back on level terms, courtesy of Steven Bergwijn, after Abdulrahman Al-Oboud broke into the right side of the area and squared the ball for the Dutchman, who made no mistake.

It was obvious from the reactions of the Al-Ittihad attackers that they wanted more of the same and that’s what they delivered as they took the lead five minutes before the break. Unai Hernandez swung over a corner from the left and Danilo Pereira was the first to reach the ball at the near post, heading smartly past the goalkeeper.

From then, it was always going to be difficult for the home side to get back into it, and it was effectively game over just two minutes after the restart. Bergwijn chipped a pass, or perhaps a shot, through a crowded area and Al-Aboud was waiting on the goal line to bundle the ball into the net for the goal that sealed the win and the title.

Come the final whistle, the celebratory T-shirts with a “Champions 25” slogan were pulled on and the celebrations started in earnest. They might continue for some time.