Final Qualifying for The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush is underway, with 14 LIV Golf players competing across four UK venues—Burnham & Berrow, Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports, and West Lancashire—with at least 20 spots available in the 156-player field.
Entering this week, 16 LIV Golf players were already exempt into The Open field.
DUNDONALD LINKS: FINAL QUALIFYING FOR THE OPEN
Majesticks GC co-captain Lee Westwood secured a spot in the Open Championship with a fantastic performance in the 36-hole qualifier. Westwood earned medalist honors after rounds of 70-67 to post a 7-under total. The Englishman has found some form recently on LIV Golf. He’s finished T10 in Virginia and had T25s in Dallas and Riyadh.
Westwood last played The Open in 2022 but has a strong history in the championship, including a T4 at Portrush in 2019.
“Royal Portrush is a fantastic golf course, and I played well there last time. I finished fourth in 2019,” Westwood said. “The Open Championship is the greatest tournament on the golfing calendar … I hit some nice shots coming down the stretch there. I think 7 under is pretty good.”
WEST LANCASHIRE: FINAL QUALIFYING FOR THE OPEN
Lucas Herbert of Ripper GC has secured a spot at The Open Championship after earning medalist honors at West Lancashire with rounds of 69-67 for an 8-under total. At LIV Golf Dallas, the Australian spoke about the importance of getting into the major championship.
“I love The Open,” Herbert said. “You know, [Herbert’s caddie, Nick Pugh] being from the UK as well, it’s his one major. I think if we could pick one for the year, he would pick that one … I played three or four of them now and love, love my opportunities when I have gotten them to play it. So, yeah, if I can get another one, that’d be great.”
Now that he’s in, Herbert is also high on his chances to do well at Royal Portrush.
“I feel like my game is trending in the right way as well,” he said. “So, if I can play well enough this week or on Tuesday to be able to get in, then my game’s probably in a good enough spot to be able to go and contend.”
ROYAL CINQUE PORTS: FINAL QUALIFYING FOR THE OPEN
Dean Burmester of Stinger GC qualified for the Open Championship. The South African played brilliantly over the course of 36-holes to punch his ticket to Royal Portrush.
Burmester finished T23 at LIV Golf Virginia and T18 at LIV Golf Dallas leading into the qualifier. For the season, he is currently 11th in the individual standings. The 36-year old will be making his 4th Open Championship start. He’s had success in the Open, finishing T11 in 2022 and T19 in 2024.
BURNHAM & BERROW: FINAL QUALIFYING FOR THE OPEN
Three LIV Golf players (Jinichiro Kozuma, Caleb Surratt, Anirban Lahiri) are competing at Royal Cinque Ports. Check back for updates when play concludes.
Since Draper’s last appearance at Wimbledon, he has reached a Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open, won one of the biggest titles on the ATP Tour in Indian Wells and become only the fourth British man to crack the world’s top five.
That means he is widely regarded as the fourth favourite – behind Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic – at this year’s grass-court major.
A big reason why left-handed Draper can thrive on the slicker surface is his serve.
The power and variety of his opening shot enables him to start points strongly.
When he lands his first serve, it is effective. His first-serve percentage is only the 43rd best on the ATP Tour this year, but he is 14th in terms of points won after it.
Against 38th-ranked Baez, Draper broke in the first game of the match and the strength of his first serve meant the Argentine had little chance of responding.
He landed 78% of his first serves in the first set, winning 86% of those points with the help of four aces.
By the time Baez decided he could not continue, Draper had won 23 of his 25 first-serve points (93%).
“I served well, although I could have been a bit cleaner off the ground,” said Draper.
“After the first 15 minutes, we started getting good control. We did very professionally and very well.”
During cooling break, he made an adjustment to start to pull the game wider.
On Garcia: “That’s what a striker is meant to do.”
On Mbappe: “He will have more training, he will have more days to recover, so we’ll check.”
NOW I’ll bid farewell. Thanks all.
With that, I’ll bid farewell. Enjoy the Real Madrid-Monterrey match after Monterrey’s upset win over Borussia Dortmund this evening. (Look, if Al-Hilal can beat Manchester City …)
Thanks for checking in with us today.
Valverde speaks on goal-scorer Garcia: He moves very well, he’s a player from the academy, he sees an opportunity.
Valverde on his play: I tried to do the best for all my teammates.
The translator then laughed at something that was clearly lost in translation.
Last word from the mailbag: Kurt Perleberg asks why we haven’t seen any US players for Real Madrid.
Because they’re not that good, maybe?
Google’s AI tells me the record for most La Liga appearances by a US player is 94 by Yunus Musah, all at Valencia. Then Luca de la Torre with 59 at Celta Vigo. After that, Kasey Keller (Rayo Vallecano) and Sergiño Dest (Barcelona) are tied with 51.
But seriously – it’s all about the right fit. And even then, the team and their supporters might not appreciate you. Looking your way, Chelsea.
We have not been presented any postgame comments yet. Lots of beer promotion.
Full time: Real Madrid 1-0 Juventus
If you were expecting Real to dominate this encounter, you were right. Only a series of stellar saves by Di Gregorio kept this close. Juve had some bright moments early on but nothing that screamed, “yes, this team deserves an equalizer” for the last 60-75 minutes.
Next up: the winner of Borussia Dortmund vs. Monterrey, which will take place in the nice air conditioning of Atlanta this evening. I’m picking Monterrey. Concacaf are overdue.
90 min +5: Last chance for Juve, and is that a call for a penalty? No, our referee says with emphatic waves of his arms. Replay shows Kolo Muani was basically headed for the ground the whole time, hoping for a miracle.
The ball is recycled out and hit from a long way away out of desperation. Courtois collects, and …
80 seconds left … throw-in for Real. Juve players showing some long faces.
Justin Kavanagh writes: “Infantino will be happy that Mbappe is back now that Messi is out of the tournament. If Juve could sneak an equalizer, though, you’d fancy Di Gregorio to provide the heroics in a shootout.”
I would predict Real would win a shootout 1-0.
90 min +3: Offside on Juve.
90 min +1: Real play keepaway for a while, then blast the ball downfield for no apparent reason.
The crowd, having finished saluting Valverde, are silent. Expectations for the remaining 210 seconds are low.
We’ll have five minutes of stoppage time, starting … oh, 30 seconds ago.
90 min: Ceballos replaces Valverde, who receives a well-earned ovation as he departs. He wipes his sweaty face, then claps to acknowledge the crowd.
89 min: Valverde springs forward and loses control of the ball but manages to knock it off a defender to earn a corner kick. That’ll keep Juve pinned back a bit more as time starts to run out.
Quick word from krishnamoorthy v: “If you have done refereeing for U 14, you are qualified for Manchester derby.”
I still have a lot to live for, so no thanks.
87 min: YELLOW to Jude Bellingham. That’s our first card of the day, and there have been no incidents to this point at which it was even a question. Fair play indeed.
Referee Szymon Marciniak shows the yellow card to Jude Bellingham. Photograph: Lynne Sladky/AP
85 min: At last, it’s Juve’s last window, and we’ll see Weston McKennie along with Federico Gatti. The sad figures of Locatelli and Rugani stroll out past their own goal for the long walk around the field to their bench.
83 min: Bellingham combines with Vinicius Junior, and the ball is sprayed wide to Tchouaméni, who shoots back across the grain, and forces a 10th save, this one a fingertip save at full extension, from Di Gregorio. He’s entering Tim Howard territory here.
80 min: It would appear that Igor Tudor changed his mind about using his third substitution window right now, and Juve are indeed on the attack. Real regain control, but that was a helpful reminder that this game is still just 1-0, thanks in large part to Di Gregorio’s nine saves.
Game reset at the cooling break …
Real lead 1-0 on a powerful short-range header by Garcia.
Mbappe is in for Real, and Modric is about to join him, even though they really need people at the back to keep things calm for another 15-20 minutes.
Speaking of calm, the Weather Channel now says “expect dry conditions for the next 6 hours,” and the precipitation on the radar is all north of Miami.
Modric takes the captain’s armband as he replaces Güler.
We haven’t seen confirmation that McKennie is actually on.
76 min: So we WILL see Weston McKennie in this game!
After the cooling break …
72 min: CHANCE for Real, and how did THAT stay out?!
Precise passing in the penalty area, including a couple of touches for Mbappe, and it goes back to the top of the area for Güler, who launches a brutal shot toward the lower corner that Di Gregorio somehow keeps out. Fine game by the Italian keeper.
70 min: CHANCE for Juve. Not over yet!
But they’re taking out Yildiz, so maybe it is. Off the bench, it’s US cornerstone Weston McKenn- … oh, no, it’s Teun Koopmeiners.
69 min: Valverde seems determined to get on the scoresheet, no matter how many times he has to shoot. Di Gregorio scoops this one off the ground.
67 min: To underscore the point, Real shoot twice in three seconds, each time bouncing back off a wall of defenders.
Mbappe officially makes his way in, which means we see plenty of picture of people wearing his shirt. He replaces Garcia, scorer of the lone goal so far.
Here comes Mbappe …
Into a game in which, honestly, Real probably don’t need him. Juve haven’t looked like equalizing in a while.
On comes Kylian Mbappe. Photograph: Allstar Picture Library Ltd/Richard Sellers/Apl/Sportsphoto
66 min: Patient possession for Real, and why not?
63 min: Nicolas Gonzalez is the man replacing Kelly.
The Weather Channel is still saying “thunderstorms will end at 5:30” while we have no thunderstorms and no lightning on the radar.
The game continues.
60 min: BICYCLE KICK by Valverde, and it’s only the alertness of the in-form Juve keeper Di Gregorio that keeps us from being at 2-0.
59 min: Conceição departs, replaced by Filip Kostic. Also, English defender Lloyd Kelly, signed permanently by Juve after a successful loan spell, is out.
56 min: Conceição bids for an immediate answer with a worm-burning shot that Courtois has to dive to slap away.
We have now reached the part of the game in which players sit down with cramps.
GOOOOOALLLL! Real Madrid 1-0 Juventus (Garcia 54)
That was coming, like a storm front passing across the peninsula.
And this time, Alexander-Arnold takes a touch, looks up and puts in a high cross that drops where Garcia has enough space for an uncontested 6-yard header that he knocks straight under the bar and into the net.
Gonzalo Garcia scores for Madrid! Photograph: Marta Lavandier/AP
51 min: Corner for Juve, as we’re again starting brightly. Real defend well and break quickly with Vinicius Junior down the left, stopped by Locatelli deep in his own half.
Garcia then draws a foul from Conceição. Nothing interesting from the free kick, but the ball is worked back out to Bellingham, who blasts a shot from 20 yards that stings Di Gregorio’s hands.
And another chance for Real as Di Gregorio sprawls to stop a dipping shot with some menace.
50 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold runs on to the ball in an acre of space near the corner of the penalty area. He has all day to settle it, and he picks out a spot …
No, I’m kidding – he blasted it several dozen rows into the stands.
Row-Z botherer Trent Alexander-Arnold. Photograph: Richard Sellers/Getty Images/Allstar
49 min: A cross gets through for Juve, but the ball goes beyond the attacker. Also, the flag was up. And there are probably other reasons it wouldn’t have been a goal.
For the record – there were no halftime subs.
48 min: Courtois and a defender can’t agree on who should be clearing the ball, and the resulting awkward clearance eventually yields a Juve corner.
47 min: Valverde tries curling a shot within the penalty area, and he doesn’t miss by that much.
No sign of weather issues yet.
Second half is underway. Still 0-0.
Ian Copestake writes: “Are you the first MBMing referee in the Guardian’s history? And does your full name suggest a penchant for French symbolist poetry? So many questions and so few minutes.”
All that I know about French is that my name roughly translates to “pretty hard.” As far as referees go … maybe? To be fair, I’ve never done any level higher than Under-16 low-level travel, Under-14 higher-level travel and Under-19 rec league. I’m too old to keep up with anyone else.
The ever-knowledgeable Peter Oh checks in: “It’s interesting that RM fans are watching in Athens, GA, but frankly I would be more impressed if REM fans were watching in Athens, GA. Or maybe even the band themselves. Anyway, this tournament makes me wonder if I’m Losing My Religion.”
One of my bands played an R.E.M. tribute recently, but we didn’t do that one, due in part to the lack of a mandolin player.
When drummer Bill Berry left one of the two Big Bands from Athens (the other being the B-52s), the headline font in the local newspaper was about the same size as the end of World War II.
Weather watch
Justin Kavanagh writes: “The Forecast called for pain at the start, but the weather now Feels Like Rain in Miami, so I think you need some of the great John Hiatt at halftime. “
Unfortunately, yes, it appears that some of the green blobs on the radar in and around Florida are now passing over Miami. The Weather Channel says “thunderstorms likely to continue through 6 p.m. (two hours and change from now),” but there’s no lightning on the map. Maybe we’ll just have a good soaking rain.
Halftime: Real Madrid 0-0 Juventus
After a promising start at both ends, Real have had the better of things since the cooling break, but honestly, neither of these teams can finish as well as Al-Hilal.
Just saying.
45 min +3: Bellingham, Valverde and Alexander-Arnold form a potent passing triangle and work their way forward, where Trent unleashes a powerful cross that could easily have caromed into the net off any of the players from either side lined up across the 6-yard box.
45 min: Impressive turn from Güler, but his cross is blocked away.
Real reset, and it’s a CHANCE for Real as Valverde laces a shot from 18 yards that Di Gregorio impressively knocks wide with a mighty sideways leap. That might have been goal-bound.
Four minutes of stoppage time, still 0-0.
43 min: Thuram has it on the left for Juve, but his cross finds no one in Juve’s dark shirts.
41 min: Quickly taken free kick at midfield for Juve. They continue even after one of their players rolls around on the grass for a bit. Real win the ball back thanks to, of all people, Vinicius Junior, tracking back to help out at the back.
39 min: Juve now seem to have seen enough of Real’s patient and nearly effective attack. They swarm to win the ball back.
Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) is turning up the volume for its home race – The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport – with the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda set to debut a bold new look for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES event July 4-6.
Felix Rosenqvist and MSR are bringing heavy metal to the track, teaming up with legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne and SiriusXM’s Ozzy’s Boneyard (channel 38). The No. 60 Honda will sport a striking purple livery inspired by the channel, which features hard rock and heavy metal classics curated under the influence of Ozzy himself.
The special livery also celebrates a monumental moment in music history: Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s upcoming “Final Show at the Back to the Beginning” concert on July 5 in Birmingham, England. The concert will feature icons like Metallica, Slayer, Alice in Chains and more.
“I can’t wait to represent Ozzy and Ozzy’s Boneyard at Mid-Ohio,” Rosenqvist said. “The livery is totally different than anything we have ever done before and having Ozzy on the car – literally, his face is on the car, will be pretty epic.”
For fans who cannot attend “Back to the Beginning” in person, the show will host a livestream. Tickets can be purchased at www.backtothebeginning.com.
The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport starts at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, July 6 (FOX, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
South Africa left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi has reflected on the Proteas’ maiden ICC World Test Championship (WTC) title.
The Proteas lifted their first WTC mace with a five-wicket win, anchored by Aiden Markram’s sensational fourth-innings century.
The opener’s 136 earned him the Player of the Match award, while Kagiso Rabada’s fiery nine-wicket haul proved instrumental in dismantling Australia across both innings.
Held from June 11 to 14, the final of the third WTC cycle saw an extraordinary 2.94 billion minutes of TV watch-time on Star Sports, reaching an audience of 47 million viewers nationwide, a staggering milestone for a Test that didn’t feature the Indian team.
The match also sparked massive engagement online, clocking 225 million digital views, matching the numbers from the previous WTC Final between India and Australia at The Oval in 2023.
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During an interview with a sports platform, Shamsi, who played two Tests for the Rainbow Nation, hailed South Africa’s victory and praised Temba Bavuma’s leadership for ending the title drought.
“Definitely, it was very, very special even for guys who were not part of the triumph. You know, South African cricket had a history of heartbreaks in major tournaments,” he said.
“So, just to watch the guys and finally break the curse was really an emotional moment, and I think it’s the first of many, many trophies that South Africa is going to win in the future,” Tabraiz Shamsi added.
The spinner who was not part of the winning squad hailed Temba Bavuma’s leadership.
“Yes, he is a little man with a big heart, and he is very calm in his demeanour and the way he speaks and communicates, Tabraiz Shamsi said of Bavuma.
Tabraiz Shamsi also eyed the 2026 T20 World Cup, stating that the South Africa team is his priority.
“Obviously, playing for the country will always be a priority, and I am fully available for South Africa,” the 35-year-old stated.
READ: ICC WTC 2025 Final sets new viewership records
Even in the past week, away from Leeds, West Indies flirted with pulling off something special against the Aussies in Barbados, and in Zimbabwe 19-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius became the youngest man to make a hundred for South Africa. Keep an eye on him, a megastar of the future.
More broadly, runs are being scored faster, wickets taken more regularly, there are more close matches and fewer draws than ever before.
The run-rate across all Test cricket in the past three years has been 3.60, the highest of any three-year period. Over the same time, less than 10% of Tests were drawn, down from more than 20% across the previous 20 years and more than 40% historically.
It is a disregard for draws that marks England’s Bazballers out as innovators.
It would be hyperbole to say they have saved Test cricket, still not unreasonable to say they have altered the perspective on the way it could be played – 37 Tests and counting since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum united, only one soggy draw among them.
Draws can be thrilling – some wonderful Tests have been drawn – but by being so bullish about not considering a stalemate as a possibility, this England team have added a thrilling aspect to the five-day narrative.
For those watching, it leaves the wonder of how England will attempt to force a result, regardless of the situation. For opponents, it leaves the fear of always being in danger, the confusion of what it will take to beat Stokes’ team. For England, it gives the clarity of thought to attempt and comfortably complete a run chase like the one in Leeds, removing the seed of doubt sewn by the safety net of a draw.
As an opening chapter of a 10-part story, comprising this India series and the Ashes against Australia this winter, Headingley was perfect, more than living up to the pre-match billing. There will have been plenty of other series with as much expectation as the two England are undertaking, though it is hard to remember a time when Test cricket has been in such sharp focus for a period of time as prolonged as the next seven months.
England were favourites at Headingley and could, probably should, have lost. India paid the price for dropped catches, a crucial Harry Brook wicket off a no-ball and a tail that refused to wag.
As a result, the tourists are in a muddle at Edgbaston. Do they play another one of their Jasprit Bumrah chips, leaving only one for the rest of the series? Will they find a place for magician wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav and simultaneously boost their lower-order batting?
England are settled, with the prospect of Jofra Archer returning for the third Test next week at Lord’s, the ground where he made his electrifying debut six years ago. Steve Smith and all that.
It would be good for the series if India won this week. Level at 1-1 is all to play for, 2-0 down is as good as over. The visitors will have to battle history – they have never won in eight visits to Edgbaston spanning 58 years.
Divyanshi Bhowmick created history at the Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships 2025 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Tuesday, becoming the first Indian in 36 years to win the U15 girls’ singles continental title.
Subramanian Bhuvaneswari was the last Indian to win the girls’ title in the age group. She did it at the 1989 edition hosted by New Delhi.
The 14-year-old Indian table tennis player, seeded second, defeated the People’s Republic of China’s Zhu Qihi 4-2 (13-11, 11-8, 8-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-8) in the final to cap off a stunning campaign, which saw her beat three Chinese opponents.
Divyanshi also secured qualification for the upcoming World Youth Table Tennis Championships, scheduled in Romania this November, with her gold-medal-winning run at Tashkent.
Divyanshi’s most notable performance came in the semi-finals, where she edged past Liu Ziling of China in a tightly-contested seven-game table tennis battle.
In the final, she held her nerve against Zhu Qihi, using her strong backhand and clever placement to overcome early pressure and close out the match.
A rising star in India’s junior table tennis circuit, Divyanshi was named Best Women’s Player (Overall) at the Table Tennis Super League (TTSL) Maharashtra in April.
St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today the Blues have signed forward Nick Bjugstad to a two-year contract worth $3.5 million ($1.75 million annual average value).
Bjugstad, 32, appeared in 66 regular-season games with the Utah Mammoth last season, posting 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) and 16 penalty minutes.
A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, the 6-foot-5, 205-pound forward has amassed 330 points (157 goals, 173 assists) and 344 penalty minutes in 760 career NHL regular-season games, including stints with Florida, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Arizona, Edmonton and Utah.
He has also totaled eight points (six goals, two assists) and 22 penalty minutes in 27 career postseason games.
Daria Kasatkina’s first Wimbledon win as a naturalized Australian citizen wasn’t the only highlight of her Tuesday at the All England Club.
After beating Colombia’s Emiliana Arango in straight sets in the first round, Kasatkina and her fiancée Natalia Zabiiako met Australian actress Cate Blanchett.
A smiling selfie posted to Instagram by Zabiiako commemorated the occasion, a meeting that the former Olympic figure skater confessed was a “dream come true.”
Two-time Academy Award winner Blanchett was just one of many famous faces in the star-studded Royal Box guest list across the first two days of the tournament.
The roster of attendees has also included another Australian movie star, Rebel Wilson — who is ubiquitous to the tennis tour — as well as Russell Crowe, Eddie Redmayne, David Beckham, and Maria Sharapova.
Back on the court, Kasatkina’s win snapped a four-match losing streak, and marked her first win on grass this summer. She had previously gone 0-3 with opening exits at the Queen’s Club, Berlin and Eastbourne. But she’ll hope that historic good results at SW19 will parlay into another deep run at the grass-court major. She has reached the third round at Wimbledon in each of the last two years and also had a 2018 quarterfinal appearance.
The No. 16 seed will look to keep the good vibes going when she faces Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu in the second round.
