ATLANTA: Paul Casey has his best chance at finally having something to show for his great play in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
And the payoff could be enormous.
Sloppy at the turn, Casey kept a clean card on the back nine at East Lake and holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole for some separation in the Tour Championship. He shot a 5-under 65 to build a two-shot lead, leaving him one round away from his first PGA Tour victory in eight years and 144 events.
His last victory was the Houston Open in 2009, though he has won five times around the world since then.
Different about this opportunity is the $10 million bonus if he were to win the FedEx Cup, and the 40-year-old from England headed home Saturday evening knowing he was projected to capture both trophies.
“It would be amazing,” he said.
Casey, who was at 12-under 198, has six top-5 finishes in his last eight FedEx Cup playoff events.
Kevin Kisner had a 64, his best round at East Lake by three shots, and still rued too many birdie chances that burned the edge of the cup. He left East Lake in a hurry without too much reflection on his round or his chances so he could take a helicopter to Georgia’s football game.
Also two shots behind was Xander Schauffele, the PGA Tour rookie who looks comfortable on a big stage against some players he has not had the occasion to meet this year. The 24-year-old from San Diego made it into the Tour Championship by playing his final six holes in 6-under par last week at the BMW Championship. He showed that explosive scoring again in the third round at East Lake for a 65.
“I had nothing to lose last week, and I have absolutely nothing to lose this week,” he said.
The top five seeds in the FedEx Cup only have to win to claim’s golf’s biggest payoff, and those numbers are dwindling.
Justin Thomas, the No. 2 seed and a five-time winner this year, was tied for the lead and played in the final group with Casey. He fell back with a three-shot swing on the par-5 sixth hole when Casey made eagle and Thomas missed the fairway and chopped his way to a bogey. Thomas made a double bogey on No. 14 from another wild tee shot and a three-putt from about 35 feet.
Two birdies over the last three holes gave him a 70, and he was still in the mix at five shots behind.
Jordan Spieth, dressed all in black, opened the back nine with consecutive bogeys, and then missed a 3-foot birdie putt on No. 12. He put together three birdies to salvage a 69, though he was eight shots behind. Even so, as the No. 1 seed, the FedEx Cup was not out of reach. Spieth could still move up the leaderboard, though he likely would need someone other than Casey to win, and to stay near Thomas on the leaderboard.
“Unfortunately, I’m not really in control of my own destiny at this point, but I’ll go out tomorrow, try and shoot a really solid round of golf and then do some cheerleading,” Spieth said.
Jon Rahm, the No. 5 seed, had to settle for a 70 and was six shots behind. Dustin Johnson (No. 3) had a 69 and will be paired again Sunday with Spieth in a tie for 13th.
Casey is not tempted to think about a $10 million bonus — $9 million paid out immediately — or even the five-year exemption that comes with it. Having gone so long since that last PGA Tour victory in Houston, and knowing Spieth or Thomas could finish behind him and still win the FedEx Cup, he wants to leave town with at least one trophy.
“For me, the most important thing is to try to win the Tour Championship,” he said. “I was told some of the scenarios, and I said, ‘It’s all irrelevant if I don’t get the job done.’”
Casey closes in on an elusive victory at Tour Championship
Casey closes in on an elusive victory at Tour Championship
Verstappen wins sprint race at Miami Grand Prix
Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez was third as the world champions gave themselves a points boost ahead of qualifying later on Saturday
MIAMI GARDENS, United States: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen cruised to victory in the Miami Grand Prix’s sprint race on Saturday finishing a full 3.3 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
The reigning three-times world champion and current championship leader, who is looking for a third straight Grand Prix victory at Miami on Sunday, led from pole and was never challenged after a chaotic opening lap.
Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez was third as the world champions gave themselves a points boost ahead of qualifying later on Saturday.
Dutchman Verstappen held off Leclerc’s strong start to secure his place at the front but there was plenty of action and incident in the middle of the pack.
Haas’s Kevin Magnussen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton jousted hard but in the end the Dane picked up three penalties, adding 25 seconds to his time, after frequently leaving the track and gaining advantage.
Hamilton also received a penalty, leaving him outside the points positions in 16th after speeding in the pit lane.
The safety car was brought out after the first lap which saw a start line incident involving Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and Lando Norris.
But away from those skirmishes, it was business as usual for Verstappen, who adds another eight points to his season tally with the victory.
“I think my engine wasn’t good in the start and so then I had to speed it a bit, luckily everything worked out in turn one,” said Verstappen.
“Then we had the safety car just to calm things down a bit after that. Steadily we could increase the gap a little bit, but it wasn’t entirely perfect so we still have a bit of work to do,” he added.
“We can still fine tune the car a little bit, so hopefully we can improve for later on in qualifying and especially for tomorrow in the race.”
Future champions shine as Riyadh hosts junior Asian tennis contest for first time
- Tournament featured 57 leading female and male junior players from 20 countries
RIYADH: The Asian Tennis Federation’s 14&U Grade A tournament concluded on Saturday in Riyadh, the first event of its kind to be held in the Kingdom.
The tournament was hosted by the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation at the Mahd Academy, and featured 57 leading female and male junior players from 20 countries, including Iran, India, Hong Kong and Thailand.
The “A” category is the highest-grade system within the ATF, with the winner of the singles competition earning 1,200 points.
The week’s top winners were Dharma Pantaratorn from Thailand and Kiyarash Sadghi from Iran.
Many of the junior players, such as 12-year-old Aylara Kakabayeva from Turkmenistan, were visiting Saudi Arabia for the first time.
“I took seventh place. It was really good. It feels very good playing here. It feels like you’re playing in a pro tournament like the Grand Slam,” she told Arab News.
The tournament proved to be a meeting point for the youth taking part. Saudi national team player Hamza Elmansoury, 11, said that his best moments were making “friends from different nationalities like Georgian India, Syria and Iran.”
Saudi tournament referee Reham Almansour said: “My favorite part was seeing and watching these talented players coming from all around Asia.”
The tournament is part of the STF’s drive to develop and promote competition for local talents.
STF development officer Pablo Mosquera said that the event allowed local players to get ranked without traveling long distances and making huge investments.
“So, they have, basically, in their backyard, an opportunity to get points,” he said.
“The whole point about tennis is bringing everyone together, especially in these international tournaments, especially the age group of under 12 or 14,” STF technical director, Hassan El-Aroussi added.
The federation plans to host more international tournaments, particularly junior competitions, in cooperation with the International Tennis Federation.
These expansive goals are driven by “our love of tennis,” El-Aroussi said.
Real Madrid put one hand on title with Cadiz win
- Los Blancos did their homework against the Andalucian stragglers to move a step closer to a record-extending 36th Spanish title
- “We leave our skins out there on the pitch to live moments like today’s, we are so close to the league,” Joselu told Real Madrid TV
MADRID: Real Madrid earned a comfortable 3-0 win over Cadiz which ensures they will win La Liga if Barcelona fail to beat Girona later Saturday.
Los Blancos did their homework against the Andalucian stragglers to move a step closer to a record-extending 36th Spanish title, which could be theirs within a matter of hours.
Brahim Diaz netted in the 51st minute to put Madrid ahead and then set up Jude Bellingham for the second, with Joselu tapping home a third to leave Madrid just one point away from clinching the title.
“We leave our skins out there on the pitch to live moments like today’s, we are so close to the league,” Joselu told Real Madrid TV.
“There are young players who are very hungry for titles, veterans who are delighted to be here... and these are special moments.”
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti played a heavily rotated side ahead of the Champions League semifinal second leg against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
The coach selected only captain Nacho Fernandez from the starting line-up that earned a 2-2 draw in Bavaria this week.
Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois started for the first time after a nine-month layoff after a knee injury and kept a clean sheet.
Madrid midfielder Luka Modric became the oldest player to appear for the club in La Liga, at 38 years and 238 days, breaking late Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas’ record from 1965 by five days.
Madrid striker Joselu came close to reaching a dangerous cross and Chris Ramos fired off target for the visitors in an otherwise slow start at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ruben Sobrino barged his way past Eder Militao on the counter-attack after half an hour but Nacho slid in well to thwart him as he prepared to shoot.
The visitors, 18th and still battling to stay up, shaded the first half, although Dani Ceballos had a shot blocked after Cadiz goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma went walkabout at a corner.
Courtois made a superb save to deny Ramos early in the second half and his team took the lead immediately afterwards.
The Cadiz striker shook free of Nacho and ran in on goal but Courtois produced a superb save.
Moments later Diaz sent Madrid ahead, receiving from the evergreen Modric on the edge of the area, turning slickly and curling an effort into the top corner.
“Thibaut is the best in the world, he’s had a terrible season and we were waiting for this day to come,” added Joselu.
Bellingham, on as a substitute for Turkish teenager Arda Guler, added the second soon after entering the fray.
Modric and Diaz combined well, with the latter squaring for Bellingham to put the finishing touch on a fine team move.
It was the England international’s 18th league goal of the season, keeping him in contention to finish as the top scorer, trailing Girona’s Artem Dovbyk by one.
Militao missed two good chances from close range in the final stages but Madrid eventually put the cherry on their cake after a superb run by Nacho.
Poised to depart at the end of the season, the Spaniard was hailed by the Bernabeu after setting up Joselu for a simple finish in stoppage time.
While Madrid are on the verge of domestic delight, Cadiz are staring down the barrel of relegation.
Defeat leaves them five points from safety having played one more match than Celta Vigo, 17th.
Arsenal power four points clear as Burnley sink toward relegation
- The Gunners’ fourth successive victory ensured second placed Manchester City will not be able to knock them out of pole position this weekend
- Burnley’s hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a huge blow as Newcastle ran riot at Turf Moor
LONDON: Arsenal defeated Bournemouth 3-0 to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League, while Burnley are on the verge of relegation after a 4-1 thrashing by Newcastle on Saturday.
The Gunners’ fourth successive victory ensured second placed Manchester City will not be able to knock them out of pole position this weekend even if they beat Wolves in Saturday’s late game.
Bukayo Saka’s penalty put Mikel Arteta’s side ahead on the stroke of half-time at the Emirates Stadium.
Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice struck in the closing stages to secure a vital three points.
Chasing their first title since 2004, the Gunners will pray for a shock City stumble against Wolves at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s team, who have two games in hand on Arsenal, can clinch an unprecedented fourth successive English title if they win their last four matches.
Arsenal’s 26th Premier League victory this season equalled the club’s top-flight record for a single campaign.
“It was probably the best first half we’ve played all season,” Arteta said.
“We were unbelievable. Everything flowing, super composed on the ball. We generated so many chances, we could have gone three, four, five up easily.”
Arteta’s men gifted the title to City last season after blowing an eight-point lead in the closing weeks.
But the north Londoners have learned from that meltdown, winning 14 of their 16 league games in 2024 to stay firmly in the hunt.
Arsenal travel to Manchester United in their penultimate game next weekend before hosting Everton in what they hope will be a potential title clincher on May 19.
Burnley’s hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a huge blow as Newcastle ran riot at Turf Moor.
Vincent Kompany’s second bottom side are five points from safety, with only two games left to avoid an immediate return to the Championship after last season’s promotion.
Callum Wilson put Newcastle ahead with a 19th minute tap-in and Sean Longstaff doubled their advantage in the 35th minute, sliding in to finish off Jacob Murphy’s pass.
Bruno Guimaraes made it three in the 40th minute with a powerful strike from Anthony Gordon’s pass.
Gordon is only the second player to score 10 goals and provide 10 assists in the Premier League this season after Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
Gordon was involved again when his shirt was tugged by Josh Brownhill, earning a 50th minute penalty that Arijanet Muric saved to deny Alexander Isak.
Sweden striker Isak made amends five minutes later when he converted Murphy’s pass for his 20th league goal this season.
Dara O’Shea’s 86th minute header was no consolation for bedraggled Burnley.
At Bramall Lane, fourth bottom Nottingham Forest took a giant step toward survival with a 3-1 win against already-relegated Sheffield United.
Gonzalo Montiel brought down Ben Brereton Diaz and the Blades forward picked himself up to lash in the 17th minute penalty.
But Callum Hudson-Odoi grabbed Forest’s equalizer in the 27th minute with a superb strike that curled into the far corner.
Ryan Yates slammed in Forest’s second from close-range after 51 minutes and Hudson-Odoi curled home in the 65th minute.
That gave the Blades an unwanted record as the first club to concede 100 goals in a 38-match Premier League season.
Swindon were relegated in 1993-94 after allowing 100 goals over 42 games.
Forest, awaiting the result of their appeal against a four-point deduction for financial breaches, are three points ahead of third bottom Luton, who drew 1-1 with Everton on Friday.
West London rivals Brentford and Fulham shared a dour 0-0 draw.
Reus begins farewell tour while Bayern stumble in Stuttgart
- Late goals from South Korea’s Jeong Woo-yeong and the DRC’s Silas Katompa Mvumpa saw Bayern suffer their first defeat in Stuttgart since 2007
- It was a particularly emotional afternoon for Reus, who had announced on Friday that after 12 years at Dortmund he would leave at the end of the season
BERLIN: Marco Reus scored what could be his last ever goal for Borussia Dortmund in a 5-1 win over Augsburg on Saturday, while Bayern Munich stumbled to a 3-1 defeat away to Stuttgart ahead of their Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
Late goals from South Korea’s Jeong Woo-yeong and the DRC’s Silas Katompa Mvumpa saw Bayern suffer their first defeat in Stuttgart since 2007.
Stuttgart took the lead with a smash-and-grab goal just before the half-hour mark, Leonidas Stergiou prodding home after a dainty chip over the back line from Deniz Undav.
Bayern then equalized in controversial circumstances, after Stuttgart captain Waldemar Anton conceded a penalty with a very light challenge on Serge Gnabry.
Harry Kane converted the resulting penalty, taking his season tally to 36 goals, moving to within just four of Robert Lewandowski’s Bundesliga record.
But an 83rd minute header from Jeong put Stuttgart back in front before Silas sealed the win in stoppage time.
While Bayern head to Madrid with their tails between their legs, fellow Champions League semifinalists Dortmund were in fine form ahead of their trip to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
It was a particularly emotional afternoon for Reus, who had announced on Friday that after 12 years at Dortmund he would leave at the end of the season.
Youssoufa Moukoko gave Dortmund the lead early on, flicking the ball in from close range after some chaotic defending from Augsburg.
Donyell Malen doubled the lead on 20 minutes, heading home and in swinging corner from English winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
Moukoko added another from a corner shortly afterwards, before Ruben Vargas pulled one back for Augsburg against the run of play.
Dortmund remained unfazed, however, and Reus soon made it 4-1 with an elegant chip over goalkeeper Alexander Meyer.
Reus then set up Felix Nmecha for Dortmund’s fifth in the second half, and hit the bar himself before leaving the pitch to standing ovations on 65 minutes.
Elsewhere, Wolfsburg moved closer to safety with a 3-0 home win over Darmstadt while Werder Bremen were held 2-2 at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Two goals from Nick Woltemade saw Bremen come from behind after Robin Hack’s early opener for Gladbach, but the visitors snatched a point when Florian Neuhaus smashed a late penalty into the top corner.
Two early goals from Patrick Wimmer and Jonas Wind and a late strike from Vaclav Cerny saw Wolfsburg cruise past already relegated Darmstadt.
Ralph Hasenhuettl’s side are now nine points clear of the relegation play-off place, having played one more game than fellow strugglers Mainz.
