Archive of posts tagged United Kingdom

Jon Rahm returns where he robbed the bank

Posted by on

Adelaide

Joaquín Niemann, in full swing, has won five of the 11 LIV Golf tournaments this year, and Jon Rahm remains at zero, but with only two events remaining, the Spaniard can still take the season's No. 1 ranking from the Chilean and thus retain his 2024 crown.

The points system of the multimillion-dollar Saudi Super League and Rahm's consistency, finishing in the top 10 on every course except one, explain why the Basque player can still overtake Niemann, champion in Adelaide, Singapore, Mexico, Virginia, and Great Britain, the last tournament he played.

Jon Rahm, statements

"This is how the points system works right now. I think they should probably give more points for winning, that would be great for me, but it could be the other way around next year: if I'm not going to win and I still have a chance to win with two tournaments left, I'm fine with that. It all depends. In the current situation, I'd obviously love to have more points for winning, but this is how the system is set up now," reflected Niemann, 26.

The Chilean admitted that being consistent is "the hardest thing in this game" and, since "Jon Rahm is the most consistent player in the world," he understands why the Spaniard remains so close to him in the standings: Niemann has 206.80 points, 37.64 more than Rahm (169.16). American Bryson DeChambeau, third with 136.24, is the other golfer still with a mathematical chance of reaching the throne, albeit a very remote one.

Each victory at LIV Golf awards 40 points, second place earns 30, and the points continue to decrease from there, with the last players to earn a point being those who finish between 21st and 24th. No points are awarded outside the top 24.

Rahm's assault on the No. 1 ranking will begin this Friday at LIV Golf in Chicago, at Bolingbrook GC, where the Basque golfer will defend his title from last year, hoping to get closer to and even surpass Niemann in the overall standings if he wins.

“Someone told me that in the weeks he hasn't won, Joaquín hasn't been at his best or scoring many points, so with my consistency, I've had a chance to stay close,” conceded Jon, whose team, Legion XIII, leads the standings (218.66 points) ahead of the Crushers GC, captained by DeChambeau (172.00).

Rahm raided the bank last year in Chicago, which closed out the Saudi Super League season. The Spanish golfer won the four million reserved for the tournament champion and was crowned No. 1, also taking home the $18 million bonus. Jon pocketed $22 million in one day, about €19 million at current exchange rates.

The LIV confirms its return to Virginia in 2026

Posted by on

Adelaide

The 2026 LIV schedule continues to take shape. This Wednesday, the Saudi Super League announced that Virginia (USA) and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) will once again be among its stops next season. The former will take place from May 8-10, and the latter will once again serve as the opening venue, from February 5-7.

Liv Golf, calendar

The new development is that this time the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club will not be the venue for the LIV Virginia, which will also have a new sponsor in Maaden, the Saudi state mining company. Instead, a property owned by Donald Trump, with whom the organization has maintained good relations since its inception, was chosen not far from there: Trump National in Washington, D.C.

“I'm excited to welcome the LIV. The last time it was here, we broke attendance records, and next year it will be even bigger. I'm looking forward to once again showing the world one of the most iconic courses in existence and welcoming the best golfers in the world,” said Eric Trump, Donald's third son and one of the heads of the family's businesses.

Virginia and Riyadh are the sixth and seventh stops, respectively, confirmed for the LIV's upcoming schedule. The LIV will also travel to Adelaide (February 13-15), South Africa for the first time (March 20-22), Mexico City (April 17-19), the United Kingdom (July 24-26), and Singapore (March 13-15).

The Rules of Golf are a set of standards and procedures by which the sport of golf should be played. They are jointly written and administered by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the governing body of golf worldwide, except in the United States and Mexico, which are governed by the United States Golf Association. An expert committee composed of members of the R&A and the USGA oversees and refines the rules every four years. The latest revision took effect on January 1, 2016. Amendments to the Rules of Golf are generally divided into two main categories: those that improve understanding and those that reduce penalties in certain cases to ensure balance. The rulebook, entitled "Rules of Golf," is published regularly and also includes rules governing amateur status. In Italy, the Italian Golf Federation is responsible for overseeing competitions by enforcing the rules issued by the R&A, ensuring that these rules are observed by clubs, associations, and their members, and managing the resulting sporting justice, protecting their interests abroad.

Figures prove that Portrush was a triumph

Posted by on

Antrim coast

The 153rd edition of The Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club (July 17-20, 2025) set a new standard in attendance, television viewership, and digital engagement, as the tournament's return six years after Irishman Shane Lowry's success on the iconic Antrim coast provided an unforgettable spectacle that captivated fans worldwide.

A record 278,000 fans marked the highest attendance ever recorded for The Open, with the exception of St Andrews, once again highlighting the immense passion that exists for golf in Ireland. For the first time, all practice days were sold out with a record 90,000 fans in attendance, while 19,000 children were able to enjoy The Open as part of the Kids go Free initiative. More than 1.2 million applications were received for the ticket draw.

Portrush, results

The Open's reach extended well beyond Royal Portrush, reaching millions of viewers worldwide. In the UK, Sky Sports recorded its most-watched Open ever with 21.2 million hours watched, representing a significant 36% increase over the previous year. The final round marked Sky's second-largest Sunday audience since 2021. In the US, NBC/Peacock's coverage of the final averaged 4.1 million viewers, a 21% increase over 2024, and Sunday's audience reached over 6.1 million viewers. Overall, NBC Sports' coverage was its most-watched since 2022.

These record-breaking figures are a testament to the enduring appeal of The Open and fans' passion for the links. “The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush truly set a new standard for attendance, television audiences, and digital engagement,” said Neil Armit, Chief Commercial Officer of the R&A. “The incredible support from fans at The Open and those watching around the world, combined with the exceptional performances on the course, created an atmosphere that will be remembered for years to come. These record-breaking numbers are a testament to the enduring appeal of The Open and the fans’ passion for the links. We are immensely proud of what we have achieved together with our partners.”

Digital platforms played an equally crucial role in the tournament’s success by connecting with fans in innovative and interactive ways. TheOpen.com experienced record traffic, reaching its highest number of users and page views in a single day, with a 60% increase in page views compared to 2024. The Featured Groups stream also reached all-time highs in watch time and weekend performance, contributing to the second-highest live stream views ever, up 15% compared to 2024.

The official app also saw its highest daily user count ever, up 21%, with four days recording over 400,000 users. New features such as the lock screen leaderboard and improved access to live streaming contributed to a significant 96% increase in average session duration.

Social media engagement exploded, with nearly 400,000 new followers, a 178% increase over 2024, and generated over 436 million views across platforms. Key follower milestones were reached across all major platforms, including 795,000 on Instagram.

The launch of ticket sales for the 154th The Open at Royal Birkdale also saw the highest number of requests since 2022 for the 150th edition, which was then held at St Andrews.

Tennis Channel and ITF Extend Media Rights Agreement

Posted by on

By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, August 4, 2025
Photo credit: Matt McNulty/Getty for ITF

Tennis Channel will remain your television ticket to Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup competition.

Under the new multi-year agreement, Tennis Channel will remain the exclusive U.S. home for both tournaments continuing a relationship that began in 2009, TC and the ITF said in a joint announcement issued today.

Austria

The extension runs through 2027 for the Billie Jean King Cup and 2028 for the Davis Cup.

“The extension also marks a significant expansion of Tennis Channel’s international reach, with rights to broadcast in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the United Kingdom,” TC announced.  “Additionally, rights for the Billie Jean King Cup have been secured in Spain – a new and important market where interest in women’s tennis continues to see strong growth.”

The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will be contested in Shenzhen, China, September 16-21st. The Davis Cup Final 8 is set for Bologna, Italy, November 18-23rd.

“For many years Tennis Channel has helped bring the World Cup of Tennis to millions of people around the world and this extension is great news for both Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup,” ITF President David Haggerty said. “We look forward to continuing to work alongside Tennis Channel to continue this growth for years to come.”

LPGA and LET: first Major for Miyu Yamashita

Posted by on

Alessandra Fanali

The Japanese dominated from the opening round in the AIG Women's Open, and in the end, the title of the fifth and final women's Major of the season went to Miyu Yamashita, who finished with a 277 (68 65 74 70, -11) shot, two ahead of compatriot Minami Katsu and England's Charley Hull, who finished second with 279 (-9).

Miyu Yamashita, results

On the par-72 Royal Porthcawl Golf Club course in Porthcawl, Wales, in the tournament organized by the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour, another Japanese player, Rio Takeda, finished fourth with a 281 (-7), along with South Korean A Lim Kim. Taiwanese Wei-Ling Hsu and American Megan Khang finished sixth with a 282 (-6), and eighth with a 284 (-4) was the eagerly awaited Englishwoman Lottie Woad, who recently turned professional and already has two LET wins (one as an amateur), Australian Stephanie Kyriacou, and the strong Spanish amateur Paula Martin Sampedro, winner of the European Ladies' Amateur Championship at the end of July.

American Nelly Korda, world number one, and New Zealand's Lydia Ko, the defending champion, were disappointed, finishing 36th with a 291 (+3), while Alessandra Fanali's first Major ended in the cut, finishing 106th with a 151 (73 78, +7).

Miyu Yamashita, 24, from Neyagawa, inaugurated her trophy case—which spans both the LPGA Tour, where she plays, and the Ladies European Tour—with a Major, but before playing in the US, she had won 13 titles on the LPGA of Japan Tour. She closed her winning run, which began as the leader in the second round, with a 70 (-2, three birdies, one bogey) and received a check for $1,425,000 on a prize pool of $9,500,000.

The rules of golf are relatively complicated compared to other sports because they are played outdoors, close to nature and animals. Respecting the rules is a fundamental element in the game of golf, which, almost always based on self-control and the free conscience of the players, often sees distorted results, sometimes consciously, but often unconsciously or through carelessness, due to the failure of many players to comply with the rules of the game. In addition to the rules, golf adheres to a code of conduct, known as etiquette, which generally means playing the game with due respect for the golf course and other players. Etiquette is an essential component of this sport.

HotelPlanner Tour: Daniel Young wins again

Posted by on

Aron Zemmer

Daniel Young was the star of the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge, a HotelPlanner Tour tournament, winning with a 265 (64, 67, 64, 70, -19) in "his" Scotland, edging out Frenchman Julien Quesne, who finished second with a 266 (-18).

On the par-71 Schloss Roxburghe course in Heiton, near Kelso, Filippo Celli put in another strong performance, finishing fifth with a 270 (68, 68, 65, 69, -14), having finished fourth in the previous German Challenge.

HotelPlanner Tour, results

In third place with a 268 (-16) was fellow Scot Euan Walker, England's John Gough in fourth with a 269 (-15), and tied with Celli were Spaniard Quim Vidal and Belgian James Meyer De Beco. In eighth place with 271 (-13) were Frenchman Maxence Giboudot and South African Bryce Easton.

Daniel Young, a 33-year-old from Perth who has been a professional since 2016 and studied at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, with two second-place finishes and seven other top-ten finishes in 103 appearances on the tour, took the lead after three rounds and sealed his first tour title at the 104th round with a closing 70 (-1) (double bogey and three birdies). Quesne, a 44-year-old from Le Mans who won the Italian Open in 2013, attempted to catch up, but his 67 (-4, five birdies and one bogey, the only one in his score, scored on the 66th hole) wasn't enough. Young received a check for €46,196 out of a prize pool of approximately €285,000 (the official figure is £250,000).

Of the other Italians, Renato Paratore, who won twice this season, finished 21st with a 275 (71, 64, 69, 71, -9), followed by Stefano Mazzoli, 29th with a 276 (67, 73, 67, 69, -8), Aron Zemmer, 32nd with a 277 (68, 65, 71, 73, -7), and Lorenzo Scalise, 43rd with a 279 (70, 70, 66, 73, -5).

Filippo Celli, who started the competition in 25th place before moving up to 16th and eighth, finished with a partial 69 (-2, four birdies, two bogeys). The 24-year-old Roman, making his 50th appearance on the tour, has achieved three top-five finishes in his last four appearances (including second place in the Interwetten Open). These performances currently place him eighth in the Race to Mallorca (order of merit), which at the end of the year will award the top 20 a ticket to the 2026 DP World Tour. Paratore is ahead of him in fifth place.

The cut-off finishers were amateur Biagio Andrea Gagliardi, 110th with a score of 144 (75 69, +2), Enrico Di Nitto, 120th with a score of 145 (73 72, +3), and Michele Ortolani, 141st with a score of 147 (75 72, +5).

Padraig Harrington dominates Major for over 50

Posted by on

Ben Curtis

Ireland's Padraig Harrington dominated the ISPS Handa Senior Open, one of the majors for "over-50s," finishing with a 264 (67, 65, 65, 67, -16) on the par-70 Sunningdale GC course, in the town from which the course takes its name, England.

Padraig Harrington, results

In the tournament organized jointly by the Legends Tour and the PGA Tour Champions, Harrington took the lead in the second round and then controlled the situation, preventing his opponents from coming back. He finished with a 67 (-3, one eagle, three birdies, two bogeys), prevailing by three shots over American Justin Leonard and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who finished second with 267 (-13).

Australian Scott Hend finished fourth with a 268 (-12), South African Ernie Els and Australian Cameron Percy in fifth with a 269 (-11), and New Zealander Steven Alker, who had led in the opening round, finished seventh with a 270 (-10). Emanuele Canonica, who finished 110th with a 146 (72 74, +6), made the cut after two rounds.

Padraig Harrington, 53, from Dublin, won his third Major title in his category (his second this year after the U.S. Senior Open) and his 11th on the PGA Tour Champions, where he currently plays. Before joining the "over-50" ranks, he won three career Majors, and, excluding those, three PGA Tour events and 12 European Tour (now the DP World Tour). His list of victories also includes one on the Japan Golf Tour, two on the Asian Tour (plus two combined with the European circuit), one World Cup (with Paul McGinley, 1997), and ten others around the world. For his achievement, he received a check for €381,190 out of a prize pool of approximately €2,427,000 (officially $2,850,000).

Pádraig Harrington, born August 31, 1971 in Ballyroan, is an Irish golfer who turned professional in 1995. His greatest achievement was a victory at the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie in Scotland. He retained his title a year later at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in England. At the 2008 PGA Championship, he edged Sergio Garcia and Ben Curtis by two strokes to win the tournament for the first time in his career and his third Grand Slam title.

Donald Trump’s golf course debut and Scottish minister meeting on same day

Posted by on

Aberdeen

Donald Trump's arrival in Scotland caused a barrage of reactions from the public. Citizens of Scotland were not particularly open about his arrival at the golf course in Turnberry, but also about Trump's visit to Scotland in general.

The American president arrived in the European country to meet with Ursula von der Leyen, as well as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Scottish Prime Minister John Swinney. 

Trump is scheduled to meet with Swinney on Monday and will officially open the second golf course on his Aberdeenshire property at the same time.

The citizens of Scotland are not the only ones who raise their voice, as the citizens of the US are equally frustrated with the politics of the Republican leader. His excessive focus on golf and ignoring construction is where the deepest frustrations lie. 

Trump arrived in Scotland on Friday night, heading to Turnberry. 

His arrival at Turnberry caused a lot of reactions, and the police primarily wanted to ensure Trump's safety with military and police forces. 

A security checkpoint has been set up in front of the hotel, and a tall fence now surrounds the course.

Major Scottish cities such as Aberdeen and Edinburgh saw protests in response to the US president’s visit.

Trump is expected to return on Tuesday, but it remains to be seen how his visit to Scotland will end; and whether he’ll be able to connect with key European political figures.

Trump's moves: The future of the world is in his hands

The republican leader created real chaos in the world with his tariffs, which did not cause the approval of citizens around the world, as well as important political figures. Although Trump is ready to negotiate and find a common language, it seems that the majority is outraged by his actions and desire to dominate.

In addition, most believe that Donald Trump is focused more on golf than on serious political issues that could define the future of the planet.

Alcaraz: Grass Game Most Beautiful Form of Tennis

Posted by on

"The style that the people bring to the court when they play on grass, I think is so beautiful," Carlos Alcaraz said. Alcaraz

By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Saturday, June 28, 2025
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport

An old adage states beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Grass-court tennis is the game’s most alluring surface for Carlos Alcaraz.

Tennis Express

Two-time Wimbledon champion Alcaraz proclaims the lawn game is the most transcendent tennis for players and fans.

“I think the most beautiful tennis that we can watch is on grass,” Alcaraz told the media at Wimbledon today. “The style that the people bring to the court when they play on grass, I think is so beautiful.

“The sound of the ball. The movement is really tough, but when you get it, it's kind of you're flying (smiling).”

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

A post shared by Wimbledon (@wimbledon)

Grass rewards the five-time Grand Slam champion’s athleticism, aggression and all-court acumen, which are among the reasons Alcaraz loves lawns.

“It's just pretty well to me because I really want to hit slices, dropshots, going to the net all the time, playing aggressively,” Alcaraz said. “I think on grass it's the style that you have to play. So that's what I like the most.”

Riding a career-best 18-match winning streak into his Wimbledon title defense, Alcaraz opens Centre Court play against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini on Monday at 1:30 p.m.

It’s Alcaraz's first match since he beat Jiri Lehecka to win Queen’s Club—his fourth career grass-court championship equaling Rafa Nadal and Feliciano Lopez for most by a Spanish man in the Oepn Era.

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

A post shared by Wimbledon (@wimbledon)

The two-time reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon winner is aiming to join Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in capturing three consecutive Wimbledon crowns in the Open Era.

Alcaraz said today he’s hunting the title—not necessarily that legacy list.

“I'm coming here thinking that, yeah, I really want to win the title. I really want to lift the trophy,” Alcaraz said. “Not thinking about how much players have done it, you know, winning three Wimbledons in a row.

“I'm just thinking about, okay, I just want to be ready and just want to prepare myself in the best way possible, just to start the tournament with a lot of confident. Obviously I feel a lot of confident right now (smiling).

"But just thinking about still going forward, it's still doing the good things, and start the tournament. So two weeks could be really long on a Grand Slam, but right now I'm not thinking about who I could join if I win three Wimbledons in a row.”

While media and fan speculation over Alcaraz’s relationship with US Open mixed doubles partner Emma Raducanu has run rampant since his UK return, the five-time Grand Slam champion has been busy teeing off with another British major winner.

“I play some golf. Actually, I play with Andy Murray on Monday and a few more players,” Alcaraz said of post Queen’s Club activity. “Just went to the center a little bit. Just wanted to go to the center a little bit, walk around, have a good food, and just having quality time with them doing some stuff that probably I wouldn't be able to do it while the tournament is on.”

Petra Kvitova, Dan Evans Lead Wimbledon Wild Cards

Posted by on

Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova will return to SW19.Barbora Krejickova

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport

Petra Kvitova will return to Wimbledon this month.

Two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova leads the list of Wimbledon wild cards announced today by Tournament Referee Denise Parnell.

Tennis Express

The left-handed Kvitova swept Maria Sharapova to win the 2011 Wimbledon title. Three years later, Kvitova crushed Eugenie Bouchard to capture her second Wimbledon championship.

Eight different women have won the last eight Wimbledon championships, including successive winners from Czechia. Barbora Krejickova is reigning Wimbledon champion. Left-hander Marketa Vondrousova raised the Rosewater Dish in 2023.

The 35-year-old Kvitova is the only non-British player receiving a main-draw singles wild card today.

On the men's side, Briton's Dan Evans is one of seven British men to receive a main-draw wild card.

"I'm the first to harp on about the wild cards. It's not just about one week or one match. It's about what you do 52 weeks of the year," Evans told the media on Monday in comments published by BBC. "Tennis is not just about the grass court season in Britain. It's great that we've got an amazing set of events, but there is other tournaments.

"I haven't been good enough at those other tournaments, but I've still been professional, still train day in, day out."

Here's the list of Wimbledon wild cards announced today.

Wimbledon Men's Main Draw Wild Cards

Jay Clarke (GBR)
Oliver Crawford (GBR)
Dan Evans (GBR) 
George Loffhagen (GBR)
Johannus Monday (GBR)
Jack Pinnington Jones (GBR)
Henry Searle (GBR)
One more to be announced 

Wimbledon Ladies' Main Draw Wild Cards

Jodie Burrage (GBR)
Harriet Dart (GBR)
Francesca Jones (GBR)
Hannah Klugman (GBR)
Petra Kvitova (CZE)
Mike Stojsavljevic (GBR)
Heather Watson (GBR)
Mingge Xu (GBR)

Wimbledon is set for June 30-July 13th.