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Robert MacIntyre holes stunning putt on the 18th as he leads BMW Championship

Robert MacIntyre holes stunning putt on the 18th as he leads BMW Championship

MacIntyre had come under pressure from Scottie Scheffler during the third round, with the American ultimately taking one shot out of MacIntyre's half-way advantage, but he will take a significant dose of confidence into Sunday after his closing putt gave him a little extra breathing space.
After two blistering rounds of 62 and 64 on the first two days, Saturday's 68 was much more of a grind for MacIntyre, who struggled to find the fairways of the Caves Valley course on the third time around.
Exclamation on 18!
A 41-foot birdie on the last gives @robert1lefty a four-shot lead heading into Sunday. pic.twitter.com/v38U5frTcb
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 16, 2025
He bogeyed the first after a wayward second shot before a birdie on the par-five fourth, only to find himself in the trees on the fifth, ultimately saving par.
MacIntyre, who is on the verge of joining Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose in qualifying for Europe's Ryder Cup team, birdied again on the ninth and was clearly fired up, appearing to gesture unhappily at the crowd after sinking a putt to save par on the 14th.
He narrowly missed a birdie putt on the 17th but it was all smiles on the 18th.
'It was a tough, tough start,' MacIntyre said on Sky Sports. 'Going out with that lead is difficult but if I do my job well these guys have got to do really well to catch me.
'A 68 today, it was a struggle at times, through five or six holes, but it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog and I've got all the fight.'
Asked about his clash with the galleries on the 14th, MacIntyre laughed as he talked about Ryder Cup rivalries.
'We're in America, playing against their sweetheart Scottie, who I get on well with, he's a great guy,' he said. 'I expected it today and I expect it again tomorrow. You give me crap, I'll give you crap back. I'm not scared of that.'
Scheffler had closed the gap with birdies on the fourth, seventh and 11th holes, but a missed putt saw him bogey the 12th. He birdied again on the 14th to sign for a 67 that keeps him firmly in the hunt going into the final day.
Sweden's Ludvig Aberg will look to make it a three-horse race after his birdie on the 18th brought him within two shots of Scheffler.
Sam Burns and Harry Hall are two further shots back in a tie for fourth, one shot ahead of Fleetwood and Maverick McNealy.
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Shrewsbury in 'advanced talks' with new buyer
Shrewsbury in 'advanced talks' with new buyer

BBC News

time13 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Shrewsbury in 'advanced talks' with new buyer

Shrewsbury Town chief executive Liam Dooley said the struggling League Two club is in advanced talks with a potential buyer.A takeover deal by an American multi-millionaire collapsed in March following a six-month exclusivity Harris, the owner of Welsh side The New Saints of Oswestry, had also expressed an interest in buying the club from long-serving owner and chairman Roland said the club now hopes to enter into a period of exclusivity with a prospective party "in the coming days and weeks". He told the club website, external: "Since the conclusion of our previous exclusivity agreement, the board has carefully reviewed numerous expressions of interest."The majority did not progress beyond our internal process, which requires prospective buyers to demonstrate both proof of funds and a credible plan for the club."Following this thorough due diligence, we are really excited to have now found a potential buyer who we are close to entering into an exclusivity period with."Dooley added the club was considering scrapping the director of football role after Micky Moore left by mutual consent on helped bring in eight players during the summer, but the Shrews sit 20th in League Two following their relegation last season."As a club we will now take a considered pause to reflect on our footballing structure," Dooley said."We're assessing what has worked well at other clubs and we will weigh up carefully whether to continue with a director of football model or return to a more traditional structure."Dooley said he would oversee transfers until the end of the current window alongside head coach Michael Appleton and the club's recruitment team."Until just a couple of weeks ago, the majority of our supporters rightly believed that recruitment had been strong and that we were well-positioned for the season ahead," he added."And while we understand supporters' frustrations with recent results, our belief in this squad remains firm. It is just a matter of the players clicking and adapting to the new philosophy that Michael is working hard to implement."

Ryder Cup 2025: USA standings and predicting Keegan Bradley's team after six players confirmed
Ryder Cup 2025: USA standings and predicting Keegan Bradley's team after six players confirmed

The Independent

time14 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Ryder Cup 2025: USA standings and predicting Keegan Bradley's team after six players confirmed

Team USA is on a mission to recapture the Ryder Cup in the 2025 edition of the event at Bethpage Black and their chances look promising with the world's best player Scottie Scheffler leading their charge on the course. But a peculiar situation surrounding the team brings unwanted pressure and a distraction, with captain Keegan Bradley enjoying some of the best golf of his career, including a stunning win at the Travelers Championship to beat out Ryder Cup stalwart Tommy Fleetwood, cruelly denying him a first PGA Tour win in the process. The LIV Golf controversy has subsided, with Bryson DeChambeau likely to qualify automatically and return to the team after missing out at Marco Simone in 2023. A hurtful defeat in Rome, which saw Scheffler brought to tears after a record-breaking nine and seven defeat to Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg, should provide plenty of motivation for a raucous home crowd in New York this time around. Here's how the stars and stripes could line up, plus current standings, form, and who is in line for one of Bradley's six wildcard picks to take on a confident Team Europe: Current Team USA standings for 2025 Ryder Cup Top 6 eligible players following the conclusion of the BMW Championship, on 18 August, 2025, have made the team 1. Scottie Scheffler 37180.33 - QUALIFIED 2. JJ Spaun 14851.91 - QUALIFIED 3. Xander Schauffele 13733.52 - QUALIFIED 4. Russell Henley 12276.82 - QUALIFIED 5. Harris English 10880.55 - QUALIFIED 6. Bryson De Chambeau 10774.98 - QUALIFIED -------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Justin Thomas 10467.24 8. Collin Morikawa 1049.44 9. Ben Griffin 9745.76 10. Maverick McNealy 8913.65 11. Keegan Bradley 8435.00 12. Brian Harman 7466.91 13. Andrew Novak 7300.48 14. Cameron Young 7209.64 15. Patrick Cantlay 6716.39 16. Sam Burns 6688.29 17. Wyndham Clark 5216.87 18. Lucas Glover 4803.44 19. Akshay Bhatia 4647.13 20. Chris Gotterup 4570.10 Team USA for the 2025 Ryder Cup Qualified Scottie Scheffler Qualified. The best player in the world, but he has demons to exorcise from Rome: 9 and 7 with Brooks Koepka against Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg should light a fire in him for Bethpage Black. A comprehensive win at the PGA Championship and The Open, pencil him in for four team sessions and his singles match. JJ Spaun Qualified. Clutch play at Oakmont, a maiden major and the revelation of men's golf this year. A debut at Bethpage Black should provide a different examination, yet the Californian outdueled Bob MacIntyre, Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton, which should give him an edge. Another fierce battle with European stalwart Justin Rose saw him narrowly miss out at the St Jude Championship, but his composure down the stretch at TPC Southwind and in the playoff shows he can be trusted. Xander Schauffele Qualified. Holds a 7-6-1 record. Unable to capture the magic of 2024 after claiming two majors and has been hit with injuries. But a world class player with tremendous power and distance to marry with exquisite iron play and finesse around the greens. One of the few versatile players in terms of pairings for the USA, too. Russell Henley Qualified. Will get in as an automatic selection through the rankings and Bradley got a close-up look at what he can do in the final group of the Travelers Championship, including his chip-in on 18. Henley, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year, is a wizard approaching the green (11th in strokes gained on tour this year) and third on tour for proximity with his approach. A great option in foursomes. Harris English Qualified. English's first Ryder Cup match, in the Friday fourballs back in 2021, saw him and Tony Finau impressively down European big-hitters Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry 4&3, but losses in Saturday's fourballs and Sunday's singles left English and Finau as the US's lowest scorers that week. Not selected two years ago, English looks a good bet to get the call in 2025 after a win at the Farmers Insurance Open in January (his first PGA Tour triumph in four years), a T12 at the Masters and a T2 at the US PGA behind the uncatchable Scottie Scheffler. A solo second at Royal Portrush, behind Scheffler again, put him eighth in the world. Even if he slips out of the automatic qualification, he's very likely on the team. Bryson DeChambeau Qualified. Holds a 2-3-1 record. Sorely missed in Rome from an entertainment perspective, his bruising power of the tee should pose a real threat at this menace of a golf course. Still not striking his irons as he would like or how you'd expect given his scientific approach, and he continues to blame his golf ball, a daunting opponent but one the Europeans will fancy toppling if they can weather an early storm. The locks Justin Thomas Clinging onto the last automatic place, though in truth both Thomas and Morikawa (currently seventh) will both go. In a much better place after winning the RBC Heritage and T-2 at the Truist, but cut-cut at the PGA Championship and US Open provides a little concern over his ability to rise up on the tougher tracks. Collin Morikawa A masterful iron player. Despite the near-misses at the Sentry and Players, finishing second in both, the 28-year-old hasn't contended enough. But with the potential to establish himself as a transcendent player of his generation, Morikawa is a lock to play again this year and build on his experience from Rome. Likely in the team Keegan Bradley El Capitan. You saw the emotion when let down by ZJ in Full Swing, so to now be in a predicament: He's playing well enough to fully justify a wildcard pick. But as captain, where is the threshold to jeopardise his role as captain? Winning the Travelers Championship has changed everything, but form has since tailed off. A big, big few weeks ahead and a colossal decision to be made. Will he become the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963? Patrick Cantlay An absolute gun for the US in team events, most notably forming a formidable partnership alongside fellow 'best current player not to win a major' Xander Schauffele over multiple Ryder and Presidents Cups, it's hard to envisage Cantlay not being at Bethpage. However, he'll likely need a captain's pick because while partner in crime Schauffele ended his major drought by bagging two of them last year, the formerly prolific Cantlay doesn't have a tournament win of any description since August 2022. Has gone off the boil in majors this season, missing the cut at both the US Open and US PGA, and did become the villain du jour at the 2023 Ryder Cup when he refused to wear a hat, reportedly as a protest at not being paid to compete. The controversy ended up overshadowing the US team somewhat as they suffered a chastening defeat, while his caddy Joe LaCava first baited the European fans by waving a hat and celebrating wildly when his player made a crucial putt and then had a heated confrontation with Rory McIlroy in the car park. If he is in New York, Captain Bradley will surely implore Cantlay to keep his focus to on-course matters, where he has traditionally been very impressive. Ben Griffin The most likely rookie wildcard pick? Griffin has a tidy game and won the Charles Schwab this year. Two top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship and US Open show he belongs at the very top; he's in the driver's seat to grab one of the wildcard picks. The limited matchplay experience, beyond the Aruba Cup, representing the PGA Tour Canada in 2018, is one concern. In contention Jordan Spieth File him in the "we'll do everything we can to take him" category. He can take confidence in how much faith Thomas was given before Rome and expect similar treatment here. He cannot qualify automatically and must now rely on a wildcard pick. A wrist injury at Oakmont further muddied the waters, but Spieth is charismatic and could lift the home crowd to feverish levels. Bradley will need to be brave to resist picking him. Sam Burns A Sunday to forget at Oakmont as he frittered away a number of strokes to lose control of what was at one point a dominant US Open bid. Paired with Scheffler, a good friend of his, in Rome, in a bid to bring the best out of the world No 1, but it didn't work. An elite putter, Burns' US Open performance ought to earn him a pick if he can replicate this form in the closing weeks. Cameron Young Young narrowly missed out on a Ryder Cup debut in Rome two years ago despite vice-captain Fred Couples running his mouth on the radio a month before and declaring that "Cam Young will be in Italy". In with a real chance of that wrong being righted at Bethpage and his prodigious driving, both in terms of length and shot shape, makes him a perfect fit for the course. A win at the Wyndham Championship broke his duck on the PGA Tour, to pair with an impressive T4 at the US Open, the 28-year-old could be a smart pick. Maverick McNealy Not far from an automatic qualifier, but McNealy hasn't quite broken the door down. Third at the BMW Championship gives him hope, but a controversial omission awaits if the 29-year-old makes the team, currently tucked inside the top 20 in the world rankings. Outsiders Wyndham Clark Battling some demons in 2025: From throwing his club in a petulant act that put a volunteer in danger to smashing up an Oakmont locker. After posting T-46, T-50 and cut at this year's first three majors, T-4 at Royal Portrush propelled him back into consideration, with his powerful game another good fit for Bethpage Black. Brian Harman Carried a little by Max Homa in Rome and unable to carry over his outstanding play from Hoylake. A win at the Valero Texas Open this year, and T-10 at Royal Portrush, is still probably not enough. Predicted American team for the 2025 Ryder Cup Scottie Scheffler JJ Spaun Xander Schauffele Russell Henley Harris English Bryson DeChambeau Justin Thomas Collin Morikawa Ben Griffin Keegan Bradley Patrick Cantlay Cameron Young

Premier League cuts funding deal with Kick It Out from three years to one
Premier League cuts funding deal with Kick It Out from three years to one

The Guardian

time15 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

Premier League cuts funding deal with Kick It Out from three years to one

The Premier League has reduced the length of its funding deal with Kick It Out from three years to 12 months, leading to some concerns about the long-term security of the charity's income and the independence of the anti-racism movement. Kick It Out receives funding from a number of other stakeholders within the sport, including the Football Association, Professional Footballers' Association and Sky Sports, but the Premier League is increasingly taking charge of its own initiatives and programmes around diversity and inclusion. It was revealed by the Daily Telegraph last week that it has ended an eight-year partnership with Stonewall and will abandon the rainbow armbands and laces campaign, with the top flight planning to launch its own anti-homophobia initiative in February to coincide with LGBTQ+ History Month. The Premier League has no plans to cut ties with Kick It Out, a pioneer in combating racism and championing diversity since forming in 1993 as a campaign group, Let's Kick Racism Out of Football. Despite making considerable progress in driving racism out of stadiums, black players remain targets for abuse, as was demonstrated on Friday when the Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo was racially abused by a Liverpool supporter during the first Premier League game of the season at Anfield. Social media abuse is also rife, with the England defender Jess Carter revealing she received a barrage of racist messages online during the European Championship this summer, which led to the Lionesses ending their pre-match gesture of taking the knee, after five years, for the semi-final and final of the tournament. The Premier League captains decided last week to continue taking the knee this season, but only before the two matches during Black History Month in October. The Premier League declined to comment on its new funding arrangements with Kick It Out, but sources indicated a belief that a shorter deal will provide more flexibility to support specific programmes. The new funding deal is understood to have conditions attached regarding programme delivery, in line with the Premier League's policy towards funding external groups. Kick It Out also declined to comment. The Premier League has significantly increased the staff numbers and resources committed to its own inclusion work in recent years. The former Huddersfield and Gillingham striker Iffy Onuora was appointed in 2021 as its first head of equality, diversity and inclusion, with Kuljit Randhawa joining as the head of diversity and inclusion strategy the following year. The League has also set up a Black Participants' Advisory Group, comprising former players and managers including Wes Morgan, Darren Moore and Chris Hughton, to provide additional advice. 'We're confident enough now to speak in our own voice,' the league's chief executive, Richard Masters, said last week in reference to the Stonewall partnership. 'We're confident to put our own activations together, talking to clubs and stakeholders about it. Whatever activation we do is doing to be in February and we look forward to making some announcements about it. 'We decided to me more determined, in the same way we now speak in our own voice on issues of racism, with the No Room for Racism campaign. When you poll fans, they say that's the second most important thing the Premier League does, other than organise the football competition. We believe promoting our campaigns now, ensuring they are going to work, is the way forward.' Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion The Premier League's moves into this area have caused tensions with Kick It Out in the past, most notably when it launched the No Room for Racism campaign six years ago without informing the charity. To compound matters, the first No Room for Racism weekend in March 2019 took place during fixtures previously reserved for Kick It Out events. While the Premier League's commitment to combating racism is not in doubt, industry experts have privately warned that an independent body such as Kick It Out should not be replaced, because the charity is better positioned to hold authorities and clubs to account.

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