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Georgia Hall misses out with a foot injury and Charley Hull has stomach issues; Alice Hewson and Liz Young called up as replacements for Team England at TPC Harding Park; watch the International Crown throughout the week live on Sky Sports Golf

Bronte Law and Jodi Ewart Shadoff have criticised Georgia Hall and Charley Hull for their late withdrawals from Team England’s squad for this week’s Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown.

Tournament organisers confirmed on Monday that the two highest-ranked players in the England team would not feature at TPC Harding Park, with Hall citing a foot injury and Hall withdrawing due to illness.

Ladies European Tour players Alice Hewson and Liz Young were late call-ups for England and will make their debuts in the eight-team contest, with Law frustrated by the lack of communication from Hall and Hull about their decisions not to compete.

When asked how she found out about her Solheim Cup team-mates’ withdrawals, Law said in her pre-tournament press conference: “Through Chinese whispers, if you’d like to call it that. Didn’t get any sort of message from the two that decided to not play. Was disappointed about that.

“I think anyone with some level of decency would send their team-mates a message that they weren’t coming, not find out from other players on tour who have heard things from them saying things at the tournament last week. I don’t think that that’s a lot to ask for.”

Law revealed she later received a message from Hull apologising for not being able to play, with the two withdrawals leaving Ewart Shadoff now the highest-ranked player in Team England.

“Obviously it’s disappointing, especially to come so late,” Ewart Shadoff said. “I’m sure it’s disappointing mainly for Hanwha. I think what they’ve done for the tournament and to bring it back, we’re all just really grateful to be here.

“I’ve lived in the US for almost half my life now, and I’m still as proud now to put on the England flag as I was when I was 12 years old putting it on for the first time.

“My schedule this year — especially the first half of this year – is all based around being here this week because it means that much to me to play for England. It’s just a privilege. I’m very proud to be here, and I’m proud to be part of this team.”

Why are Hall and Hull missing out?

Hall said in a statement: “I’ve been struggling with my foot for the past few weeks and in spite of daily physio treatment it’s not improving, so I’ve been advised to take a week off.

“I’m really sorry not to be able to play the Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown and wish my England team-mates the very best of luck for the week. I also want to especially thank President Yeo and his team at Hanwha for bringing this event back to the LPGA Tour.”

Hull added: “I’m gutted to have to withdraw. I’ve been quite sick the past couple of weeks with stomach issues. I was hoping I could play through it, but it seems not and I’m going to need to seek some help.

“I’m really sorry to let the tournament down and of course my team-mates, but I’m going to have to take some time out to get healthy.”

What is the International Crown?

Eight teams of four players are split into two groups, with Team England (fifth seeds) in the same group as Sweden, China and top-seeds United States. Korea, Thailand, Japan and Australia are in the other side of the draw.

Fourball matches will take place over the first three days, with each match worth a point for a win and a half point for a tie. The top two teams in each group after Saturday will advance to Sunday’s semi-finals.

The two semi-finals will be played on Sunday morning, each consisting of two singles matches and one foursomes match, with the winning team then progressing into the final later in the day that will have the same format.

Watch the International Crown throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins via the red button at 10pm from Thursday-Sunday on Sky Sports Golf, with coverage moving to front channel from 11pm after the conclusion of the Well Fargo Championship.

World No 1 Jon Rahm is tied for second with Akshay Bhatia at 17 under after flying up the leaderboard with A bogey-free 10-under round of 61; Tony Finau leads the Mexico Open by two after third-round 65; watch the final round live on Sunday from 1.30pm on Sky Sports Golf

World No 1 Jon Rahm closed to within two shots of Mexico Open leader Tony Finau after a sensational, bogey-free 10-under round of 61 on Saturday.

Rahm carded six birdies in the opening eight holes alone, while four more followed on the back nine at Vidanta Vallarta. The Masters champion is chasing a fifth win of 2023.

An eagle on the 18th would have seen the Spaniard shoot 59 but unfortunately he found a bunker off the tie and ended up with a par after missing a long-range birdie putt.

Despite Rahm’s third-round heroics – his 61 set a new course record and was the joint-lowest score of his career – he still trails halfway leader Finau by two after the American carded an impressive six-under 65 of his own.

Finau bogeyed the 17th, his sole blip of the round, to briefly hold only a one-shot advantage over Rahm and Akshay Bhatia – in a tie for second at 17 under – but a birdie finish, his fifth in the final seven holes, brought the world No 16 back to 19 under and saw him regain his two-stroke cushion for Sunday.

Brandon Wu, who was in Saturday’s final pairing with Finau, having started the day one off the lead, is fourth heading into the final round after a four-under 67 to sit 16 under.

Will Gordon is three shots further back, while day-one leader Austin Smotherman is 12 under, just ahead of Erik van Rooyen, Andrew Putnam and Eric Cole in a three-way tie at 11 under.

Who will win the Mexico Open? Watch the final round live on Sky Sports. Early coverage begins at 1.30pm on Sunday on Sky Sports Golf ahead of full coverage from 6pm.

Matt Fitzpatrick leads by one at 14 under heading into the final round at Hilton Head; Patrick Cantlay is 13 under, with defending champion Jordan Spieth one shot further back; watch the final round of the RBC Heritage on Sky Sports Golf from 1.30pm, Sunday

England’s Matt Fitzpatrick leads by one shot heading into the final round of the RBC Heritage after a magnificent eight-under 63 in Saturday’s third round.

The 28-year-old, who won the US Open in 2022, holed his second shot for an eagle two on the third hole and added six birdies for his lowest-ever round on the PGA Tour.

It sees him move to 14 under and hold a one-shot lead over Patrick Cantlay, who lost in a play-off to Jordan Spieth a year ago, with Spieth himself a further shot back at 12 under. Both Americans shot 66.

Fitzpatrick has struggled for much of the year, missing four cuts in seven events before tying for 10th at the Masters last week, only his second top 10 of the season.

“I think this is a golf course that’s shown that there are low scores around here this week,” Fitzpatrick said following his round.

“Aside from Augusta, it’s my favourite golf course.”

England’s Tommy Fleetwood carded a 68 to move to 11 under, tied with four others including world No 2 Scottie Scheffler (69) and overnight leader Jimmy Walker (72).

Former US PGA champion Walker, who opened with two rounds of 65 for a three-stroke halfway lead, was tied with Fitzpatrick before three bogeys on the back nine dropped him down the leaderboard.

Masters champion Jon Rahm is eight under after his third round of 69, alongside English duo Justin Rose (72) and Aaron Rai (71).

Watch the final round of the RBC Heritage live on Sky Sports Golf from 1.30pm on Saturday. Coverage is also on Sky Sports Main Event from 7.30pm

Three of the top six on The Masters leaderboard were LIV players, with Brooks Koepka sharing second with Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed finishing tied-fourth; Jon Rahm secured a second major title with a four-shot win at Augusta National

Brooks Koepka believes the LIV contingent delivered a strong message by showing they are not “washed up” after a string of strong performances at The Masters.

Koepka was one of 18 members from the breakaway circuit who featured in the opening major of the year, with the four-time major champion taking a two-shot lead into the final round before finishing tied-second behind Jon Rahm.

Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson shared second with Koepka on eight under, with fellow LIV golf member Patrick Reed a further stroke back in a share of fourth, with Koepka insistent it should come as no surprise that so many of them contended.

“We’re still the same people,” Koepka said after a final-round 75. “I know if I’m healthy, I know I can compete. I don’t think any of the guys that played this event thought otherwise, either.

“When Phil [Mickelson] plays good, we know he’s going to compete. P-Reed [Patrick Reed], the same thing. I think that’s just manufactured by the media that we can’t compete anymore; that we are washed up.

“It is fractured, I guess, from the fans’ perspective. But as far as us, I think everybody saw it this week. It’s nice to see everybody. There’s no hard feelings pretty much. I think that’s the way everybody should see it.”

Golf ‘lost all the pettiness’ at Augusta

Mickelson charged up the leaderboard on Sunday with a round-of-the-day 65, firing seven birdies over his final 13 holes to post his best worldwide finish since winning the PGA Championship in 2021, with the 52-year-old grateful to have the opportunity to tee it up again at Augusta.

“I thought it was exciting that this tournament rose above it all to have the best players in the world here and lost all the pettiness; that was great,” Mickelson said in his post-tournament press conference.

“I’m not saying it [LIV] is for everybody, but it’s been awesome for me and I love it. I’m excited to go play in Australia, but this tournament isn’t about what tour you play from.

“There’s players from all over, all over the world on many different tours, and you’re bringing the best players to play against each other in the majors. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what the game of golf should be.

“There’s always going to be, and should always be, a place for historical events like this, but it’s okay to have a little bit of different and variety in the game of golf.”

Reigning Open champion Cameron Smith and 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson were among the other LIV players who made the cut, with Harold Varner III – who claimed tied-29th – also pleased to see so many of his colleagues impress.

“Looking at it right now, yeah, I guess they don’t suck,” Varner said. “Yeah, I think it’s good for golf. Don’t think about any tours, just play golf and see how they stack up.”

‘LIV players can still compete’

Masters chairman Fred Ridley said there had been a good “tone” between the PGA Tour and LIV golfers ahead of the tournament, with three players from each circuit ending up filling the top six on the leaderboard.

“The controversy of LIV was they only play three rounds, they haven’t played that many tournaments, these guys aren’t tested, but three of the top four were LIV players,” Butch Harmon told Sky Sports. “You’ve got Mickelson, you’ve got Patrick Reed – these are all the stars over on the LIV tour.

“They’ve proved to the world of golf they can compete with the rest of the players around the world. Yes, it’s a different league and it’s a different type of golf, but great players are great players, I don’t care where they play.”

Former PGA champion Rich Beem added: “I just look at it as the majors as being where we finally get everyone together to play the hardest golf courses with the best fields, and the winner takes all. I think the majors are going to be very exciting this year.”

What happens next?

LIV golf members will compete in all four majors, providing they are exempt, meaning there are at least three more opportunities this year for them to go toe to toe with their PGA Tour counterparts.

Oak Hill Country Club hosts the PGA Championship from May 18-21 ahead of the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club from June 15-18, before Royal Liverpool hosts The 151st Open from July 20-23.

Sam Bennett aiming to become first amateur winner of The Masters after moving to eight under after two rounds; 23-year-old has late father’s words – ‘Don’t wait to do something’ – tattooed on left forearm; watch coverage from Augusta live on Sky Sports Golf

Sam Bennett believes he can become the first amateur to win The Masters as he takes inspiration from the last words his late father wrote: ‘Don’t wait to do something’.

Reigning US Amateur champion Bennett is eight under par after two rounds at Augusta National following successive 68s, with just one bogey across his first 36 holes.

Bennett is four strokes behind leader Brooks Koepka and one adrift of Jon Rahm, who was only able to complete nine holes on Friday before play was suspended due to storms.

Should Bennett triumph on Sunday, he would become the first amateur champion of a men’s major since Johnny Goodman at the 1933 US Open.

Bennett’s father Mark passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2021 and Bennett has since had ‘Don’t wait to do something’ – the final words his dad wrote – tattooed on his left forearm.

Speaking to Sky Sports Golf after his second round, Bennett said: “This is right where I want to be. I like where I stand. I think I can win. I sit here with a chance to do something special. I know that my good golf is good enough.

‘I love playing when a lot is on the line’

“I love pressure. I love nerves. I try to use them to my advantage. I feel like I am experienced. I know it’s The Masters and it’s a bigger stage but I have played in front of a lot of people.

“I love playing when a lot is on the line. What do they say? ‘Anything can happen on the weekend out here’.

“I am playing really well and I think I have got what it takes. I love hitting shots in front of people and making putts when it matters. I think I have a good chance. Now it’s time for me to go out and enjoy it, soak it all in.

“That was incredible. I think a lot of people didn’t think I was going to be able to back it up [in round two] but I went out there with the same game plan and I hit a lot of solid shots and put myself in a great position.”

Bennett: My dad has a good view looking down

On his tattoo, Bennett added: “I look at it a lot. It was the last words [my father] said before he passed. I call on it a bunch and look for a little motivation.

“I’ve used it to stay focused and really be locked in to that one shot. [Looking at the tattoo] is like a new pre-shot routine that I do now right before I’m about to hit it.

“He has got a good view looking down at Augusta National and I know he is thrilled. I wish he could be here but he is happy, I know he is.

“He was the reason I started playing golf. I wanted to be good to impress him. I’m not waiting to do something this week.”

Sky Sports’ Butch Harmon said of Bennett’s chances of victory: “He believes it.

“An amateur has never won this great tournament but what this young man has done for 36 holes is more than impressive.

“It’s unbelievable and he has done it in a relaxed style. He doesn’t seem to make many mistakes.”

The best finish by an amateur at The Masters was recorded by Ken Venturi when he came second to Jack Burke Jr in 1956.

Watch The Masters live on Sky Sports throughout the weekend.

Brooks Koepka carded rounds of 65 and 67 over the first two days to top the leaderboard at The Masters, where victory would give him his fifth major title and first since joining LIV; watch throughout the weekend exclusively live on Sky Sports Golf

Brooks Koepka is the man to beat heading into the weekend at The Masters, with the former world No 1 in a much better place than during his previous two visits to Augusta National.

Koepka won four majors between 2017 and 2019 and contended in several others, before a string of knee and hip injuries – some of which were highlighted in the recent Netflix ‘Full Swing’ series – made him fear for his future at the highest level.

The American could barely stoop to read putts during his missed cut at The Masters in 2021, where he tried to rush back just weeks after knee surgery, and he was left frustrated again when back-to-back 75s saw him make an early exit in last year’s contest.

“I don’t even know if I should be saying this, but pretty sure I tried to break the back window with my fist of the car,” Koepka admitted on Friday. “I tried to put it through the back window, not once but twice. First time didn’t go, so figured try it again.

“Yeah, it was a lot of frustration last year. Super annoying. I’ve come a long way since then.”

Koepka has not featured on the PGA Tour since then, struggling with his fitness during disappointing performances at the PGA Championship and US Open before confirming later that month he would be joining the LIV Golf circuit.

When asked whether a healthier Koepka would have found his decision to move more challenging, he admitted: “If I’m being completely honest, I think it would have been. But I’m happy with the decision I made.

“If I wasn’t going to be able to move the way I wanted to, I didn’t want to play the game anymore. It’s just that simple. There was definitely moments of that. Last year was pretty tough. Just a lot of frustration.”

Positive steps return for Koepka with LIV

Koepka continued to struggle with form and fitness before turning a corner with an inaugural LIV Golf victory in October, claiming play-off victory in Jeddah, while another win at the LIV Golf event in Orlando last Sunday gave him plenty of confidence going into the opening major of the year.

“Probably towards the end of last year, I felt it was coming,” Koepka said. “It wasn’t exactly all the way there. Probably, I’d say January I knew I was back. I knew everything was right where it needed to be strength-wise, mobility-wise and being able to do things with the golf swing.”

Koepka said after becoming the first multiple winner on the Saudi-backed circuit that it would be “a huge statement” if one of the 18-strong LIV contingent could claim the Green Jacket this week, with the 32-year-old laying down a marker himself and setting the clubhouse target with a dominant two days.

“I feel really good,” Koepka said after a bogey-free 67 on Friday. “I like the way I’m swinging the golf club, putting it, chipping it, driving it, iron play is solid. It feels really similar [to his run of major success]. Didn’t really do too much wrong.”

The start of something bigger for Brooks?

Koepka will head into what is scheduled to be a weather-disrupted weekend as the firm favourite to add to his major tally, although the eight-time PGA Tour winner already has one eye on joining golf’s most exclusive club.

“The whole goal is to win the Grand Slam, right,” Koepka said. “I feel like all the greats have won here and they have all won The Open as well. Look, I guess it [winning at Augusta] is one more box for me to tick to truly feel like I’ve done what I should have accomplished in this game.”

There was a period in golf where you felt Koepka was going to win almost every major he teed it up in. Based on the first two rounds, it would be no surprise to see those times return.

“He is playing beautiful golf,” Sky Sports’ Butch Harmon said. “He is not going backwards. The others are going to have to come and get him.”

Watch The Masters throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues from the earlier time of 1pm on Saturday on Sky Sports Golf, with a host of bonus feeds available via the red button.

Rory McIlroy had five birdies but a double-bogey at the seventh and three more dropped shots saw him card an even-par 72; Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka share the lead at seven under; Watch the second round exclusively live on Friday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf

Rory McIlroy was left frustrated by an “untidy” opening round at The Masters that has him seven shots off the pace heading into Friday at Augusta National.

McIlroy has fallen foul of sluggish starts before at The Masters and has once again left himself an uphill task to turn things around after an even-par 72 on day one.

McIlroy carded five birdies in his round, but a double-bogey at the seventh proved costly, while there were further shots dropped at the third, 11th and 17th holes.

“It felt like a bit of a scramble all day, to be honest,” McIlroy told Sky Sports.

“I missed a couple of tee shots left and paid the price for that on seven and 17. I was just a little bit untidy in some other areas as well.

“I made enough birdies, I usually always do that, it’s just about keeping mistakes off the card. Today I didn’t quite do that.

“I salvaged an even-par round. There’s still 54 holes of golf left and a lot of things can happen.”

McIlroy, who was part of one of the last groups out on the course, admitted that the low scoring of Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm from earlier in the day did play on his mind. They were ultimately joined by Brooks Koepka in a three-way tie for the lead at seven under.

With storms expected at Augusta over the coming days, it’s unlikely that scoring is going to be as easy as it proved for some on day one, but McIlroy is hoping he can get ahead of the weather with his earlier tee-off time on Friday and mount a charge up the leaderboard.

“You’ve got three guys at seven under on the leaderboard, so it’s hard to stay patient when you just want to try to get yourself in there,” McIlroy told the media after his opening round.

“I didn’t feel like I was too far away today. I’m probably two or three shots behind how I’d like to be, but nothing that’s not insurmountable.

“I’ve got a quick turnaround overnight and I’m looking forward to getting back on the course pretty quickly and obviously trying to get myself back in the thick of things.

“Hopefully we get some decent conditions in the morning and I can shoot something in the mid-60s and get myself back in the tournament.”

During his round, McIlroy rather surprisingly provided some incredible insight for viewers by speaking to the host broadcasters while playing the par-four ninth hole.

Asked how the opportunity came about, McIlroy said: “I thought it would be a cool thing to do.

“I did it in Austin [at the WGC Match Play] and didn’t feel like it took me out of my rhythm in any way or made me think about things too much.

“It’s nice to provide the audience at home a little bit more insight into what’s going on out here.”

Scheffler: I didn’t think about being defending champion

Reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler finds himself again in the mix with a solid four-under opening round of 68, though he did let a few gettable birdie opportunities get away during his round.

Asked whether it felt any different playing the golf course as the defending champion, Scheffler said: “I didn’t think about it really at all today.

“The only reason I would think of being the defending champion is because I was playing with [amateur] Sam Bennett.

“Just because I’m defending doesn’t mean I start any more under par. Starting at even, it was just about going out there and getting settled into the round, which I did a good job of.

“I got a lot of looks early, made some nice par putts there on six and seven, but didn’t see much go in the rest of the day.

“But four under is a solid start to the week.”

Davies: McIlroy hung in there

Dame Laura Davies on Sky Sports:

“The cream has risen to the top – you see major champions galore on that leaderboard.

“The three stars of the show obviously were Hovland, Rahm and Koepka, all three of them shooting beautiful 65s, all playing fantastic golf.

“I think Rahm’s though was the standout. He double-bogeyed the first with a four-putt, and then to come back like that. For me, he’s had the best day.

“For Rory, he hung in there. He fought for every shot, and level par – seven back – is not the end of the world.

“Scheffler was in cruise control today. Although he will be frustrated at missing a few putts, he knows how well he is playing and being three shots behind is absolutely nothing.”

Due to potential inclement weather on Friday, all starting times will be moved up 30 minutes and play will begin at 7.30am local time (12.30pm BST). Live coverage from the second round begins on Friday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf!

Tiger Woods will have another opportunity to claim a record-equalling sixth victory at The Masters this week, although failed to talk up any prospects of him adding to his major tally.

Woods said he believed he could win the tournament ahead of the 2022 contest, despite it being his first start since suffering career-threatening injuries in a car crash 14 months, only to offer a different outlook about his form and fitness heading into this week’s event.

“Last year I didn’t know if I was going to play again at that time,” Woods said in his pre-tournament press conference. “For some reason everything kind of came together and I pushed it a little bit and I was able to make the cut, which was nice.

“I didn’t win the tournament, but for me to be able to come back and play was a small victory in itself. I don’t know how many more I have in me. I’m able to appreciate the time that I have here and cherish the memories.

“[My] mobility, it’s not where I would like it, but I’ve said to you guys before, I’m very lucky to have this leg. Yes, it has been altered and there’s some hardware in there, but it’s still mine. It has been tough and will always be tough.”

The world No 1,001 underwent some light practice on Sunday then played nine holes in each of the next two days ahead of his 25th competitive appearance at Augusta, with Woods lacking the fitness that saw him win The Masters for a fifth time in 2019.

“The ability and endurance of what my leg will do going forward will never be the same,” Woods added. “I understand that. That’s why I can’t prepare and play as many tournaments as I like, but that’s my future, and that’s okay. I’m okay with that.

“I think my game is better than it was last year at this particular time. I think my endurance is better. But it aches a little bit more than it did last year just because at that particular time when I came back, I really had not pushed it that often.

“I played in February in LA and then took a little time off before getting ready for this. I just have to be cognizant of how much I can push it. I can hit a lot of shots but the difficulty for me is going to be the walking going forward. It is what it is. I wish it could be easier.”

Is Tiger a contender at The Masters?

Woods’ practice round on Monday was with Tom Kim, Fred Couples and Rory McIlroy, who hinted it was only the mobility issues that preventing the five-time Masters champion from being a serious contender this week.

“He [Tiger] looks good,” McIlroy said in his pre-tournament press conference. “If he didn’t have to walk up these hills and have all of that, I’d say he’d be one of the favourites.

“I mean, he’s got all of the shots. It’s just that physical limitation of walking 72 holes, especially on a golf course as hilly as this, but we all know we never count Tiger out and he can do incredible things.

“You watch him on the range and you watch him hit chips and putts, and he’s got all the aspects of the game that you need to succeed around this place. It’s just the toll it takes on his body to compete over 72 holes.”

Kim described his first official practice day at Augusta National as a ‘dream’ when he was included in the star-studded grouping, with the 20-year-old impressed to see how Woods prepares for a major.

“Just the amount of work he [Tiger] does around the greens. It was really cool to see, to pick which chip shots he was hitting and stuff like that. The positions he put himself in after he holed out, it was really cool to pick

“When I walked again, I got to kind of see where he pitched from. He has years and years of knowledge here, some success, so I’m pretty sure there’s a reason why he’s there.”

Thomas joined Woods and Couples for more practice holes on Tuesday, with the two-time PGA champion relishing chance to continue the annual tradition of practising alongside the former Masters winners.

“I’ve said it for a handful of years now – I just follow those two around like a little puppy dog!” Thomas said. “They know how to get around this place, and all of us do, but every year, we hit chips from the same place and we hit lag putts from the same place. It’s just great company.

“I’m very, very lucky that I get thrown into that group every year, and we’ve had a lot of fun over the years. You know, I hope we do it for many more.”

How much of a threat is Woods?

Woods has only made four official starts since last year’s tournament, withdrawing ahead of his final round at the PGA Championship and missing the cut at The Open before finishing tied-45th at February’s Genesis Invitational, although Couples believes he still has the game to impress.

“I think when he tells you I’m only going to play four events and Augusta is one of them, he’s ready to go,” Couples said on Monday. “It’s probably not going to be easy, but I think he’ll be fine.

“I guess this [the leg] is what it is. I don’t know how much better it’s ever going to get. He’s strong enough to hit it a mile. He’s not hitting it as far as Rory, I don’t think many people are, but he’s hitting it really strong and solid and looks good.”

Bernhard Langer said ahead of the tournament that he ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ to see the Grand Slam winner high up the leaderboard this week, while Woods himself is unsure whether the field saw him as a threat.

“Whether I’m a threat to them or not, who knows,” Woods added. “People probably didn’t think I was a threat in 2019 either, but kind of turned out okay!”

Watch The Masters throughout the week live on Sky Sports! Live coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf, with Woods part of early Featured Group action.

Corey Conners won the Valero Texas Open for the second time with a one-stroke victory over rookie Sam Stevens; Conners had already qualified for The Masters prior to his victory – watch exclusively live from April 6-9 on Sky Sports Golf

Corey Conners ended a four-year winless run on the PGA Tour after claiming a one-shot victory at the Valero Texas Open.

The Canadian, who had already qualified for The Masters, carded a bogey-free 68 on the final day at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course to claim a first victory since his success at the same event in 2019.

Conners, who began the day one stroke back of 54-hole leader Patrick Rodgers, took advantage of the par-five second and then followed birdies at the sixth and ninth by holing from 20 feet at the par-four 15th.

The 31-year-old then made par on each of the last three holes to hold off the chasing pack and claim a second PGA Tour victory, with Sam Stevens his closest challenger after a final-round 66.

“It was definitely a battle out there today, but I trusted my ability and thought about a lot of good shots I had hit previously in the week with certain conditions,” Conners said. “It was definitely tough out there, but I’m really happy and proud of the way I battled.”

Stevens made a 15-foot eagle putt at the par-five eighth and added another at the driveable par-four 17th, although failed to find a birdie at the par-five last to match Conners’ 72-hole total.

Kuchar birdied the last three holes and four of his last five to card a 69 and earn his first top-five finish in an official event since last April, with the veteran sharing third spot on 13 under with Sam Ryder.

Rodgers made two birdies and four bogeys on his front nine to find himself four shots behind Conners, having held as much a four-shot lead on Saturday, with a final-round 73 eventually see him end the week in fifth spot.

Stevens made a 15-foot eagle putt at the par-five eighth and added another at the driveable par-four 17th, although failed to find a birdie at the par-five last to match Conners’ 72-hole total.

Chez Reavie matched Peter Malnati for the round of the day with a seven-under 65, placing him in tied-sixth at 10 under with Lee Hodges and South Korea’s Byeong Hun An. Padraig Harrington ended the week in tied-tenth alongside Rickie Fowler after a final-round 71.

Watch The Masters throughout the week live on Sky Sports! Live coverage begins with the ‘Live from The Masters’ on Monday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf. Live coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf.

The top 30 and ties after the first two days progress to Saturday’s final round at Augusta National; watch the final round live on Saturday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf and – for free – on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel

World amateur No 1 Rose Zhang set more records on her way to taking a five-shot lead into the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Zhang followed an opening-round 66 at Champions Retreat in Georgia by mixing an eagle and six birdies with a lone bogey in a seven-under 65, moving her to 13 under and seeing her set the course record for the second day running.

The American followed three birdies in her first four holes by making a 30-foot eagle at the par-five ninth, then cancelled out a bogey at the 12th by taking advantage of the par-five 14th.

Zhang picked up a shot at the 16th and chipped to three feet to set up a birdie at the par-five last, giving her a commanding advantage over the chasing pack heading into Saturday’s final round at Augusta National.

“From my past experience [with a big lead], it’s very important to know you have a whole field chasing you and anything can happen,” Zhang said. “Every hole, every score matters. I’m just going to play as hard as I can.”

Sweden’s Andrea Lignell carded a three-under 69 to move to eight under and in second spot ahead of American Jenny Bae, who posted a second-round 68, with no other player in the field with 10 strokes of the lead.

Bohyun Park is tied-ninth after a hole-in-one at the par-three eighth helped her to a second-round 70, while Charlotte Heath heads the British interest and is tied-14th going into the final round.

All the 72-player field will get a practice round at Augusta National on Friday, ahead of The Masters taking place at the same venue next week, then the 31 players who made the cut will play the final round on Saturday.

The final round will include another 15-year-old Gianna Clemente, who played her first US Women’s Amateur at age 11 and last year made it through Monday qualifying for three consecutive LPGA Tour events.

Defending champion Anna Davis missed the cut by two strokes after two bogeys in the last three holes saw her post a level-par 72, having been handed a four-shot penalty on the opening day for twice lifting and cleaning her golf ball in the rough.

The winner of the 54-hole event, providing they remain an amateur, receives an invite to the US Women’s Open, the AIG Women’s Open and the Chevron Championship, three of the five women’s majors, plus any USGA, R&A and PGA of America amateur championships she is eligible for.

Watch the Augusta National Women’s Amateur live this week on Sky Sports! Live coverage continues on Saturday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf and – for free – on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel

Rory McIlroy won six matches out of seven at WCG-Dell Technologies Match Play in promising signs ahead of The Masters; watch the first major of the year, from Augusta National, live on Sky Sports from Thursday April 6 as McIlroy looks to complete career Grand Slam

Rory McIlroy will soon begin his annual quest to win The Masters at Augusta National and become the sixth man in history to complete the career Grand Slam.

Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen are the players to have achieved that slice of history, with McIlroy tipped to join them ever since – and probably even before – claiming The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in July 2014.

That success added to his US Open triumph in 2011 and PGA Championship victory a year later, while he scooped a second PGA crown in August 2014 for his fourth – and most recent – major.

Glory at Augusta National has continued to elude McIlroy, though. Seven top-10 finishes, including five in a row between 2014 and 2018, but no trophy as the Grand Slam wait goes on.

The Ulsterman’s best result was last year, where a super final-round 64 – which included a remarkable hole-out from a greenside bunker on the 18th – propelled him into second place and three shots behind winner Scottie Scheffler.

McIlroy’s goal over the Easter weekend will be to go one better at Augusta – and that looks eminently doable with the 33-year-old impressing en route to finishing third at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play with six wins out of seven.

“There are a ton of positives to take away. If you had told me I would make it to the Sunday of the Match Play last week I would have taken that,” said McIlroy, shortly after beating world No 1 Scheffler in the third-place play-off.

“I am maybe going to go up [to Augusta National] for a day and mess around. I went last week but don’t think there is any harm in going up again and then it’s about practice.

“I don’t think there is tons to do. I think my game is in really good shape so just keep it ticking over, work on the shots I need for Augusta and away we go.”

McIlroy had been wayward with his driver and cool with the putter while missing the cut at The Players two weeks ago.

He also said he wanted to get back to “being purely a golfer” having “sacrificed a little bit of time” while serving as the unofficial spokesperson in the game’s battle with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series.

He was certainly back to being a golfer at the Match Play.

What was different for McIlroy?

Armed with a new putter and driver shaft, McIlroy won his first five matches in Austin, defeating Scott Stallings, Denny McCarthy and Keegan Bradley in the round-robin group stage before excelling in the opening two knockout rounds on Saturday as he saw off Lucas Herbert and Xander Schauffele.

The four-time major champion carded nine birdies in a blemish-free round against Herbert in the last 16, before pipping Schauffele on the final hole in the quarter-finals, sinking a 15-foot birdie look with his fresh putter to win a match he had never previously led in.

Dame Laura Davies told Sky Sports Golf: “McIlroy holed a lot of putts under pressure to keep those matches going [at the Match Play]. Rory is the one for me at The Masters.”

McIlroy had also reportedly been hot with the short stick during a practice round at Augusta in between The Players and the Match Play, with rumours swirling that he took just 19 putts. They were rumours the world No 3 chose not to play down.

“Yeah, look, I had two good days,” said McIlroy. “We played 54 holes in two days, and it was good. I was really happy with where my game was. It was good to see that after struggling at The Players.”

McIlroy looked poised to make the Match Play final on Sunday when he was two up with three to play against Cameron Young, only for his opponent to subsequently level the match on the 18th and then win it on the first extra hole as he converted a putt from circa 10 feet and McIlroy missed from similar range.

The expectation coming into Sunday’s semi-finals was that McIlroy and Scheffler would meet later in the day and they did – but in the third-place play-off rather than the final, with defending champion Scheffler knocked out in the semi-finals by Sam Burns.

It meant Scheffler vs McIlroy had a little less riding on it, both in terms of importance and monetary gain, but the fact the Northern Irishman secured a one-to-one win over Scheffler would still have been a real fillip with Augusta in mind.

It would be no surprise if Scheffler and McIlroy were doing battle again on Masters Sunday.

Scheffler trying to claim the Green Jacket for the second year in succession and McIlroy for the first time in his career. Scheffler aiming for a second major, McIlroy a fifth and the Grand Slam.

“I think [Rory] is a better player now than he has been the last 10 years, and I think he’s more equipped, from being a better putter to being better psychologically,” former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley said recently. “I think he is a better golfer than he has been ever heading into The Masters.”

Let the quest continue…

Watch The Masters, from Augusta National, live this April live on Sky Sports. Live coverage from the opening round begins from 2pm on Thursday April 6 on Sky Sports Golf!

Rory McIlroy beats Scott Stallings 3&1 on opening day of WCG-Dell Technologies Match Play in Texas; England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton lose first matches in Austin; watch the tournament live on Sky Sports through until Sunday’s final

Rory McIlroy made a winning start to his bid for a second WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play title with a 3&1 victory over Scott Stallings in Texas.

McIlroy, who won this event in 2015, was three up thru six holes in Austin on Wednesday before being pegged back to one up thru nine by the world No 62.

However, the Northern Irishman birdied the par-three 11th – a hole his opponent bogeyed – to extend his lead and then secured victory at the par-three 17th with another birdie.

World No 3 McIlroy will play Denny McCarthy on Thursday and Keegan Bradley on Friday as he looks to finish top of his four-man group and make the knockout stages this weekend.

Each of the pool winners will advance to Saturday’s round of 16, with the quarter-finals held later the same day before the semi-finals and final take place on Sunday.

McIlroy’s win over Stallings was his first appearance since missing the cut at The Players two weeks ago.

Elsewhere in the Match Play, Players runner-up Tyrrell Hatton lost 3&1 to Ben Griffin.

The Englishman could be doubtful for the the rest of the event after suffering pain in his right hand and arm hitting a shot on the range during his warm-up.

Reigning US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick’s struggles continued, meanwhile, with a 5&3 defeat to JJ Spaun.

Fitzpatrick has missed the cut in three of his last four starts, around finishing 14th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

How does the Match Play work?

The first three days are dedicated to round-robin match play, with the 64-player field split into 16 groups of four and only the winner of each group then progressing to the knockout stages.

If there is a tie at the top of the group, then a sudden-death play-off between those involved will determine who progresses through to the weekend.

The last 16 and the quarter-finals take place on Saturday, with the semi-finals scheduled for early on Sunday ahead of the final later that day. That means the winner will have played seven rounds over the five days to lift the trophy.

Watch the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play live on Sky Sports across the week.

Going into the weekend at the Valspar Championship Adam Schenk was at seven-under 135, one shot ahead of Kramer Hickok; Tommy Fleetwood, Jordan Spieth, Cody Gribble and Davis Riley are two behind Schenk after the first two rounds

Adam Schenk scored a two-under 69 to hold a one-shot lead after the first two rounds at the Valspar Championship on Friday.

Schenk had four birdies, all but one of them from inside 10 feet, and finished with a bogey from the bunker short of the 18th on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook.

After the 20-foot putt he made for par on the par-3 eighth, the 10-footer for par he made on the 10th and the long up-and-down for par on the par-5 11th, that didn’t bother him.

“I feel like a lot of times you … maybe shoot 2 under and you’re like, ‘It could have been 6 or 7.’ But it really couldn’t have been a ton better with the amount of putts I made,” he said.

He was at 7-under 135, one shot ahead of Kramer Hickok, who had a 68.

Schenk is playing for his 10th consecutive week on the PGA Tour.

There’s even more focus to his work this year because his wife is expecting their first child, a boy, in just over a month.

“Trying to make as many points as I can to take as much time off as I can and spend time with him and my wife, which will be very special,” Schenk said.

He started his year in Honolulu at the Sony Open and hasn’t had a week off since then, going to California and Arizona, and every stop on the Florida swing. He had made the cut in all but two of them and is No. 72 in the FedEx Cup.

The missed cut last week at The Players Championship might have helped.

“I was home for 3 1/2 days and didn’t touch a club,” Schenk said. “I would have practised, but the weather was so bad in Indiana, I really couldn’t. So flew into Valspar Tuesday afternoon and got a little practice in and then played nine holes and then teed up in the pro-am and away we went.”

Jordan Spieth will be a big part of the weekend, wasting a great round of driving with some suspect short irons. He still posted a 70 and was only two shots behind.

Tommy Fleetwood had a 69 and joined Spieth in the group two shots behind along with Cody Gribble (65) and Davis Riley (68), who lost in a playoff to Sam Burns at Innisbrook last year.

Burns, the two-time defending champion, is trying to become the first player to win the same tournament three straight years since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic (2009-11). He had a 73 and was seven shots behind.

Justin Thomas had a 70 and was in the group at 3-under 139.

Ryan Brehm scores a hole-in-one and grabs a share of the lead with Stephan Jaeger and Adam Schenk on 66 after the first round of the Valspar Championship on Thursday; Jordan Spieth, back at Innisbrook for the first time in five years, is on 67 with Tommy Fleetwood making 68

Ryan Brehm turned a good round into a memorable one on Thursday, making a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th hole at Innisbrook for a five-under 66 that led to a three-way share of the lead at the Valspar Championship.

Stephan Jaeger also had a 66, while Adam Schenk joined them with the low score in the afternoon on the Copperhead course.

Jordan Spieth, back at Innisbrook for the first time in five years, had a bogey-free round and was particularly sharp with the putter, making birdie putts of 60 feet and 30 feet on his way to a 67. Also at 67 were former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover and Maverick McNealy.

This is the first lead for Brehm since he won the Puerto Rico Open last year in his final start to try to keep a PGA Tour card. It hasn’t been the smoothest road since then. Brehm has made only three cuts this season – one of them at Kapalua – and is coming off an 80 in the second round last week at The Players Championship.

“We’ve been grinding for a little while since then to try and find some good form again, and hopefully [I’ve] been showing signs of good play,” he said.

His ace came with a 6-iron from 196 yards, and he closed with a par. It was his 11th time in the 60s in 43 rounds on the PGA Tour this season.

Jaeger had seven birdies in the morning, which started with temperatures cold enough for some players to wear beanies and extra layers.

Schenk finished his round with a 10-foot par save on the par-3 eighth hole, and then after going bunker-to-bunker on the ninth, made a par putt from 5 feet.

Tommy Fleetwood was at 68, while the group at 69 included two-time defending champion Sam Burns and Justin Thomas, who at No 10 is the highest-ranked player in the field.

Scoring is never particularly low at Innisbrook, which is highly regarded as a tournament course with tree-lined fairways, elevation and not nearly as much water as many courses in Florida.

“I’m not comfortable out there at all, but I don’t think anybody really is – maybe Sam Burns; he’s won it a couple times,” Brehm said.

“But I think it’s a good test of golf. Golf’s not supposed to be easy, I don’t think, and the course does a good job of making you think.”

No one had a tougher start than U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick.

On the third hole, Fitzpatrick pulled his tee shot out of play. His third shot from the tee found the water, and after a penalty drop, he came up short of the bunker and then from there short of the green. It added to a 9, and he followed with consecutive bogeys.

Fitzpatrick went out in 42, and he bounced back with a 32. Even so, he came into the Valspar Championship having missed three cuts in his last five tournaments.

Spieth hasn’t been able to fit Innisbrook into his schedule since The Players Championship moved back to March, but he wanted to return this year. This is his fourth tournament in the last five weeks, with the Match Play next week.

Before he had a card, Spieth chipped in on the 17th hole and tied for seventh that allowed him to gain special temporary membership on the PGA Tour. Two years later, he won the Valspar Championship in a playoff by making a 30-foot birdie putt. That was in 2015, the year he won the Masters and U.S. Open.

This round was mostly about his putting, the long birdies and equally important, a number of mid-length par putts that kept his round going. Spieth hit only five fairways.

“With only hitting [five] fairways, you do that around this place and shoot under par, it’s pretty solid,” Spieth said.

“I was able to sneak a couple extras with the putter today. I’ve been feeling like my putting’s been working towards where I really want it to be.”

Scottie Scheffler is back top of the world after his victory at The Players, with the American likely to contend in many of golf’s other big events over the coming months.

Scheffler leapfrogged Jon Rahm as world No 1 after a five-shot win at the PGA Tour’s flagship event, with the victory adding to his WM Phoenix Open title defence the previous month and securing a sixth PGA Tour victory in less than 400 days.

The 26-year-old will try to defend titles at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and The Masters over the coming weeks, live on Sky Sports.

Scheffler is now among the favourites every time he plays and is also set to be a key part of Team USA’s Ryder Cup side in Rome this September.

Here are the dates and venues for all of golf’s majors in 2023, along with the details for other significant events in the golfing calendar…

Men’s majors

April 6-9: The Masters – Augusta National, Georgia

May 18-21: PGA Championship – Oak Hill, Rochester, New York

June 15-18: US Open – Los Angeles Country Club, Los Angeles, California

July 20-23: The Open – Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, England

Women’s majors

April 20-23: Chevron Championship – The Club at Carlton Woods, The Woodlands, Texas

June 6-9: US Women’s Open – Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, California

June 22-25: KPMG PGA Championship – Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, New Jersey

July 27-30: Evian Championship – Evian Resort Golf Club, Evian-Les-Bains, France

August 9-13: AIG Women’s Open – Walton Heath, Surrey, England

Team competitions

January 13-15: Hero Cup – Abu Dhabi GC, Abu Dhabi, UAE (Winner – Continental Europe)

May 4-7: Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown – TPC Harding Park, San Francisco, California

September 22-24: Solheim Cup – Finca Cortesin, Andalucia, Spain

September 29-October 1: Ryder Cup – Marco Simone GC, Rome, Italy

PGA Tour’s key events

January 5-8: Sentry Tournament of Champions – Plantation Course at Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii (Winner – Jon Rahm)

February 9-12: WM Phoenix Open – TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course), Scottsdale, Arizona (Winner – Scottie Scheffler)

February 16-19: Genesis Invitational – Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California (Winner – Jon Rahm)

March 2-5: Arnold Palmer Invitational – Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Orlando, Florida (Winner – Kurt Kitayama)

March 9-12: The Players – TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (Winner – Scottie Scheffler)

March 22-26: WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play – Austin Country Club, Austin, Texas

April 13-16: RBC Heritage – Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

May 4-7: Wells Fargo Championship – Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina

June 1-4: The Memorial: Muirfield Village, Dublin, Ohio

June 22-25: Travelers Championship: TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut

August 10-13: FedEx St Jude Championship: TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee

August 17-20: BMW Championship – Olympia Fields Country Club, Olympia Fields, Illinois

August 24-27: Tour Championship – East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia

DP World Tour’s Rolex Series events

January 19-22: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – Yas Links Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE (Winner – Victor Perez)

January 26-29: Hero Dubai Desert Classic – Emirates GC, Dubai, UAE (Winner – Rory McIlroy)

July 13-16: Genesis Scottish Open – The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland

September 14-17: BMW PGA Championship – Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey, England

November 16-19 – DP World Tour Championship – Jumeriah Golf Estates, Dubai, UAE

Senior majors

May 11-14: Regions Tradition – Greystone G&CC, Birmingham, Alabama

May 25-28: KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship – Fields Ranch East, Frisco, Texas

June 29-July 2: US Senior Open – SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wisconsin

July 13-16: Kaulig Companies Championship – Firestone CC, Akron, Ohio

July 27-30: The Senior Open – Royal Porthcawl GC, Bridgend, Wales

Women’s senior majors

June 29-July 2 – Senior LPGA Championship – Location TBC

August 25-28: US Senior Women’s Open – Waverly Country Club, Portland, Oregan

Scottie Scheffler still looking to improve after winning The Players by five shots and returning to world No 1; 26-year-old says collapse at last year’s Tour Championship made victory at Sawgrass “much sweeter”; Jordan Spieth expects compatriot’s form to continue for long time to come

Scottie Scheffler offered an ominous warning to his rivals by saying he is still hoping to improve after romping to victory at The Players.

Scheffler, whose win at Sawgrass saw him replace Jon Rahm as world No 1, finished five shots ahead of England’s Tyrrell Hatton as he claimed his sixth win in the last 13 months.

The 26-year-old’s trophy-laden year has included triumphing at The Masters at Augusta National last April and twice winning the WM Phoenix Open.

He said: “I’m just hoping to improve. I’m just trying to get a little bit better at a time, not overthink things and fortunately, I’ve been able to see some good results and enjoy some wins.

“I think I’m just comfortable with where my game is. I feel like I’m improving. I’m definitely learning more and more the more I get into contention. I would say I maybe am a bit more comfortable knowing what I need to do.

“I get excited for a good hard test. I feel like that I can find a way to make pars and hang in there. I like the challenge of harder golf courses. This tournament feels like a major championship to me.”

Scheffler squandered a six-shot lead with one round remaining at last August’s Tour Championship and says that disappointment makes his victory at The Players “much sweeter”.

Scheffler added: “It’s a really hard sport. I had put myself in a position all year to where I had a chance to win the FedExCup, and I wasn’t able to get it done. By the time I got home, I was worn out.

Scheffler: Defeat at Tour Championship left me ‘drained’

“I was mentally and physically drained, emotionally drained. East Lake was pretty challenging for me to handle.

“It was obviously very sad and hard and I didn’t expect things to finish that way. But the hard times make the good times that much sweeter.”

On his success, Scheffler added: “I never really thought that much of myself. I always just tried to stay in my own little bubble. I just keep trying to get a little bit better. I never really looked too far ahead.

“I did a good job of being a good junior, then I was a pretty good college player, then I played good on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“I always believed that I could make it out here and play well on the PGA Tour but I never expected it. It’s kind of hard to describe the feeling.”

Jordan Spieth, who finished tied 19th at Sawgrass on six under par, does not expect Scheffler’s form to dip any time soon.

He said: “I play against [Scheffler] a lot at home and consistently he’s shooting really low rounds. He’s arguably the best player in the world right now. His golf is pretty incredible. His top 10s are off the charts. He’s just playing that good.

“He’s extremely grounded. He’s got really good parents, a great family structure. [Scheffler’s coach] Randy Smith’s been around for a long time, been with him forever.

“I don’t see it changing. He’s in a good position to be able to continue to do this for a while.”

Watch more PGA Tour action live on Sky Sports Golf from Thursday as The Valspar Championship begins in Florida. Early coverage starts at 11.30am.

Scottie Scheffler returned to world No 1 with a five-shot victory at The Players; Tyrrell Hatton birdied seven of his last nine holes to equal the back-nine course record at TPC Sawgrass and jump into second spot

Tyrrell Hatton admitted that even he was surprised by the finish that parachuted him to an impressive runner-up finish at The Players.

Hatton went into the final round nine strokes off the pace and was outside the top-30 when a bogey at the par-five ninth saw him turn in 36 on Sunday, only to surge up the leaderboard with an extraordinary back nine at TPC Sawgrass.

The Englishman followed a 20-foot birdie at the 10th by converting from six feet at the driveable 12th, with Hatton responding to a missed chance from 10 feet at the next by birdieing each of the final five holes to equal the lowest back-nine total in tournament history.

Hatton’s back-nine 29 saw him set the clubhouse target at 12 under, which was enough for second spot as Scottie Scheffler closed out a commanding five-shot win to secure a return to world No 1.

When asked whether he envisaged such a strong end to the PGA Tour’s flagship event, Hatton told reporters: No, especially with how I was hitting it off the tee on the front nine! Yeah, just pretty mad two and a half hours in the end, I guess, from standing on the 10th tee.

“Really happy with how it’s played out. Yeah, good day’s work. If you had said that you would finish second in the tournament and you don’t have to play the back nine, I think you would take that!

Hatton’s strong result follows a top-six finish at the WM Phoenix Open in February and a share of fourth place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with the 31-year-old expected to move inside the top 30 in the FedExCup standings.

“I made a comment at the start of this week that after being in the tournament at Bay Hill for as long as I was on Sunday, to only end up with 110 [FedExCup] points was disappointing,” Hatton added.

“Every year we’re all trying to earn as many points as we can. This year’s no different. It might be sixth counting FedEx event of the season, so I’m playing catch-up to a lot of guys that have played quite a bit of golf already.

“Obviously some of the European lads are in the same boat where we play DP World stuff at the back end of the calendar year and we miss some events over in the States. So, yeah, I’m just out here trying to earn as many points as I can and try and set myself up nicely for next year.”

Scheffler took a two-shot lead into the final day and never relinquished top during a dominant victory, with five birdies and two bogeys during a three-under 69 securing a sixth PGA Tour title in the space of 13 months.

“He [Scheffler] is very impressive,” Hatton said. “Incredibly consistent. He’s had an amazing stretch of golf. Played with him last Sunday and it was clear like he didn’t have his best that day, but he still hung around and had a chance there right at the end.

“It’s a pretty tough thing to do to be up there when you don’t have your best golf and still give yourself a chance to win. So, yeah, it’s very impressive what he’s doing.”

Scottie Scheffler will become world No 1 once again if he finishes in top five at TPC Sawgrass following Jon Rahm’s withdrawal; Scheffler leads Min Woo Lee by two shots ahead of final round – watch live on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm on Sunday

Scottie Scheffler says winning The Players is more important to him than regaining the world No 1 spot as he heads into the final round at TPC Sawgrass with a two-shot lead.

The world No 2 will overhaul Jon Rahm if he finishes in the top five at Ponte Vedra Beach on Sunday with Rahm having withdrawn from The Players before his second round due to a stomach virus.

Scheffler is at 14 under after 54 holes, with Min Woo Lee his nearest challenger on 12 under and English trio Tommy Fleetwood (nine under), Aaron Rai (nine under) and Justin Rose (seven under) also in contention to become the first player from their country to win the tournament.

Scheffler said: “I think the ranking is just an algorithm. I would much rather win the tournament than get back to No 1 in the world.

“My focus is going out and having a solid round of golf and the rankings will be the rankings.”

Scheffler: Hard work is paying off

Scheffler is eyeing a second victory of 2023 after successfully defending the WM Phoenix Open last month, while a win in Florida on Sunday would earn the 2022 Masters champion his sixth in a little over a year.

He added: “I prepare to be in these moments. I prepare to come out here and play well.

“When I’m at home getting ready for tournaments, I’m hopeful that I’m going to be in this position, and I’ve been fortunate so far this year that the hard work is continuing to pay off.

“I’ve been on a lot of leaderboards and it’s a lot more fun being in the lead than being 20th. It’s a lot more fun being in the arena and being in the moment.”

Fleetwood: ‘Amazing’ to be in contention at The Players

Fleetwood is still searching for his maiden PGA Tour victory after six on the DP World Tour.

Asked whether that adds any extra incentive, the Englishman said: “No, not really. That’s been a goal, a dream, an incentive as long as I’ve been playing out here.

“I would have loved to have done it by now. I would have loved to have done it multiple times. But I haven’t. Sunday is another chance.

“I think it will be great to go out there teeing off on Sunday with a chance to win The Players. That’s an amazing feeling.

“But what’s important for me is to play like the player that I want to be, and be at that standard with the best players in the world, to keep giving myself more and more chances.

“I haven’t put myself in contention enough at the start of this year, so this is as good a time as any to start. The more I can play like I want to play, the more I give myself chances and hopefully, my time will come.”

Rose: Pebble Beach win has taken pressure off

Rose is two shots behind compatriot Fleetwood after a bogey at the 18th on Saturday.

The 42-year-old is looking to add to the AT&T Pebble Beach ProAm title he landed last month, which was his first victory since 2019.

Rose said: “Obviously I’ve tasted a lot of success on the PGA Tour and the last of couple seasons haven’t been as easy.

“The results haven’t been kind so you scratch your head at times. I think that leads to possibly a little frustration.

“Hopefully the win has taken a little valve off the pressure cooker. You can go into it a little bit more foot down, play a little freer.

“When you’re confident of being on the leaderboard week-in, week-out, you do play in a slightly different fashion.”

Watch the final round of The Players live on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm on Sunday.

Collin Morikawa holds second spot and world No 2 Scottie Scheffler is within four of the lead, with Rory McIlroy 12 strokes off the pace struggling to an opening 76; Watch the second round live on Friday from 11.30am on Sky Sports Golf, with extra feeds via the red button

Chad Ramey upstaged the PGA Tour’s biggest names to claim a shock lead after the opening round of The Players, where Rory McIlroy endured a nightmare start in his bid to return to world No 1.

Ramey – who had missed the cut in his seven of his previous 10 PGA Tour starts – ripped up the form guide by firing a brilliant bogey-free 64 at TPC Sawgrass, with eight birdies helping the American to a one-shot advantage over two-time major winner Collin Morikawa.

A three-birdie finish from late starter Ben Griffin lifted him to a share of third on five under alongside Justin Suh and Canada’s Taylor Pendrith, with Scottie Scheffler four off the pace after out-performing Jon Rahm and McIlroy in their morning marquee group.

Scheffler birdied three of his last four holes to card an opening-round 68 and current world No 1 Rahm lies seven back after a one-under 71, while McIlroy is in danger of missing the cut after double-bogeying his opening hole and adding four bogeys in a frustrating four-over 76.

How Ramey moved ahead at TPC Sawgrass

Ramey followed three birdies in his opening five holes by draining a 30-footer at the par-four seventh, helping him reach the turn in 32, then continued his progress by starting his back nine with successive birdies.

The world No 225 ended a run of pars by taking advantage of the par-five 16th and jumped into the solo lead when he fired his tee shot at the iconic par-three next to within tap-in range, before signing off his blemish-free card by two-putting from distance at the last.

“Not easy at all,” Ramey said. “I might have made it look that way but it wasn’t easy at all. It was fun, first time to shoot a score on such an iconic course like this – you can’t ask for any more.”

Morikawa held the outright advantage earlier in the day after mixing five birdies with a stunning eagle at the par-five second, where he fired his approach to within four feet of the flag, while Suh made a late charge for the lead when he posted five birdies in a five-hole stretch from the seventh to join the group tied-third.

The limited daylight in Florida meant that the final few groups were unable to finish before play was suspended due to darkness at 6.28pm local time (11.28pm BST), with Suh among those who will need to return on Friday to finish.

Mixed fortunes for golf’s stars

Scheffler is joined in the group on four under by Min Woo Lee, who bogeyed his final two holes after suffering cramp late in his round, with Jordan Spieth starting his back nine with three consecutive birdies on his way to a three-under 69.

Xander Schauffele battled back from being four over with eight holes to play to card a level-par 72, with English trio Danny Willett, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton also in that group eight off the pace, while Hayden Buckley had to settle for an opening-round 73 despite a brilliant hole-in-one at the par-three 17th.

McIlroy mixed two birdies with four bogeys and a double-bogey during a frustrating opening day, leaving him 12 off the lead, with only nine players posting a higher total than the four-time major champion during the morning wave.

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Rory McIlroy will play alongside Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm for the first two rounds of The Players; McIlroy finished tied-second at Bay Hill and is targeting a second TPC Sawgrass victory; Watch the opening round live on Thursday from 11.30am on Sky Sports Golf

Rory McIlroy believes his game is showing signs of progress ahead of The Players after narrowly missing out on victory and a return to world No 1 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The Northern Irishman mixed seven birdies with five bogeys during an enthralling final-round 70 at Bay Hill, where a host of players were chasing victory on a star-studded leaderboard, leaving him tied-second and a shot behind champion Kurt Kitayama.

McIlroy has another chance to overtake Jon Rahm as world No 1 at TPC Sawgrass, where he will partner the Spaniard and Scottie Scheffler for the first two days, with the four-time major winner pleased about his form heading into the PGA Tour’s flagship event.

“I still wish I could have had a couple of shots back today, but I guess everyone would say the same thing,” McIlroy said. “It’s one of those days and one of those courses where you’re going to rue missed opportunities and a couple of missed putts here and there.

“I need to take the positives from it, which there is a lot of. We’ve got a massive event next week and I need to try to bring that momentum into Sawgrass. I feel like I figured out the driver a little bit more this week. Yeah, it’s getting there.

“It was a good week. I saw some positive signs. Game’s rounding into form for the bulk of the season. So even though I didn’t get the win, I’m still pretty happy with how everything went this week.”

How McIlroy missed out in Bay Hill thriller

McIlroy responded to bogeying his opening two holes of the day by making back-to-back birdies from the fourth, then charged into contention after cancelling a dropped shot at the seventh with four birdies in a five-hole stretch from the ninth.

The 2018 Bay Hill champion made successive bogeys from the 14th but made a two-putt birdie at the par-five 16th to keep his hopes alive, then missed a 10-foot opportunity on the final green and ended the week on eight under.

“If I look back on today, the one thing I’ll rue is the tee shot on 14,” McIlroy admitted. “I birdied 13 and got on to 14 tee and I honestly thought I was still like one or two behind the lead.

“As I was walking to the 14th green, I looked behind me at the scoreboard, and I was leading by one. If I had of known that, I wouldn’t have tried to play the shot that I played on 14, which was unfortunate.

“I ended up making bogey there and then a bad swing off the tee on 15 and a bogey. I had a chance at the last – hit a good putt and it just missed on the low side – but it was a good week.”

Scheffler pleased despite near-miss

Defending Arnold Palmer Invitational winner Scheffler also had the opportunity to reclaim the world No 1 spot from Rahm, although a final-hole bogey dropped him two strokes off the pace into tied-fourth.

“Today was a lot of fun,” Scheffler said. “Obviously I wish I played a little bit better, but at the end of the day, I put up a good fight. I didn’t have my best stuff today.

“I still gave myself a chance after a few pretty bad mistakes on the front nine, but Kurt [Kitayama] played fantastic golf today. I think to birdie 17 and par 18 to finish and win by one is pretty special.”

What’s next?

Sky Sports Golf will be the home of The Players in 2023, with nearly 60 hours of live coverage from Tuesday-Sunday of tournament week and a host of extra content available for you to enjoy.

Live coverage begins on Tuesday with the ‘Live from The Players’ show at 2pm, while the opening round is live on Thursday from 11.30am on Sky Sports Golf!