Championship

Play in the third round of the US PGA Championship has been delayed because of thunder at Quail Hollow.

These scheduled tee times will be affected as a result.

13:15 Max Greyserman (US), Sam Burns (US)

13:25 Rory McIlroy (NI), Xander Schauffele (US)

13:35 Michael Kim (US), Chris Kirk (US)

13:45 David Puig (Spa), Bud Cauley (US)

13:55 Elvis Smylie (Aus), Kevin Yu (Tai)

14:05 Sergio Garcia (Spa), Brian Harman (US)

14:15 Justin Lower (US), Tom Kim (Kor)

14:25 Thorbjorn Olesen (Den), Maverick McNealy (US)

14:35 Stephan Jaeger (Ger), Rasmus Hojgaard (Den)

14:45 Nico Echavarria (Col), Harris English (US)

14:55 Brian Campbell (US), Taylor Moore (US)

15:15 Cameron Young (US), Daniel Berger (US)

15:25 Byeong Hun An (Kor), Collin Morikawa (US)

15:35 Harry Hall (Eng), Austin Eckroat (US)

15:45 Corey Conners (Can), Nicolai Hojgaard (Den)

15:55 Beau Hossler (US), Luke Donald (Eng)

16:05 Matt Wallace (Eng), Tom McKibbin (NI)

16:15 Wyndham Clark (US), Rafael Campos (Pur)

16:25 Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)

16:35 Marco Penge (Eng), Lucas Glover (US)

16:45 Jon Rahm (Spa), Keegan Bradley (US)

16:55 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

17:15 Adam Scott (Aus), Joe Highsmith (US)

17:25 Eric Cole (US), Cam Davis (Aus)

17:35 Tony Finau (US), Ben Griffin (US)

17:45 Alex Noren (Swe), Ryo Hisatsune (Jpn)

17:55 Richard Bland (Eng), Davis Riley (US)

18:05 Taylor Pendrith (Can), Bryson DeChambeau (US)

18:15 JJ Spaun (US), Aaron Rai (Eng)

18:25 Ryan Gerard (US), Garrick Higgo (SA)

18:35 Sam Stevens (US), Denny McCarthy (US)

18:45 JT Poston (US), Robert MacIntyre (Sco)

19:05 Ryan Fox (NZ), Alex Smalley (US)

19:15 Michael Thorbjornsen (US), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA)

19:25 Max Homa (US), Scottie Scheffler (US)

19:35 Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), Kim Si-woo (Kor)

19:45 Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Matthieu Pavon (Fra)

It’s a Saturday filled with high school championships for lacrosse, volleyball and track and field.

The Southern Section Division 1 boys’ lacrosse final between Loyola and Mater Dei will take place at 7 p.m. at Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange.

The City Section Open Division boys’ volleyball final between Venice and El Camino Real is at 6 p.m. at Birmingham.

The Southern Section track and field finals begin at 11 a.m. with field events at Moorpark High.

There’s also the state swimming championships at Clovis West High. …

The City Section will hold a Tuesday semifinal doubleheader in baseball for the Open Division at Cal State Northridge, with El Camino Real playing Birmingham at 3 p.m. and Venice facing Sylmar at 6 p.m.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

Olympic triathlon double bronze medallist Beth Potter returned to action with second place in the World Triathlon Championship Series in Yokohama.

Potter, who was 14th for Great Britain over 10km in last month’s European Road Running Championships, finished four seconds behind Luxembourg’s Jeanne Lehair with Germany’s Lisa Tertsch in third, two seconds back.

Reigning Olympic and world champion Cassandre Beaugrand of France crashed out on lap six of the bike leg.

Therese Feuersinger of Austria held a narrow lead over Tertsch and Lehair after the swim, with Potter and Beaugrand 14 seconds behind.

Weather conditions resulted in a changed bike course and Potter and the chasing group caught up with the leaders by lap three.

Lehair went clear in the run and held on for victory, despite the Briton running the fastest run leg in the race.

In the Para races, Tokyo gold medallist and Paris bronze medallist Lauren Steadman was a comfortable winner of the women’s PT5 category, with Michael Taylor taking silver in the men’s PT4 behind French star Alexis Hanquinquant.

On Thursday, some players at Quail Hollow – including world number one Scottie Scheffler – complained about mud balls, where golf balls get covered in mud and dirt during bad weather.

Preferred lies – a rule sometimes used during periods of adverse weather that permits players to lift, clean and place their ball within a specified distance of its original position on closely-mown areas – were not sanctioned for use by the PGA of America.

Lowry’s tee shot on the eighth hole pitched on the fairway and bounced sideways into a divot left by another player, which meant he was not allowed the relief for an embedded ball that would have applied had it been in his own pitch mark.

“You hit a lovely tee shot, you’re not expecting that,” said world number 10 Lowry.

“I was obviously very annoyed with that because I felt like I had quite a bit of momentum going in the round, and standing there with 40 or 50 yards to the pin off the fairway it’s an easy pitch shot for me – and I walk away making bogey.”

Lowry was particularly unhappy with the unsolicited input of an on-course reporter, adding: “The ESPN guy was a bit too involved when he wasn’t asked to be and that’s what annoyed me a lot.

“He came straight over and said: ‘That’s not your pitch mark.’ That’s not for you to talk about, it’s for me to call a rules official and decide what happens.

“I wasn’t arguing that it was my pitch mark, I was trying to be 100% sure because imagine if I come in [after the round] and all of a sudden somebody told me that was my pitch mark.

“They told Brooks [Koepka] his ball was OK yesterday and it was on the driving range, so you need to be careful about what you’re doing because there’s so much at stake.”

McIlroy entered his second round with ground to make up after shooting a three-over 74 on Thursday.

He hit only four of 14 fairways in his first round and, according to PGA Championship Radio Sirius XM, he had been unable to use his usual driver because it was deemed to be non-conforming during testing by the United States Golf Association earlier this week.

The radio station reported that the decision did not mean McIlroy was at fault or even aware of the issue. They also said the USGA said testing results were kept confidential unless the player wanted to make it public.

The early signs in round two were better, a 15-footer dropping for birdie on the second hole, while three more shots were gained around the turn as McIlroy improved to one under par.

However, all of the breathing room he had earned ended up being required during a testing back nine.

An excellent par save on the 13th stopped the rot after two straight bogeys, before birdies on the next two holes restored a gap to the cut line – which was hovering between one and two over par during the latter stages of the second round.

There was some late drama as, heading down the 18th at level par, McIlroy pulled his tee shot left and his ball ricocheted off a hospitality tent before landing close to the water hazard.

But he recovered to make a bogey five, confirming his spot in the final two rounds.

Schauffele had found himself in trouble following two bogeys on the front nine but fought back sufficiently to extend his stay in North Carolina.

Thirty-two days after his dramatic play-off victory at the Masters, which saw him become only the sixth player to win all four majors, most eyes were on McIlroy as he headed out as part of a three-ball containing the world’s top three-ranked players.

McIlroy – the US PGA champion in 2012 and 2014 – has an excellent record at Quail Hollow, winning four PGA Tour events there during his career.

The world number two started with a birdie at the par-five 10th – his first hole of the day – but gave that shot straight back by three-putting for bogey on the 11th green.

Another birdie followed on 15, but the marquee trio faltered at the entrance to Quail Hollow’s difficult closing three-hole stretch, known as the ‘Green Mile’.

All three left the 16th hole with double bogeys after McIlroy put his tee shot into the thick rough and Scheffler and Schauffele dumped their second shots into the water.

Later, both Scheffler and Schauffele voiced their frustrations at the decision not to allow ‘preferred lies’ on Thursday, following heavy rain in the build-up to the event.

The pair were particularly irked by their misfortune on the 16th hole when their balls picked up mud, which they claimed affected their next shots to the green. If preffered lies had been in place, they would have been allowed to lift, clean and replace their balls.

After a series of pars towards the end of his first round, five-time major winner McIlroy ended with another dropped shot on his final hole.

He hit just four of 14 fairways from the tee, a statistic he must improve if he is to move back into contention.

However, McIlroy has shown already this year that he can recover from a big first-round deficit to win one of the sport’s biggest prizes – he was seven shots behind Justin Rose after round one at the Masters before coming back to win the Green Jacket.

McIlroy’s second round set to begin at 18:47 BST on Friday.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The strongest field of the majors gave way to a few surprises Thursday in the PGA Championship, starting with Jhonattan Vegas charging into the lead with a seven-under 64 and the top 10 players in the world nowhere to be found among the top 10 at Quail Hollow.

A long day filled with sunshine and mud balls ended with Vegas in the penultimate group playing the best golf hardly anyone saw.

A briefly energized crowd had mostly left when Vegas blazed his way to the finish with five birdies on his last six holes, ending with an 18-footer on No. 8 and a 25-footer on the rugged ninth.

It was Vegas’ best score in 45 rounds playing the majors. The Venezuelan has never finished in the top 20 in a major and hadn’t qualified for this one in three years.

He had a two-shot lead over Ryan Gerard, the PGA Tour rookie who grew up in North Carolina and was the only other player to reach 7 under until bogeys on his last two holes. He was joined at 66 by Cam Davis of Australia.

The biggest crowds belonged to the top three in the world, and it wasn’t nearly as inspiring as four of the last five majors they have combined to win.

Masters champion Rory McIlroy didn’t make birdie over his last 12 holes and had nothing to say about that after a three-over 74 sent him straight to the range.

Scottie Scheffler and defending PGA champion Xander Schauffele had plenty to say about mud balls on tee shots, particularly on the 16th hole that sent both to double bogey. Scheffler at least holed two shots from off the green — one for birdie, one for eagle — and he finished with a 6-iron from 215 yards to three feet on No. 9 that sent him to a 69.

“I did a good job battling and keeping a level head out there during a day which there was definitely some challenging aspects to the course,” Scheffler said. “Did a good job posting a number on a day where I didn’t have my best stuff.”

For the first time in at least 30 years, the top 10 scores after the opening round of a major did not include anyone from the top 10 in the world ranking.

In their places were Vegas, who only got his game back in order last year when he won in Minnesota, and a host of other surprises.

Alex Smalley, the first alternate who found out about 15 hours before he teed off that he had a spot in the field, rolled in a 70-foot eagle putt on his way to a 67. Ryan Fox of New Zealand, who qualified by winning the Myrtle Beach Classic, also was at 67.

They were joined by a large group that included Luke Donald, the 47-year-old Ryder Cup captain for Europe who was the only player without a bogey on his card. The U.S. captain, Keegan Bradley, was another shot behind.

“It’s always fun, bogey-free in a major championship on a course that you wouldn’t have thought would be ideal for me,” said Donald, who is only in the field because of a PGA of America tradition to invite active Ryder Cup captains.

Considering the champions the majors have produced in recent years, this leaderboard more closely resembled the Myrtle Beach Classic. None of the top eight players have won a major, nor have they ever seriously contended.

Gerard looked comfortable playing before a home crowd. He made a tough par on the rugged ninth hole, then ran off four straight birdies on the back nine, and was seven under for the round after holing a 60-footer for eagle on the par-five 15th.

Davis had seven birdies and narrowly missed a 10-foot par putt on his last hole for the lead. Not bad for someone who recently ended a stretch of five straight missed cuts and hasn’t had a top 10 since early February.

“It’s just constantly trying to go back to things that have worked, trying to keep the head in a place where you’re not feeling like you’re banging your head against the wall all the time,” Davis said. “It’s letting it organically come — good processes, good routines, all those little one percenters add up to good golf eventually.”

The others at 67 were Stephan Jaeger and Aaron Rai, who both became first-time PGA Tour winners last year.

Scheffler at 69 had the best score of anyone from the top 10 in the world.

McIlroy, a four-time winner at Quail Hollow, came into this PGA Championship believing that thrill-a-hole Masters title last month that gave him the career Grand Slam would be the highlight of his career no matter what he does from here.

A sloppy round, particularly off the tee, wasn’t going to change that. It was no less surprising to see him struggle at Quail Hollow, posting his highest round since a 76 in the second round of the Wells Fargo Championship in 2018.

Schauffele wound up with a 72 in his bid to go back-to-back in the PGA Championship.

Jordan Spieth likely will have to wait until next year at Aronimink to try for the career Grand Slam. The three-time major champion, lacking only the Wanamaker Trophy for his major collection, ran off three straight bogeys early on the back nine and shot 76.

Ferguson writes for the Associated Press.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER appears to have made a lighthearted joke about his arrest with a bold outfit choice at the PGA Championship.

The American, 28, was arrested by police outside of the PGA Championship hours before tee-off last year after trying to drive into the entrance around the scene of a fatal bus crash.

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He faced charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

The criminal charges against him were dropped just 12 days after his arrest, but not before his mugshot from the Valhalla Golf Club incident went viral across the internet.

And it is that famous image of him wearing orange overalls that he appears to have taken a nod to with his outfit this year.

The World No.1 was seen wearing an orange polo shirt with the Nike symbol plastered on.

He appeared to be in far calmer waters wearing orange colours this time around.

Reacting on social media, one fan said: “New tradition.”

A second said: “I was so hoping that he would do this. Nice move Scotty.”

A third added: “They let anyone in majors now a days,” followed by laughing emojis.

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Another said: “He’s got to be messing?”

Other users reckoned the burnt orange colour was a nod to his time at the University of Texas in Austin, with the orange being the burnt orange.

Scottie Scheffler is eyeing his third PGA Championship at Quali Hollow in North Carolina.

The first round of tee offs have already begun, with Scheffler in the same round one group as Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele at 1.22pm UK time.

In the UK, the PGA Championship will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf.

Sky Sports customers can live stream all the action via the Sky Sports app.

McIlroy became just the sixth player to win all four majors with his triumph at Augusta National – a result that has had Scheffler purring.

“It was really cool to see Rory finish that off and to be there for that moment,” said the two-time Masters champion.

“He’s a good buddy of mine out here, so I was happy for him.

“It takes a lifetime of work to be able to even have a chance to win major championships, let alone win all four of them.”

Thomas, twice a US PGA winner – including at Quail Hollow in 2017 – said McIlroy’s victory was like a wake-up call.

“I knew I always wanted to win the Grand Slam, but for some reason, watching somebody do it first-hand, reminded me I really do want to do that,” he said.

“It’s weird. Any time someone wins that isn’t me, if it’s a friend, I’m happy for them. But there’s always going to be a part of me that’s jealous and wishes it was me.”

Spieth arrives this week in search of the only title missing from his majors resume. The 31-year-old Texan was the last player to win the first two of the year when he collected the Masters and US Open titles in 2015. He followed that with victory at Royal Birkdale in the 2017 Open Championship.

But in eight previous attempts, he has been unable to complete the career Slam.

“Watching Rory win after giving it a try for a number of years was inspiring,” he said.

“You could tell it was a harder win; most of the time he makes it look a lot easier.

“I’d love to throw my hat in the ring and give it a chance come the weekend.”

Another American keen to add to his major tally of two this week is DeChambeau.

The 31-year-old is enjoying a good run in the majors, having finished runner-up to Schauffele in last year’s US PGA before pipping McIlroy to the following month’s US Open title.

The pair were in the final Masters group at Augusta last month, and although DeChambeau faded out of contention, he is keen to “have another go at it” with McIlroy.

“It’s a golf course that sets up for his shot shapes pretty well, and it sets up well for mine, too,” he added.

“Maybe I do well, maybe I don’t. But I’m certainly going to give it my all, and I know Rory is too.”

And the statistics suggest that if you finish above McIlroy on Sunday evening, you will likely be heading home with the Wanamaker Trophy.

ROSS SMITH reeled off the craziest stats in Players Championship history – clinching PC16 with TWO nine-darters and three straight whitewash wins.

But the English oche ace‘s verdict on his performance was even more astonishing than his figures.

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No player has ever been more dominant in this tournament than Smith was in triumphing in Hildesheim, Germany.

But the 36-year-old claimed: “I don’t actually think I played that well!” 

The Kent star Smith, 36, reached World No. 9 last year and has now won six PDC rankings events.

And although that’s a useful pedigree, no-one could have predicted his record-breaking feats on Tuesday.

Smith sealed the crown by winning 24 legs in a row.

In fact four of his five opponents failed to win a single leg.

And only legends Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen have ever bagged more than one nine-darter at the same Players Championship event.

Smith said: “I know I can be one of the best in the world. Consistency is a big thing, but I know I can win tournaments on a regular basis.”

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The 2022 European champion opened with a 6-0 defeat of Dylan Slevin, then dispatched Chris Landman 6-3 in the last 16.

Landman briefly fought back to level at 3-3 – but from that moment Smith never lost another leg all day.

He next sunk Danny Noppert 6-0 and Luke Woodhouse 7-0 in the semis.

And he demolished Brendan Dolan 8-0 in the final – with an average of 104.5.

Smith polished off the Northern Irishman with legs of 14, 12, 13, 14, 12 and 14 darts.

His joy in Germany means he has jumped up to World No. 14.

Smith said: “I’m so happy with the win.

“I’ve got the little plaques at home with the scoresheets from my Players Championship wins. They’re my little trophies, and they mean a lot to me.

“I’m going to add another one to the wall today, and it’s another incentive when I’m at home practising, because I want to win all the time; who doesn’t?

“If you’ve won a major title you can win anything. I honestly believe I’m going to win more, but I need to keep working hard.”

Leicester’s Mattioli Arena will host the PDC’s Players Championships 17 and 18 on June 17-18.

THE second golf Major of the season is here with the PGA Championship from the stunning Quail Hollow.

Having completed the Career Gland Slam at Augusta in the previous big one, Rory McIlroy will arrive at his most fruitful venue on the PGA Tour, surely in the best condition he’s ever been and with an ability to swing free.

He’s still not the pick of the bookmakers though, with Scottie Scheffler heading an ultra-competitive field in the betting markets and a host of top golfers on their tails.

SunSport’s betting experts have taken a closer look at the tournament to provide you with the best bets, exclusive offers, bonus deals and amazing price boosts.

The 7 best sign-up offers for the PGA Championship 2025

William Hill

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BetMGM

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talkSPORT BET

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Ahead of the PGA Championship, talkSPORT BET have a terrific new customer offer. New punters who sign-up and stake a tenner on any sports – including any golf market – will receive £30 in free bets.

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PGA Championship 2025 price boosts

William Hill

Money back if Rory McIlroy wins the PGA Championship

Punters will receive their stake back as a free bet – up to a maximum of £50 – if their selection loses and Rory McIlroy WINS the PGA Championship.

The promotion applies to the first bet placed on the PGA Championship and must be placed before 6pm UK time on Thursday 15th May 2025.

talkSPORT BET

Rory McIlroy to win the PGA Championship – was 9/2 NOW 5/1

talkSPORT BET have boosted the odds on Rory McIlroy to win the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow!

The usual price of 9/2 has gone and the bookmaker is offering super boosted odds of 5/1 for the Northern Irishman to back up his Masters win with another here!

PGA Championship 2025 latest odds

Latest odds

• Scottie Scheffler – 4/1
• Rory McIlroy – 9/2
• Bryson DeChambeau – 9/1
• Jon Rahm – 18/1
• Justin Thomas – 20/1
• Xander Schauffele – 22/1
• Collin Morikawa – 22/1
• Ludvig Aberg – 25/1
• Joaquin Niemann – 33/1
• Patrick Cantlay – 40/1
• Tommy Fleetwood – 40/1
• Brooks Koepka – 45/1
• Hideki Matsuyama – 45/1
• Tyrrell Hatton – 45/1
• Viktor Hovland  – 55/1
• Shane Lowry – 55/1
• Jordan Spieth – 60/1
• Russell Henley – 70/1
• Sepp Straka – 70/1
• Corey Conners – 70/1
• Jason Day – 80/1
• Patrick Reed – 80/1
• Min Woo Lee – 90/1
• Sungjae Im – 100/1
• Daniel Berger – 100/1
• Wyndham Clark – 110/1
• Justin Rose – 110/1
• Tony Finau – 110/1
• Cameron Smith – 125/1
• Sergio Garcia – 125/1
• Dustin Johnson -125/1
• Robert MacIntyre – 125/1
• Maverick McNealy – 125/1
• Sam Burns – 125/1
• Keegan Bradley – 125/1
• Will Zalatoris – 125/1
• Si-Woo Kim – 125/1
• Keith Mitchell – 125/1
• Byeong-Hun An – 150/1
• Akhshay Bhatia – 150/1
• J.J. Spaun – 150/1
• David Puig – 150/1
• Aaron Rai – 150/1

Odds from Betfred

Terms and conditions

*BetMGM: New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 football, 1 x £10 horse racing & 2 x £10 Bet Builders. Free Bets cannot be used on e-sports and non UK/IE horse racing. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. Full T&Cs apply.

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*William Hill: 18+. Play Safe. From 00:01 on 18.10.2022. £30 bonus. New customers only. Minimum £10 stake on odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on sportsbook (excluding Virtual markets). Further terms apply.

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*Tote: New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. £10 min qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £20 Tote Credit, £10 Free Sports Bet and 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry on free bets & Tote Credit. Your first bet will be your qualifying bet. One per customer. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org .Full T&Cs apply.

*bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

*SBK. New UK customers. Min £10 first deposit. Place a bet of £10 at min odds of 2.0 and get £30 in Free Bets within 48 hours. Restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply, 18+. BeGambleAware.org.

*William Hill price boost. Available 08:00 12/05 – 18:00 15/05. First cash single only on Tournament winner (excl. McIlroy or Price Boosts). FB equal to qualifying stake. Online: Max 1 FB up to £50 (Exp 25/05). Full T&Cs apply. 18+ GambleAware.Org.

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware – GambleAware.org

Read our guide on responsible gambling practices.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.

New Zealander Ryan Fox clinched a place at this week’s PGA Championship in dramatic style with a 50-foot chip-in from the fringe of the green to win the Myrtle Beach Classic in a three-way play-off.

It was a first US PGA Tour title in 68 starts for the 38-year-old after he finished on 15 under alongside Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes and American Harry Higgs.

Fox earned his spot in the play-off when Hughes let a one-stroke lead slip with a bogey at the 18th and Higgs was only able to par the last at the tournament, which was played at the same time as the Truist Championship in Philadelphia, won by Austrian Sepp Straka.

He will now line up in the second major of the year which begins at Quail Hollow, North Carolina on Thursday.

Fox, whose father Grant played 46 times for the All Blacks and won the inaugural World Cup in 1987, previously played on the DP World Tour, winning three times including at the BMW PGA Championship in 2023 before trying his luck in the United States.

On the day when Mother’s Day was celebrated in America, he celebrated his win in South Carolina with his wife Anneke Ryff and two young daughters.

“So my wife sort of joked on Friday when I said, ‘What can I get you for Mother’s Day?’ And she goes, ‘Well, a trophy would be nice’. So I guess I lived up to my end of the bargain there,” said Fox, who also earns a two-year PGA Tour exemption.

“To have the wife and kids here is amazing.

“I haven’t transitioned probably as well as I would have liked over the PGA Tour. It was tough last year, I managed to just keep my card, and it’s been a scratchy start this year as well.

“In this game, you don’t get to win very often. You don’t get job security very often either.

“So it’s certainly nice to have that. And at the back of my mind, can feel like for the rest of the year, I can freewheel it a little bit. Hopefully that takes some pressure off.

“We’ll see how it goes in the next few weeks. But yeah, it’s feels like a monkey off my back, that’s for sure.”

THE World Snooker Championship may be over, but fear not, the World Seniors is here to fill the void!

16 players, including multiple legends of the sport, competed for the iconic crown at the Crucible.

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Last year, Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo made history by becoming the first player from outside of Europe to lift the prestigious World Seniors trophy.

The 47-year-old beat Ken Doherty 5-2 in the blockbuster final, and he returned to the Crucible as defending champion this week.

‘The Darling of Dublin’ was once again in the field, looking to secure a unique Grand Slam by adding the World Seniors crown to his World Professional, World Amateur and World Under-21 titles.

But he suffered a shock first round exit.

SunSport brings you all the information on the huge tournament.

When was World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025?

• The World Seniors Snooker Championship got underway on Wednesday, May 7.
• The tournament concluded on Sunday, May 11.
• The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield will host.

World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025 schedule and results

Wednesday, May 7
From 12pm (All times BST)
Round One

• Joe Perry 4-2 Fabio Anderson Luersen
• Dominic Dale 4-2 Craig Steadman

From 7pm

• Igor Figueiredo 2-4 Wayne Townsend
• Aaron Canavan 4-1 Andrew Norman

Thursday, May 8
From 12pm
Round One

• Jimmy White 1-4 Alfie Burden
• Ken Doherty 2-4 Charl Jonck

From 7pm

• Tony Drago 4-3 Gerard Greene
• Tony Knowles 0-4 Hassan Kerde

Friday, May 9
From 12pm
Quarter-final

• Dominic Dale 4-1 Joe Perry
• Alfie Burden 4-3 Tony Drago

From 7pm

• Wayne Townsend vs Aaron Canavan
• Hassan Kerde 4-2 Charl Jonck

Saturday, May 10
From 12pm
Semi-final

• Alfie Burden 6-2 Hassan Kerde
• Aaron Canavan 6-5 Dominic Dale

Sunday, May 11
From 12pm
Final

• Aaron Canavan 4-8 Alfie Burden

Lions: Quan Horn; Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk, Bronson Mills, Edwill van der Merwe, Kade Wolhuter; Nico Steyn, Morgan Naude; Jaco Visagie (capt), Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ruan Venter, Ruan Delport, JC Pretorius, Renzo du Plessis, Jarod Cairns.

Replacements: PJ Botha, SJ Kotze, RF Schoeman, Darrien Landsberg, Sibabalo Qoma, Layton Horn, Lubabalo Dobela, Rynhardt Jonker.

Scarlets: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Joe Roberts, Johnny Williams, Ellis Mee; Sam Costelow, Gareth Davies; Alec Hepburn, Marnus van der Merwe, Henry Thomas, Alex Craig, Sam Lousi, Vaea Fifita, Josh Macleod (capt), Taine Plumtree.

Replacements: Ryan Elias, Kemsley Mathias, Sam Wainwright, Dan Davis, Jarrod Taylor, Archie Hughes, Ioan Lloyd, Macs Page.

Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)

Assistant referees: Griffin Colby (SARU), Stephan Geldenhuys (SARU)

TMO: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)

Sin bins: Lousi, (5) D Davis (33), Pretorius (53)

A Darts icon has backed a proposed venue change for the PDC World Darts Championships.

Alexandra Palace has been the tournament’s home since its 2008 move from the Circus Tavern in Essex.

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But the iconic venue’s future hosting the annual competition is in doubt as Saudi Arabia has been mooted as a potential new location for the tournament.

And retired referee Russ Bray believes a change of venue could make sense given the recent growth of the sport and the potential increase of prize money.

During an appearance on talkSPORT, he said: “The PDC’s [Professional Darts Corporation] a business, like you say, it is a business.

“Barry and Eddie [Hearn, respective chairman and ex-chairman] and Matt [Porter, CEO of PDC], these guys, they’ll sit down and talk.

“Obviously, if they can pay the players £2million for winning the World Final because we’ve got to go somewhere else, then I’m pretty certain that’s what they will do. It makes sense.”

Matchroom supremo Barry Hearn has already been approached by the Saudis about bringing the competition to The Kingdom.

But he knocked them back after they informed him fans wouldn’t be able to drink alcohol at events.

The 76-year-old said: “The Saudis asked me for [the] darts about a couple of months ago.

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List of all-time Darts World Champions

BELOW is a list of darts world champions by year.

The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions.

That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once – Barney also won four BDO titles – and none of Eric Bristow’s five BDO titles are included.

• 1994 – Dennis Priestley
• 1995 – Phil Taylor
• 1996 – Phil Taylor (2)
• 1997 – Phil Taylor (3)
• 1998 – Phil Taylor (4)
• 1999 – Phil Taylor (5)
• 2000 – Phil Taylor (6)
• 2001 – Phil Taylor (7)
• 2002 – Phil Taylor (8)
• 2003 – John Part
• 2004 – Phil Taylor (9)
• 2005 – Phil Taylor (10)
• 2006 – Phil Taylor (11)
• 2007 – Raymond van Barneveld
• 2008 – John Part (2)
• 2009 – Phil Taylor (12)
• 2010 – Phil Taylor (13)
• 2011 – Adrian Lewis
• 2012 – Adrian Lewis (2)
• 2013 – Phil Taylor (14)
• 2014 – Michael van Gerwen
• 2015 – Gary Anderson
• 2016 – Gary Anderson (2)
• 2017 – Michael van Gerwen (2)
• 2018 – Rob Cross
• 2019 – Michael van Gerwen (3)
• 2020 – Peter Wright
• 2021 – Gerwyn Price
• 2022 – Peter Wright (2)
• 2023 – Michael Smith
• 2024 – Luke Humphries
• 2025 – Luke Littler

Most World Titles

• 14 – Phil Taylor
• 3 – Michael van Gerwen
• 2 – John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright
• 1 – Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler

“I asked them a simple question. ‘Can we have alcohol?’

“And they said no. I said, ‘Well then you can’t have the darts.'”

Hearn, however, does believe The Kingdom could make a good home for the World Snooker Championships.

The veteran promoter has recently threatened to take the competition away from the Crucible unless the iconic venue is given a major revamp.

When asked if snooker’s biggest tournament will stay put, Hearn told Radio Snooker with Nick Metcalfe: “I hope so but we’ve got to live in the real world.

“So much of professional sport is about money.

“And as much as we want to stay here desperately, it’s got to be something that fits into the overall picture of where the game is going.

“This is a huge game. We mustn’t be parochial in our attitude.

“As long as everyone understands that and comes to the party in a reasonable and respectful way, I’m hopeful we can stay here.

“We must know by the end of the year. The clock is ticking.”

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Jack Della Maddalena dethroned Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision to become the UFC welterweight champion in Montreal.

Two judges gave the victory at UFC 315 to Della Maddalena by slim 48-47 margins while the third saw it 49-46 in his favour.

The 28-year-old, who came into the fight in Canada off the back of a year-long lay-off, said: “It’s exactly how I thought it would feel, it feels good.”

Muhammad hadn’t lost a fight since January 2019 going into the contest but in his first title defence was left bloodied and wobbling after the Australian landed 200 strikes.

“He brings the pressure, so I had to be smart on my feet,” Della Maddalena added.

“Coming in there against someone like him, I had to be smart. I couldn’t spend too much time on my back. When I did, I waited until I could get my energy back and made a move.

“I wanted to take him out of there. I was gunning for a late finish. But he’s tough to put away.”

Della Maddalena becomes the third Australian in history to hold a UFC title, alongside current featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski and former middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker.

Shane Lowry will go into the final day of the Truist Championship in the joint lead with his European Ryder Cup team-mate Sepp Straka.

Irishman Lowry carded a three-under par 67 in a third round that included five birdies and two bogeys.

The last of his five birdies came on the 17th and moved him level with Austrian Straka, who hit a 66, on 14 under at the Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course.

“I’m driving the ball pretty straight, not very far but it’s going on the fairway, and once I get myself on the fairway I can be dangerous,” said Lowry.

“If I can hole a few putts [on Sunday] you never know.”

He added: “This is a tough game and a tough tour and it’s hard to win out here. You just have to keep putting yourself in position week after week and do your best. I’m going to give it my best.

“I’m playing a good friend of mine in Sepp, my Ryder Cup partner. Hopefully, one of us can get the job done.”

Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who has won this event four times when it has been played at Quail Hollow, the venue for next week’s US PGA Championship, is six off the lead after an up and down 69.

McIlroy beat England’s Justin Rose in a play-off to complete the career Grand Slam with victory at the Masters last month.

Rose played the first two rounds of this event and was seven over par but withdrew prior to the third round of the no-cut tournament.

“After becoming progressively ill over the past few days, I have made the unfortunate decision to withdraw,” he said.

“It’s best for me to focus on a quick recovery prior to next week.”

Fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood went round in a three-under par 67 as he moved onto seven under.

Japan’s Hideki Matsyama hit one of the rounds of the day, a 63 which included nine birdies and two bogeys, as he improved to 10 under.

Shane Lowry moved to within a stroke of leader Kevin Mitchell after he shot 65 to finish the second round of the Truist Championship at 11 under.

The Irishman’s round featured six birdies and was the lowest of the day in soggy conditions on Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course.

Overnight leader, American Mitchell, who led the way with a 61 on Thursday, made two bogeys and five birdies in his round of 67.

“There’s a consistency to my whole game that has been very good,” said Lowry.

“I think I’m just maturing as a golfer, taking the rough with the smooth, the good days taking them well and the bad days working through them.”

The 38-year-old dismissed suggestions the damp conditions in Pennsylvania played to his strengths.

“Everyone says that to me every day when it rains!” added Lowry.

“I live in South Florida. I think I’m able to handle them probably better than a few people, but I don’t particularly like or enjoy going out and playing in these conditions.”

Rory McIlroy – last year’s winner and a four-time champion at the event – had an up-and-down round which included six birdies and three bogeys.

The 36-year-old Northern Irishman, who completed a career Grand Slam with his thrilling win over Justin Rose at last month’s Masters, ended the day in a six-way tie for fourth on seven under.

“I felt like today was another sort of scrappy one,” said McIlroy.

“I made what I feel are some uncharacteristic mistakes compared to how I’ve played the majority of the year.

“So just got to try to iron that out over the next couple of days, try to shoot a couple of scores without as many bogeys on the card.”

Tommy Fleetwood made his second consecutive round of 68 to finish on four under, but fellow Englishman Rose is well off the pace at seven over after a round of 77.

Rory McIlroy began his warm-up for next week’s US PGA Championship by finishing the first round of the Truist Championship in Philadelphia five shots behind leader Keith Mitchell.

McIlroy – last year’s winner and a four-time champion at the event – recorded six birdies and two bogeys as he carded a four-under-par 66 at the Wissahickon Golf Course.

The 36-year-old, who completed the career Grand Slam with a thrilling win over Justin Rose at last month’s Masters, ended the day tied in 25th alongside nine other players.

American Mitchell tops the leaderboard having finished on a nine-under-par 61 – one stroke ahead of compatriot Denny McCarthy.

Mitchell parred the first five holes but got better as the day wore on with a run of four straight birdies coming towards the end of his round.

McIlroy said this week he has “nothing but positive vibes” as he approaches next week’s US PGA Championship after ending his long wait for a fifth major.

He is a former winner of the event in 2014 – the last major he won before victory at Augusta National last month.