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    Matthew Fitzpatrick and Billy Horschel use Sheff Utd and West Ham themed golf bags for The Open

    FOOTY mad golfers Matthew Fitzpatrick and Billy Horschel are hoping to bring The Open title home with the help of their favourite clubs.Royal St George’s hosts the prestigious championship this weekend with two Premier League badges set for an outing on the course.
    Billy Horschel posed with his West Ham bag during Tuesday practiceCredit: The Sun
    The Hammers badge will accompany the American at The 149th OpenCredit: The Sun
    Six-time PGA Tour winner Horschel may be a native of Florida, USA, but is a huge West Ham fan.
    The 34-year-old showed off his new kit on Instagram ahead of teeing off in Kent.
    He wrote: “Excited to rock my West Ham bag this week at The Open!
    “Hopefully it brings me luck and support from the Hammers fans! And thank you to the club for allowing me to use the crest on the bag!”
    West Ham favourite and golf nut Mark Noble has even been exchanging messages with Horschel ahead of his crack at The Open.
    He revealed: “Mark Noble sent me a text.
    “I’ve never met Mark, but he got my number from Francesco Molinari and sent me a text yesterday.
    “That was one of the coolest things, and we were texting back and forth.”
    Meanwhile, Yorkshire’s Fitzpatrick is a lifelong supporter of Sheffield United.
    The 26-year-old appeared in interviews with Chris Wilder when the Blades played in the Premier League and even had tickets to watch the Euro 2020 final.
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    Matt Fitzpatrick will carry a Sheffield United themed bag at The OpenCredit: Getty
    West Ham fan Horschel will also be rocking his club’s coloursCredit: AFP

    While Ian Poulter was able to swoop in for extra-time at Wembley, Fitzpatrick was forced into a play-off for the Scottish Open crown.
    After being defeated in Berwick, he had to settle for a television screen and a tally of six European Tour wins.
    The Sheffield son will carry the Blades badge around with him this weekend, and has occasionally enlisted the club’s help in his golfing dream.
    Last year, his camp put him in contact with United to secure a coronavirus test that helped him earn a visa to play in the States.
    Victory at Royal St George’s could mean he has access to plenty more at Bramall Lane for years to come.

    Brazen fan takes Rory McIlroy’s club in front of ace before Scottish Open security haul him away More

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    Ian Poulter spent £100k on Euro 2020 final tickets and made mad dash from Edinburgh… but couldn’t get into stadium

    SUPER-PATRIOT Ian Poulter splashed out more than £100,000 to watch the Euro 2020 final – and was turned away by the stewards!He arrived midway through the second half after events at the Scottish Open wrecked his plans to be there for kick-off, and was only admitted for extra time and penalties.
    Italy beat England in the Euros finalCredit: Getty

    Poulter flew down by private jet to Wembley from Edinburgh, after being forced to hang around because a stunning 63 saw him set the final round target at 17 under par.
    He also had to endure a 90-minute weather delay before his score was finally beaten.
    Poults had booked places in a private box for himself and son Luke, costing more than £50,000 apiece – although his £240,000 cheque for finishing joint fourth in Scotland will more than cover that outlay.
    And before heading to St George’s for this week’s Open, Poulter took to Instagram to reveal the frustration of being locked out when he first arrived at Wembley.
    He wrote: “What a crazy day. Tee off at 11.11 and shoot 8 under par 63 to hold the clubhouse lead for a long time.
    “Weather delay keeps us from leaving the course and catching an all important flight to make the match.
    “Finally when play resumed and one player had posted -18 we left for the plane.
    “Netjets did what they do best and got me to the stadium for the second half.
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    “Euro 2020 wouldn’t let me into the ground for a good chunk of the second half – not sure why.
    “Anyway, finally made it in to watch the remainder of the game.
    “Amazing experience with a few of us in a box and truly gutted for the lads to not finish it off in penalties.”
    Gareth Southgate appears to pick England keeper Jordan Pickford and Kalvin Phillips to take penalty before Jack Grealish More

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    5 Players to Watch at the Scottish Open

    The golf tournament serves as a tuneup to the British Open, which is a week later.This week’s Scottish Open features an excellent field of players, and it is easy to understand why.The tournament serves as a tuneup for next week’s British Open, giving players an opportunity to get acclimated with the challenges of links golf, played on courses on sandy soil near a coastline. Among those who will be in Scotland: the world No. 1 Jon Rahm, the winner of last month’s United States Open; No. 3 Justin Thomas; and No. 4 Collin Morikawa. More

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    Even Pro Golfers Have Turned to Remote Learning

    With coaches and players forced to keep their distance because of the pandemic, perfecting the golf swing went virtual.It has been well over a year since Lucas Herbert, the Australian golfer who won the Irish Open last week and is playing in this week’s Scottish Open, hit balls in front of his swing coach, Dominic Azzopardi. The coronavirus pandemic has been the reason for their separation, but it has not stopped the work they do. More

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    Gareth Bale continues move into golf after retirement as Real Madrid star helps promote Welsh Open starting next month

    GARETH Bale will have his Real Madrid bosses tearing their hair out in frustration again, after announcing new plans to indulge his passion for golf.The Wales superstar, who has been accused by Real fans and officials of caring about golf more than he does about football, is throwing his weight behind his country’s national Open later this month.
    Gareth Bale’s footballing future is unclear, with Cardiff City and the MLS reportedly in the running for the Real Madrid attacker’s signatureCredit: Getty
    Wales superstar Gareth Bale has again shown his love for golf, while his situation with Real is unresolvedCredit: Getty
    The Wales Open will be re-named the Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale when it returns to Celtic Manor – home of the 2010 Ryder Cup – from July 22-25.
    Bale has persuaded his management company, ICM Stellar Sports, to become joint sponsors with car retailers Cazoo, and is expected to tee it up at the Pro-Am leading into the event.
    He said he was inspired by watching the tournament return to the European Tour after a six year absence 12 months ago. 
    Bale commented: ”After watching the coverage last year we decided we wanted to play a part in the development of golf in Wales.
    “We want to make golf in Wales bigger and we believe that this event can play a big role in that.  
    “We want to make it a real spectacle. And hopefully, we can get more people watching, and grow the game in Wales.”
    Meanwhile, Cardiff City and a move to the MLS top the bookies’ list for where Bale will head next.

    Gareth Bale has often been accused of preferring golf to Real MadridCredit: Getty – Contributor
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    The former Tottenham wideman, who will be 32 on July 16, still has 12 months left on his Bernabeu contract.
    But he’s NOT thought to be part of new manager Carlo Ancelotti’s plans.
    And the La Liga giants are prepared to offload Bale and his reported £600,000 weekly wages to help fund summer signings.
    Watch Gareth Bale ‘do a Piers Morgan’ and STORM OFF mid-interview after Wales’ 4-0 Euro 2020 thrashing against Denmark More

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    Nelly Korda Wins the Women’s P.G.A. Championship, and Her First Major

    After beginning the final round tied with her fellow American Lizette Salas at 15 under par, Korda pulled away and finished the tournament at 19 under.ATLANTA — As soon as Nelly Korda’s approach shot landed safely on the 18th green on Sunday, her older sister, Jessica, swooped in on their mother in the gallery and tugged on her arm, leading her to a spot behind the hole.Nelly Korda, who had spent the entirety of her 22 years known mostly as either her mother or father’s daughter or Jessica or her brother Sebastian’s sister, had stepped out of the shadows at last.Nelly Korda carded a four-under-par 68 at Atlanta Athletic Club’s Highlands Course for a three-stroke victory at the Women’s P.G.A. Championship over Lizette Salas, who closed with a 71. Korda, whose 72-hole total was a 19-under 269, is the first American woman to win a major since Angela Stanford at the 2018 Evian Championship. Giulia Molinaro (72) and Hyo Joo Kim (68) tied for third at 10 under for the tournament.“This is something that I’ve worked for since I was 14, since I played in my first one,” Nelly Korda said during the trophy presentation at the conclusion of her 26th major start. “I wanted to be a major champion.”The Kordas are an answer to a “Jeopardy!” question waiting to be written: “Who is the first family of sport?”The sisters’ father, Petr, won the Australian Open tennis title in 1998 and reached No. 2 in the world men’s singles rankings. Their mother, Regina Rajchrtova, was a top-30 tennis player who represented her native Czechoslovakia at the 1988 Summer Olympics.The sisters’ younger brother, Sebastian, 20, won his first ATP Tour event in Italy in May and is eligible for the U.S. Olympic men’s tennis team.Jessica Korda, 28, closed with a 71 to finish in a six-way tie for 15th at four under and secure a spot on the U.S. women’s Olympic golf squad. That team will be led by her sister, who matched her father in major victories and raised him one by ascending to the top of the women’s world rankings.Nelly Korda, who has six L.P.G.A. titles, including three this year, is the first American to hold the women’s No. 1 ranking since Stacy Lewis in 2014 and the first Korda to hold a No. 1 world ranking.“Really?” said Rajchrtova, who walked the first nine holes of Jessica’s round before peeling away to walk all 18 in Nelly’s gallery. “I didn’t know that but it’s nice. We wanted one. Now we have one.”After Nelly Korda’s par putt on No. 18 dropped, one piece of family business remained. Someone had to text Petr, who is at Wimbledon with Sebastian, to spread the good news. Rajchrtova said she couldn’t send updates to her husband during the round because she keeps her phone turned off and tucked away in her backpack.“I’m superstitious,” she said. “I don’t talk to anybody during round.”For Nelly, who became the first woman since Lydia Ko in 2016 to win a major the week after winning a regular tour event, it was a fabulous end to a month that started with a disappointing missed cut at the U.S. Women’s Open, won by Yuka Saso of the Philippines.The month has passed in a blur for Saso. After closing with a tournament-low 67 on Sunday to finish at three under par, Saso referred to herself as a 19-year-old, having forgotten that she turned 20 seven days prior.Since her U.S. Women’s Open victory at San Francisco’s Olympic Club, Saso learned that she is to be honored in the Philippines with her own postage stamp, never mind that she can’t remember the last time she wrote a letter.“I send emails,” Saso said, adding, “I always call or text my family.”Her birthday brought Saso, who has a Filipina mother and Japanese father, closer to a difficult decision. Saso, who lives in Tokyo, has dual citizenship, but by her 22nd birthday she has to choose whether to continue representing the Philippines, the country whose flag she’ll compete under at the Olympics, or drop her Filipino citizenship so she can maintain her Japanese passport.Will the Tokyo Olympics mark the last time that Saso represents the country that has stamped her as a national treasure?A noncommittal Saso said, “It’s going to be a tough choice.” She added, “Whatever I choose I’m both inside my heart.”Before the U.S. Women’s Open — and after her brother’s breakthrough victory — Nelly Korda joked, “I get referred to as Petr Korda’s daughter and Jessica Korda’s little sister, and now I’m going to be referred to as Sebastian Korda’s little sister.”On a sultry summer afternoon, after near misses in consecutive majors at the ANA Inspiration and a tie for third at this event in 2019, Nelly Korda played second fiddle to no one.She stood on the 18th green holding aloft the championship trophy, as had the male P.G.A. champions before her: Larry Nelson (1981), David Toms (2001) and Keegan Bradley (2011).Like Bradley in the final round 10 years ago, Nelly Korda eagled the par-5 12th (she also eagled the par-5 fifth and played the four par-5s in 11 under for the tournament). Like Jason Dufner in that same round, she stood on the 15th hole with a five-stroke lead and then promptly made double bogey.Unlike Dufner, who frittered away his lead in the last three holes of regulation and lost to Bradley in a playoff, Korda made par to write the latest chapter of history at a course on a street named after Bobby Jones, one of the most prominent men’s golfers. Her performance raises the profile of the women’s game sure as she raised the trophy.“A major championship and No. 1 in the world,” Nelly Korda said. “Is this week even real?” More