Tiger Woods’ former rival Michael Campbell admits he “feels sorry” for the 15-time major champion after his steep decline, but the New Zealander believes Woods might have one more great win left in the tank.

Woods, 48, appeared a shadow of his former self at the majors this year, only making the cut at The Masters where he finished in 60th place, 27 shots adrift of winner Scottie Scheffler. Injuries from Woods’ playing career and a high-speed car crash in 2021 have caught up with him, dramatically limiting his playing schedule and his ability on the course has suffered.

Woods has faced calls to retire, most notably from Colin Montgomerie, but the former world No. 1 has shown no willingness to even consider walking away, snapping back at Montgomerie’s comments in his press conference ahead of The Open Championship last month.
Campbell, the 2005 US Open Champion who beat Woods to the title by two shots at Pinehurst No. 2, told Bunkered the American was “almost untouchable” in his heyday and it is sad to see his powers wane. “It’s a real shame. Through my whole career I played a lot with him,” Campbell said. “He was awesome. To see how he’s playing now… I feel sorry for him.”
But Campbell is not writing Woods off when it comes to winning a 16th major. He has urged him to transition onto the Champions Tour when he turns 50 late next year, when he would be permitted to use a golf cart to reduce the strain on his body.

That would enable Woods, who has played in just five events this year and will not return to action until December, to play more competitive golf and ensure he is adequately prepared for the majors. Campbell believes The Open Championship, in particular, is Woods’ best chance of adding another major title to his collection.

Tom Watson really proved a point back in 2009 when he nearly won the Open at 59,” Campbell explained, referencing the eight-time major winner’s near miss at Turnberry. “That’s where I think Tiger’s mind is right now

He’s not as long as he used to be. The only tournament that he could win where length isn’t a factor and it’s more about game management is an Open. I still think he can win a major.

 

Numer jeden na świecie Iga Świątek po raz kolejny zabrała głos w sprawie napiętego harmonogramu, który ma wpływ na graczy. 23-latka uznawana jest za najlepszą zawodniczkę występującą obecnie w kobiecym tenisie w lidze

Long before Matt Kuchar bizarrely refused to play the final hole of the Wyndham Championship over the weekend, Rory McIlroy took a brutal dig at the American on the heels of a different controversy.

Back in 2019, Kuchar drew the ire of many golf fans once it was revealed that he paid David “El Tucan” Ortiz only $5,000 after the caddie helped him win the Mayakoba Golf Classic, which at the time possessed a first-place prize of $1.296 million.

Kuchar added further fuel to the fire when he expressed little remorse for the low payout, telling Golf Channel: “I certainly don’t lose sleep over this. This is something that I’m quite happy with, and I was really happy for him to have a great week and make a good sum of money. Making $5,000 is a great week.”

In an official statement from the PGA Tour, Kuchar attempted to walk back his prior comments, affirming that he’d make the situation right with Ortiz, who revealed he was looking to receive $50,000 for his services. The Florida native agreed to pay the “full total” requested, as well as donate an undisclosed sum to the Mayakoba tournament in an effort to support “philanthropic causes” in Mexico.

Despite his peacemaking efforts, Kuchar still couldn’t escape a hilarious burn from McIlroy. During the Wyndham Rewards ceremony several months later, Kuchar divulged that McIlroy cost him $300,000 due to his two-point advantage in the season-long race, to which the Northern Irishman swiftly replied: “And we all know what money means to him.”

Kuchar took the brutal dig in stride, chuckling to himself as the rest of the room burst into a fit of laughter. But five years later, McIlroy’s comment has taken on a new meaning.

With daylight dwindling on Sunday, Kuchar was playing in the final threesome of the Wyndham Championship alongside Max Greyserman and Chad Ramey when he decided against playing his second shot on the 72nd hole. His decision is all the more peculiar considering the 46-year-old sat far out of contention at 11-under, tied for 12th place.

Social media users hardly sympathized with Kuchar following his unorthodox decision, insisting that he didn’t need the additional money after earning almost $60 million over more than 20 years on the PGA Tour.

“The difference between a 10-way for 12th and a seven-way tie for 21st is ~$58,000,” CBS Sports’ Kyle Porter wrote on X. “Matt Kuchar has made $59.8 million in his career. Cannot believe I’m typing any of these words.”

 

Undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14KO) has told the Mail Online that he would happily complete the trilogy with British rival Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25KO), on the basis that he wants to repay him for making him famous.

The incredible Ukrainian said, “I don’t particularly want any rematches, but when I beat Tyson Fury for the second time and when Anthony Joshua beats Daniel Dubois, of course they want to do a third fight.

“From my point of view, I have no right to deny Anthony Joshua a third fight because he gave me two incredible fights.

“Anthony helped me become even more famous in the world. Anthony did it. And if happens with God’s help, then I am ready for a third fight with Anthony Joshua.”

Usyk is first scheduled for a rematch with Fury on December 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for his unified world heavyweight championships.

34-year-old AJ lost back to back matches with Usyk in 2021 and 2022, but has since bounced back with four straight wins to land an IBF World heavyweight title shot at the newly-crowned champion Daniel Dubois in September.

Dubois was elevated from Interim champion to full champion after Usyk relinquished the title, and now makes the first defence to his fellow Brit in what will be a battle between North and South London.

If the favourite, Joshua, is able to defeat Dubois then he will be first in line for a shot at the winner of Usyk-Fury.

 

Scottie Scheffler earned an $8 million bonus by finishing No. 1 on the Comcast Business Tour Top 10 for the 2024 PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup regular season. It’s the second No. 1 finish in three years for the 28-year-old World No. 1, who won six times on tour this season before capturing the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. “It’s been an incredible year for me both on and off the course, so to finish up the regular season by earning the top spot in the Comcast Business Tour Top 10 is an honor,” Scheffler said. “Every year I try to perform and compete to the best of my abilities, so this award really represents the hard work put in throughout the course of the season with the support of my family and team.” Xander Schauffele finished second and earned a $6 million bonus after claiming his first two major wins at the PGA Championship and The Open Championship. Rory McIlroy ($4.8M) was third, with Collin Morikawa ($4.4M) and Wyndam Clark ($4M) rounding out the top five. Scheffler’s six victories included four signature events and his second grand slam win at The Masters. He was the first golfer to win six or more tournaments in a season since Tiger Woods in 2009.

Scottie Scheffler’s season has been nothing short of incredible — including a historic back-to-back win at The Players Championship and now winning the Comcast Business Tour Top 10,” said Eileen Diskin, chief marketing officer for Comcast Business. “We’re excited to see him on top of the Leaderboard again along with all the elite athletes who earned their positions this year.”

The 51-year-old Englishman was one of the first players to breakaway to the controversial Saudi-backed league back in the summer of 2022, and for his choices, he was hit with wave after wave of criticism both by fellow players and fans of the sport. Recently speaking about the backlash endured on the Fairway to Heaven podcast, Westwood admitted: “After 30 years of being a professional sportsman I’ve learned not to give a s*** what anybody thinks.”

Westwood had favoured the European Tour for most of his career, not having his head turned by the star calibre of the PGA Tour before his move to LIV. He added: “I’ve been a member of the European tour for nearly 30 years and I’ve won in the U.S. twice, didn’t take up membership there, you know, stayed on the European Tour.”

He added: “I enjoyed playing in Europe and that’s where I felt like I belonged. Covid came along, a lot of people went and started up in the States because of world ranking points and various things. But I stayed in Europe and played European tour events, to support them and you know add to those fields I suppose. So I clearly have a very different idea about loyalty than people who have said stupid things.”

Westwood then hit out at critics, saying: “I think a lot of those people are now starting to understand that they were being brainwashed by certain people with just purely financial motivations on their mind. They were making up these stories and trying to give people these ideas about us players that were going to LIV just to really forge their case with the public, and convince the public that we were bad and they were good.”

Always outspoken and standing up for his decisions, Westwood has had a number of spats with players and fans of golf over the years about the LIV league. Here, The Mirror breaks them down…

Speaking ahead of the Ryder Cup last year, McIlroy said: “It’s certainly a little strange not having them around but I think this week of all weeks it’s going to hit home with them they are not here. They are going to miss being here more than we’re missing them. This week is a realisation that the decision that they made has led to not being a part of this week and that’s tough.

“The landscape in golf is ever-changing and more dynamic and we’ll see what happens and whether they will be part of it in the future. I always thought leading up to this week is when it’s going to hit home that they are not going to be here.” His words were directed towards Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter – as well as Henrik Stenson who was axed as Team Europe’s captain for joining the LIV Golf set-up.

When asked online whether he thought Stenson should have been allowed to return as captain, McIlroy responded: “The best thing to happen to the 2023 Euro Ryder Cup team was Henrik going to LIV!” but the words didn’t sit right with Westwood or Poulter. Poulter sarcastically clapped back: “Guys, calm down . . . this is a parody fake account . . . Rory McIlroy wouldn’t say this it’s fake I promise you. He is a class act and wouldn’t say that about a team-mate.” Meanwhile, Westwood wrote: “Nice to see the season of goodwill in full swing! Merry Christmas!!! I remember my 1st beer!”

Westwood bites back

Westwood was quick to hit back at criticisms of his decision to join the LIV series from the likes of McIlroy and Woods by insisting that the PGA had copied it through its TGL ‘high-tech golf league’. He told Eurosport: “I laugh at what the PGA Tour players have come up with. It’s just a copy of what LIV is doing.

“There are a lot of hypocrites out there. They all say LIV is ‘not competitive’. They all point at the no-cut aspect of LIV and the ‘short fields’. Now, funnily enough, they are proposing 20 events that look a lot like LIV. Hopefully, at some point they will all choke on their words. And hopefully, they will be held to account as we were in the early days.”

Meanwhile, responding to Tiger Woods’ comments that LIV stars had “turned their back on what allowed them to get to this position”, Westwood explained: “The LIV players will talk the LIV tour up, the PGA players that aren’t on the LIV tour will talk the PGA Tour up and put down the LIV tour. I don’t pay too much attention to people’s opinions. Tiger is entitled to his opinion.”

Westwood savages PGA Tour player

McIlroy isn’t the only player that Westwood has had verbal altercations with either. Eddie Pepperell hit out at him on social media last August, when the Englishman responded to the OWGR rankings – which he wasn’t included in – with a cry-laughing emoji. However, Pepperell wasn’t amused by the sentiment, responding by hitting out at Westwood’s decision to play in the LIV Golf league for massive amounts of money.

The 33-year-old wrote: “I’ll tell you what’s a joke Lee; you earning 3X the average annual UK salary in one week for shooting +20 over 3 rounds,” with Westwood responding: “PIP? Miss that one did you? Monday simulator games? Miss that one too?” taking aim at the PGA’s Player Impact Program – a bonus pool which rewarded the tour’s best players in 2021.

Pepperell fired back: “It’s all laughable. From you earning £100k last week for playing like a turnip to the TGL/PIP. Pro golf has degraded itself to being just about the money. Maybe it always has been and I’m naive, but it isn’t doing much to improve the sport and genuinely ‘grow the game’.”

The back and forth ensued, but Westwood wasn’t backing down, later typing back: “You know who’s responsible for all of this! Me and @IanJamesPoulter asked all the questions at the Players meeting at Wentworth and you sat right in front of me bowing your head like a nodding donkey while KP was spouting his political head/master s****.”

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods rows, savaging PGA Tour star, Lee Westwood apology

Lee Westwood has been hit by a wealth of criticism since joining the LIV Golf League two years ago – from fans of the sport to fellow pro players like Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods. Here, The Mirror breaks them down

 

Lee Westwood has had spats with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy (

Image: Getty Images)

 

Lee Westwood has hit out at “brainwashed” LIV Golf critics.

The 51-year-old Englishman was one of the first players to breakaway to the controversial Saudi-backed league back in the summer of 2022, and for his choices, he was hit with wave after wave of criticism both by fellow players and fans of the sport. Recently speaking about the backlash endured on the Fairway to Heaven podcast, Westwood admitted: “After 30 years of being a professional sportsman I’ve learned not to give a s*** what anybody thinks.”

Westwood had favoured the European Tour for most of his career, not having his head turned by the star calibre of the PGA Tour before his move to LIV. He added: “I’ve been a member of the European tour for nearly 30 years and I’ve won in the U.S. twice, didn’t take up membership there, you know, stayed on the European Tour.”

He added: “I enjoyed playing in Europe and that’s where I felt like I belonged. Covid came along, a lot of people went and started up in the States because of world ranking points and various things. But I stayed in Europe and played European tour events, to support them and you know add to those fields I suppose. So I clearly have a very different idea about loyalty than people who have said stupid things.”

 

Westwood then hit out at critics, saying: “I think a lot of those people are now starting to understand that they were being brainwashed by certain people with just purely financial motivations on their mind. They were making up these stories and trying to give people these ideas about us players that were going to LIV just to really forge their case with the public, and convince the public that we were bad and they were good.”

Always outspoken and standing up for his decisions, Westwood has had a number of spats with players and fans of golf over the years about the LIV league. Here, The Mirror breaks them down…

Brutal McIlroy swipe

Speaking ahead of the Ryder Cup last year, McIlroy said: “It’s certainly a little strange not having them around but I think this week of all weeks it’s going to hit home with them they are not here. They are going to miss being here more than we’re missing them. This week is a realisation that the decision that they made has led to not being a part of this week and that’s tough.

“The landscape in golf is ever-changing and more dynamic and we’ll see what happens and whether they will be part of it in the future. I always thought leading up to this week is when it’s going to hit home that they are not going to be here.” His words were directed towards Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter – as well as Henrik Stenson who was axed as Team Europe’s captain for joining the LIV Golf set-up

When asked online whether he thought Stenson should have been allowed to return as captain, McIlroy responded: “The best thing to happen to the 2023 Euro Ryder Cup team was Henrik going to LIV!” but the words didn’t sit right with Westwood or Poulter. Poulter sarcastically clapped back: “Guys, calm down . . . this is a parody fake account . . . Rory McIlroy wouldn’t say this it’s fake I promise you. He is a class act and wouldn’t say that about a team-mate.” Meanwhile, Westwood wrote: “Nice to see the season of goodwill in full swing! Merry Christmas!!! I remember my 1st beer!”

Westwood bites back

Westwood was quick to hit back at criticisms of his decision to join the LIV series from the likes of McIlroy and Woods by insisting that the PGA had copied it through its TGL ‘high-tech golf

Iga Świątek niedawno wyraziła swoje obawy dotyczące poruszania się w rygorystycznym kalendarzu tenisa. Powiedziała, że ​​harmonogram rozgrywek z roku na rok staje się coraz bardziej wymagający.

 

Świątek ma pszczołę

Iga Swiatek recently expressed her concerns about navigating through the rigorous calendar in tennis. She said that the playing schedule is becoming increasingly demanding each year.

Swiatek has been enjoying a remarkable season so far. She claimed her first title of the season at the 2024 Qatar Open by defeating Elena Rybakina in the final. The Pole then went on to secure the BNP Paribas Open title at Indian Wells by defeating Maria Sakkari in the championship match.

The World No. 1 then clinched the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, both of which she won by defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. She next triumphed at the French Open, securing her first Grand Slam title of the season by defeating Jasmine Paolini in the final. This was her third consecutive French Open title and her fifth Grand Slam title overall.

Most recently, Iga Swiatek competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics where she was the top seed. She defeated the likes of Irina-Camelia Begu, Diane Parry and Wang Xinyu in the first three rounds.

The Pole then overcame eighth seed Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals before falling to sixth seed and eventual gold medalist Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals. However, Swiatek redeemed herself by clinching the bronze medal after defeating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
“Gevery year, which i

Iga Swiatek recently expressed her concerns about navigating through the rigorous calendar in tennis. She said that the playing schedule is becoming increasingly demanding each year.

Swiatek has been enjoying a remarkable season so far. She claimed her first title of the season at the 2024 Qatar Open by defeating Elena Rybakina in the final. The Pole then went on to secure the BNP Paribas Open title at Indian Wells by defeating Maria Sakkari in the championship match.

The World No. 1 then clinched the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, both of which she won by defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. She next triumphed at the French Open, securing her first Grand Slam title of the season by defeating Jasmine Paolini in the final. This was her third consecutive French Open title and her fifth Grand Slam title overall.

 

Most recently, Iga Swiatek competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics where she was the top seed. She defeated the likes of Irina-Camelia Begu, Diane Parry and Wang Xinyu in the first three rounds.

The Pole then overcame eighth seed Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals before falling to sixth seed and eventual gold medalist Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals. However, Swiatek redeemed herself by clinching the bronze medal after defeating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.

Currently, Iga Swiatek is preparing to compete at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, where she is the top seed. She will start her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye and will face either Ajla Tomljanovic or qualifier Varvara Gracheva in the opening round.

While speaking to the press before commencing her campaign at the Cincinnati Open, Iga Swiatek stated that tennis has the most demanding and the “toughest” schedule in all of sports which invariably takes a huge toll on the players’ bodies.

The 23-year-old expressed that the intensity of schedules is increasing year after year, thus the players have to train “wisely.”

“Our calendar is crazy, probably the toughest one in sports. There are sports that are really tough because, physically, you might get beat up. But most sports have four months off, sometimes even six. Our schedule is crazy, and it’s getting more crazy every year, which is scary. You just have to train wisely,” Iga Swiatek said.

Last year, Iga Swiatek had a semifinal run at the Cincinnati Open, which was also her best performance at the WTA 1000 hard-court event to date.

Swiatek was the top seed and had begun her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She dominated wildcard Danielle Collins with a score of 6-1, 6-0 in the opening round and then overcame Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the third round.

In the quarterfinals, the World No. 1 defeated the-then reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-6(3), 6-1 before facing seventh seed and eventual champion Coco Gauff in the semifinals. Despite a valiant effort, Swiatek fell to Gauff 6-7(2), 6-3, 4-6, who then went on to defeat Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-4 in the final to claim her first WTA 1000 title.