Steve Sutcliffe

Jack Whaley became only the third Englishman to win the US Amateur Championship, defeating Jay Leng Jr 4&3 at Merion with his father, Andy, serving as caddie. The victory secured places in the 2027 Masters, US Open and Open Championship, as well as an automatic spot on the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team. Whaley credited his father’s years of financial, logistical and emotional support, while former US Open champions Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick congratulated him.

Mark Selby defeated Noppon Saengkham 10-6 in Taiyuan to win a record fourth China Open title. After trailing 4-2, Selby recovered to level the first session and then produced a run of four consecutive frames, supported by breaks of 58, 90, 69 and 53. The victory was his 26th ranking-event title and lifted him from ninth to fifth in the world rankings, earning £250,000, while Saengkham received £100,000 and rose to 27th. Saengkham had reached the final after defeating Judd Trump, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Shaun Murphy.

Yealimi Noh leads the AIG Women's Open by three shots after a two-under-par 69 in windy conditions at Royal Lytham and St Annes. Esther Henseleit, Lucy Li, Jeeno Thitikul, Shiho Kuwaki and Haeran Ryu are tied for second, while England's Lottie Woad is three under overall and Charley Hull is two under after recovering from three early bogeys. Lydia Ko remains in contention, but Nelly Korda's closing double bogey left her eight shots off the lead. Noh will play in the final pairing as she seeks to convert her first 54-hole lead in the championship into a major victory.

Matt Fitzpatrick warns that sports betting is driving abusive behaviour toward professional golfers, citing increasing online harassment and the ease of disrupting play. Ahead of The Open at Royal Birkdale, the R&A has introduced a code of conduct urging respect for players and tradition as record crowds are expected. Tommy Fleetwood notes that crowd atmosphere is important but requires balance to avoid unsporting behaviour, following recent incidents at major tournaments in the United States.

Tim Merlier won stage seven of the Tour de France with a powerful sprint in Bordeaux, securing his fourth career stage victory as Tadej Pogacar maintained his overall lead. Pogacar kept a two-minute, 38‑second advantage over Jonas Vingegaard, with Isaac del Toro holding third. The flat 175.1km stage ended in a tight sprint, with Soren Waerenskjold finishing second and Biniam Girmay third. The race continues with another sprint‑oriented stage from Perigueux to Bergerac.

Leeds United signed Wales international Harry Wilson on a four-year deal after his contract with Fulham expired. The 29-year-old, who scored 10 Premier League goals last season, said Leeds showed strong interest and highlighted the club’s size and pressure as motivating factors. He becomes Leeds’ first summer signing, with the club also linked to Shea Charles and Julian Brandt.

Several footballers at the 2026 World Cup were eligible to play for England but chose other national teams, including Erling Haaland, Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise. The article highlights their backgrounds and international choices, noting that many current England players were also eligible for other nations. It outlines each featured player's origins, club careers and eventual national allegiance, illustrating the global mix of talent with English ties.

Isaac del Toro secured victory on stage two of the Tour de France with a late surge on the Montjuic climb, finishing ahead of teammate Tadej Pogacar. Jonas Vingegaard retained the overall lead, while Pogacar moved to second in the general classification after gaining bonus seconds. The stage highlighted UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s strength, and upcoming mountain challenges may be affected by a nearby wildfire.

Brad Dalke expressed excitement over the strong fan support during his DP World Tour debut at the BMW International Open in Munich. After entering the third round close to the lead, he struggled with a three-over 75 but still drew a large gallery and finished with a birdie on the 18th. Dalke’s appearance, granted through a sponsor exemption, marked his first world-ranked event since 2020 after shifting to YouTube golf amid career challenges. He recently left the Good Good channel to support his wife’s health needs and noted the growing quality of golfers emerging from YouTube content creation.