Championship

Britain’s Kat Matthews claimed silver at the World Ironman Championship, but compatriot Lucy Charles-Barclay was forced to pull out while leading as competitors battled sweltering conditions in Kona, Hawaiʻi.

Matthews benefited from the late withdrawals of Charles-Barclay and American Taylor Knibb to finish second behind Norway’s Solveig Lovseth, who claimed her first Ironman world title.

Charles-Barclay was leading after 10 miles of the marathon but visibly began to struggle as temperatures pushed 28C with 70% humidity.

She eventually pulled out with about nine miles remaining after consulting with her husband at the side of the road.

That seemingly left the path clear for Knibb to take the title, but the 27-year-old withdrew with four miles left, sitting down on the tarmac as Lovseth and Matthews ran past her.

Matthews finished strongly and completed the marathon in a course record two hours, 47 minutes, but it was not enough to reel in Lovseth.

The Norwegian crossed the line in a time of eight hours, 28 minutes and 27 seconds, with Matthews just 35 seconds behind for her third Ironman silver medal. Germany’s Laura Philipp was more than eight minutes further back in third.

“I worked really hard and I’m very proud of my finish,” said Matthews. “I’m happy for Solveig, she was incredible to watch. I had a very up and down day.”

The Ironman course consists of a 2.4-mile (3.8 km) swim, 112 miles (180 km) cycling and the final marathon, which is 26.2 miles (42.2 km), for a total distance of 140.6 miles.

Meanwhile, the men’s and women’s World Championships will reunify in 2026 after three years as separate events.

The Championships were split in 2023 to ease entry back-logs caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

South Africa were voted the men’s team of the year at the World Rugby awards last year.

Having picked up back-to-back Rugby Championships, the world’s number one-ranked team could be picking up the prize again.

But what makes the achievement more remarkable is the amount of players head coach Rassie Erasmus has used.

“I think we used close to 47 players and I’d love to have given more chances,” he said.

Defeats by Australia and New Zealand over the first three games put pressure on Erasmus – but subsequent results made clear the “risk” to develop talent was worth it.

Three wins from three games followed to secure the title, with 23-year-old Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starting all of them.

A Springbok record 37 points against Argentina in Durban was the highlight as Feinberg-Mngomezulu developed as a potential frontrunner to start at fly-half in November.

Ethan Hooker, 22, began the final three games on the left wing and produced a standout performance against New Zealand, while Canan Moodie, also 23, started at outside centre in the final three games.

With the title on the line, Erasmus trusted his young stars and they delivered.

Selection will now heat up for the autumn as the Springboks’ World Cup winners will hope to return to the side, especially for games against France and Ireland.

Erasmus once said he would “rather win the World Cup than sit at an 85% win rate”.

Well, he has now built a squad that looks like it can do both.

“I think one of our goals is to stay in the present, do well, and not just focus on the World Cup,” he added.

“But I think definitely trying to build squad depth played a role in the lack of continuity.”

Four of Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes will be in action at this week’s Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, headed by defending champion and three-time winner Tyrrell Hatton.

And you can bet your life they will get a much better reception from the fans than they did from the loud-mouthed yobs who hurled abuse at them at Bethpage Black.

Luke Donald’s team were certainly heroes as far as this column is concerned.

Tommy Fleetwood, another of the players teeing it up this week, was a 12-1 winner in the top points scorer market, and the 15-13 scoreline was also tipped here at 12-1

Justin Rose going out first in the singles, having been highlighted at 18-1, was the icing on the cake. Cameron Young also finished joint top in the USA points list with Xander Schauffele, having been advised at 25-1.

So the big question now is where do we “reinvest” the winnings, to try to keep the mood of celebration going?

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Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2025 betting tips

Hatton seems an obvious starting point, given his incredible record in this event. 

In his last seven starts here, he has posted a couple of runner-ups as well as his three victories. And his worst finish was a share of 15th. So 7-1 looks reasonable.

Hatton is second favourite behind world No 7 Fleetwood, who has finished second here twice, and was third 12 months ago.

He is a general 6-1, with European team-mates Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre next on the list at around 10-1 and 12-1 respectively.

But the Ryder Cup was such a draining experience that I am reluctant to side with any of that quartet at short prices. They have earned a bit of down time, and may not be quite as focused on this event as usual.

Marco Penge, who was a bit unlucky not to get a wild card for Bethpage after winning twice this year, looks attractively priced at 20-1.

Penge missed the cut here last year – but that was largely due to a calamitous opening round of 75 at Carnoustie, where he had a NINE and a seven on the back nine.

That can happen at the toughest course on the planet. And the big-hitting Englishman bounced back well with rounds of 69 and 70 at Kingsbarns and St Andrews.

He is a much more accomplished player now, and is second only to Rory McIlroy on the current DP World Tour money list. He could easily go one better than his runner-up finish at the hotly-contested Scottish Open three months ago.

I also like the chances of another monster hitter, Rasmus Neergard-Petersen, who is a best priced 25-1. He seemed to thrive on the links when finishing joint fourth last year.

Previous form in this event is invaluable, so 40-1 shot Haotong Li also comes into the reckoning. His share of seventh last year was his second top ten here, and a tie for fourth at this year’s Open confirmed his love of links golf.

Among the longshots, the 80-1 about Laurie Canter and Peter Uhlein deserves a second look, while improving Frenchman Tom Vaillant looks over-priced at 150-1. The same thing applies to 200-1 shot Brandon Robinson-Thompson.

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Sanderson Farms Championship betting tips

The only Ryder Cup golfer playing in the PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi is another European, Rasmus Hojgaard.

He had a tough debut at Bethpage, losing both his matches. So despite a couple of runner-up finishes in his last four starts, I’m not tempted by the 33-1 on offer.

But I am keen on the 33-1 available for Mackenzie Hughes. The Canadian won here in 2022, finished top ten last year, and arrives on the back of a share of seventh in the Procore, where ten of the US Ryder Cup team were in action. 

Emilian Grillo did even better at the Procore, finishing tied fourth. He also also played well in Jackson in the past. So he is another 33-1 shot on the shortlist.

Michael Thorbjornsen is starting to justify the hype after a stellar college career, and 25-1 looks fair. Do not get him confused with Thorbjorn Olesen – but 50-1 for the former Ryder Cup man means he might be worth backing too!

Beau Hossler is another 50-1 chance worth considering, and I haven’t lost faith completely in USPGA runner-up Davis Riley despite a bunch of missed cuts. 

At 150-1 he could be worth a small interest. David Lipsky was a big disappointment at the Procore, but two third places in his previous five starts suggests he is another 150-1 shot to think about.

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SAIF ZAIB – (NORTHAMPTONSHIRE) – 61%

1,387 runs, average 66.04, six centuries, six half-centuries

Saif Zaib has been a beacon of light in a season of struggle for Northamptonshire.

Batting at number five, he has often been called upon to rescue a brittle batting line-up from which no other batter features in Division Two’s top twenty run-scorers.

He converted six of his 12 50-plus scores into three figures while also chipping in with 13 wickets with his slow left-armers.

The good news for Northants fans is he remains under contract until the end of the 2027 season.

TOM ABELL (SOMERSET) – 52%

1,022 runs, average 51.10, three centuries, five half-centuries

Though his side’s push for a maiden Division One title faltered in the final month of the season, 2025 was another fine year for Tom Abell.

A century in the penultimate round was his third of the campaign and saw him into four figures for the season with an average of more than 50.

The 31-year-old also helped his club to the T20 Blast title.

MARCUS HARRIS (LANCASHIRE) – 46%

1,027 runs, average 60.41, three centuries, five half-centuries

Former Australia Test batter Marcus Harris has had a year to remember after joining Lancashire.

The 33-year-old initially signed as an overseas for the Championship and One-Day Cup this summer but swiftly put pen to paper on a deal for another two years.

The former Leicestershire and Gloucestershire man – who has won 14 Test caps – made a blistering start, passing 800 runs in May, though his momentum did wane in the second half of the season as Lancashire were unable to mount a push for promotion from Division Two.

Having been part of the 2024 team, Glamorgan’s Colin Ingram was edged into fourth in the voting by Harris.

ISAAC HAYDEN feels sympathy for Chelsea ‘bomb squad’ members Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi.

The ex-Newcastle midfielder, now at QPR, spent the first five months of last season in limbo after failing to secure a summer move.

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Sterling shared a photo of himself training alone late in the evening, while boss Enzo Maresca admitted he has not even spoken to the winger this season.

Hayden, 30, was not in Eddie Howe’s plans but his circumstances were slightly different.

He told SunSport: “I have sympathy because footballers want to play — but everyone’s got different reasons as to why they find themselves in a so-called ‘bomb squad’.

“It happened to me because I couldn’t find a solution during that summer window which fitted in with what Newcastle also wanted.

“But I had constant contact with Eddie and was given nothing but support.”

Hayden made 187 appearances for Newcastle, won the Championship title in 2017 and had five seasons playing in the Premier League. 

But a knee injury in December 2021 sidelined him for 5½ months and Howe later told him he was surplus to requirements.

Hayden said: “By the time I’d come back, they had signed Bruno Guimaraes, and Joelinton was playing as a No 8 — so there was no space.

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“And the team had been transformed from one fighting relegation to having top-six form.

“Eddie was honest and said he had five players in front of me. You think to yourself, ‘I know where I stand’. I’d rather  that than the manager not talking to me.

“You hear people talk about bomb squads where they isolate you, and that’s horrible — but Eddie and Newcastle didn’t do that.

“We had the conversation as to why he couldn’t name me in the 25-man squad.

“And it’s not as simple as, ‘Why not let him train with the first team?’. If you’re doing an 11 v 11 game and everyone’s fit, you’re not going to be able to train with the group because there are too many players.

So Eddie’s solution for me to train with the Under-23s was better. It meant I could train normally every day — and not by myself.”

Hayden actually embraced that period and even did some coaching.

He said: “The bottom line is you’re getting paid good money by the club as a professional footballer. So you give 100 per cent to them in whatever role you’re in.”

After spending the second half of last season on loan with Portsmouth, Hayden joined QPR permanently in the summer.

And now he is hoping to play for Jamaica at next summer’s World Cup.

He said: “One of the huge blessings to come out of that period was I was able to go to Jamaica for a few days to sort my  passport out so I could play for them.

“Had I been playing first-team football every week I’d have not been able to.

“Now I have a chance of making the World Cup. It goes to show you can make everything work out in the end.”

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There have been a number of new additions to the coaching and playing staff for Ulster ahead of the new campaign as they aim to muscle their way back into the top eight.

Juarno Augustus has been signed from Northampton while Australia prop Angus Bell will join the squad after the autumn internationals.

Mark Sexton has arrived as attack coach, with Willie Faloon now in permanent charge of the defence.

Henderson is enthused by the impact Augustus and Sexton have already had and believes the team are already in a better shape to compete with younger players now having a tough year of senior rugby under their belts.

“Mark Sexton has been working wonders with our attack, it feels fresh and new,” added the 33-year-old.

“A handful of older guys leaving last year have lifted the ceiling of those young guys who have been stepping into shoes and there are a couple of new players kicking around, I can’t wait to see them cause a bit of disruption.

“Watching him [Augustus] in training, there’s no doubt in my mind he is going to cause a bit of damage and that is exciting.

“There is so much there to cause excitement and the excitement they [young players] bring rejuvenates me, I feel like my body has been brilliant in pre-season and I want to be part of this new Ulster coming through with the freshness I feel.”

Ulster edged past Dragons 34-30 at Rodney Parade last season, but Henderson added that both teams’ summer business means Friday’s game at the Affidea Stadium will be a different proposition.

“They caused us loads of issues over there last year, but they have signed a heap of new players and will be a different team and how we have progressed in pre-season, we are a different team to last year.”

The County Championship is to remain a two-division structure of 14 matches per team after a vote rejected proposed changes.

Eighteen first-class counties were asked to choose between the status quo and a new system of a 12-team top flight, six in the bottom tier, with each team playing 13 matches.

The ballot returned a result on Tuesday, one day before the final round of this season’s County Championship matches begin.

A majority of 12 counties were required to vote for change in order to push through the reform, a figure that was not met.

The result of the vote means the County Championship retains its current structure of 10 teams in Division One and eight in Division Two, with two teams promoted and relegated between each.

It brings to an end a lengthy examination of the domestic schedule, conducted by the counties.

A revamp of the Twenty20 Blast, cutting the number of group games from 14 to 12 and bringing finals day earlier in the season, was agreed in August.

However, differing opinions among the counties about the way forward for the Championship have resulted in retaining the current set-up.

A number of proposals were put forward, including reducing the number of first-class matches to 12, a number favoured by the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA).

When it became clear the shift from 14 to 12 was dead in the water, the 12-team top flight with a 13-match structure was proposed.

The idea involved the 12 teams being split into two groups of six, playing each other twice for an initial 10 games. At that point, the two groups would be split in half to create two further groups of six that would play for the Championship and relegation places.

CHELSEA forward Marc Guiu has been named as eligible for the EFL Cup thanks to a little-known rule change.

The teenager spent a short-lived spell with Sunderland on loan earlier this season but was recalled before the transfer deadline.

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He scored for the Black Cats in their EFL Cup exit to Huddersfield while with the club, an appearance that was believed to have made him ineligible for future EFL cup games this season.

However, a rule change for the 2025/26 season changed the laws to allow a player to turn out for two different clubs in the same campaign.

But Chelsea themselves were reportedly not aware that the Spaniard was able to play in their cup match with Lincoln City on Tuesday, and he has been left out of the squad.

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The LGPA Tour has cancelled the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship after 18 holes due to bad weather.

Dangerous conditions at the Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas, saw play suspended on Saturday with full cancellation of the event confirmed on Sunday.

“The course received 3.25 [inches] of rain last night and after having assessed the golf course and consulted with our meteorologist and superintendent, the golf course is unplayable,” the LPGA said in a statement.

“Based on the weather forecast for the remainder of today and all day Monday and Tuesday, it is highly unlikely that 36 holes could be completed to make it an official event.

“As a result, the decision has been made to cancel the remainder of the tournament, with only players’ 18-hole score counting.”

The scheduled 54-hole event will be unofficial with no points awarded in the Race to CME globe, the season-long points competition.

The USA’s Cole Hocker comes back after being disqualified from the men’s 1500m to win gold in the 5000m with Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli taking silver and France’s Jimmy Gressier claiming bronze at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

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Marquez’s latest victory means he can clinch a seventh MotoGP world title at the next race in Japan in a fortnight.

Ducati’s Marc Marquez resisted a spirited challenge from Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi to win the San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday, taking his revenge after crashing out of the lead in Saturday’s sprint, and inching closer to the MotoGP title.

Bezzecchi had inherited victory in the sprint when Marquez crashed out. This time, however, the determined Spaniard overtook the Aprilia rider on lap 12, having started on the second row of the grid, and never looked back.

Marquez’s 11th race victory of the season takes him to 512 points – a record tally for a MotoGP rider in a single season – and he celebrated his victory by unzipping his leathers and holding his red suit up on the podium like a matador.

Gresini Racing’s Alex Marquez finished a distant third, and brother Marc, with a 182-point lead, can clinch his seventh title at the Japanese Grand Prix this month.

“Today I gave everything I had. It’s true that the mistake from yesterday gave me extra concentration, extra power, extra energy,” an exhausted Marc Marquez said.

“I was just there following him [Bezzecchi], trying to push him always super close, because it’s impossible to do 27 laps without any mistake. And in the end, he did a small mistake on turn eight, and then I led the race.

“Super important for Ducati; I felt the pressure this weekend.”

Six more rounds remain, but Marc Marquez can now win his first title since 2019 if he outscores brother Alex by just three points in Japan.

Superb launch

At the start, Marc had a superb launch off the line and he veered to the outside to quickly move up to second behind polesitter Bezzecchi while Alex was pushed down to third.

As the top three streaked away, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo found it difficult to maintain that pace, and he was soon battling with KTM’s Pedro Acosta, who eventually found his way past the former champion to chase the leading pack.

But Acosta’s hopes of fighting for the podium went up in smoke when he retired with a broken chain, with the young Spaniard furiously wagging his finger at the bike after he stopped on the side of the track.

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia had another race to forget in a nightmare season for the twice champion, who crashed out of seventh place, his third place in the championship now seriously under threat from Bezzecchi.

Up front, Marc continued piling the pressure on Bezzecchi, and the Aprilia rider finally buckled on lap 12 when he was a breath late on the brakes and went wide, opening the door for the red Ducati to ease past him and into the lead.

Unrelenting Bezzecchi

Bezzecchi gave chase, unrelenting and eager to reclaim the lead. But Marc remained calm and the Spaniard was in no mood to crash out of the lead twice in one weekend.

Bezzecchi shook his head in frustration with six laps left as Marc set the fastest lap of the race.

Marc tried his best to shake off the younger Italian, who found an extraordinary late race pace to challenge for the lead. But the Ducati rider responded once again as they traded fastest laps and left third-placed Alex more than six seconds behind.

“Besides [missing out on] the victory, this is maybe the best race of my life, because I was super competitive all weekend – pole position, sprint win, second place,” Bezzecchi said.

“I was close to Marc, who is at the moment the strongest on the grid. I’m very happy, I gave my all, I’m destroyed!”

VR46 Racing riders Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio finished fourth and fifth, respectively, while Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer was sixth.

EFL fans have been left baffled over Portsmouth’s goalkeeper substitution.

Keeper Nicolas Schmid was forced off after suffering a first half injury.

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And he was replaced by deputy Ben Killip, with the pair sharing an embrace as they switched over.

It was an eye-cathcing sub as Schmid and Killip bore a striking similarity with one another.

They both have curly blond hair and beards, prompting confusion for viewers at home.

One reacted saying: “I swear Portsmouth just bought on a stunt double for their keeper. Absolute doppelganger.”

Another added: “Should have just swapped them at half time without anyone knowing.”

A third wrote: “Bit unfair cloning your starting GK, Pompey.”

And another commented: “Had me questioning my sanity.”

The incident took place during Portsmouth’s 0-0 draw with Southampton in the South Coast derby.

Shortly afterwards the match was interrupted by a pitch invader, who made it as far as the halfway line and appeared to gesture towards the away fans.

Saints also aimed a cheeky dig at their rivals by unveiling a provocative tifo before the match, showing James Beattie celebrating a goal against Pompey in 2003.

Olympic silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith finishes outside the automatic qualifying places for the 400m semi-finals at the World Athletics Championships but goes through as a fastest loser, joining team-mates Samuel Reardon and Charlie Dobson.

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A RYDER CUP star was dumped out of the BMW PGA Championship after three rounds – following a rarely-seen SECOND CUT.

All 12 Team Europe players plus captain Luke Donald teed it up at Wentworth this week in the last big event before they fly to New York to face the USA.

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But DP World Tour chiefs were forced into an unusual rule change.

A whopping 86 made it through the regular cut at the mid-way point after 36 holes on Friday evening – with 26 players tied on two-under-par.

However, a secondary cut can be introduced by the Tournament Director after the third round on Saturday to reduce the field for the final day if more than 84 make it to the weekend.

The secondary cut is designed to ensure the maximum number of players on Sunday is 78.

This was the first time the little-known rule was implemented on the DP World Tour since the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in 2023.

That ensures the leaders can go out at 11.10am on Sunday – allowing enough time for a possible play-off and to stick to TV schedules.

However, it was bad news for Robert MacIntyre.

The fiery Scot – who slammed his driver into the ground after a wayward tee shot on the sixth hole – missed out on a tee time for Sunday’s final round as one of the unlucky 13 to miss the additional cut.

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His level-par 72 kept him at -2 and sent him packing alongside Alex Fitzpatrick and Niklas Norgaard among others.

But unlike the regular cut, the 13 golfers ditched after Saturday are still entitled to both ranking points in the Race To Dubai and prize money from Wentworth.

Tommy Fleetwood, fresh from his maiden PGA Tour win, just scraped through to Sunday on -3 with Rory McIlroy two shots better off.

Justin Rose, Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry are all at -7 with Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick on -10.

But MacIntyre’s European team-mates Viktor Hovland (-12) and Tyrrell Hatton (-13) will be hoping to chase down the leaders Alex Noren and Adrien Saddier on -15.

Ironically, Noren is a vice-captain for Donald at Bethpage Black in two weeks’ time.

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Ryder Cup line ups

Here are the players who will be competing in the Ryder Cup…

Team Europe

• Luke Donald (C)
• Shane Lowry
• Jon Rahm
• Sepp Straka
• Viktor Hovland
• Ludvig Aberg
• Matt Fitzpatrick
• Rory McIlroy
• Robert MacIntyre
• Tommy Fleetwood
• Justin Rose
• Rasmus Hojgaard
• Tyrrell Hatton

Team USA

• Keegan Bradley (C)
• Justin Thomas
• Collin Morikawa
• Ben Griffin
• Cameron Young
• Patrick Cantley
• Sam Burns
• Scottie Scheffler
• JJ Spaun
• Xander Schauffele
• Russell Henley
• Harris English
• Bryson DeChambeau

“I give credit to my boys – we didn’t give up. And to the coach (Rassie Erasmus) as well,” said South Africa captain Siya Kolisi.

“We played fearlessly. We didn’t want to hold back. We knew what we needed to do and we believed in ourselves – that was the most important thing out there.”

South Africa made a strong start at the Wellington Regional Stadium but were denied a try following a brilliant Jordie Barrett tackle on Cheslin Kolbe.

RG Snyman did go over for South Africa, only to have the effort ruled out.

New Zealand responded through debutant Leroy Carter, who scored after a well-worked move.

South Africa drew level when Kolbe intercepted a pass in his own half before sprinting clear.

A Damian McKenzie penalty restored New Zealand’s lead but, from there on, it was all South Africa.

Kolbe scored his second try early in second half before Manie Libbok’s penalty.

Damian Willemse powered over the line to extend the Springboks’ lead following a poor New Zealand line-out, and Kwagga Smith, Snyman and Andre Esterhuizen added further tries.

“That’s a tough one to swallow,” said New Zealand captain Scott Barrett.

“The Springboks certainly showed up and took a real improvement from last week, and we just didn’t adjust. There’s a lot of areas where we can get better.”

In the remaining two rounds South Africa play Argentina and New Zealand take on Australia.

“We’ve got the right to fight for the Rugby Championship,” said Kolisi. “It’s open now and that’s what matters to us.”

Angus Bell scored a dramatic winning try six minutes after the final hooter as Australia overturned a 21-7 half-time deficit to beat Argentina 28-24 in the Rugby Championship.

Juan Cruz Mallia had put Argentina 24-21 up with a penalty in the 79th minute but, after the Wallabies turned down three opportunities to level with their own kick, Bell went over the line.

“Full credit to the team, we could have gone for goal there and taken the draw,” said Australia captain Harry Wilson, whose side recovered from 22-5 down to beat South Africa 38-22 last month.

“Everyone believed that we could finish the job. And if boys want to win a game, we may as well back them.

“[I’m] proud of the boys, we weren’t at our best, but to find a way to get a win against such a high-quality opposition is a real credit to them.”

The Pumas had travelled to Queensland on the back of a first home win against New Zealand in their previous game.

And, despite a Nic White try for Australia, they went 21-7 up with the help of Bautista Delguy and Mateo Carreras tries, along with three penalties from Santi Carreras.

Two tries from Joseph Suaalii hauled Australia level at 21-21 before the late drama earned the hosts victory.

“It was far from a good performance,” said Pumas skipper Julian Montoya.

“Congrats to Australia, they took their opportunities. But in the second half, we gave away a lot of penalties that we can control, like offside, and then we gave them position pretty easy.”

ASHLEY and Tyler Young are set to become the first father-son duo to take to the field in Championship history.

The pair were denied a historic meeting by Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson in last season’s FA Cup when Tyler and his Posh team-mates took on Premier League side Everton.

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Had Tyler taken to the pitch while his old man was on the field, they would’ve become the first father-son duo to play against one another in the 154-year history of the FA Cup.

But now, they could potentially play for the SAME TEAM after Tyler was signed to Ipswich Town‘s Under-21s following a successful trial.

Former Manchester United and England star Ashley joined the Tractor Boys this summer at the ripe old age of 40.

And the magnitude of Town’s signing of his son hasn’t gone unnoticed by football fans.

One wrote on X:”Like father, like son.”

Another said: “Hopefully, they get given a game together.”

And another said: “Finally get to play together professionally.”

One remarked: “Would love to see them play in the same team together.”

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Another chimed in: “Father and son at the same club, a beautiful story.”

Ashley inked a one-year deal with Ipswich in July following his release from Everton.

Manager Kieran McKenna said of his arrival: “Ashley has had a fantastic career and his achievements speak for themselves.

“He has maintained an extremely high level of professionalism and competitiveness through his career and he is still playing at a very good level.

“We feel his leadership and experience will be valuable to the group this season and he is very hungry to contribute on and off the pitch.”

Ipswich will be back in action a week on Friday night, welcoming Sheffield United to Portman Road.

CHARLTON’s new stopper Thomas Kaminski has opened up on his struggles following his father’s tragic death near the end of last season.

Kaminski, 32, joined the Addicks from Luton after a difficult time on and off the pitch, as the Hatters’ second consecutive relegation saw them tumble down the football pyramid.

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The double relegation from the Premier League to League One in consecutive seasons was put firmly into context by the sad passing of his dad Jacek, aged 65.

He died of a heart attack while out on a scooter back home in Belgium.

It came just days before the Hatters’ penultimate game last term against Coventry at Kenilworth Road.

After dashing back home to be with his family he still returned to play in the final two matches.

They beat the Sky Blues before losing 5-3 at West Brom, which saw Luton go down on goal difference.

Kaminski told SunSport: “It was a big disappointment to be relegated — but I had different things on my mind this summer because of my dad. He was the main man in my career and life so it was a tough time.

“I didn’t have time to process the relegation.

“When you reflect, yes, it’s disappointing — but it’s also only football.”
Kaminski is proud to have played in the Prem with the Hatters, which his dad was able to witness.

The Belgian played all of the Hatters’ 38 games in the top flight and said: “It was a good experience. It was always my dream to play in the Premier League.

“You come up against these players that can make the difference in any game. It was different to the Championship, it was less physical but quick.

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“It was all in and around the box — more cutbacks rather than crosses. It was quick and intense.

“And you know that you’re going to need to make at least a couple of good saves every game.

“I became a better keeper for the experience.”

That season in the Prem has given Kaminski a desire to get back there.

And he joined Charlton this summer believing the promoted side are on the up under manager Nathan Jones.

He said: “This is most definitely a team going places. We’ve some good players, young ones, and talented boys coming through the academy.

“And the manager is very intense.  He’s demanding on every aspect. And that’s how I work the best.”

Kaminski also looked forward to the Addicks’ match on Saturday, reassuring QPR No 1 Joe Walsh that he knows exactly how he feels after letting in SEVEN at Coventry last weekend.

The Belgian conceded just as many in a 7-0 thumping while playing for Blackburn against Fulham at Ewood Park almost four years ago.

But Kaminski insists the south-east Londoners should not treat their visit to Loftus Road as a lunchtime stroll in the park because the R’s and Walsh will be a wounded animal following that 7-1 loss.

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He said: “I’ve been exactly where Joe has been but we beat Sheffield United 3-1 in the next game.

“So I am certain that they’re going to be right up for this one — in front of their own fans in a London derby. So we’ll have to be at our best.

“I always have sympathy for other keepers. I hope Joe has a good game but we take the three points.

“From my own experience of coming off the pitch letting in seven, everything that could go wrong did.

“We had a man sent off but were only 2-0 down at half-time. We said in the dressing room, ‘Let’s not concede any more goals’.

“But Harry Wilson, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Rodrigo Muniz were on fire and we were well beaten. Against Sheffield United we went behind again after about 90 seconds so there was that feeling, ‘Oh no, not again’.

“But you learn from big defeats like that one to turn it into a positive.

“What I took from it was you have to move on quickly and learn from the goals you’ve conceded. It’s never nice to let in seven but it’s part of football.”

ATLANTA — Tommy Fleetwood of England ended a summer of heartache with the richest prize on the PGA Tour, winning the Tour Championship on Sunday for his first tour title to capture the FedEx Cup and its $10-million reward.

Fleetwood got plenty of help at the start when Patrick Cantlay began bogey-double bogey and could never catch up. Scottie Scheffler hit his opening tee shot out-of-bounds and still was a threat until a tee shot into the water ended his hopes on the 15th.

Through it all, Fleetwood held his nerve. He closed with a two-under 68 for a three-shot victory over Cantlay (71) and Russell Henley (69).

“I’ve been a PGA Tour winner for a long time, it’s just always been in my mind,” Fleetwood said. “A lot of close calls, but I’ve always enjoyed the challenge.”

His first PGA Tour victory came with two trophies — the FedEx Cup and the “Calamity Jane” replica putter for the Tour Championship.

Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley was within one shot of the lead on the front nine but wound up with a 70 to tie for seventh. He said he was “dead tired,” and now has to decide whether to use one of his six captain’s picks on himself. He announces his picks Wednesday.

“The only thing I care about is on Sunday of the Ryder Cup, that we win the Ryder Cup. Then I’ll know I made the right decision,” he said. “Until then, I won’t know. It’s going to be pretty wild.”

But this day, this moment, belonged to Fleetwood, enormously popular around the world for coping with so many close calls with a refreshing perspective and joy for those who beat him.

An eight-time winner around the world, no stranger to big stages at the Ryder Cup or his silver medal at the Olympics last summer, Fleetwood was constantly reminded about his failure to win on golf’s strongest circuit.

He saw a one-shot lead turn into a one-shot loss at the Travelers when he took three putts from the front of the green and Bradley made birdie. Fleetwood let a two-shot lead with three holes left get away from him at the FedEx St. Jude Championship to start the postseason.

For all the hurt, he never lost hope.

“Tomorrow might be my time, it might not,” he said Saturday evening before his third try going into the final round with no one in front of him. “But I’ll still have a great time doing it.”

It was his time, and he had a blast.

Thousands of fans surrounded the 18th green at East Lake to watch the 34-year-old from England, all of them chanting, “Tommy! Tommy! Tommy!” Justin Rose, who rallied past him to win two weeks ago, and Shane Lowry stuck around to share in his big moment.

Fleetwood removed his cap when he tapped in for par, looked to the cloudy sky and let those long locks flow as he let out a yell.

Finally, Fleetwood.

“This wasn’t the most comfortable I’ve been,” Fleetwood said with a smile. “I feel like I’ve had a great attitude throughout it all. … I’m so happy I got it done.”

He started the final round tied for the lead with Cantlay, the FedEx Cup champion from 2021 searching for his first win in three years. Cantlay made bogey on the first, three-putted for double bogey on the second and suddenly was four behind.

Cantlay never went away, however, and a two-shot swing on the 10th — Fleetwood made bogey from the left rough, Cantlay made a five-foot birdie — narrowed the gap to one shot. The next three holes were pivotal.

Cantlay failed to get on the green from a bunker on the par-three 11th and made bogey. Fleetwood birdied the next two holes with wedges to the six-foot range, and Cantlay could only match one of them.

The last big hurdle was the 218-yard 15th to a peninsula green, where Fleetwood went in the water Saturday and made double bogey. This time he managed a bogey and didn’t miss a step the rest of the way in finishing at 18-under 262.

Cantlay was two back with three to play when he missed the 16th fairway and made bogey.

“It’s always good to have a chance on Sunday and to be right there. I’ve been there plenty of times, and any time you get in that spot, it’s a real pleasure,” he said.

Henley went 13 straight holes without a birdie and couldn’t put any serious pressure on him.

Scheffler’s start was even more shocking. His tee shot went left and disappeared under a fence, out-of-bounds. Then, he got up-and-down from 201 yards to salvage a bogey. He ran off three birdies in four holes to finish the turn, making a 40-foot birdie putt on the par-three ninth.

But he missed a five-foot birdie on the 10th, and his hopes ended with a five-iron that went into the water on the 15th for double bogey. He closed with a 68.

There’s no doubting the best this year. Scheffler won five times, including two majors. He finished the season with 21 consecutive rounds in the 60s, and he has gone five straight months finishing no worse than fifth. He was trying to become the first back-to-back FedEx Cup champion.

“I battled all week to give myself a chance. I wasn’t as sharp as I would have hoped to have,” Scheffler said. “I had a good first round, but outside of that didn’t really play my best the first few days. Still gave myself a shot. Just needed a few better swings.”

Cameron Young also lingered for much of the final round and shot 66 to tie for fourth with Scheffler and Corey Conners (62), strengthening his bid to make his first Ryder Cup team before home fans in New York.

“The more times you get it wrong or it doesn’t happen for you, you start to not fear it,” Fleetwood said of his chances of winning after narrowly missing out on victory at the St Jude Championship and Travelers Championship earlier this season.

“Experience is something you can’t practise. It’s all to play for and an amazing opportunity.

“Everybody competing this week wanted to be in that final pair on Sunday and I’m one of those guys. Hopefully I am stood on the 18th green with the trophy.”

And on a leaderboard stacked with great potential storylines, US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley is on 13 under after shooting the low round of the day, a seven-under 63 at East Lake in Atlanta.

Bradley, who is currently 11th on the US ranking list, has already said he faces “the decision of his life” as he contemplates naming himself as one of his six picks to complete the 12-strong US team for next month’s contest against Europe at Bethpage Black in New York.

Arnold Palmer was the last playing captain on a Ryder Cup team in 1963 when the contest was not the behemoth it has become.

That call will be made public on Wednesday, 27 August and Cantlay must be in Bradley’s reckoning too.

Cantlay was fifth in the world heading into the 2023 Ryder Cup, where he became something of a pantomime villain over his decision to not wear a cap. Since then, he has steadily fallen down the rankings to 23rd.

And he has missed out on automatic qualification for the Ryder Cup, meaning he needs a captain’s pick from Bradley to make his third successive US team.

The 33-year-old, who won the Tour Championship in 2021, closed with a hat-trick of birdies to cap an impressive bogey-free 64.

“I feel like I’m striking it well and in control of my golf ball,” he said.

“I’m exactly where I want to be going into Sunday and I’ll keep sticking to my process.”

The leaders will also have an eye on world number one Scottie Scheffler, who is lurking on 12 under after a 66.

Scheffler opened with successive bogeys but five birdies in his next eight holes lifted him to 11 under.

However, he missed several other short birdie putts and after a wayward eight-foot attempt on the 16th, he angrily threw his putter at his bag as his frustrations boiled over.

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre looked to be surging into contention when he reached 11 under with a birdie on the 10th but he too double-bogeyed the 15th after hitting his tee shot into water as he posted a 72 to end on eight under.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy briefly flickered, getting to nine under with a birdie on the 13th but a poor finish with successive bogeys saw him end on six under overall.

Both of those players have secured their Ryder Cup spots but several European players will be looking to give their captain Luke Donald a timely reminder of their quality on Sunday.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry, who looks likely to be knocked out of the final qualifying spot for the European Ryder Cup team by Rasmus Hojgaard at the British Masters, is the highest placed of those at nine under par.

Lowry cannot improve his ranking at the Tour Championship, while Hojgaard, who is 14th at the Belfry heading into the final round, needs to be in the top 29 to nick that final automatic spot.

Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland of Norway are at five and four under respectively and require Donald to give them the nod.

The same goes for Sepp Straka, who is set to finish eighth, above Aberg and Hovland in the qualification standings. The Austrian has won twice on the PGA Tour this year, but has had a poor week in Atlanta and is bottom of the 30-man field on six over par.

You can follow the final round of the Tour Championship via BBC Sport’s live text page from 18:30 BST on Sunday.