McIlroy’s priorities are all about the majors and as is always the case for the Masters winner, he is the only man now able to complete an unprecedented feat of completing a calendar year Grand Slam.

Tiger Woods is the only player to hold all four of the modern majors at the same time, but his winning run began with the 2000 US Open, took in The Open and PGA – when it was played in August – and ended at the following year’s Masters.

So is winning all four majors in the same year achievable? “I think it’s possible,” McIlroy told me. “But it’s incredibly difficult to achieve.

“There’s a reason that no one’s been able to do it before in the history of the game.

“The best thing that you can do is give yourself a chance in each one and then just see where the chips fall on the Sunday.

“There’s quite a lot of randomness at times to winning golf tournaments. You have to have a lot of things go your way along with playing well yourself.

“So, in 100 years time if one person has done it, I would say, yeah, I could see that happening, but it’s so difficult.”

Nevertheless, the world number two has overcome demons that led to a near 11-year wait for his fifth major title which came at last year’s Masters.

“If you look at my game and my results and my consistency from 2022 through to now, I’ve been on a nice run,” McIlroy said. “And that run has culminated with the last couple of Masters, which has been really nice.

“Major championships aren’t won with statistics or previous results. They are won with grit and determination and hitting the shots under pressure when you need to.

“And there are no real statistics to show you how good you are at that. That’s just something that you have to learn and be.”

McIlroy endured a string of near misses at majors before claiming last year’s Masters. “Once you start to get over that hump and you get a win, you get another win, it sort of breeds confidence from there,” he said.

“Form gives you confidence leading into events, but I would say that the way I won at Augusta a few weeks ago gives me more confidence about where I’m at and what I can do in these big weeks, than say winning two or three events leading up to a major.”

McIlroy’s biggest challenge this week will come from world number one and defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who skipped Quail Hollow to hone his skills for the Aronimink test.

Players champion Cameron Young and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick are the other form players while McIlroy’s Ryder Cup partner Tommy Fleetwood showed encouraging signs by finishing fifth in Charlotte last week.

A teacher accused of sexually abusing and murdering his adopted baby son told detectives ‘one day you guys will be in trouble’ as he angrily denied the allegations, jurors heard today.

Jamie Varley, 37, vowed to ‘fight you to the day I die’ while being questioned over the death of 13-month-old Preston Davey.

‘I don’t know how to prove it, but you are wrong because I haven’t done it,’ Varley told officers in the video interview with detectives shown to the jury at Preston Crown Court.

Varley, at the time a high school teacher, is accused of Preston’s murder, while his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, is accused of allowing the death of the child, with both accused of sexual abuse.

During the four months Preston was under their adoption at their home in Blackpool, jurors have heard he was routinely ill-treated, sexually abused and physically assaulted, suffering dozens of injuries.

Both men deny all charges.

The couple had rushed the unconscious baby from their home, after an alleged final sexual assault by Varley, to Blackpool hospital at around 6.20pm on July 27, 2023.
Medics worked for nearly an hour to resuscitate the toddler but could not save him.

Varley said he had left Preston alone in the bath for three or four minutes before he returned to discover he had drowned.

But in his final police interview detectives confronted him with the post-mortem examination findings of Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour.

Jurors were shown a video of the interview, in which Varley was told Dr Armour concluded Preston had not drowned but was the victim of ‘abusive trauma, non-accidental injuries and sexual abuse’.

One of the detectives told him Preston ‘just hasn’t drowned’ before adding: ‘The post-mortem identified no evidence of natural disease to account for the death of baby Preston – how do you explain that?’

Varley replied: ‘No comment.’

Challenged about findings suggesting Preston was ‘very recently’ the victim of sexual abuse involving ‘the forcible penetration of his anus’ by a penis-shaped object, he said: ‘It’s bullshit.’

Jurors saw him give the same answer to questions in a previous interview about ‘tear’ injuries to Preston’s bottom.

The court heard Dr Armour concluded the cause of Preston’s collapse and subsequent death to have been an upper airway obstruction, either by ‘a deliberate act of smothering’ or ‘by inserting an object or objects into his mouth’.

‘You are wrong,’ Varley replied.

The officer then asked: ‘Is that what you did to Preston on July 27?’

‘No,’ Varley replied.

The officer added: ‘Preston lived for one year, one month and 11 days.

‘He was only in your care just less than four months before he was killed.

‘There is no evidence of natural disease.

‘I’m going to suggest you have killed Preston.’

Varley, raising his voice and clearly angry, replied: ‘I have not done it. I will fight you ’til the day I die. I know you are wrong. I have not done it.’

Earlier, the officer put to Varley the series of images and videos taken of Preston which were evidence of alleged cruelty or indecency.

They include one video where Preston is left alone in a bath for more than 14 minutes.

Varley said he set his phone up to record and was on the landing out of sight ‘to see how he reacts to his own company’.

The officer asked Varley: ‘How do you explain that, Jamie? He’s slipped, whimpering, I would describe him as distressed. Why not go to comfort him?

‘Have you left him in the bath because you are fed up with him?’

Varley replied: ‘I was keeping an eye on him. He’s not distressed. There was no intent to hurt him.’

He was also asked about intimate videos and photos of the child found on his phone, prosecutors allege are indecent images.

Varley told the officers they were attempts at ‘capturing’ his child’s life.

Angrily, the defendant told officers: ‘Unlike you, I don’t think about his genitals 24/7.

‘You are making a mountain out of a molehill. It’s totally innocent, it’s ridiculous.

‘You have got it now as if I’m a bloody pervert.

‘That’s your job I guess.’

Varley denies murder, manslaughter, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent photos or videos of a child, one of distributing an indecent photo of a child, to his co-accused, and one of making an indecent photo.

McGowan-Fazakerley denies allowing the death of a child, three counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child.

The trial continues on Wednesday morning.

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It will be intriguing to see whether Alexander-Arnold makes the final cut, particularly because of the injury concerns Tuchel currently has at right-back.

The former Liverpool man appeared to be facing an uphill battle to make the squad, with Tuchel preferring Chelsea’s Reece James, Newcastle’s Tino Livramento and Arsenal’s Ben White in the position.

Last year Tuchel said Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarrell Quansah, whose natural position is centre-back, was ahead of Alexander-Arnold in the race for a right-back berth.

But Arsenal defender White is a major doubt for the World Cup with a knee injury suffered in Sunday’s win at West Ham, while Livramento is currently unavailable – though there is hope the Newcastle defender will be fit for the World Cup.

James, who is Tuchel’s first-choice right-back, has also only recently returned from injury.

Elsewhere, Manchester United left-back Shaw could yet earn an international recall in time for the tournament.

Shaw hasn’t played for England since the Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain, mainly due to injury.

But the full-back, who has played 34 times for England, is playing regularly for United, making 36 appearances for his club this season.

Welbeck has been a regular scorer for Brighton this season, with 14 goals for Fabian Hurzeler’s team – but the veteran is yet to break into one of Tuchel’s squads.

Bournemouth midfielder Scott was called up into the senior England squad for the first time in November but was omitted from Tuchel’s previous party.

The first Eurovision Song Contest semi-final kicks off in Vienna tonight, and it will also be the first to not feature Scott Mills, who had previously been at the helm of the show

Scott Mills’ replacement for the Eurovision Song Contest has been unveiled. Mills had been at the helm of Eurovision and never shied away from sharing his love for the contest, which brings countries across the world together through the power of music.

However, earlier this year, the broadcaster was dismissed from all duties at the BBC after the Mirror revealed that Scott had been sacked with immediate effect by bosses after not disclosing the age of the teenager to the BBC at the time the scandal was first investigated by the police, in

Current management at the BBC became aware in recent weeks, although the corporation had known in 2017 of a historic police investigation into Mills. Scott said in a statement via his lawyers that he “fully cooperated and responded” to the investigation at the time. The Crown Prosecution Service didn’t issue charges against Mills due to insufficient evidence.

READ MORE: Eurovision controversy over new ban hitting fans as they enter arena in ViennaREAD MORE: Scott Mills pictured after ‘heir’ to Radio 2 show revealed by insiders

Tonight, former Strictly Come Dancing star Angela Scanlon will be stepping up to the mark, alongside Rylan Clark. The pair will be live at the Wiener Stadthalle arena in Vienna to guide viewers through the semi-finals of the competition.

Speaking about landing the job, Angela said: “It feels like joining the greatest party on earth – equal parts thrilling and terrifying! I grew up watching the Eurovision Song Contest with my three sisters, making very serious (and wildly biased) scorecards from the couch, so to now be part of it – especially in its 70th year – is genuinely surreal.

“It’s one of those shows that’s always been there, evolving but never losing its magic or madness. I’ve been lucky enough to dip my toe into the Eurovision world before, so it feels great to be doing it again, just with higher heels and a few more sequins!”

Meanwhile, Rylan commented: “It’s the 70th Eurovision Song Contest and the biggest show on the planet. Being part of anything this big is something younger me could never have imagined.”

Fifteen entrants, including Israel, are set to take part in the first Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals tonight as five countries boycott the competition. In 2025, it was announced that five countries, including Ireland, would boycott Eurovision in protest of Israel’s participation. Israel’s participation has sparked controversy since its government launched extensive military operations in Gaza in October 2023.

The acts performing in the semi-finals, held tonight and on Thursday, will be competing for a place in Saturday’s grand final of the 70th edition of the contest. The UK, France, Germany, Italy and last year’s winner, Austria, automatically qualify for the final but will still perform during the semi-finals.

Tuesday’s show in Vienna will open with a film titled 70 Years of Love, which portrays the seven-decade history of the song contest and follows the life of a couple set against the backdrop of Eurovision.

After deciding to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest last year, Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ has decided to show the 20-year-old Eurovision-themed episode of Father Ted instead of the contest. With the 70th contest taking place in Vienna this week, with a finale culminating on Saturday, it has been announced that, as a further boycott of the show, RTÉ will show the Eurovision-themed episode of Father Ted titled A Song For Europe, which sees Ted and Dougal perform My Lovely Horse at Eurovision.

The semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest will air on Tuesday May 12 and Thursday May 14 at 8pm on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.

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Mr Mountbatten-Windsor received the Freedom of the City of London via patrimony in 2012 having inherited it from his father, Prince Philip. Today it is largely a ceremonial honour though continues to be awarded to individuals on a regular basis, with comedian Sir Lenny Henry and actress Cate Blanchett among those to receive it.

The scheme on Linthorpe Road in Middlesbrough, completed in September 2022 to encourage active travel through £1.7 million in government funding, was scrapped after Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen pledged to remove the cycle lane following complaints from business owners and road users.

Mr Cooke said: “I’m pleased the cycle lane is no more and it’s positive to see traffic running smoothly.

“I’ve already had positive comments from people who’ve noticed a difference.

“I’m all for schemes that support sustainable travel, but they have to be in appropriate places.

“We’ve righted a wrong by removing the lane and now it’s time to look forwards.”

The mayors agreed to remove the infrastructure following public consultations, and Middlesbrough Council and Tees Valley Combined Authority worked together to find a solution.

The council did not have to pay back grant funding as part of the process.

Mr Houchen said: “The Linthorpe Road cycle lane was a disaster, causing congestion, hammering local businesses and making life harder for the people who actually use the town centre every day, which is why I promised to work with the council to get rid of it.

“Cycle lanes have to work in the real world, and this scheme has caused nothing but problems since day one.

“We’ve listened to residents and local firms to finally put this right, and I’m glad to see the cycle lane now firmly gone, allowing Linthorpe Road to get back to business.”

Work to remove the cycle lane was carried out by Esh Construction, who finished the project ahead of schedule.

The affected areas have been fully resurfaced, with parking spaces reinstated and bus stops will be repositioned.

Alan Croft, construction manager at Esh Construction, said: “By identifying time-saving efficiencies on site and working collaboratively with Middlesbrough Council, we are pleased to have completed the scheme 11 weeks ahead of the original programme.

“We would like to thank local businesses and residents for their patience and understanding throughout the works.”

BALTIMORE (AP) — Federal prosecutors announced criminal charges Tuesday in the 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, accusing a Singapore-based ship operator and a senior employee of making critical decisions that caused a vessel to crash into the span, killing six people, and covering up what happened.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called it a “preventable tragedy of enormous consequence.”

The indictment names Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., based in Chennai, India. Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who was technical superintendent for the Dali container ship, was also charged.

The Dali, bound for Sri Lanka, lost power twice in a four-minute span as it moved to sea from the Port of Baltimore, causing it to crash into the Key Bridge on March 24, 2024. Investigators say a loose wire in a switchboard likely caused the first power loss that caused its steering to fail.

After regaining power, the ship found itself in trouble again. The Dali turned to a certain pump to supply fuel to two generators but the pump was not designed to automatically restart after the first blackout, so a second blackout occurred, the indictment says.

The ship crashed into a supporting column of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m.

If the Dali had used the proper fuel pumps, according to the indictment, the vessel would have regained power in time to safely get under the bridge. It crashed instead, killing six construction workers who had been filling potholes.

“As alleged, the bridge was struck and collapsed because those who were responsible for the ship’s operation deliberately cut corners at the expense of safety,” said Jimmy Paul, head of the FBI’s Baltimore office.

The companies and Nair are charged with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstructing an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and making false statements. Messages seeking comment about the indictment were not immediately returned.

The Synergy companies are also charged with misdemeanors for the release of pollutants into the Patapsco River, including shipping containers and their contents.

The FBI’s investigation focused on the vessel’s operations and whether the crew knew of critical systems issues before leaving port. The NTSB found that the two electrical blackouts disabled the controls of the huge cargo ship before it crashed into the bridge.

The ship had experienced two blackouts in port a day earlier, but Synergy didn’t investigate or report those as required and provided false information to the NTSB, the government alleges.

Maryland officials estimate it could cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion to replace the bridge, which is expected to be open to traffic in late 2030.

“The altered skyline is a constant reminder of this tragedy,” Paul said.

But the true cost of the collapse was far greater, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. It halted shipping at the Port of Baltimore, disrupted the livelihoods of thousands, rerouted road traffic through communities already bearing disproportionate burdens and triggered economic problems statewide.

The indictment comes on the heels of a settlement in principle between the State of Maryland, Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Singapore-based ship owner, Attorney General Anthony Brown announced in April.

That lawsuit alleged the crash was the result of negligence, mismanagement and the reckless operation of a vessel that was not seaworthy and should never have left port. Plaintiffs include the families of the six construction workers who died, owners of cargo that was on the ship and local governments seeking damages for economic losses. The details of the settlement haven’t been disclosed and some portions of the lawsuit remain unresolved.

The state sought damages on behalf of its agencies for the destruction of the bridge, harm to the Patapsco River and surrounding environment, lost revenues and economic losses to Maryland and its residents.

The settlement does not resolve any claims the state has against the shipbuilder, Hyundai, the attorney general’s office said in April.

The bridge, a longstanding Baltimore landmark, was a vital piece of transportation infrastructure that allowed drivers to easily bypass downtown. The original 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) steel span took five years to build and opened to traffic in 1977.

___

White reported from Detroit.