David Benavidez is aiming to take over boxing over the next 12 months, but two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi believes there is one fighter he would favour to hand ‘The Mexican Monster’ his first defeat.

Benavidez made the 25lb jump up from light-heavyweight to cruiserweight and knocked out unified WBA and WBO world champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in a performance of the year candidate back in May.

Now, he looks set to challenge newly-crowned WBC ruler Michal Cieslak in a three-belt unification bout in December, with the victor of that contest mandated to take on cruiserweight poster boy, Jai Opetaia.

Speaking to BoxingScene, Malignaggi admitted that Benavidez’s showing against Ramirez enhanced his interest in a possible clash with Opetaia.

“I think that this is a very tough fight to call, this is very, very difficult. Benavidez’s performance against Zurdo put me on a different level as far as going from ‘I don’t know if he can compete with a cruiserweight as big as Opetaia’ to ‘OK, he can compete with Opetaia’.

“Now, winning? I don’t know. I don’t take it as a foregone conclusion. I do think that it is now a competitive fight to where I want to see it, whereas before it was like ‘nah, you are just going to get a really good fighter like Benavidez hurt if you make him fight too heavy, and that is not fair’.”

Malignaggi would lean towards Opetaia if he were to meet the ‘The Mexican Monster’ in the ring.

“I would probably still edge Opetaia slightly, but it’s not something that would shock me if Benavidez is not only competitive but possibly wins the fight. But, it’s not one of those fights that I look at and say ‘I am changing my pick and I am picking Benavidez,’. I think that’s way too soon, man.”

Benavidez-Cieslak is expected to take place on Saturday, December 12, in Phoenix, Arizona, where a victory for the 29-year-old could tee up a 2027 Cinco De Mayo meeting with Australia’s Opetaia. 

LSU listed quarterback Sam Leavitt as doubtful on its first injury report ahead of this weekend’s game at Ole Miss. After missing Wednesday’s practice with an upper-body injury, Leavitt did participate in Thursday’s walkthrough, sources confirmed to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. 

Leavitt did not appear to be injured in last week’s win over Louisiana Tech, where he rebounded from a three-interception first half with 366 total yards and four total touchdowns. LSU only led Louisiana Tech by a single possession last weekend at halftime, a result of turnover-filled first two quarters inside Tiger Stadium.

“Sam’s gotta do a better job taking care of the ball,” Kiffin said in the aftermath. “We made a lot of yards, and we were smooth through that at times, but obviously, the red zone is where you gotta finish drives. So maybe it was perfect for us that we needed something like that, ’cause it’s a game we play good on offense in games.”

Lane Kiffin made no mention of an injury to his most important player during this week’s media availability ahead of Saturday night’s league opener. Leavitt has thrown for 574 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions over LSU’s first two games this season, along with 135 yards rushing and five scores.

He’s struggled with injuries in the past, missing a total of seven games in the last two seasons at Arizona State. 

Sam Leavitt injury history

LSU’s backup QB situation 

LSU’s backup quarterback appears to be Landen Clark, a transfer from Elon who was the 2025 CAA Co-Offensive Rookie of the Year. Clark is technically listed as No. 3 on the depth chart, but has been first off the bench in both games this season.  He threw 18 passing touchdowns and rushed for 11 more last season at Elon. 

Also on the roster is Husan Longstreet, a USC transfer who completed 13 of 15 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown with the Trojans a year ago as a freshman. He was a five-star prospect coming out of high school, ranked the No. 32 overall player and No. 4 quarterback in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports. 

What happens next?

The SEC’s availability reports are now in their third season. Schools must adhere to guidelines for three days leading up to kickoff in league contests with updates nightly, beginning on Wednesdays of game week.

Final reports are due 90 minutes before kickoff, and schools are fined for non-compliance, inaccurate or late reporting, ranging from $25,000 to $100,000.

Coaches must release their initial availability report by 8 p.m. on Wednesday of each week and must update it daily with a final report coming 90 minutes prior to kickoff. Player status designations include “available,” “probable,” “questionable,” “doubtful,” or “out” before game day. On game days, they’re to be marked as “available,” “game time decision,” or “out.”

There are consequences for non-compliance, which includes both inaccurate and late reporting, with fines to the school ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 for football.

Other players listed on the availability report for LSU include wideout Phillip Wright III (Out), linebacker Jaiden Bracker (Out), running back Raycine Guillory Jr. (Out), linebacker TJ Dottery (Questionable), linebacker Tylen Singleton (Questionable), and four players under the probable designation, including Whit Weeks and Trey’Dez Green.

SEC availability designations

LSU’s next injury report is due Thursday night at 8:10 p.m. ET.

Fresh from their record-extending Asia Cup triumph, defending champions India will begin their Asian Games title defence as overwhelming favourites against hosts Japan in the women’s quarterfinals in Nagoya on Friday. India head into the continental showpiece with confidence after lifting their eighth T20 Asia Cup in Dubai last week, but the knock-out format leaves them with little margin for error. Eight teams are competing in the women’s event and the competition starts directly with the quarterfinals, meaning there are no group stage matches to provide teams with time to settle into the tournament. One defeat is enough to end a campaign.

Shafali Verma will be one of India’s key weapons after an outstanding Asia Cup, where she emerged as the team’s leading batter and finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer. Her consistency at the top gave India a strong start in the UAE.

Smriti Mandhana, however, endured an inconsistent campaign and will be eager to rediscover her touch as India embark on another title bid.

Much of India’s bowling will revolve around experienced all-rounder Deepti Sharma and left-arm spinner Sree Charani, who has rapidly established herself as an important member of the attack.

Charani was among India’s standout performers in the Asia Cup and reached the landmark of 50 T20I wickets in only her 30th appearance. The 22-year-old’s ability to control the middle overs could prove important.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur will also be looking for a better outing after an indifferent Asia Cup, with her experience in pressure situations likely to assume greater significance in a tournament where every game is a must-win.

India have plenty of bowling resources at their disposal with Nandini Sharma, Renuka Thakur and Kranti Gaud offering pace options. Deepti, Charani, Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil, who has recovered from her ankle injury, give the side multiple spin choices.

The batting, too, has depth beyond the opening pair. The wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh is capable of providing impetus in the middle and lower-order.

India will hope that Shafali and Mandhana can set the platform, allowing their middle order to play with greater freedom.

Japan, playing on home soil, will be looking to make the most of the occasion against a superior opponent.

The hosts face a formidable bowling attack and will need to negotiate India’s spin options effectively while restricting their aggressive top-order batters.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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BMW PGA Championship – round one

-6 A Rai (Eng), J Lagergren (Swe); -5 R Gerard (US), A Scott (Aus), I Elvira (Spa), L Aberg (Swe)

Selected others: -4 P Reed (US), R Fox (NZ), R MacIntrye (Sco), V Hovland (Nor), T Detry (Bel); -3 R Fisher (Eng), R McIlroy (NI), D Law (Sco), A Sullivan (Eng), E Ferguson (Sco), J Dean (Eng); -2 T Hatton (Eng), JJ Spaun (US); -1 S Lowry (Ire) -1 M Wallace (Eng); E A Fitzpatrick (Eng), M Fitzpatrick (Eng)

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While Rory McIlroy sparkled and then suffered a late stumble, Aaron Rai was a model of consistency as he shot a six-under 66 to share the first-round lead with Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Rai, who became England’s most recent major winner earlier this season, knocked in seven birdies, with the only blemish to his card arriving on the 16th, when he found the fairway bunker off the tee and ended with a bogey five.

Lagergren, whose one and only win on the DP World Tour was back in 2018, also made a fine start with an eagle on the 12th, the highlight of his round.

Six-time major winner McIlroy had got under way in sensational fashion earlier in the day until his round unravelled on the back nine.

The Northern Irishman was five under after 10 holes and in the outright lead but some erratic driving proved costly after the turn on a course he covered in 60 in Wednesday’s pro-am.

And when McIlroy also found the water on his penultimate hole, it contributed to one of his three bogeys in the final seven – leaving him at three under, three strokes adrift of the joint-leaders.

American Ryan Gerard, Australia’s Adam Scott, Spain’s Nacho Elvira and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg are at five under, while Patrick Reed, the only player above McIlroy in the Race to Dubai standings, is one of 12 players at four under.

Reed, who is bidding to become only the second American after Collin Morikawa to win the Race to Dubai, is in a group two shots off the lead with Open champion Ryan Fox, Norway’s Viktor Hovland and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who made birdies on the 17th and 18th holes to conclude with a flourish.

However, it was a difficult day for Spain’s two-time major winner Jon Rahm, who carded a six-over 78.

Birdies proved difficult to come by as Rahm played alongside Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood, with none of the trio picking up a single shot on the front nine.

While the English duo were able to make five birdies between them on the back nine to finish at one over, Rahm toiled to five bogeys and a double bogey as he repeatedly found trouble off the tee.

Former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, who outlined his reluctance to travel to Dubai for November’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship event on Wednesday, is at level par, along with his younger brother Alex.

Sixty years after India scripted hockey history at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok, Harbinder Singh still gets goosebumps when he hears the song that became the team’s companion on its journey to gold.

“Whenever we went to a match, Shankar Laxman (India goalkeeper at that time) would play ‘Watan ki raah mein watan ke naujawan shaheed ho’ in the team bus, and all the players would sing along. This would automatically motivate us,” the 83-year-old three-time Olympic medallist told PTI in an exclusive interview.

“Even today, when I hear this song, I get goosebumps,” he added.

It also became a galvanising force before their Asian Games final against arch foes Pakistan, a match that India won to bring home their first ever gold at the continental showpiece.

The song and the final remain etched in the memory of the legendary centre-forward, who was also a part of India’s 1964 Tokyo Olympics gold-winning team.

“We had won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics just two years earlier, and so the excitement was high, as most of the players from the Tokyo Olympics were on this team. We were determined to win our first Asian Games gold medal,” he recalled.

India achieved that goal, beating two-time champions Pakistan. The match, however, appeared to be slipping away almost from the start.

With India losing a player to injury within the first five minutes and no substitution rule in place, the team was reduced to 10 men for almost the entirety of the match.

Eventually, after 70 minutes and the first period of extra time, a wounded Balbir Singh returned to the field to score the winner.

“The match started off rough, and within the first five minutes, our right winger, Railways’ Balbir Singh, was injured by a Pakistani player’s stick and had to be stretchered off,” Harbinder remembered.

“Pakistan’s team was very strong, and the entire 70 minutes remained goal-less,” he said.

Even the first half of extra time, which lasted seven-and-a-half minutes, produced no breakthrough. Then, with five minutes left in the second half of extra time, came the moment that decided the gold medal.

“…Balbir was standing on the sidelines with a bandaged knee. Indian players began telling him to play on one leg. Why was he standing outside? After asking the umpire, he came on the field, and luckily, he scored the only goal of the match,” said Harbinder, a Padma Shri awardee.

India’s squad had three players named Balbir Singh — the injured Railways winger and two others representing Punjab and the Services.

“At that time, hockey was the dominant sport, cricket wasn’t as prevalent,” Harbinder said, recalling how the team was welcomed with victory processions in Delhi, Amritsar and Jalandhar.

“Because hockey was an amateur sport, we couldn’t receive any prizes for winning a gold medal, but victory processions were held in Delhi, Amritsar, and Jalandhar,” he added.

There were no permanent national camps either, with players coming together only before major tournaments.

“At that time, the camp was held in Jalandhar. The Federation bore the expenses of the camp, there was no government funding at that time. The camp was held in the heat of June, July, and August.

“There were no AC coolers, and mosquitoes were rampant. It was quite tough, but the diet was excellent, authentic Punjabi food,” he added.

Harbinder, who also won gold medals in the junior and senior 100m and 200m athletics events, feels modern hockey is faster but has lost some of the artistry that once made the sport a major spectator attraction.

“At that time, there were rules regarding offside, stick, and obstruction, so one had to play very carefully. The game relied heavily on umpires because technology wasn’t present. Today’s hockey isn’t as fun to watch because the artistry is gone, and goals are often scored in three touches,” he said.

“Spectators used to stand on their seats to watch the first pass, the return pass, and the dribbling. Many times, I have scored goals against mighty teams like Pakistan, England, Holland, and Germany by taking the ball from the centre line and dodging the entire defense,” he added.

The veteran is also concerned about declining crowds at domestic hockey tournaments. He believes international players need to return to domestic competitions to restore spectator interest.

“We all played hockey for our departments, whether it was the Gold Cup, the Beighton Cup, or the Obaidullah Cup. A lot of spectators used to come to watch Indian players, but nowadays, international players don’t play domestic hockey. If star players don’t play, how will the sport grow in popularity?” he asked.

As India prepares for the Asian Games in Japan, Harbinder expects the Harmanpreet Singh-led side to challenge for gold but cautions against taking opponents lightly.

“Even the Asian Games are no longer competitive. The Indian team must win the gold medal again because the hockey of Japan, Malaysia, and Pakistan is no longer at the same level,” he said.

“But Japan has already won the gold medal unexpectedly once (in Jakarta in 2018), and India should not take any team lightly. We must forget the World Cup failure and start afresh,” he added, referring to the team’s dismal eight-place finish last month.

Abhishek Sharma (BCCI Photo)

NEW DELHI: If you were seated on the second tier here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday evening, the white Kookaburra ball would have seemed to be perpetually flying in your eyeline for the first 10 overs of the third T20I between India and Afghanistan. It was Abhishek Sharma who was bringing a dead rubber to life just the way Indian T20 batters are used to doing in home conditions and the IPL.Such are the standards set by Abhishek over the last three years that bringing up his hundred off 30 balls felt like just another day in the office. As one was still coming to terms with the carnage he inflicted, Abhishek decided to celebrate his century by calmly sitting in the middle of the pitch, meditating like a monk.Having endured a comparatively modest year with the bat in international cricket, Abhishek’s relentless hitting was kind of a throwback to his marauding run with the Indian team before the T20 World Cup in March.Abhishek’s onslaught on a tired pitch made his opening partner Sanju Samson‘s 35-ball 50 look like a laborious effort. That one knock of 108 off 34 balls, which ended in the 10th over, was enough for India to post 221/7 after Abhishek left the park with the scoreboard reading 142/1.The 11 sixes and nine boundaries off Abhishek’s bat were enough to break the spirits of the Afghanistan team. Afghanistan’s batting folded for 94 in just [missing number] overs to lose by 127 runs, bringing their first ‘home’ series against India to an end with a 3-0 scoreline in favour of India.The Afghan players clearly lacked energy on the field, having endured heavy poundings in the first two T20Is here this week. It appeared they almost waited for this game to just pass by. But Abhishek wasn’t satiated despite his two whirlwind knocks in the previous two matches.As the Afghan players looked like merely rolling their arms over and tossing the ball without any intent, Abhishek was amusing himself by testing the catching skills of the spectators in the stands.Abhishek’s returns in international cricket haven’t been the best since the T20I World Cup in March. The runs have come at a premium for him. He wasn’t going to let this opportunity go to waste in re-establishing himself as India’s undisputed first-choice opener in T20Is even as the buzz around 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi only keeps growing. He finished the series with 209 runs off 85 balls.

Reddy’s bowling gives confidence

Nitish Kumar Reddy is the pet project for the team management to get him ready as a premier seam-bowling allrounder besides the injury-prone Hardik Pandya. On Thursday, he managed just one off four balls with the bat in his only outing in the series.Captain Shreyas Iyer chose to give him the new ball like Pandya has been doing in T20 cricket for India. The first one didn’t look incisive, but Reddy came back later in the innings with a clear plan of varying the pace and length. He finished with figures of 3/25 in four overs.Having pulled him out of the Asian Games team, Reddy’s performance on Thursday night will give the team management a lot of confidence as they start preparing for the ODI World Cup with the ODI series against West Indies later this month.

Tom Brady is not ready to dismiss the Kansas City Chiefs from the Super Bowl contender conversation. In fact, he’s making a big declaration about the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. 

In his latest NFL power rankings, Brady placed the Chiefs at No. 7 and he thinks Mahomes is playing like himself again after tearing his ACL last December.

“I think, in a lot of ways, he’s back to [being] Patrick Mahomes,” Brady said. “What do I mean by that? His leadership, discipline, tenacity — all of those things were on display. He’s going to pick up some steam. He’s missed some football, missed a lot of the offseason. But never sleep on No. 15 for the Chiefs.”

Mahomes didn’t have the strongest stat line in the Chiefs’ 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Monday night. He completed 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. But he also ran for a 15-yard score in the first quarter, making a vintage Mahomes-like play. 

“Patrick Mahomes, are you kidding me? He might be able to contribute something to this offense as well,” Brady said. He wasn’t avoiding any contact [on Monday night]; I’m sure of that.

Statistically, Mahomes wasn’t the catalyst of the Chiefs’ offense on Monday night. Newcomer Kenneth Walker III dominated on the ground. He rushed for a career-high 173 yards on 7.5 yards per carry and a touchdown, with that 60-yard score giving Kansas City a decisive advantage in the second half. 

Walker’s performance earned a shout-out from Brady. However, the bulk of Brady’s commentary focused on Mahomes, giving him an endorsement as many have compared the two quarterbacks’ careers. Brady also returned from an ACL injury around the same time as Mahomes did in his career, so he knows what the Chiefs star is going through. 

And as the Chiefs have the three-time Super Bowl winner back at quarterback, he made it clear he isn’t buying the idea that Kansas City is fading. 

“Why are we counting them out? Never count them out,” Brady said.

Patrick Mahomes finished with three total touchdowns in week 1 against the Broncos, throwing two and adding another on the ground in a 31-10 victory. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Brady closed with the same logic that’s carried the Chiefs through multiple championship runs already: put the right coach with the right quarterback in an organization built on winning, and the results tend to follow.

“I always felt like when you’ve got a great coach and you’ve got a great QB, and that organization has championship standards … watch out, man.

Belmont Park is reopening after three years and $455 million worth of renovations, with one of horse racing’s biggest stars taking center stage.

Forever Young, the Japanese star who won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, is the headline attraction for Belmont’s return to racing on Friday. He’s the star of a five-horse field – reduced from seven following the scratches of Banishing and Chunk of Gold – for the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup.

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The Jockey Club Gold Cup, run at 1 ¼ miles on dirt, is the fifth race on Friday’s Belmont card with a post time of 4:14 p.m. ET.

Before Forever Young steps into the starting gate, here’s a guide to what you need to know about the Japanese star and his career.

Who is Forever Young?

A 5-year-old Japanese-bred son of Real Steel, Forever Young is one of the most accomplished racehorses on the planet and the sport’s all-time leader in purse money won with more than $31 million in earnings.

Trained by Yoshito Yahagi, ridden by Ryusei Sakai and owned by Susumu Fujita, Forever Young has 11 wins, one second and three thirds in his 15 career starts. He beat Sierra Leone and Fierceness to win last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, and is a two-time winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup, the world’s richest race.

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When is Forever Young running at Belmont Park?

Forever Young is running in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Friday, Sept. 18 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

It’s the fifth race on a nine-race card, and carries a post time of 4:14 p.m. ET.

Who is Forever Young facing in the Jockey Club Gold Cup?

Jockey Club Gold Cup horses, post positions, odds

1. Baeza (Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado, 9-2)

2. Stars and Stripes (Bill Mott, John Velazquez, 15-1)

3. Chunk of Gold (SCRATCHED)

4. Phileas Fogg (Gustavo Rodriguez, Kendrick Carmouche, 4-1)

6. Render Judgment (Kenny McPeek, Manny Franco, 20-1)

7. Forever Young (Yoshito Yahagi, Ryusei Sakai, 3-5)

What channel can I watch Forever Young in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on?

The Jockey Club Gold Cup will be shown on Fox.

Throughout Friday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup card, racing will be shown on several of Fox’s family of networks.

Jockey Club Gold Cup Day TV schedule

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Has Forever Young ever raced in New York before?

No, the Jockey Club Gold Cup will be his first start in New York.

Has Forever Young raced in the U.S. before?

Forever Young has made three lifetime starts in the United States. He was third behind Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, and third behind Sierra Leone and Fierceness in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. His most recent race in the U.S. was the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he won by a half-length over Sierra Leone.

What races has Forever Young been in this year?

Forever Young has raced twice this year, both times in the Middle East. He won his second straight Saudi Cup in February, then finished second to American star Magnitude in the Dubai World Cup in late March.

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His start in the Jockey Club Gold Cup will be his first in nearly six months as he prepares for another Breeders’ Cup Classic start next month at Keeneland.

Where does Forever Young rank among the richest horses of all-time?

Forever Young is the sport’s all-time leader in purse earnings by a wide margin, having secured more than $31 million in his 15-race career.

The top 25 in earnings, according to Equibase:

1. Forever Young: $31,758,590

2. Ushba Tesoro: $18,787,874

4. Thunder Snow: $16,511,476

7. Rebel’s Romance: $15,650,493

8. Country Grammer: $14,921,320

9. California Chrome: $14,752,650

11. Midnight Bisou: $13,971,520

12. Senor Buscador: $12,944,427

15. Highland Reel: $10,530,964

22. Gloria de Campeao: $9,258,355

25. Loves Only You: $8,686,188

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This article originally published at Who is Forever Young? Meet the Japanese star of Belmont’s Jockey Club Gold Cup and the richest racehorse in history..

Sep 16, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) calls for time during an at-bat against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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Rory McIlroy got off to a flying start in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth but his round unravelled to leave fellow major champion Aaron Rai as the joint first-round leader.

The Northern Irishman was five under through 10 holes and in the outright lead before some waywardness off the tee proved costly coming home, making three bogeys over his final six.

US PGA champion Rai, playing alongside the Masters winner and Open champion Ryan Fox in the marquee group which finished a combined 13 under par, was typically more solid.

He also had five birdies in his first 10 holes, with one bogey, and two more coming home saw him post a six-under 66, three better than McIlroy and two ahead of Fox.

McIlroy, who covered the course in 60 in Wednesday’s pro-am, is trying to reel in Patrick Reed to win a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title and he looked like he was intent on making a statement with the American out in the group in front.

Starting at the ninth, all but one of his first five birdies came from inside two and a half feet, a 20-footer at the par-five 12th the exception, with three in a row from the 16th from a combined five feet five inches.

He left an eagle attempt frustratingly short at the 17th and another for birdie at the second but from there things started to go awry.

McIlroy bogeyed the third and sixth, but a good recovery at the fourth saw him make birdie and he salvaged par at the seventh.

However, from deep rough after another poor drive at the eighth he hacked into the pond guarding the green and dropped his third shot of the day to finish with a three-under 69.

Rai drove into the same pond at the eighth but chipped up to save par. He was later joined on six under by Swede Joakim Lagergren, whose round contained an eagle at the 12th.

Reed had briefly held a share of the lead with a fifth birdie before he too fell foul of the 395-yard par-four eighth to finish in the group on four under, which also included Fox and Viktor Hovland.

“Started very strong, five-under through 10, and started hitting a few loose shots on the way in,” said McIlroy.

“It started to get a little tricky there at the end, the wind was gusty, but I played well. I certainly saw some improvements on the greens compared to last week.

“It felt like I could have been a couple better at least but I think it’s going to play pretty tricky this afternoon so 69 isn’t a bad score to start with.”

Reed, who is bidding to become only the second American after Collin Morikawa to win the Race to Dubai, said: “It would mean a lot. I’ve always prided myself as being an American that consistently comes over and shows support to this tour.

“It’s definitely in the back of my mind, but at the end of the day (I’ve got to) just go out there and take care of business each and every day.”

The afternoon starters fared much worse, with two-time major winner Jon Rahm already struggling to make the cut after five bogeys and a double.

His six-over round of 78 left him just one behind last man Marcel Siem, while playing partners Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood were slightly better as they both finished one over.