The relationship between six-time Masters winner Jack Nicklaus and defending Masters champion Rory McIlroy is close enough that, earlier this week, just before Nicklaus took his tee shot as the honorary starter, the 86-year-old felt fit to dispense some advice to the Ulsterman on how to join the very select group of golfers to defend their title at Augusta.

“No f***ing double bogeys.”

Two days of impeccable golf had given McIlroy the greatest 36-hole lead in Masters history in pursuit of back-to-back green jackets and an exclusive club alongside Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Sir Nick Faldo. The defending champion sputtered through the front nine on Saturday before coughing up a double-bogey on 11 that saw his overnight lead finally, unbelievably evaporate. Possibly a historic turning point in this Masters tournament.

In truth, it had been coming for at least an hour. A high-quality chasing pack had been making gains as McIlroy stumbled out of the gates in what seemed to be perfect conditions. The new leader was Cam Young, the winner at last month’s Players Championship at Sawgrass and someone who began the day as barely a speck in McIlroy’s rear-view mirror, but will join McIlroy in Sunday’s final group. His 65, which tied Scottie Scheffler’s round on Saturday as the best score of the tournament, pulled him from eight shots back at the start of the day to become, fleetingly, sole leader.

That was when the 2026 Masters, which until now had become something of a procession, became an all-out battle.

Some of those who had laid in wait overnight fell off, but others, going out ahead of Rory, had the freedom to just play their game and hope for a crack of light to appear.

At the end of this wild Saturday, we were left with co-leaders in the shape of McIlroy and Young (-11), with Sam Burns one back, Shane Lowry a further shot behind him and then Jason Day and Justin Rose lurking on -8.

Perhaps you’d usually end the list of contenders there, but one shot further back is the world number one, Scottie Scheffler, as well as Haotong Li, who showed himself capable of both the ridiculous and the sublime and might even be closer to the leaders if he hadn’t nearly had to withdraw with food poisoning on Friday.

So the defending champion held onto the lead, just about, but must share it overnight as he heads home for the evening. Or, rather, to the driving range, where he went to try and fix his wild tee shots that threatened to plunge him even further down the leaderboard.

Over the first two days, McIlroy’s lead in spite of consistently failing to find fairways was a testament to how dialled in he had been around the greens and with putter in hand.

On Saturday, his inability to find those fairways put him in positions he couldn’t salvage and he goes into the final round with the worst driving accuracy (50%) of anyone at Augusta. The other co-leader, Young, while retaining the seventh best driving distance, with McIlroy top, the American is also tied-second for accuracy (88.10%).

If there was a moment that seemed to sum up the day, it was McIlroy splaying yet another tee shot wide of the fairway, this time on Amen Corner’s 13th hole, leading an exasperated Irishman to call out “get lucky” in hope more than expectation. He didn’t. All the fortune at Augusta had appeared to abandon him and was instead buoying Young’s championship charge, with the American twice clattering into trees but both times ending up safely in the middle of the fairway. Those were the breaks that encapsulated Saturday’s movements and set up a box office Sunday.

“I knew today wasn’t going to be easy, the quality of the chasing pack was very obvious,” conceded McIlroy after a tough day at the office.

“A lot of the guys went out and played superb golf, starting with Scottie and then Cam and everyone else.”

“I would have liked to have been in a better position going into tomorrow, starting out with a six-shot lead, but I still have a great chance. I’m in the final group, which is exactly where you want to be. I wish I had a bit more of a cushion, but I’m going to go to the range now and try to figure it out. I’ll need to be better tomorrow.”

Rory might go into the final day as favourite – just about – but there is a cavalcade of world-class golfers waiting and ready should he slip up.

Sandra Breene will take on the London Marathon on Sunday (April 26) with her husband Alan, and together, the pair hope to raise £25,000 for Leukaemia UK.

The 57-year-old’s world changed when a routine health check in May 2022 revealed a “dangerously high” white blood count, which led to a diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).

‘It came as a complete shock’

Sandra was a regular runner and led a busy life as president of consumer care at Croda – based at Cowick Hall in Snaith – and the news came as a “complete shock”.

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She said: “I had no symptoms at all.

“I had a routine BUPA health assessment provided by my employer and received a call a couple of days later to say that my white blood cell count was exceptionally high – around 80k vs the normal range of 4 to 11k.

“I was told that leukaemia could be a possibility.”  

Sandra and Alan (Image: Supplied)

Sandra was diagnosed with CLL – a type of slow-developing blood cancer, which is usually only picked up during routine blood tests – in June 2022.  

“The diagnosis was a relief,” Sandra said. “The consultant told me there were many great treatments but no cure, and that some people never needed treatment but that it was likely I would.”

Sandra, from Brough, was placed on the ‘watch and wait’ list and given blood tests every three months.

Unfortunately, the tests showed her CLL was slowly progressing, and Sandra was given chemotherapy tablets and immunotherapy administered intravenously for 48 weeks.

‘My situation is a stark reminder that many are not so fortunate’

Speaking about this, she said: “The first few weeks were intense, travelling back and forth to Leeds most days for infusions taking six to eight hours.

“I was tired but otherwise all went incredibly smoothly.

““I am lucky. The revolutionary treatments I received wouldn’t have been possible without research.

“Yet my situation is a stark reminder that many are not so fortunate.”

“The first few weeks were intense, travelling back and forth to Leeds most days for infusions taking six to eight hours” (Image: Supplied)

Sandra and Alan, 67, will join 56 runners from across the country in running for Leukaemia UK on the day.

She explained: “It is a formidable challenge, especially for us ‘non-youngsters’, but every step we take will be fuelled by our determination to make a difference.

“We are running to ensure that others facing this diagnosis have the same chance for a full life that I have been given.

“I want anyone who sponsors me for the marathon to know they are writing a hopeful chapter for the next person who hears the word ‘leukaemia’.”

Hanna Chorley, Community and Challenge Events Manager at Leukaemia UK, said: “We are so grateful to Sandra and to all of our amazing runners taking on the London Marathon for us.

“We cannot wait to cheer them on. With the help of incredible supporters like Sandra, together we can continue to fund ground-breaking research into kinder, more effective treatments for leukaemia.”

Leukaemia UK hopes its supporters’ dedicated efforts will raise around £140,000 to fund more research to stop leukaemia devastating lives.

The charity will have a cheer point for its 56 runners on the iconic Tower Bridge.

To donate to Sandra’s fundraiser, visit her JustGiving page here.

Trains will be disrupted over the early May bank holiday weekend

Passengers hoping to travel by train over several weekends in April and May are being told to “check before travelling” as ‘essential’ engineering works are scheduled to take place. The works will see sections of track surrounding Ely station replaced to make journeys smoother and more reliable.

The works will start on Saturday, April 25, and will continue over the following three weekends, including the bank holiday weekend. There will also be two further Sundays in June which will face disruption as engineers check that the track has been bedded correctly.

Almost 1,000 yards of track will be renewed, along with six sets of points (the movable sections of track that allow trains to switch between lines) and old sleepers and ballast (the stones that support the track) near Ely station.

Network Rail says that renewing the rails, track base and points will “help maintain a safe, reliable railway for all services passing through Ely station and reduce the chance of unplanned disruption that can lead to delays and cancellations”.

Works will be taking place over the following weekends:

• Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26;
• From Saturday, May 2 to Monday, May 4 (bank holiday weekend);
• Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10;
• Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17.

Passengers will also face disruption on Sunday, June 21, and Sunday, June 28. A tamping machine will be used to re-pack the ballast under the sleepers.

Anyone who had been planning to use the railway over any of these dates will instead be able to use replacement buses. Passengers using Greater Anglian, East Midlands, Great Northern and CrossCountry services are being told to check before they travel and to allow extra time to complete their journey.

Martin Beable on behalf of Greater Anglia and Network Rail said: “This work is essential to keeping our services running smoothly through what’s an extremely busy junction at Ely, and support the punctual, reliable service our passengers expect.

“A rail replacement service will run while the work takes place, so we’re encouraging passengers to check before they travel and allow more time for their journey. We’d like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while this work is carried out.”

Travel advice from operators

Greater Anglia

Buses will replace trains between Thetford and Cambridge North and Bury St Edmonds and Peterborough. Trains will continue to operate between Norwich and Thetford, Cambridge North and Stansted Airport and Ipswich and Cambridge.

East Midlands Railway

Liverpool to Norwich services will start and terminate at Peterborough. There will be a connecting rail replacement bus service between Peterborough and Norwich.

CrossCountry

Buses will replace trains between Peterborough and Cambridge on services between Birmingham and Stansted Airport.

Great Northern

Buses will replace trains between Cambridge and Kings Lynn on the London Kings Cross to Kings Lynn route.

With a forecast of warm and dry weather all week at Augusta National, the expectation was firm and fast greens would lead to difficult scoring conditions – McIlroy said he thought the winning score would not reach double digits under par.

There was also a perception the officials in charge of the course set-up would be delighted with the prospect.

However, their decision to water the greens each morning – softening them for the following day – has made scoring easier as the week has gone on.

That has not been a popular decision with the purists, who have accused the Masters of also going soft.

There is no doubt making things more scoreable has led to an entertaining spectacle as the pack hunted down McIlroy.

World number one Scottie Scheffler was the first player to really take advantage as he threatened to challenge the course record of 63 – jointly held by Nick Price (1986) and Greg Norman (1986) – with a blistering front nine.

The two-time champion, who won in 2022 and 2024, ultimately fell short and signed for a career-best 65, which put him back into contention, at four off the pace, after he maintained a recent trend of making slow starts.

Eventual co-leader Young also gave Price and Norman cause for concern when he reached seven under after 14 holes.

The 28-year-old American’s momentum was stalled by a bogey on 15 – which would have been worse had he not pitched close with his fourth after finding the water – but he recovered to birdie 16 and match Scheffler’s low round of the day.

People were living around the County Durham village thousands of years ago, as shown by Mesolithic flints, Neolithic stone axes and a bronze spearhead from about 1000 BC found nearby.

The village appears in the Bolden Book of 1183, and its name is thought to mean “the forester’s clearing” — a nod to its roots in the hunting grounds of the Durham Prince Bishops.

St Botolph’s Chapel once stood on the north side of the village, built in about the 10th or 11th century and dedicated to the Anglo-Saxon saint.

It had fallen out of use by the 18th century, but excavations have underlined its importance as an early Christian site , showing this part of the dale has been a place of settlement and worship for centuries.

Today, visitors still describe Frosterley as somewhere “history meets natural beauty”, with each era leaving its mark on the landscape.

Frosterley history from chapel to village

Frosterley in Weardale, a village known for heritage, geology and rural surroundings (Image: NQ)

Frosterley is best known for the distinctive stone that carries its name.

Frosterley Marble is a black limestone packed with fossil crinoids more than 300 million years old, which show up as pale, flower-like patterns when polished.

The stone was highly prized in the Middle Ages and was used to create decorative columns in Durham Cathedral in the mid-14th century.

Closer to home, the stone can still be seen in St Michael and All Angels Church, at the village railway station and in other local landmarks, linking Frosterley directly to its geological past.

Frosterley Marble and local landmarks

Modern village life still sits alongside that heritage.

St Michael and All Angels Church, designed by Victorian architect G. R. Street in 1869, and a parish hall first built in 1833 as a chapel of ease , are focal points for community events.

St Michael and All Angels’ Church in Frosterley (Image: NQ)

Walking routes link Frosterley to the wider dale, including stretches of the Weardale Way and paths onto the surrounding moors.

The Weardale Railway brings heritage trains through the village, another reminder of the area’s industrial and transport history.

Set between Wolsingham and Stanhope, about 18 miles west of Durham City, Frosterley is easy to reach by road and is a handy base for exploring Weardale and beyond.

Nearby attractions include Hamsterley Forest for walking and cycling, Stanhope’s Dales Centre and church, and Killhope Lead Mining Museum.

Nearby Rogerley Mine was once known among mineral collectors for its deep green fluorite and remains of geological interest despite closing in 2016.

The Weardale Railway now has 16 miles of its route currently operational between Bishop Auckland West and Stanhope after being saved from administration by The Auckland Project in 2020.

Rory McIlroy took measures to fix flaws in his swing after a disappointing third round at the Masters, where a six-shot lead evaporated and he faces a final-round showdown with Cameron Young

Rory McIlroy headed to the Augusta National practice range immediately after a frustrating third round of the Masters.

Reigning champion McIlroy opened Saturday with a six-shot advantage at 12-under-par after a scintillating performance over the first two rounds, but he will start Sunday tied for the lead with Cameron Young.

With the greens playing much softer than expected, numerous players made big moves to erode McIlroy’s advantage, but the five-time major champion stalled and finished with a one-over-par 73. Young, who proved his credentials to win the Green Jacket with his victory at The Players last month, was in sensational form, carding a bogey-free 65 to vault to 11 under.

READ MORE: Rory McIlroy’s four-word comment picked up on TV as he loses Masters lead in huge chokeREAD MORE: Scottie Scheffler helps Sam Burns in bid to derail Rory McIlroy’s Masters defence

Sam Burns is at 10 under after going round in 68, with Shane Lowry a shot further back after a 68 that included a hole-in-one at the par-three sixth.

Jason Day and Justin Rose round out the top five at eight under, with Scottie Scheffler only four shots off the lead after a 65 to surge into contention.

McIlroy has struggled with his driver all week, but he had scored superbly through 36 holes thanks to stellar iron play and his world-class short game.

For all the latest news and views from The Masters at Augusta National, visit The Mirror US.

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But after hitting just 10-of-18 greens in regulation and ceding his huge advantage over the field, McIlroy said: “I just need to go to the range and try to figure it out a little bit.”

McIlroy admitted he needs to up his game if he is to defend the Green Jacket and win on Sunday. He said: “Yeah, didn’t quite have it today. Even just starting at the first hole with that soft bogey, even though I hit a pretty good drive.

“The course was obviously gettable. There were a lot of good scores out there, and the quality of the chasing pack is obvious. There were a lot of guys who shot good scores.

“You know, there are a lot of guys in with a chance tomorrow. I’m still tied for the best score going into tomorrow, so I can’t forget that, but I do know I’m going to have to be better if I want to have a chance to win.”

READ MORE: Scottie Scheffler delivers resounding response after criticism of Masters ‘attitude’READ MORE: Bryson DeChambeau’s miserable Masters – ‘Baptised in lemon juice’

McIlroy made four birdies, but three bogeys and a double after going in the water on 11 spoiled his day.

Twelve months on from his chaotic victory to seal the career Grand Slam, McIlroy believes he will benefit from not having that weight on his shoulders.

“I’d like to think that I’ll play a little bit freer and I’ll play, you know, like I’ve already got a green jacket, which I do,” he said. “Sometimes I maybe just have to remind myself of that

“I wish I was a few shots better off, but I’m comfortable. I played with Cam the first two days. Playing with him again tomorrow. I think it’s a comfortable group for both of us.

Del Naja, whose Bristol-based trip hop collective is best known for the classic 1990s hit Unfinished Sympathy, added: “I think that the actions of Palestine Action were highly patriotic because they were pretty much protecting our country from getting involved in serious war crimes, and breaking international law. How much more patriotic can you be than that?”

BBC Blankety Blank viewers were left saying the same thing about the latest episode hosted by Bradley Walsh

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BBC audiences were united in their response as they watched the latest series of Blankety Blank.

Presenter Bradley Walsh returned to television screens on Saturday (April 11) to front the newest instalment of the beloved game show.

Bradley invited six famous faces to the studio to complete the missing blanks and assist in securing fantastic prizes for some fortunate participants.

This week, the host was accompanied by Richard Ayoade, Alex Jones, Stephen Bailey, Nadia Jae, Gyles Brandreth and Roisin Conaty.

Nevertheless, certain viewers were underwhelmed by the episode, with some labelling the questions “ridiculous”, reports the Mirror.

Writing on X, previously known as Twitter, one viewer commented: “Not funny anymore really. Maybe past its selll by date and celebs aren’t good #BlanketyBlank.”

READ MORE: Gladiators arena erupts in boos as host Bradley Walsh told to ‘be quiet’READ MORE: BBC The One Show viewers moved as Queen Camilla shares special message

Another contributed: “The blank questions don’t seem to be like they used to be. #blanketyblank.”

A third individual stated: “Most of the questions are so ridiculous with no obvious answer. No wonder they don’t score. #blanketyblank.”

Someone else shared: “#BlanketyBlank questions are a lot more random than there used to be.”

ITV The Chase host Bradley initially began presenting Blankety Blank six years ago, succeeding the late Paul O’Grady.

He has invited numerous major celebrities onto the programme including Joanna Lumley and Alison Hammond, though not all well-known personalities are enthusiastic.

Bradley previously revealed to The Sun: “I tried to persuade Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill from our Doctor Who days to come on.

“They won’t have it because they’re frightened to make themselves look a bit silly but that’s what it’s all about. For me, you’ve got to come on and have some fun. You really do.”

The programme, which originally launched in the 1970s and was presented by the late Terry Wogan, features high-profile celebrities assisting participants in completing the missing words in questions posed by Bradley.

The latest series showcases famous faces including Jonathan Ross and Julian Clary on the celebrity panel.

When questioned about whether they engaged in any “mischief”, Bradley responded: “Well, loads! Jonathan Ross especially, he’s really the only person who’s a non-comedian but he’s got a wealth of experience.

“He’s so funny and Julian’s obviously steeped in this sort of stuff. So his dry remarks, his dry wit is perfect for the show, it really is.”

Blankety Blank continues Saturday, April 18 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

Grace Measor, 19, died on Friday, due to complications following a stem cell transplant. She had written letters to her family and friends to be opened in the event of her death, urging them to live their lives to the fullest

The devastated parents of a Hartlepool teenager who lost her courageous battle with leukaemia have described her as “a gift to the world.”

Grace Measor passed away on Friday as a result of complications following a stem cell transplant. The kind-hearted 19 year old had penned letters to her loved ones to be opened upon her death, encouraging them to embrace life to the fullest and reassuring them “it’s okay”. The letters are bringing enormous comfort to dad Graeme, mum Nichola and sister Sophie, 17, as they struggle to come to terms with their heartbreaking loss.

Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2017, Grace’s initial treatment proved successful and she went on to excel at school, college and university before embarking on a career as a scientist with Johnson Mathey. Graeme and Nichola revealed she had dreamed of travelling the world and pursuing a career in research and development into renewables.

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“Basically she wanted to save the planet,” said mum Nichola, 51, an occupational therapy care assistant. Graeme, who works as a senior lecturer at Teesside University, said they watched her flourish into “an absolutely amazing woman” after previously conquering the leukaemia.

“As parents, we decided at that point, that she had earned the right to do anything she wants,” he said. “She got a travel bug and wanted to go places and if we could possibly make it happen we said yes and I’m glad we did.” Grace’s travels took her to Nepal, Turkey, Florida, Spain, Austria and France. “We took the opportunities when they arose – we made memories not material things,” Nichola explained, reports Teesside Live.

“Grace managed to make friends and collect people everywhere she goes. She is just loved in all directions, whether it was at school, college or work.”

Grace was a pupil at Seaton Holy Trinity Primary School and Dyke House Academy in Hartlepool before continuing her studies at Middlesbrough College, then securing a degree apprenticeship at Manchester Metropolitan University. While at college, she entered a chemistry competition and reached the national finals in Cardiff.

However, on her journey to the contest, she started experiencing excruciating back pain. Following multiple hospital visits and examinations, her parents took her to the RVI in Newcastle in December, where a blood film confirmed their worst fears – her leukaemia had come back.

“The consultant said, ‘you will have to go to the Freeman Hospital for a stem cell transplant,’” Graeme, 52, recalled. “She was told the treatment for the bone marrow transplant was total body radiation, followed by really strong chemotherapy to kill the bone marrow and then you get the stem cells which is an infusion.

“She was told it would make her sterile so, in order to preserve her fertility, she was brave enough, prior to coming in, to go to the RVI and have one of her ovaries harvested and frozen so that in the future she could have babies. At 19 to make that decision – her heroism was just unbelievable.”

After the treatment, Grace developed a chest infection and rare complications which struck her body simultaneously. This resulted in a catastrophic brain injury with no prospect of recovery, and the heartbreaking decision was taken by doctors to withdraw treatment. Grace passed away in the arms of her devoted parents and sister. She had penned letters to her family and friends to be opened if she didn’t survive treatment.

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“They are full of so much maturity for somebody so young and they are giving us so much comfort,” said Graeme. “One of the lines says: ‘When you walk the dog along the seafront, I’m in the roaring of the ocean, I’m in the air that you breathe, I’m at one with nature, and it’s okay’.

“She said, ‘go and live your life for me’. She was so brave, she was our amazing Grace. She doggedly, determinedly fought every single thing. She beat it but in the end the toll was just too many things. She was a gift to the world. She was pure of heart and soul, kind, generous and all the best attributes you could wish to have in a human being.

“The important thing we want to get across is love your kids, you never know when anything could change. And register for stem cell treatment- it’s literally a transfusion, it’s not an invasive thing and it’s almost painless. And blood donation. Grace had so many transfusions. It’s a simple thing to do and you save someone’s life.”

Rather than cards or flowers, the family has asked well-wishers to donate to the wards at the Freeman Hospital, whose devoted care for their daughter they described as “second to none”.

Funds raised via the JustGiving page have already reached £7,000, which will go towards the hospital wards and a cancer research charity the family are currently looking into, with the aim of helping others in Grace’s situation. The JustGiving page is here.

Emergency services were called to Marsh House Avenue, at the junction with Knole Road, following a crash just after 7.30pm today (April 11).

A cordon was erected at the scene following the incident, with pictures showing officers standing beside a police car with blue flashing lights.

The road was closed in both directions by police – and it is believed that at least two cars were involved in the crash.

The North East Ambulance Service has confirmed that two people have been taken to hospital. Their conditions remain unknown.

(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

A spokesperson said: “We were called to a road traffic incident on Marsh House Avenue, Billingham shortly after 7:30pm on Saturday, April 11.

“We dispatched two ambulance crews, one clinical team leader and one Medicar resource to the incident.

“One patient was taken to University Hospital of North Tees and one patient was taken to James Cook University Hospital for further treatment.”

Cleveland Police added: “Marsh House Avenue in Billingham is closed in both directions near Knole Road following a serious road traffic collision.

“Drivers are urged to avoid the area whilst emergency services deal with the incident. Thank you for your patience.”