Behind Rahm and Smalley, there was a three-way tie on five under between American two-time champion Justin Thomas, Swedish Ryder Cup star Ludvig Aberg and little-known German Matthias Schmid.

Former world number one Thomas had posted the early target after a five-under 65, then sat back in the clubhouse to watch and wait patiently – while hoping for a “little bit of help” to win.

The wind did not whip up as Thomas hoped. Yet, with the severely-sloped greens playing firm in the Pennsylvanian sun, and the thick rough continuing to be penal, scoring opportunities remained at a premium.

For almost everyone other than Rai.

All week long it felt like a strategic thinker would be the one to prevail and Rai, known on tour for his diligence, carefully plotted his way to victory.

Keeping his ball on the fairway from the tee proved to be an effective tactic – he was joint second best on Sunday and fourth for the week – which others did not find as simple.

Once Rai moved clear of the pack on seven under – thanks to birdies on the 11th and 13th – it looked like a score which would not be caught.

In what was now by far the biggest moment of his career, an emotionless Rai stayed in the zone. The experience of beating a strong field at the DP World Tour’s Abu Dhabi Championship in November was perhaps something he was able to draw on.

Another tap-in birdie on the par-five 16th put more daylight between him and the pack, before a putt from the other end of the measuring stick put victory within touching distance.

Rai somehow negotiated an impossible-looking putt to move three shots clear of his rivals. Only then did he show a flicker of emotion.

But the gentle fist pump as the fans around him went wild was telling and perfectly encapsulated how Rai has become a major champion – by keeping calm in the eye of the storm.

“I definitely wasn’t trying to hole that putt,” Rai smiled as he clutched the Wanamaker Trophy.

“The shadow of the pin gave a really nice line for the last 10 feet so that helped with the visual.

“It just tracked really well – it was amazing to see it go in.”

BBC Sport pundits Mark Schwarzer and Dion Dublin believe Bryan Mbeumo using his arm to trap the ball to his side to help better control Diego Dalot’s cross in the build-up to Matheus Cunha’s goal, gave Manchester United an “completely unfair advantage” in their 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

MATCH REPORT: Premier League – Manchester United 3-2 Nottingham Forest

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Celtic have issued an apology to Hearts for the pitch invasion that followed their Scottish Premiership title decider.

The Glasgow club successfully secured another domestic crown as a 3-1 victory at Celtic Park denied Hearts after a dramatic title race settled on the final day.

The moment was marred, though, as hundreds of Celtic fans streamed on to the playing surface when Callum Osmand netted in the eighth minute of stoppage-time to put the Hoops 3-1 ahead and effectively seal the championship.

Several ran towards Hearts players and the Edinburgh club noted “deeply disturbing reports of serious physical and verbal abuse towards our players and staff, both on the pitch and elsewhere” in a statement released on Saturday evening.

The match did not restart after that point, and the SPFL subsequently confirmed that the game had ended before the “unacceptable” behaviour of the home supporters.

Police Scotland have vowed to take “robust and swift action” against anybody found to have committed criminality, and Celtic have said they will co-operate fully with the investigation.

“The club regrets that our victory over Hearts was followed by a number of individuals entering the field of play,” Celtic said in a statement. “We again emphasise that there is no justification for this behaviour which, for the vast majority of Celtic supporters, only detracts from the joy of such occasions.

“Celtic will co-operate fully with any investigation and with the SPFL in their own processes.

“We also apologise to Hearts for the situation encountered by their players and staff at the conclusion of the game, and for the fact that these events prevented them from saluting their own supporters at the end of an enthralling campaign, to which they have contributed so much.”

Aaron Rai said he owes a first major victory that was beyond his “wildest imagination” to his wife and parents as the Englishman stunned the field to win the US PGA Championship.

The 31-year-old from Wolverhampton, who is the first English winner of the event since 1919 and only the fifth European to win it, fought off a stellar field at Aronimink Golf Club with moments of pure brilliance to shoot a closing 65 and win by three shots.

A brilliant eagle at the ninth ignited a round which was highlighted by a majestic 69-foot birdie on 17 as Rai evoked Philadelphia’s Rocky-style underdog spirit.

“To be stood here is definitely outside of my wildest imagination,” Rai said.

Rai is known for wearing two gloves and using covers on his irons due to his respect for what he has – harking back to the Titleist clubs his father bought him as a child, which he used to clean with a pin and baby oil.

Born in Wolverhampton to working-class parents, he hailed the sacrifices they made to help his fledgling career.

“It’s probably hard for me to really express everything that I feel towards them,” Rai said.

“I think I’ll get way too emotional to speak. My dad was with me every day that I went to practice from the age of four, five years old. He actually quit his job and started to focus on my golf from a really young age.

“My mum has been absolutely incredible as well. She worked extremely long hours to just provide for the house really. I can’t put into words how much they’ve done in terms of the support, in terms of the care, in terms of love. I wouldn’t be here without them at all.”

Rai is married to Gaurika Bishnoi, herself a professional golfer on the Ladies European Tour, who sat at the front as he spoke to the media with the Wanamaker Trophy alongside him.

“I wouldn’t be here without her. Both as a companion, as a friend, as someone I’m sharing my life with, but also as a real support system for my game,” Rai added.

“Her mindset, her advice, her thoughts, whether it’s technique or the way I’m holding myself is absolutely invaluable.”

Rai went into the final round in a group on four under par, alongside the likes of Jon Rahm and Ludvig Aberg, two back from leader Alex Smalley.

With major champions Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele in a bunch just one behind and 21 players within four shots of the lead, it was a question of who could make their charge.

Justin Thomas shot 65 early on to set the clubhouse mark at five under as Smalley dropped back, but Rai was the man who found the answer, overcoming three early bogeys to pull clear and finish at nine under.

That left him three clear of Rahm and Smalley, while McIlroy was unable to find the final-round spark to carry him to back-to-back majors as he finished five adrift.

Rai is widely regarded as one of the nicest players in golf. Everyone who spoke in the wake of his victory pointed to his kindness and humility.

“I think a lot of that has come from my upbringing,” he said. “Golf was always a very big part of my life from a very young age, but my mum and my siblings were very fast to continue to reinforce the importance of just being a good person and trying to do the right things away from golf.”

Rai’s victory ended America’s 10-year grip on the event and he is the first English winner since the first champion, Jim Barnes.

“Extremely, extremely proud,” Rai said. “There’s a lot of incredible and historic English players over those hundred years who have gone on to achieve incredible things and had phenomenal careers.

“But to win this event and then to be the person that’s the first one to have won it in a long time from England is an amazing thing.”

Nuno Espirito Santo has admitted West Ham’s fans were right to chant that his players were “not fit to wear the shirt” after a 3-1 defeat at Newcastle left them on the brink of Premier League relegation.

The Hammers, who trail Tottenham by two points, could go down on Tuesday night if Spurs win at Chelsea, where even a draw would leave them on the brink ahead of their final game of the campaign at home to Leeds.

A section of the travelling support made their feelings abundantly clear on the final whistle, and Nuno had no problem with that.

He said: “It hurts a lot, of course. This is our job, this is our life, but the fans are right and today they show their anger and frustration and they have reasons to.

“It hurts, it hurts the boys, it hurts us, it hurts the club. That’s why this week we should finish the season with dignity and respect for the fans.

“We should do better so we can show at the London Stadium to our fans a different performance and attitude in terms of the game.“Anything is possible. Let’s wait for Tuesday. Even though it’s difficult, we’re still alive. Let’s see. There’s some hope.

“But more than anything is respect. Let’s prepare ourselves and show a better performance. This is what our fans deserve.”

PA

Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (ANI Photo)

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has continued to dominate IPL 2026 with his fearless batting at the top, producing explosive starts almost every time he walks out for Rajasthan Royals. The 15-year-old has not always converted those starts into big scores, but his impact in the Powerplay has consistently set the tone for RR’s innings. Sooryavanshi has now scored 486 runs in 12 matches this season, including one century and two half-centuries. His aggressive intent has regularly taken Rajasthan past 60 runs inside the first six overs, giving their middle order a strong platform to build on. He once again made a strong impact against Delhi Capitals, smashing 46 off just 21 balls as RR reached 75/1 at the end of the Powerplay in another high-tempo start. In the process, the 15-year-old opener went past Abhishek Sharma’s previous record of 42 sixes from IPL 2024 and now sits alone at the top with 43 maximums this season. The milestone further highlighted the fearless batting approach that has turned Sooryavanshi into one of the biggest stars of IPL 2026. Speaking during the broadcast, RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara praised the youngster’s intent and said the team is focused more on his impact than conversion rates. “Rather take 30 than not much on any day, especially the speed at which he gets them. Yes, he hasn’t continued as much as we would like or he would like. But I think the fact is that he’s hitting the ball well, he’s getting us those really quick-fire starts, and we have six to seven other batters who can then really continue the pressure and extend those partnerships,” Sangakkara said. He added that Sooryavanshi’s biggest strength is his natural approach to batting. “The most exciting thing is just how he looks at batting. He looks at it like all of us should as a 15-year-old, as a kid would. He loves it, he bats for long hours, and that’s the most exciting thing. He really reads the game as well, so it’s not just mindless hitting with him,” he said. Sangakkara also stressed that RR avoid overloading him with technical instruction. “He’s very curious, but I’m very careful not to have too long a chat with him. He just needs to relax and bat. If we do chat, it’s a lot about other things other than cricket. A few things here and there, but I just like to leave him alone to enjoy what he does,” he added. On preparation, Sangakkara revealed that conversations in the nets are more about reading situations than technical corrections. “In the nets, those are the things we really talk about. When he practices, we kind of have a chat with him about what the bowlers might do, and he has an idea of what they might do to him – the short ball, the swinging yorker. So we’ll practice those a little bit, but the more we tell him is just to commit. Whatever you do and you decide to do, you have to be 100% committed to that option,” he explained. When asked if he takes a mentoring or father-figure role, Sangakkara was clear that Sooryavanshi does not need that level of intervention. “No, no. He doesn’t need that at all. He’s a much better player than I would ever be, so he needs a little help but not too much,” he said.

Chris Waller brings a formidable squad to the Scone two-day carnival, with particular excitement surrounding the comeback of Sun God.

The five-year-old joins up to 18 from the elite trainer’s stable for his seasonal debut in the Listed Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) on Saturday.

Having claimed three triumphs from 14 starts down under, the European recruit’s last win was at a mile on Randwick in February, delivering useful knowledge to his connections.

In England, Sun God succeeded at 2400m, but Waller assesses his optimal distances in Australia as shorter, supported by his racing record here.

“Sun God, I’m looking forward to him resuming,” Waller said.

“Last ‘prep’, we learned that a mile sees him out. It will be interesting to see how he runs fresh, and he has drawn well.”

Sun God enters with a first-up success previously and barrier two in the full lineup of 16 alongside four emergencies.

The trainer’s other participant is the reliable Captain Furai, as Waterford eyes Friday’s Scone Cup (1600m) more than the sprint despite dual entries.

“Captain Furai, he has a slightly tricky draw (barrier 10) but gee, he’s racing consistently,” Waller said.

“He needs luck from that draw, but he has trained on really well. He’ll be four weeks between runs so he’s nice and fresh.

“Waterford will most likely run in the Cup. That’s our preference.”

Differently, Chica Mojito is inclined towards Saturday’s Dark Jewel Classic (1400m), drawing 12 in that fillies and mares showcase against 18 for the Cup.

According to Waller, getting breaks in running will decide outcomes on Saturday amid the 10 maxed-out fields.

“They’re big fields and it’s a good, fair track, but you need a bit of luck,” he said.

Notably, the Midway Handicap (1700m) will run with 15 of 16 possible horses.

Visit leading racing betting markets to back Sun God in the Luskin Star Stakes.

There are two types of NBA MVPs, at least with the benefit of historical hindsight. There are the guys, and there are the guys between the guys. Some MVPs get trophies. Some get eras.

There’s a collective agreement among most basketball observers, at least with the benefit of hindsight, that players like Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar probably should have more MVP trophies. Each had an undisputed decade-long reign as the NBA’s best player. Whether it was voter fatigue or down years or narratives or baseball sabbaticals, none of them were honored to the extent that they probably should have been. They frankly didn’t need to be. Their legacies were bigger than a single, contextual award.

The MVP award doesn’t function the same way for all winners. For the Karl Malones, Derrick Roses and Bob McAdoos of the world, the award is a peak. It is an acknowledgment of a moment in time in which they touched immortality, even if they didn’t quite grab it. When we talk about Steve Nash, the MVP awards are the first things that come up, and the second, even if it’s reductive and unfair, is the notion that Nash winning those trophies at the peak of Kobe Bryant’s and Tim Duncan’s powers is a bit of an oddity. 

When we talk about Magic Johnson, the MVPs are a footnote. There’s no need to define him by a trophy because it was simply understood that the NBA, for a time, belonged to him, and the trophies are just a manifestation of what we understood implicitly. That’s how MVPs tend to function in all-time conversations. They’re table stakes for the sort of historical company players like this are trying to keep. You have to have them, but having them in and of itself does not punch a ticket into the pantheon.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named MVP: Thunder star becomes just 14th player to win back-to-back awards

Sam Quinn

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Nikola Jokić straddles that line. In truth, we’ll probably look back on the period between 2019 and 2025 as the parity era, but Jokić was, by near total consensus, its best player. We all think we know what’s coming next. If Victor Wembanyama stays healthy, it feels as though the unquestioned dominion that Jordan and James once held over the league for sustained periods is suddenly back on the table. At some point soon, Wembanyama is probably going to be the league’s best player, and if he does the things we think he can once he’s there, the next era of NBA history will almost certainly belong to him.

Where does that leave Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the guy who just claimed his second consecutive trophy? Well, we don’t quite know yet, but we may soon.

Just having the trophies puts Gilgeous-Alexander in incredible company. He’s now the 14th player to win consecutive MVPs, joining Nash, Malone, Johnson, Jordan, James, Abdul-Jabbar, Duncan, Jokić, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The numbers that generated those trophies are just as impressive. Only Curry and Antetokounmpo have ever posted higher effective field goal percentages in 30-point-per-game seasons than Gilgeous-Alexander did. Only Jordan ever won MVP at guard committing fewer turnovers per possession, and remember, he was a shooting guard while Gilgeous-Alexander is a point guard. Only one player, Luka Dončić, scored more total points than Gilgeous-Alexander this season. But 39 players touched the ball more times than he did.

There is already a real legacy here. Gilgeous-Alexander is practically breaking efficiency scales, generating a mind-boggling number of points per touch and shot while surrendering none of those points back through turnovers or poor defense. He is an absolute machine of consistency. He hasn’t scored fewer than 20 points in a game for almost two full regular seasons. There was a sense of disappointment when the Thunder didn’t seriously pursue the all-time wins record this season, but that undersold just how historically dominant they’ve been. Gilgeous-Alexander was the best player on a team that won 132 games across two seasons. Only Jordan and Curry have ever done that.

All of that is great and absolutely meaningful, but legacies are a bit like jokes. They lose impact once you have to explain them. This is part of why Nash gets so frequently reduced to the MVPs. It’s simpler than explaining how someone who averaged 14.3 points per game for his career could be one of the greatest generators of team offense in MVP history. It’s easier to say “he won two MVPs” than to explain how he was the point guard for the NBA’s most efficient offense eight times in a 10-year span. 

Of course, Nash also gets reduced to the trophies because of what he lacks. He never won a championship. Gilgeous-Alexander already has one. He could retire tomorrow as something like a top-30 player in NBA history, and if he just maintains his rough statistical profile with no more MVPs or titles, he’ll climb even higher. He’s passed Nash. He’s going to pass most of the “guy between the guys” MVPs.

But something about Gilgeous-Alexander’s title run a season ago didn’t quite land with the satisfying authority an all-timer’s first championship usually does. Maybe it was Tyrese Haliburton‘s torn Achilles tendon. Maybe it was his postseason efficiency dip or how loaded his team was or the fact that he’s still not especially popular among casual fans relative to what he’s accomplished. But there wasn’t an obvious baton-passing last spring. When CBS Sports ranked the top 100 players in the NBA before the season, Jokić retained his No. 1 spot. ESPN, Bleacher Report and most other publications to engage in the exercise came to that conclusion as well.

Jokić won’t be passing the baton this spring either. He dropped it on the floor in Minnesota. One way or another, someone else is picking it up in the next month, and if that person is Wembanyama, well, odds are he’s not letting go of it for a long, long time. 

Conveniently enough, Wembanyama and Gilgeous-Alexander are about to face each other in the Western Conference finals. The notion of meaningful legacy stakes for a series between a 27-year-old and a 22-year-old seems almost laughable on paper. Gilgeous-Alexander may not even be halfway through his career. He has nothing left to prove as an individual player. We’re talking about someone who is already drawing statistical comparisons to Jordan and Curry.

But Jordan got an era, and Curry at least shared part of one with James. If there is going to be a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander era, it probably needs to happen now, before Wembanyama reaches whatever terrifying peak he’s destined for. And if it isn’t now, that probably nudges Gilgeous-Alexander’s historical regard into that slightly less meaningful pool of MVP winners. It makes him the guy between Jokić’s run and Wembanyama’s inevitable ascent.

He’s better than the Malones and the Roses and the McAdoos and the Nashes of the world. He’s good enough for the inner circle of MVP winners. But history isn’t known for its kindness and neither are basketball fans. The easy comparison here, though he never won an MVP, would be Isiah Thomas. He took down both Johnson and Bird, effectively ending their reign atop the league, and won consecutive championships. He’s remembered today primarily as a foil for Jordan, the one he needed to beat before he could become, well, Michael Jordan. It’s never been terribly fair, but these conversations usually aren’t.

Yet it adds an undeniable layer of drama to what was already one of the most anticipated playoff series in recent memory, especially since Wembanyama openly campaigned for the MVP award. He’s going to spend the next seven games trying to force Gilgeous-Alexander to validate a trophy he thinks should belong to him. The playoffs aren’t supposed to seep into MVP discourse, but they undeniably shape how they’re remembered.

Most of those “guys between the guys” winners are in that group because they lost to the guys, or worse, they lost to someone else. Joel Embiid‘s 2023 MVP is the most recent example of this phenomenon. Jokić spent the whole year hearing about what a historical crisis it would be to give him a third consecutive MVP before he won a championship… only to win the championship while the MVP, Embiid, blew a 3-2 second-round lead to Boston. The playoffs don’t determine who wins MVP, but they’re very often the determining factor in how those MVPs are remembered.

That’s where Gilgeous-Alexander now sits. He has his two trophies. Now he’s playing for an era, and getting one means holding off the Martian giant in San Antonio for at least one more year.