There are plenty of ways for professional golfers to define a “successful” season. Is it strokes gained? Top 20s? Wins? Swing feels? Something else?

But among top PGA Tour pros, there’s a common refrain: If I’ve made it to East Lake for the Tour Championship, I’ve done something right.

Only 30 pros qualify for the Tour Championship, after all. Those who do are handsomely rewarded with FedEx Cup prize money, a multi-year Tour exemption, a Masters invitation and plenty more. It’s rarefied air, but well earned. Qualifying for East Lake is a testament to season-long excellence.

Which makes Sungjae Im’s streak all the more remarkable.

Im has qualified for seven consecutive Tour Championships, which is incredible on its own. It’s even more incredible when you consider that Im has played just seven PGA Tour seasons, period. Your mental math is correct, here: He’s never missed.

But Im entered this week at just No. 53 in the FedEx Cup standings, which made him a longshot to even qualify for the second round of the playoffs (where the field is cut to 50), never mind the finale (30).

DataGolf set his odds of qualifying for next week’s BMW Championship at just 18 percent. Qualifying for the Tour Championship? A paltry 1.9 percent.

Good luck.

In golf, as in most sports, they say that winning takes care of ever. I’d add that nearly winning takes care of nearly everything. And so, with Im mounting a valiant charge in the form of a 66-66-67 start at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, good for T2 through three rounds, he’s one solid Sunday from qualifying for the BMW.

Should his current position hold, Im would jump from No. 53 to No. 35. That would still leave him on the outside looking in for the season-ending Tour Championship — but he’d cruise to the next round, where he’d have more than a puncher’s chance.

For his part, Im has been matter-of-fact in discussing the streak and the pressure he’s playing under.

“I know where I am in the standings, but I don’t want to think about it too much, he said earlier this week.

“I think it’s more important to focus on each shot and do my best. If I keep doing that, hopefully the result will take care of itself.”

Im tees off at 12:30 p.m. local time on Sunday in the penultimate pairing alongside Jake Knapp. Scottie Scheffler holds a two-shot advantage; he’ll play with good friend Sam Burns — who’s T2 alongside Im — in the final pairing.

Im’s streak isn’t the longest active; Rory McIlroy is one ahead and will qualify for his ninth consecutive Tour Championship in two weeks’ time. It’s no easy feat; both Xander Schauffele and Tony Finau had made eight in a row before they missed out last season.

it’s fair to wonder if Im would already be qualified had his season followed its usual rhythm. But after he sustained a wrist injury last fall Im missed significant time, eventually returning to action in March at Bay Hill. He enters this week on a run of three top-15s in his last four starts.

Makhachev was greeted by loud cheers as he made his walkout and made a statement in the first round as he took Machado Garry down at the first attempt.

The Irishman defended on the ground admirably, but it was a sign of things to come as Makhachev controlled the rest of the round with the challenger trapped against the side of the cage.

Makhachev’s dominance continued into the second round as he knocked Machado Garry down with a head kick, before slamming the dazzled Irishman to the canvas.

Again Machado Garry survived until the end of the round and although he found some success with a number of kicks midway through the fight, Makhachev continued to assert control when the pair grappled.

Machado Garry bloodied Makhachev’s face with some punches in the clinch, but the Russian shrugged it off to reach the final bell ahead in a number of key stats.

He secured seven unanswered takedowns and clocked over 12 minutes of control time to Machado Garry’s 34 seconds.

Although the Irishman landed 29 significant strikes to Makhachev’s 22, it was not enough to convince the judges of the win.

In a show of respect, the pair embraced before Machado Garry raised Makhachev’s arm in victory.

“To all my fans, Ireland, everybody, I’m sorry I couldn’t get this done,” said Machado Garry.

“But I stand here as a man proud of what I’ve done, proud of where I came from and proud where this will take me. To all the fans who doubt me, I’ll be back.”

At 28, Machado Garry has plenty of time to realise his dream of becoming a UFC champion, while Makhachev’s victory adds weight to claims he’s closing in on being regarded as the greatest UFC fighter of all time.

Manchester City are in Cardiff this weekend for the Community Shield clash with Arsenal

Manchester City head to Cardiff this weekend for the Community Shield with Arsenal in Enzo Maresca’s first match in charge of the Blues on British soil.

City played three friendlies across Hong Kong and South Korea and returned to Manchester on Monday ahead of the domestic campaign.

The Premier League begins next weekend when Bournemouth visit the Etihad and while many feel the Community Shield is nothing more than a glorified friendly, Maresca has spoken of his desire to take home the trophy on Sunday afternoon.

He may have to do so without a host of key players with those City players who returned from their post-World Cup break this week unlikely to start.

Gianluigi Donnarumma is a certain starter in goal and the makeup of the back four will be interesting. Ruben Dias is set to captain the Blues from centre back and Abdukodir Khusanov could play alongside him, allowing for Josko Gvardiol to play at left back with Nico O’Reilly and Marc Guehi only just back in full training. Matheus Nunes seems nailed on at right back.

There will be a Rodri-sized hole in the midfield with the Spain international expected to join Barcelona this month. In any event, he only returned to Manchester on Friday having undergone minor back surgery and won’t be featuring this weekend. The game could come too soon for Elliot Anderson, and Tijjani Reijnders is moving to the Saudi Pro League so City are light on central midfielders. It’s perhaps two from Nico Gonzalez, Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic and it might be the latter two who get the nod.

Antoine Semenyo is a certain starter on the flank having shone on the pre-season tour of Asia and if it’s too soon for those who missed the trip to Hong Kong and Korea then Maresca will be showing his hand with his pick on the opposite side.

Savinho played plenty in pre-season but missed training on Thursday through illness and is the subject of transfer interest from Tottenham. Jack Grealish is back in full training but still seems set to move on this summer and is only just back in team training having recovered from a foot issue that he picked up on loan at Everton last season.

That could open the door for Rayan Ait-Nouri to play high and wide, having scored twice in pre-season, particularly if Omar Marmoush is needed to lead the line with Erling Haaland not expected to play from the start. Phil Foden can complete the XI with the likes of Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki options from the bench as they ease back into club life.

City predicted XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Lewis, Kovacic, Foden; Semenyo, Ait-Nouri, Marmoush

Soon after pushing Sri Lanka debutant off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha to mid-off for a single, Devdutt Padikkal leapt in joy. He had just scored his maiden Test century — in his third Test and fourth innings — and earned a warm hug from India captain Shubman Gill, along with applause from chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir.

The fluent 134-ball hundred capped a fine comeback for Padikkal, who returned to the Test side after 22 months because of an injury to Sai Sudharsan. His unbeaten 131 (178b, 12×4, 1×6) helped India reach a commanding 288-2 on a rain-hit opening day of the first Test in Galle.

‘DDP’ also became the first Indian batter to score a Test century on Independence Day. Padikkal’s ton ended India’s 19-Test, 35-innings wait for a century from No. 3 — the last coming from Gill against Bangladesh in 2024 — and strengthened his case for a longer run at the pivotal position, even after Sudharsan returns.

More significantly, the 26-year-old showed that he could be the batter India need to counter their recent struggles against spin. He used his feet, rocked back quickly in the crease and employed his wrists effectively to neutralise Sri Lanka’s spinners. Padikkal had offered a glimpse of his form when he smashed an unbeaten 142 off 164 balls in India’s only warm-up game in Colombo. The left-hander, appointed Karnataka captain in Jan this year, has also been in prolific form in domestic cricket.

India, however, lost opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (32) to a needless run-out and Gill (16) to a poor shot against Prabath Jayasuriya. They were rescued by Padikkal and KL Rahul, who added 150 off 255 balls for the second wicket before Rahul retired hurt with cramps at tea.

Replacing Rahul, Gill struck a couple of elegant cover drives before throwing his wicket away, while Rishabh Pant kept the momentum going with an unbeaten 27. Pant and Padikkal added 52 for the third wicket in 67 balls.

Gill had opted to bat after winning the toss in India’s landmark 600th Test, which is also Galle’s 50th. India picked wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel ahead of Sarfaraz Khan. Padikkal and Rahul, who have batted together regularly for Karnataka, complemented each other beautifully.

Padikkal reached his third Test fifty off 81 balls, while Rahul brought up his 21st Test half-century from 127 balls. The Galle surface offered little assistance to the spinners, and the pair neutralised Sri Lanka’s main weapon, Jayasuriya, after he was introduced in the 10th over.

Amanda Anisimova of the United States celebrates match point during a match against Zeynep Sonmez of Turkiye in day five of the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 15, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP

MANILA, Philippines — World number 10 Amanda Anisimova is unfazed by Alex Eala’s massive crowd support ahead of their third-round duel at the Cincinnati Open in Ohio.

Despite playing on home turf, the ninth-seed American expects to see a stadium filled with more fans rallying behind the WTA Tour’s hottest draw in Eala.

Anisimova also sees herself thriving in the high-energy atmosphere, which was once described by four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka as “more like a basketball game” than a tennis match.

READ: Alex Eala faces Amanda Anisimova in Cincinnati Open third round

“She has a great fan base. And it looks like an incredible atmosphere every time she steps out to play a match. I’m really, really looking forward to it,” Anisimova said in the post-game show.

“I love a packed stadium and I love a good atmosphere. I’m sure it will be a great match, even though they will probably gonna be rooting more for her end. But I don’t mind it and I’ll try to thrive off of the energy.”

Anisimova and Eala clash late Monday night, with the winner projected to take on Wimbledon champion and sixth seed Linda Noskova in the round of 16.

After booting out Turkiye’s Zeynep Sonmez, 6-2, 6-3, Anisimova heaped praise on the Filipino star, who beat Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round.

READ: Alex Eala through to Cincinnati Open third round as Ruse retires

“I haven’t played her (Eala) before. She’s been having such an incredible season, an incredible year. [A] very great player with a lot of fans, so I’m really looking forward to that,” said Anisimova during the post-match interview.

The 24-year-old Anisimova is a four-time WTA Tour titlist, highlighted by a pair of Masters victories in Qatar and China last season. She also finished runner-up in the US Open and Wimbledon last year.

The former World No. 3 reached the quarterfinal of the Australian Open this season and in 2019, became the youngest French Open semifinalist at 17 years old.

Eala is playing her second straight WTA 1000 tournament in her North American swing, following a round-of-16 exit at the Canadian Open and a breakthrough title run in the Mubadala DC Open in Washington.

The 2026 Community Shield is being played at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium for the first time in 20 years due to the match clashing with The Weeknd’s tour dates at Wembley.

The match between the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners, which this year pits Arsenal against Manchester City, is traditionally played at Wembley, but the iconic stadium was unavailable on Sunday 16 August “due to pre-planned concerts”, as revealed by the FA back in March.

The Weeknd is playing five dates at Wembley between 14 and 19 August, with “The Home of Football” being chosen to stage his London performances.

The forced change has brought the Community Shield back to the venue that hosted six editions between 2001 and 2006 while the new-look Wembley was under construction.

“We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming the FA Community Shield back to Principality Stadium,” said Welsh Rugby Union chief financial and operating officer Gavin Marshall. “This fixture has a special place in the stadium’s history and to be hosting it again for the first time in 20 years is a tremendously proud moment for everyone here.

“Principality Stadium has built its reputation on delivering world-class events and creating truly special occasions for fans, and this is no different.

“We know from experience the atmosphere this stadium generates when it is at capacity, and we are fully committed to ensuring supporters of both clubs have an unforgettable experience on 16 August. This is exactly the kind of occasion this stadium was made for, and we cannot wait to welcome everyone to Cardiff.”

Liverpool and Arsenal both lifted two titles during the match’s six-year stint in the Welsh capital, while Manchester United and Chelsea also triumphed in 2003 and 2005 respectively.

The 74,500-capacity Principality Stadium will also stage the opening match of Euro 2028, which is being co-hosted by England, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Since returning to Wembley in 2007, the Community Shield has moved twice – to Villa Park in 2012 due to the Olympics and the King Power Stadium in 2022 as the national stadium hosted the Women’s European Championship final, which was won by the Lionesses.

The season’s “curtain-raiser” between Arsenal and City will take place five days before the Premier League campaign begins on Friday 21 August, which will see Mikel Arteta’s defending champions host newly-promoted Coventry.

White praised Garry as talented and classy, but said the latter has no place during a fight

Advertisement

Aug 16, 2026

at

1:40 am ET

•

1 min read

The Indian athletics team will undergo a short acclimatisation camp at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan in September-October.

In June this year, the Sports Authority of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Tsukuba to facilitate participation of Indian athletes, coaches, and sports scientists in specialised training and exchange programmes in Japan.

Tsukuba is around 80kms from Tokyo and 420km from Nagoya where the track and field events will be held from September 23 to 29.

The national team will leave for Japan after competing in the invitational Indian Athletics Final Series in New Delhi on September 10.

“The team will leave for Japan either on September 12 or 13 and will train at the University of Tsukuba to acclimatise to the conditions,” a top Athletics Federation of India (AFI) official told PTI.

Meanwhile, the Asian Games-bound Indian athletes, who were training at Jablonec in Czech Republic, are returning home in a day or two to have another short training stint at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar where the Indian Open World Athletics Silver Level Continental Tour event will be held on August 22.

A host of top Indian athletes are set to take part in the one-day event in Bhubaneswar, including the likes of Commonwealth Games medallist long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, women’s national record holder long jumper Ancy Sojan, ace 100m hurdles runner Jyothi Yarraji, top sprinters Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur as well as javelin thrower Kishore Jena.

Two-time Olympic medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is not expected to feature in Bhubaneswar as he is competing at the Lausanne Diamond League on August 21.

‘AFI has sent Asian Games team list to IOA’ 
================================= 
An AFI official said that the federation has sent the Asian Games team to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as soon as the National Inter-State Championships ended in Bhubaneswar on June 28. The team picked by the AFI is more than 68 who represented the country in the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in 2023.

“We have sent the Asian Games team to the IOA on the night of June 28 itself, just after the end of events at the National Inter-State Championships,” the official said.

“We have picked more than 72 athletes. We have done our part of job.