Anthony Joshua made an emotional return to the boxing ring on Saturday night, coming from behind to stop Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga in the second round of their fight in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

It was Joshua’s first fight since the tragic road accident in Nigeria in December 2025 that claimed the lives of two of his close friends and long-time team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.

The fight began in dramatic fashion as Prenga knocked Joshua down with a powerful uppercut less than 20 seconds into the opening round. The Albanian landed another heavy punch before the round ended, putting the former world champion under serious pressure.

But Joshua showed the heart of a champion.

The British-Nigerian regained his confidence in the second round and took control of the contest with sharp jabs and powerful hooks. He pinned Prenga against the ropes with a series of heavy punches, forcing the referee to stop the fight and award Joshua a second-round knockout victory.

After the fight, an emotional Joshua paid tribute to his late friends.

“That was more than punch power. It was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina. It’s been tough,” he said.

The victory marks an important step in Joshua’s return to boxing and keeps alive hopes of a long-awaited heavyweight showdown with fellow Briton Tyson Fury.

Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that contracts have already been signed for the fight, although the date and venue have not yet been announced. Wembley Stadium is expected to be the leading option to host the blockbuster contest.

Joshua also said he respects Fury’s achievements but believes the time has finally come for them to meet in the ring after years of speculation.

Hearn praised Joshua’s determination, saying the former world champion overcame personal grief to produce one of the most memorable victories of his career.

The comeback win has restored Joshua’s place among boxing’s top heavyweights and moved him one step closer to one of the biggest fights in modern boxing against Tyson Fury.

Joe Gomez managed to break his own lamentable injury record yesterday, taking all of seven minutes of the first preseason match to find himself back on the physio’s table after picking up a knock against Sunderland.

Naturally I’m gutted for the player (seriously, who amongst us doesn’t root for Gomez every time he’s on the pitch), but this was sadly predictable. His history at the club, sadly, has been filled with prolonged absences due to injury.

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What’s worse, both from preseason and season season standpoints, is that Liverpool are now down to ZERO SENIOR FIT AND AVAILABLE CENTER BACKS.

No one could’ve seen this coming.

Incoming defender Jeremy Jacquet is still recovering from a shoulder injury that kept him sidelined for months at the end of last season, and Giovanni Leoni is still recovering from an ACL tear from last September. That leaves us with just Virgil van Dijk, who is of course still resting after the World Cup.

“Probably the worst news has been straight away the injury of Joe,” new Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola said post match. “We were happy because we were kind of going through all the training without losing any player. Unluckily for us, straight away we’ve lost Joe.”

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Welcome to Liverpool, Andoni, lesson #1: Joe Gomez gets injured a lot and his inclusion in the squad should be considered a bonus, not something to be relied upon.

On Jacquet’s potential return from injury, Iraola said, “With Jeremy, we decided to take it easy with him. He has been a lot of months without playing with a shoulder injury. So, I think we are going to take it easy with him. He will play probably the last game of this US tour and he will have time to have minutes. It’s true that we were kind of happy but we’ve lost one now.”

We don’t know how bad the injury is to Gomez, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a huge risk going into next season with the current roster of senior center backs, three of whom are injured and unknown quantities coming into the season. I don’t know, something to think about, Liverpool.

Arsenal‘s long-standing interest in Barcelona youngster Marc Bernal has resurfaced following fresh reports linking the Gunners with another attempt to sign the highly-rated midfielder.

Arsenal were among the clubs monitoring the 19-year-old defensive midfielder’s situation at Barcelona, and new claims suggest that interest has not gone away.

Arsenal continue to monitor Bernal

According to AFC Xtra, citing ESPN, Arsenal are making attempts to sign the Barcelona academy graduate as Mikel Arteta continues to explore midfield options during the summer transfer window.

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While no formal offer has been confirmed, Arsenal are once again being credited with keeping a close eye on one of Spain’s brightest young prospects.

Bernal is regarded as one of Barcelona’s most exciting emerging talents and has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s biggest clubs thanks to his composure on the ball, defensive intelligence and maturity despite his young age.

(Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Manchester City also enter the picture

Arsenal’s task could become significantly more difficult if another recent report proves accurate.

Transfer journalist Ekrem Konur claims Manchester City view Bernal as an attractive long-term option, particularly as they look towards potentially replacing Rodri in midfield. Chelsea are also said to be monitoring the teenager’s situation.

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Konur adds that Bernal remains under contract with Barcelona until 2029 and has a reported €500 million release clause, although such clauses are commonplace in Spain and do not necessarily reflect a player’s realistic transfer value.

Whether Barcelona would be willing to negotiate a deal remains to be seen, but if the Catalan club were to consider offers, Arsenal would likely face fierce competition for one of Europe’s most promising young midfielders.

Would you like to see Arsenal pursue Marc Bernal this summer, Gooners, or should the club focus on strengthening other areas of the squad? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.

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25 July 2026, 23:00

Adam Peaty broke down in tears after his bid for Commonwealth Games gold ended with 100m breaststroke bronze.

Brand new name, but not the same old result. He may now be double-barrelled, but he will not be chasing double gold here in Glasgow.

The three-time Olympic champion was beaten in the 100m breaststroke, an event he dominated for so long, by Australia’s Sam Williamson.

He was then edged into bronze as rising star Filip Nowacki, just 18, claimed Jersey’s first Commonwealth Games medal in 36 years with a stunning silver to cement his place as the coming man of British breaststroke.

Ramsay-Peaty will now turn his attention to defending his 50m breaststroke title – his final chance to become the first British swimmer to win gold at four consecutive Commonwealth Games.

“I’m never afraid to show emotion,” he said. “It’s important because it helps create stronger people, stronger men, stronger fathers and stronger husbands. “This cycle especially, I’ve worked harder than ever. To get a result like that hurts because I know I’m better than that.

“It’s still very raw. I honestly feel like I deserve more. There’s a lot of thinking to do, but it’s too early to draw any conclusions. Maybe it was just an off swim. Maybe it’s because I’ve been away from championship racing for two years. I honestly don’t know.

“What’s the point of all the 5.30am starts? What’s the point of all the metres every single day? What’s the point of being exhausted all the time, or missing family events because you have to train? It has to mean something. For me, that means striving for excellence, and today wasn’t excellence. That’s where the emotion comes from.

“The choices I’ve made over the last few months have been difficult. At the same time, I’m proud that I got here and that I didn’t quit after Paris [Olympics]. I know I deserve more, and I know I can work for it.

“It’s been two years since I’ve raced heats, semis and finals, so maybe it’s just an adjustment. It’s too early to know what I’m capable of at this stage, but I’m a fighter. We’ve got another opportunity at the Europeans in two weeks, and I do enjoy a scrap. I lost that scrap today, but that’s sport. Most of the time I’ve won those battles – this time I didn’t.”

Ramsay-Peaty admitted he came close to quitting his sport after failing to defend his 100m breaststroke Olympic title in Paris. He described the period as a “self-destructive spiral” as he battled injury problems and mental health struggles.

He married model Holly Ramsay – daughter of celebrity chef Gordon – in December, and the couple recently announced they were expecting their first child later this year.

However, social media commentary and headlines surrounding his strained relationship with his parents have clearly taken their toll, the swimmer claiming a life lived in the spotlight and on the front and back pages could not continue.

“Over the last couple of months I’ve had to make some hard decisions so I could focus on doing my job,” he added. “I’ve had to ignore a lot of the rubbish people write online. Enough is enough. This goes beyond sport. It’s about being decent people. We all have to do better.

“My wife will always be proud of me. As a father, it doesn’t matter whether you come home with a gold medal, as long as you come home. That’s what really matters.”

Ramsay-Peaty boasts the nine fastest times in history over the distance, but his 59.65-second swim here was his slowest in a major championship final for a decade.

He was simply Adam Peaty when once asked to sum himself up in two words. “Never satisfied,” came the reply.

These days, the 31-year-old cuts a more reflective figure. Gone are the soundbites that made it seem as though he’d swallowed a self-help book, along with the relentless references to his “Gladiator mindset”.

The last time the Commonwealth Games were in Glasgow, Ramsay-Peaty was swimming’s brightest new star. Now, he admits he is fighting to stay in the slipstream of the next generation.

“He’s got a very bright future ahead of him. I’m really looking forward to watching him in the 200m,” Ramsay-Peaty added of teenage rival Nowacki.

“He’s probably my favourite for that event because he’s got real speed. He’s got plenty of miles ahead of him. Mine are probably coming towards the end, but two years is still enough time to try to find something.”

Nowacki, whom Ramsay-Peaty describes as his “apprentice”, may not have to remain in the shadows for much longer. If his mentor cut a glum figure, his smile was as wide as the Clyde.

“Adam started here 12 years ago, and I’ve watched him grow up in the sport, from Rio to Tokyo and Paris,” he said. “It’s a real privilege to race alongside him. I was the one being inspired by Adam, and now I’m on the other side.”

Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £33m is raised every week for good causes. It’s because of you that sport, arts, heritage and community projects, as well as our athletes competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, are supported across the UK.

Sportsbeat

There is always baseball happening — almost too much baseball for one person to follow themselves.

Don’t worry, we’re here to help you by figuring out what you missed but shouldn’t have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball:

If the Chicago White Sox miss the playoffs by a game or two, their Friday night loss to the Houston Astros is a game that will stand out.

Chicago entered the top of the sixth inning with a 5-0 lead. Then, the Houston bats exploded for an eight-run inning.

In said inning, left fielder LaMonte Wade Jr. both singled and walked in a run; first baseman Christian Walker hit a three-run double; right fielder Cam Smith blasted a go-ahead, three-run home run, his 13th long ball of the year; second baseman Jose Altuve had an RBI single; catcher Christian Vázquez later had an RBI double for good measure in the ninth, giving the Astros a sizzling, 9-5 win.

Houston, which used seven pitchers to get through the game, got three-hit performances from Altuve and shortstop Jeremy Peña.

While 51-54, the Astros have won four consecutive games and are just two games behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the American League West and three games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the third AL wild-card seed.

The Atlanta Braves hit four home runs on Thursday, and the long ball propelled them to another victory on Friday.

Trailing the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 in the top of the eighth, catcher Drake Baldwin got the Braves even with a solo homer, which ultimately sent the game to extra innings. In the 10th, Atlanta got the lead on a fielder’s choice and then first baseman Matt Olson gave it a four-run cushion with a three-run home run to right field.

Now, Baltimore did make it close in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs, highlighted by a two-run homer from third baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand — who also laced a two-run double in the first — but Atlanta held on to win, 7-6. 

Seven of nine Braves starting position players recorded a hit, with right-hander Grant Holmes going five innings and Elieser Hernández being the unsung hero of the night, tossing three scoreless innings of relief. Meanwhile, Olson’s homer was his 27th of the year, which is seventh in MLB, and Baldwin’s homer was his 20th, which is fourth among catchers.

This one was back and forth all night.

After first baseman Nolan Schanuel gave the Los Angeles Angels a 1-0 lead on an RBI single in the top of the first, San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers hit an opposite field, two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning. Then, in the bottom of the third, third baseman Casey Schmitt launched a three-run home run, giving the Giants a 5-1 lead.

All that said, the Angels narrowed the gap to one run in the fifth with a two-run triple from catcher Tyler Heineman and a sacrifice fly from center fielder Mike Trout. San Francisco later got a sacrifice fly from catcher Daniel Susac in the bottom of the fifth, but infielder Vaughn Grissom evened the score for Los Angeles at 6-all with a two-run homer in the eighth, and the game would go to extra innings.

Unfortunately for the Halos, though, they failed to plate a run in the top half of the 10th, and Devers sent the San Francisco faithful home happy in the bottom half of the inning with a walk-off, RBI single to deep left field.

Devers and Schmitt have each hit 21 home runs this season, combining for 110 RBIs and a .483 slugging percentage, with the Friday night victory snapping a five-game losing streak for the Giants.

“Kramer, what are you doing?”

“Well, I’m dominating!“

Back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal was in top form against the Kansas City Royals. Over 7 ⅓ innings, the southpaw surrendered just one run and six baserunners (four hits and two walks), while recording 12 strikeouts in a 2-1 win for the Detroit Tigers. It marked Skubal’s longest outing of the season — which was sidetracked for two months by an elbow injury — and the fourth time he has pitched through the seventh inning. Skubal has given up just one run over his last two starts, with him pitching through seven innings in both outings. 

Through 15 starts, Skubal boasts a 2.70 ERA, an 0.92 WHIP, 110 strikeouts, a 159 ERA+ and 2.9 wins above replacement across 90.0 innings pitched. As for the offense, Detroit’s two runs came in the first inning on a Riley Greene sacrifice fly and an RBI single from second baseman Hao-Yu Lee.

Sure, the Tigers are 50-54, but they’ve won 15 of their last 20 games and, at this rate, they have the justification to keep Skubal past the trade deadline and push for a playoff spot, as they’re just three-and-a-half games out of the third AL wild-card seed.

And because this is baseball, that means bizarre things will happen. What was that bizarre thing on Friday night? The team with the second-worst record in MLB beating the team with the second-best record in MLB on their home field.

Correct, the Colorado Rockies (42-63) got a road victory over the Milwaukee Brewers (64-39). Behind 5 ⅔ innings from right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who surrendered just two runs, and 3 ⅔ scoreless innings of relief from Victor Vodnik, Antonio Senzatela and Jordan Romano, the Rockies got a 5-2 win.

Colorado put two runs on the board in the top of the first on an RBI double from center fielder Cole Carrigg and an RBI single from catcher Hunter Goodman. The Rockies then got a run in the third on an RBI single from third baseman Kyle Karros and a fourth run on a sacrifice fly from designated hitter Mickey Moniak in the fourth. Their fifth and final run came on a pinch-hit RBI double from TJ Rumfield in the seventh.

As for the offensive standouts, Goodman is third in MLB with 31 home runs and first among catchers with a .563 slugging percentage; Rumfield sports a .301/.384/.482 slash line in what’s his rookie season; Moniak boasts a .558 slugging percentage, while Carrigg has an .866 OPS and Karros has a .794 OPS.

New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hit an opposite field, solo home run in the top of the fourth, and that was the offense. Like, literally, the Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 1-0.

New York leaned on burgeoning superstar right-hander Cam Schlittler, who posted 12 strikeouts and gave up only three baserunners (three hits) over 7 ⅓ innings; Brent Headrick and David Bednar shut the door for the Yankees with 1 ⅔ combined scoreless innings of relief.

Meanwhile, Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo was also sensational, surrendering just one run and four baserunners (three hits and one walk) over seven innings, while recording nine strikeouts; it just came in a one-run loss. In fact, Goldschmidt’s homer was one of only three hits for the Yankees.

Schlittler continues to solidify his case to be the 2026 AL Cy Young, owning an AL-best 2.07 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 157 strikeouts, a 203 ERA+ and 4.6 wins above replacement over an AL-high 130 ⅓ innings pitched (22 starts).

The Minnesota Twins drew seven walks, but they only tallied two hits and couldn’t get a run to cross home plate against the Athletics in a 2-0 loss.

Jacob Lopez tossed five scoreless innings for the A’s, who then got four scoreless innings of relief from Geoff Hartlieb, José Suarez, Elvis Alvarado and Hogan Harris. It was the longest shutout that Lopez has put together this season.

As for the run production, the Athletics’ two runs came on a fifth-inning sacrifice fly from right fielder Lawrence Butler and an RBI single from left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, who sports a .472 slugging percentage, in the sixth.

This was the Athletics’ first shutout victory since beating the Angels on June 18 (5-0) and their first road shutout since defeating the Astros on June 7 (5-0).

Only one team scored double-digit runs on Friday night, and that club was the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tampa Bay struck early and often in an 11-3 smacking of the Guardians. Second baseman Ryan Vilade sparked the party with a two-run home run in the bottom of the second, with the Rays later having a three-run fourth inning: RBI singles from right fielder Jonny DeLuca and catcher Nick Fortes and an RBI force-out from shortstop Ben Williamson.

Junior Caminero put a sixth run on the board for the Rays with an RBI single in the sixth, with Fortes driving in a run on a double in the seventh. The Rays put a bow on the offensive outburst with a four-run eighth inning, as left fielder Chandler Simpson brought home a run on a sacrifice fly and Richie Palacios launched a three-run home run.

Tampa Bay pulled left-hander Shane McClanahan after five scoreless innings. Through 19 starts, McClanahan, who’s back in the big leagues after missing the second half of 2023 and the entire 2024 and 2025 seasons due to elbow and triceps injuries, boasts a 3.09 ERA and a 139 ERA+.

The Rays, who are an AL-best 60-43, have won four of their last five games, while the Guardians have lost three in a row.

Once the surprise team of the season, the Miami Marlins are reeling — bad.

After losing at home to the San Diego Padres, the Marlins have now lost 10 consecutive games and are 52-52. Over that span, they’re averaging just 2.5 runs per game, with them losing 4-2 on Friday night.

Concerning said loss, Miami struck first in the bottom of the second on a solo home run from catcher Joe Mack, with a Heriberto Hernández solo homer later tying the game at 2-all in the bottom of the fifth, which was the score entering the eighth. With that said, Luis Rengifo put the Padres up for good with a pinch-hit, two-run homer to right field in the top of the eighth. San Diego got its first run on an RBI line-out from center fielder Jackson Merrill in the fourth and an RBI single from designated hitter Manny Machado in the fifth.

The two teams combined to use 13 pitchers (the Marlins used seven pitchers, while the Padres used six). Miami is three games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third National League wild-card seed, while San Diego (51-53) stands four games back of the playoff spot.

The 2026 MLB season has been a struggle for second-year Los Angeles Dodgers starter Rōki Sasaki, but Friday night was a breeze.

In a road outing against the New York Mets, Sasaki had one of the best starts of his MLB career, surrendering just one run and five baserunners (three hits and two walks) over seven innings, while totaling seven strikeouts in a 4-2 Dodgers win; he threw 94 pitches, 63 of them for strikes. Sasaki has given up just one earned run over his last two starts.

On the season, Sasaki has a 4.71 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, 94 strikeouts, an 89 ERA+ and 0.1 wins above replacement across 93 ⅔ innings (18 starts). As for Sasaki’s run support, the Dodgers got a sacrifice fly from second baseman Miguel Rojas in the top of the fourth and a sacrifice fly from Shohei Ohtani in the seventh, with right fielder Kyle Tucker — who owns a career-low .705 OPS in what’s the first season of a four-year, $240 million deal — creating separation with a two-run home run to right field in the eighth; Tucker finished with two hits.

New York’s two runs came on a solo home run from Luis Robert Jr. in the bottom of the second and a solo homer from catcher Francisco Alvarez (he has hit 12 home runs in 69 games) in the eighth. Meanwhile, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman had a three-hit night.

The Dodgers have the best record in the sport at 66-38.

Kristian Prenga almost pulled off a major heavyweight upset against Anthony Joshua on Saturday.

The two fighters collided in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in a match-up that many expected to be a straightforward runout for Joshua in order to lead to the long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury later this year.

Prenga clearly had other ideas, as he started the fight extremely well, displaying the big power that has seen him win 20 of his 21 fights by knockout when he dropped Joshua in the opening seconds of the contest with an uppercut.

Another knockdown in round one followed soon afterwards, though ‘AJ’ was then able to recover as Prenga allowed his rival back into the fight in the second round.

He paid the price for that, as Joshua landed a huge shot that sent the Albanian crashing to the canvas, earning ‘AJ’ the second round knockout win and denying Prenga the shock victory.

In a video captured by Boxing King Media, Prenga was praised for his power, but he insisted that it doesn’t matter as he was unable to come out on top.

“I showed him [my power] but I needed to win.”

The nature of the fight against Joshua means there could be big opportunities ahead for Prenga, with other fighters in the heavyweight division perhaps seeing the commercial value in now taking a fight against the Albanian.

As for Joshua, he is set to turn his attention to the long-awaited clash against Fury, after ‘The Gypsy King’ was also victorious this weekend, earning a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach in Thailand.

The sudden pursuit of Yan Diomande by Real Madrid virtually eliminates Michael Olise as an option for the club, and rather anticlimactically so.

After all, the Bayern Munich star was long linked as the club’s marquee signing this summer, especially after his strong performances and synergy with Kylian Mbappe at the FIFA World Cup.

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The player reportedly even told his teammates of his desire to join Real Madrid – something that made it finally believable that a transfer was possible.

Just when matters were beginning to heat up, however, Real Madrid entered the race for Diomande, killing the Olise rumours in one shot.

Precious relations to preserve

As reported by Fabrizio Romano earlier today, Real Madrid informed Bayern Munich a few days ago of their stance on the Olise situation and how they did not wish to break bridges with the German giants over one transfer.

Perez does not wish to break relations with Bayern Munich. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

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Florentino Perez has enjoyed a strong relationship with Bayern Munich over the years and does not wish to break it for Olise. They will thus return to the race only when the Bavarians are open to selling the player.

As matters stand, Olise to Real Madrid is not happening this summer, and it will require a massive turn of events for even talks to begin once more.

Ready for a future operation

The Italian journalist also adds that Real Madrid will be awaiting a call from Bayern Munich at any time in the future, when the Germans confirm that the player can leave.

Real Madrid will keep their eyes on Olise. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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If at any point such a call arrives and invites a discussion or negotiation, Real Madrid will be there immediately. Their interest in the player has not waned, and it is only the respect for Bayern Munich that is halting progress.

Perez, for his part, loves Olise and still wants to sign the player. He is not currently for sale, but the Real Madrid president will have a keen eye on how his situation evolves over the years in the hope of securing the deal.

In the meantime, Real Madrid are working hard to sign Diomande as a reinforcement for the right wing for next season, and the deal is said to be just a matter of time.

Lucas Herbert will take a four-shot advantage over Bryson DeChambeau entering this weekend at LIV Golf United Kingdom Presented by JCB. The next closest pursuer is Tyrrell Hatton, but he’s seven shots behind.

Herbert, who went wire-to-wire in Virginia two months ago to claim his first LIV Golf title, hopes he and DeChambeau can continue to separate from the field, leaving them to go toe-to-toe in Sunday’s final round. Only one other scenario would please the Ripper GC star more.

“Would love to make it a two-horse race with Bryson on Sunday,” Herbert said. “Or maybe a one-horse race if I can.”

The way Herbert is playing now, no one doubts he could run away from the pack. The 30-year-old Australian followed his course-record 11-under 61 in Thursday’s opening round with a 6-under 66, fueled by an impressive back-nine response after DeChambeau overtook him for the lead midway Friday at JCB Golf & Country Club.

At 17 under, Herbert has the tournament in his hands; as a proven front-runner, he’ll be difficult to reign in. Even so, he remains cautious about his chances with 36 holes to play.

“I’ve seen this happen before where it feels like there’s only two of us in the tournament and everyone kind of gets caught up in that story and other guys come back in,” said Herbert. “I can think of Anthony Kim winning in Adelaide earlier this year when everyone thought it was the Bryson and Jon [Rahm] show there on Sunday. We’re only halfway. We have a lot of golf to go.”

DeChambeau, at 13 under after his 5-under 67, knows the challenge will be difficult, especially given Herbert’s current form. Last week, Herbert was the 36-hole leader at The Open Championship after tying a men’s major record with his second-round 62. He eventually finished T6, the best finish of his major career.

Asked what it will take to catch Herbert, DeChambeau replied with a laugh: “Just shoot 10-under-par both days. That’s what it feels like I’ve got to do. Him being four ahead, it’s not going to be an easy task. … It’s going to be a great battle, no matter what. I hope I can give him a battle.”

DeChambeau can at least draw on the first half of Friday’s round when he made up a three-stroke deficit to take the lead. DeChambeau was a bogey-free 5 under through 10 holes, while Herbert’s putter went cold, as he missed three par putts, each within 3 feet or less.

When DeChambeau birdied the par-5 10th while Herbert scrambled for par, the Crushers captain led by one. But the 9-foot par-saving putt by Herbert on that hole was a positive sign. He then birdied the par-4 12th after driving the green, eagled the par-5 13th with a 33-foot putt, and made a 10-foot birdie putt at the party-hole 14th to re-establish his multi-shot lead. He added another late birdie at the par-3 17th.

“It was not my best stuff out there,” Herbert said, “but that back nine, kind of hung around long enough to see my chance to take the lead again come to fruition.”

DeChambeau, meanwhile, played the final eight holes in even par, negating two birdies with two bogeys. That’s left him with plenty of work as he seeks his third individual win of the season while also hoping to make up ground against points leader Rahm in the season-long Individual Championship race.

“I’ve got to focus on playing some really good golf, not making too many mistakes out there,” he said. “I made too many on the back nine today.”

He can’t afford too many more this weekend. Meanwhile, Herbert is glad to be in the final group with DeChambeau for the second consecutive round.

“I actually really enjoy it,” Herbert said. “I’m glad I’m playing with him again tomorrow. He’s had some great support out there. There’s a lot of fans out there watching our group, which was pretty awesome. It’s a privilege to have him out here because he’s bringing a lot of eyeballs and a lot of fans, which we love doing around the world.”

TOP OF THE LEADERBOARDS

Individual Top 10

1 (-17) – Lucas Herbert, Ripper (61-66)

2 (-13) – Bryson DeChambeau, Crushers (64-67)

3 (-10) – Tyrrell Hatton, Legion XIII (66-68)

T4 (-9) – Byeong Hun An, Korean (67-68); Harold Varner III, OKGC (66-69)

T6 (-8) – Cameron Smith, Ripper (69-67); Peter Uihlein, RangeGoats (69-67); Dean Burmester, Southern Guards (70-66)

T10 (-7) – Caleb Surratt, Legion XIII (68-69); Anirban Lahiri, Crushers (68-69)

Team Top 3

1 (-37) – Ripper GC (Herbert 61-66, Leishman 68-68; Smith 69-67; Smyth 71-69; Rd. 2 score: -18)

2 (-28) – Crushers GC (DeChambeau 64-67, Howell III 68-70, Lahiri 68-69, Casey 73-69; Rd. 2 score: -13)

3 (-19) – Legion XIII (Hatton 66-68, Surratt 68-69, McKibbin 73-70, Rahm 73-70; Rd. 2 score: -11)

ROUND 2 NOTES

RIPPERS’ CARROT-CUTTING CONTEST: Fueled by tournament leader Lucas Herbert, the all-Australian Ripper GC are a cumulative 37 under and have a nine-stroke lead over Crushers GC. Perhaps partial credit should go to the inventive way the team is relaxing after rounds.

All four players – Herbert, captain Cameron Smith and teammates Marc Leishman and Travis Smyth (who is filling in for injured Elvis Smylie) – are staying in the same house. So are the caddies and some team staff. Following Thursday’s opening round, the group played a game created by Smith in which each person chopped a carrot in two. The winner is the one who can cut two pieces that weigh the closest to each other.

“Very competitive,” Herbert said Friday. “… I don’t know what he’s got planned tonight, some sort of knockout round-robin extravaganza. I’m sure that will entertain us and get our mind off the golf.”

Herbert said those kinds of fun activities are beneficial, especially in his position with the lead. Without LIV Golf’s team concept, he’d have to deal with the pressure by himself.

“One of the funnest things about the team golf aspect,” he said. “I think our team is one of the best. We have some of the best camaraderie with those sorts of things. Yeah, I feel pretty fortunate to be included in that.”

DECHAMBEAU MAKING UP GROUND: Bryson DeChambeau still has plenty of points to make up in order to apply some heat on Jon Rahm, who currently leads the season-long points race as he chases a third consecutive Individual Championship.

But with DeChambeau in solo second at 13 under while Rahm is tied for 31st at 1 under, DeChambeau can at least prevent Rahm from clinching the title this week.

“I’m sure he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with the next couple of days and in New Jersey as well [in Bedminster at LIV Golf New York, the league’s next tournament],” said DeChambeau.

Rahm and DeChambeau each have two wins this season, but Rahm’s consistency has provided a healthy advantage. Even if DeChambeau fails to catch him, a second-place result in the final standings would be his best finish in the season-long race.

“Feel like I’ve had my best year out here this year,” DeChambeau said. “For whatever reason, I feel like I’ve left a lot out there, which is quite interesting to me but very grateful for having a great year out here. … I feel really comfortable with my game, as comfortable as I’ve felt in a long time.”

HATTON’S BIRDIE WALK: For the second consecutive round, Tyrrell Hatton birdied the par-3 ninth. On Thursday, it was with a 10-foot putt. On Friday, it was from 5 feet – and he walked it in. Accidentally, that is.

“I thought I’d missed it right,” he said. “I’ve been struggling with left-to-right putts this week. Feels like the ball’s just slipping off the face, so I’m not really hitting the line I want to. Bit surprised to see that one go in.”

Two years ago, Hatton tied for second at JCB behind his Legion XIII captain Rahm. He enters this weekend solo third at 10 under, seven shots behind Herbert. He’s looking for his second consecutive LIV Golf title (and third overall), having won last month in Andalucia.

“You can see how good the scoring’s been the first two days,” said Hatton, who shot a 4-under 68 on Friday. “It’s meant to be a little bit windier tomorrow, but I still imagine the scoring is going to be pretty good. Hopefully, I can play well and give myself opportunities.”

CASEY RETURNS WITH BIG DRIVES: DeChambeau’s Crushers GC teammate Paul Casey returned to action this week after missing the previous two tournaments with an injury. On Friday, Casey led the field in driving distance average. “Really?” DeChambeau said with a laugh. “How many cart paths did he hit? I don’t know what he was doing in those nine weeks off.”

He then added with seriousness: “He’s always been sneaky long. It’s funny, he has this piercing low bullet. He’s such a great player. I’m so glad to have him back on the team. I need him. We need him for the last few weeks of this year.”

STATS LEADERS

ROUND 2

Driving Distance: Paul Casey, 312.1-yard avg.

Longest Drive: Dustin Johnson, 339.8 yards (8th hole). Official measured drives taken only on holes 8 and 10.

Driving Accuracy: Byeong Hun An, 85.71% (12 of 14)

Greens in Regulation: Byeong Hun An, Carlos Ortiz, Thomas Pieters, Scott Vincent, Paul Casey, Jon Rahm, Cameron Tringale, Sebastian Munoz, 77.78% (14 of 18)

Scrambling: Charl Schwartzel (8 of 8), Martin Kaymer (5 of 5), Sebastian Munoz (4 of 4), 100%

Fewest Putts: Peter Uihlein, 24

Bogey-free rounds: Charl Schwartzel (69), Sebastian Munoz (70), Martin Kaymer (70)

OVERALL

Driving Distance: Dustin Johnson, 305.3-yard avg.

Longest Drive: David Puig, 339.8 yards (10th hole, Rd. 1). Official measured drives taken only on holes 8 and 10.

Driving Accuracy: David Puig, 78.57% (22 of 28)

Greens in Regulation: Caleb Surratt, 83.33% (30 of 36)

Scrambling: Charles Howell III (9 of 10), 90%

Fewest Putts: Peter Uihlein, 48

This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf.