In the end, it was try-scoring highs that convinced Grace to keep going.

“It’s a bit of an addiction because the feeling of playing and scoring is something that you want to keep experiencing again and again,” said the wing.

“One day I will be too old to even think about doing it again, so that’s why I am giving it everything to come back.

“I am confident I will get back to my best. I have rehabbed with some of the best in the world and know what I need to do and where I need to get myself.”

Grace is a realist. His medical record adds to the challenge, but he aims to prove he is worth a shot, be that in league or union.

“I just want to get to a point where I feel strong and confident before I even start thinking of talking to anyone,” said Grace, who works with Sale’s staff three times a week along with his own gym work.

“I don’t want to go to a club when I am not fit. I want to be able to hit the ground running, or at least be ready to do a pre-season.

“One of the reasons that I said I was going to quit straight after the injury was that I don’t want to let anybody down.

“If someone puts the time, effort and money into you it is horrible when you don’t deliver what is expected.

“I feel that I have let clubs down because I have been willing to give 100% for them but physically haven’t been able to.”

PHILADELPHIA— Neymar is expected to return from a right calf injury and play for Brazil in its final World Cup group match, coach Carlo Ancelotti said Friday night.

Neymar missed Brazil’s first two games of the tournament, including Friday’s 3-0 win over Haiti.

Ancelotti said Neymar would go through individual training on Saturday, train with the team on Monday and “will be available” for Brazil when it closes Group C play against Scotland on Wednesday in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Neymar is Brazil’s career scoring leader with 79 goals in 129 international appearances.

The 34-year-old midfielder has yet to practice in full sessions with the team since reporting to Brazil’s squad while nursing the calf injury.

Looking to play in his fourth World Cup, Neymar had tests on his calf last Monday to determine the progress of the injury that he sustained while playing for Brazilian club Santos on May 17.

There was widespread debate in Brazil over whether Neymar, whose first World Cup was on home soil in 2014, should have been called up for the tournament. He has struggled since returning from tearing the ACL in his left knee in October 2023 in a World Cup qualifier.

Neymar has four goals and two assists in eight matches for Santos this year.

While Shinnecock Hills Golf Club hasn’t been quite as ruthless as we’ve seen it in U.S. Opens in the past, it still has shown plenty of teeth and caused headaches for some of the best players in the world this week. 

The top 60 and ties make it to the weekend at the U.S. Open, and this week that ultimately required a score of 4 over or better. After the first round of play, few would’ve projected Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau as players who could miss out on a weekend tee time, but LIV Golf’s top stars both had brutal Fridays that led to an early exit from the Southampton, New York. 

For DeChambeau, it started early as he came back to finish his first round at 6:35 a.m. ET sitting at 1 under and promptly gave one back on his final hole, the 9th, to post an opening round 70. His second round got off to an inauspicious start as he made back-to-back double bogeys on the 3rd and 4th holes. His hopes of contending for a third U.S. Open title quickly faded away and he found himself spending another Friday battling the cut line. 

Much like at the Masters and the PGA Championship, DeChambeau could not build any positive momentum in his second round and ultimately faded off the pace to shoot a 5-over 75. DeChambeau made three birdies in his round and two of them were sandwiched between bogeys or double bogeys, as each step forward quickly became another step back. For the third straight major championship and the fourth in his last five starts, DeChambeau missed the cut and will head to Royal Birkdale at risk of going 0-for-4 in making the weekend at a major championship in 2026. 

He will have plenty of company in leaving Shinnecock Hills frustrated, including his LIV cohort Jon Rahm. The Spaniard was the only player to go bogey-free in his first round, coming back Friday morning to post five straight pars to get a 2-under 68 into the clubhouse. He didn’t make his first bogey of the tournament until his 22nd hole and while he stumbled to a first nine 37 to make the turn at even par overall, there was little reason to believe Rah, was in danger of the cut line. 

But disaster struck in the middle of Rahm’s back nine. Frustrations built over missed putts and poorly executed shots and he melted down with four bogeys and a double in a five-hole stretch from No. 12 to No. 16 to eject not only out of contention but outside the cut line as well. Rahm could not get out of his own way on the back nine and by the time he doubled the par-5 16th, his tournament was over. 

After a rough Masters, he turned things around with a runner-up finish at the PGA that seemed like he was getting back to his old self. A 68 in the first round only reinforced those feelings, but he undid all of that hard work on the back nine Friday afternoon to shoot a 78. He’ll be left to stew over a missed opportunity and wonder how it all went wrong so fast, as he went from the steadiest man on the course to an early flight home in record time. 

Notable players to miss the cut at the 2026 U.S. Open

• Bryson DeChambeau (+5)
• Viktor Hovland (+5)
• Rickie Fowler (+5)
• Harris English (+5)
• Jon Rahm (+6)
• Shane Lowry (+6)
• Patrick Cantlay (+6)
• Si Woo Kim (+6)
• Sepp Straka (+7)
• J.J. Spaun (+8)
• Adam Scott (+8)
• Brooks Koepka (+10)

Joining DeChambeau and Rahm in an early exit were plenty of other notable names. Brooks Koepka also got off to a solid start on Thursday before it all turned wrong as he shot a 73 and then never got anything going in a 77 on Friday to miss the cut by a mile. The 2018 champion at Shinnecock Hills came in with a mysterious nerve issue that caused him to WD from the Canadian Open last week, and while he said he was back to full strength, he ran out of steam quickly this week and bowed out. 

Defending champion J.J. Spaun had a brutal opening round and while he played solidly on Friday, it wasn’t enough to make it to the weekend. Viktor Hovland came in with some positive momentum finally after a good finish in Canada, but also struggled Thursday and couldn’t make it up in his second round. Misery loves company and that’s not hard to find after 36 holes in U.S. Open conditions at Shinnecock Hills, but on a week where scoring was possible, all of these players will feel like they missed an opportunity. 

MUMBAI: Star allrounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of India’s three-match ODI series in July due to a quadriceps injury, while superstar batter Virat Kohli is likely to be picked for the series under a ‘subject to fitness’ clause and will undergo a fitness test at the BCCI‘s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on June 22, TOI has learnt.The team for the ODI series in England, set to be held from July 14-19, will be picked soon. The three ODIs are scheduled to be played on July 14 in Birmingham, July 16 at Cardiff and July 19 at Lord’s. “The team will be picked in 3-4 days,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had told this paper a couple of days back. “Hardik has not been able to attain the requisite amount of bowling volume & conditioning required for an ODI format and will require more time to regain complete fitness for an ODI,” a source in the BCCI told TOI on Saturday. “Kohli is progressing well following his right hamstring injury in IPL-2026, while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was assessed by the CoE team in London and handed over the program to continue in the initial phase of rehab. He will report to the CoE on June 22 for further re-evaluation & clearance, “ the source revealed.Hardik had missed the ongoing home ODI series against Afghanistan due to the quadriceps injury. The 32-year-old allrounder had been training at CoE since June 2, and is now undergoing rehabilitation there after suffering a quadriceps injury. Hardik is a key part of Team India’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. In order to enable him to stay fit and fresh for the ODIs, the selectors had left him out of the T20I squad, but the Mumbai Indians captain will now have to wait for some time before making his return to the format for the first time since the 2025 Champions Trophy final in Dubai on March 8. The 37-year-old Kohli had to miss the ongoing ODI series at home against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury, with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal replacing him. The superstar bat has been tele-consulting famous orthopedic surgeon Dr Dinshaw Pardiwalla, who is based at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai, and is the consultant orthopaedic surgeon for the BCCI. Kohli had picked up the hamstring injury during his unbeaten 75-run knock off 42 balls in the IPL final, which helped RCB chase down 156 against Gujarat Titans and lift them to their second consecutive IPL title.

India vs Afghanistan Live Score: India have already secured the ODI series against Afghanistan with convincing victories in Dharamsala and Lucknow, but there is still plenty at stake heading into the third and final ODI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.

With a 2-0 lead in the bag, Shubman Gill’s side will be aiming to complete a clean sweep while also continuing to evaluate their squad depth ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Team India Focused on Experimentation
India entered the series with a clear objective of assessing their bench strength, and that process is expected to continue in Chennai. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed that changes will be made to the playing XI for the dead rubber.

The series has already thrown up several positives. Ishan Kishan has seized his opportunity, culminating in a blistering century in Lucknow while batting at No. 4. Captain Shubman Gill has continued his rich vein of form, smashing a majestic 154 in the second ODI and proving equally effective at No. 3 in Virat Kohli’s absence.

Young pacer Gurnoor Brar has also impressed with his pace, bounce and ability to hit awkward lengths, attributes that could prove valuable in South African conditions during the 2027 World Cup.

India are expected to hand further opportunities to Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is being assessed as a left-handed opening option and potential backup to Rohit Sharma. Nitish Kumar Reddy, now fully fit after recovering from a sore thigh, remains under the spotlight as India search for an all-round solution in Hardik Pandya’s absence. Prince Yadav and Harsh Dubey are also likely to remain in contention as the team continues to evaluate its next generation of talent.

KL Rahul could be rested after the series win, opening the door for Kishan to continue behind the stumps. Fast bowler Harshit Rana has also returned to the squad after recovering from knee surgery.

Afghanistan Eye Consolation Win
For Afghanistan, the final ODI represents an opportunity to avoid a series whitewash and end the tour on a positive note. The visitors were thoroughly outplayed in Lucknow, where India posted a mammoth 402 after Afghanistan opted to bowl first. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi admitted after the defeat that his side was simply “not good enough” on the day.

Afghanistan’s struggles have largely stemmed from an inconsistent batting lineup and the absence of key players. Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi missed the second ODI due to a viral infection, while Azmatullah Omarzai was sidelined through injury. If both clear their fitness tests, they are expected to return for the series finale.

The visitors will once again rely heavily on opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and star spinner Rashid Khan, their two biggest match-winners, to challenge an Indian side brimming with confidence.

Pitch and Weather Report
The match will be played on Pitch No. 4 at Chepauk, a red-soil surface that traditionally offers good bounce and carry. While Chennai has long been known for spin-friendly conditions, recent matches have produced more batting-friendly tracks. However, as the game progresses, quality spinners such as Rashid Khan could still extract grip and variable bounce.

The weather is expected to be hot and humid, with temperatures hovering around 35°C. Although there is a slight chance of afternoon showers, conditions are expected to remain largely suitable for a full match.

With the series already decided, India will look to continue building towards the future, while Afghanistan search for pride and a much-improved performance in the final ODI.

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — You know all the sayings. Patience is a virtue. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Good things come to those who wait. But how is patience practiced in golf, and how does one exemplify it amid a week where impatience is the featured dish on the menu?

As it tends to be with clichés, it is much easier said than done.

Through just about two rounds of the 2026 U.S. Open, Wyndham Clark has raced ahead of the rest of field at Shinnecock Hills. The 2023 champion set a new 36-hole scoring record at Shinnecock Hills, made 215 feet worth of putts and has taken control of this championship in the process.

But waiting patiently behind him is a man who knows all too well about the wait and how the weight can be lifted off one’s shoulders.

Xander Schauffele finds himself on the first page of the leaderboard once again at a U.S. Open. After admitting to being a little impatient in the easier afternoon wave on Thursday, Schauffele surged back Friday morning with a 4-under 66 to position himself at 3 under for the tournament. 

The two-time major champion arrived at Shinnecock Hills having never finished outside the top 15 in this championship, including his debut at Erin Hills that required him to go through final qualifying to earn his spot in the field.

Plenty has occurred since then and now. He has two majors, an Olympic gold medal and a slew of accolades attached to his name. The yellow boxes on his Wikipedia page that indicate major top-10 finishes seem to multiply by the year. His rate of such results has surpassed the 50% mark with two in a row in 2026.

But while time marches on, Schauffele has continued to march to the beat of the same drum — just keep chipping away and the results will come.

“I’ve become very patient not knocking off any wins in the last couple years,” Schauffele said in his winning press conference at the 2024 PGA Championship. “The people closest to me know how stubborn I can be. Winning, I said it earlier, is a result. This is awesome. It’s super sweet. But when I break it down, I’m really proud of how I handled certain moments on the course today, different from the past.”

From a broader perspective, Schauffele has always been patient. His father has a saying that Schauffele abides by, “A steady drip caves the stone.”

This mantra was harped on in 2024 when pressure mounted via close calls at the Genesis Invitational and especially The Players Championship where he fell short down the stretch to Scottie Scheffler. That Sunday at TPC Sawgrass, Schauffele coincidentally shared a tee time with Clark.

Despite knowing some on the outside were sipping the “haterade” as he put after The Players, Schauffele kept at it. Two months later, his wait was over with the full weight of the Wanamaker Trophy lifted above his head at Valhalla. A couple months on and this time it was the Claret Jug.

The patience game was different in 2025. Due to a rib injury, Schauffele was sidelined for a few months. He didn’t feel 100% himself on the golf course for roughly a year and missed the Tour Championship for the first time in his career.

“It was a first for me,” Schauffele said. “It made me appreciate the game, for sure, and sort of what it does for me mentally and how happy it makes me. Obviously it pisses me off often, but at the same time, I really missed being out on Tour. I missed practicing.

“I have a kid now, so I have easier distractions and more tasks to do, but at this time it was just myself, my dogs, and my wife. She was sick of me being at home too long. I definitely missed playing golf and appreciated being able to play for such a long time.”

Schauffele’s wide-scale patience has been put on full display throughout his U.S. Open career. Every year, this tournament feels like a window into his gut. Friday was another prime example as fairways and greens were his diet of choice. 

Schauffele hit an astounding 16 of 18 greens in regulation.

He was on cruise control for most of it before a speed bump on the par-5 5th produced his lone bogey. An unlikely birdie followed and a whole lot of patience, too. Birdie look after birdie look continued to materialize, and although not all fell, Schauffele kept chipping away at it.

“It’s just a lot of patience and good golf shots, for the most part,” Schauffele said. “I feel like U.S. Opens, the championship itself just wears you out. It’s a long way, and you really feel it after. If you can do some work in between, you can get rewarded for it. So that’s sort of what I try and do.”

For his effort, he finds himself closer to the top of the leaderboard. He’s not quite in the position he needs to be to raise this U.S. Open trophy, but he knows he’s on his way and with two days left for Schauffele to keep at it, chances are his patience will be every bit as valuable as any golf shot he hits.

“Whatever mountain I decide to be on,” Schauffele said. “I’m trying to climb it and just trying to chip away each and every day.”

Ten-man ​Paraguay eliminated Turkey with a courageous ​defensive effort to seal a dramatic 1-0 win on Friday after suffering a ​dismissal ‌before halftime, with the ⁠fastest goal of the World Cup proving ‌the difference.

Midfielder Matias Galarza wound up ⁠from 25 metres and fired a low rocket home after 64 ​seconds to eclipse Ismael Saibari’s ‌71-second strike in Morocco’s 1-0 win over Scotland conjured hours before.

Paraguay midfielder ‌Miguel Almiron was given a straight red card ​in first-half stoppage time for putting his hand over his mouth in a ​confrontation with Turkey’s Mert Muldur, ​the first to fall ​foul of the new rule at the tournament.

It ​made Paraguay’s task that much harder but they weathered wave after wave of Turkey attacks to claim the win ⁠in a remarkable turnaround following their opening ⁠4-1 ​demolition by the United States.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

Feb 9, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) between plays against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

After missing out on nearly half of last season, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope reportedly is giving it another go in Memphis.

The two-time NBA champion swingman will exercise his $21.6 million player option for next season and remain with the Grizzlies, ESPN reported Friday.

Caldwell-Pope, 33, missed 31 games last season, including the final 29 after undergoing surgery on his right pinky finger in February. He was averaging 8.4 points, 2.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds when he was shut down.

The Grizzlies acquired Caldwell-Pope last offseason in the trade that sent Desmond Bane to Orlando. He played one season with the Magic after signing a three-year, $66 million contract prior to the 2024-25 season.

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Drafted eighth overall by Detroit in 2013, the former Georgia star has played with six clubs over his 13 NBA seasons. After four seasons with the Pistons, he played four with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning his first NBA title in the 2019-20 season. Following a season with the Washington Wizards, he won his second championship in 2023 during a two-season stint with the Denver Nuggets prior to joining the Magic.

Caldwell-Pope is a career 36.5% shooter from 3-point range but has seen his percentage drop from 40.6% in his second season with the Nuggets to 34.2% in 2024-25 and then 31.6% last season. He has averaged 11 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists over his career.

–Field Level Media

India pacer Harshit Rana said that he was relieved to be back in the national setup after spending five months on the sidelines with a knee injury, admitting the prolonged absence from cricket was the toughest phase of his career. “For me, especially, it was very difficult. Because as a kid, my dream was to play in the World Cup. And India had won, so I missed out on that. But I had five months. I mean, I’ve been away for five months. But I’ve worked a lot on everything,” Rana said in a BCCI video.