Inspired Cantlay challenges Fleetwood in bid for Tour Championship glory
Keegan Bradley, Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay? Just when Tommy Fleetwood looked to have a firm grip on this Tour Championship, Cantlay emerged from the shadows in a bid to become the third member of the US Ryder Cup contingent in the course of this season to deny Fleetwood the win he is long overdue on American soil.It feels poetic that Cantlay was front and centre as Fleetwood and Europe triumphed over the US in Rome two years ago.If it is to be Tommy’s time, he will have to scrap for it.Cantlay might be in his home country but so many of the Atlanta gallery will root for the hugely popular Fleetwood on day four.Cantlay birdied four of his last five holes at East Lake to produce a back nine of 31 in an overall 64.
Cantlay’s 16 under par topped Fleetwood until the Southport golfer rolled in a birdie putt from 10ft at the 17th.Fleetwood’s 67 meant he is tied at the leaderboard summit with Cantlay, 18 holes from home.Fleetwood rattled off four birdies in succession from the 5th to endorse the sense this is finally his American time.East Lake jabbed back at the 15th, where Fleetwood found water from the tee before slipping to a double bogey five.Fleetwood’s response was excellent, courtesy of shots collected at the 16th and 17th before his fairway wood to the last drifted into a greenside bunker.
Sixteen under plays 16 under,There is a two-shot gap to Russell Henley in third,“You want to be in the final group on Sunday or you want to be in contention,” said Fleetwood,“I love the fact that I’m playing so well,I love the fact that I’m getting rewarded for my work by being in this position because we all grind so hard, we all practise so hard, but it’s been so long where you don’t get out of it what you put in.
Golf just isn’t like that.“I love that I’m up there again, and it’s just another chance.It’s another opportunity.It’s another day where I get to go out and do what I love and enjoy it and be in contention and just go and hit the golf shots.We’re trying to win a golf tournament and do something very special.
”Cantlay has already virtually assured he will be a Ryder Cup captain’s pick on Wednesday but glory here would further justify that position.Bradley’s upcoming Ryder Cup decision is getting harder by the day.The US captain, who must choose whether or not he also wants to play at Bethpage, posted a 63 to leap to 13 under.Strange though it may seem for a qualifying process which lasts two years, Bradley’s final day performance feels hugely significant.Should he win or even come close to claiming the Tour Championship, he is surely set to become the first playing captain in the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
“I caught myself on the range today thinking about something I wanted to tell the team at Bethpage and it happens to me throughout the round,” Bradley explained.“I see a guy at the leaderboard and I remember who we’re thinking of pairing him with and it’s great that they’re playing good, or I wish they were a little higher, whatever it is.It’s been a wild year.I’m just trying to tackle what’s in front of me, and I think I’ve done a good job of that.This might be my best round of the year, which I’m really proud of.
”Sign up to The RecapThe best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend’s actionafter newsletter promotionLike Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy found water at the 15th.The Northern Irishman three putted the last for a bogey, his round of 71 moving him back to six under par.It feels as if McIlroy is marking time until the Ryder Cup.Scheffler can, of course, not be ruled out of this event after a 66 for 12 under in total.Robert MacIntyre’s challenge faded with a 72, leaving him eight shy of the leading duo.
UK carmakers claimed leaving EV sales rules unchanged would cost jobs and investment
Carmakers claimed that leaving electric car sales rules unchanged would threaten British jobs and cost them hundreds of millions of pounds, according to documents that show the private lobbying for a slower transition away from fossil fuels.BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan and Toyota claimed that rules forcing them to sell more electric cars each year would harm investment in the UK, according to responses to proposed changes submitted to the government. The responses were obtained by Fast Charge, a newsletter covering electric cars, and shared with the Guardian.JLR, the Land Rover maker, said leaving the rules unchanged would “materially damage UK producers’ ability to invest in vehicle lines”.The last Conservative government said last year that automotive manufacturers must sell an increasing proportion of electric cars each year, or else face steep fines, under rules known as the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate
More than 200,000 UK workers switch to four-day week since 2019
More than 100,000 workers in the UK have switched to a full-time four-day week since the pandemic, in a further sign of the revolution in the world of work inspired by Covid, according to an analysis.Nearly 1.4 million people said they worked full-time on four days of the week between October and December 2024, an increase of more than 100,000 compared with the same period in 2019, when 1.29 million reported this work schedule, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).Campaigners and some economists say a four-day week benefits workers by giving them more time to relax and putting less strain on their mental health, while helping businesses by making their staff more motivated and facilitating recruitment and retention
Trump says Intel has agreed to give US government a 10% stake
The US government has taken an unprecedented 10% stake in Intel under a deal with the struggling chipmaker and is planning more such moves, according to Donald Trump and the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, the latest extraordinary intervention by the White House in corporate America.Lutnick wrote on X: “BIG NEWS: The United States of America now owns 10% of Intel, one of our great American technology companies. Thanks to Intel CEO @LipBuTan1 for striking a deal that’s fair to Intel and fair to the American People.”Trump met with Lip-Bu Tan on Friday and posed for a photo with Lutnick. The development follows a meeting between Tan and Trump earlier this month that was sparked by the US president’s demand for the Intel chief’s resignation over his ties to Chinese firms
Elon Musk and X reach tentative settlement with laid-off Twitter staff
Elon Musk and his social media platform, X, reached a tentative settlement on Wednesday with former Twitter employees after a years-long legal battle over severance pay. Former staff had sought $500m in a proposed class action suit against the billionaire.A court filing released on Wednesday stated that both parties had reached a settlement agreement in principle and requested that a scheduled 17 September hearing in the case be postponed while they worked to finalize a deal. The filing did not disclose any details of the tentative agreement and it is unclear what level of compensation that former employees may receive.Former Twitter employees, led by Courtney McMillian and Ronald Cooper, alleged that the company failed to appropriately pay thousands of workers severance after conducting mass layoffs
Brazil fans enjoy carnival atmosphere despite World Cup rout by South Africa | Luke McLaughlin
In certain other sports, Brazil’s absence from any World Cup tournament would be regarded as downright bizarre. It’s not quite like that in rugby, and their women’s 15s team created history simply by running on to the turf.The first Brazil team to qualify for a men’s or women’s Rugby World Cup had played only 16 times before this, winning five matches, including a playoff against Colombia that secured qualification. Their prize, if you can call it that, was an intimidating opener against the famously powerful South Africa.“Our first Brazil fan of the day,” one of the friendly volunteers outside Northampton train station declared just before 10am, as supporters began to drift from the platforms towards the venue
Raducanu thrashes Ena Shibahara for first US Open victory since 2021 title
Four years after her three life-changing weeks in New York, Emma Raducanu overcame a significant mental hurdle as she secured her first victory at the US Open since her 2021 title run in impressive fashion, dismantling the qualifier Ena Shibahara 6-1, 6-2 to finally return to the second round.After painful first-round defeats by Alizé Cornet and Sofia Kenin, plus a withdrawal in 2023 during an eight-month injury layoff, Raducanu showed her growth and newfound self-assurance by putting together a solid, clean performance against an inferior opponent.“It has been on my mind,” Raducanu said of her inability to win a match in New York. “It’s been four years, and it’s a very special tournament for me. I did feel different coming into it this year
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