The Masters 2026: Rose, Young and McIlroy in contention in thrilling final round – live

️ Updates from the final round at Augusta National
️ Ewan Murray’s day-three report | Leaderboard | Mail Scott
️ García warned after breaking club in meltdown

Marco Penge was making a good fist of his Masters debut. Especially as the 27-year-old from Crawley, the reigning Spanish Open champion, took a triple-bogey eight at the 2nd on Thursday. Not the most auspicious start to his Augusta National career, but he limited the first-round damage to 76, then shot 69 and 71. Sadly his final round isn’t going so well, and he’s just dumped two balls in the water at the iconic par-three 12th, the first spinning back off the bank, the second from the dropzone not even getting over to dry land before dunking into the drink. A quadruple-bogey seven. He isn’t the first, he won’t be the last, and things could have gotten a whole lot worse, just ask the Towering Inferno …

Bogey at the last for Jon Rahm. A diminuendo end to a fine round of 68. You have to wonder how much buyer’s remorse Rahmbo has for joining the LIV tour: the 2021 US Open champion and 2023 Masters winner has never been the same player since. Still, his recovery this week from an opening round of 78 will give him a little succour. He ends his week at +1, one shy of the current clubhouse leader Gary Woodland.

Published: April 12, 2026, 9:42 pm

Welcome to Pep in April – the serial title avenger with Arsenal in his sights | Barney Ronay

Manchester City’s unbeaten April record in the past four years bodes well for their end-of-season pursuit for glory

“I have a particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. I may stumble a little in the autumn. I may get a little caustic with a TV camera crew or sarcastically applaud a referee. But I will pursue you. I will hunt you down. I will, in all likelihood, narrowly pip you to the line in an agonising title chase.”

Welcome to Pep in April, the franchise. In which a furiously intense, bald, skinny man becomes a serial springtime league title avenger. At the finish of what was by the end a celebratory, one-hand-on-the-wheel 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge, Manchester City’s record in April in the past four years reads: played 23, won 19, drawn four across all competitions.

Published: April 12, 2026, 8:25 pm

Sergio García warned after breaking club in Masters meltdown before carrying Jon Rahm’s bag

• 2017 champion tears up tee box after poor shot

• ‘Next question’: Spaniard shuts down interviewer

A winner on day four of the Masters was not even part of the remaining field. Robert MacIntyre, somewhere, surely raised a smile.

The Scot was the recipient of widespread criticism on Thursday after offering a single-fingered salute to Augusta National when en route to a nine at the 15th. A range of expletives and a whack of the sacred turf also featured in his first round. MacIntyre’s passionate approach to his profession is admirable but this was all over the top. In time, he will surely realise as much.

Published: April 12, 2026, 4:40 pm

Gout Gout leaves onlookers dumbfounded with record-breaking run drawn from the future | Jack Snape

The sprint sensation was pushed to new heights in the 200m final by an unlikely opponent at the Australian Athletics Championships

It didn’t look good for Gout Gout. He had started the 200m final at the Australian Athletics Championships relatively well, and was positioned just off the lead at the start of the straight.

But, there – who was that? The man wearing all black, two lanes on the inside. An athlete who appeared to match the global phenomenon step by step just when Gout was expected to pull away.

Published: April 12, 2026, 7:30 am

‘This is not serious leadership’: Donald Trump and Marco Rubio watch UFC in Miami as Iran talks fail

• President has long been a fan of mixed martial arts

• Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr also at event

Donald Trump and US secretary of state Marco Rubio attended a UFC event in Miami night on Saturday night as peace talks with Iran failed on the other side of the world.

Trump entered the Kaseya Center shortly after 9pm alongside several members of his family and UFC chief Dana White, who has been a supporter of the president since his first term. Seated nearby was Rubio as well as the US ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, the rapper Vanilla Ice and former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino.

Published: April 12, 2026, 7:25 pm

Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz at Monte Carlo Masters to reclaim world No 1 spot

• Italian wins 7-6 (5), 6-3 against Spanish rival

• Sinner adds to his victories after Indian Wells and Miami

Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets to win the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time on Sunday and reclaim the world No 1 ranking from his Spanish rival.

Sinner downed Alcaraz 7-6 (5), 6-3 to capture his third ATP 1000 title of the year after completing the “Sunshine Double” last month with victories in Indian Wells and Miami.

Published: April 12, 2026, 3:46 pm

Tottenham and De Zerbi sink deeper into mire after Sunderland’s stroke of luck

Thirty minutes before kick-off Roberto De Zerbi wandered on to the pitch with his gilet zipped high to the neck in the face of a chill Wearside wind. By the final whistle that stiff breeze had dropped a little but so, too, had the morale of Tottenham and their new manager.

In cementing the visitors’ position in the bottom three Nordi Mukiele’s second-half deflected winner ensured Régis Le Bris’s Sunderland rose to 10th and De Zerbi’s uncharacteristically subdued body language suggested he was shivering inside.

Published: April 12, 2026, 3:16 pm

Wout van Aert outduels Tadej Pogacar to win his first Paris-Roubaix title

• Belgian ends decade-old run of bad luck in event

• Franziska Koch beats Marianne Vos in women’s race

Wout van Aert shattered a decade-old jinx to win Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, outduelling the world champion, Tadej Pogacar, in a brutal classic race across the cobbles, while Franziska Koch edged out Marianne Vos in the women’s race.

The 31-year-old sustained a puncture as did Pogacar and their great rival Mathieu van der Poel, who had two mechanical problems and could not contest the final sprint, which went in Van Aert’s favour for his second title in one of the five Monument classics after his Milan-Sanremo victory in 2020.

Published: April 12, 2026, 6:52 pm

CF Montreal fire head coach Marco Donadel after terrible start to season

• Philippe Eullaffroy takes over as interim head coach

• Montreal are joint-bottom of MLS with three points

CF Montreal have fired head coach Marco Donadel, the club announced on Sunday. The move comes after Saturday’s 2-1 loss against the Philadelphia Union kept the club joint-bottom of the MLS standings.

Philippe Eullaffroy, who rejoined the club this year as an assistant coach after founding the club’s academy in 2010, will serve as interim head coach “until a permanent head coach is hired,” the club said in a brief statement.

Published: April 12, 2026, 3:42 pm

Manchester City close gap in title race with emphatic victory at Chelsea

After a season dominated by long throws, tortured set-piece routines and rigid football, a killer blend of artistry and firepower is threatening to deliver another domestic treble for Manchester City. They have stirred when it matters most, crushing Liverpool in the FA Cup last weekend, and have their gaze firmly fixed on wounded prey after closing the gap on Arsenal with an expert destruction of Chelsea at a flat Stamford Bridge.

Pep Guardiola’s sharks could smell the blood in the water after Arsenal’s stumble against Bournemouth. City were ferocious and unstoppable. They took this game away from a callow and careless Chelsea with a blistering surge at the start of the second half and, even if there are twists and turns to come, there is no doubt this emphatic 3-0 win has tilted momentum in the title race to Guardiola’s side.

Published: April 12, 2026, 5:35 pm

‘Sunderland made us suffer’: De Zerbi desperate to boost Spurs’ confidence

• 1-0 defeat at Sunderland leaves Tottenham in bottom three

• ‘Win a game, everything will be different,’ De Zerbi says

Roberto De Zerbi diagnosed a lack of confidence as the root cause of Tottenham’s ills after his first match as manager ended in a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland. The result leaves Spurs in the relegation zone, two points adrift of 17th with six games remaining.

“We didn’t deserve to lose,” said De Zerbi after a match decided by Nordi Mukiele’s deflected second-half winner. “We played a good game, but maybe not good enough to win.

Published: April 12, 2026, 5:36 pm

Aston Villa frustrated as Neco Williams’s strike bolsters Forest’s survival hopes

On a typically nervy afternoon on the Trent, one of the biggest cheers of the afternoon arrived in the seconds after the final whistle, news over the speakers that Tottenham were still trailing at Sunderland. For Nottingham Forest, a creditable draw against Aston Villa takes them another precious point towards Premier League safety, Neco Williams’s low strike cancelling out Murillo’s own goal; confirmation that Forest are now three clear of the relegation zone was greeted as warmly as one would expect.

These teams could meet again at the end of the month in a Europa League semi-final but, for now, there are more pressing priorities. For the fourth successive season Villa left the City Ground without the full bounty and they wasted a series of chances to earn victory, Morgan Rogers skying a routine rebound from close range while Ollie Watkins also sent a shot sailing over the bar.

Published: April 12, 2026, 3:10 pm

European football: Inter close in on title after beating Como in seven-goal thriller

• Inter move nine points clear of Napoli after late 4-3 win

• Union Berlin make Eta Bundesliga’s first female manager

Inter put one hand on the Serie A title on Sunday after coming back from two goals down to win 4-3 in a thrilling match at Como and move nine points clear of Napoli, who could only draw 1-1 at Parma.

Two goals down in the dying moments of the first half due to goals from Álex Valle and Nico Paz, Inter looked set to give champions Napoli hope that their Scudetto defence might still be alive.

Published: April 12, 2026, 9:23 pm

Kobbie Mainoo close to signing new Manchester United contract, says Michael Carrick

• Midfielder expected to earn £120,000 a week

• New deal marks turnaround for Mainoo under Carrick

Michael Carrick has indicated Kobbie Mainoo is moving closer to signing a new contract with Manchester United, saying negotiations are “in a good place”. The 20-year-old, whose deal expires in the summer of 2027, is expected to earn about £120,000 a week, a marked increase on his current terms, which are in the region of £25,000 a week.

“It’s getting closer, so we’re positive about that,” said Carrick. “We’re calm with it, but we’re positive with it and time will tell how it goes. But at the moment, we are in a good place.”

Published: April 12, 2026, 9:30 pm

Jean-Philippe Mateta spot on to give Crystal Palace comeback win against Newcastle

Last April Newcastle brought the thrills against Crystal Palace, putting five past Oliver Glasner’s side at St James’ Park, the victory closed by an Alexander Isak special. How things have changed. At Selhurst Park this time round, the visitors succumbed to a third successive defeat, Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty in injury time adding to the misery for Eddie Howe and his team.

William Osula’s close-range finish before half-time, against the run of play, had put Newcastle in front if not in control. They looked short of rhythm even with the lead, still on the mend from sapping defeats last month by Barcelona and, crucially, Sunderland.

Published: April 12, 2026, 3:08 pm

Scottish Premiership: Rangers hit Falkirk for six to keep pace with Hearts and Celtic

• Danny Röhl’s side storm back to win 6-3 after trailing 2-0

• Saturday scores: Hearts 3-1 Motherwell, Celtic 1-0 St Mirren

Rangers fought back from two goals down to keep their Scottish Premiership title charge alive with a frenetic 6-3 win at Falkirk.

Danny Röhl’s side trailed to goals from Ben Broggio and Finn Yeats in a shambolic first-half performance but Tochi Chukwuani gave Rangers hope with a controversial goal just before the interval. Three goals in 11 minutes early in the second half then turned the tide in Rangers’ favour. Youssef Chermiti equalised and Nicolas Raskin put Rangers ahead before Bojan Miovski grabbed the visitors’ fourth.

Published: April 12, 2026, 1:31 pm

Birmingham’s Vicente and Klarer deliver huge blow to Wrexham’s playoff hopes

Wrexham missed the chance to move within a point of the Championship playoff places after they suffered a 2-0 defeat by Birmingham at St Andrew’s. The visitors’ hopes of an unprecedented fourth straight promotion were dealt a massive blow after they were beaten for a second consecutive match which leaves them four points behind sixth-placed Hull with four games to play.

After their 5-1 defeat by Southampton, Wrexham have now suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time since August. Phil Parkinson, the Wrexham manager, said: “We’ve had a tough week this week. But we’re not down and out yet. It’s not over yet.

Published: April 12, 2026, 1:36 pm

Luton win Vertu Trophy as Nahki Wells double breaks Stockport hearts

• Final: Luton 3-1 Stockport

• Scorers: Lawrence, Wells (2); Sidibeh

Luton have had bigger days at Wembley, more glorious Hatters’ tea parties. They retain a chance of returning for League One’s playoffs in May. If this did not match 1988’s League Cup final, Brian Stein and all that, or 2023’s promotion from the Championship, it can signpost the club’s current road to recovery. For Jack Wilshere, six months and 38 games into his managerial career, at the club he played for until joining Arsenal at seven, it was a first trophy of a second footballing life, Nahki Wells’ double securing victory. This was the trophy Luton had lost in the quarter-finals, only to be reinstated, amid Swindon’s “whoopsie” of ineligible players, as Ian Holloway, their manager, called it.

Stockport suffered the same fate as in 1992 and 1993, when losing under Danny Bergara, the Uruguayan after whom an Edgeley Park stand is named. Wembley continues to disappoint those with an SK postcode.

Published: April 12, 2026, 4:19 pm

‘The sun. I’m not joking’: City improve in good weather, claims Pep Guardiola

• Manchester City rout Chelsea cut gap to Arsenal

• ‘Honestly the mood is better. The mentality’

A sunny Pep Guardiola said that good weather helps his side lift their levels after Manchester City closed the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Chelsea.

City were poor during the first half at Stamford Bridge but they were a different proposition after Guardiola urged his players to raise the tempo at half-time. They raced away after taking the lead through Nico O’Reilly and responded to Arsenal’s defeat at home to Bournemouth by rising to six points off the leaders.

Published: April 12, 2026, 7:48 pm

County cricket: Craig Overton completes game to remember by finishing off Essex – as it happened

Somerset’s stand-in skipper added a couple of batters and a catch to his century on Saturday in 10-wicket win

Not too much to report from OT this morning, apart from an increasingly ominous sky. Jimmy Anderson winds up for his first over of the day from the JA End. Derbys 248-3 trail by 103.

Something of a tall order, but an opportunity for Asa Tribe to do a Ben McKinney.

Published: April 12, 2026, 7:00 pm

Chelsea 0-3 Manchester City: Premier League – as it happened

Rayan Cherki inspired a sparkling second-half performance from City that ramped up the pressure on Arsenal

Match report: Sunderland 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Match report: Crystal Palace 2-1 Newcastle

Published: April 12, 2026, 5:50 pm

Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz to reclaim world No 1 spot: Monte Carlo Masters final highlights

Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets to win the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time on Sunday and reclaim the world No 1 ranking from his Spanish rival.

Sinner saw off Alcaraz 7-6 (5), 6-3 to capture his third ATP 1000 title of the year after completing the 'Sunshine Double' last month with victories in Indian Wells and Miami.

The 24-year-old Sinner joins Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as only the third player to win four successive ATP 1000 titles, having also triumphed in Paris at the end of last season.

• Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz at Monte Carlo Masters to reclaim world No 1 spot

Published: April 12, 2026, 4:23 pm

Rory McIlroy aims for ‘freer’ state of mind in final round of Masters after losing six-shot lead

• McIlroy visibly short of his best during one-over par 73

• ‘I wish I was a few shots better off but I’m comfortable’

Rory McIlroy hopes to benefit from a “freer” state of mind on the final day of the Masters, despite the defending champion conceding he will have to improve markedly from round three to retain the Green Jacket. McIlroy saw his six-stroke lead evaporate on Saturday, meaning he enters the fourth round in a tie with Cameron Young at the top of the leaderboard. McIlroy was visibly short of his best during a one-over-par 73.

The Northern Irishman can, however, pull upon the glory of 2025 at the same venue. “I’d like to think that I’ll play a little bit freer and I’ll play, like I’ve already got a Green Jacket, which I do,” McIlroy said. “Sometimes I maybe just have to remind myself of that. The pairing will be just a little bit easier, the atmosphere out there will be a little bit easier.

Published: April 12, 2026, 12:24 am

Lavelle and Heaps score as USA women ease past Japan to open friendly series

• Lavelle scores on landmark 100th US start

• Heaps adds winner after sweeping counter

• Emma Hayes’ side make it 10 straight wins

Rose Lavelle celebrated her 100th start with a goal and an assist to help the US women’s national team to a 2-1 win in San Jose, California, on Saturday to open a three-match series against Japan.

Lavelle, in her 119th match, scored in the ninth minute off a set piece then set up Lindsey Heaps in the 48th for the 2-0 lead.

Published: April 11, 2026, 11:55 pm

Cameron Young reels in Rory McIlroy with pack on their tails for Masters finale

• McIlroy’s 73 leaves him tied on 11 under after Young’s 65

• Lowry, Rose and Scheffler among nine within five shots

Rory McIlroy began this Masters in the company of Cameron Young and will finish it in the company of Cameron Young. McIlroy arrived at this tournament as the holder of the Green Jacket. By Sunday night he will …? Goodness only knows. Day three proved predictions are a fool’s errand at the Masters.

Such drama played out at Augusta National on Saturday that by close of play it was extraordinary to see McIlroy’s name still atop the leaderboard, albeit now with Young for company. Both are 11 under par. From holding a six-shot lead at the start of the round – and eight over Young – McIlroy inexplicably wobbled. His 73 was one involving intense struggle. “I knew today wouldn’t be easy,” said McIlroy. “I didn’t quite have it today. I’ll need to be better tomorrow.”

Published: April 11, 2026, 11:27 pm

Sensational Scheffler reminds everyone why he is still No 1 with Masters masterclass | Andy Bull

The American shoots sublime 65 in a show of strength to give himself a chance of a third title at Augusta

On Friday evening Scottie Scheffler was in the new player facility going back and forth over his putting game. Despite himself, he got sucked into watching what Rory McIlroy was doing on the big TVs the club have up in the training room. “It was pretty special stuff,” Scheffler admitted. And by the time McIlroy had finished Scheffler, the world’s No 1 golfer, had a different perspective on the tournament. He had scored 70 and 74 himself, and was even-par for the tournament, 12 shots off McIlroy’s lead, with 36 holes to play and nothing left to lose.

All of a sudden a tournament which has a way of making the game feel very complicated indeed had become very simple for him. Scheffler needed birdies. And he got them. He made five altogether, along with an eagle. He scored 65, seven under. It was the best round he’s ever played in the Masters. “I think that’s what great players do,” Scheffler said. “They rise to the occasion when you are at the biggest tournaments, and you’d be hard pressed to find another tournament that’s bigger than this one, especially for me.”

Published: April 11, 2026, 11:05 pm