Tyson Fury’s latest return unlikely to save heavyweight era reaching its end

Arslanbek Makhmudov shouldn’t be much of a test but Gypsy King and his battered old rivals are fading away“I’ll make this short and sweet,” Tyson Fury said in a brief video he posted online on 13 January 2025. “I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing. It’s been a blast and I’ve loved every single minute of it. I’m going to end with this: Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody

School drop, fly to Augusta, home for dinner: Rory McIlroy’s scouting trips pay off at Masters

Rory McIlroy has explained how scouting trips to Augusta National in the weeks leading up to the Masters have played a significant role in his domination of this staging of the major. McIlroy’s second round of 65 – which included six birdies in the closing seven holes – set a Masters record, with the defending champion the first man to lead the tournament by six at the halfway point.Entering the Masters, it was assumed McIlroy’s three-week break from PGA Tour business was to conserve energy. Instead, he made smart use of his private jet as he looks to become just the fourth golfer to win back-to-back Masters titles.“I honestly just don’t like the three tournaments leading up to this event,” said McIlroy with only half a smile

Bath hit back to reach semi-final after stunning Northampton in 11-try epic

There are big games and then there are contests which define entire campaigns. And when the moment came it was Bath who just had enough turbo thrust to propel themselves into the Champions Cup semi-finals for the first time in 20 years. There is little to separate the two best teams in England and this was another endlessly compelling battle of wits and wills, ultimately settled by a 76th-minute try by Bath’s replacement forward Ted Hill.Plenty of work still has to be done to reach the final in Bilbao next month with Johann van Graan’s side now facing the winners of Sunday’s mouthwatering all-French tie between Bordeaux and Toulouse. This was a truly sensational hors d’oeuvre, though, with nine tries in the first half alone

MacIntyre dodges Masters media for second day after first-round outbursts

Robert MacIntyre declined interview requests for a second Masters day in succession, with the fiery Scot facing a reprimand from Augusta National over his behaviour in the closing stages of round one.MacIntyre’s miserable visit to Georgia concluded with a 71, which ensured he missed the cut at seven over par. The key damage had been done on Thursday, when MacIntyre slumped to an 80 which included a quadruple bogey nine at the 15th.The player’s reaction there, and elsewhere on the back nine, will inevitably lead to Masters officials having a stern word with the world No 8. Live television coverage picked up MacIntyre releasing a series of expletives

Brandon Holtz, the amateur world No 3,262, swaps real estate for Masters

There are two Masters taking place this year, the one you’re watching, and the one you’re playing in. Well. Maybe not you, exactly, unless you can count your handicap on two fingers, but the best player you know, that guy on the school run who used to play off scratch, that cousin who won the sports scholarship, or the uncle who everyone says could have made it back in the day. His name is Brandon Holtz and, if you haven’t spotted him yet, he is, he says himself, “the old fat guy” who has been playing with the two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson this week.Holtz is 39 and works full time as a real estate broker in Bloomington, Illinois

The Masters day three: Rory McIlroy level with Cameron Young after losing outright lead – as it happened

Moving Day really moved some, huh? If Sunday is half as wild, we’ll be in for a classic. Hope you’ll join us! Thanks for reading this blog.-11: Cameron Young, Rory McIlroy -10: Sam Burns -9: Shane Lowry -8: Jason Day, Justin Rose -7: Scottie Scheffler, Haotong Li -6: Patrick Cantlay, Russell Henley, Patrick ReedMcIlroy’s birdie putt never looks like getting there, but it’s a tap-in for a 73. His six-shot lead has evaporated, but he’ll be in the final pairing tomorrow with today’s star turn Cameron Young. Meanwhile par for Sam Burns, who will be happy with his 68, and will play in the penultimate match with Shane Lowry