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Deontay Wilder has expressed his eagerness for a fight against Anthony Joshua in London, describing it as “a long time coming”. The American heavyweight contender is looking to rebuild his career after a disappointing performance against Joseph Parker in December.

Originally scheduled to face Joshua in Saudi Arabia in March, Wilder’s lacklustre showing against Parker cost him the opportunity, reports the Express. However, the 38 year old is hopeful of making a comeback when he takes on Zhilei Zhang at the Matchroom vs Queensberry event in Riyadh on June 1.

Despite years of speculation, a fight between Joshua and Wilder has never come to fruition, largely due to promotional politics. Yet, Wilder is optimistic that if he can defeat Zhang next month, the much-anticipated fight will finally happen.

Speaking to Sportsbook Review about the prospect of facing Joshua in London, Wilder said: “Yeah, it turns me on.” He added: “I have no problem coming to London. It would be amazing for me.

“I actually have major fans in the UK, and I think they’re going to show up and represent me, even though I’m fighting their countryman. All these fights are beautiful to talk about, but I’ve got to handle business come June 1. But it has been a long time coming for that fight with AJ.

“It’s easy for them to talk about it right now because I already have a task I need to accomplish, but we’ll see what type of talk they have when I accomplish my task, then there will be no more hiding, no will be able to hide, no one will be able to be outspoken without any weight behind it. When I do what I’ve got to do, then you’ve got to be a man of your word and do what you said you’re going to do.”

Joshua is riding a four-fight winning streak, capped with a sensational knockout victory over MMA star Francis Ngannou in March. Wilder has been left impressed by the Englishman’s return to form, but he insists he has no fear of stepping into the ring with the former two-time unified heavyweight king.

“I want it. I’ve never ran from a fight, I never shied away from the fight, no matter what you’ve heard over the years,” he said. “I’ve never run from anyone, I’ve never dodged anyone, I’ve taken the short end of the sticks just to make fights happen, that’s the god’s honest truth. I’m here, and when I’ve done what I’m supposed to, let’s get this fight on.

“I want the biggest fights possible that can be made, but it all relies on June 1.”

Wilder also has his heart set on a fourth fight with Tyson Fury. The pair first met in 2018 with the bout ending in a draw before Fury won the rematch and the trilogy fight by stoppage in 2020 and 2021 respectively, with Fury set to face Oleksandr Usyk in a week.

“”I want to make Tyson Fury pay so bad, so bad,” he said. “I don’t think that chapter is over with. I could see a fourth fight. I could see a fourth in the making, created by the creators. The Saudis have the source and the power to make it all happen. I want to get it back so bad.”

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are set to make a return to Valhalla for the 106th PGA Championship, a venue where both have previously clinched significant victories.

Woods, a champion of 15 major titles, famously won the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla through a three-hole playoff against Bob May. This victory marked him as the first golfer since Ben Hogan in 1953 to secure three majors in a single year. He continued his success into the following year by winning the 2001 Masters, completing what is known as the Tiger Slam—four consecutive major championships.

Rory McIlroy, currently ranked second in the world, captured his most recent major title at the 2014 PGA Championship on this same course. In a dramatic finish, McIlroy raced against the onset of darkness to win, edging out Phil Mickelson by a single stroke. McIlroy managed to conclude the game just as night fell, despite the close contention from Mickelson and other players who were less than pleased with how the events unfolded. Reflecting on the moment, McIlroy said he had to be assertive to avoid postponing the play until the next day, emphasizing that the end result was all that mattered to him.

Since then, McIlroy has not added any major titles to his record, but he has achieved 20 top-10 finishes at majors, including second place at each of the other three major tournaments. The Northern Irish golfer has increased his PGA Tour wins from nine to 25 and his victories on the DP World Tour from nine to 17.

Meanwhile, Woods, now 48, has won 10 majors since his 2000 victory, with a notable hiatus ending with his win at the 2019 Masters. This win followed a significant period after his 2008 US Open victory, which he achieved on a broken leg. Recently, Woods has faced challenges simply walking the full 72 holes of a tournament due to severe leg injuries sustained in a 2021 car accident. Despite these difficulties, he completed the Masters last month and discussed his ongoing efforts to strengthen his body and extend his practice sessions in preparation for returning to Valhalla.

Reflecting on his 2000 triumph, Woods mentioned a critical moment when he overcame May’s lead with a crucial par save and a birdie near the end, leading to a playoff which he won. Justin Thomas, a close acquaintance of Woods, shared that Woods often downplays the drama of that victory, suggesting it seemed straightforward at the time due to his dominance in the sport. Thomas humorously noted that Woods reminds him of how young Thomas was during those years, adding a light-hearted perspective to their discussions of past glories.

The DP World Tour is still waiting to be granted an exclusive place at the negotiating table after Tiger Woods was confirmed as the sole player who will be involved in the PGA Tour’s crunch summits with the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

Guy Kinnings, the Wentworth chief executive, recently urged the respective parties to get “the right people with the right intent into a room to try and find a solution [to reach a peace deal]” and when asked which organisations should be in the talks he said that as well as the the PGA Tour and PIF, the DP World Tour should be involved.

However, despite Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, also being a member of the DP World Tour board – and the DP World Tour being a long-standing ‘strategic alliance’ partner with the PGA Tour – the European circuit will not have a dedicated representative at the talks which, one way or the other, will determine the future of the men’s professional game and decide if any more big names are lured to LIV, the breakaway league funded by PIF.

Woods will be part of the five-strong PGA Tour negotiating team, also featuring Monahan, board chairman Joe Gorder, Liverpool FC owner John W Henry and former Tour winner turned financier, Joe Ogilvie.

Henry is in the “transaction committee” through his role as head of the Strategic Sports Group, an American coalition that has pumped more than £1 billion of private equity into PGA Tour Enterprises, the new for-profit entity set up in the wake of the ‘framework agreement’ signed with the Saudis last summer.

These negotiations will be between PIF and PGA Tour Enterprises and as the DP World Tour is not yet a part of the latter, it will not have a seat of its own. This will surely be a source of concern in the European locker rooms, especially after Rory McIlroy’s attempts to rejoin the PGA Tour board were blocked by Woods and two other player directors in Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Spieth.

Australian Adam Scott is the only non-American on the board, which will ultimately have the power to veto any deal agreed with PIF. There are fears that US insularity will scupper the deal-making. McIlroy explained as much after revealing that “there was a subset of people on the board that were maybe uncomfortable with me coming back on for some reason”.

However, the Northern Irishman believes that the American pros need to compromise and row in behind the concept of a global circuit, which is the obvious solution to the LIV split. “Do the American players that are used to playing all their golf in America want to travel outside of the States 12 times a year to play tournament golf?” McIlroy said. He also reiterated his conviction that LIV rebels should be able to return unpunished.

McIlroy’s opinions clearly do not chime with some of the main characters in this increasingly torrid saga.

Webb Simpson had told the board he would step down, but only if McIlroy could take his place. In a stunning move, Woods and co voted this down, meaning Simpson stays on and that McIlroy’s influence as a big voice who believes a deal should be done as quickly as possible with PIF to end the civil war, remains on the outside.

Monahan tried to play down the McIlroy snub. “Today’s news is in no way a commentary on Rory’s important influence,” Monahan said in a statement released to US media. “It’s simply a matter of adherence to our governance process by which a Tour player becomes a board member.”

That explanation does not make much sense, seeing as Woods and Spieth were appointed in much the same way. McIlroy’s rejection inevitably caused consternation on this side of the pond.

When it emerged last month that McIlroy was eager to resume his role of the board that he quit last year after becoming exasperated at the snail-pace of the negotiations, Kinnings said he would “wholeheartedly welcome” the development.

“I was always delighted to have European representation,” Kinnings said. “I think it is far better to have a global view and Rory truly has that.”

Considering the international nature of his Tour, Kinnings’ wish for a worldwide answer to unify the game is unsurprising. “The American players realising that they will have to travel to enhance their brands is something they will have to compromise on,” Kinnings said. “If we all recognise that the game will be damaged without a solution I think the players will come round.”

Rory McIlroy says there is “no strain” in his relationship with Tiger Woods but admits they have different views on the future of men’s professional golf.

The disagreement arises from ongoing negotiations on a possible deal between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabian backers of LIV Golf.

World number two McIlroy, who has softened his stance on the breakaway LIV tour, revealed he is now a member of the “transaction subcommittee” that is trying to do a deal.

However, McIlroy said on Wednesday that he will not be returning to the PGA Tour’s policy board after it “got pretty complicated and pretty messy”.

The Telegraph reported, external that 15-time major winner Woods voted against McIlroy re-joining the board.

“I would say, I mean, I think friends can have disagreements or not see things – I guess not – not see eye to eye on things but have disagreements on things,” McIlroy said.

“I think that’s fine. But no, I wouldn’t say – we had a really good talk last Friday for 45 minutes just about a lot of different things.

“No, there’s no strain there. I think we might see the future of golf a little bit differently, but I don’t think that should place any strain on a relationship or on a friendship.”

Woods and 2013 Masters winner Adam Scott are also on a five-member subcommittee that will be negotiating with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

McIlroy, speaking after carding an opening four-under 67 at the Wells Fargo Championship, added: “I’ve already had calls with that group – I had a really good hour and a half Zoom with those guys on Sunday.

“We went through a 150-page doc about the future product model and everything.

“Yeah, I’m not on the board, but I’m in some way involved in that transaction committee. I don’t have a vote so I don’t – you know, I don’t have I guess a meaningful say in what happens in the future.”

On the PGA Tour policy board, McIlroy backtracked somewhat on his comments on Wednesday when he also said there was “a subset of people on the board that were maybe uncomfortable with me coming back on for some reason”.

A day later he asserted it had more to do with red tape.

“I don’t necessarily think or believe that people didn’t want me involved. It was more just the process of how I could get involved again, right?” he said.

LIV Golf seems to be in big trouble. The breakaway league’s persistence in sticking to its ways of promotion and relegation-less, 54-hole mix of individual and team events is against the OWGR’s guidelines. Considering the OWGR’s stringent stance in rejecting the Greg Norman-led league’s calls for inclusion, major championships are readily slipping away from the fingers of his pack of golf pros.

This has paved the way for the absence of many of its famous faces from the upcoming PGA Championship. Flushing It on X posted an ironic post where it was highlighted that despite the humongous purse, not even one golfer who compared in Singapore could qualify for the season’s second major. On the contrary, the Volvo China Open, a DPWT event with almost a 10-time smaller purse, had several players such as Adrian Otaegui qualify for the upcoming showdown at Valhalla.

“LIV can have the grandest of plans for their future, but getting players access to major championships should be their number one priority,” wrote Flushing It. However, famous LIV Golf flagbearer Phil Mickelson did not seem to agree and wrote “FAAFO.” For him, while the absence of LIV players might not be felt right now, it will be later on. Why? Mickelson had clear reasons.

With the increasing number of PGA Tour and DPWT pros defecting to the circuit including the likes of Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, and Adrian Meronk, it will only be a matter of time before other pros join the Saudi-funded league. Additionally, the major championships have to become answerable to sponsors and television for a lot of things if the field continues to become less powerful.

Lefty posed a vital question and asked whether LIV golfers would be missed at the major championships at all if they didn’t play at all. Golf lovers seemed to blatantly disagree with Mickelson and had a plain answer to this question.

While many opined that it was the undoing of the pro and his circuit’s own decisions, others were quick to circle back the blame to the LIV golfers cast out of the system. So what did fans exactly have to say?

Fans react to Phil Mickelson’s counter to LIV Golf’s emergency

One fan wrote, “You have two tours with different models. One has players building a legacy and the other has players building a bank account. Each player has made their own decision which objective is more important to them. They need to stop trying to have both.” Pointing out the long-standing debate on the re-entry of LIV Golf defectors into the system, this fan’s comment screamed volume. According to them, the golfers who have chosen to stay out of the majors out of their love for the big bucks should stop whining because it was their own decision. The fan suggested that it was time the LIV Golf players stopped trying to make up for the losses they signed up for.

Another Twitter user pointed out, “lol. You’re an egomaniac,” giving a strong name to Phil Mickelson’s claims. According to them, the idea that LIV golfers will eventually bring the major championships on their knees did not sit right with this fan and they promptly laughed it off.

Yet another fan of golf remarked, “So IT IS about the money and not growing the game. Legacy etc…thanks for clarifying,” shunning down the Saudi-backed league’s strong claims of growing the game. LIV’s motto of making golf louder, and growing it seemed to have taken a back seat after Mickelson’s remarks, and this fan did not shy from pointing it out. They agreed that maybe all of this was for money and not the globalization of the game of golf.

Another user clarified, “LIV players chose hit and giggle tour. If they want play competitive golf, they know where to play.” This critique brought to the surface the entertainment-centered approach of the so-called “circus tour.” The fan even remarked that LIV Golf players made a choice, and if they truly wanted to make a re-entry they could work their way back.

Tiger Woods will be the lone player on a five-member subcommittee that will be involved in negotiations with the Public Investment Fund, part of a busy day of governance as the PGA Tour tries to strike a deal with Saudi backers of LIV Golf.

Woods was appointed to the PGA Tour board in August, making him the sixth player-director and the only one whose board term has no limits.

The tour said Woods will be part of the “transaction subcommittee” on the board of PGA Tour Enterprises that will handle day-to-day negotiations as PIF seeks to become a minority investor.

Also on the subcommittee are PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, board chairman Joe Gorder, John W. Henry of Fenway Sports Group and Joe Ogilvie, a former tour player appointed as a director liaison in March.

The subcommittee reports back to the full board.

The developments capped a day that began with Rory McIlroy losing the inside track on rejoining the board as Webb Simpson’s replacement when board members resisted his return.

“I think there was a subset of people on the board that were maybe uncomfortable with me coming back on for some reason,” McIlroy said at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, where a $20 million signature event is being played.

Simpson had offered to resign, but only if McIlroy were to replace him. When a player director resigns, the other players on the board have to unanimously agree on a successor. McIlroy resigned from the board in November, and the players selected Jordan Spieth to replace him.

The seven players — Woods, Spieth, Simpson, Ogilvie, Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott and Peter Malnati — are on the board of the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Enterprises, the commercial entity that agreed to a deal with Strategic Sports Group as a minority investor.

That deal included a $1.5 billion investment, which could be as much as $3 billion.

McIlroy was willing to return, believing he could help find a solution to the split in golf that has left some of the best players on two tours. McIlroy sees the reunification in some form as the ultimate goal and rubbed players the wrong way when he suggested earlier this year that LIV players return without punishment.

“Today’s news is in no way a commentary on Rory’s important perspective and influence,” Monahan said in a statement. “It’s simple a matter of adherence to our governance process by which a tour player becomes a board member.

“Webb remaining in his position as a member of the policy board and PGA Tour Enterprises board through the end of his term provides the continuity needed at this vital time,” he said. “We are making progress in our negotiations with the PIF.”

McIlroy is certain to stay involved in an unofficial capacity based on his experience of two years on the board and his voice in the game. He was the only European tour member on the PGA Tour board, and McIlroy has cultivated relationships across continents during his career.

He had said on a British soccer podcast at the start of this year that he met with the PIF governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in late 2022 and that he returned home and encouraged the tour board to meet with him.

The framework agreement among the PGA Tour, European tour and PIF was announced June 6, with a deadline to finalize it by the end of 2023. Negotiations continue with little progress.

Woods was among the player directors who went to the Bahamas on March 18 — Monahan and Henry also attended — to meet with Al-Rumayyan.

Woods said at the Masters about that meeting, “I don’t know if we’re closer, but certainly we’re headed in the right direction. That was a very positive meeting, and I think both sides came away from the meeting feeling positive.”

Gorder is the chairman and CEO of Valero, the title sponsor of the Texas Open. He has been appointed the inaugural chairman of the PGA Tour Enterprises board.

Tiger Woods’ teenage son Charlie will attempt to qualify for his maiden major championship.

The 15-year-old is scheduled to compete in the first stage of qualifying for this year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

A total of five players will advance to the next stage’s 36-hole qualifier in June.

The teenage golfer was given an 8.18am tee time at the Legacy Golf & Tennis Club on 25 April.

The news comes two months after Charlie made his American Junior Golf Association debut.

Charlie received a sponsor’s invite to compete at the Will Lowery Junior Championship in March.

Things did not go to plan for Charlie in his first AJGA event, carding rounds of 78, 81 and 78 for a 21-over-par total.

Unsurprisingly, his appearance in that tournament attracted a significant amount of interest from fans and media.

The AJGA took action to protect Charlie after he was subjected to ‘unruly’ behaviour when he attempted to qualify for his first PGA Tour event.

Charlie teed it up in a pre-qualifier for the Cognizant Classic in February and was subjected to ‘unruly’ fan behaviour.

Per a report by the Palm Beach Post at the time:

  • Fans walked alongside Charlie in the fairway, ignoring requests by tournament officials to stay back
  • A woman admitted to pulling her granddaughter out of school in the hopes of Charlie noticing her
  • A fan reportedly demanded Charlie sign a copy of his father’s book ‘How I Play Golf’

It comes as no surprise that Charlie’s plans to try and qualify for the U.S. Open prompted a huge response from golf fans.

One X user wrote: “Wish he could get a sponsor exemption or something. Imagine the TV ratings.”

Another pointed out the 2024 U.S. Open could potentially be Tiger’s last appearance in the major.

Woods is currently not qualified for this year’s major and will need an exemption soon.

Tiger was asked about this during the 2023 PNC Championship where he played alongside Charlie.

He said he wasn’t sure if he was going to have to attempt to qualify for the 2025 U.S. Open or if he has to ask for an exemption.

“But as of right now, no, I’m not in,” he said.

“And whether or not I have to formally ask them or they invite me, or you give me an exemption or I have to go qualify, you know, who knows.

“I don’t know what the process is.”

Ian Poulter believes both he and Phil Mickelson will never be given the chance to face off as future Ryder Cup captains on the back of their move to LIV Golf.

Poulter has announced himself as a European Ryder Cup legend during his career but gave up the chance to represent Team Europe last Spring when resigning his DP World Tour membership. He enjoyed many a battle with his American rival Mickelson on the Ryder Cup stage, who has also made the Saudi switch.

Both Poulter and Mickelson looked to be guarantees as future captains in the matchplay event for their respected teams, but according to the Englishman this now looks unlikely.

Mickelson took to social media on Wednesday to discuss what will come next following his playing career, with one fan suggesting he should go into commentating. The HyFlyers captain instead however is keen to turn to one-off matches with amateurs in front of a set of cameras.

“Thank you for the kind words. However, just cuz someone CAN do something doesn’t mean they SHOULD do it,” he tweeted. “Instead of commentating, I’m going to shoot some Pros vs Schmos 9 hole matches. I’ll share insights throughout as well as talk a little smack. It won’t be the highest quality video but it’ll be fun for me to do and fun to watch I think too.”

And one man who is keen to take on Mickelson in a possible new venture is Poulter, having given up on a possible Ryder Cup reunion. “I’m happy to be the Schmos if you like,” the European responded. “Just like we could have been Ryder Cup Captains against each other. Which ain’t happening now.

Charlie Woods, the 15-year-old son of legendary golfer Tiger Woods, will not get the chance to play in the U.S. Open this year.

The youngster shot a nine-over 81 and failed to advance to the final round of a local qualifying tournament played at The Legacy Golf & Tennis Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Per Cameron Jourdan of Golfweek, the day started off rough for Charlie. He opened with a bogey on the first hole and double-bogeyed the second. He managed to build some momentum with a birdie on the fifth, but a double-bogey on the sixth set him back, and he finished the front nine at four-over 40.

Charlie failed to record another birdie on the back nine and stumbled with three bogeys and another double-bogey.

Only five players will advance to the final qualifying out of the 84-player field, according to the PGA Tour.

Charlie played in a pre-qualifier for the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic earlier this year, but he shot 86 and failed to advance. It was his first attempt at qualifying for a PGA Tour event. He was also a member of his high school’s state championship golf team in the fall.

Charlie was seen alongside his father a couple of weeks ago during the Masters, helping the 48-year-old with a swing drill. The father-son duo has played together in the PNC Championship in each of the last four years, finishing as runner-up in 2021 but never winning the event.

Jourdan noted that Charlie will likely attempt to qualify for the U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills or the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine later this summer.

Unexpected revelations are surfacing regarding the unfortunate situation faced by Rory McIlroy concerning his potential rejoining the policy board. Once holding a strong position as a policy board member, it might be surprising for the Northern Irishman to witness people turning against him.

While it may be a fresh experience for McIlroy, it appears that this occurrence isn’t unprecedented in the realm of professional golf. How, you might ask? Well, the answer lies in the connection to one of the key figures in LIV Golf, Phil Mickelson. Do McIlroy and Mickelson face similar circumstances? Let’s delve into that question.

The situations encountered by Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson has consistently participated in discussions whenever the possibility of both tours merging has arisen. Additionally, the 54-year-old has expressed his views on the LIV Golf and PGA Tour merger, aligning with his rival Rory McIlroy’s stance that a division in golf is “not sustainable.”

Following the Northern Irishman’s shift in attitude towards LIV Golf, the four-time major winner actively advocated for the merger. Reports indicate the PGA Tour offered $50 million to the #2 golfer as recognition of his loyalty to the tour, given his decision not to join the LIV circuit. While this insight underscores the importance of both players, given their influential voices, the current circumstances seem to have undergone significant changes.
Despite being vocal online and in the press, Mickelson is far from assuming a “decision-making role.” Moreover, he is now excluded from crucial matters, including the merger, despite actively participating in discussions about the topic. In April, during the Masters, when questioned about the PGA Tour’s meeting with Yasir Al-Rumayyan the previous month, he swiftly responded, “Others are handling that. I’m not involved. Others are taking care of that.” In the wake of these events, the six-time major champion has recently dropped hints about retiring.

When it comes to McIlroy, PGA Tour pros like Tiger Woods, with whom he seems to have a positive rapport, opposed the Northern Irishman’s return to the policy board. Alongside Woods, other officials such as Jordan Spieth and Peter Cantlay voted against it. The pro also shared his remarks on developing the PGA Tour policy.

What did McIlroy say about his return?

Having resigned from the policy board in November 2023, shortly after realizing his significance, the 35-year-old hinted at his potential return, suggesting, “I could be helpful to the process.“ However, circumstances didn’t unfold favorably for him, and he recently expressed his sentiments regarding the matter.

McIlroy stated, “It just got pretty complicated and messy.” He further noted, “The way it happened, I think it opened up some old wounds and scars from the things that have happened before.” While pointing out the incidents from the past, the pro further revealed, “There’s a subset of people on the board that were maybe uncomfortable with me coming back on for some reason.”