17/06/2025

SPORTS TUESDAY | JUNE 17, 2025

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Spaun lauds ‘fairytale ending’ American’s stellar finish at Oakmont robbed MacIntyre of the chance to become Scotland’s first major champion since 1999 J J SPAUN lauded his own “fairytale ending” after killing Robert MacIntyre’s US Open dream. Spaun’s brilliant finish at the brutal Oakmont robbed MacIntyre of the chance applaud his opponent. “It’s definitely like a storybook, fairytale ending, kind of underdog fighting back, not giving up, never quitting,” he said. But while leaders Sam Burns and Adam Scott floundered in the soaking conditions after the resumption, Spaun found his best game and birdies at the 12th, 14th, 17th and 18th took him to glory. He held a two-shot lead when the rain came but could not cope with the sodden conditions, producing two bogeys to finish tied for seventh on four over. The American Ryder Cup player felt he should have been given free relief due to standing water on the 15th fairway. Ű BY JONATHAN VEAL

“With the rain and everything and then the putt, you couldn’t write a better story. I’m just so fortunate to be on the receiving end of that. “Just to finish it off like that is just a dream. You watch other people do it. You see the Tiger chip, you see Nick Taylor’s putt, you see crazy moments. “To have my own moment like that at this championship, I’ll never forget this moment for the rest of my life.” Spaun may consider the thunderstorm to be divine intervention. Before the heavens opened at Oakmont and forced a 96-minute delay, the first-round leader was five over for his round after eight holes and four off the lead.

“I felt like I had a chance, a really good chance to win the US Open at the start of the day,” he said. “It just unravelled very fast. But that break was actually the key for me to winning this tournament. “The tee shot on nine, like my first shot back. That was the hole we got stopped on. I just flushed one, like a nice little cut up the left side. “And I was like, ‘All right, we’re back.’ I didn’t hit too many bad shots after that.” Overnight leader Burns saw his hopes get washed away after the restart.

to become Scotland’s first major champion since 1999 after he burst into contention after an excellent two-under-par 68. That made him the clubhouse leader at one over and the Scot looked set for at least a play off against Spaun, who had two holes to play. But the American first sent a stunning 309 yard drive onto the green at the short par-four 17th and two-putted for a birdie before sinking a mammoth 64-foot putt on the 18th green to seal glory. MacIntyre was watching open-mouthed in the scorer’s office and could do nothing but TAYLOR FRITZ claimed his first title of the year with a 6-3, 7-6(0) win over top seed Alexander Zverev in the Stuttgart Open final yesterday, extending his winning streak against the German to five matches. “I’m really happy especially as it was not too great of a clay season. And then from that place to come here and start the grass season off perfectly, I am super happy to win the title and do it here,” said Fritz, who won the ATP 250 title without dropping serve all tournament. “I don’t have much time to celebrate. I have doubles tomorrow in London, in Queen’s.” The 28-year-old Zverev, ranked third in the world, is yet to win a title on grass, a surface he has long struggled on. The three-times Grand Slam finalist has never progressed beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon. World No. 7 Fritz, 27, is set to rise to fourth in the rankings ahead of Wimbledon, which runs from June 30 to July 13. Diallo wins maiden ATP Tour title CANADIAN Gabriel Diallo battled past Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 7-5, 7-6(8) in the final of the Libema Open in Den Bosch yesterday to clinch his maiden ATP Tour title. In his second ATP Tour final after losing to Karen Khachanov in Almaty last October, Diallo confidently overcame Bergs, never allowing the Belgian to win more than one game in a row. The 23-year-old became only the fourth Canadian man this century to win a tour-level title, and first to win an ATP Tour singles title on grass. Diallo, ranked 55, will break into the top 50 for the first time after dispatching Australian sixth seed Jordan Thompson, Russian third seed Khachanov and Frenchman Ugo Humbert, seeded second, in the earlier rounds. Mertens overpowers Ruse BELGIUM’S Mertens won the women’s final as she beat Romanian qualifier Ruse 6-3, 7 6(4) to claim her second WTA Tour title of the year, adding to her victory in the Singapore Tennis Open in February. The win earned the 29-year-old her tenth WTA singles title and first on grass, though she has won the Wimbledon women’s doubles title in 2021. “It’s been an incredible week,” said Mertens, who had to dig deep to save 11 match points and overcome two-times winner Ekaterina Alexandrova in Saturday’s semifinal. “I mean yesterday I had 11 match points against me. I managed to still win that match. It’s tennis, anything can happen. So I’m very proud that I took that chance yesterday and today.” TRAMLINES Fritz lifts Stuttgart title

“That fairway slopes left to right,” he said. “That’s kind of the low part of the fairway there. “When I walked into it, clearly you could see water coming up. Took practice swings and it’s just water splashing every single time. “Called a rules official over, they disagreed. I looked at it again. I thought maybe I should get a second opinion. That rules official also disagreed. “At the end of the day, it’s not up to me, it’s up to the rules official. That’s kind of that.” – The Independent

Ciganda wins Meijer LPGA Classic

SPAIN’S Carlota Ciganda shot a 5 under-par 67 yesterday to finish 16 under 272 and win the Meijer LPGA Classic in Belmont, Mich. Ciganda came into the event with two previous LPGA tour victories under her belt, having won the KEB Hana Bank Championship and Lorena Ochoa Invitational in 2016. But it had been nearly a decade since the 35-year-old had managed to match those early-career highs. “It feels amazing obviously after all these years,” Ciganda said. “I knew I could do it, but obviously once the years keep going and you start getting older you start doubting yourself.” The Spaniard has traditionally done well at this event, with finishes of 17th, eighth and fifth the previous three years.

love the golf course. Five par-5s, you can hit it hard here. So I really like that. “And just staying with Bubba and Gretchen the host family for almost ten years, doesn’t even feel like a tournament. Just feels really comfortable. We had a great vibe going on this week, and it’s been amazing to stay with them and play and obviously to win.” South Korea’s Somi Lee finished her day ahead of the other top contenders, but she fired an impressive 7-under 65 with eight birdies to establish a baseline of 14 under as the number to beat. For closest pursuer Hye-Jin Choi, who had an eagle on the par-5 fourth, that proved too much to overcome. The South Korean, still looking for her first career win despite 23 top-10 finishes, had been at 15-under for much of her back nine, putting her in a strong position going into the seventeenth. “Overall it was a really good round for me,” Choi said. “I had a chance to win this tournament, but the bogey on 17 hole was, yeah, just the one I’m thinking about. So I’m going to try to the next tournament.” Three golfers tied for fourth at 13-under: France’s Celine Boutier (67), Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen (70) and Lexi Thompson (70). – Field Level Media

She credited her host family and the terrain, which brought back memories of her native Spain.

“I love coming here,” Ciganda added. “It reminds me from Spain where I’m from in the

Carlota Ciganda of Spain hits a tee shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give 2025 at Blythefield Country Club. – AFPPIC

northern part of the Spain. Very similar. Lots of trees, peaceful. I

Maria crowned first Queen’s women’s champion in 52 years GERMAN qualifier Tatjana Maria capped an incredible week in London as she defeated American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-4 yesterday to become the first woman to win a title at Queen’s Club in over half a century. “In the end I’ve won it, it’s incredible. So happy. Everything is possible if you believe in it. You go your way, doesn’t matter which it is but you have to keep going. I want to show this to my kids and hopefully they are proud. It’s amazing.” Maria threw her arms up as she Tatjana Maria. – REUTERSPIC

The victory marked the end of an extraordinary nine-day stretch for the mother-of-two, ranked 86 in the world, having stunned second seed and Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the previous round. The 37-year-old becomes the oldest player to claim a WTA title since Serena Williams in Auckland 2020. “A dream come true. (When) I came here, I was never thinking I could hold the trophy at the end. When we arrived my little girl said ‘wow that’s a nice trophy, so big’ and I said ‘OK let’s go for it I will try to win it’,” Maria said.

watched Anisimova’s forehand sail wide on match point, before both players shared an affectionate embrace at the net. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we see you in the Wimbledon final because you really had me running out there today,” Anisimova said. Having started the week as world No. 86, Maria is projected to move up to world No. 43 when the new rankings are released today. – Reuters