05/04/2026

theSun on Sunday APR 5, 2026

SPORTS 12

Coughlin builds five-shot lead at Aramco

MacIntyre seizes Texas Open lead as Masters looms ROBERT MACINTYRE stormed to the top of the Texas Open leader board yesterday with a superb 64 that put the Scot 14-under midway through the US PGA Tour event. absolutely dynamite there,” he said. MacIntyre, ranked 11th in the world, will be among the contend ers at next week’s Masters, the first major of 2026.

get the firmer end of the greens this afternoon, so just a case of staying extremely patient.” Despite the testing conditions, Maguire welcomed the test posed by Shadow Creek. “It’s a fantastic golf course,“ she said. “It’s one of the best courses we play all year.” World number two Nelly Korda headlined a trio sharing fourth on 2-under 142. Korda carded a 2-over 74 and was tied with Denmark’s Nana Koerstz Madsen and overnight co-leader Miyu Yamashita of Japan. Koerstz Madsen carded a 2 under 70 while Yamashita, the reigning Women’s British Open champion and last year’s LPGA Rookie of the Year, posted a 3-over 75. – AFP

the afternoon, especially with the wind. “But, yeah, really, really solid round. Had a lot of fun out there. Looking forward to the weekend.” Maguire had four birdies and three bogeys in her 1-under 71 and was joined on 3-under 141 by Kim, who is coming off back-to back LPGA victories at the Founders Cup and Ford Championship. Kim had a double bogey and three bogeys but nabbed the last of her four birdies at the par-five 18th to complete a one-over 73. “Going out, we knew it was going to be tough,“ Maguire said. “Obviously a lot windier, different wind than we got all week as well, which made some holes play quite a bit longer. “We knew we were going to

LAUREN COUGHLIN fired an impressive 3-under 69 in tough conditions yesterday to build a five-stroke lead midway through the LPGA Aramco Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada. Coughlin had six birdies and three bogeys as she matched the low round of the day at Shadow Creek, where her 8-under total of 136 put her five clear of Ireland’s Leona Maguire and South Korean Kim Hyo-joo. Coughlin, who finished runner up to Madelene Sagstrom when the tournament was a match play event last year, said she played “really, really good” in “really diffi cult” conditions. “The wind was kind of swirling at times and a lot of crosswinds,“ she said. “Very difficult. The greens firmed up as they do in

He said he had entered the Texas Open to be “sharper going into Augusta,” after having skipped San Antonio last year. “I prefer playing my way in whether it’s one, two, sometimes three events before a major,” he said. For overnight leader Mark Hubbard, though, it was a day to for get after he opened with a fine 65. The American struck a 77 yesterday, including six bogeys and a double bogey on the 5th, where he became trapped in the rough beyond the green. – AFP

Having eagled the par-five 14th hole, MacIntyre birdied four of his final five holes on day two to open up a commanding advantage. His nearest rival was Ludvig Aberg, four strokes back on 10-under. MacIntryre’s 130 is the lowest opening 36-hole score since the Texas Open moved to its current course, TPC San Antonio, in 2010. Asked what had gone well for him on Friday, MacIntyre replied: “Everything. I’ve been driving the ball nice... Iron play today was exceptional, I would say. Hit a pure wedge shot on 17, I thought it was

Vanessa Trump posts supportive message to Woods VANESSA TRUMP, former daughter-in-law of US President Donald Trump, offered a supportive message to boyfriend Tiger Woods yesterday after the golf superstar’s driving under the influence arrest. Vanessa Trump shared a photo of her self and Woods relaxing in a hammock to her Instagram feed with the caption “love you” and a couple of heart emojis. Woods and Trump, who divorced Donald Trump Jr in 2018 after a 13-year marriage, had revealed their romance in simultaneous social media posts in March of 2025. At that time, the famously private Woods wrote on X “Love is in the air and life is bet ter with you by my side,“ in a caption to pho tos of the couple – one of which was the photo Vanessa Trump used yesterday to reaffirm her support. Woods, 50, was arrested on March 27 on suspicion of DUI after clipping a trailer being pulled by a pickup truck and rolling his vehi cle on a residential road near his Florida home. A breathalyser test cleared Woods of driving under the influence of alcohol, but he refused a urine analysis and officers at the scene determined he was impaired by an unknown substance. Police found two hydrocodone painkiller pills on Woods, who told deputies he takes “a few” prescription medications. Woods, who has undergone multiple back operations and surgeries on severe leg injuries he suffered in a 2021 California car crash, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to DUI. But he issued a statement saying he was “stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health.” That decision means Woods won’t play in or attend the upcoming Masters tourna ment at Augusta National, where he is a five-time champion. Martin County Court judge Darren Steele on Thursday granted Woods’s request to leave the country to seek treatment. In his motion to travel Woods’s attorney Douglas Duncan cited the golfer’s urgent need for an “intensive, highly individualised and medically integrated programme” as well as privacy from media and public scru tiny. Celebrity news website TMZ reported yesterday that Woods’s private jet had landed in Zurich, Switzerland, although it could not confirm he was on board. – AFP

Johnny Herbert and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli (inset) . – REUTERSPIC

Herbert names Kimi for Red Bull hot seat after Max outburst Obvious replacement

THE reverberations from Max Verstappen’s hint that he might retire from Formula One continue to echo through out the paddock. The four-time world cham pion has endured a difficult beginning to the 2026 cam paign, accumulating just 12 points from the initial three races. He’s dropped multiple sug gestions about leaving the sport amidst a fresh era of technical regulations that many observers believe have undermined F1’s attraction. Following an eighth-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix last Sunday, Verstappen acknowledged he was weigh ing up his future, declaring he was “not enjoying” himself. When asked if he intended to leave F1 at the end of the season, the Dutchman replied: “That’s what I’m saying. I’m thinking about everything inside the paddock. “Now I think I’m commit

limitations of the 2025 car, we didn’t think that was the right approach,” explained Mekies. “Now, of course, the time and energy we invested in that late push last year, does it have an impact on where you start in 2026? Of course it does. “So yes, we are paying a bit of the price today. Do we use it as an excuse? No.” Mekies nevertheless expressed confidence that Red Bull are well-placed to navi gate their troubled start, citing the team’s proven ability to bounce back from adversity. “We’re not happy with the starting point, but we believe we’ll get through these diffi culties,” he said. “As we did last year, we’ll gain a full understanding of the limita tions. “This team has been very, very good at turning things around and we have another opportunity to do that this year.” – Express Newspapers

“And then Max has come along and it’s another jump. So they always get better and that never stops. “Kimi, potentially, is the next one who’s going to do exactly the same thing. So there’s your replacement. There’s your ‘wow’ driver that comes into it.” Team principal Laurent Mekies has offered a frank assessment of why Red Bull have endured such a challeng ing start to the 2026 season. He suggested that a last minute decision over the development direction of the new car severely disrupted their preparations and has left them scrambling to keep pace with their competitors. “We thought, and we still think, it was the right thing to do because turning the page to 2026 would have been a bit of an easy escape, a kind of wish ful thinking that next year would be better, even though we didn’t fully understand the

ting 100% and I’m still trying, but the way that I am telling myself to give it 100%, I think, is not very healthy at the moment because I am not enjoying what I’m doing.” Should Verstappen opt to retire from racing, Red Bull will confront the formidable challenge of securing a new leader for their team. According to former F1 driver-turned pundit Johnny Herbert, that individual could be Kimi Antonelli. “There’s always the next one, and who is the next one at the present time? Kimi,” Herbert told RacingNews365 . “He’s the next generation that’s going to be coming along. Will he be better than Max? Potentially. “Everything for me was always Ayrton (Senna). And then Lewis (Hamilton) came along and did what Michael Schumacher (did)... there’s that bigger jump in perform ance.