14/05/2026

SPORTS THURSDAY | MAY 14, 2026

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Bittersweet run has Scheffler inspired

Revitalised Rose in top PGA form JUSTIN ROSE says he feels re energised after another difficult Masters loss, entering this week’s PGA Championship with new vitality and mental sharpness. The 45-year-old Englishman tees off today alongside top ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler and countryman Matt Fitzpatrick at Aronimink. World No. 7 Rose won his 13th career PGA Tour title in February at Torrey Pines but found more heartbreak last month at the Masters. On the same Augusta National stage where he lost playoffs to Sergio Garcia in 2017 and Rory McIlroy last year, Rose led briefly and was in Sunday’s back-nine battle before sharing third. “After the Masters, I went home and there was a lot to absorb there. That was a tough loss,” Rose said on Tuesday. “The first two weeks back have been just about finding my feet again, to be honest with you, so I really don’t feel like I’ve been neglecting any part of my game. “I don’t feel like there have been a lot of other distractions to other elements of my game. I just think that there’s cycles of form and there’s cycles of things you’ve got to work through mentally. “I feel like I’ve done a nice job of that now and this week I feel the enthusiasm and the energy is coming back to kind of want to compete. I feel just a little bit more switched on and ready to go.” There are plenty of reasons to boost his confidence, like the four top-10 finishes in his past six PGA Championship starts. Rose won the 2010 PGA Tour National tournament played at Aronimink, taking only his second US triumph. He also reached a playoff at Aronimink in 2018 before losing to American Keegan Bradley in a playoff at the BMW Championship. Add to that his 2013 US Open victory at nearby Merion and it’s no wonder Rose likes his chances. “The whole area feels very familiar to the part of England I live in – very leafy, very green,” Rose said. “The spring here is very much like the spring in England right now, so it feels very familiar.” There are a record-tying 14 Englishmen in the field, but no Briton has taken the PGA Championship title since Jim Barnes won the first two in 1916 and 1919. – Reuters

TOP-RANKED defending champion Scottie Scheffler has turned “bittersweet” feelings over three consecutive runner-up finishes into inspira tion ahead of this week’s PGA Championship. The 29-year-old American, who won the PGA and British Open last year after taking the 2022 and 2024 Masters titles, captured his 20th career PGA Tour title at the American Express in January. Since then, however, Scheffler has settled for sec ond place at the Masters, Heritage and Doral tourna ments. The results left him somewhat pleased yet unsat isfied. “I would say a little bit bittersweet,” Scheffler said. “You know you’re playing good golf, and you’d love to get some wins. Finishing second hurts. “But when you reflect and you’re looking at things to work on, there’s a lot less to clean up when you’re finishing second than there

wide landing areas for long drivers. “Strategy off the tee is pretty nonexist ent. It’s basically bash driver down there and then figure it out,” McIlroy said. “You can be super aggressive off the tee and then there’s a little more strategy and thought going into the greens.” Scheffler, however, expected a tough test if possible rain today holds off. “The greens have a lot of slope and a lot of pitch to them, so it’s going to be challenging,” Scheffler said. “If they can stay firm like this I think it’s going to be a pretty awesome test… it can get really challenging if it’s firm and fast. “Look out, however, if soft greens become receptive. “When it’s soft, there’s a lot of stuff you can get away with in terms of you can hit it pretty far offline,” Scheffler said. “Then with soft greens you’re able to play a pretty simple strategy. You can play that sort of bomb-and-gouge-type strat egy.” There are 174 bunkers, but many won’t be a worry with the distance the world’s top players have off the tee. “In this day and age I’m not sure if it’s going to test all aspects of your bag,“ McIlroy said. “The greens are the main focus this week, and I think getting yourself in the right sections of the greens, making sure you leave yourself below the hole for the most part, that’s the key. “They can really tuck the pins away with some of these slopes on the greens, and just really being aware of that… you can get yourself in some tricky spots.” – AFP Troublesome toe forces McIlroy to halt practice ahead of PGA start a title. It’s not a matchup Scheffler is particularly motivated to have, never mentioning McIlroy by name when asked about it. “I would not say that it drives me,” Scheffler said. “My sources of motivation have always been inter nal. “For me getting better at golf is such an interest ing and fun thing to try to accomplish. “You’re always toeing the line between getting better and getting worse. When I can go out by myself and practice and have something I want to work on and improve on, that’s one of my favorite things. “I also love competition. I don’t like losing. But at the end of the day, I think the preparation, getting ready to come out here and play, is something that I really enjoy. “I don’t really think about much else other than that when I’m at home practicing. “I don’t really look for a lot of sources of outside motivation.” – AFP have to keep pushing.” Morikawa is having to control his frustrations at being unable to play his best on golf’s biggest stages. “It will be interesting to see whether I get frustrated or not considering that the body feels a little bit better,“ Morikawa said. “I hope to take that mentality I had at Augusta and just continue that into the rest of the year, because that’s a mentality I think the best have.” – AFP

is when you’re finishing 30th.” Scheffler has finished in the top 10 in each of his past six majors, the longest such run since Vijay Singh’s seven in a row in 2004-2006. With four titles and 16 top-10 finishes in his past 20 major starts, Scheffler arrived at Aronimink well prepared to add to his trophy total. “If my game feels like it’s in a pretty good spot, a lot of it is checking the boxes and making sure things feel the way they should heading into a tour nament like this,” Scheffler said. “The last few weeks I’ve played some nice golf, so a lot of it was make sure I got rest, made sure I checked the boxes, and made sure things feel the way I want them to feel heading into a major cham pionship – and just get the mind right to come out here and play.” Scheffler and second-ranked Rory McIlroy

have together won four of the past five majors, but they have never had a Sunday battle down the back nine for

Blister worry for Rory C ONCERN flared yester day about a nagging right foot blister that forced Masters winner Rory McIlroy to halt a practice round for the PGA Championship after only three holes at Aronimink. The world No. 2 from

Northern Ireland said on Sunday after limping through the final round of a PGA Tour event at Quail Hollow that he had a blister under his right pinky toenail that began hurting on Friday. He insisted it would not be a problem this week, but yesterday McIlroy checked his right shoe several times before taking off his right shoe and sock on the fourth tee and was later taken in a cart back to the clubhouse, ending his first practice round of the week. McIlroy, who had a practice round at Aronimink two weeks ago, told Golf Channel he had soaked his right foot on Monday night and removed the right pinky nail to better treat the blister. The situation added drama ahead of the final practice day and today’s opening round, with McIlroy scheduled to tee off alongside Spain’s Jon Rahm and American Jordan Spieth. Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler and McIlroy, coming off his sixth major win at last month’s and sec ond Masters victory in a row, are favoured in this week’s major showdown over the 7,394-yard, par-70 suburban Philadelphia layout. Before his late-afternoon setback, McIlroy was talking about how to approach Aronimink, known for difficult greens and

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy faces difficulty during the practice round for the PGA Championship at Aronimink yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

Morikawa still battling back issues as tee-off looms

TWO-TIME major winner Collin Morikawa is still battling back issues as today’s start of the PGA Championship looms at Aronimink. Fifth-ranked Morikawa, the 2020 PGA Championship winner and 2024 British Open champion, snapped a 28-month win drought with a PGA Tour victory at Pebble Beach in February. But the 29-year-old American has been battling a sore back since withdrawing from The Players Championship on the second hole in March, hurting himself on a practice swing.

do. I’m going to find a way to hopefully play some great golf starting Thursday.” Morikawa said he must rely on his mental focus to overcome his back worries and push himself into the hunt as he did at Augusta National. “The mental game is a big aspect of it,“ Morikawa said. “You’re able to push yourself that much farther. Trust me, it was very uncomfortable to play the Masters and very uncomfortable to play the week after at Hilton Head, but you just

Morikawa recovered to finish seventh at the Masters and fourth the following week at the Heritage but was 62nd at Doral and skipped a planned event last week at Quail Hollow. “Still kind of dealing with some back stuff,“ Morikawa said. “I wish I was 100% healthy. The body doesn’t feel bad, just it’s uncomfortable, and there’s a trust factor I’ve never had to deal with. “It’s just a very weird feeling of not trusting the body and yet knowing things are going to be OK. It’s just taking it day by day, doing what I need to