18/05/2026

SPORTS MONDAY | MAY 18, 2026

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Rising star Woad in charge at Queen City

It’s a battle out there, says Spaniard Rahm JON RAHM, twice a major winner, is prepared for a battle at Aronimink as he tries to become the first Spaniard to capture the PGA Championship. The 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters champion, who shares sec ond place only two strokes behind 54-hole leader Alex Smalley, says sloped greens and windy condi tions have made the 7,394-yard lay out a tremendous test. “It’s a battle out there,” Rahm said. “You can get it done, but there’s a lot of holes where, if we hit it to 20 feet and then you have a tap-in for par, you’re going to be very happy because that’s just how hard it is.” Rahm, who went 5-over on the last three holes at last year’s PGA to lose to Scottie Scheffler at Quail Hollow, is making decisions and changing focus with every shot at Aronimink. “For the most part, as the round goes on, you almost take it a shot at a time,” Rahm said. “Hit the fairway, great. Then you need to find a spot on the green to give yourself the best chance. “You’re going to see very few major championship golf courses where, if you’re in the middle of the green, you’re going to have as hard a time to two-putt as you can on some of the holes out here.” Rahm has won the past two LIV Golf season titles and has two wins and three runner-up efforts to lead LIV this season. Asked if this is the best he has played since his 2023 Masters tri umph, Rahm said at times he has been even better. “So far this week it has felt really good and so far this year, I would say at times perhaps better than in ‘23,” Rahm said. “But the feeling of how you’re playing and actually getting it done are two different things.” Asked how much it would mean for LIV, whose Saudi backers have pulled funding after this year, to have Rahm win the PGA, he cited his chance to give Spain a Grand Slam with a champion in every major. “Honestly, in a week

ENGLAND’S Lottie Woad conjured seven birdies in a 5-under 65 to grab a three-shot lead going into the final round of the LPGA Queen City Championship. The 22-year-old rising star made the most of a Maketewah Country Club course softened by morning storms yesterday to build a 54-hole total of 11-under 199 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Overnight co-leader Amanda Doherty had three birdies in a 1-under 69 that put her in second place on 8-under 202 as world No. 1 Nelly Korda slipped nine adrift with a 2-over 72. “Obviously it rained a bit with the storm, so you could be a bit more aggressive with the wedges definitely, and you could hold a few more fairways,” Woad said of the conditions after inclement

Doherty, 28, is chasing her first LPGA title. She’s one stroke in front of South Korean Ryu Hae-ran, who had seven birdies in her 4-under 66. “I feel like I handled it well. I stuck to my game plan,” Doherty said of her round. “I didn’t hit it awesome, but I got it around all right. There is definitely excitement, definitely nerves, but that’s what comes with it,” she said of playing in the final group on Sunday.” New Zealand’s Lydia Ko was alone in fourth after a 1-under 69 for 6-under 204 while world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul was in a tie for fifth on 5-under. – AFP

weather held up play for more than two hours. “I think my iron play was really good. Hit a lot of greens and a lot of shots inside 15 feet, so gave myself a lot of chances,” she said. A former top-ranked amateur, Woad turned pro after her third-placed finished at the Evian Championship last year and won the Women’s Scottish Open in July. “Looking forward to being in contention again,” she said. “I think this year I’ve been back dooring top 10s, top 15s, I haven’t really been challenging on Sunday so looking forward to actually playing under the pressure a bit.”

Smalley leads crowded PGA Championship as Scheffler, McIlroy, among top contenders It’s anybody’s tournament: Scottie

A LEX SMALLEY birdied the final hole to seize a two shot lead after the third round of the PGA Championship yesterday, while struggling Scottie Scheffler said the tightly packed leaderboard at Aronimink was unlike anything he had seen before. Smalley recovered from a shaky start to card a 2-under 8 and move to 6-under overall, with 43 players within five shots of the lead before the final round. Defending champion Scheffler remained a serious threat despite a frustrating 1-over 71 that left him at 1-under. “Going into tomorrow, it’s quite literally anybody’s tournament,“ Scheffler told reporters. “I’ve never seen a leaderboard like this, this bunched up.” The world No. 1 Scheffler struggled on the greens throughout the day, missing six putts from inside 10 feet despite ranking among the field leaders off the tee and on approach. At one point during the third round, seven players shared the lead as shifting winds and more accessible pin positions produced constant movement atop the leaderboard. Rory McIlroy was among the biggest movers on “moving day”, firing a 4-under 66 to surge back into the picture at 3-under as the Masters champion continued his bid for back-to-back major titles. The golfer from Northern Ireland, who opened the tournament with a 74, looked far more comfortable following wide spread criticism of the severe setup at Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia. McIlroy mixed six birdies with two bogeys to sit three shots behind Smalley, while Jon Rahm, Ludvig Aberg, Aaron Rai, Nick Taylor and Matti Schmid formed the closest chasing group at 4-under. “I feel like I still did enough to think I have a chance going into tomorrow,“ McIlroy told reporters. UKRAINE’S Elina Svitolina signalled her French Open ambitions by battling past world No. 4 Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2 in the Italian Open final yester day to lift her first claycourt title of the season ahead of Roland Garros. Victory over the American followed Svitolina’s wins over world No. 2 Elena Rybakina and third ranked Iga Swiatek, making her a strong contender to claim a maiden Grand Slam title in Paris, where the main draw begins on May 24. Svitolina’s third title in the Italian capital comes eight years after her second successive triumph at the Foro Italico, a spell that included a maternity break in which she gave birth to her daughter with

Rahm carded a 67

and said his game felt as good as it had at any stage since his 2021 US Open-winning season. “That was a fantas tic round of golf, and thrilled to be in a good position for tomor row,” Rahm said. Aberg posted a 68 to continue his pursuit of a first major title, while Rai stayed in the hunt despite a closing bogey after another precise ball-striking display.

Schmid and Taylor each posted 65s to climb into conten tion, while Smalley rebounded from three bogeys in his opening four holes with six birdies over his final 14 holes. Xander Schauffele, who carded a 66 to reach 3-under, and Patrick Reed at 2-under also remained within strik ing distance, while major champions Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Rose and Cameron Smith stayed firmly in the mix heading into the final round. Softer conditions initially brought lower scoring yesterday, but stronger afternoon gusts again exposed Aronimink’s difficulty, leaving dozens of players in contention for what promises to be an unpredictable final-round shootout. – Reuters

like this, one, I’m thinking more about myself,” Rahm said. “What it would mean for Spain as well being the last leg of the grand slam for us as well, there’s a lot of things that would mean a lot, but too much of it is

Scottie Scheffler watches a putt on the fourth hole during the third round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club yesterday. – AFPPIC

out of my control.” – AFP

Svitolina fights off Coco to win Italian Open

Ukrainian pounced again for a double break, before holding her nerve in a tense finish to secure victory on her third match point. A distraught Gauff was left to digest her third straight defeat by Svitolina, following losses in the Australian Open quarterfinals and Dubai semifinals this year. “Another tough battle between us. I’m on the other side but hopefully one of these days I can get over that,“ Gauff said. “You had an incredible tour nament with a lot of long matches against great players, so congratulations to you and your team. Hopefully I’ll see you at the French Open, in the final.” – AFP

ing set, and the 31-year-old dialled up the intensity late in the next set to go within touching distance of a third Rome title. Gauff, the reigning Roland Garros champion, held on bravely until 5-5 in the second set and then broke with a reflex volley at the net after a shot that clipped the netcord unsettled Svitolina and forced her into making a flat return. That joy was short lived as Svitolina broke back immediately, but Gauff raised her game in the tiebreak to drag the match into a deciding set, where there was little to separate the duo after the opening four games. A backhand error from Gauff meant Svitolina sealed a vital break in the fifth game, and the

fellow player Gael Monfils in late 2022. “It’s hard to believe it’s been eight years since I had this trophy here,” Svitolina said. “I’m very pleased with my two weeks here. “Congratulations to Coco for a great tourna ment. You’re such a great champion, and I hope we can have more battles in the future.” Seventh seed Svitolina twice came from a break down to level a tight first set at 4-4 against Gauff, and the Ukrainian held on under huge pressure during exhausting rallies to get ahead in the ninth game with some powerful hitting. A couple of untimely double faults from Gauff’s racket in the next game gifted Svitolina the open