06/07/2026

SPORTS MONDAY | JULY 6, 2026 26 T HERE’S not much separation in the John Deere Classic through three rounds at Silvis, Ill. Lee Hodges shot four-under-par 67 and moved into a tie with Lucas Glover yesterday. “Everybody is going to have to be aggressive, so I’ve got to hit it a little bet ter tomorrow to achieve the ultimate goal,” Glover said. Glover, the second-round leader, posted 69. The duo is at 16-under 197 with a one-stroke advantage going into the final round at TPC Deere Run. Ben Kohles (66), Jackson Suber (66) and Zac Blair (67) are one shot back. No member of that trio has won on the PGA Tour. “I’ve been watching my friends win for years,” Kohles said. “I’ve obviously had a good run on the Korn Ferry Tour and won a few times there. I know what it takes. I just got to (suck it) up and do it tomorrow.”

Down to the wire Hodges, Glover share narrow lead at John Deere Classic

Preston Stout (66), Chandler Phillips (65) and Max Homa (68). Other than Hisatsune, the leader board’s top 18 golfers is comprised of US golfers, perhaps fitting for Independence Day. The best round of the day was turned in by Rickie Fowler with 63, a mark that reflected just one bogey. He notched an eagle on the par-four 14th, with a putt from about 40 feet and is among those tied for 12th place at 11 under. “I don’t think the golf course is as easy as some of the guys out here make it look, but I think it’s a good golf course,” Fowler said. “You have to kind of hit your spots.” The start of the round was delayed because of weather-related concerns, then golfers were sent off on Nos. 1 and 10 in threesomes, so the round was on track to be completed sooner than ini tially projected until the suspension late in the round. – Field Level Media

“Nothing is really going to change,” Kohles said of the pursuit of birdies among the lead groups. “Looking to do the same thing, doing the same routine, and going at it again tomorrow.” Most golfers had completed their rounds before a lightning delay with 10 golfers still needing to finish the round. Play resumed about 45 minutes later. Blair, playing his ninth PGA Tour event of the season, posted an eagle on the second hole, though he gave that back with a double-bogey six on No. 11 marking the only glitch in his round until a bogey on No. 18. Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune (69) is tied for eighth place at 12 under with amateur

Hodges played the back nine in a bogey-free four-under.

Other than a six foot birdie putt on No. 17, Glover had only pars on the backside. The 2021 John Deere Classic winner and the 2009 US Open cham

“It definitely could have got away from me today, the tournament, but I played myself right back in there,” Hodges said. “So I’m really proud of that.” K o h l e s ,

pion, Glover sank a 57 footer for eagle from a bunker on the par-5 No. 2 and made his lone bogey with a tap-in at No. 9.

appearing in a PGA Tour tourna ment for the eighth time this year, recorded birdies on three of the final five holes.

Vingegaard

yellow jersey redemption

JONAS VINGEGAARD’S dream of recapturing the Tour de France yellow jersey after a gap of three years came true yesterday, marking a remarkable comeback from a harrowing crash in 2024. The 29-year-old Dane’s Visma-Lease a Bike squad triumphed in the team time trial that kicked off the 2026 Tour de France in Barcelona. Vingegaard last wore the coveted yellow jer sey when he celebrated his second consecutive Tour de France victory on the Champs-Elysees in 2023. At the time, few doubted his ability to extend his dominance but a devastating crash in the Tour of the Basque Country in April 2024 drasti cally altered the trajectory of his career when he suffered a broken collarbone, multiple fractured ribs, a pulmonary contusion and a collapsed lung. “I was on the ground thinking I was going to die,” Vingegaard told a press conference after Saturday’s win. “Honestly, you don’t think about cycling when you’re there; you just think about staying alive. “Being back in the yellow jersey is, for me, the most important (thing),” Vingegaard said. “It’s something I dreamt of for the last three years. I will enjoy every moment that I’m going to be wearing it.” Despite his injuries, Vingegaard returned to the Tour de France two months after the crash, winning a stage but falling far short of challeng ing Slovenian rival Tadej Pogacar, who claimed TEENAGE sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his international debut for India on Saturday but England young gun Jacob Bethell ensured the “unbelievable tal ent” finished on the losing side in the second T20 at Old Trafford. At just 15 years and 99 days old, Sooryavanshi replaced batting great Sachin Tendulkar as India’s youngest men’s player and marked his entrance onto the world stage with two stunning sixes as he scored 14 from 10 balls. Yet it was fellow left-handed batsman Bethell, a rela tive veteran at the age 22, who made the telling contri bution as England went 1-0 up in a five-match series after Wednesday’s washout in Durham. England were faltering at 51-3, chasing 191 for vic tory, when Bethell walked into bat but he responded with an expertly-paced 76 not out as the hosts beat the T20 world champions by four wickets. The match turned decisively in England’s favour in the 17th over of their chase that went for 29 runs, with Bethell striking two free-hit sixes following back-foot no-balls from Ravi Bishnoi. The spinner’s four wicketless overs cost an expen sive 60 runs. Bethell hit five fours and five sixes in 46 balls faced as England won with an over to spare. He rated this innings above even his remarkable 154 in the Ashes finale in Sydney and his 105 in a T20 World

Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard celebrates on the podium after claiming the overall leader’s yellow jersey following the opening stage of the Tour de France in Barcelona, Spain yesterday. – AFPPIC

debut in May, and he is bidding for a rare Giro Tour double. The last rider to achieve it was Pogacar in 2024 – only the eighth cyclist in his tory to do so.“The next stages will already be very hard ones,” Vingegaard said. “From now on, it’s just going to be fighting every single day to do the best possible.” – Reuters

sons,” Vingegaard said. “I’ve been at times struggling in the last few years and then now I feel like I can close this chapter in the book.” Vingegaard’s 2026 season has already been productive, with vic tory at the Giro d’Italia on his

the title with appar ent ease in the 2024 and 2025 edi tions. “It’s been a few hard years for me, for obvious rea

Dinusha shines for Sri Lanka in Windies Test

Bethell upstages ‘unbelievable’ Sooryavanshi as England beat India

SONAL DINUSHA missed out on a maiden Test century but Sri Lanka continued to pile on the runs in reaching an impressive 549 for nine declared after tea on the second day of the second and final Test against the West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua yesterday. Having thrashed the visitors by an innings and 217 runs inside four days in the first Test at the same venue, the home side needed more than one slice of luck to get to the close at 58 for one in reply. Coming to the crease late on day one when the West Indies enjoyed success with the second new ball, Dinusha and Kusal Mendis faced very few alarms as their sixth wicket partnership advanced slowly through another bright morning on a pitch offering very little assistance to the home side’s pace-heavy attack. Accelerating after the lunch interval, their stand was worth 143 runs and they looked set for many more when Mendis became a victim of his own exaggerated ambition, bowled behind his legs for 69 when attempting to scoop fast-medium bowler Anderson Phillip to the leg-side. Finding a resolute partner in Milan

Cup semifinal against India in March as it led to victory. “I’m very pleased,” Bethell told reporters. “There’s nothing sweeter as a batter than walking off with a win, not out, shaking the boys’ hands. There’s a few scars against India so it’s nice to get one up on them.” Earlier, Sooryavanshi opened in front of a majority Indian crowd in Manchester, with the match being watched by a primetime television audience back home. Sooryavanshi forced his way into India’s tour squad following stunning displays in the Indian Premier League, where he emerged as the leading batsman this season with 776 runs for the Rajasthan Royals. But he was left on the sidelines for India’s shock 2-0 series loss to Ireland in Belfast and Wednesday’s series opener. “It feels weird to say that I’m playing against some one seven years younger than me, but he is an unbe lievable talent,”said Bethell of Sooryavanshi.“The swing he has is so pure.” India captain Shreyas Iyer said Sooryavanshi was “fearless”, adding: “The way he approaches his game, it’s sensational to watch.” With 49 required off 24 balls, England had work to do until Bethell’s assault on Bishnoi. The series continues in Nottingham on Wednesday (12.30am Malaysian time). – AFP

Rathnayaka, the 25-year-old left-hander was within sight of the landmark when the introduction of Kavem Hodge to toss up his part-time left-arm spin caused him to get too greedy. Hodge’s first two deliveries were put away for boundaries, taking Dinusha to 92. Off the third ball though, he appeared to be caught in two minds and only suc ceeded in popping up a simple catch to Brandon King at cover. His innings occupied 166 deliveries, highlighted by 12 fours. Sri Lanka’s head coach Gary Kirsten was particularly pleased with the way the over night pair carried on the good work of the first day. “We really wanted to come back today and carry on the good work and Kusal and Sonal did just that, with guys chipping in with important runs afterwards,” said the former South African batsman. “Sonal complemented Kusal very well. He’s a gutsy cricketer. I always like a player who comes in at six or seven (in the batting order) and is prepared to stick around. “I am looking forward to watching him in the future,” he added. – AFP