It wasn’t surprising Matt Kuchar was smiling after the biggest win of his career moved him to No 5 in the world and No 3 in the US Ryder Cup rankings. The popular American, who was congratulated on the 18th green by his young family at The Players Championship, always appears to have a grin which stretches from ear to ear.
“Yeah, he’s smiling all the time,” said Kuchar’s father, Peter. “But he’ll step on your throat.”
Kuchar had earned the reputation as a cash machine rather than a serial winner after eight top-25 finishes in his last 10 events. But victory in Sawgrass showed he has also got the killer touch. It was his first win since The Barclays in September 2010.
Now Kuchar, who at 33 is slightly older than the new generation of US golfers like Masters champion Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler, is a Major contender for the US Open next month.
“I think he convinced himself, ‘I can play on a big stage, I can win majors,’ ” his caddie Lance Bennett said.
Kuchar won the US Amateur title 15 years ago and tied for 14th at the 1998 US Open. That, by the way, was at the Olympic Club in San Francisco where the second Major of the season returns on June 14.
But even when an event gets serious, he always looks like he is enjoying his game.
“It’s not meant to fool you, it is completely a natural reaction,” he said of his trademark grin. “I love playing the game of golf, I have fun doing it, I am a golf junkie.
“I have to force myself to take vacations where I cannot play golf, where the clubs don’t make it, because the game is just always so challenging, and I think it’s that challenge that’s addictive to me.
“I feel like I’m so lucky to be doing what I do. I’m out there, I’m enjoying myself, having a good time. The smile is there because I’m having a good time, because I’m loving playing golf.”
Tiger Woods has announced he will warm up for the Open playing the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia from July 5-8. The world No 7 will also play the Memorial Tournament starting on May 31 as his final even before the US Open. Woods finished tied 40th at The Players Championship – the same as at the Masters – for his worst three-tournament run as a professional.
Eden Hazard has stated he will soon reveal which Manchester club he will sign for next season.
The Belgian dazzler has been the hottest young property in Europe during the current campaign, and has at one time or another been linked with moves to all the major leagues.
But it’s become clear that he has his heart set on a future in the Premier League – and he has nailed down exactly where he intends to land. A club in Manchester. We can probably rule out Wythenshawe Town.
The Lille playmaker received the award for the French Player of the Year for the second consecutive season last night after scoring 17 goals and giving 15 assists.
Most wanted: Hazard is one of the hottest young properties in Europe
The Belgian confirmed he will play his final game for Lille against Nancy on Sunday.
And as for his future next season, the 21-year-old said: “It will be Manchester. The decision is going to be taken. You will soon all know.”
The decision between City and United will at some stage boil down to terms, which will throw light on two interesting issues.
Firstly, Sir Alex Ferguson’s view that City’s millions have ‘ruined the transfer market’.
Secondly, how far and how soon, will City start adjusting their spending in light of UEFA’s financial fair play rules?
Randy Lerner knew he had to swallow his pride and sack Alex McLeish after Villa Park became a cauldron of hate.
Villa’s US owner Lerner went against supporters’ wishes to appoint McLeish from relegated arch rivals Birmingham last summer.
Lerner splashed out £1.5million in compensation for Big ‘Eck to succeed Gerard Houllier despite protests from fans.
And even during a miserable campaign with just seven League wins, Lerner was doggedly sticking by his man – stressing the need for continuity.
Villa fans wanted McLeish out
But the turning point was when Lerner attended the 2-1 home defeat to Bolton on Tuesday April 24.
Villa threw away the lead to lose and the final whistle was greeted with vitriolic personal abuse against McLeish from thousands of fans.
‘F*** off McLeish the Villa is ours’, sang thousands of supporters in the 32,263 crowd.
Lerner himself even got flak despite investing nearly £200m of his own money in the club.
McLeish’s Scottish compatriot Owen Coyle, the Bolton boss, described the atmosphere as “poisonous”.
Fans with flyers expressing their feelings towards manager Alex McLeish
It was the moment Lerner finally realised enough was enough and he would have to axe the Scot after all rather than risk a plunge in season ticket sales.
Villa released a statement the following day post-Bolton backing McLeish for their three remaining matches.
But even though Villa always looked likely to just avoid relegation, McLeish was a dead man walking at Villa from then on as his side scraped in to finish 16th.
Planned meetings to line up transfer targets – like Wolves midfielder Karl Henry – for next season were scrapped after the Bolton loss as reported by MirrorSport.
And yesterday the American billionaire put his ego and pride to one side to do what he believes is best for Aston Villa as he bowed to fans’ wishes.
Lerner and his chief executive Paul Faulkner spent last week in America plotting new plans for the future of the club.
They are now targeting a ‘young and hungry’ boss to better motivate their squad and revive Villa’s fortunes after a wretched campaign.
McLeish succeeded in his brief to reduce the club’s £80m wage bill down to a more sustainable level.
He leaves with his CV dented but his dignity in tact after conducting himself well in the face of a massive injury-crisis and constant abuse.
It meant McLeish even had to move house from the outskirts of Birmingham to a new place near Stratford.
Poor signings didn’t help McLeish’s cause
His other purchases, however, such as Alan Hutton, Charles N’Zogbia, Jermaine Jenas and Enda Stevens, have not been so shrewd.
N’Zogbia was McLeish’s only big-money signing last summer in the wake of Stewart Downing and Ashley Young’s sales.
But the mercurial French winger has been a disaster at Villa Park with just two goals – compared to his 10 for Wigan last term.
He was one of several players McLeish struggled to fire up as Villa under-performed this season.
They were so bad, fans’ struggled to even come up with a player of the season, which eventually went to Stephen Ireland.
The club failed to record back-to-back League wins all season as they finished with their worst-ever Premier League points’ tally of just 38.
Sunday’s lame loss at Norwich saw Villa’s top-flight campaign end without a whimper as they ended with just one win in 16 games.
Instead some stars have shown more fight off the field as James Collins, Fabian Delph and Chris Herd got into a recent nightclub scuffle when they broke a curfew which showed a lack of respect towards McLeish.
While simmering resentment among fans against McLeish turned into open revolt at his cautious tactics as Villa secured just four home League wins all season.
Aston Villa fans protest against boss Alex McLeish
By the time of their final home game with Tottenham, fans had even taken out an advert on the back of the local paper against McLeish.
Many felt the writing has always been on the wall that ex-Birmingham boss McLeish would fail at Villa.
He enjoyed the briefest honeymoon period as Villa were unbeaten for their opening six games against Fulham, Blackburn, Hereford, Wolves, Everton and Newcastle.
But supporters never once ever sang ‘Alex McLeish’s claret and blue army’.
Instead last weekend Villa fans even clamoured for Norwich boss Paul Lambert who is keen on the vacant position.
McLeish’s successor will inherit a lot of potential as Villa have a superb infrastructure, fan-base and some decent players like Shay Given, Darren Bent, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ciaran Clark.
McLeish has done a lot of the dirty work offloading Habib Beye and Emile Heskey and seeing Downing and Young sold.
But McLeish has ultimately paid a very heavy price and although his mantra is to have no regrets, surely Big ‘Eck made a big mistake going to Villa Park.
Kenny Dalglish is facing showdown talks in Boston today over his Anfield future.
Dalglish jetted out to America yesterday to deliver his end of season report to owners Fenway Sports Group.
And after reports of his bosses showing interest in Wigan’s Roberto Martinez, Dalglish is determined to put an end to the uncertainty caused by Liverpool’s miserable league campaign.
Owners John W Henry and Tom Werner have yet to say publicly that Dalglish will be in charge next season as they conduct their review.
They want to hear Dalglish explain why Liverpool could only manage to finish eighth, 37 points behind Manchester City and Manchester United.
They want to know why the Reds could not even challenge for their pre-season target of a Champions League spot, despite them splashing out £110million on players over the last 18 months.
Dalglish, 61, will want to gauge Henry and Werner’s mood and he was unimpressed by reports on Sunday that Martinez is being lined up to replace him.
Roberto Martinez: being lined up as Dalglish’s replacement?
He has defended Liverpool’s season as “not too bad”, pointing to their Carling Cup success – their first trophy in six years – and qualifying for Europe as signs of progress.
The Glaswegian wants to know if Henry and Werner remain behind him and the Americans have shown they are prepared to be ruthless by wielding the axe at Anfield.
They have already dispensed with director of football Damien Comolli, head of sports science Peter Brukner and director of communications Ian Cotton.
Fans fear Dalglish could be in their sights and want their Kop idol to be given at least another season.
Manchester City have apologised to Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson after striker Carlos Tevez held up a banner goading his former manager.
Tevez has also expressed his regret after he was pictured with a sign which read ‘RIP Fergie’ during City’s celebratory title-winning parade in Manchester.
The 28-year-old is thought to have been passed or thrown the banner by a fan as City’s open-top bus made its way through the city centre with the squad and the Barclays Premier League trophy.
A City spokeswoman said: “The creation of the tasteless material is in itself reprehensible and in accepting and brandishing it, Carlos has made a significant error of judgement.
“The club wishes to express its sincerest apologies to Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United Football Club for any offence or distress caused.”
The sign may have been a reference to a remark by Ferguson three years ago when asked if United would ever be underdogs against City.
“Not in my lifetime,” the Scot said.
Tevez, who spent two years at Old Trafford before leaving for City in 2009, said: “I got carried away in the excitement of the moment and I certainly didn’t mean any disrespect to Sir Alex Ferguson, who I admire as a man and a manager.”
City pipped arch rivals United to the title on goal difference after a dramatic last-gasp 3-2 win over QPR on the final day of the season.
Lukas Podolski last night claimed he can be three strikers rolled into one for Arsenal next season.
Versatile German striker Podolski, Arsenal’s £10.9m signing, said: “In Cologne, I played as a centre forward and also as a playmaker.
“In the national team I play wide on the left, I honestly don’t mind where I play, as long as it’s in a forward position. But it’s always the coach who decides where you play and I will do my best wherever I play.
Will Podolski have to fill van Persie’s boots next season?
“I had a very good season with Cologne, I played well and as a result I’m now going to Euro 2012 in the summer with lots of confidence. After that, I will be joining up with my new team mates at Arsenal and it is my goal just to do my best and be successful there.”
Robin van Persie could be heading for a sensational £25m move to Manchester City.
Van Persie will hold crunch talks over his future on Wednesday and Arsenal fear he will tell them he wants to leave.
City are leading a three-way battle for van Persie with Manchester United and Juventus but it is believed the newly-crowned Premier League champions are in pole position.
Big-spending City are prepared to more than TREBLE his wages to £250,000-a-week to snap up another Arsenal player after already signing Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and Kolo Toure.
Wenger has already insisted he will not sell van Persie to City for any price but Arsenal will not be able to match the contract on offer and then must decide whether to hold him to his contract or sell and cut their losses.
Robin van Persie with manager Arsene Wenger: farewell hug?
Arsenal’s board are believed to be ready to hold van Persie to his contract – but that may be tested by City’s determination and whether the Arsenal striker forces the issue.
It promises to be another painful saga for Arsenal fans after losing Cesc Fabregas and Nasri last summer and it has become clear in recent weeks that van Persie has been reluctant to commit himself long term.
Van Persie even said after the win at West Brom on Sunday that he will always love Arsenal “whatever happens” and it now appears that he is preparing the groundwork.
Arsenal have taken encouragement that van Persie has taken his captaincy duties so seriously by organising a family barbeque for the players and his wife Bouchra has also set up a girls’ night out for the partners.
Could van Persie hook up with former team-mate Kolo Toure at City?
But even though van Persie has affection for the club and will be offered a £130,000-a-week contract and lucrative £5m signing-on fee they face a massive battle to keep their talismanic captain.
City want van Persie to be their main striker as they also brace themselves for a move by Real Madrid for Sergio Aguero this summer.
And despite van Persie giving indications he wanted to move abroad, it appears City’s courting of the player’s representatives may be about to pay off.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are also believed to be keen but neither are believed to be ready to move in and may already be facing a losing battle with City.
Nicklas Bendtner was axed by Martin O’Neill after being late for the team bus – and now faces a search for a new club.
The Danish striker will return to Arsenal this summer and hope for a fresh chance after his loan spell at Sunderland ended in double embarrassment.
Bendtner said his goodbyes on Wearside after Sunderland’s defeat by Manchester United – and was later spoken to by police on the way home from the Stadium of Light for “erratic” driving.
The 24-year-old’s exit leaves Sunderland desperate to find a goal scoring striker – or two – in the transfer market, with no prolific front men in their squad.
Bendtner scored eight goals during his year on loan and has also been impressive for Denmark.
He had been linked with a switch to Germany before moving to the North East in August.
Craig Gordon: on his way out
O’Neill is also ready to wield the axe elsewhere in his squad – with keeper Craig Gordon’s contract running out and the club unwilling to offer him anything near the same wages, because Simon Mignolet is now No1.
O’Neill said: “I know we have a lot to do and next season starts here for me. You can see clearly we have work to do and there are a variety of issues to address. We’ll take time to reflect on that and then move on as quickly as possible.”
Meanwhile defender John O’Shea, who limped off against Manchester United, has been cleared to play for Ireland at the Euros after an injury scare.
A Sunderland spokeswoman said: “John suffered a knock to his ankle in training prior to the Fulham game, which he aggravated slightly in Sunday’s game against Manchester United.
“He was taken off as a precaution and following positive results from a scan last night, he will meet up with the Republic of Ireland squad as scheduled next week.”
He is now one of the golden boys of British athletics but things could have been different for World Champion Dai Greene.
Diagnosed with epilepsy at 17, the teenager was devastated when doctors said he’d have to give up his boozy late nights out with his mates.
But Dai quickly found the thing that was to save him – an incredible talent for athletics.
He turned his life around and is now one of the brightest Team GB medal hopes at London 2012.
The 26-year-old, who became the 400-metre hurdles world champion last year, says it was only the chance discovery of his hurdling ability that helped him control his condition.
“It was my lifestyle that had to change and I had the reason to do that with athletics – a reason that I’d never had before,” explains Dai.
“And I wanted to be the best athlete I possibly could.”
A talented footballer, Dai joined Swansea City at just 13.
But after training and playing for several years in the youth team – and even scoring a penalty against Real Madrid – he fell out of love with the game and quit.
Success: With the gold medal he won in Daegu
Without football in his life, at the age of 17, Dai started going out with his friends in his hometown of Llanelli, Wales, and he soon found out that he had epilepsy.
“With football gone, I was discovering girls, I went out every Saturday without fail with my mates and I was really enjoying myself,” he remembers.
“I went round to my friend’s house on New Year’s Eve for a party and their parents were there so I didn’t drink too much or anything like that.
“But the next day I was playing computer games and an hour later I woke up in hospital.
“My younger brother Danny said I just fell off the bed. I have no memory of it at all.
“The doctors said: ‘You seem to have had an epileptic seizure’, which was a bit strange as it didn’t run in my family, although Danny’s since developed it, too.
“That was on New Year’s Day in 2003, but it didn’t happen again for about a year and a half.
“The next time it happened was when I was away with my mates in Magaluf, Majorca.
“We’d been out the night before – not going crazy – and were leaving the hotel to go to the beach, when I had a seizure at the front of the hotel and fell on the concrete floor.
“I had to go to hospital as I cracked loads of teeth and cut my face open. Everyone thought I’d been in a fight.”
Dai explains that epileptics don’t realise what’s going on when they’re having a seizure. He says: “You just wake up really tired and aching.
“It’s worse for those who have to watch you convulsing.
“I had a few more during the next few years, and every time I had one it was from lack of sleep or when my sleeping was interrupted.
“But I didn’t let it dictate my life because I was partying hard before I went to university.”
Hurdles: Dai at the World Championships
Luckily, Dai refound his sporting ability at the University of Bath.
“Basically, I found athletics,” he says. “I fell in with the right crowd and for the next four years I just learned more about the sport.
“Epilepsy wasn’t an issue because I chose not to go out partying on purpose.
“I also persuaded my specialist to let me stop taking my medication – sodium valproate – as it made me drowsy.
“I was lucky I fell into athletics at that stage because I wouldn’t have changed my lifestyle for the epilepsy.”
It was a path that may lead to Olympic glory. Dai’s gold medal at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, propelled him to the top of world athletics, but he hasn’t let success go to his head.
He says: “It was what I’d worked towards for a number of years – it wasn’t just an overnight success. It was the proudest moment of my life .”
Dai receives funding from the National Lottery, which allows him to concentrate on his training, but he knows that in an Olympic year, he has to control what he does – and ultimately control his epilepsy.
“I still have to be incredibly sensible in what I do with early nights, no booze and frequent meals as hunger is a trigger,” he says.
“Even when I have an off period, I can’t go too crazy because the threat of having a seizure doesn’t go away.
“As long as you’re focused and dedicated – especially in a sport – there’s no reason it should dictate your life.”
Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in childhood, with more than 60,000 children and young people affected in the UK.
Dai, an ambassador for charity Young Epilepsy, adds: “It’s hard when you’re young. There’s not too much awareness of it in schools and people don’t realise what’s happening.
“If I share a room with someone at a championships, the first thing I do is say, ‘I suffer from epilepsy so don’t be worried if I’m sat making noises or whatever, just make sure I don’t hurt myself’.
“You have to make people aware of it, they’re not going to judge you.”
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has reiterated his desire to keep on-loan Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor at White Hart Lane, but admitted wages remained a stumbling block.
The Togo international netted his 17th Barclays Premier League goal of the campaign yesterday as Spurs Fulham 2-0 to secure fourth place.
Redknapp stressed his wish for Adebayor to stay after the game, but accepted finances may prove a problem.
“He was only a loan and his loan is up,” the 65-year-old said. “It is up to the chairman if we could loan him again. I would like to keep him, obviously. He has done great for us.
“But I don’t know. We don’t pay them wages – the only way we could do a deal was if the chairman did a clever deal like he did this year for him.”
Adebayor joined City from Tottenham’s local rivals Arsenal in 2009 but soon fell out of favour after a promising start at the Etihad Stadium.
Despite still being registered to the new Premier League champions, Redknapp is sure Adebayor would be available.
“They don’t want him. They don’t want to see him ever again, if we are being honest,” he said. “They want him out of the way and that is why they let him go.”
Spurs’ fourth-placed finish would normally guarantee a place in the Champions League qualifying play-off, but Chelsea will snatch that spot away from Spurs if they can beat Bayern Munich in the final of this year’s competition on Saturday.
Although he faces an anxious wait over the club’s European place, Redknapp hailed the campaign as a success.
Will it be enough? Harry Redknapp is seating to see if fourth place will bring Champions League football next season
He said: “We can’t do any more – win [against Fulham] and finish fourth. “At the start of the season we wanted fourth position and I couldn’t be more pleased with what the players have done here this year and nor should anyone else.
“If people start getting carried away with what Tottenham should be doing they need a reality check.”
Fulham boss Martin Jol was pleased with the warm reception he was given by the Tottenham fans on his first return to White Hart Lane since his sacking in 2007.
“I know the Spurs fans are great,” the Dutchman said. “I meet them in town and in the city and I feel that it is always good in football to have a connection with your former club.
“I always feel a little awkward – I’m here with my new girl and then I have to be nice to my old missus, and that is a strange feeling.
“I thought that I owed it to them to give them a wave and perhaps our fans won’t like it but it is not easy.”
Loading ...