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Open at Royal Birkdale: Burns leads, as SA golfers fall out of the mix
South African golf fans will seemingly have to wait a little longer for this country’s next Major golf champion. truewildgame.com
Not one of the five South Africans who made the halfway cut at the Open Championship being played at Royal Birkdale in west England are likely to challenge for the Claret Jug on Sunday.
The last time a South African won a Major title was in 2012 when Ernie Els triumphed at the Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes.
The best-placed South Africans after the third round on Saturday are Casey Jarvis and Hennie du Plessis, who are tied for 29th on a score of two-under-par, eight shots off the leader.
Jarvis shot a third round 68 on Saturday and will hope to move further up the leaderboard during the final round, as will Du Plessis, whose steady consistent golf should bring him good reward after the tournament. He shot 69 on Saturday.
Shaun Norris is on a total of one-under-par after an even-par round on Saturday. He is tied 38th at the moment.
MJ Daffue, who fell back after recording a two-over-par 72 on Saturday, is down in a tie for 58th place.
Further back is Aldrich Potgieter, who shot a 71 in his third round, to be on a total of two-over-par and tied 64th.
The three other South Africans who teed it up on Thursday and Friday, but failed to make the cut, are amateur Jack Buchanan, Michael Hollick and Jayden Schaper.
Burns leads the way
Leading the Open after the third round on 10-under-par is American Sam Burns.
After recording a fabulous record equalling Major low round of 62 on Friday, Burns went round the course in 65 blows on Saturday. He made six birdies and one bogey. His opening round Thursday was a 73.
Two strokes back on eight-under-par are Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim.
Fox, out early in the day, shot the third 62 of the tournament, following Lucas Herbert and Burns, while Kim went round in 67 shots.
Ryan Gerard and Herbert are tied fourth on seven-under-par, while three players are at minus six, including Bryson DeChambeau.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is on a total of four-under-par, six off the leader Burns.
Bok centre calls it a day
A concussion scare and a growing desire to spend more time with his family have prompted another former Springbok to bring the curtain down on a distinguished professional career.
After more than 300 senior appearances across 16 years, Francois Venter has announced his retirement from rugby, saying his body made it clear the time had come to move on.
“The decision to retire came with time. My body told me the time was right to focus on another part of my life. It’s time to put my energy into something else,” the 35-year-old told Rapport.
MORE: Polly pulled hammy, Sacha back to tackle Pumas
The bruising Sharks midfielder said a severe head knock during his career gave him a new perspective on what matters most.
“I just felt it was the right time to close this chapter of my rugby career and focus on my family. I got a huge fright with my concussion. There are more important things in life.”
The former Grey College star fulfilled a lifelong ambition by becoming Springbok No 877, earning seven Test caps between 2016 and 2017 after making his debut against England at Twickenham.
Although he admitted he would have loved a longer international career, he has no regrets.
“Before I made the decision to retire, I always wondered whether what I’d done was enough. My biggest dream was to play for the Springboks and have a successful professional career.
“Obviously I would have liked to play more Tests, but that wasn’t in the Lord’s plan.”
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
The post Bok centre calls it a day appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Coupe du monde 2026 : Deschamps assume la défaite des Bleus et se projette vers l’avenir
Battue par l’Angleterre (4-6) lors du match pour la troisième place de la Coupe du monde 2026, l’équipe de France a quitté le tournoi sur une note frustrante malgré une seconde période plus convaincante.
Au terme de la rencontre, Didier Deschamps a reconnu les insuffisances de ses joueurs en première période et a pris sa part de responsabilité dans ce scénario.
Un début de match qui a coûté cher aux Bleus
Face aux Three Lions, les Français ont complètement manqué leur entame, regagnant les vestiaires avec un lourd retard de quatre buts. Une situation que le sélectionneur tricolore regrette, tout en soulignant la réaction de son équipe après la pause.
« Nous avons montré une autre image en deuxième période, celle d’une équipe capable de réagir et de produire du jeu. Mais nous n’avons pas réussi à le faire dès le début, et cela nous a pénalisés », a expliqué Deschamps au Micro de M6.
Deschamps prend ses responsabilités
Le technicien français n’a pas cherché à se défausser après cette défaite spectaculaire. Il estime que les choix effectués avant et pendant la rencontre n’ont pas permis aux Bleus d’être suffisamment performants dès les premières minutes.
Malgré ce revers, Deschamps retient également les aspects positifs du parcours français dans ce Mondial, même si l’élimination en demi-finale face à l’Espagne reste un regret.
Un avenir prometteur pour les Bleus
Pour son dernier tournoi à la tête de la sélection, Didier Deschamps a tenu à mettre en avant la qualité du groupe français et le potentiel des jeunes joueurs présents dans l’effectif.
Selon lui, cette génération possède les ressources nécessaires pour continuer à viser les sommets dans les prochaines années. Il a également insisté sur l’aventure humaine vécue avec son groupe durant la compétition.
Après plusieurs années à la tête des Bleus, Deschamps va désormais laisser sa place, avec le sentiment d’avoir accompagné une équipe capable de rester parmi les grandes nations du football mondial.
The post Coupe du monde 2026 : Deschamps assume la défaite des Bleus et se projette vers l’avenir appeared first on AfricaFootUnited.