Good evening!

Sporting history was made today as Rory McIlroy became just the sixth men’s golfer to complete a career grand slam, beating Justin Rose in a playoff. You can read more on Rory’s win at the Masters below, but I was also intrigued at the way Rose responded to coming off second best in the high stakes playoff.

He said: "You can't skip through a career without a little bit of heartache…If you're willing to lift the big championships, you've to put yourself on the line. You have to risk feeling this way to get the reverse. It nets out."

A very admirable approach to what I imagine might be the toughest day of his career.

I’ve got 10 seconds

Stat of the day

6
The number of points Liverpool needs to win a record-equalling 20th English Premier League title this season. Liverpool beat West Ham 2-1 on Sunday (local time) courtesy of a late winner scored by Virgil van Dijk. While the season doesn’t end until late May, Liverpool could secure an unassailable lead next week if it wins its match against Leicester City (19th) and Arsenal, who are second and 13 points behind, lose to Ipswich Town (18th).

Quote of the day

"It’s been an incredible weekend, starting off with Qualifying yesterday. To finish the job today in style was nice. I can’t thank the team enough for the car they’ve given us – it’s pretty handy out there.”
Oscar Piastri after claiming his second Formula One victory of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday (local time), ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and McLaren teammate Lando Norris. The Aussie started in pole position and produced a dominant driving display to finish 15.5 seconds ahead of Russell. Piastri is now just three points behind Norris in the overall driver standings. The next race will be the Saudi Arabian GP next weekend.

Random fact of the day

Of the 17 rugby league teams currently active in the NRL, only three have never won a premiership. The New Zealand Warriors, the Gold Coast Titans, and the Redcliffe Dolphins. Of those teams, only the Warriors have played in a grand final (2002 and 2011).

I’ve got 30 seconds

In case you missed it…

The Netherlands’ Mathieu van der Poel has become the third person to win the Paris-Roubaix cycling race three years in a row. The race, known as ‘Hell of the North’ because of its treacherous cobblestones, is one of cycling’s five Monument races – one-day classic races held on an annual basis. Van der Poel proved too strong on the difficult terrain for the current world champion Tadej Pogačar. France’s Pauline Ferrand Prevot won the women’s edition of the race on Saturday. 

The New South Wales Waratahs have won their sixth Super Rugby Women’s title, beating the Queensland Reds 43-21 in the final. The Waratahs led 19-7 at the break before running away with the match in the second half. Waratahs winger Desiree Miller was named the player of the match after scoring a try and recording several key involvements. The side will now take on the Auckland Blues, who won New Zealand’s Super Rugby Aupiki, in the inaugural Super Rugby Championship.

Matildas star Mary Fowler left the field with a suspected knee injury during the first half of an FA Cup semi-final match between her English club Manchester City and rival Manchester United. Man City ultimately lost the match 2-0 as Man United booked themselves a spot in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. Coach Nick Cushing would not confirm details of the injury and said further assessment was needed. Losing Fowler to injury for an extended period would be a big blow for the Matildas, a side that is reliant on the 22-year-old’s attacking prowess.

With seven weeks remaining in the regular season of Super Rugby Pacific, all four Australian teams are in finals contention (i.e. the top six on the table). Two New Zealand-based teams, the Chiefs and Crusaders, lead the competition in first and second. They are followed by Australia’s ACT Brumbies, Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs, and Western Force, who make up the remainder of the top six in that order. Over the weekend, the Brumbies claimed a memorable 39-26 win over the Reds while the Waratahs showed they have the pedigree to go toe-to-toe with the competition’s best, beating the Chiefs 21-14. The Force had a bye.

The 170th edition of The Boat Race, an annual rowing race between English universities Cambridge and Oxford, was won by Cambridge – both the men’s and women’s events. Cambridge holds the most wins overall, with 87 in the men’s and 48 in the women’s event (held since the 1920s). The race, rowed on the Thames, was marred by controversy this year over which students were eligible to compete.

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Rory McIlory wins Masters to break 11-year major drought and complete career grand slam

Rory McIlroy has won the Masters, beating England's Justin Rose in a playoff at Augusta National. After 11 years without winning a major, the Northern Irishman becomes just the sixth men's golfer to complete a career grand slam (i.e. win all four majors). The Masters is the first of four annual major championships in men's golf, and McIlroy has now won five major titles in total.

What happened

The final round was touted as a two-way race between McIlroy and American Bryson DeChambeau, who began the day just two shots behind McIlroy in the lead. McIlroy would end up doing battle with Rose, who led the tournament after the first and second rounds and posted a remarkable final round score of six under par to put himself back into contention. After McIlroy missed a relatively straightforward putt on the 18th, the two players' scores were tied, and the tournament went to a playoff.

The tournament-deciding hole was played on the 18th. McIlroy hit two stunning shots to ensure an easy putt for birdie, while Rose was unable to sink a 15-foot birdie attempt, and the Northern Irishman sealed his place in history (if it already wasn’t) as one of the greatest to play the game. It’s the second time that Rose, an Olympic gold medallist and 2013 U.S. Open winner, has been to a playoff at the Masters and lost.

What they said

McIlroy said: “Just a complete roller coaster of emotions today. What came out of me on the last green there in the playoff was at least 11 years, if not 14 years, of pent-up emotion.”

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Australian Athletics Championships showcases world-class talent

The Australian Athletics Championships took place over the weekend, with national records being broken and the attention of many focused on Australia’s newest rising star, Gout Gout.

Gout Gout wins 200m

After Lachlan Kennedy beat Gout Gout by 0.04 seconds in the 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet two weeks ago, the rematch between the two on Sunday was hotly anticipated. However, it was not to be, as Kennedy was disqualified for false starting. So, Gout Gout ran against the clock and recorded a personal best time of 19.84. Unfortunately, as with his 100m results late last week, the time will not count as an official record due to a tailwind that exceeded two metres per second. In all conditions, it is the second fastest 200m time for an under-20 athlete ever. Gout still holds the national record of 20.04 seconds, which he set in December.

Gout said after the race: “I took off, got my flick and just sent it down the home straight. These are the steps we take to the top, and you know, these are the steps I have to take to potentially become a world champion or an Olympic champion.”

Bol sets national record

Veteran 800m runner Peter Bol set a new national record of 1:43.79. The Olympic finalist beat Peyton Craig and defending national champion Luke Boyes.

Bol said: “Honestly, I didn’t even think about the national record. I thought about getting the fourth national title, and man, I knew I just had to get out hard. I didn’t want to get stuck at the back and run out of the race”.

Olyslagers eclipses Patterson

Nicole Olyslagers won the women’s high jump, clearing the bar at 2.01 metres ahead of Eleanor Patterson at 1.97 metres. The two-time Olympic medallist has now won six straight national titles. She attempted to clear the bar at 2.05 metres to surpass her 2.03 metre national record mark, but was unable to do so.

Men’s and women’s 100m

The senior 100m events were the highlight of Saturday’s schedule. In the women’s race, Torrie Lewis was determined the winner in a photo finish with 17-year-old Leah O’Brien and Bree Rizzo by just four thousandths of a second. O’Brien made headlines on Friday after she set a new national record for the under-18 women’s 100m. Her performance in the senior 100m proved she has what it takes to compete with more senior athletes.

In the men’s 100m, Rohan Browning beat Lachlan Kennedy by five thousandths of a second, with both sprinters clocking a time of 10.01. The Olympic semi-finalist said after the race: “I had all the training data to suggest that I’m in the best shape of my life but I hadn’t showcased that to anybody. I wanted to come out and remind these guys who their Dad is!”

Looking back…

Looking forward… (All times are AEST)

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