22 May 2022

Today's sports news: What you need to know

6:20 pm on 22 May 2022

Latest - Tiger Woods withdraws from PGA Championship

Tiger Woods of the United States plays a shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club on May 20, 2022 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Tiger Woods Photo: AFP

Tiger Woods withdrew from the PGA Championship on Sunday, after carding one of his worst rounds ever at a major tournament: a nine-over 79.

Woods, in his second start after a car crash 15 months ago nearly cost him his right leg, appeared dejected and in pain as he trudged off the 18th green at Southern Hill Country Club.

Asked if he would be back for Monday's fourth round, Woods was non-committal. He officially announced his withdrawal about five hours after his finish.

Tiger Woods has informed us that he is withdrawing from the 2022 PGA Championship," PGA of America President Jim Richerson said.

"We admire Tiger's valiant effort to compete here at Southern Hills and wish him the best as he continues to recover from his injuries."

The last time Woods withdrew from a tournament was in 2019 prior to the second round of the Northern Trust.

It is the first time he has withdrawn from a major since the U.S. Open in 1995.

-Reuters

Unheralded Pereira grabs PGA Championship lead

Ryan Fox in action. Photo:

Unheralded Mito Pereira became the first Chilean to lead a major, surging three shots clear at the top of the PGA Championship third round leaderboard on Sunday.

Playing in just his second major, Pereira has refused to surrender to pressure carding a one-under 69 to get to nine-under 201 and a three-shot advantage on Britain's Matt Fitzpatrick and American Will Zalatoris going into tomorrow's final round at Southern Hills Country Club.

New Zealand's Ryan Fox is well on the way to a top finish in Oklahoma.

Fox sits tied for 17th - 9 shots off the lead - after an even par round.

The 35-year-old New Zealander is playing his 13th major.

Warriors defeated by Dragons

Goalkicking proved the difference as the Warriors lost to the Dragons 24-18 in the wet in Sydney on Saturday.

Both teams scored four tries but St George Illawarra centre Zac Lomax, who grabbed a double, landed four goals compared to a solitary conversion by Warriors fullback Reece Walsh.

Addin Fonua-Blake of the Warriors

Addin Fonua-Blake. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Warriors centre Viliami Vailea also scored two tries as the visitors recovered from a poor start to take a 18-12 lead early in the second half but the Dragons finished too strong.

For the Warriors, the loss was compounded by a foot injury to prop Addin Fonua-Blake that prevented him from finishing the match and may sideline him for a significant period.

- NRL

Winton SuperSprint comes down to final corner

Cam Waters denied Shane van Gisbergen in a nail-biting Winton SuperSprint opener.

Shane van Gisbergen, Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne 2022.

Shane van Gisbergen Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Waters took the lead off the line and was pressured all the way in the 36-lapper but held off the defending Champion to record the win.

New Zealand driver Van Gisbergen pushed Waters all the way and on the final corner made a bold dive, making contact with Waters' Monster Energy Mustang.

Waters pushed back and held off the Red Bull #97 Commodore to claim his maiden victory at Winton, and Tickford Racing's first win at the circuit since 2015.

It was also Waters' first win since Townsville 2021, and career win number six.

Waters was denied victory in Perth earlier this month after a post-race penalty as he battled for the lead with Will Davison but there was no issue with his win today.

Albury product David Reynolds almost ran out of fuel as he overhauled Chaz Mostert late on to secure the final spot on the podium.

Van Gisbergen now holds a 196 point Championship lead over Ford's Anton De Pasquale heading into Sunday's two races.

Western United shock Victory

After an epic semi-final battle it was Western United who overturned a first leg deficit to make it through to the A-League Grand Final on 28 May, shocking Melbourne Victory 4-1 on the night, 4-2 on aggregate at AAMI Park.

5th November 2017, Stamford Bridge, London, England; EPL Premier League football, Chelsea versus Manchester United; David De Gea of Manchester Utd looks at the ball in the net as Alvaro Morata of Chelsea scores making it 1-0

Western United are into their first A-League Grand Final. Photo: Photosport

Western started the better of the two teams, and they levelled the tie in the 18th minute when Alexsandar Prijovic headed home from a sumptuous Connor Paine cross.

It took a moment of high quality to bring back Victory's advantage in the tie.

In-form Jake Brimmer levelled the score on the night, in the 37th minute, with a brilliant free-kick that gave Jamie Young no chance in the Western goal.

It was 1-1 at the break, 2-1 to Victory on aggregate.

Western went back in front on the night and levelled the tie again in the 49th minute when Prijovic bagged his second, sliding in to get on the end of a superb Dylan Wenzel-Halls cross. Like the Serbian's first goal, there was nothing Ivan Kelava could do in the Victory net.

And Prijovic was involved again when Western United took a 3-1 lead on the night in the 78th minute, going up 3-2 in the tie. His knock down was met by Lachlan Wales whose shot was deflected by Miranda past a helpless Kelava.

Western sealed the win when Wenzel-Halls tapped into an empty net in the ninth minute of injury time, booking their place in a first A-League Grand Final.

Late charge for F1 pole

Ferrari's Formula One championship leader Charles Leclerc performed under pressure with a late flyer after a spin to surge from 10th to pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Main rival and reigning champion Max Verstappen, who had looked like taking the top slot for Red Bull, had to settle for second after a late problem wrecked his final effort.

Ferrari's home hero Carlos Sainz secured third place on the grid, with George Russell taking the fourth slot for a revived Mercedes team.

Russell's team mate and seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth, behind Red Bull's Sergio Perez.

"It was a very, very difficult session...because I did a mistake in the opening and then obviously I only had one lap," said Leclerc after his fourth pole in six races and second in succession.

He had spun in his first flying lap of the final session and, with Verstappen fastest, was then left with one lap and everything riding on it.

Verstappen, who has won the last two races to close the championship gap to 19 points, complained over the radio of a loss of power at the key moment in the final phase.

McLaren's Lando Norris had looked set to make the top 10 but had his best lap time deleted in the second session for exceeding track limits, allowing Haas's Mick Schumacher to leapfrog ahead and qualify 10th.

The Briton's Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo did make the final shootout and starts ninth.

- Reuters

Teenager defeats chess world champion

Indian teenager Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa stunned world champion Magnus Carlsen for the second time this year as he claimed victory over the Norwegian at the Chessable Masters online rapid chess tournament.

Indian chess prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, poses for a photograph on his arrival at an airport in Chennai after becoming the world's second youngest chess grandmaster ever in 2018.

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa Photo: AFP

The 16-year-old, who also won their duel at the Airthings Masters in February, took advantage of a one-move blunder by Carlsen in the closing stages to stay in the hunt for a place in the knockout stages.

Praggnanandhaa this week said he was in the middle of his school exams but did not want to miss the opportunity of testing himself against a stellar field.

The prodigy from Chennai is having a strong season after winning the Reykjavik Open last month and finishing third at the La Roda Open.

- Reuters