Phil Mickelson shares the lead in the PGA Championship at blustery Kiawah Island


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Phil Mickelson, chasing a historic sixth major title aged 50, shared the lead with South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen after the second round of the PGA Championship at windy Kiawah Island.

American left-hander Mickelson, who could become golf's oldest major champion, and Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open winner, were deadlocked on the leaderboard on five-under 139 after 36 holes on the formidable Ocean Course.

"I'm heading into the weekend with an opportunity and I'm really excited about it," Mickelson said. "If you told me (I was leading) Sunday night, I'd really enjoy it. Right now, there's a lot to do."

Oosthuizen, who birdied five of the first 12 holes, nearly fired the first bogey-free round of the week but missed a nine-foot par putt at the 18th to shoot a four-under 68.

"It has got to be up there as one of my best," Oosthuizen said. "It was tough. I'm just glad I was striking it really good."

With a victory, Mickelson would erase the age mark set by American Julius Boros when he won the 1968 PGA Championship at 48.

Mickelson birdied five of his last eight holes, closing with a 23-foot birdie putt at the ninth to shoot 69 as a Covid-19 limited crowd of about 10,000 roared in delight.

"It's really fun to make a putt on the last hole and have a round like that," Mickelson. "The support here has been really special."

Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, playing with pain after right knee surgery in March, eagled the par-5 seventh and 11th holes but made two bogeys in the last four holes to shoot 71 and stand third on 140.

"It was definitely a difficult day. It was tough to make putts," Koepka said. "(Knee) feels fine. I'm four-under. It's all there."

Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, trying to complete the first half of a calendar Grand Slam, made six birdies but closed with a bogey to shoot 68 and stand on 141, sharing fourth with South Africans Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Branden Grace.

"I really hit my driver and second shots very well and that gave me a lot of birdie opportunities, which I was able to capitalise on," Matsuyama said. "Hopefully my play will carry over to the weekend."

Grace, who holed out from 70 feet to birdie the 10th, plunked a tee shot into the water at the par-3 17th on the way to a double bogey-bogey finish to shoot 71.

"Just trying to stay alive out there," Grace said. "It was such a grind."

Only 18 players were under par after 36 holes.

Mickelson was the first 50-and-over player in the top five of a major after 36 holes since American Fred Couples at the 2012 Masters and the first at a PGA since Hale Irwin in 1999.

Since the PGA Championship adopted a stroke-play format in 1958, the only prior 50-and-over player to lead or share the lead after 36 holes was Sam Snead in 1966 at age 54.

Oosthuizen, 38, has had a runner-up finish in all four majors since his lone victory at St Andrews 11 years ago.

He went 25 consecutive holes without a bogey, highlighted by a 33-foot birdie putt at the fourth, before stumbling in the brisk breezes.

"I played really well, hit the golf ball well, putted nicely," Oosthuizen said. "I got a lot of opportunities. I just played really solid."

It was the first time since 2008 at Oakland Hills that there were no bogey-free rounds at a PGA through 36 holes.

Dustin Johnson became the first world No 1 to miss consecutive major cuts since Greg Norman in 1997 at the Masters and US Open, firing a 74 to stand on 150, one over the cut.

Also missing the cut on 150 was second-ranked Justin Thomas, who could have overtaken Johnson for No 1 with a victory.

Reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau fired a 71 to stand on 143 while defending champion Collin Morikawa shot 75 to stand on 145.

"Played pretty well despite the conditions," DeChambeau said. "I'll be right there for Sunday. I'm just creeping up that leaderboard slowly but surely."

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, who won the 2012 PGA at Kiawah, closed with three consecutive bogeys to shoot 72 and finish on 147.

"I played well. I just didn't get a lot out of the round," McIlroy said. "Sort of kept it together and sort of just let it go there the last three holes."

Three-time major champion Jordan Spieth, trying to complete a career Grand Slam with a victory, fired a 75 for 148.

Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica

Best Agent: Jorge Mendes

Best Club : Liverpool   

 Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)  

 Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker

 Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo

 Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP

 Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart

Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)

Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)

Best Women's Player:  Lucy Bronze

Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi

 Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)

 Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)

 Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs

RESULT

Bayern Munich 5 Eintrracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern:
 Goretzka (17'), Müller (41'), Lewandowski (46'), Davies (61'), Hinteregger (74' og)    
Frankfurt: Hinteregger (52', 55')

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700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams

Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams

Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season

Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season

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Wellington Hurricanes: 
Tries: Gibbins, Laumape, Goosen, Fifita tries, Barrett
Conversions: Barrett (4)
Penalties: Barrett

British & Irish Lions:
Tries: Seymour (2), North
Conversions: Biggar (2)
Penalties: Biggar (4)

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6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (PA) Group 1 US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) Group 2 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

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Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

Sunday:
GP3 race: 12:10pm
Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
Performance: Guns N' Roses

MATCH INFO

Real Madrid 3 (Kroos 4', Ramos 30', Marcelo 37')

Eibar 1 (Bigas 60')

Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

Premier League results

Saturday

Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 1

Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 1

Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Huddersfield Town 0

Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 3

Manchester United 3 Southampton 2

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Cardiff City 0

West Ham United 2 Newcastle United 0

Sunday

Watford 2 Leicester City 1

Fulham 1 Chelsea 2

Everton 0 Liverpool 0

Rajasthan Royals 153-5 (17.5 ov)
Delhi Daredevils 60-4 (6 ov)

Rajasthan won by 10 runs (D/L method)

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Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km

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Started: Soft launch in November, 2020

Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani

Based: Dubai

Industry: E-grocery

Initial investment: $150,000

Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year

HWJN
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First course

▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water  

▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle

Second course

▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo

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Third course

▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro

▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis

Dessert

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▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
 

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What does it cost?

Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.

What will the interest rate be?

The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts

What about security? 

The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.

Is it easy to use?

Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision. 

* Associated Press 

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma

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The%20specs
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