Rory McIlroy has withdrawn from a tournament for the second time in his career following his Masters victory; a tournament that a few years ago cost him millions of dollars.
McIlroy was in fine form and picked up his second Green Jacket after a very strong second round performance. He has become just the fourth player in Masters history to win back-to-back titles, with the last consecutive victories coming back in 2002 when Tiger Woods conquered Augusta.
McIlroy shared the lead on the first day but started to build momentum in the second round with a stellar six-stroke lead over joint-second-place Sam Burns and Patrick Reed.
The Northern Irishman held off late challenges from world number one Scottie Scheffler and Englishman Justin Rose and shot a final-day 71 to finish on -12.
Rory McIlroy Skipping RBC Heritage Again
Following this historic victory, McIlroy has confirmed he will not take part in the upcoming RBC Heritage in South Carolina once again. It is the first tournament after The Masters and McIlroy has opted instead to recover from the opening Major championship of the year.
McIlroy missed the RBC Heritage last year as well after his Masters victory, but three years ago, he withdrew and was given a hefty £2.2 million fine as a punishment for him withdrawing. The reason for the fine was because PGA Tour players couldn’t miss two signature events in a year.
McIlroy had already skipped several tournaments that year, but credited that decision as the reason for his victory at Augusta.
McIlroy spoke about his preparation for the 2026 tournament and why he will be missing the RBC Heritage event.
Rory McIlroy Speaks About Augusta Preparation
“I honestly just don’t like the three tournaments leading up to this event. I’d rather come up here. I did a couple of days where I dropped [daughter] Poppy to school, flew up here, played, landed back home and had dinner with Poppy and [wife] Erica.
“I did a couple of day trips like that where I felt it was a better use of my time than going to Houston or San Antonio. It wasn’t really about conserving energy, but I just felt the more time I could spend up here, the better.
“I’ve been on this golf course so much the last three weeks. That has been a combination of practice and chipping and putting around greens, and then just playing one ball and shooting scores and ending up in weird places that you maybe never find yourself and just trying to figure it out. I think just spending so much time up here has been a big part of it.”
Five-time NBA champion and basketball icon, Shaquille O’Neal, once weighed in on one of basketball’s most debated hypothetical match-ups: who would come out on top in a one-on-one showdown between LeBron James and Michael Jordan?
Although several names are often included in discussions surrounding the greatest basketball player of all time, the debate most frequently centres on LeBron and Jordan. Both superstars boast compelling arguments in support of their respective claims.
LeBron James vs Michael Jordan
Jordan concluded his career with a flawless 6-0 NBA Finals record and earned Finals MVP honours in every championship series he won. Renowned for his ability to deliver in crucial moments, MJ was also dominant at both ends of the floor. Alongside winning 10 scoring titles, he earned nine selections to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
LeBron, on the other hand, has built his case through remarkable longevity and all-around excellence. Currently the oldest active player in the NBA, he holds the league record for career points and ranks fourth all-time in assists. His impact stretches beyond statistics, having guided three separate franchises to NBA championships — a distinction shared by only three other players.
Given their versatility and status among basketball’s all-time greats, predicting the outcome of a one-on-one battle between the pair is far from straightforward. Unsurprisingly, when asked directly, both Jordan and LeBron expressed complete confidence in themselves.
“If I was in my prime, could I beat LeBron in a one-on-one game? No question,” Jordan said during a 2015 interview.
LeBron echoed that confidence while speaking with Today Show host Willie Geist. “Oh, I take myself. I will take myself for sure. I’m going to take myself versus anybody,” James replied. “They’re going to have to have a few wheelchairs and a couple of ambulances there to get us off the floor.”
Shaquille O’Neal’s Pick in a 1v1
At a promotional appearance in Hong Kong, Shaquille O’Neal was asked to share his thoughts on the Jordan-LeBron debate. After reflecting on both players and their unique qualities, O’Neal ultimately sided with one of them.
“It would be an interesting game,” O’Neal said, via ESPN. “Young LeBron was more like Magic Johnson. He was kind of a combination of Magic and Jordan. He enjoyed setting teammates up and getting everyone involved. But Mike was Mike. He was simply different — unlike anybody else. He consistently did things nobody else could replicate. That’s what made him special, and that’s why I think he’d win.”
Michael Jordan or LeBron James? Well, AI has seemingly settled the debate once and for all.
Ever the basketball historian, O’Neal expanded on his appreciation for the sport and revealed the player he personally regards as the greatest.
“I’ve seen young Mike and young LeBron, and I must say Dr. J [Julius Erving] is still my favourite player,” the Hall of Famer explained.
Nearly four decades after stepping away from the game, Erving remains one of basketball’s most influential figures. Often credited with helping popularise the modern slam dunk, he also enjoyed exceptional longevity, scoring more than 30,000 combined points across the ABA and NBA. His high-flying style left a lasting impression on future generations, including Jordan, who repeatedly cited Erving as one of his biggest inspirations.
“A lot of people today don’t even mention his name, but to me, I still think he was the best,” O’Neal added. “But these are questions that we’ll never truly know the answer to. It’s kind of like if I met Bruce Lee in an alleyway. Who wins? Nobody knows. Some people would say, ‘Bruce would beat Shaq.’ Others would say, ‘Shaq is twice the size of Bruce Lee.’ It makes for a great debate and a great conversation, but there’s no way to know for sure.”
Arsenal are in the market for reinforcements in the summer transfer window despite lifting the Premier League title.
The Gunners won’t want to stand still after their first-place finish, looking to bring in new additions all across the team.
The North London side were recently knocked out of the Champions League final by Paris Saint-Germain, so they will be looking for reinforcements to help them go one step further in Europe.
Despite winning the Premier League, there are still some areas of Mikel Arteta’s squad that could do with being improved.
With their season now over following the Champions League final, attention for the Gunners will now turn to the summer transfer window.
Arsenal Make Forward Transfer Call
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have recently made a call to be informed on the future of Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi ahead of the summer transfer window.
Arsenal are waiting to be informed by the Cherries about a potential price tag after the young forward enjoyed an impressive debut season in the Premier League.
Kroupi broke the record in the Premier League towards the end of the season by scoring his 13th goal, ensuring he has the most strikes scored by a teenager in their debut campaign.
After a strong start to life in England, Kroupi is now being targeted by some of the biggest clubs in the world.
Kroupi Could be Expensive Addition for Arsenal
AFC Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi celebrates
According to reports, Arsenal could make one marquee signing in the summer transfer window.
In an awful run of news, English football icon John Barnes has revealed he also has cancer. It comes in the same week that two other Liverpool legends Sir Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan also shared they had the disease.
The former winger said he was diagnosed after his kids forced him to get checked. Speaking on Times Radio, he explained that the topic can feel taboo as men believe it makes them “less than a man.”
Going into more detail, he explained that he has prostate cancer, noting:
“Men have to then bite the bullet and swallow their pride and admit if they have problems and say it. So it’s a good thing that that has come out.
“I’m fine. I have my PSA and everything is okay. The thing about it is that a lot of men don’t want to admit it or want to have it done because it makes them feel less than a man.
“But you’re not, you’re exactly the same, you’re the same person and you’re around and that’s the main thing.”
The news comes after Liverpool legend Keegan revealed his cancer diagnosis at the start of the year, while Dalglish has also revealed he is receiving treatment for cancer.
