Ireland’s Leona Maguire will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Aramco Team Series individual event in London, with two teams heading to a play-off.
Maguire added a second round of 72 to her opening 66 at Centurion Club to reach eight under par, with Solheim Cup team-mate Georgia Hall her nearest challenger on six under following a second successive 70.
After making a bogey on her first hole of the day, the 10th, Maguire responded with a birdie on the 13th, only to give the shot straight back on the next.
Birdies on the third and sixth ensured Maguire remained on top of the leaderboard as Hall suffered a poor finish to her round, the world No 38 racing to the turn in 31 but coming home in 39 after dropped shots on the seventh and eighth.
Team Nadaud and Team Hall finished tied at the top of the leaderboard at the conclusion of the 36-hole team event which means, with both teams level on 24 under par, they will play off for victory at Centurion Club at the end of the third round on Friday afternoon.
Team Hall is made up of Hall and Hannah Burke alongside Morocco’s Lina Belmati and amateur Shane Hart-Jones, while Team Nadaud includes Nastasia Nadaud, Czechia’s Kristyna Napoleaova, Spain’s Mireia Prat and amateur George Brooksbank.
Highlights from the first day of the Aramco Team Series London from the Centurion Club
“It is really windy out there; it’s probably a two to three club wind in places,” said Maguire.
“It’s getting swirly in between the trees as well. You really have to commit to your shots. It’s a tough test out there, you have to take advantage of those par-fives and par is a really good score on quite a few holes out there.
Image: Leona Maguire is bidding for a wire-to-wire victory at Centurion Club
“It’s almost playing a little bit linksy. The course is drying out, it’s getting firm and fast, and quite strong wind. It was swirling in places, so you’re just trying to hit a few punchy shots that I probably haven’t used in a while. It was definitely a welcome back to European golf. It’s a good test and I enjoyed it.”
Watch the Aramco Team Series event in London live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Friday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Mix, the red button on Sky Sports Golf and – for free on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel. Stream the Ladies European Tour and more with NOW.
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Leona Maguire produced a brilliant birdie burst to grab a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Aramco Team Series event in London, where Solheim Cup team-mate Charley Hull was forced to withdraw mid-round.
Maguire made five birdies in a six-hole stretch on her way to a bogey-free 66 at the Centurion Club, lifting her to seven under and a shot clear of Austria’s Sarah Schober.
The Irishwoman made back-to-back birdies from the fifth and made three more from the eighth around the par-73 layout, then took advantage of the par-five 13th to pull level with Schober.
Maguire also birdied the par-five 15th to grab the outright lead and closed out her round with three straight pars, on a day where only 23 of the 108 players in the field finished in red figures, with the Solheim Cup star also sharing the lead in the team competition with Nuria Iturrioz and Georgia Hall.
“We were all making a few birdies today which always helps and there were no dropped shots on the team card either which I think helps a lot in these conditions,” Maguire said. “It was very comfortable out there and nice to roll in a few.”
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Iturrioz birdied three of her last six holes to post a four-under 69 and share third spot with England’s Megan Dennis and Wales Chloe Williams, while Hall is within four of the early lead thanks to an opening-round 70.
“I could have hit it a bit closer today,” Hall said. “My irons and distance control wasn’t that good but all in all we battled really well together. When one of us made a bogey, the other two came in and that’s what’s really important in this team format.”
Image: Georgia Hall is searching for a first victory of the season
Maguire team contains England’s Liz Young, Spain’s Marta Sanz Barrio and amateur Yana Wilson, while Hall’s quartet contains Hannah Burke, Morocco’s Lina Belmati and amateur Shane Hart-Jones, with the three teams sharing top spot on 14 under.
Hall withdrew from the event on medical grounds having played six holes of her opening round, with the Englishwoman now hoping to be fit for next week’s Amundi Evian Championship – the fourth women’s major of the year.
Watch the Aramco Team Series event in London throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Thursday from 3.30pm on Sky Sports Mix, the red button on Sky Sports Golf and – for free on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel. . Stream the Ladies European Tour and more with NOW.
Lexi Thompson made a fast start as she fired a four-under-par 68 in the opening round of the Women’s PGA Championship, leading Nelly Korda by a shot, and Ireland’s Leona Maguire and England’s Charley Hull by two.
USA’s Thompson, who is retiring from full-time golf on the LPGA Tour at the end of the season, made three straight birdies to start her round at the Sahalee Country Club in Washington state.
She added three more to open a one-shot lead over Korda and Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit.
Hull was among those a shot further back alongside Maguire, with England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff on even par, two better than Georgia Hall, with Bronte Law a further stroke adrift.
Image: Lexi Thompson, who is retiring at the end of the season, leads the Women’s PGA Championship after the opening round
Yuka Saso, who won the US Open three weeks ago, was among those on 74 after four consecutive bogeys on the back nine.
After finishing runner-up last week, Thompson shrugged off suggestions her retirement announcement had prompted an upturn in form.
“I don’t think that has to do with announcing what I did,” she said. “It’s just a matter of being comfortable out there, playing free-swing Lexi I guess. Just enjoying being out there every step of the way.
“I’m just taking it one day at a time. I made my announcement. I’m very content with it.
“Golf is a crazy game, so I’m not going to look too far ahead. Just taking it one day at a time and see where it takes me.”
Korda missed her last two cuts – having opened with an 80 at the US Open – after winning six of her previous seven starts.
“I’ve seen a lot of first-hand rollercoasters happen in people’s careers,” Korda said.
“I just know that if you stay positive and in your own bubble, you can bounce back. You work hard, you know what you got inside of you, and you just got to go out and execute it.”
Maguire: I’ve been too harsh on myself lately | Hull: I didn’t feel the best but played all right
“I’ve probably have been very harsh on myself,” Maguire said. “I would say lately probably too harsh. I think I’ve had people around me, family, people on my team, tell me you need to be you need to be kinder to yourself.
“So I think that was kind of the message this week, to not really put too much pressure on myself, not have too many expectations and just sort of embrace the challenge that here’s going to bring like any other major.
“I suppose it’s very tempting to try and be too perfect at a major knowing that the sort of consequences are higher if you miss a shot, but yeah, to try and be a little kinder to myself this week was the big goal.”
Hull battled stomach cramps and waiting for her clubs to arrive in the build-up to the tournament.
“I didn’t feel the best, but I woke up this morning and felt fine and played all right, so there you go,” she said.
“I played well out there, hit it well but pulled my hip out with three holes to go, so I need to get physio on that.
“I felt comfortable out there. I love tree-lined golf courses. The tighter it is, the better I play.”
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Jack Grealish and Harry Maguire have been left out of England’s final squad for Euro 2024.
Maguire misses out due to a calf injury that has kept him out of action since mid-April, while his Manchester United team-mate Luke Shaw makes the cut despite not having played since February due to a hamstring problem.
Anthony Gordon and Jarrod Bowen have been selected ahead of Man City’s Grealish, a £100m signing from Aston Villa in 2021 and three-time Premier League winner.
James Maddison and Curtis Jones have also been culled with Crystal Palace duo Adam Wharton, uncapped until Monday’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Eberechi Eze preferred, making the Eagles the most-represented club in the squad with four players.
Southgate has picked Marc Guehi, Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez and Ezri Konsa as potential centre-back partners for John Stones, leaving out Jarrad Branthwaite and Jarell Quansah, though the young Liverpool defender has remained on standby.
Meanwhile, Luke Shaw has made the final 26-player squad with England manager Gareth Southgate confirming that the left-back could be fit for the Three Lions’ second group game with Denmark on June 20.
England’s Declan Rice says there’s no bitterness from the players left out of Gareth Southgate’s final 26-player squad.
Manchester Unitedteenager Kobbie Mainoo, who made his international debut against Brazil in March, has also been selected, while Southgate has opted to take Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins as deputies to Harry Kane.
England can make late replacements to their squad until their first game at the Euros on June 16 against Serbia if a player has been injured or falls sick, while goalkeepers can be changed throughout the tournament.
England’s final 26-player squad for Euro 2024
Sky Sports senior reporter Rob Dorsett analyses Gareth Southgate’s final 26-player squad for Euro 2024.
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal).
Defenders: Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Kyle Walker (Manchester City).
Forwards: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).
Southgate explains his calls
Gareth Southgate explains the reasons behind the inclusion Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney in his final 26-player Euro 2024 squad.
England manager Gareth Southgate, speaking at a news conference after the announcement:
“All of the players [not included] took the news really respectfully. All players of course will feel they should have been in and that’s why they’re top players because they have that self-belief and they have that mindset.
“The fact is we’ve got some players who have been playing extremely well all season in the league and we just feel other players have had stronger seasons – particularly in the past six months or so.
“We saw some fantastic performances the other night which underlined some of that and in the attacking area of the pitch we’re blessed with a lot of options and they’re all slightly different.
England manager Gareth Southgate discusses the reasons behind some of the omissions from his 26-man squad for Euro 2024.
“Madders [Maddison] and Jack [Grealish] would have provided us with something different as well and they’ve been tough calls.
“They’re calls we’ve gone over and over and over as a group of staff to try to be fair and to try to use the right rationale.
“We back our decisions but we recognise we could have gone a different route. The boys are big characters, fabulous team-mates and great boys to work with. It’s sad to have to deliver that news to them.
Declan Rice heaps praise on England teammate Adam Wharton after the Crystal Palace midfielder made Gareth Southgate’s 26-player Euro 2024 squad.
“Trent can play both [in midfield and defence], we had nine defenders in the last couple of tournaments so I think we’re the same now.
“That was part of the reason we couldn’t take Harry Maguire. We would’ve had to take a 10th defender, and that balance wouldn’t have been right, it would’ve left us short in other areas.
“Harry has made some progress, but it’s been complicated and we wouldn’t have had him in the group stages. There were too many hurdles to get through without being clear where we might get to.
“Knowing we haven’t got a clean bill of health across the rest of the backline, we need players who are fit and ready to go from the start.
“It was a really difficult call, you know how I feel about Harry, what he’s done for England and for me as a manager. It’s a slightly different case to [Grealish and Maddison], but it’s no easier.”
Maguire ‘devastated’ & Maddison surprised
“I am devastated not to have been selected to play for England at the Euros this summer,” Maguire posted on social media.
“Despite my best efforts, I have not been able to overcome an injury to my calf. Maybe I pushed myself too hard, to try and make it. Simply, I am absolutely gutted.”
Maddison tweeted earlier: “Devastated doesn’t quite cut it. Trained well and worked hard all week but if I’m honest with myself, my form for Spurs when coming back from injury in the second half of the season probably wasn’t at the levels I had set which gave Gareth a decision to make.
“I still thought there would be a space for me in a 26-man squad as I feel I bring something different & had been a mainstay in this whole qualifying campaign.”
Analysis: Snub an unexpected blow for Grealish
Sky Sports News senior reporter Rob Dorsett provides an update on Gareth Southgate’s final Euros squad.
Sky Sports News senior reporter Rob Dorsett:
“It’s a big blow to Grealish and it is unexpected. Grealish himself decided to turn up early for training as part of the Manchester City squad that was part of the FA Cup final.
“He arrived at the earliest opportunity to try to prove his fitness and show how desperate he was to be part of this squad but Southgate feels he has better options elsewhere.
“The performance of Eberechi Eze against Bosnia showed how he offers something different to some of the other options Southgate has at his disposal.
“He’s very direct and commits defenders while running at pace. Perhaps Maddison and Grealish are a little too similar in the way they cut in off the left.
“They don’t go at the same pace and with the same directness that Eze does while I think the fact Jarrod Bowen played the entirety of that match is significant.”
Carragher disagrees on Branthwaite: He is England’s present and future
The key dates for England
All times BST
Friday June 7 – International friendly, England vs Iceland at Wembley, kick-off 7.45pm
Friday June 7 – Final 26-player squad submitted to UEFA
Saturday June 8 – Final 26-player squad announced
Monday June 10 – England squad fly to Germany
Saturday June 16 – Serbia vs England, Gelsenkirchen, kick-off 8pm
Thursday June 20 – Denmark vs England, Frankfurt, kick-off 5pm
Tuesday June 25 – England vs Slovenia, kick-off 8pm
Marcus Rashford’s omission from the provisional squad was the first clue that Gareth Southgate might be approaching this tournament differently. Now we know it for sure.
There was a perception that young newcomers such as Adam Wharton would be the ones to make way when the squad was cut to 26. Instead, there have been high-profile casualties.
James Maddison’s omission, having been, in his words, a “mainstay” during England’s qualifying campaign was another big call and it was followed by an even bigger one as Jack Grealish, fresh from an impressive cameo against Bosnia and Herzegovina, was axed as well.
In Rashford, the frozen-out Raheem Sterling, Grealish and Maddison, Southgate has chosen to go without an attacking quartet with a combined total of 185 England caps and 39 goals.
There are changes afoot in midfield, too. Gone are Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips, to whom Southgate was criticised for remaining loyal, replaced by the next generation.
Now we are wondering whether Kobbie Mainoo or Wharton might complete the central three alongside Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham. Trent Alexander-Arnold, once shunned for his perceived defensive deficiencies, has been embraced as another midfield option.
Harry Maguire’s omission is not by choice. His calf injury has done for him. But his omission, added to those of so many other big names, adds to the fresh feel of this England squad. Southgate has changed tack. To many, this boldness is overdue. Nick Wright
Southgate rips up England’s left-hand side
Image: Jack Grealish has missed out on a place at Euro 2024
In the 2022 World Cup, Gareth Southgate took four left-wing options: Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, James Maddison and Jack Grealish. Now just one remains for this summer’s Euros.
Rashford and Grealish both played and scored for England in Qatar. They were key players for the Three Lions at the last Euros which saw them reach the final. But Rashford was left out of the provisional squad due to not having a good enough season, and it appears Grealish has fallen to the same fate.
Now it leaves Foden, the Premier League Player of the Season, as the clear frontrunner to start on that left-hand side in Germany, and Southgate hinted last month that the Manchester City attacker will be allowed to drift inside.
But if England need a natural left-winger then it will be Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze that Southgate will call upon. Both made first England starts in that position recently and both impressed.
England have options at left wing and it’s the same at left-back. Luke Shaw reportedly being fit enough is a boost but, just like at Euro 2020, Kieran Trippier may have to start the tournament in that role to allow England’s first-choice left-back to recover. Joe Gomez is the backline defensive utility man as emergency cover.
Will a brand new left flank bring a change in England’s fortunes at major tournaments? Sam Blitz
Who takes final midfield spot?
Image: Is Trent Alexander-Arnold the midfield solution for England?
Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham are expected to be part of a three-man England midfield, but Southgate is overloaded with options for the remaining spot.
Phil Foden’s scintillating season playing in a free role for Manchester City has increased calls for him to be utilised in the same way. Foden, though, has often featured on the left for England, yet with Eberechi Eze and Anthony Gordon on the plane, perhaps he is lined up to play in the middle.
The same applies to Cole Palmer, who likes to drift inside from the right, but may be seen by Southgate as cover for Bukayo Saka along with Jarrod Bowen.
Southgate has experimented with Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield and he shone against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday. However, the right-back is untested in major tournaments.
Conor Gallagher can play further forward through the middle, but he appears to be a direct replacement for the energetic No 8 role that Jordan Henderson used to deliver alongside Rice – one that Southgate could always rely on.
Then there are the new kids on the block to consider: Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton. Both bring a calmness in possession. Their inclusions could be a watching brief for future tournaments.
Without doubt, Southgate has a solution for every eventuality. David Richardson
Watkins and Toney a surprise
Image: Ollie Watkins started against Bosnia and Herzegovina
A key question since the turn of the year had been whether there would be space for both Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney in England’s squad for Euro 2024.
In March, ahead of the friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, even Southgate wasn’t sure. Asked whether there would be space for both this summer, Southgate said: “Maybe, maybe not. I genuinely don’t know the answer to that. That will depend on what kind of profile we need, what the profiles of the rest of the squad [members] are, whether we need a couple of players that are adaptable in a couple of positions and we can pick specialists in certain other positions.”
However, with squads extended to 26 players, both will now feature as understudies to captain Harry Kane, giving England a number of differing options in Germany.
Toney’s goal-scoring performance against Belgium obviously left a big impression on Southgate. After some strong showings for Brentford in the early weeks after his return from an eight-month ban, the goals did dry up for the 28-year-old, who failed to score in his last seven Premier League outings.
He is more of a like-for-like replacement should anything happen to Kane, but he does also provide a physical alternative to the Bayern Munich striker. His quality from the penalty spot is also a good option to have with shootouts potentially around the corner.
In the end, Watkins’ pace and his goal-scoring prowess also made him difficult to leave out. His 19 goals this season helped propel Aston Villa into the Champions League, and that form has rightly been rewarded.
Southgate has gone for variety in attack and that could be crucial with the target a deep, deep run at this tournament. Oliver Yew
Guehi to fill Maguire void?
Sky Sports News’ senior reporter Rob Dorsett provides an update on England’s Euro 2024 squad as Jack Grealish and Harry Maguire are omitted
Harry Maguire’s unavailability for the tournament is a significant blow for Southgate, who has remained loyal to the Manchester United defender even through his toughest periods.
The England boss has avoided the nightmare scenario of not having John Stones available either, with the Manchester City man having returned from a spell out for the FA Cup final.
But he has a major decision to make on who partners him and the leading candidate appears to be Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, who has already seen off competition from fellow left-sided centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, the final player to be cut from the provisional list.
Guehi, like Stones, has only recently returned from injury having been sidelined by a knee problem in the second half of the campaign but he got the nod alongside Lewis Dunk against Bosnia and Herzegovina, winning his 10th senior cap under Southgate, a number which reflects his standing.
Dunk, by contrast, only has six caps. Guehi beats Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa (three caps) for experience too. Joe Gomez, meanwhile, although more experienced, with 14 caps, appears more likely to be used as a back-up full-back having played there all season for Liverpool.
Southgate loves Guehi’s understated style and has spoken glowingly of his temperament. “He has played with great maturity,” he said after starts against Ukraine and Scotland in October.
“At times he might not catch the eye in the way some other players do because he’s in the right place, so he’s not having to turn and cover for something that’s gone wrong. He’s a very calm player, positionally excellent, composed with the ball, and with a very good mentality.”
The hope for Southgate is that, in the absence of Maguire, all of those qualities will shine through on the stage of a major tournament. Nick Wright
Bowen hits bullseye after Qatar snub
Jarrod Bowen spoke to Sky Sports after playing in the 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina
“Of course [not being selected for the World Cup] makes me want it more.”
You could see the desire in Jarrod Bowen’s eyes when he delivered that statement to Sky Sports News after England’s 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday.
Bowen was first capped by Gareth Southgate in June 2022, but missed out on selection for that winter’s World Cup in Qatar.
The West Ham forward added: “I don’t know if I’m a better player, but I’m just more mature as a player and I think that comes with age, with the games that you play and confidence you gain from every opportunity you have here [with England].”
But he’s off to Germany – ousting some serious talents in Jack Grealish and James Maddison to get his chance at a major tournament. He deserves it too after kicking on again with West Ham.
Following his winning goal in the Europa Conference League final for the Hammers a year ago, Bowen has scored 20 goals this campaign and grabbed 10 assists. In a very inconsistent team, Bowen has remained consistent. He offers England an alternative option to Bukayo Saka coming from the right flank. Lewis Jones
Daring Wharton deserves his place
“I like the fact he sees pictures early, he plays forward.”
When Gareth Southgate said those words, you had the feeling he would pick Adam Wharton in his final England squad.
The 20-year-old’s England debut against Bosnia and Herzegovina showed exactly what the Crystal Palace midfielder can bring. He completed all 38 of his passes – but crucially, 32 per cent of them were forward.
Wharton is not a player who simply passes and plays it safe. He plays through the lines and unlocks defences. Against Bosnia and Herzegovina, a stunning first-time outside-of-the-boot cross nearly found Jarrod Bowen for a tap-in. This young man dares.
The young midfielder likely won’t start for England in Germany but Southgate knows that if he needs a player to find the missing ingredient when chasing a lead or playing a low-block defence, then Wharton is that player.
And can he handle the pressure? Well recent history shows he can. Wharton excelled as Palace stunned Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield two months ago, provoking Jamie Carragher to call him “outstanding” and a “real standout”.
Wharton is on the brink of a breakout summer. Sam Blitz
