PATRICK REED OPENS TWO-SHOT LEAD HEADING INTO QATAR MASTERS FINAL ROUND
Patrick Reed holds a two-shot lead at the Qatar Masters after a bogey-free 70, with Jacob Skov Olesen leading the chasing pack.
Patrick Reed kept his card clean on moving day, one of only two players to avoid a bogey, and now he leads the Qatar Masters by two shots heading into the final round in windy Doha.
He wasn’t thrilled about three-putting the 18th for par from almost 100 feet, but his two-under 70 gives him a real shot at a second win in three weeks—and a jump to the top of the Race to Dubai.
“I actually hit the ball better today than the last two days—especially compared to yesterday—and somehow shot two shots worse. Golf's weird like that,” Reed said. His round: 16 pars, birdies at the second and tenth, and not a single bogey.
“My game feels good, steady. I just need to keep pushing tomorrow, hopefully get off to a quicker start than today, and see what happens.”
Reed, who used to play on the LIV circuit, sits at 14 under. Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen is right behind him. Olesen made the turn at one over but then caught fire on the back nine, coming home in just 31 and shooting 68 to grab second place on his own.
Spain’s Angel Ayora (70) and New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier (71) are three shots back at 11 under, tied for third. Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren, who started the day in second, slipped to a tie for fifth after a 73 and now trails Reed by four.
Reed won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic two weeks ago and just lost in a playoff last week in Bahrain. He knows he left a few out there, especially on the par-fives—he played them in only one under in round three.
“You really have to make the most of the par-fives out here, and I didn’t do that today,” Reed said. “Three-putting the last stings, but getting around here bogey-free in this wind—can’t complain about that.
“Hopefully I keep that going tomorrow, keep hitting it solid, give myself plenty of birdie chances, and maybe make more than just two.”
Pádraig Harrington, now 54, shot 71 to break par for the third straight day. He’s four under, tied for 34th, in his 500th DP World Tour start.
On the other side, Olesen is making just his 38th career start. He birdied three of his last four holes, giving himself a real chance at a first DP World Tour title.
“It was a grind on the front,” Olesen admitted. “Nothing was working; I couldn’t hit a good shot. But I hit a great wedge into ten after a bad drive. Not the spot you want to be with a wedge, but I pulled it off and holed the putt.
“That got me back to level, and I realised it wasn’t playing easy out there. I just needed to get something going.”
Meanwhile, on the HotelPlanner Tour, Gary Hurley is chasing his first top-10 in 17 months at the CIRCA Cape Town Open. He fired a two-under 70 at Royal Cape to sit at eight under, tied for 11th with one round to go. That’s pretty impressive, considering he missed last season with a serious shoulder injury.
Hurley is eight shots behind Trevor Fisher Jnr, who holds the lead at 16 under after a bogey-free 67. Spain’s Santiago Tarrio sits one back after shooting 65, the best of the day.
Galway’s Liam Nolan is tied for 29th at six under after a wild 70: four birdies in his first seven holes, four bogeys in the next eight, and then he finished with two birdies.
Conor Purcell from Portmarnock carded a 74 and sits at three under, tied for 48th.
LAKERS ON THE BRINK: LEBRON JAMES ADMITS DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER 3-0 SERIES DEFICIT
"We still have life." LeBron James remains defiant despite a brutal 131-108 loss to OKC at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves just one loss away from elimination after a tough 131-108 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night. Although the Lakers held a halftime lead for the second consecutive game, they again fell apart in the second half, allowing Oklahoma City to cruise to a 3-0 series lead.
LeBron James spoke after the game, highlighting the Thunder’s depth and relentless energy while emphasising that the Lakers still believe they have a chance to push the series further. The Thunder outscored Los Angeles 74-49 after halftime and once more dominated the third quarter, continuing a pattern that has largely defined this series.
“They’re solid from top to bottom,” James said after the game. “And they never take their foot off the gas.”
Oklahoma City converted at a 56 per cent clip and spread the scoring load, even though reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was only 7-of-20 from the field with 23 points. The Thunder’s supporting players reinforced the effort alongside Chet Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Alex Caruso.
LeBron pointed directly to the third quarter as the turning point for Game 3.
“Obviously, the third quarter is where it starts,” he noted. “We lacked the energy and effort, and they dropped over 30 points on us.”
Despite strong first-half performances from Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard, giving Los Angeles a one-point lead at halftime, Oklahoma City seized control right after the break, forcing turnovers and capitalising on easy transition baskets.
“In that third quarter, we couldn’t hit shots,” James admitted. “We defended but didn’t get stops, which let them take control.”
The Lakers were outscored 33-20 in that quarter alone. James managed just one field goal, while Austin Reaves went scoreless in the period.
James finished the night with 19 points, eight assists, and six rebounds, but his shooting was off at 7-for-19, and he posted a minus-24 plus-minus rating.
Los Angeles also turned the ball over 17 times, which led to 30 points for the Thunder. Oklahoma City outscored the Lakers 64-44 in the paint as well.
When pressed about the frustration of falling behind 3-0, James kept his response measured.
“I can’t say I’m not disappointed or angry,” he said. “You’re obviously disappointed being down 3-0, but we still have life. That’s all you can ask for. We have to be much better on Monday.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick backed up James’ take, describing Oklahoma City as an elite team in the NBA.
“They’ve beaten us three straight games,” Redick said. “They’re a really impressive basketball team.”
Redick previously drew comparisons between the Thunder and dominant teams like the 1990s Chicago Bulls and the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors. James acknowledged Oklahoma City’s versatility and depth, which have caused significant matchup problems.
“They have the right personnel to adapt to whatever you throw out there,” James said. “And they stay productive no matter who’s on the floor.”
Even with Gilgeous-Alexander’s uneven scoring, the Thunder have continued to win comfortably. Holmgren’s inside presence has been dominant, and Mitchell once again put up a strong stat line with 24 points and 10 assists.
James wasn’t surprised by the Thunder’s sustained pressure, given their roster makeup.
“You’ve seen them develop over the years,” he said. “They have a lot of players who can do multiple things, and that depth really helps.”
The Lakers are still without Luka Doncic, sidelined with a Grade 2 hamstring strain from April, which has hampered their offensive rhythm, especially late in games.
Facing elimination now, James insisted the team’s focus remains squarely on Game 4 rather than any bigger questions about the group’s future.
"No", James said when asked if they considered this might be their last run together. “We’re just concentrating on the moment and moving forward from there.”
Game 4 is set for Monday night in Los Angeles, where the Lakers will fight to avoid a sweep and keep the series alive before heading back to Oklahoma City.
MAX HOLLOWAY BREAKS SILENCE ON PARAMOUNT REGARDING CONOR MCGREGOR UFC 329 RUMORS
Relive the 13-year history between Holloway and McGregor as the Hawaiian star targets International Fight Week for ultimate revenge.
Max Holloway is hungry for payback against Conor McGregor as rumours swirl about a rematch.
McGregor hasn’t stepped inside the octagon since that quick loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. His last win was way back in 2020 when he steamrolled Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in under a minute. He was supposed to fight Michael Chandler in 2024, but that fell through after he got injured.
Now, at 37, McGregor’s back in training and eyeing a return for UFC 329 on July 11, right as International Fight Week rolls around. Before that, he missed out on a shot at the White House card, so this July date is shaping up to be his next window.
Dana White has flip-flopped a bit on McGregor’s comeback, but now he sounds confident: “It’s looking good. Believe me, you know once we get a deal done with him, we will announce it.” And right now, Holloway looks like the top pick for the fight, 13 years after they first went at it.
Back then, McGregor beat Holloway by decision. Since then, Holloway’s had his own ups and downs; he lost the BMF belt to Charles Oliveira in March and hasn’t fought since. Still, he’s eager to get back, especially if it means a shot at Conor.
Talking to Paramount, Holloway laid it out: “We have history. We fought a long time ago. If someone’s got a win over me, I want that back. If he really is serious about returning, and it looks like he is, then this is an exciting fight. He looks hungry. He even did a boxing exhibition not too long ago, so it looks like he’s really coming back. I just want another shot. Any fight with Conor is huge, but with our past? It means even more. If I can knock a few names off my list, that’s great.”
For now, Holloway hasn’t heard anything official from the UFC about July. "Maybe we'll see what happens,” he said. “I’m seeing all the same talk you are. I haven’t heard anything yet, but July would work for me. They say you’re only as good as your last fight, and I want people to forget about that one as soon as possible.”
