Category News

2025 Scottish Open

Venue: Renaissance Club, East Lothian Dates: 10-13 July

“I feel like this world of golf can become all encompassing if you let it.”

Rory McIlroy’s chosen profession can be an awfully serious business at times, not least in a year during which he has completed a career Grand Slam.

But now he swears by a new maxim away from the course: “Have more fun.”

It has taken the Northern Irishman up mountains with daughter Poppy and across Europe with friends as he refuses to allow his head to be filled only with thoughts of data, strokes gained and myriad other golf intricacies.

“I think I’ve done a good job of that since. I missed the cut at Troon [at the 2024 Open] and went straight to Portugal, so that was my first holiday,” McIlroy says as he prepares for this week’s Scottish Open.

“One of my New Year’s resolutions was to have more fun and I’ve really tried to do that.

“Me and a bunch of friends went to Dortmund in January and watched Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen; we then stopped off in Istanbul for a night off on our way to Dubai.

“Poppy’s starting to learn how to ski, so we went to Montana in February and took a skiing holiday.

McIlroy’s appearance at the Renaissance Club this week is his first UK event since the unforgettable Masters triumph that ended his 11-year major drought.

Having settled into his new family home in Wentworth, he travelled up to East Lothian with Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Rose, the player he vanquished in the play-off at Augusta.

As a huge fortnight dawns for the world number two, with The Open on home turf at Royal Portrush looming large next week, McIlroy is feeling refreshed and focused following a two-week break from the “grind” of Tour life.

“The one thing I would say about the last couple of weeks is I felt like I could detach a little bit more and sort of hide,” he says. “And sometimes you need that to completely get away.

“Justin and I were chatting about the detachment from the week-in, week-out grind when you get back over here, when you play PGA Tour golf for that sort of first 25, 30 weeks of the year.

“It’s been lovely to get back and see some familiar faces. And it’s the first time back playing in the UK since what happened at Augusta, so that’s a really nice feeling.”

McIlroy is vying to regain the Scottish Open title he won in 2023 and head to his homeland on a high after enduring fluctuating form in the wake of the Masters.

The Scottish Open has grown in stature in recent years and now has a firm place in the Northern Irishman’s affections.

“This is a tournament and a golf course that has grown on me,” he says. “The fact it’s become a co-sanctioned event, that’s big – especially for some of the top guys in America to come over.

“And you see the social posts of the American guys going out and playing North Berwick at nine o’clock at night and all that, I think that has a certain appeal as well.

“Logistically, this couldn’t be any easier. You stay on site. The range is really good. The course is benign enough that you don’t feel like you’re getting beaten up before The Open.

Wimbledon 2025

All England Club Dates: June 30 through July 13

In a tense match, Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic defeated Mirra Andreeva, who will face eighth-seeded Iga Swiatek in the semifinals of Wimbledon.

In a 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) win on Centre Court, Russian seventh seed Andreeva frequently appeared out of the ordinary while Bencic was a picture of calm.

At 5-4, world number 35 Bencic was just two points clear of the final four in the match.

However, a match that had been pitiful throughout was only going one way, and Bencic won in a tie-break in the second set.

The 28-year-old raised her arms in the air and grinned as she advanced once more after experiencing an emotional reaction when she was placed in the final eight.

Andreeva, 18, was in tears as she left the court, having missed a chance to advance to a second major semi-final.

Bencic won the Abu Dhabi Open in February, just ten months after giving birth to her daughter Bella, making it a remarkable year.

But in Andreeva, she faced the All England Club’s favorite for the title, Andrew.

She has climbed to a career-high sixth position in the world this year, having won two WTA 1, 000 titles, which is the lowest tier of competitions below the majors.

The pair were hardly able to be separated in a lengthy, intense rally.

Andreeva lost her way, and despite producing some quick serves, she was unable to match Bencic’s level, even though she had already saved break points at 5-5 in the first set.

Andreeva, who had previously won all of her matches, dropped that set at the tournament.

However, the teenager’s nervousness and frustration were apparent, and Bencic quietly delivered a confident performance.

Bencic made the crucial break of serve before finding the crucial break of serve to give herself the opportunity to play the game until Andreeva saves break points at 2-1 in the second set.

As her coach Conchita Martinez, a former Wimbledon champion herself, watched on with an anxious look on her face in the coaching box, Andreeva immediately reacted by forcing what appeared to be an inevitable tie-break.

In her first Wimbledon semifinal, former world no. 1 Swiatek defeated Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 7-5 to advance to her place in the championship match.

It feels fantastic,” he said. After this win, Swiatek, 24, said, “I got goosebumps.”

On this surface, I really worked hard to advance. I’ll focus solely on it and myself this year.

After winning, Swiatek was spotted stuffing some Wimbledon-branded towels in her bag before “shushing” to the camera.

The Pole has previously revealed that at the request of friends and family, she has been smuggling them out of SW19.

Swiatek has won her eighth game on grass thus far this year, which is her best start to a season.

Jordan Henderson is leaving Ajax and is weighing up his next move with next year’s World Cup in mind.

The England international joined the Dutch giants in January 2024 and has made more than 50 appearances in the Netherlands.

But Henderson’s contract at the Amsterdam Arena has expired and he will now start exploring a move elsewhere.

The midfielder, 35, is understood to have interest from clubs in England and top leagues in Europe.

The former Liverpool captain has been back on Merseyside in recent days to mourn the death of former team-mate Diogo Jota, who was killed last week in a car accident.

Henderson lifted the Premier League – the club’s first league title in 30 years – Champions League, FA Cup, two League Cups, Fifa Club World Cup, Uefa Super Cup and the Community Shield during his 12 years at Anfield, before joining Al-Ettifaq on a three-year deal in July 2024.

However, his time in the Saudi Pro League lasted less than six months and his contract was cancelled so he could join Ajax on a two and a half-year deal.

Henderson has featured in both full England squads since Thomas Tuchel’s appointment as head coach in January.

He made his England debut in a friendly against France in November 2010 at the age of 20, and he was called up to the Euro 2012 squad to replace the inured Frank Lampard.

He has made 84 appearances for the national side and scored three goals, featuring in England’s previous three World Cups squads in Brazil, Russia and Qatar.

Jordan Henderson is considering his next move in light of the World Cup that will take place next year.

The England international made more than 50 appearances in the Netherlands since joining the Dutch giants in January 2024.

Henderson will now begin looking into moving elsewhere because his contract at the Amsterdam Arena has expired.

The 35-year-old midfielder is reportedly interested in top European leagues and clubs in England.

Former Liverpool captain Diogo Jota passed away last week in a car accident, and the former captain has since returned to Merseyside to mourn his loss.

In his 12 years at Anfield, Henderson won the Premier League, the club’s first league title in 30 years, the Champions League, two league victories, the FA Cup, the Uefa Super Cup, the Community Shield, and the FA Cup before signing for Al-Ettifaq on a three-year deal in July 2024.

However, he was given a two-year deal to join Ajax after spending less than six months in the Saudi Pro League and having his contract terminated.

Since Thomas Tuchel became the head coach in January, Henderson has played for both of England’s full teams.

At the age of 20, he was called up to the Euro 2012 squad to replace the ailing Frank Lampard and made his England debut in a friendly against France in November 2010.

He has appeared in England’s previous three World Cup squads in Brazil, Russia, and Qatar, making 84 appearances for the national team and scoring three goals.