DALLAS – Sean Crocker found form at just the right time and qualified for his first U.S. Open, among 13 players in Dallas and three in Japan who earned spots at The Country Club next month.

The 36-hole qualifiers were the first of 11 that will fill the field for the U.S. Open, to be played June 16-19 outside Boston.

Crocker, born in Zimbabwe and raised in California through his college years at USC, had gone nine straight tournaments on the DP World Tour without making a cut until a tie for seventh in Belgium last week. He flew to Texas and delivered rounds of 64 at Royal Oaks and 67 at Lakewood Country Club.

He was joined at 11 under par by Kurt Kitayama, Matthew NeSmith and Jinchiro Kozuma, who missed the cut at the PGA Championship and stayed in the region for the U.S. Open qualifier.

Mackenzie Hughes was among four Canadians who qualified in Dallas. Travis Vick, who plays at Texas and reached the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur last summer, was the lone amateur to qualify. Dallas was one of the larger fields because of the PGA Tour event at Colonial this week.

Graeme McDowell, who won the Open in 2010 at Pebble Beach, missed the 6-for-2 playoff in Dallas by one shot. Matt Kuchar also failed to qualify and is likely to miss the U.S. Open for the first time in 15 years.

Tomoyasu Sugiyama, Daijiro Izumida and Todd Sinnott of Australia were the three who qualified in Japan.

The other nine qualifiers will be June 6, the Monday before U.S. Open week.

TULSA, Okla. – Earlier this year, one of Justin Thomas’ playing partners in the Genesis Invitational pro-am asked him about his interests, what he’s into.

You know, some guys cop cars. Others collect expensive bottles of wine.

Thomas paused for a moment.

“I just want to win tournaments,” he said.

It sounds like a dangerous line of thinking in a sport in which Thomas wins only 8% of the time (and that’s among the best on Tour), but that’s how he’s wired. That’s how he’s been trained. His cold-blooded mentality, borrowed from his boyhood idol, has powered Thomas to this point – at 29, he’s already a sure-fire Hall of Famer – and he’s learning how to strike the balance of being insatiable while not intolerable. That being easier on himself doesn’t have to mean dulling his sharper edges.

“He plays golf for the right reason,” said his college coach, Alabama’s Jay Seawell. “He doesn’t play for a living. He plays for the life of that arena. He can tie himself up in a knot because he wants to win so badly that he gets ahead of himself. But his motor is to win. He doesn’t try to swing or play perfect – he plays to win. Any result other than that is unfulfilling.”

Winning is an elusive art, and Thomas seemed to master it early. Though some parents push their child too quickly into the spotlight, Thomas’ were content to watch him beat up on kids his age at the local and state level, each tournament title producing a series of memories and moments that were stored for later access. Beginning when his son was in elementary school, Mike Thomas kept golf balls from each of Justin’s victories and stored them in a display at his club, Harmony Landing in Goshen, Kentucky. By the time Justin left home to play for the Crimson Tide, the golf ball collection had reached the low-100s. 

All of that winning bred unrealistic expectations of more winning. In his first college tournament, Thomas roared home with a back-nine 30 to torch the field by five. But in his next start at Olympia Fields, he was already pressing: more, more, more. Unable to get cooking in the first round and growing increasingly frustrated, he compounded his mistakes by making a par-5 bogey, then played the last four holes in 4 over to shoot 75. Seawell pulled his young star aside. “Your attitude was so agitated because you wanted to win that you shot yourself out of it,” he said. Struggling again the next day, Thomas came to the same par 5, but this time he buckled down and made birdie, then added two more coming home to break par, a small victory. Afterward, the elder Thomas approached Seawell and thanked him for the tough love. It was just what Justin needed – and he needed to hear it from someone else.

“Justin was a quick study and coachable,” Seawell said. “That’s what I learned that day.”

A decade later, at the PGA Championship, another member of Thomas’ team delivered a much-needed pep talk. Thomas had been on edge all week at Southern Hills. He was coming off a 23-under performance at the Byron Nelson, his seventh top-10 in 12 starts, but he was still trophy-less over the past 14 months. His lofty world ranking was dropping. He was growing restless. And he wasn’t about to let this old habit – winning – die hard. On the range Wednesday, Thomas’ normally reliable swing began to fail him; he couldn’t find the center of the clubface. He started snipping at his dad, until Mike suggested throwing down an alignment stick and just hitting shots: fades, draws, stingers, floaters. “Immediately I just started flushing it,” Justin said.

Thomas carried those good vibes into the first two rounds, when he shot a pair of 67s while playing on the worst side of the draw. Though he might not have been in the lead through 36 holes, no one carried more confidence into the weekend. Wicked weather blew into the area Saturday, with 25-mph winds out of a different direction, conditions that should have suited Thomas’ peerless shot-making. Instead, he made three late bogeys during a third-round 74 that dropped him seven shots back. It seemed like yet another mystifying score for Thomas, who despite his sterling Tour record had admittedly underwhelmed in the majors since his breakthrough at the 2017 PGA.

“It’s easy to start letting some doubt creep in,” he said, “like, All right, what’s going to happen? When is it going to happen? IS it going to happen?”

Thomas stormed into the scoring tent, blew past the media and marched straight to the range.

That’s when his caddie, Jim “Bones” Mackay, stepped in.

Despite working together for a few events previously, Thomas and Mackay are still in the feeling-out phase of their relationship. Thomas had enjoyed a successful run with another top caddie, Jimmy Johnson; Mackay, meanwhile, worked for 25 years with Phil Mickelson before parting ways in 2017. After hanging up his caddie bib, Mackay proved a natural fit as an on-course reporter on TV, and he told his wife, Jennifer, that the only player he’d put down the microphone for was Thomas. “He has more shots than anybody on Tour: high, low, left, right, whatever,” Mackay said. “His hands around the greens. The guy is really, really good, and I wanted to be around it.”

And now, his new boss needed him – even if Thomas didn’t yet know it.

“I’m fully confident in saying that I wouldn’t be standing here if he didn’t give me that talk,” Thomas said. “He was just like, Dude, you’ve got to stop being so hard on yourself. You’re in contention every single week we’re playing. You don’t have to be perfect. Just don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Added Mackay, “There was nothing to be worried about. There was nothing about his game that gave you pause or concern.”

Before the final round, Mike Thomas thanked Mackay for conveying the timely message. “I know as a father, if I’d have said it, he’d have been like, ‘You’re just stroking my ego’,” Mike Thomas said. “But Bones said them, and it hit home for him.”

It’s a credit to Justin Thomas, of course, that he’s mature enough to accept outside voices, that he’s capable of compartmentalizing the daily disappointment to realize the greater opportunity. But it also highlights how adroitly Mike Thomas navigates his unique responsibilities: He is the trusted swing coach of the No. 5-ranked player in the world, but he’s also a devoted father trying to guide his son through his wildest dreams.

“His mom [Jani] and dad did a really good job – they should write a book on how to come alongside a special talent,” Seawell said. “It’s the brilliance of them. They don’t have to be the center. Sometimes Mike has really good wisdom as a dad and coach, but he’s also really comfortable with other people coaching in those moments. It takes tremendous humility and trust. But Mike allows and appreciates others pouring into his son.”

Buoyed by Bones and trusting his talent, Thomas ripped off five birdies in the last 10 holes Sunday to tie the low round of the day, a 3-under 67, that gave him the clubhouse lead. But winning is hard, and winning is learned, and Thomas watched as rookie Mito Pereira – winless on the PGA Tour – played a series of nervy shots before collapsing on the 72^nd hole. Given new life, Thomas’ killer instincts took over: He birdied the first two holes of the aggregate playoff to defeat Will Zalatoris, another winless up-and-comer, for his second career major. Order had been restored.

“He’s just won so much that he was pressing,” Mike Thomas said afterward. “He was definitely pressing some. Hopefully this will take some weight off and he can go on a nice run.”

When it was over, Thomas floated to the edge of the green and squatted to collect his thoughts. Even for the superstar so accustomed to winning, the achievement landed hard. Overwhelmed, he lost his balance and nearly toppled over, needing to steady himself with his right hand. He pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes while Mike massaged his shoulders. Then the father kneeled beside the son, their heads lowered. No words were exchanged, because nothing needed to be said, and when they both rose, their eyes were wet with tears. There was no greater feeling.

Rose Zhang’s remarkable freshman year at Stanford continued to get better as she was named on Tuesday the Annika Award winner as the most outstanding female NCAA DI college player this season.

Zhang is the top-ranked amateur in the world. She captured the individual national championship title on Monday at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, her fourth victory in her maiden season.

“It is truly an honor to win the 2022 Annika Award and to have my name alongside all of these great players who won this award previously,” said Zhang. “It is safe to say I know every one of these names. Just seeing all of these names and being given this award by the greatest player ever in Annika [Sorenstam] brings a lot of inspiration to me to keep getting better.”

Zhang, who turned 19 on Tuesday, followed Stanford teammate Rachel Heck in winning this award. Other to have won include: Natalie Srinivasan (Furman, 2020); Maria Fassi (Arkansas, 2018-19); Leona Maguire (Duke, 2015, 2017); Bronte Law (UCLA, 2016) and Alison Lee (2014).

“Rose has had an amazing freshman year at Stanford, culminating this week in capturing the NCAA individual national championship,” said Sorenstam, who won the 1991 NCAA individual championship at Arizona. “I’ve seen her play the past few years at our foundation tournaments and have watched her grow. Golf is in good hands when you have players like Rose.”

Zhang – along with Heck – is now trying to lead the Cardinal to its first NCAA women’s team title since 2015. She has also won the 2020 U.S. Women's Amateur and the 2021 U.S. Girls' Junior.

West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen has earned his first ever England call-up for next month's Nations League matches but Manchester United's Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho have not been included once again.

England boss Gareth Southgate named a 27-man group on Tuesday for four games which begin with trips to Hungary and Germany before hosting Italy and the return fixture against Hungary at Molineux.

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Bowen has been in superb form for the West Ham this season, registering 12 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League.

"We were certainly thinking about involving him [Bowen] in March before he got injured," Southgate told a news conference at Wembley. "He's a goal threat, he's direct," he added of Bowen who came through the ranks at Hereford United and Hull City.

"His journey is really interesting in terms of experiences he's had. It's a reminder you don't just have to be at an elite academy and come through that pathway. Playing in the lower divisions and to have that experience is a great route to go.

"He works incredibly hard for the team, which we want all our forward players to do. He's thoroughly deserved his call up."

Rashford and Sancho have both missed out on selection for the second consecutive time after United's disappointing campaign concluded with a 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace on the final day of the Premier League season but Harry Maguire keeps his place.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings also miss out on a place in Southgate's squad.

"[Henderson] played 60 plus games this season," Southgate added. "He's going into the Champions League final as well. He's 32 years old. I don't need to know any more about him either. Everybody else is getting a week off now."

Leicester City defender James Justin has also been called up to the senior team for the first time in his career after returning in January from a year out with a serious knee injury.

There was no place for Justin's Leicester teammate James Maddison while Arsenal's Emile Smith Rowe was also omitted but AC Milan's Fikayo Tomori, Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips, Newcastle United's Kieran Trippier and Manchester City's Kyle Walker have all been recalled -- meaning there are five recognised right-backs selected.

Maddison had been hopeful of breaking into the squad after finishing the season by scoring in each of his final four games, ending the season with 16 goals and 11 assists -- the best record by a Leicester player since Riyad Mahrez in 2017-18.

"We just feel that we're very happy with the players that have been with us in that area of the pitch," Southgate said. "He's competing with [Mason] Mount, [Phil] Foden, those types, in the role where he's at his best. There are a couple of positions where there's a lot of strength in depth, and there will always be a player you don't pick, but to do that you'd have to leave somebody out, and they will probably be equally or more deserving."

However, his wait for a first call-up since November 2019 but Tomori is included having last featured for England in October 2021, shortly after he left Chelsea to join Milan, who went on to win their first Serie A title in 11 years with the centre-back playing a pivotal role.

Phillips missed 16 matches for Leeds between December and March with a calf injury but returns to the international setup having been named England's Player of the Year after playing a pivotal role in last summer's run to the Euro 2020 final.

Walker was rested for the last camp in March but returns to the group as Southgate planned at the time while Trippier, who scored in England's 2018 World Cup semifinal defeat to Croatia, is recalled after being sidelined for 13 games with a metatarsal fracture.

England squad

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Conor Coady (Wolves), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), James Justin (Leicester City), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Ben White (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United), Declan Rice (West Ham United), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton)

Forwards: Tammy Abraham (AS Roma), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)

Gareth Southgate has voiced his concern at an apparent rise in fan disorder at matches but fears any message he sends to England supporters ahead of their trip to Germany will be ignored.

Recent Premier League and English Football League matches have been marred by incidents of violent behaviour with players and managers coming under attack following pitch invasions.

Two of the latest incidents involve Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen being allegedly assaulted in the postmatch bedlam sparked by Manchester City's Premier League title win, days after Sheffield United striker Billy Sharp was headbutted by a fan celebrating Nottingham Forest's semifinal, second leg win at the City Ground.

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The first of four Nations League matches for England next month will be played behind closed doors in Budapest after Hungary were found guilty of racism by FIFA during a World Cup qualifier between the two countries on September 2.

England then travel to Munich to face their old adversaries Germany for a fixture regularly blighted by off-field incidents before playing Italy at Molineux, again behind closed doors after the Football Association were punished over crowd trouble at the Euro 2020 final. The final game is the reverse clash with Hungary on June 14.

"There's clearly a responsibility within football because when it is in our environment, we have got to do all we can to try and make sure it doesn't happen," Southgate said as he announced his 27-man squad at Wembley on Tuesday.

"I think we all recognise that. But it's a wider problem. It is behaviour and a reflection on where we are as a country at the moment. It is a difficult time for people, we are going to have more difficult times because of the economy and the realities of the situation we are in.

"But we have to look at what we're doing in terms of parenting, everything really. What are the expectations? How do we want to be viewed as country because that's manifesting itself in football at the moment and that's not a good look.

"We don't want to go back to fences up and the type of environment that created. The game has been more inclusive over the last 20 years, a better place for families and women to attend, a completely more diverse audience. So I'm really positive we don't want to step back.

"But football reflects society so it would be easy for some people to just put it on football, but that's not the reality of it. I repeat: football has got a responsibility, we have to do our bit and we have to get that right. But what happened here before our final, that wasn't just football supporters. That was people unable to behave, unable to control themselves when consuming alcohol so there are many, many broader parts to it."

Asked whether he had a specific message for supporters travelling to Munich, Southgate said: "Well, I doubt they'd listen to it really because we are always sitting, giving those messages but frankly if people are going to cause trouble, it is not going to make a jot of difference what I say about it.

"I just think we're representing the country, so it everybody that travels. We should be good ambassadors for our country and leave a good impression. Thousands of football fans every year do that and are welcomed back and are greeted warmly by people all around Europe when they travel. So, I think everybody that leaves this country, goes on holiday or goes to watch football matches has that same opportunity and responsibility."

West Ham United defender Kurt Zouma pleaded guilty to kicking and slapping his pet cat in abuse caught on video.

The 27-year-old France international appeared at a hearing at Thames Magistrates' Court on Tuesday accused of three offenses under the Animal Welfare Act in relation to footage of the abuse that took place on Feb. 6 and surfaced on social media.

Zouma pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, while another charge was dismissed. He will be sentenced on June 1.

Zouma arrived at the court in a car and was accompanied by several security guards who held out umbrellas to form a protective shield around him as he was bundled into the court.

Zouma's younger brother, Yoan, filmed the incident involving the cat and posted it on social media app Snapchat.

Kurt Zouma could be seen kicking his Bengal cat across his kitchen, before throwing a pair of shoes at it and slapping its head.

The court was told by prosecutor Hazel Stevens that Kurt Zouma could be heard saying: "I swear I'll kill it. I swear I'll kill it." Stevens said the cats were deemed responsible by Zouma for damaging a chair in his home.

"Since this footage was put in public domain," Stevens said, "there has been a spate of people hitting cats and posting it on various social media sites.

"Their behaviour falls short of what is expected of a high-profile image."

Yoan Zouma admitted to one count of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring his brother to commit an offense. He was suspended in February by fifth-tier team Dagenham & Redbridge.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty (RSPCA) to Animals took Kurt Zouma's two pet cats into care after the incident.

West Ham fined Zouma two weeks of salary -- the maximum amount possible -- when the incident came to light, but manager David Moyes continued to pick the defender to play when healthy. Zouma also lost a sponsorship deal with Adidas.

The RSPCA brought the prosecution against the brothers even though it does not have the power to charge people.

British law allows organizations such as the RSPCA to use specialist lawyers to bring private prosecutions against individuals, with such cases heard in court and sometimes taken over by public prosecutors.

Carlo Ancelotti has said he "respects the decision" of Kylian Mbappe to turn down a move to Real Madrid in favour of renewing his contract at Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG announced on Saturday that Mbappe would be staying at the Parc des Princes after agreeing a new three-year deal until 2025, with the forward insisting on Monday that he had been convinced by the club's "sporting project."

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The saga has overshadowed Madrid's preparations for their Champions League final with Liverpool, which will be played in Paris on Saturday.

"With what we have to think about, we've never thought about players from other clubs," Ancelotti said in a news conference. "We respect everyone, we respect the decisions they take, we respect other clubs. But we have to do our jobs, and it's clear what we have to think about now, which is preparing well for the final."

Mbappe, 23, revealed on Monday that he had held talks with both Champions League finalists about a possible move, saying "we spoke to [Liverpool] a bit... but in the end it was between Real Madrid and PSG."

Madrid midfielder Casemiro echoed Ancelotti's comments.

"Everyone takes their own decisions. Everyone does what they want in life," Casemiro said. "If Mbappé wants to stay in Paris, we have to respect that.

"We know this [Madrid] is the best club in the world, the best place to live, but we have to respect his decision, his family's decision, the club, PSG. We wish him the best and let's hope he's happy wherever he is."

Saturday's final at the Stade de France is a repeat of the 2018 showdown, when Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 in Kiev.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah -- forced off with a dislocated shoulder in that game -- said he "would prefer Madrid" in the final before the opponent was confirmed, leading Madrid's Federico Valverde to hit back this week accusing Salah of "disrespecting the [Madrid] badge."

"It could be a motivation," Ancelotti said on Tuesday when asked about Liverpool seeking revenge for 2018. "But in the history of Real Madrid there's also a final they lost in Paris against Liverpool [in 1981]. So we could have the same motivation as Salah.

"We respect [Salah], he is a great player, he's dangerous. It could be revenge for them for 2018, or for Real Madrid for the final they lost in 1981."

Ancelotti also has a long history of facing Liverpool -- losing to them on penalties with AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005, before beating them 2-1 in Athens two years later.

"We've met many times," Ancelotti said. "In 2005, a final that it looked like we'd won, we lost on penalties. Then in 2007, and now again. It's a club I respect... I like their history, with Bob Paisley who won three European Cups. It's a historic team and playing a final against them is special."

Tottenham's owners ENIC agreed a £150 million ($187.64m) cash injection into the club on Tuesday to help Antonio Conte's side challenge for honours after securing a return to the Champions League next season.

ENIC Group, owned by 85-year-old British businessman Joe Lewis, announced the capital increase for Spurs, who finished fourth in the Premier League this term, via the issue of convertible A Shares and accompanying warrants in a club statement.

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"The equity injection provides the Premier League club with greater financial flexibility and the ability to further invest on and off the pitch," Spurs said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The investment represents permanent capital, with no ongoing interest cost to the club, and which may be drawn in tranches until the end of the year."

Conte's side returned to European football's elite club competition with a 5-0 win over Norwich City on the final day of the season on Sunday.

However, the Italian coach, who took charge in November, has consistently said the squad needs improving if the club are to challenge for the top prizes.

"The delivery of a world-class home was always a key building block in driving diversified revenues to enable us to invest in the teams and support our ambitions to be consistently competing at the highest levels of European football," chairman Daniel Levy said.

"Additional capital from ENIC will now enable further investment in the Club at an important time."