The 27-year-old US Ryder Cup firebrand showed the same grit he displays in match-play battles, dispatching Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Rory McIlroy in an emotional battle that had spectators roaring.

“Today was probably the hardest mentally a round of golf can possibly be,” Reed said. “I knew it was going to be a dogfight.”

Reed, whose breakthrough came in his 17th major start, fired a 1-under par 71 to finish 72 holes on 15-under 273, one stroke ahead of Fowler with Spieth third on 275 and Spain’s Jon Rahm fourth on 276.

“Having to shoot under par in the final round to win my first major, it was awesome,” Reed said. “It was really satisfying.”

In addition to the iconic winner’s green jacket, Reed pocketed $1.98 million from an $11 million purse.

Reigning British Open champion Spieth, the 2015 Masters champion and twice a runner-up, matched the low final-round in Augusta National history with a 64, a closing bogey thwarting his bid for the biggest comeback to win in Masters history.

“I started nine back,” Spieth said. “I wanted to shoot a low round and see if something crazy happens.”

Fowler, still seeking his first major win, birdied six of the last 11 holes. He sank a 7-foot birdie putt on 18 to pull within one and keep Reed under pressure to the 72nd hole.

“We gave our all out there and made P-Reed earn it,” Fowler said. “I was happy to make that last putt.”

Needing a two-putt par from 25 feet at 18 to win, Reed gently tapped the first putt and saw it race four feet past the cup. He sank the comeback effort and pumped his fist in celebration.

“To have to two-putt the last hole to win my first major, it definitely felt right,” Reed said. “I was glad to end the drought.”

Reed’s last-pair partner McIlroy kept near on the front nine, chasing his dream of a Masters win to complete a career Grand Slam, but managed only one birdie in the last 14 holes.

“I just didn’t quite have it,” the Northern Ireland star said. “When I did have opportunities I didn’t take advantage of them.

“Tough day. But I’ll be back.”

– Kudos from Trump to Reed –

US President Donald Trump congratulated Reed, who won a 2014 WGC event at Trump-owned Doral, although Trump mistakenly cited it as in 2013.

“Congratulations to Patrick Reed on his great and courageous MASTERS win!” Trump tweeted. “When Patrick had his amazing win at Doral 5 years ago, people saw his great talent, and a bright future ahead. Now he is the Masters Champion!”

Reed, who had never cracked 70 in 12 Masters rounds before this week, became the fourth straight first-time Masters winner and the ninth first-time winner in the past 10 majors.

Reed’s approach at the par-5 13th clung to a bank above Rae’s Creek, his title bid nestled with it, but he escaped with par to stay deadlocked with Spieth for the lead at 14-under.

Reed sank an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-4 14th to regain a one-stroke lead and parred to the clubhouse to win.

Spieth clipped a tree branch off the 18th tee and needed three to reach the green, where he missed an 8-foot par putt that would have seen him match the 18-hole course record.

Spieth was only the seventh player to shoot 64 in the last round, the first since Bo Van Pelt in 2012.

American Charley Hoffman aced the par-3 16th with a 6-iron, the 20th time the hole has surrendered a hole-in-one, while compatriot Tony Finau birdied six consecutive holes from the 12th to 17th.

Dustin Johnson fired a 69 to share 10th on 281 and retain his world number one ranking. Spieth, Rahm or Justin Thomas could have overtaken him by winning.

– Tiger roars late –

Tiger Woods, playing his first major event since 2015 in a comeback from nagging back pain and spinal fusion surgery, fired a 69, his week’s low round.

“It was possibly the highest score I could have shot today,” Woods said. “All in all it was a bittersweet ending.”

The 14-time major champion sank a 29-foot eagle putt at the par-5 15th and birdied 17 but a closing bogey denied his goal of level par overall.

Woods, a four-time Masters champion, failed to deliver on promise showed in two top-5 tuneup finishes but said he was glad to be back.

“I really missed it,” Woods said. “I made too many mistakes. But overall it was a lot of fun. It felt great to be able to compete again.”

    Laurel Hubbard, 40, looked in distress when her left elbow gave way attempting to snatch a Games-record 132kg, when she was already leading the women’s +90kg competition with a lift of 120kg.

Gold medal favourite Hubbard, the first transgender athlete to compete at the Games, said she thought she may have ruptured a ligament in her elbow.

“I have no regrets about the attempts that I made because I believe that to be true to sport, you really have to try to be the best that you can. I’m happy with the decisions that were made,” she said.

“It wouldn’t be true if I said I wasn’t unhappy at the moment but the nature of sport means that things don’t always go your way and it is what it is,” added Hubbard.

Hubbard’s presence had been criticised by some officials from rival countries but she received a huge roar of support from the crowd when the athletes were introduced.

“I think you have to be true to yourself and I hope in this case that’s what I’ve done,” said the New Zealander.

Born Gavin Hubbard, she represented New Zealand in male weightlifting events before transitioning to female in her 30s.

At last year’s world championships she won two silvers in the women’s +90kg category, becoming New Zealand’s first medallist in the competition.

“The crowd was absolutely magnificent. I felt (it was) just like a big embrace and I wanted to give them something that reflected the best I could do, and my only real regret today was that I was unable to show them,” Hubbard said.

– Saving grace –

Samoa’s Feagaiga Stowers, second behind Hubbard before the Kiwi’s injury, took gold with a total lift of 253kg.

According to reports, Samoan coach Jerry Wallwork earlier took issue with Hubbard, saying she had an unfair advantage and adding: “A man is a man and a woman is a woman.”

It follows similar criticism from Australian weightlifting chief Mike Keelan.

Asked whether she had been anxious about getting a rough reception at the Games in Gold Coast, Hubbard said: “It would be untrue to say that the thought never crossed my mind.

“But there’s no indication at all today that they were anything other than absolutely fantastic, a real credit to the Australian people and also the broader sporting community.”

She added: “The one saving grace in all of this is that I’m not in any great pain at the moment. I’m sure that will come with time.”

Hubbard became eligible to compete as a woman after showing testosterone levels below the threshold required by the International Olympic Committee.

“It’s very, very clear that Laurel is eligible to compete as a woman in accordance with the existing rules and we respect that right for her to compete,” Games chief executive David Grevemberg said earlier.//AFP

Javier Hernandez salvaged a priceless point for West Ham in their battle to avoid the drop after coming on as a substitute.

Reigning champions Chelsea now trail Tottenham and Liverpool by 10 points with just six games left to salvage a place in the Champions League next season.

“We are not clinical. It’s a pity because we dominated the game,” said Conte.

“We are talking about a draw and that is incredible. I think with this game we can see our season. We create a lot of chances but we cannot take them.

“When this happens regularly and you stay in this position, it means you have problems. Other teams in the league are more clinical. This is the truth.”

Chelsea paid tribute to former captain and assistant manager Ray Wilkins, who died aged 61 on Wednesday following a cardiac arrest, before kick-off with a minute’s applause.

However, on the field they failed to deliver manager Conte’s call to “make a great memory” in Wilkins’ honour as a desperately disappointing season continues to fizzle out.

The hosts did go in front in scrappy fashion when captain Cesar Azpilicueta prodded Alvaro Morata’s knockdown past Joe Hart.

West Ham game went into the game on the back of a morale-boosting 3-0 win over fellow strugglers Southampton last weekend to ease rising tensions between the board and supporters.

And they look well-set to save themselves from relegation as Hernandez’s strike moved David Moyes’s men six points above the drop zone in 14th.

Chelsea played a large part in their own downfall as Gary Cahill’s wayward header allowed Marko Arnautovic to pull the ball back in the Mexican’s path to slam past Thibaut Courtois.

Hart was needed, though, to salvage a point for the visitors as he made brilliant stops from Marcos Alonso and Olivier Giroud in the closing stages to do his hopes of starting for England at the World Cup no harm.

– Welbeck back in the goals –

Sixth-placed Arsenal are now just three points adrift of Chelsea as Danny Welbeck scored twice and also set up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to continue his fine start to life in the Premier League in a bad-tempered 3-2 win over Southampton.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made seven changes from the side that beat CSKA Moscow 4-1 on Thursday in their Europa League quarter-final, first leg with Champions League qualification by winning that competition now the Gunners’ priority.

Another England World Cup hopeful was heavily involved as the injury-ravaged Welbeck netted his first league goals since September.

Shane Long took advantage of a comical mix-up between Petr Cech and Shkodran Mustafi to put the visitors in front early on.

However, Welbeck teed up Aubameyang for his sixth goal in eight games since joining for a club-record fee from Borussia Dortmund and then put Arsenal in front before the break.

“I’m pleased for him because he has been through difficult times,” said Wenger. “I have seen him behave (well) when it was really tough so he deserves everything he gets.

“He had every reason to feel sorry for himself, to think the mountain was too big to climb, because it was the right knee, then the left knee and a year out every time.

“People were questioning whether he would come back and I believe what he has done is exceptional.”

Charlie Austin came off the bench to level for the Saints 17 minutes from time.

But, after passing up one glorious chance, Welbeck headed home the winner nine minutes from time.

Saints’ Jack Stephens and Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny were then both sent-off as Southampton’s frustration boiled over in the closing stages and they remain three points adrift of safety.

The world number one’s 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win in Valencia drew the tie level at 2-2, before veteran David Ferrer battled to a marathon 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 7-5 victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber to finish the job.

Two breaks in each set were enough for Nadal to seal an impressively comfortable victory over world number four Zverev in what was only the 31-year-old’s second outing since returning from a hip injury.

Nadal said after the match he is still regaining sharpness.

“The first set was fantastic,” Nadal said. “There were times when I lost a bit of control because the match was tough, I had not competed for a long time and to maintain the level of the first set was complicated for me.

“But in general it was a very important match and I am very happy.”

Nadal was forced to retire from his Australian Open quarter-final against Marin Cilic in January but, back on his favoured clay, the 16-time Grand Slam champion showed little sign of rust against Zverev, whom he has now beaten four times out of four.

It was also the 24th consecutive match Nadal has won in the Davis Cup.

He beat Kohlschreiber in straight sets on Friday after Zverev had overcome Ferrer. Germany then took a 2-1 lead when Tim Puetz and Jan-Lennard Struff won the doubles rubber against Feliciano and Marc Lopez.

But Nadal kept up his end of the bargain on Sunday and the 36-year-old Ferrer showed all of his trademark never-say-die qualities to keep Spain’s hopes of a sixth Davis Cup title alive.

Kohlschreiber twice fought back from a set down, but former French Open runner-up Ferrer broke in the 11th game of the decider and held his nerve on serve after almost five hours on court.

“It is an unforgettable day, a very special day,” Ferrer said. “I do not know how I have done it, I have tried to give it my all, this competition is the best that has happened to me in my life.”

– Champions France motor on –

Elsewhere, defending champions France booked a home semi-final against Spain as Lucas Pouille claimed a hard-fought win over Fabio Fognini in Genoa to give the visitors a 3-1 victory in the tie.

“I won without playing my best tennis, those are the best types of victories,” Pouille said after his first Davis Cup win over a top-20 player.

World number 11 Pouille, who had beaten Andreas Seppi in five sets on Friday, came from behind to see off Fognini 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 and send Yannick Noah’s France into the semis for the third time in four years.

“18 months ago, he was playing for the first time, and now he is our leader on and off the court,” captain Noah said of Pouille.

Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert had cruised to a straight-sets victory over Fognini and Simone Bolelli in the doubles on Saturday to put France in control, despite Fognini’s bad-tempered four-set win against Jeremy Chardy.

Croatia will host the United States in the other semi-final in September, after Cilic thrashed Mikhail Kukushkin 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in Varazdin.

The world number three had already cruised past Dimitry Popko in straight sets on Friday, and Sunday’s win wrapped up a 3-1 last-eight success for the hosts.

“From the beginning till the end I played on a rather high level … constant pressure, superior, aggressive,” former US Open champion Cilic said.

The US were the only team to progress without losing a rubber, after Jack Sock and Ryan Harrison’s doubles win over Belgian debutants Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen on Saturday.

Last year’s losing finalists Belgium struggled without their top-ranked players David Goffin and Steve Darcis, leaving the Americans with a straightforward task to reach the semis for the first time since 2012.

This latest triumph comes only a week after Luksika claimed her first title of the year in Kofu, also in Japan, and the current world No 103 is expected to return to the top 100 when the new rankings are updated on Monday.

This was her eighth title in the US$25,000 or higher ITF event. The Thai has no plan to play in any clay tournament in Europe except the French Open next month.

Her next outing is a 125K WTA event in Zhengzhou, China, which starts on April 16.

The Kingdom’s No 1 player, who turned 23, shrugged off rusty form in the second set to win a hard-fought encounter that lasted two hours and twenty minutes.

“This is a great present for me, helping Thailand to win and reach the final. It was a tough match. I had to stay focused on this surface, which is not easy to play,” said the Thai No 1 and world No 453.

With the teams level at 1-1 after Saturday’s opening singles, Thailand had gone ahead 2-1 when Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana came from behind to beat the inspired Francis Casey Alcantara and Johnny Arcilla 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 before Wishaya sealed overall victory at 3-1 in he best-of-five tie.

Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana 

“They played unbelievable at the beginning while we just tried to hang in there waiting for them to lose momentum. We knew if we took the second set, we would come back to win the match,” said Sonchat after recording his 20th Davis Cup win.

The elder Sanchai said: “In the third set the momentum went to our side as they seemed to lose confidence. We needed to win this point so Wishaya could wrap it up in his rubber.”

Wishya Trongcharoenchaikul 

In the dead rubber, teenager Palaphoom Kovapitukted beat John Bryan Descasa Otico 6-4 6-3.

Thai captain Weerapat Dokmaiklee was happy his team got the mission done and vowed to do all he could to help Thailand win promotion to Group I next year.

“I’m proud of my players to win this tie, even though clay is not our best surface. We are one win away from Group I. Our goal is to go back to Group I,” he said.

Since losing a Group I  playoff  in 2015 and being relegated to group II the following year, Thailand have now progressed into the final of Group II for the third successive year.

They will face Lebanon in September to battle for promotion to Group I in 2019.

Palaphoom Kovapitukted 

The 29-year-old from Roi, representing Thailand National Team,  Et timed 56.37 minutes to win the individual category of the  42km first stage. She also won the Best Sprinter and Best Asean Rider categories as well.

In the team event, Japan National Team dominated the first day with a total time of  2:49.51 hours, followed by Russia National Team and Vietnam National Team.

“The Best ASEAN Team” title went to Vietnam National Team with their combined time of  3:17.63 hours, followed by Thailand Women Cycling Team and Thailand National Team with the same team.

Jutatip will wear the purple jersey (as Best Sprinter)  into Monday’s second stage which covers a distance of 117.45km, starting from Kaen Nakhon Lake to Ban Fang district in Khon Kaen.

Shock and disbelief switched to sorrow and grief once the magnitude of the Humboldt Broncos’ bus crash was realized and names of the victims revealed.

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock fought back tears as he expressed his feelings for the victims and their families in his home province of Saskatchewan.

“I grew up right there in Saskatoon,” Babcock said. “It is just down the road. I can’t even imagine being a parent or the wife or the kids at home and going through something like this.

“The hockey world is an unbelievable world. You can’t make up for loss, you just can’t.”

Canadian police said 15 people were killed and 14 others injured after a transport truck collided with the bus that was carrying the players, coaches and team personnel to a playoff game in Nipawan.

Among those confirmed dead are the head coach Darcy Haugan, team captain Logan Schatz and 16-year-old Adam Herold who was one of the youngest players on the team.

Of the 14 injured people, police said some were critical.

“It’s got to rip the heart out of your chest. We pray for those families and we’re thinking about them. I don’t know what else to say. Horrific, horrific accident. Tough day,” Babcock said.

Former Detroit Red Wing player Sheldon Kennedy survived another junior hockey team bus crash in Saskatchewan back in 1986.

Four of Kennedy’s Swift Current Bronco teammates — who were sitting in the back of the team bus playing cards — died when it skidded off the highway and flipped in snowy conditions.

“It’s massive,” Kennedy, who was 17 at the time of the 1986 crash, told Canadian broadcaster Global News on Saturday. “This awful accident has happened.

“You are losing your teammates and your friend. You are losing your son and I think those have long lasting impacts,” he said.

Kennedy said the emotional strain of the Humboldt crash will be felt throughout the hockey world, but “as a community and people you can get through it by pulling together.”

The Humboldt team plays in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League which is a feeder system for the higher levels. Many graduate to play at US and Canadian colleges and major junior teams, while some go on to the National Hockey League.

Former NHL players like defenseman Chris Chelios, goaltender Ron Hextall, forward Rod Brind’Amour and hall of fame goaltender Glenn Hall all played in the SJHL.

Everytime Kennedy passes that stretch of highway just outside of Swift Current, Saskatchewan he sees the memorial that was placed on the side of the road at the crash site.

His advice to the survivors of the crash and the small community of 6,000 in Humboldt is to seek help and support.

– ‘Impact is real’ –

“I think of the individuals that survived the crash and the survivors guilt that comes with that. ‘I could have done this or maybe I should have done that,'” Kennedy said.

“One of the things I realized, and others that survived the crash, is we never understood why we felt the way we felt.

“The hockey community is massive across this country. There is lots of support. It is a time to reflect. The most important thing is be there for one another and for people struggling. The impact is real.”

Maple Leafs forward Patrick Marleau grew up in Swift Current and said the tragedy will extend beyond Humboldt.

“In Saskatchewan every community is fairly small. Everybody knows everybody. It’s a very tight knit,” Marleau said.

Messages of support also came from outside the hockey community like the NBA TorontAo Raptors.

“Thinking of the Humboldt Broncos and our friends in the hockey community at this terrible time. From Toronto to the Prairies our thoughts and prayers are with you.”//AFP

City were cruising towards the win they needed to seal the silverware thanks to first half goals from Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan at Eastlands.

But Guardiola’s side crumbled in unexpected fashion in the second half as Paul Pogba’s brace and a Chris Smalling strike put City’s title champagne on ice for at least another week.

“We were not good enough in the end. Our team tried to create and attack, that is what we have done all season, we tried to produce all of that quality and goals,” Guardiola said.

“A special day for United which is a pity. We did absolutely everything in the first half but then for 10-15 minutes we conceded goals.

“United found their game, found their actions, they have spirit. We have to defend a little better in the second half.”

After their chastening midweek 3-0 defeat at Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-final first leg, surrendering the lead against United was another bitter blow for City.

They could still be crowned champions next weekend if they win at Tottenham and second placed United lose to struggling West Bromwich Albion.

But for now Guardiola has to focus on restoring his players’ morale for the second leg against Liverpool on Tuesday.

“It’s a little sad for fans and players, we will try to be in a good mood next Tuesday,” he said.

“We will try to pick ourselves up for Liverpool, we are professionals.”

Tim Puetz and Jan-Lennard Struff stunned Marc Lopez and Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4/7), 7-5 as Spain were left to rue converting just two of 20 break points in a four-hour 40-minute encounter at the Plaza de Toros bullring.

Nadal, 31, who marked his comeback on Friday after more than two months on the sidelines with a hip injury by seeing off Philipp Kohlscreiber in his opening singles match, now has to repeat his magic against Zverev, 11 years his junior.

Nadal is on a record run of 23 successive wins in the Davis Cup, having not lost since 2005.

Five-time champions Spain, meanwhile, have won 26 straight home ties, with their last defeat on Spanish soil against Brazil in 1999.

“I have complete faith in all my players, they’re all formidable,” said Spain captain Sergi Bruguera.

Despite the pressure, Nadal can look ahead to his meeting against Zverev with confidence as he boasts a 3-0 record over the beanpole German including their only meeting on clay in Monte Carlo last year.

Germany captain Michael Kohlmann hailed his doubles team.

“This is what the Davis Cup is all about. It was 50/50 in the end. We got a bit lucky but it feels great.”

In Genoa, Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert put defending champions France 2-1 up against Italy with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 win over Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli.

It took two-time major winners Mahut and Herbert just 1 hour 54 minutes to take revenge for a loss to the Italian duo in the 2015 Australian Open final.

Lucas Pouille, the world number 11, will have the chance to clinch a semi-final spot for France for the third time in four years when he faces Fognini in the first of Sunday’s reverse singles.

“Pierre-Hugues and Nico played the perfect match,” said France captain Yannick Noah.

“Now we are going to prepare Lucas to beat Fabio — we will give 150 percent for this match.”

The winner of the tie will face either Spain or Germany for a place in the final.

Croatia, the 2005 champions, are also one win away from the last-four after Ivan Dodig and Nikola Mektic defeated the Kazakh pair of Timur Khabibulin and Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

“We played together for the first time and that’s why we needed some time to find our game,” said Dodig.

On Sunday, world number three and former US Open champion Marin Cilic can wrap up the tie when he faces Mikhail Kukushkin, the world 92 in the first of the reverse singles.

Kukushkin stunned world number 28 Borna Coric in Friday’s singles.

In Nashville, John Isner and Sam Querrey lifted the United States into a 2-0 lead over last year’s runners-up Belgium on Friday as the 32-time champions attempt to reach the semis for the first time in six years.

Isner needed three hours and 14 minutes to dispose of world number 319 Joris de Loore 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (10/8), 6-4, while world number 14 Querrey beat 110th ranked Ruben Bemelmans 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 in a two-hour long second rubber.

Belgium, who are playing without world No. 10 David Goffin, don’t have a player ranked in the top 100 in their lineup.

On Saturday, Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock, both with top-30 doubles rankings, can wrap up the tie when they face Sander Gille, ranked 84, and number 98 Joran Vliegen.