Potter's side grasped their second chance by beating Ukraine 3-1 in their semi-final, before a late Viktor Gyokeres goal secured a dramatic 3-2 win over Poland in the final to seal a World Cup berth.

Azaleas and dogwoods are as synonymous with the Masters as Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, which is a little unfair not to the other 55 Masters champions, but to the other 350 species of flora that make Augusta National a golf course unlike any other.The par-3 16th is famous for Woods hitting that pitch that made a U-turn at the top of the slope, hung on the edge of the cup and dropped during his 2005 victory. No eyes were on the beautiful Redbud shrub with its vibrant pink blooms.The par-3 12th hole is associated with its name on the scorecard, Golden Bell, a yellow bloom native to Asia. Ask just about any player at the Masters if they've ever seen a Golden Bell and it's doubtful. It blooms in late winter. The Masters is golf's rite of spring.Ive played the 12th enough. Im sure Ive seen one somewhere, Rory McIlroy said.Pebble Beach is the felicitous meeting of land and sea. Augusta National is the greatest garden in golf, because that's what it was before Bobby Jones went looking for land to build his golf course and found the 365-acre Fruitland Nurseries.Perfect! And to think this ground has been lying here all these years waiting for someone to come along and lay a golf course on it, Jones said when he first laid eyes on the property.He took out an option for $70,000.Augusta National doesn't speak in numbers from the size of the gallery to how fast the greens are running on the Stimpmeter but the course is believe to have some 80,000 flowering plants and trees on its immaculate landscape.The flora is such an integral part of Augusta National that each hole is named for a tree or a shrub that can be found on that hole.I know azalea is one of them, Dustin Johnson said.Good guess. It took him a few seconds to associate Azalea with the iconic par-5 13th, which has approximately 1,600 azalea bushes, many of them surrounding the back of the green.Remarkably, Johnson knew the seventh hole was named, Pampas, a grass bush native to Argentina that grows about 12 feet high and blooms in late summer. The hole used to be 340 yards with no bunkers. Now it's 450 yards, straight and narrow and tough.Perfect name, Johnson said, because it is an ass of a hole.Johnson also knew there was a dogwood or two on the scorecard without knowing exactly where (Pink Dogwood for No. 2, White Dogwood for No. 11). And there's no shame in that.Two-time champion Scottie Scheffler the No. 1 player in the world, and with a degree from Texas in finance, not horticulture paused under the live oak next to the clubhouse when asked how many plants he could name associated with each hole.Magnolia for 5? he asked. He hit one of his purest shots on the fifth hole when he won in 2022. He didn't have to venture into the magnolia trees behind the tree.He also named Azalea and Golden Bell I got more than I thought, he said but whiffed on Holly, the red-berry bushes found on both sides of the 18th tee.McIlroy, the defending champion, has a greater appreciation of history and heritage than most golfers. He didn't think he could get the names on all 18 holes before rattling off Firethorn (15), Azalea, Golden Bell, Pink Dogwood ... and then he stumbled.White Dogwood, 10? he said.No. The 10th hole is Camelia, another one that typically blooms well before the Masters.The beauty of Augusta National cannot be overstated, and its history of flora is rich. Fruitland Nurseries dates to 1858, a partnership between a Belgian baron named Louis Berckmans and his son, Prosper. They imported trees and plants from all over the world. The nursery ceased operations in 1918 after they died. What remained were a long row of magnolias that had been planted before the Civil War, and the azalea bush that Prosper Berckmans popularized.A word about the famous azaleas at Augusta National.No, the club's horticulture staff does not pack them in ice to keep the blooms from bursting before the Masters. There have been the occasional green Masters without many blooms, and that almost was the case this year. The blooms are fading but still colorful.The staff will get to work two days after the Masters is over, fertilizing and pruning. And it takes great care the azalea bushes are pruned by hand, a project that can take three months.There is one palm tree at Augusta National, just to the right of the green on the par-3 fourth. The name of the hole later was changed from Palm to Flowering Crabapple with its red, pink and white blooms (they usually pop right after the Masters).That tripped up Chris Gotterup, one of the 22 newcomers to the Masters this year.Is every hole named after a flower?" Gotterup said Monday. Because we were playing 4 today. Is palm a flower?It all weaves together in a magnificent landscape, a deceptive beauty as the backdrop to intense pressure trying to win one of golf's grandest prizes. Jones might have summed it up best."Never was the iron gauntlet of challenge more skillfully concealed in velvet.___AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

The Texans officially exercise their fifth-year club options for All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and starting quarterback C.J. Stroud, per a league source.For Anderson, the fifth-year option is a precursor to an expected blockbuster deal this offseason that league sources predict will make him the highest paid defensive player in the league with an average compensation approaching $50 million annually. His fifth-year option guaranteed price tag: $21.512 million.I love Will Anderson,love everything that he brings to our organization, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said during the NFL meetings. You talk about a leader and a guy who does everything the right way, everything Ive asked of him.I just remember back speaking with Will, he was our first 30 visit first guy. We had in on a visit and that that meeting is still the best visit Ive ever seen. Hes just that type of guy. Hes a leader in all respects. I love having Will, love what he can provide our organization.Stroud is not expected to receive a long-term deal at this time, per sources, on the heels of a rough postseason for the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with five interceptions and five fumbles. His 2027 fifth-year option is $25.9 million.Since the playoffs, the Texans and Stroud have taken several steps to move on from a career-high four interception game against the New England Patriots. That includes his approach to the offseason and working a plan to upgrade whats surrounding him on offense along with whos coaching him with a change to Jerry Schuplinski as quarterbacks coach as the replacement for Jerrod Johnson.C.J. is a young quarterback, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said during the NFL meetings at the Arizona Biltmore. Being young in his career, hes gained a ton of valuable experience and a ton of playoff experience and seeing that it hasnt gone as we would like it to go there in the playoffs. Of course, you always want to win it all. But when you go through those difficult moments, those tough times, you learn from them. I know C.J. has learned from those moments.Now, we got to go out and improve and show it on the field. To see the manner in which hes attacked the offseason, hes working hard. Hes throwing every day. Hes been dialed in. So, Im excited to see how this continues to transition to him having a really great year for us.Without getting into any specifics about their plans, the McNairs declared strongly how they feel about both players.Well let DeMeco and Nick (Caserio) make the football decisions there, but theyre exciting, really good young players, Cal McNair said. Well hope to have them around for a long, long time.PHOENIX -- #Texans Cal McNair and Hannah McNair on potential long-term deals for Will Anderson Jr., C.J. Stroud: 'Exciting, really good players, we'll hope to have them around a long, long time. .. It's a good problem to have when you have so many guys you want to keep under pic.twitter.com/WunQinzX0g Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 1, 2026A year from now, cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Calen Bullock will be eligible for extensions. Both were named to the Pro Bowl games as alternates this year.Its a good problem to have when you have so many guys you want to keep under contract, Hannah McNair said. So, if we keep drafting the way we do, this is just going to be something we talk about every year.Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

Gary Woodland is back at Augusta National this week, but his return to the Masters comes with some extra support in place.The 2019 US Open champion has been battling post-traumatic stress disorder since undergoing brain tumour surgery in 2023, and he's arranged special security measures to help him cope.The 41-year-old American met with Augusta's security team ahead of the tournament to map out exactly where guards will be positioned throughout the course."Just like on tour, I'll have security with me," Woodland said on Tuesday. "The main deal is they were showing me where security is."It's a visual thing for Woodland being able to see security personnel helps remind him he's safe.His recent triumph at the Houston Open was nothing short of remarkable, but it came with an intense internal battle.During the final stretch of that tournament, Woodland experienced severe hypervigilance that left him genuinely believing spectators were out to harm him."I had a big battle Friday of Houston. I got hypervigilant on the ninth hole and I battled the last 10 holes thinking people were trying to kill me," he revealed.The victory his first since lifting the US Open trophy at Pebble Beach seven years ago saw him finish 21 under par, five shots clear of Nicolai Hojgaard.But few watching knew just how much he was struggling inside.Woodland now has a clear mental map of where security staff are stationed on every single hole at Augusta.His caddie is also in on the plan, ready to offer constant reassurance whenever needed."So I have a good idea now where security is on every hole. The big deal for me, my caddie knows too, so he can constantly remind me," Woodland explained.The triggers can come from anywhere a fan, a walking scoreboard holder, or a cameraman rushing past."I don't have control when this thing hits me, and it's tough," he admitted. "Just any startlement from behind me can trigger this pretty quickly. Knowing where the security is is a constant reminder that I'm safe."Opening up about his mental health struggles has proven transformative for Woodland.He first revealed his PTSD diagnosis during The Players Championship in March, just a fortnight before his Houston victory."Speaking about it and how I feel afterwards made me a lot stronger," he said. "I didn't know that releasing this battle was going to make me stronger, and it has done that."The American acknowledged that discussing perceived weaknesses goes against the grain for athletes, but he's found real power in vulnerability."I feel a lot stronger now than I did three weeks ago, I can tell you that."Augusta presents perhaps his toughest test yet, with patrons positioned close to players on the tee boxes."There's probably not a safer golf tournament in the world, so I'm happy for that, but it's still a battle in my head if I'm safe or not."Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Robert Smith, 61, died from drowning at an address in Erdington in October 2023.

People who carry variations in two genes linked to appetite and digestion can lose more weight when taking drugs to treat obesity, research suggests.

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Selon The Athletic, West Ham a dpos une plainte auprs de la FIFA aprs avoir allgu que la Rpublique dmocratique du Congo navait pas autoris la libration dAaron Wan-Bissaka en vue du quart de finale de FA Cup face Leeds. Qualifie en Coupe du monde pour la premire fois depuis 1974, la slection congolaise a ft cet exploit dans sa capitale, o le joueur tait prsent.