Dustin Johnson held off determined challenges from Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele to win the Tour Championship, FedEx Cup title and the first prize of $15 million in Atlanta overnight. Johnson saw his five-shot overnight lead cut to two, first by playing partner Schauffele and then Thomas, but the world number one held his nerve to secure the eight-figure payday at East Lake. Rory McIlroy, who celebrated becoming a father for the first time with the birth of daughter Poppy a week ago, carded five birdies and two bogeys in a closing 67. That left him 11 under par overall and in a tie for eighth place.
In his column this morning Gerry Thornley writes that it's hard to fathom Munster's approach to playing Leinster in last weekend's semi-final: "Watching their comparative lack of ambition and width against Leinster – despite Johann van Graan, Stephen Larkham and Graham Rowntree having a full pre-season as such with the entire squad – was hard to fathom." Ahead of this weekend's Pro14 final James Ryan looks set to return from the shoulder injury that has ruled him out post-lockdown, while Ulster head coach Dan McFarland believes his underdogs are in with 'a puncher's chance' of denying Leinster three-in-a-row. On Saturday week Leinster are in Champions Cup action against Saracens, who are set to be without their talisman Owen Farrell. The England captain faces an online disciplinary hearing tonight when he will discover the length of his suspension for being shown a red card for a dangerous tackle against Wasps. His head coach Mark McCall is planning for the heavyweight quarter-final clash without his outhalf.
Spectators will be in attendance for Ulster Championship games that are held in Northern Ireland this winter, even if matches elsewhere on the island remain behind closed doors - Malachy Clerkin reports. Ulster Council chief executive Brian McAvoy has said that as long as the venues meet local health and safety guidelines, he sees no reason to discontinue the current situation where up to 400 people have been attending club fixtures.
Meanwhile Northern Ireland were made to pay for a makeshift defence as Norway scored three times in the opening 20 minutes on their way to a 5-1 Nations League victory at Windsor Park last night. Erling Haaland scored twice as the hosts conceded five at home for the first time since 2003. In transfer news, James Rodriguez has been reunited with Carlo Ancelotti for a third time after Everton announced the signing of the Colombian from Real Madrid on a two-year deal. Serena Williams is into the US Open quarter-finals for the 16th time after battling to a fourth-round victory over Maria Sakkari.
