SHARE
COPY LINK

GOLF

Swede sensation as Kinhult tames Ryder Cup venue

World number 183 Marcus Kinhult of Sweden tamed Le Golf National's Ryder Cup course on Friday, carding a stunning second round of 65 for a two-shot lead at the French Open.

Swede sensation as Kinhult tames Ryder Cup venue
Swedish golf player Marcus Kinhult competes in the second round of the HNA Open de France, as part of the European Tour 2018, on Saturday. Photo: Eric Feferberg / AFP
Kinhult is six under at the halfway stage with England's Chris Wood in second at four under, a shot clear of Spanish world number five Jon Rahm and Welshman Bradley Dredge, the overnight leader. 
 
World number two Justin Thomas is two under alongside fellow American Julian Suri, England's Matthew Fitzpatrick and France's Gregory Havret.
 
The French Open is taking place at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines venue which will stage the Ryder Cup from September 28-30 and when Europe will attempt to reclaim the trophy from the United States.
 
After finishing third at the Qatar Masters in February, unheralded Kinhult had made just three of eight cuts since. The 21-year-old had started his first round on Thursday with four straight bogeys but went ten under for his next 32 to become the first player to start with four dropped shots and hold a 36-hole lead since records began in 2000.
 
“It feels good, it feels really good,” he said. “I got off to a great start and played well from there. The wind picked up a little bit on the back nine, the last four or five holes or so, but happy overall. Saturday is going to be a big day and hopefully Sunday as well. It's a position I have never been in before so we'll see.”
 
Thomas birdied the third, 11th and 15th but he found the hay on the left of the 17th, missed the green and failed to get up and down in surrendering a double-bogey. 
 
“Man, it was one of the better rounds I've had in a while. I could have shot a 1-under on the front easy, could have shot a three or four under,” said the American.

FOOTBALL

Tennis courts and golf courses to reopen in Denmark

Danes will be able to take up their tennis rackets and golf clubs again after the country's two biggest sports associations announced that outdoor sports with no physical contact can resume again.

Tennis courts and golf courses to reopen in Denmark
Tennis will be one of the first sports to restart. Photo: Søren Bidstrup/Ritzau Scanpix
The Sports Confederation of Denmark and the country's other sports association DGI announced that they had agreed new guidelines for restarting group sports with the Danish Health Authority, in a press release issued on Tuesday. 
 
READ ALSO: 
 
“This is the first sign of sport opening up, and we are really pleased that the health authorities have given us guidelines so that some activities can start up again,” Charlotte Bach Thomassen, chair of the Danish sports association DGI, said. 
 
“Of course, joining together in sports clubs must be safe from a  health point of view, so it is important to be aware that in many sports associations you will not be able to meet physically.” 
 
 
DIF chairman Niels Nygaard told Ritzau that the announcement did not mean any organisation would be required to restart activities they did not regard as safe. 
 
“These are voluntary associations where there are differences from association to association and sport to sport,” he said. “Our recommendations are not a requirement for associations to start activities. They can do it if it can be done under safe conditions, and if they have doubts about whether it can be done, then they shouldn't do it.”
 
According to the joint press release, group sports can now restart if: 
 
  • they take place outside 
  • participants can keep a distance of two meters from others
  • participants pay special attention to hand hygiene
  • rackets, clubs or other props are frequently cleaned
  • participants cough or sneeze into your elbow or a paper towel
  • participants stay home if they have a fever, cough or muscle soreness. 
  • shared facilities such as clubhouses and dressing and shower facilities are not used 
 
SHOW COMMENTS