Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 18 May 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# We start with rugby: Bulls coach Johan Ackermann says they will have to improve in a few areas ahead of their United Rugby Championship quarterfinal against Ireland’s Munster at Loftus Versfeld next Saturday. The Bulls defeated Italian side Benetton 45-19 to secure a home quarterfinal, their sixth consecutive URC win, consolidating their fourth spot on the table. Munster edged the Lions 24-17 to end fifth. Ackermann highlighted their execution on attack as a key focus area:

# Golf: South Africa’s Gerhard Pepler carded a final round seven-under 65 to win the Sunshine Tour’s Pro-Am tournament at the Irene Country Club in Gauteng. He was able to withstand a strong challenge from compatriot Graham van der Merwe, whose 61 earned him second place on 22 under par. Welshman Jack Davidson closed with a 66 to finish third on 21 under. Pepler, whose only previous victory on the Sunshine Tour came back in 2023, says he is happy to win again:

More golf news: England’s Aaron Rai won the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania for his maiden major title. The world number 44 carded a five-under 65 to finish nine under overall, three shots clear of Spain’s two-time major champion Jon Rahm and American Alex Smalley, who finished joint second. Rai, who is the first English champion at the PGA Championship in 107 years, says he has proven a lot of things to himself by winning:

# Cricket: The penultimate week of the Indian Premier League has arrived and much is still on the line to secure play-off qualification. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru is firmly on top of the log with 16 points after beating Punjab Super Kings yesterday, with Gujarat Titans currently in second place, Sunrisers Hyderabad third and Punjab fourth. They are followed by Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, while Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants are out of contention. The playoffs start next Tuesday.  

# And tennis: World number one Jannik Sinner has completed the ‘Career Golden Masters’ by winning the Italian Open, a record six Masters titles in a row. The 24-year-old defeated Norway’s Casper Ruud to become the first local champion in 50 years, and join Novak Djokovic in completing the full set of nine ATP Masters one-thousand titles. Djokovic achieved the feat in 2018. Sinner says winning on home soil is special:

Stay tuned for more news………….