Smith, who has been in charge since 2018 and led Villa back to the top flight, has warned his squad may have to play the rest of the season without two players due to a medical issue and a high-risk family member.

Players have been given permission to wear shorts on competition days for the first time after forecasts showed temperatures at Leopard Creek were set to hit forty degrees celsius.

Tiger Woods' Masters preparation has suffered a setback as he is unable to return to action at next week's Players Championship in Florida due to a back issue, ESPN reported on Friday.

Rory McIlroy was still a teenager when he marked his first appearance at the Players Championship in 2009 by getting thrown out of bars along Jacksonville Beach for carrying a fake ID.

Now it is Reed’s turn to run the gauntlet, the arch-villain in so many golfing eyes following his actions in improving his lie while attempting a shot from the sand at the Hero Challenge in December. 

The PGA Tour will continue for the next four weeks without spectators, beginning at the Players Championship today, and begging the question: will the Masters follow suit next month?

DEREK LAWRENSON AT SAWGRASS: Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka took their cue from a subdued audience reeling from the news that this was the last action they will witness.

EXCLUSIVE BY DEREK LAWRENSON: Europe's captain Padraig Harrington could hardly be any clearer when it comes to the two schools of thought regarding this year's Ryder Cup.

The bewildered youngster was invited to join the squad for their pre-match photo after being left all alone on the pitch, leaving big smiles on the faces of several stars.

English rugby is in turmoil as players were being advised to consider strike action after Premiership clubs demanded swingeing pay cuts amid fears of impending financial disaster.

Multi-million pound losses are expected among the Home Nations if the autumn internationals cannot go ahead due to coronavirus - which could send rugby into financial meltdown.

EXCLUSIVE BY DAVID COVERDALE: Leicester Tigers face claims of unlawful deduction of wages after cutting players' pay without their consent. 

Leicester Tigers captain Tom Youngs has confirmed players are still in dispute with the club over pay cuts.

Genge insists his proposed organisation would complement rather than rival the Rugby Players' Association, which represents more than 1200 past and present players

Pichot has vowed to jolt World Rugby out of 'copy and paste mode' if he manages to unseat chairman Sir Bill Beaumont, with online video game Fortnite an unlikely pillar of his plan.

Oleksandr Zinchenko has criticised Britain's response to the coronavirus crisis and given an insight into how Manchester City players are shielding themselves from the pandemic.

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN: Top-flight stars can now access information via their mobile phones on a wide range of issues including doping regulations and plans for a life after football.

Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool are ready to 'strike back' on the road to Wembley and says he would be an 'idiot' if he doubted the character of his players.

Supporters were left bemused after watching Liverpool and Bournemouth's players eschew the traditional pre-game handshake following the Premier League ban,

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN : A presentation by the club's sports psychologist Lee Richardson also offers Jurgen Klopp's men tips on breathing to ease anxiety levels.

The inclusion of so many of Jurgen Klopp's men is hardly surprising given their domination in the top flight this season, with the Reds racing 25 points clear at the top before the season was suspended.

Kerre McIvor questioned the scandal surrounding Corey Harawira-Naera and Jayden Okunbor's sexual encounter with students in Port Macquarie in NSW after no crime was committed.

The Melbourne Storm are outlawing high-fives and selfies with fans as the NRL club braces for the possibility of playing in front of empty stadiums because of the coronavirus.

Rami Ykmour and his wife Shannon, who own the Rashays chain of family eateries and have four young children, were appalled when they learnt two Bulldogs players had gone 'hunting' schoolgirls.

Jayden Okunbor, 23, and Corey Harawira-Naera, 24, were stood down after they brought teenagers back to the club's hotel in Port Macquarie, NSW.

Two players from the Cronulla Sharks have been sent home from team training after falling ill with flu-like symptoms.

As fans gear up for a big season ahead, classic footage has emerged showing superstars as schoolboy prodigies dominating their opponents.

Cameron Smith has called for the NRL to be suspended for a few weeks, claiming he and his Melbourne teammates are concerned for their families' health.

Jayden Okunbor, 23, and Corey Harawira-Naera, 24, have been de-registered by the NRL and their team, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

NRL stars Nathan Cleary (pictured) along with Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr have been fined by the NRL for breaching social distancing rules and warned further breaches could affect the season.

Former Cronulla Sharks player Paul Gallen has been ruthlessly mocked on social media for a maths mistake he made on national television. 

Medical staff wearing masks were seen taking players' temperatures as they arrived at training grounds, with others noting down their results on clipboards ahead of their return to action.

South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett confirmed the four players were showing flu-like symptoms and were turned away from training in Redfern on Monday morning.

Gold Coast Titans star Bryce Cartwright has been one of the NRL's most prominent critics of vaccines, with his wife revealing last year the couple would not be vaccinating their children.

The Prime Minister weighed into the NRL controversy surrounding Gold Coast Titans star anti-vaxxer Bryce Cartwright on 2GB.

Canberra Raiders forwards Josh Papalii, Sia Soliola and Joseph Tapine told their team on Tuesday they would not accept the flu jab, and were told not to come to training on Wednesday.

The league has conceded players wanting an exemption will still be allowed to play if they sign a waiver confirming they acknowledge the potential health risks.

Up to 20 top Australian rugby league footballers are holding out on having a mandatory flu shot as the NRL prepares to resume its 2020 season. 

On Wednesday, the supermodel responded to a vulgar joke made about on her Twitter, that suggested she is used to being "passed around" by NBA players.

James Rodriguez, Lucas Vazquez, Mariano Diaz, Alvaro Odriozola, Alphone Areola and Nacho Fernandez will also be shipped out. Zinedine Zidane is hoping to raise £105million.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Eddie Jones faces some of the toughest decisions of his coaching career on Monday when he names his World Cup squad. He will never forget the calls he makes.

SAMI MOKBEL AT TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM: Having led twice, Spurs slumped to defeat against Wolves - their second consecutive loss in the Premier League.

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff plan to start training the team's players via a video-link from Monday due to the ongoing coronaviurus crisis.

Spurs manager Mourinho was forced to admit he was in the wrong after flouting social distancing advice by overseeing a training session with midfielder Tanguy Ndombele in Barnet.

On September 20, 2007, Mourinho and Chelsea went separate ways and Steve Sidwell has revealed how players such as Lampard and Terry were left 'crying on the floor' at the news.

After confirming their T20 series victory over South Africa in stunning style on Sunday, Sportsmail rates England's players on their performances throughout the series as the batsmen racked up the runs.

The National Lottery EuroMillions winning numbers on Tuesday were 05, 07, 08, 16 and 20 - while the Lucky Stars were 02 and 12. One player matched all five numbers and the two Lucky Stars.

The future of the 2020 NRL season remains in limbo as league bosses struggle to reach a deal with players over salary reductions.

Players have reportedly planned to boycott training on Monday until a pay deal is finalised amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Will Ferrell revealed he unintentionally distracts players at his sons' soccer games because they realize he is Buddy from Elf during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Friday.