Selby, Trump and Williams through in English Open first round
Selby, Trump and Williams through in English Open first round. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, World number two Mark Selby was among the players to win their first round matches at the English Open on TuesdayByJonty ColmanBBC Sport journalistPublished4 hours agoMark Selby, Judd Trump, Mark Williams, Wu Yize and Barry Hawkins were among the players to progress from the first round of the English Open in Brentwood on Tuesday.
What happened
All five of the world top 10 players that feature in the first round of the 2026 English Open on Tuesday won their matches Selby will face China's Zhang Anda in round two, while Trump faces Ashley Carty. Selby, ranked second in the world rankings, was a 4-3 winner over fellow Englishman Ricky Walden. Trump was a 4-0 winner over Northern Ireland's Jordan Brown, while Wales' Mark Williams beat Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon. “It looks like OpenAI is turning things around,” and that’s seen as good news for Oracle, which has a lot riding on the ChatGPT creator’s success.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, McIlroy is hoping to win his third Irish Open title this weekByMatt GaultBBC Sport NI senior journalist in DoonbegPublished9 hours agoRory McIlroy admits this year's Irish Open will feel like a "different" spectacle given US President Donald Trump's anticipated visit during the tournament's latter stages. "'We'll see' – Rahm unaffected by LIV 'turbulence'Published14 hours agoTrump set to attend star-studded Irish Open at DoonbegPublished1 day agoSix-time major winner McIlroy headlines a strong field at Doonbeg that also features LIV players such as Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin.
The wider picture
Despite leading 2-1 following breaks of 111 and 135 in frames two and three, Selby had trailed 3-2 before winning the last frame thanks to a break of 69. Mark Williams will take on Matthew Selt, Wu will face compatriot Xu Si and Hawkins will face either Gary Wilson or Daniel Wells. Shaun Murphy later beat Artemijs Zizins 4-2 to set up a second-round tie against Jamie Clarke, who beat David Gilbert 4-3. S. and Iran have traded new attacks in the Persian Gulf in recent days, rekindling hostilities in the region even as the Trump administration shifts its strategy toward defeating Tehran economically.
Trump is expected to attend the event – which is being held at his resort in the County Clare village of Doonbeg – this weekend as part of a two-day visit to Ireland. McIlroy has previously played golf with Trump, who earlier this year praised the Northern Irishman's accomplishments on the course after winning back-to-back Masters titles. "During his long-planned visit to Ireland, Trump will meet Irish President Catherine Connolly and hold a bilateral meeting with the Taoiseach [Irish prime minister] Micheal Martin.
He may also present the Irish Open winner with the trophy on Sunday evening amid a significantly enhanced security presence at the property he purchased in 2014.
What has been reported
But at the same time, if he wants to come and watch the Irish Open, who are we to say no? The 2026 LIV season ended early following the cancellation of its team championship in Michigan amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the tour's future. "It's more like the uncertainty for them and it would be nice I think for everyone just to have a bit of certainty around the game and know what's going on and where certain players are going to be playing.
"'I'm a little bit more relaxed'Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, McIlroy won his second Irish Open last year in dramatic fashion, making eagle at the last to take Joakim Lagergren to a play-off before beating the Swede on the third extra holeLike Rahm, McIlroy hopes to join European legends Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie on three Irish Open wins after capturing his second title at the K Club last year. McIlroy also finished runner-up to Rasmus Hojgaard at Royal County Down in 2024 and the world number two believes he is "more relaxed" playing in front of home crowds having also secured a top-10 finish in last year's Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
"I probably went a few years where I wasn't very proud of how I played in the Irish Open," said McIlroy, whose first Irish Open success also came at the K Club in 2016. I still feel pressure at times playing golf, but coming back to a home crowd and a home open, that shouldn't be one of those. Figure caption, 'Who are we to say no? ' – McIlroy on Trump visitRelated topicsGolfNorthern Ireland Sport
What happens next
Wu Yize and Barry Hawkins made it a clean sweep for players ranked in the top 10, beating Chinese duo Yang Gao and Lyu Haotin 4-1 and 4-2 respectively. Skip NavigationMarketsBusinessInvestingTechPolitics & PolicyVideoWatchlistInvesting ClubPROLivestreamMenuKey PointsThe U. S. strikes are the second wave of attacks on Iranian oil tankers since Saturday. Central Command says the strikes are in retaliation for failed Iranian attempts to hit American warships. Sailors conduct flight operations aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.
5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. S. military destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers on Tuesday in retaliation for the Revolutionary Guard firing ballistic missiles at an American warship twice over the past two days, according to U.
The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across bbc.co.uk, cnbc.com, marketwatch.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.