WORLD OF SPORT

GOLF: Greg Norman was involved in a spiky Presidents Cup row with Trevor Immelman after his attempt to wish the International captain’s team good luck backfired.

Immelman’s team for this weekend’s competition in Charlotte has been deprived of many stars who have defected to LIV Golf — so gave the rebel tour chief Norman’s olive branch short shrift.

Ahead of play at Quail Hollow, Norman (left) had Tweeted that he wished the Internationals ‘the very best’. But South African Immelman swiftly, and simply, replied: ‘LOL’.

Immelman, who teamed up with Norman in the 1988 Presidents Cup, later elaborated: ‘I pretty much say it as I think it. What I said was exactly what I was doing when I read that tweet. I was laughing out loud.’

Immelman wasn’t laughing for long as his team, without the likes of Open champion Cameron Smith due to PGA Tour bans, was taken apart by Davis Love’s superstars. After the first three sessions, the US led 10-4.

Meanwhile, Rasmus Hojgaard saw his lead cut to just one stroke in the Cazoo Open de France after he struggled to a three-over 74 for his third round.

The Dane saw his six-shot halfway advantage cut to one stroke in the early stages of his third round after running up a quintuple-bogey eight at the short second hole, having found the water three times, before finding the drink again on the next hole.

South Africa’s George Coetzee is his nearest rival, while Scott Jamieson leads Scotland’s charge at six shots off the pace.

ROWING: Great Britain’s men’s four returned to the top of the tree as one of four crews to win gold at the World Rowing Championships in the Czech Republic yesterday.

Will Stewart, Sam Nunn, Freddie Davidson and substitute David Ambler, who stepped in for the unwell Matt Aldridge, finished more than two seconds ahead of Australia.

RUGBY: New Zealand beat Australia 40-14 to claim the Rugby Championship title after South Africa could only stumble to a 38-21 success over Argentina.