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ST LOUIS — US Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk unveiled the first eight members of his squad on Monday, and heaped praise upon Tiger Woods as a potential captain’s pick to fill out the line-up.

Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson and Rickie Fowler qualified on points after the PGA Championship ended on Sunday.

They join four who previously clinched berths  top-ranked Dustin Johnson, reigning Masters champion Patrick Reed, third-ranked 2017 PGA winner Justin Thomas and second-ranked Brooks Koepka, this year’s PGA Championship and US Open winner.

But Woods, who charged to a runner-up PGA finish with an impressive final round six-under par 64, could still be among the Americans who try to defend the trophy against Europe at Le Golf National near Paris on September 28-30.

“What’s important is how well Tiger has played,” Furyk said. “It’s great to see him playing well. His word is trending. His game is trending.”

Furyk will make four captain’s picks in early September to complete the roster and Woods is expected to be among them, although Furyk played coy when asked if Woods, up to 26th in world rankings from beyond 1,200 last December, could help the team.

“It’s a good question. He’s playing very well and there’s probably a lot of people out there who think he can,” Furyk said.

“I realise he’s playing really well and I’m really excited about Tiger Woods.”

Woods, in the eighth month of his comeback from spinal fusion surgery, has not won a major since the 2008 US Open and has not won any event at all in five years.

But he showed in losing to Koepka he still has formidable skills at age 42.

Whether he plays or not, Woods is set to be a vice captain on the US team.

Best player ever

“Tiger has been a vice captain in the team room as a player. He’s priceless to be honest with you. He has been a big help to our captains,” Furyk said.

“It’s a big boost to have the best player who ever lived to be walking with your group.”

Despite missing most of last season, Woods finished 11th on points.

“To be part of the Ryder Cup conversation, going from where I’ve come from to now in the last year, it has been pretty cool,” Woods said.

Spieth, ranked eighth, is a three-time major champion at age 25. Watson is a two-time Masters winner. Simpson won this year’s Players Championship. Ninth-ranked Fowler has eight top-five major finishes.

Seven of the Americans are in the top 14 in world rankings with Simpson the odd man out at a still-respectable 20th.

Thomas is the lone Ryder Cup newcomer among the eight. Fowler, Simpson and Watson have losing records in Ryder Cup play. Thomas, Watson, Koepka and Spieth have played Le Golf National before.

“I’m excited. We have eight guys who love to compete,” Furyk said. “I couldn’t be more excited about the eight I have and I’m confident in them.”

Furyk will keep an eye open for players who impress in events over the next month.

“I’ll be looking at guys who have a great body of work this year, who fit in well with these eight players,” said Furyk. “If a guy gets hot and starts playing well, he will catch my eye.

“The door is still open.”

On the European side, qualifying runs for another three weeks for the first eight places which will be determined on points before captain Thomas Bjorn makes his four picks in September.

British Open winner Francesco Molinari of Italy and England’s Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood strengthened their hold in the European points spots at the PGA, Molinari sharing sixth and Hatton sharing 10th.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, Spain’s Jon Rahm, Swede Alex Noren and England’s Ian Poulter top the world rankings points qualifiers, Poulter sharing 31st to edge ahead of Casey.

A likely world ranking fight will go to the last day between Dane Thorbjorn Olesen and Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello.

World No. 1 Simona Halep turned back American Sloane Stephens 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4 to win the Rogers Cup women’s title in a rematch of their French Open finale in Montreal on Sunday.

Romanian Halep, who had beaten Stephens in Paris in June, claimed her second Montreal title in three years and third for the 2018 season.

She closed out the hard-fought match with her third ace of the day.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be able to talk again at this ceremony as a winner,” Halep said.

“I feel like I reached my best level of tennis, even if I had a long break before this tournament and I felt dead after the first day.”

Halep fended off four set points to claim a back-and-forth first set in a tiebreak after storming to a 4-1 lead before US Open champion Stephens fought back to level.

Halep broke the third-seeded Stephens with a crosscourt winner to take a 5-4 lead and serve for the set. But the American broke Halep with a forehand winner and held two set points on the Romanian’s serve at 6-5. A crosscourt backhand saved one and Stephens netted a return on the second.

Numerous forehand errors by Halep gave Stephens a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak and the American went up 6-4 before Halep rallied, crushing a backhand down the line to earn her first set point, which she converted.

Stephens led throughout the second set, breaking Halep twice, but the Romanian took control of the third set, turning a break into a 5-2 advantage. 

Stephens rallied to within 5-4 before Halep, on her fourth match point, slammed her third ace of the match and dropped to her knees in triumph.

“You make me play better and better every time we play,” Halep said of Stephens.

The American returned the compliment.

“Even though I lost today, I literally left everything on the court,” Stephens said. 

“Obviously I’m sad I lost, but losing to the number one player isn’t too bad.

“Every time I play her, she makes me a better player, she makes me raise my level.”

AMMAN — Jordan has continued its magnificent form at the World Taekwondo Grand Prix in Moscow with a silver medal on Sunday, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service. Saleh El Sharabaty followed up Juliana Al Sadeq’s historic bronze medal on Saturday by storming his way through to the final of the -80kg weight.

Despite a brave performance, he came up short against European champion and top seed, Maksim Khramtcov, of Russia, who took the gold with a 29-11 win. Sharabaty, who was seeded 23, started his campaign with a win over Britain’s Damon Sansum before three more excellent victories earned him the shot at gold.

The silver medal gives him vital ranking points as he steps up his bid to qualify to the next Olympic Games in Tokyo in two years. Twenty-four hours earlier, teammate Sadeq made history by becoming the first Jordanian woman to win a medal at a World Grand Prix event when she picked up a bronze in the -67kg category.

HUDDERSFIELD, England — Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed away wins on the opening on Saturday of the Premier League season while promoted Fulham and Cardiff City were given quick reminders of the tough task they face on their returns to the top flight.

Goals from N’Golo Kante, Jorginho (penalty) and Pedro gave Chelsea an impressive 3-0 win at Huddersfield Town as their new Italian coach Maurizio Sarri watched his team respond well after enduring early pressure from David Wagner’s side.

Chelsea gave a debut to the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, who joined from Athletic Bilbao for £72 million ($92 million) last week, but the Spaniard had little work to do.

Sarri, who took over from Antonio Conte in July, said that he now had a month to try to shape his new side before midweek Europa League games were added to the mix.

“We are lucky now because for three to four weeks we can work with only one match a week, so we have to improve in this month,” he said. 

“Then it will be difficult with three matches in a week, with the suspension for the national teams. I hope in this month to improve the team,” he said.

Spurs fans’ concerns about their club’s lack of transfer business may have eased after Jan Vertonghen and Dele Alli scored as Mauricio Pochettino’s team began the campaign with an entertaining 2-1 victory at Newcastle United.

All three goals came in a frantic opening 20 minutes on Tyneside, with two headed goals for the north London team coming either side of Joselu’s equaliser for Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle.

Like several clubs who had players competing at the World Cup, Spurs have had to cope without several key performers during preseason and Pochettino was delighted with the approach his players had taken.

“I feel very proud. The players showed great character and commitment,” he said. “We fought hard and they deserve full credit because the mentality was amazing.”

“It wasn’t easy to connect everything in a few days — a massive challenge — but we kept going and made a massive effort in our performance.”

Well-taken goals by Jeffrey Schlupp and Wilfried Zaha fired confident-looking Crystal Palace to a 2-0 win over promoted Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic said his team needed to adjust quickly to the new level of quality they will face.

“The Premier League is more power, more speed and more quality and we must adapt,” he said.

“We have to trust ourselves and work hard and we know we can play better than today.”

Cardiff City also tasted defeat on their return to the elite — midfielder Ryan Fraser’s first-half goal and forward Callum Wilson’s late strike securing the three points for Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Promoted Wolves needed an 80th-minute equaliser from Mexican forward Raul Jimenez to secure a 2-2 draw at home to 10-man Everton at Molineux.

Everton’s new Brazilian signing Richarlison scored twice on his Premier League debut for the club but Marco Silva’s side, who had Phil Jagielka sent off in the 40th minute, had to settle for a point.

Richarlison slotted home from close range in the 17th minute but five minutes after Jagielka’s red card, Wolves drew level thanks to a superbly executed free-kick from Ruben Neves.

But Everton held firm and Richarlison struck again in the 67th minute with a delightful finish that looked to have won the game until Jimenez’s header from a Neves cross 10 minutes from the end.

Argentine Roberto Pereyra scored twice — the first a superb volley — as Watford enjoyed a 2-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion.

Champions Manchester City begin their title defence at the Emirates against Arsenal on Sunday while Liverpool, tipped by many to challenge Pep Guardiola’s side this season, host West Ham United.

Manchester United kicked off the season on Friday with a 2-1 win over Leicester City at Old Trafford. 

AMMAN — Juliana Al Sadeq has made history by becoming the first female taekwondo fighter from Jordan to medal at a World Grand Prix event.

Al Sadeq was in the form of her life as she made it through to the semifinal of the -67kg event in Moscow where she lost by a solitary point, 11-10, to Lauren Williams, of Wales, who went on to lose the final.

Earlier she beat Ukraine’s Daria Yakuvelvia, 10-4, and then the USA’s Paige McPherson — the world’s fourth seed and Olympic bronze medallist.

The victory makes Sadeq only the second Jordanian to win a medal at a World Grand Prix event, following in the footsteps of Olympic gold medallist Ahmad Abu Ghaush who missed the event through injury. He won a gold and a bronze last year.

Meanwhile, teammate Hamzeh Qattan went out in the quarter-final of +80kg weight after losing to Gabon’s Antoni Obami.

Qattan launched his campaign with wins over Poland’s Peter Hatuski and World No. 1 and European champion, Vladislav Larin, of Russia, before losing in the last eight. 

AMMAN — Jordan’s reputation in the world of fencing is growing fast and there was more continental glory at the weekend. The Kingdom is hosting a round of the U-17 Asian Fencing League at Princess Sumayah Hall and it has reaped rewards with a gold and bronze.

Rising star Shahed Kloub took gold in the Epee weapon after beating Chinese Taipei’s Mai Yu in the final. That was followed up by an impressive bronze for teammate Rua Haboob.

The event has welcomed fencers from nine countries including Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Palestine, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan.

AMMAN — It is tight at the top of the Jordan Basketball League following round three action, with three teams sharing top spot, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service. Jazeera stunned Ahli, 97-69, while Wehdat joined them at the top with an 81-69 win over Riyadi, who complete the three-way tie at the top. Kuferyouba picked up their first win of the season over Orthodox Club, 74-73. The fourth round matches get under way on Sunday when Wehdat meet Kuferyouba and Riyadi will take on Ahli.

MELBOURNE — Usain Bolt will be granted all the time he needs to prove himself worthy of a contract at the Central Coast Mariners, but the retired athletics superstar will have to prove himself like any other player, officials at the struggling Australian football club have said.

The Mariners confirmed on Tuesday the Olympic sprint champion would train “indefinitely” with the club, which finished bottom of the 10-team A-League last season and operates in one of the country’s smallest football markets.

The open-ended arrangement has proved polarising in Australia, with critics dismissing it as a publicity stunt to boost the profile of a team that has failed to make the play-offs for the last four seasons.

The Mariners, however, defended the move on Wednesday, saying it had the potential to reap huge long-term benefits should Bolt make the grade.

“This may take three weeks, this may take three months, this may take six months. It may take longer, who knows?” club CEO Shaun Mielekamp told reporters at their home base in Gosford.

“Only time will tell but it’s exciting to see what this will do for our region.”

Jamaican Bolt, who won eight Olympic golds before retiring at the world championships in London last year, has trained with Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns and Norway’s Stromsgodset.

Scepticism abounds as to whether 31-year-old can make it Down Under.

‘Deadly serious’

Mariners coach Mike Mulvey admitted he had not seen footage of Bolt’s stints at other clubs but expected him to give “a good account of himself”.

The sprinter would not be treated any differently to any other player trying out, however.

“It just happens to be that this is Usain Bolt,” Mulvey told Australian Associated Press.

“I’ve spoken to him once. His attitude towards this was deadly serious.

“If it was up to him he’d be coming in without any hoopla but that’s impossible for a person of his stature.”

The Central Coast, a magnet for domestic holidaymakers and retirees in Australia’s eastern state of New South Wales, seems an unlikely destination for a global athletics icon to reboot his sporting career, but Bolt had already agreed to reside in the sleepy region north of Sydney during the trial, said Mielekamp.

“It’s a big part of our club and we spoke to him very early doors about living and residing here in the Central Coast and he’s agreed to that which is great.

“We’ve spoken to him about our club, what our beliefs are, we spoke to him about going down to the local school and doing school appearances and those sort of things and he’s bought right into that which has been fantastic.”

National governing body Football Federation Australia had also endorsed the “commercial arrangement” with Bolt and would back the player’s A-League adventure if he won a contract, added Mielekamp.

Apart from boosting match-day crowds, which averaged about 8,000 last season, Bolt’s presence could put the Central Coast on the map for other global talents.

“We’ve been inundated with sponsors’ calls this morning which has been exciting,” said Mielekamp.

“And for us that long-term effect is something we’ve got to be mindful of. How can we use this moment to improve the club for the long term?

“But it’s still very early days.”