British sport had quite the week across the fairways, touchlines and even the international stage.
Aaron Rai secured his first major title with a historic US PGA Championship win, Mikel Arteta completed Arsenal’s transformation with a league title, Christiana Balogun’s England debut marked an inspiring return after cancer treatment, and Lottie Woad continued her rapid rise with another LPGA Tour victory.
Aaron Rai
US PGA Championship winner
Golfers from England have had quite the week. Wolverhampton-born Aaron Rai shocked the pack to win the US PGA Championship, his first major title of his career, and the first Englishmen to win the Wanamaker Trophy in over a century. Continuing with a host of firsts, he’s the first non-American to win in a decade, and many believe the first major champion to wear two gloves while playing.
Mikel Arteta
League-winning Arsenal manager
Of course, I'm picking the league win, but I've gone for Arteta because this man deserves his flowers. Neutrals will think what they want of him and this achievement. It's impossible to describe how far off being a serious club Arsenal were in 2019 and the Wenger-Moyes-Pep disciple has transformed the club, all in his first ever job in management. Trusting the process paid off.
Christiana Balogun
Red Roses debutant
Just under four years ago, Christiana Balogun finished her final round of chemotherapy after a 6 month battle with burkitt lymphoma which had ruled her out of playing for her new side, Bristol after a move from Wasps. Now, Balogun is a full England international after her debut against Italy in which she wore customised boots that had ‘4 November 2022’ printed on them, the date she finished chemotherapy. What an inspiration and a very well deserved reward.
Lottie Woad
Queen City Championship winner
This week’s golf theme continued, with England’s Lottie Woad shooting a one-under 69 in the final round of the Queen City Championship, on her way to winning her second LPGA Tour tournament. The 22-year-old was playing collegiate golf this time last year, and won the co-sanctioned Scottish Open on her professional debut last July.
