David Beckham tops UK and Irish sport rich list

David Beckham with girl friend (L)

David Beckham has topped a list of the richest people in sport in the UK and Ireland.

The LA Galaxy footballer, 37, was in pole position with a fortune of £160m, according to the annual Sunday Times sport rich list.

In terms of the world's richest athletes, Mr Beckham was only 10th, as golfer Tiger Woods led with £538m.

Tennis player Maria Sharapova was the richest female athlete, with earnings boosted by lucrative endorsement deals.

There were 48 footballers in the top 100 in the UK and Ireland.

But the second place after Mr Beckham went to Paul Caddick, the property and construction entrepreneur who runs rugby league club Leeds Rhinos.

No current British or Irish athletics competitor - that is, a cyclist, track and field athlete or swimmer - made the top 100 in the year of the London Olympics.

Last year, Mr Beckham was number two with Wigan chairman Dave Whelan in first place at £190m.

Globally, in 2012, Mr Woods was followed by German Formula One driver Michael Schumacher and basketball legend Michael Jordan.

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United States duo Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland win World Cup Golf 2011

Golf 2011

World Cup 2011: Final-round leaderboard

    * -24: U.S.
    * -22: England, Germany
    * -21: Australia, Scotland, Ireland
    * Selected others: -20: Wales, Netherlands
    * -19: Spain, Korea

United States duo Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland hit six birdies in a closing 67 to win the World Cup by two shots.

The Americans eroded the overnight two-stroke lead held by Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell in China, with birdies on the first two holes.

Four more birdies lifted them to 24 under as Ireland faded with four bogeys in a level-par 72 to stay 21 under.

England's Ian Poulter and Justin Rose carded a nine-under-par 63 to finish second alongside Germany on 22 under.

"We were a little subdued [after the third round] and neither of us were much company," admitted Poulter.

"We stayed in our own rooms, and kind of rightly so as four under par in fourball was very disappointing.

"But to go and shoot nine under par in foursomes is crazy."

Poulter and Rose sank four birdies on the front nine and finished with two birdies and an eagle in their last four holes as they recorded the lowest score of the final round at the Mission Hills course on the southern Chinese island of Hainan.

But although they caught and passed McIlroy and McDowell, who had held an eight-shot advantage over the Englishmen going into the final round, they were unable to match the Americans.

Kuchar and Woodland played solid, rather than spectacular, golf in the alternate shot foursomes format as they finished with a five-under-par 67 to record the United States's first victory in the tournament since Tiger Woods and David Duval teamed up in 2000.

"You think of all the sporting events, and you think of all the teams that become world champions, and in golf there are not that many opportunities to be world champions," said Kuchar.

"So to represent the United States of America and become world champions just feels great."

Their only blip was a bogey on the par-three 11th, but that dropped shot was wiped out on the 12th with a sixth birdie of the round following on the 13th.

In contrast, McIlroy and McDowell, who led by three on the back nine two years but were beaten to the title by Italian brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari, again struggled on the final day.

They mixed two bogies with two birdies on the front nine to fall two behind the Americans.

A birdie on the 10th brought them within one shot of the lead, but a bogey on 12 checked their progress and another shot went on the par-three 15th after McDowell's tee shot plugged under the lip of a greenside bunker.

McIlroy could only blast the ball a few feet out of the sand but when his playing partner missed the 25-foot par putt, their challenge was effectively ended.

They finished joint fourth with Australia, Netherlands and Scottish pair Martin Laird and Stephen Gallacher who closed with eight birdies in a six-under-par 66.

German duo Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka did not drop a shot over the last two rounds and played the final 18 holes in a three-under 69, sinking a lengthy par putt at the last to ensure they finished joint second.

The World Cup used to be held annually but was switched to biennial after 2009 to accommodate golf's inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games.

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Prince William Rescues Two Sailors From Sinking Carrier Ship In Irish Sea

Prince William

Prince William took part in a rescue mission after a cargo ship sank in the Irish Sea early Sunday morning, CNN reports.

Two of the crew were pulled to safety, however five still remain missing after one body was recovered, the British Coastguard confirmed to the BBC.

The two men were airlifted to safety by a four-man crew, which included the Duke of Cambridge -- second in line to the throne -- who is a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot, Fox News explains.

The coastguard received a mayday call at 2 a.m. local time from the Swanland cargo carrier ship located 20 miles northwest of the Llyn Peninsula, North Wales, after its hull cracked.

The ship, carrying eight people and 3,000 tons of limestone, capsized before rescue forces arrived, notes MSNBC.

"We know that at least some of them are wearing immersion suits and have strobe lighting with them, however sea conditions are challenging at best," Jim Green, a coastguard spokesman told News.com.au.

The British RAF, the Irish Coastguard and an Irish Naval ship are continuing to search for the missing five people.

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