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New Tour direction a (mostly) positive thing for Canadian Open’s future

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RBC Canadian Open tournament director Ryan Paul was in Ponte Vedra, Fla., this week with plenty of the PGA Tour’s key stakeholders. 

And he liked what he heard. 

Paul, who became the lead of Canada’s lone PGA Tour stop in 2024 after seven years of running the CPKC Women’s Open, knows a lot remains unconfirmed after new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp’s address Wednesday. But as far as the RBC Canadian Open is confirmed, he feels good.  

“When you’re a tournament director, you take (the update) back and what it means for your own event. There are a lot of reasons to be satisfied with where the RBC Canadian Open is and where it’s going as we look forward to the future,” Paul told Sportsnet.ca in an exclusive conversation. 

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Rolapp announced this week six key themes that the Tour would be working through and toward as it inches closer to a whole-hog changeover of its business model and schedule structure. But while nothing is set in stone — and it’s likely there won’t be any aggressive changeover until 2028 — there’s reason for optimism from the Canadian camp. 

One theme was Rolapp wants to play more golf in bigger markets in the United States (Toronto is the fourth-largest city in North America), and with the Canadian Open being a national championship — and sponsored by a key business entity in Canada — it seems like it is all systems go. 

“He did bring up the markets a few times and in the conversations we’ve had — Toronto is an important market to the PGA Tour. That part does feel promising for us,” Paul said. “We’re also a national open, which feels promising. We’ve got a great title sponsor with RBC, who have supported our event since 2008 and Canadian golf. 

“Our event has been strong and growing every year, so there is a lot of positives going forward for this event if you look at it as a who’s-in and who’s-out type of thing.” 

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As an organization, Golf Canada has been riding the wave of record-setting participation numbers in golf since the COVID-19 pandemic. At its annual general meeting this week, the National Sport Organization announced an increase of 3 per cent in total operating revenue year-over-year, reaching an “organizational record” of $62.7 million last year, which included an increase in positive financials on the national-championships side as well.   

In his address this week, Rolapp stated how the PGA Tour could trend toward having a two-track system, where the upper track would include Signature Events, the majors, and the Players Championship, whereas the lower track would be aspirational and an opportunity for good play to be rewarded. 

While most of Rolapp’s comments on the future were well received, he and the Future Competitions Committee will bring these specific details to the PGA Tour’s board later this year and another announcement is set to come June 22. 

One thing that gave one multi-time Canadian PGA Tour winner pause was the likelihood of the decrease in tournament field size to just 120. Mackenzie Hughes told Postmedia at TPC Sawgrass that if the RBC Canadian Open’s field was trimmed there may not be enough room for it to be considered truly open. 

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The current field size of the Canadian Open is 144, with 16 of those spots being given out to sponsor exemptions — most of whom are Canadian. 

“If you go 120, all of a sudden you don’t have the space to put the (16) Canadians. And, obviously, I got to play it twice as a Canadian Amateur champ, so obviously I benefitted from that. So, we’ll see how it all shakes out,” Hughes said. 

Paul, however, said the answer to the question about sponsor invites was more so wrapped in the Signature Events, where a big-name player was essentially gifted FedExCup points just because of who they were and not on merit. Jordan Spieth is the most consistent example of this. 

Paul believes that Rolapp, an outsider coming to golf — he’s spent almost his whole career with the NFL — merely wondered why the sponsors were responsible for populating the field when the events are part of the PGA Tour schedule. That seemed different, Paul explained, than any other sport. 

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“(Rolapp thought), let’s put it on us to put forth the best product and that’s what our sponsors are going to get — they’re going to get the best fields that we can (give them),” Paul said. 

The unique thing about the RBC Canadian Open is that there are two levels of cross-country qualifying and, technically, any Canadian has the opportunity to tee it up at the Canadian Open as it stands now. 

“There is a place for sponsor exemptions, and it has to make sense. I don’t know what changes are coming, (but sponsor exemptions have) been reduced for a lot of events. As a national open, we still have more than other tournaments. I don’t think this would be a one-policy-fits-all,” Paul said. “We’re 144 with 16 sponsor invites and another event would be 144 with four sponsor invites. 

“The Tour has been respectful of the RBC Canadian Open and its history as a national open to retain exemptions for qualifying and for our Team Canada players.” 

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There won’t be any changes to how things operate for the 2026 edition at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, but updates will likely filter through come summertime. The Canadian Open does not have a venue for 2027, but RBC announced in 2025 it would be extending its title sponsorship in a “multi-year agreement.”

“The PGA Tour will aim to put the best product on the golf course and that’s what the new model is supposed to do,” Paul said. “There was nothing shared that we didn’t already know but it laid out the framework which was appreciated by all groups.” 

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Olympic legend Kaillie Humphries rips SJSU’s lawsuit vs Trump admin

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13 March 2026

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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Kaillie Humphries is a tax-paying Californian, and she doesn’t approve of the California State University (CSU) system’s latest lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education. 

As a veteran women’s Olympian, now with a toddler son, she morally objects to it. 

“I love California. I don’t agree with its politics. I don’t agree with the lawsuit at all,” Humphries told Fox News Digital.

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Kaillie Armbruster Humphries

USA’s Kaillie Humphries holds an USA flag after competing to win bronze in the bobsleigh women’s monobob heat 4 at Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Feb. 16, 2026.  (Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

CSU and San Jose State University (SJSU) are taking on President Donald Trump’s administration in a high-stakes legal challenge. The U.S. Department of Education investigated the school’s transgender volleyball player scandal, and determined SJSU violated Title IX due to its handling of the situation.

Some of the female players were allegedly not aware the trans athlete, Blaire Fleming, was a biological male, according to court documents. 

“For me, to hear or understand there was ever a female athlete that was unaware of their situation, it just speaks to why Trump stepping forward and keeping women’s sports protected is so important. Because it’s about not just physical safety, but the mental and the sexual side of everything,” Humphries said.  “I don’t see a world where there should be any male in a female sport at all.”

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At the center of the conflict is 23-year-old Brooke Slusser. The former SJSU volleyball co-captain shared a court, locker rooms, hotel rooms and an apartment with Fleming before ever learning the athlete’s biological sex. 

Slusser fought back and spoke up, waging legal battles against the NCAA, Mountain West and CSU over her experience. 

“I support her,” Humphries said of Slusser. “I would say she did the right thing, and she has a community of people who believe in what she’s fighting for.”

Liberals across X and TikTok have launched a hate campaign against Slusser after a recent interview with Fox News Digital, where she revealed she shared secrets and, at times, beds with Fleming when they lived together in the same apartment. 

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TRUMP ADMIN RESPONDS AFTER SJSU SUES TO CHALLENGE TITLE IX INVESTIGATION INTO TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL

Humphries called the attacks on Slusser “atrocious.” 

“I think it’s atrocious to see somebody be attacked for feeling unsafe in their environment and speaking up about it,” Humphries said. “I can only fathom what that feeling of unknown would be like when you find yourself in an unfamiliar situation, and to know that it affects her safety and will now moving forward affect her mental state. It’s a hard situation to be in.

“I really hope, regardless of people’s thoughts and feelings and beliefs, that sport needs to be a safe place. And attacking someone online for simply stating that they were unaware and that they feel unsafe in that environment, it’s a shame… She can call me anytime if she needs help.”

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The person Slusser holds responsible for ending up in the situation with Fleming is SJSU head volleyball coach Todd Kress, who recruited her while allegedly withholding knowledge of the trans athlete’s birth sex from her. Slusser also alleged Kress encouraged her to move into the apartment with Fleming, when there was another group of teammates looking for a tenant as well.

“Todd Kress, knowing this person was a man, and saying that I’m going to ‘fit in better’ with these girls on my volleyball team, couldn’t have been further from the truth,” Slusser previously told Fox News Digital.

Humphries has her own experience with an allegedly abusive coach, and a program that didn’t support her, when she competed for Team Canada. 

“I went through a big issue with Bobsled Canada and the head coach that they had hired. And I was physically and mentally abused by the head coach. I physically feared for my safety,” Humphries previously told Fox News Digital. 

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“When I brought it up to our administration at Bobsled Canada, they decided to back him as their choice as the coach that they hired in that Olympic year, and not back me… They cut my funding, they cut my support, they removed me from the team, and there was no way back on. And because I was living in the U.S. and engaged to an American at the time, I phoned up USA Bobsled.” 

OLYMPIC LEGEND KAILLIE HUMPHRIES REVEALS SUPPORT FOR TRUMP, ICE, SAVING WOMEN’S SPORTS AND MEN’S HOCKEY TEAM

Humphries had to start from square one, and earn her place on Team USA while undergoing a rigorous legal immigration process. But she made it, won gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics, won bronze in the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, en route to becoming the most accomplished women’s bobsledder in history. 

She made even more history on Thursday when she gave her Order of Ikkos medal, which is granted to those who make a big impact on an Olympic medalist’s journey, to Trump. It made Trump the first U.S. president to receive such a medal.

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Humphries thanked Trump for his executive actions in protecting women’s sports and making IVF more accessible for hopeful mothers. Despite her historic Olympic success, Humphries calls her son her crowning achievement. But as she navigates raising her son in California, she says she will have to keep her guard up. 

“I’ve thought about homeschooling,” Humphries admitted.

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Kaillie Armbruster Humphries

Bronze medalist USA’s Kaillie Armbruster Humphries kisses her son on the podium of the bobsleigh women’s monobob at Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Feb. 16, 2026.  (Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

“As a mom, raising a son, he will grow up to believe that women’s sports are for women… I will make sure he is a true advocate not only for sports itself, but for women’s sports… 

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“Who knows what the state of California and or the United States will be in when we get that time even five years from now when he starts school.” 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.

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Winter Paralympics 2026: Ralf Etienne becomes Haiti’s first Winter Paralympian

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13 March 2026

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Through skiing, he has achieved that.

He first experienced the sport on a trip with friends, but it was only two years ago that he realised this was his way to make his mark on the world.

“I touched the snow, and I never turned back,” he said. Etienne wanted to become the Caribbean nation’s first Winter Paralympian.

“At first skiing meant freedom to me, and then I realised it was inspiration. That is what the Paralympics are about.

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“It is a message of hope to disabled people and the rest of the world.”

With US restrictions on Haitian immigration rights making it difficult for him to travel to train, last year – supported by his employer Bank of America – Etienne relocated from New York to London to be closer to the mountains of Europe for weekend training.

“Sometimes I’m leaving the office at 2am because I have work I need to finish before I get on a 6am flight to get to Switzerland,” he told the Wall Street Journal.

On Friday, after just 80 days on snow in his life, he achieved his dream of racing at the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics.

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Aided by a 12-month grant from the International Paralympic Committee’s Sport for Mobility programme, he has joined athletes from El Salvador, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Portugal in making their nations’ debut at the Games.

His result, a disqualification on his second run of the standing giant slalom, is secondary to his story.

“Haiti has a skier. That’s the most beautiful sentence I have heard in a long time,” he said.

“On the first run I proved that Haiti can ski competitively. Before the race, I had won.

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“I get to say that there is hope, I get to tell the Haitian youth that if I can do this today with one leg, they can do anything.

“I’ve gone from the earthquake rubble to the top of the Dolomites with the very best skiers in the world.

“Anything is possible. I get to show young Haitians that all is not lost.”

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What Blue Jays should expect from Scherzer in age-41 season

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13 March 2026

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When the Toronto Blue Jays signed Max Scherzer less than three weeks ago, it was fair to wonder when he might be ready to start in an MLB game and how he’d fit into a crowded rotation picture in 2026.

Those questions haven’t been completely resolved, but the situation has shifted surprisingly quickly. Scherzer told reporters he’d be ready for Opening Day upon arrival at camp and his first spring outing — a four-inning start where he showed promising velocity — demonstrated that there was more behind those words than empty optimism. 

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays’ rotation has become slightly murkier as Trey Yesavage has built up slowly, and José Berríos’s inability to get insured for the World Baseball Classic has put his health in doubt. Nothing is guaranteed for Scherzer, but his path to a rotation spot already seems clearer today than when he first reunited with the Blue Jays. 

With the future Hall of Famer looking less and less like a pure contingency plan, it’s worth examining what fair expectations for him might be in 2026. Although he had some notable highlights in 2025, the 41-year-old also finished the season with a 5.19 ERA and struggled to both miss bats and avoid home runs down the stretch and into the post-season. 

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His age alone raises questions. Since 2000, just 21 pitchers have started a game in their age-41 season. That cohort has some success stories, like Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux and David Wells, who all pitched at least 195 innings with three or more fWAR, but the track record is mixed.

Of that group of 21 pitchers, just under half (eight) produced an above-average ERA by ERA-, but six of those eight pitched between 2004 and 2008. The only more recent strong run suppressors were southpaws Andy Pettite (92 ERA- in 2013) and Rich Hill (92 ERA- in 2021).

In the last 10 seasons, pitchers at Scherzer’s age have become rarer, with just five making MLB starts. Their results as starters do not inspire much confidence.

It’s also notable that in each of these five cases, the pitchers were more effective the previous seasons:

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In recent years, it’s extremely rare for an MLB team to let a 41-year-old start for them. When they have done so, they’ve been emboldened by strong performances from the quadragenarian in question the year before.

Going back to our sample of 21 pitchers who made a start in their age-41 season since 2000, more than half of them posted at least 2.9 fWAR as a 40-year-old, with 15 posting an above-average ERA. The six exceptions are all relatively easy to explain:

Charle Morton (2024) — Narrowly below-average ERA (101 ERA-) with solid durability (165.1 IP).

Tim Wakefield (2007) — The same overall profile as Morton (102 ERA- in 189 IP). He was also a knuckleballer, who are generally understood to age differently than traditional pitchers.

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Orel Hershiser (1999) — Another Morton-type effort (104 ERA- in 179 IP).

Jeff Fassero, Mike Morgan, and Terry Mulholland (2000-2003) — Part-time starters who didn’t top 30 IP in that role as 40-year-olds.

What we haven’t had in the last quarter-century is a pitcher who posted a significantly below-average ERA in a traditional starter role at age 40 (like Scherzer’s 127 in 2025) then got a chance to run it back the next year. Teams just don’t give the benefit of the doubt to players at that stage of their career.

For Scherzer to succeed in 2026, he will have to be a massive outlier. His career accomplishments and the fact that he’s still pitching at his age already grant him that status. Scherzer has been exceeding expectations since he first stepped onto a baseball diamond. It’s impossible to rule out a continuation of that pattern.

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To his credit, he also has some respectable projections for 2026, with FanGraphs’ projection systems predicting an ERA for him between 4.20 and 4.68, a significant improvement from last year. He also has much better velocity than most pitchers his age. In his first spring training outing, his fastball averaged 93.9 m.p.h. Since the beginning of reliable pitch tracking in 2007, 29 pitchers have appeared in the majors in their age-41 season — and just two (Morton in 2025 and Fernando Rodney in 2018) have topped that average. 

Scherzer could be effective in 2026. Even if he isn’t, the Blue Jays may wind up happy with his contributions off the field and feel like no freely available depth starter was going to give them strong production anyway. The success or failure of their campaign is unlikely to rest on what the returning veteran gives them.

At the same time, they won the AL East on a tiebreak in 2025 and are in for a tough divisional battle again this year. They could be operating with minuscule margins, and Scherzer might be a player they count on more than expected. The name on the back of the jersey could make that notion comforting, but the year on the birth certificate adds a level of peril. 

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2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: 40 deep sleepers for the late rounds include Dominic Canzone, Grant Holmes

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13 March 2026

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dominic-canzone.jpg

You say my Sleepers 2.0 were too obvious, my Breakouts 2.0 too well known? First of all, rude. But I aim to please, and to that end, I say we take things deeper.

How deep? Deeper than I’m comfortable going, honestly. The draft pool has been chewed over so much by this point that you can’t expect to find anything of sustenance outside of the top 300. You’re just hoping to get lucky.

Casting a wide net makes the most sense, then, which is why I couldn’t bring myself to whittle down this list beyond 40. While these are the players I’m most looking to target if the drafts extends that far, I wouldn’t say I’m pounding the table for any one of them (well, maybe Bryce Eldridge).

And when I say outside of the top 300, I mean in the last week, which I can only determine using NFBC ADP. I don’t want to pass off some recent riser as a deep sleeper because nobody was onto him in late February, skewing his ADP. With that criteria in mind, here are some players who I might have been able to call a deep sleeper at some point during Draft Prep season, but I know longer can:

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And that’s too bad. I like Burrows, Lawlar, Ponce and Rodriguez, especially.

But in the interest of giving you some truly deep names that you may not have considered drafting yet, here’s who I’ve had to settle for instead.

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Mullins’ combine for 50/1 Triumph win with Apolon De Charnie

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Apolon De Charnie followed in the hoofprints of last year’s winner, Poniros, to provide Willie Mullins with another big-price winner of the Grade 1 JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Poniros was 100/1 in 2025, but Apolon De Charnie was half that price (50/1) this afternoon, as Mullins teamed up with his son, Patrick, in the opening race on the Boodles Gold Cup Day card.

The winner travelled strongly into second position before the final flight of hurdles and was soon ridden clear by Mullins Jnr to run out a one-and-a-half length victor over the Skelton’s Maestro Conti (5/1).

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Minella Study (7/1) from the Adam Nichol yard and ridden by Ryan Mania was a further short-head back in third.

Earlier this morning a bet of £20,000 each-way was placed on the eventual third-placer.


LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

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Shakur Stevenson wants to fight the man who ‘beat’ Gervonta Davis: “Best vs best”

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13 March 2026

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Shakur Stevenson has welcomed a fight against a former rival of Gervonta Davis.

Stevenson is currently planning his next move after defeating Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden in January to win the WBO super-lightweight title.

That victory saw the American become a four-weight world champion, having also previously reigned at featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight in his career.

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It’s currently unknown if Stevenson’s next fight will be at 135lbs or 140lbs, but one potential fight could come against a man who has competed in both of those weight classes.

Lamont Roach is the fighter in question, who gained prominence last year after a controversial majority decision draw against Gervonta Davis, with a lot of people believing he had done enough to win that fight.

Stevenson is one of them, after he revealed on the Nightcap Show that he thinks Roach should have beaten Davis, even without the controversy in round nine where ‘Tank’ voluntarily took a knee but no knockdown was scored.

“Yeah, I do [think Roach beat him]. I thought without the knee he won that fight.”

Stevenson also explained his willingness to share the ring with Roach.

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“I would love to fight Lamont Roach. Me and Lamont Roach is an amazing fight. The best vs the best.”

Roach’s last fight came in December when he was held to another draw, this time against Isaac Cruz, and he has recently been ordered for a fight against William Zepeda for the vacant WBC lightweight title, which was recently stripped from Stevenson.

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Juan Soto makes emotional dedication to mom, dad, sister & family as World Baseball Classic title hopes with Dominican Republic edge closer

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13 March 2026

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Team Dominican Republic are heading into the 2026 World Baseball Classic quarterfinals after winning four consecutive pool games. They are up against Team Korea in Quarterfinal 1 on Friday.

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, who is participating in his second WBC, shared the motivation behind his goal to win the tournament. Soto dedicated it to his family for standing beside him.

“It’s got to be for my mom and dad,” Soto said. “They’ve been there since Day 1. My sister, my brother, both. I mean my family, they just been there every time. They’ve been pushing me, they’ve been right there to my side every time, so, I’m doing this for them.

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The Dominican Republic are three wins away from clinching the tournament for the first time since 2013. Soto reflected on his dream of winning the World Series and the WBC as a kid.

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“I think it’s gonna means a lot to them,” Soto said. “It’s something that we all dreamed about since I was a little kid. My dad dreamed about winning a World Series, and now when I was growing up, seeing the Dominican team winning in 2013, it was a dreamofor me to come here and try to win it for them.

Mets star Juan Soto praised “special” Dominican Republic team

Juan Soto was an integral part of the Dominican Republic’s 2023 WBC roster. The All-Star slugger has been in similar form in this year’s tournament. Soto was among the four Dominican players to hit a home run against Venezuela in their 7-5 win.

“We know what kind of talent we have in the team,” Soto said. “It’s great. We have guys that can [hit home runs]. Guys that can have power and do all these [things], but we gotta get it done. At the end of the day, I’m a little bit impressed with these guys, with this group. It’s really special.”

The Dominican Republic are on pace to break Team Medico’s record of most home runs (14) in a World Baseball Classic campaign.