With the 2026 NFL Draft kicking off this week in Pittsburgh — and watched on millions of TVs around the globe — long-time NFL coach Sean Payton joined this week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar podcast to discuss exactly what it’s like in the lead-up to the draft and what happens in the team room during it.

Payton, the current head coach of the Denver Broncos, was the New Orleans Saints coach from 2006 to 2021, and he led the Saints to a Super Bowl victory in 2009.

But the NFL Draft often aligns with Zurich Classic of New Orleans week on the PGA Tour, and one year, in 2017, Payton had some company in the Saints’ draft night war room: Jordan Spieth and Ryan Palmer.

On this week’s Subpar, Payton explained how that moment came to life — especially with two Texans and lifelong Dallas Cowboys fans. Payton played in the Zurich pro-am with Spieth and Palmer that year, and he extended them an invite for Thursday’s first round of the draft.

But before the draft even started, they had a little fun, too.

“I think Spieth made [caddie Michael] Greller run a 100-yard dash wearing a helmet,” Payton said. “And not a 40 — a 100.”

Payton set up the visitors with a table in the draft room, handed them draft books and let them take in the action. The Saints had the 11th pick and a big decision to make: cornerback Marshon Lattimore or quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“Lattimore was a candidate; Patrick certainly was a candidate,” Payton said. “We had been to their pro days, been to their private workouts. And if you are picking 11, the old adage is you better have 11 players you like, or you trade back … there’s been a lot of back and forth on who would have been selected.”

But the Saints never had to choose between the two. The Kansas City Chiefs swooped in at No. 10 and traded with Buffalo to take Mahomes. That meant the Saints took Lattimore.

“Right when they made that trade I knew it had to be for Patrick,” Payton said. “…Those guys had a chance to see it live.”

Lattimore was voted NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and made four Pro Bowls in his 7 1/2 years with the Saints. Mahomes? He has three Super Bowl MVPs.

For more from Payton, including what it’s like in the lead-up to the draft, you can listen to the episode here or watch on YouTube below.

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Naomi Osaka hopes travelling more with daughter Shai can help her find the work-life balance she is looking for.

The Japanese star cast doubt on her future in the sport after losing to Talia Gibson in her opening match at the Miami Open, saying: “I’m not going to stay on tour if I’m losing in the first round. I’d rather just be a great mom and be there for my daughter.”

Osaka subsequently took a month off and has returned to the tour at the Madrid Open with two-year-old Shai in tow and a more positive perspective.

“I was able to go home, pretty much be a mom,” said the former world number one.

“So I would take her to school, pick her up from school, and it was really cool. She’s here with me so just getting to see her face and going to practises and coming back, it’s been really special to me.

“I think her growing older and just being able to figure out her schedule, with school, it’s been really helpful, and I also just really love travelling with her, showing her the world and just exploring.

“She loves travel. She loves the airport, she loves aeroplanes.”

Osaka struggled for consistent results after coming back to the tour at the start of 2024 but appeared to have positioned herself as a potential grand slam champion again when she reached the US Open semi-finals last summer.

However, she has not been able to kick on from there, with recurrent abdominal problems causing frustrating hiatuses.

Osaka is confident she has the right approach on clay, though, saying after beating Camila Osorio 6-2 7-5 in her opening match in Madrid: “I think, for me, on clay, I have one goal, which is to go out on my own terms.

“I did OK in Australia, was doing OK in Indian Wells. I played (Aryna) Sabalenka. I think from there I learned a lesson of just trying to be more aggressive, and I’m trying to implement it here.”

Osaka has made more headlines for her outfits than her tennis this season, with Australia’s extravagant jellyfish-inspired look followed by a leopard-print dress at Indian Wells.

In the Spanish capital, she paired an orange dress with a patterned headscarf, describing it as a “nod to European summers”.

“I know it’s weird to say it was a little simple for me given all the extraness that I’ve been doing recently, but I think it’s a really elegant look, and I’m excited because there’s different themes and stuff to do in Rome, so I’ll just keep trying to switch it up a little,” added Osaka.

Last year, Zhao came through four rounds of qualifying and then defeated 2024 runner-up Jak Jones, compatriot Lei Peifan and England’s Chris Wakelin before thrashing seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan 17-7 to reach the final.

Zhao’s 18-12 success over Mark Williams was a pivotal moment in the sport, instantly making the winner a national hero, and inspiring youngsters to take up snooker.

According to World Snooker Tour figures, more than 24.5 million unique viewers watched the third session of the final alone in China and during the whole 2025 tournament, it had a cumulative audience of 180 million on national broadcaster CCTV5.

The event also had 1.5 billion social media impressions in China over its 17 days.

“When I go to China I’m famous now and when I’m walking around the street lots of people want to take pictures of me,” said 29-year-old Zhao. “It’s amazing and a big difference to before but I’m really happy to do it and I’m trying to becoming a great player.

“Before, older people would want to take pictures of me because they are snooker fans, but now it is their son or daughter that takes pictures – and I’m really happy for it.”

If Zhao is to retain his title, he has to do something none of the previous 20 first-time winners at the Crucible have done, by winning it again the following year.

But Zhao showed no signs of falling to the so-called ‘Crucible Curse’ in his first-round match, as he saw off English qualifier Liam Highfield 10-7.

Before the tournament started, seven-time winner Stephen Hendry, speaking on BBC Television, said Zhao was his favourite to lift the trophy on Monday, 4 May.

“I think Xintong can retain his title,” said Hendry. “He is the future of the game for the next 10-15 years – he is going to dominate, no-one scores like him.

“He is not paying any attention to this stupid ‘curse’. Other Chinese players have got a huge lift from seeing their countryman lift the trophy.”

Former Arsenal star Perry Groves has urged Mikel Arteta to keep Viktor Gyokeres on the bench. He believes that Kai Havertz should remain as the club’s starting striker in the remaining matches.

Speaking to Metro, Groves claimed that Gyokeres’ goals should not make him an automatic starter, as Havertz links up better with his teammates on the pitch. He added the Manchester City game was a perfect example of the difference between the two forwards and said:

“I’m a fan of Gyokeres. I’ve stuck up for Gyokeres all season because I like his attitude and the way that he plays. He’s still got his 18 goals. He’s getting used to us, we’re getting used to him, but I think what I liked about the game against Man City, not only did we press, which was aggressive, but we went long quicker.”

“David Raya went long, quick into Havertz on the touchline, on the diagonal, where Havertz could hold it up, or he flicks it on. And he probably just gives you that little bit more of control, where he’s better at holding it up, so Gyokeres might have to wait his turn.”

Havertz scored in the game against Manchester City after pressing Gigi Donnarumma and forcing an error from the goalkeeper.

Arsenal warned about Newcastle United clash

Perry Groves has warned Arsenal that they need to be careful about the Newcastle United clash. He believes that the Magpies will sit back and try to lure the Gunners forward and attack them on the counter. He told the Metro:

“Newcastle will come and try and sit deep. They’re in really bad form at the minute, I think they’ve lost eight out of 11 in the Premier League, but historically, there’s always a needle in Arsenal against Newcastle. So they will come, they will up their game a little bit.”

“Guimaraes will probably come back in, so he’s a big plus for them, but this is all about Arsenal themselves. They can only control themselves and the way they approach the game and their attitude. They can’t control what Newcastle do, you know, whether they press, whether they sit deep.”

The Gunners have slipped to second in the Premier League table after their loss to Manchester City last week. The Cityzens jumped ahead on Wednesday, April 22, after they beat Burnley 1-0 in their game in hand.

The two sides are level on points and goal difference, but the Manchester side are ahead on goals scored.