By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
Sports
David Benavidez admits he won’t be satisfied until he beats his ‘arch nemesis’
David Benavidez wants nothing more than to fight the best and, with his star power growing and the WBC Light-Heavyweight World title around his waist, he is becoming hard to ignore.
‘El Monstro’ is set to move up in weight again this summer, facing Gilberto Ramirez for the WBO and WBA belts at cruiserweight. He is then planning to drop back down to 175lbs to face Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. Both Russians have expressed their interest in fighting with the 29-year-old pressure fighter.
Despite big main events on the horizon, Benavidez has still failed to secure the signature of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, and that is something that will always irk him.
Asked on The Danza Project if he felt not fighting Alvarez would leave a hole in his career, Benavidez said yes.
“100%. Always in boxing, or whatever sport, everybody has their arch nemesis. Canelo is my arch nemesis, basically. That’s exactly how it’d be. It’d be an unfortunate moment that never happened in boxing. If it doesn’t happen, there’s really nothing I can do about it.”
Benavidez – who has campaigned for the fight for a number of years now – then admitted that the delay has already seen it lose some appeal, given Alvarez’s loss to Terence Crawford last year.
“[Crawford] took a lot away from it. At the time Crawford beat him, Canelo was basically looking invincible. If I could’ve got in there, beat him, it would’ve been more of an impact. Now that Crawford came in and beat him, you don’t know what Canelo is gonna show up – if he’s gonna be extremely prepared or he doesn’t really seem like he’s hungry.”
Despite the consistent calls from both fans and Benavidez to make the fight happen, Canelo has demonstrated that he will make his own decisions in the sport. With a September return date locked in, and a shot at one of his previous super-middleweight world titles likely, it’s anybody’s guess whether or not he will venture back up to light-heavyweight again.
If he does so, he has made it clear that a rematch with Dmitry Bivol is higher on his list than facing Benavidez.
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It can all change in an instant.
Just ask New Mexico.
It may still be February, but it’s crunch time for many teams in the West.
Arizona remains dominant with expectations of a Final Four run, while the rest of the region looks shaky.
Gonzaga dropped a shocking game, BYU is soul-searching, and UCLA is wavering.
At the same time, USC is surging, Utah State has set itself apart, and Santa Clara is positioned for an at-large bid.
Here’s how I view the Top 10 College Basketball Teams in the West after the first week of February.
1. Arizona (23-0, 10-0)
The only thing that matters is March. Nobody is going to remember this Arizona team in a positive light if it falls short in the Big Dance.
At this point, anything less than a run to the Final Four would be a failure. It’s been a long time since UA had a team this good.
It’s on Tommy Lloyd and his players to deliver the run.
2. Gonzaga (23-2, 11-1)
The defeat on the road to Portland was one of the worst losses in program history. It destroyed Gonzaga’s chances at a 1-seed.
Now, the Zags’ entire resume comes under scrutiny. Mark Few’s team isn’t fully healthy, partially excusing the loss.
But the perceived ceiling of this year’s team just took a nosedive.
3. BYU (17-6, 5-5)
Kevin Young’s team is at a crossroads. There seems to be two paths forward.
In one direction, Young makes starting lineup changes that result in the team getting better. Or down the other direction, the team’s culture falls apart with each player focusing on themselves to improve their draft stock.
Young must step up to the plate to guide the team down the right path.
4. Utah State (20-3, 11-2)
Destroying New Mexico at The Pit was impressive.
With victories over UNM and San Diego State, the Aggies have established themselves as the top dogs in the Mountain West.
How that translates in the NCAA Tournament remains to be seen. All Utah State can do is keep winning so that it avoids the unfavorable 8- or 9-seed line.
5. Saint Mary’s (21-4, 10-2)
Randy Bennett’s squad bounced back after losing to Gonzaga. The Gaels handled business against San Diego and San Francisco in convincing fashion.
But the program remains uncomfortably close to the cutoff line. Any surprise losses would be devastating.
It’s still a few weeks away, but the final two games of the regular season against Santa Clara and Gonzaga could determine Saint Mary’s at-large hopes.
6. UCLA (17-7, 9-4)
It’s make-or-break time in Westwood. The Bruins play at Michigan and at Michigan State this week.
If UCLA finds a way to split the road trip, the at-large chances become much stronger. But get swept on this trip, and the pressure gets ramped up.
With zero nonconference resume wins, this week is pivotal for the Bruins.
7. USC (18-6, 7-6)
The Trojans are playing their way into the NCAA Tournament. Moving from the wrong side of the Bubble into the projected field, Eric Musselman must feel positive.
But one week can change everything.
USC heads to Ohio State for its only game of the week. Win that one, and the question becomes more about seeding than simply making the tourney.
8. San Diego State (17-6, 11-2)
The Aztecs did their job against the lower end of the Mountain West last week.
Looking at their resume now, the victories over New Mexico, Boise State, and Nevada are respectable wins.
But the elephant in the room remains. If it comes down to it, the early-season loss to Troy could be a deciding factor on Selection Sunday.
9. Santa Clara (21-5, 12-1)
With a half-game hold on first place in the WCC, the Broncos are in position.
Joe Lunardi’s most recent projection has three teams from the Conference getting in the field. That would be a minor coup for a league that’s perpetually stuck on two bids.
But let’s see what Santa Clara is really made of when it faces Gonzaga this Saturday.
10. New Mexico (18-6, 9-4)
How quickly things change. It took one week for New Mexico to go from the perceived top of the Mountain West to outside of the projected field.
That goes to show how precarious the MWC’s reputation is this year due to an awful nonconference season. If the Selection Show were held right now, the WCC would likely get more bids.
The Lobos can’t afford any more losses.
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.
Latest posts by Dane Miller (see all)
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Dane Miller’s Week 14 Best-in-West Hoops Power Rankings
> How the region’s best teams stack up across the Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, MW, Pac-12, and WCC
– February 9, 2026 -
Dane Miller’s Week 13 Best-in-West Hoops Power Rankings
> How the region’s best teams stack up across the Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, MW, Pac-12, and WCC
– February 1, 2026 -
Dane Miller’s Week 12 Best-in-West Hoops Power Rankings
> How the region’s best teams stack up across the Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, MW, Pac-12, and WCC
– January 26, 2026
Sports
“Who’s taking such decisions?” – Fans fume as in-form Indian batter ignored in BCCI’s annual central contract for 2025-26 season
Team India star opener Ishan Kishan failed to make a cut as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the annual central contract for the 2025-26 season (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026) on Monday, February 9. The wicketkeeper-batter was ignored despite being part of the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup.
After making his T20I comeback last month, the 27-year-old emerged as the leading run-getter against New Zealand in the last bilateral T20I series, amassing 215 runs in four innings, including a century.
On the other hand, Sanju Samson was included in Grade C of the annual retainer list. With Samson out of form, Kishan opened alongside Abhishek Sharma against the USA in India’s opening game of the ongoing T20 World Cup.
Fans on X were unhappy as Ishan Kishan failed to make a cut in the 30-member players’ list named in the BCCI’s annual central contract this season. One user wrote:
“Seriously? No Ishan Kishan? Who’s taking such decisions?”
Another user commented:
“How Ishan Kishan is not given the Central Contract? He is in our world cup XI & also has avg of 42 in ODIs & definitely gonna be India’s backup opener & wk at 2027 ODI WC. Don’t say, it is given on basis of previous year. He should have been included!”
A third user added:
“Ishan Kishan still without a central contract! Strange.”
Here are a few more reactions:
Ishan Kishan was previously ignored in the 2023-24 central contract, while he was not part of international cricket during 2-24-25 season. The southpaw was included in Grade C during the 2022-23 season. He will next be seen in action as the Men in Blue will face Namibia in their next 2026 T20 World Cup game in Delhi on Thursday, February 12.
BCCI scraps Grade A+ as 30 players included across three grades in annual central contract; Ishan Kishan notable absentee
The BCCI scrapped Grade A+ as 30 players, including three and 11 players, were categorized in Grade A and B, respectively, for the 2025-26 season. India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja were included in Group A. Interestingly, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were demoted to Grade B. Meanwhile, T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav retained his spot in the same grade.
Click here to check out the full list of players retained for the 2025-26 season.
Edited by James Kuanal
Jul 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals left fielder MJ Melendez (1) makes a diving attempt for a fly ball in the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images The New York Mets are signing free agent outfielder MJ Melendez to a one-year contract worth $1.5 million with an additional $500,000 in incentives, according to multiple reports on Sunday.
Melendez, 27, batted just .083 (5-for-60) last season with one home run and one RBI in 23 games with the Kansas City Royals.
He batted .261 with 20 homers and 64 RBIs in 107 games at Triple-A Omaha last season.
After leading all of minor league baseball with a combined 41 homers for the Royals’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates in 2021, Melendez was rated Kansas City’s second-best prospect 2022, behind only shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Melendez had spent his entire professional baseball career with the Royals, who selected him as a catcher in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft. The left-handed batter is a career .215 hitter with 52 homers and 163 RBIs in 435 games for Kansas City from 2022-25. Perhaps his best campaign was 2023, when he batted .235 with 16 homers and 56 RBIs with a .316 on-base percentage and .398 slugging percentage in 148 games.
–Field Level Media
Over the last several years, Fujikura’s Ventus line of shafts has cornered the driver shaft market by helping players find the center of the face.
But with more and more players opting for drivers with more forgiving and efficient driver faces, is finding a shaft that gives you more clubhead speed now more important?
That’s what Fully Equipped co-hosts Johnny Wunder and Jake Morrow discussed on this week’s episode of the show, as Jake shared his first impressions testing the shaft.
“It felt like to me you had to be super late before you started to move your wrists forward or started to do any movement basically towards impact, which for me is not good at all, but it’s really great for people that want to generate speed and guys that are super, super wide and laggy,” Morrow said. “When I was able to do that and time it up properly and produce that swing, it was fast. I mean, it was like a good 1.5, almost 2 mph on some swings, faster. Clubhead speed.”
;)
Best drivers in 2026 for your game: Ultimate buyer’s guide | Fully Fit
Morrow was surprised the shaft felt so tight in the handle, saying it was stiffer at the top than even the new Ventus TR Blue with VeloCore+. Part of that may have been how he prepped the shaft by tipping it one inch and butt cutting to 45″.
“I think that bump in the EI curve moves up significantly once you cut the shaft,” Morrow said. “So I don’t know that the handle itself is actually super tight, or if the midsection transition is just way further up than you would think it is. And by the time you grip it and you put your hands on it, where that stiffness actually falls is so close to the hands that I think that’s what’s happening.”
Wunder said he’d heard similar feedback from Tour reps and that for the right player, they were getting swing speed gains out of the new shaft.
With driver heads being so good now, Wunder pointed out that it could be shafts like the new Titan that end up being where the next frontier of speeds come from.
“The only way to really crack speed to separate them is with a shaft that you swing faster,” he said.
For more from Morrow and co-host Johnny Wunder, listen to the full episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped here, or watch it below.
Want to find the best golf shaft for your game in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.
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Real Housewives alum Jill Zarin has criticized Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime show performance. The Puerto Rican rapper created history as he became the first Latin artist to perform solo at the Super Bowl Halftime show.
Speaking on Instagram after Bunny’s performance, Jill Zarin expressed her dissatisfaction with the halftime show. He said:
“Now, we all agree. I said it before that, it was the worst halftime show ever, and it’s 250 years that we’re celebrating right now in the United States, and I just don’t think it was appropriate to have it in Spanish. And quite frankly, I didn’t see him grabbing his you know, G area. I think it was totally inappropriate. You’ve got all these young kids watching the Super Bowl, and he doesn’t have to be grabbing himself every five seconds. Is he so insecure?”
Zarin added:
“Seriously, I didn’t understand. I don’t speak Spanish. I would have liked to have known the words he was saying to me. It looked like a political statement, because there were literally no white people in the entire thing. I think it was a political statement, and I’m not taking a side one way the other. I just do.”
Zarin also alleged that Bad Bunny’s performance was an “ICE thing” and criticized Lady Gaga, who made a special appearance during the halftime show. She added:
“I think it was an ICE thing. And I just think that the NFL sold out. And it’s very sad, because 75 years and, you know, shame, shame. And Lady Gaga got a facelift. I didn’t recognize her. I literally had to google her face to Google her face to see who it was, because we all couldn’t agree who it was. So that was kind of fun in the middle of halftime, at least it gave me something to do, because it was so hard to watch.”
Despite the controversial response, Bad Bunny‘s Super Bowl halftime show has garnered over 135 million views. The rapper created history as he delivered the halftime show in complete Spanish. In the end, the performance also delivered a message about the only thing being stronger than “hate” is “love”, allegedly interpreted as a message against ICE and Trump’s immigration policy.
Former Real Housewives star Taylor Armstrong opens up on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime show
In an Instagram story dated February 8, Taylor Armstrong also criticized Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime show, since it was completely in Spanish and featured a Cuban flag. She wrote:
“Were you entertained? I am embarrassed for the NFL and Apple for the Super Bowl halftime show totally in Spanish with a Cuban flag!!”
Apart from the Real Housewives and multiple other celebrities, President Donald Trump also expressed his dissatisfaction about the Super Bowl Halftime show. He described Bunny’s dancing as “disgusting” and called the performance “absolutely terrible” and “one of the worst, EVER.”
Apart from Bad Bunny’s headlining show, many other artists also made guest appearances during the performance. There was a set including Cardi B, Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba, and Alix Earle. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars performed a salsa version of their hit track, Die With A Smile. Ricky Martin also took the stage to perform Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii.
Earlier this month, Bad Bunny also became the first Latin artist to win the Album of the Year at the Grammys. His album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, became the first Spanish-language album to win the honor.
Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar
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Seattle Seahawks fans took to the streets near Lumen Field to celebrate the team’s second Super Bowl championship win on Sunday. The Seahawks beat the New England Patriots, 29-13.
Seahawks fans were spotted climbing light poles, lighting fireworks, waving flags and causing other kinds of pandemonium in Seattle. Some revelers were even seen climbing the Pioneer Square pergola, which prompted a response from police on social media.
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Seattle Seahawks fans celebrate near Lumen Field after their team won Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. (David Ryder/Getty Images)
A person climbs a light pole as Seattle Seahawks fans celebrate near Lumen Field after their team won Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. (David Ryder/Getty Images)
“This one is for the people who are on the pergola. Why? Please stop,” police wrote on X.
Fans will have another chance to revel in the team’s Super Bowl win during the parade. The championship celebration will take place on Wednesday, according to Seattle Councilmember Rob Saka. It will start in the stadium district and end at Seattle center.
Seattle used a dominant defensive performance to buoy their win over New England. The Seahawks forced Drake Maye to turn the ball over three times and they sacked him six.
DRAKE MAYE WANTS TO ‘GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING AND REDO IT’ AFTER PATRIOTS’ SUPER BOWL LX DISASTER
People kiss as Seattle Seahawks fans celebrate in the Pioneer Square neighborhood after their team won Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (David Ryder/Getty Images)
Seattle Seahawks fans celebrate in Pioneer Square after the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LX, in Seattle, Washington, on Feb. 8, 2026. (Jason Redmond / AFP via Getty Images)
“We never waver, man. We believe in each other. We love each other, and now we’re world champions,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said.
Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense added a defensive touchdown to their total when Uchenna Nwosu returned an interception for a touchdown.
Seattle Seahawks fans celebrate atop a vehicle in the Pioneer Square neighborhood after their team won Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (David Ryder/Getty Images)
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“We went through a lot, but we believed,” Seattle’s Devon Witherspoon said. “All of you all doubters out there who said all that other stuff, you all don’t know what’s going on in this building. We’re one of one over here.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Feb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) celebrates with teammates after the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images If North Carolina coach Hubert Davis is hyped, imagine what his players must be feeling.
The 14th-ranked Tar Heels (19-4, 7-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) are set to visit Miami (18-5, 7-3) for a conference tilt on Tuesday night. The game could represent an emotional challenge for North Carolina, as the Tar Heels are coming off a thrilling 71-68 win over fourth-ranked Duke on Saturday night.
“I’m still a little bit numb,” Davis said after the dramatic home win over North Carolina’s biggest rival.
As for the Hurricanes, they have had some extreme highs and lows in recent years, reaching the NCAA Final Four for the first time in program history in 2023 before suffering through two straight losing seasons, including an embarrassing 7-24 record in 2024-25.
Jai Lucas — in his first season as a head coach — has turned around the Hurricanes. And Lucas, 37, knows the Tar Heels well because he was a Duke assistant/associate head coach for the past three seasons.
The Hurricanes are not deep — they got just seven bench points in their most recent game, a 74-68 win at Boston College on Saturday. Miami also is last in the ACC in 3-point-percentage defense (35.3) and just 12th in 3-point shooting on offense (34.2).
But what the Hurricanes do well is score inside, which is why they lead the ACC in field-goal percentage (51.1).
“That’s how we’re built,” Lucas said. “We have a formula of points in the paint. We’re big. We’re physical. We have to fight for our identity.”
Miami, which is 12-2 at home, starts an imposing front line of 6-foot-11, 265-pound Ernest Udeh Jr. along with Malik Reneau (6-9, 235) and Shelton Henderson (6-6, 240). Even shooting guard Dante Allen looks like a linebacker at 6-4, 220.
The fifth starter is point guard Tre Donaldson, who plays bigger than his listed size (6-2, 195). Donaldson is second on Miami in scoring (15.9) and ranks fourth in the ACC in assists (6.2). Donaldson typically closes strong, which was evident on Saturday as he scored 13 of his 14 points in the second half.
Donaldson also does a great job of getting the ball to Reneau, who ranks fifth in the ACC in scoring (20.0), sixth in field-goal percentage (56.5) and 17th in rebounding (6.5). Reneau is a master of scoring in the paint, using glass often.
Udeh ranks second in the ACC in rebounding (9.6). Henderson ranks 19th in scoring (14.5). He’s also been efficient, ranking third in field-goal percentage (61.5).
Allen, a freshman averaging 6.6 points, has stepped in for starter Tru Washington, who has been out due to personal reasons.
Meanwhile, the Tar Heels are big, too — or at least tall — as they are led by Caleb Wilson (6-10, 215) and Henri Veesaar (7-0, 225).
Wilson ranks fourth in the ACC in scoring (20.2) and field-goal percentage (58.5) and third in rebounding (9.6). Veesaar is 10th in scoring (16.6), fifth in rebounds and second in field-goal percentage (62.6). North Carolina’s only other double-figure scorer is Seth Trimble (14.2). Trimble, as every basketball fan in North Carolina knows, hit the last-second 3-pointer to beat Duke on Saturday.
“It’s special,” Trimble said of his shot. “I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life.”
–Field Level Media
Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to win a major trophy since arriving in Saudi Arabia, and Al-Nassr will be hoping the 41-year-old Portuguese star returns to action on Wednesday to help the Riyadh club move closer to silverware.
Al-Nassr takes on Arkadag of Turkmenistan with a place in the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League Two on the line.
Ronaldo hasn’t played any part in Al-Nassr’s most recent two games in the Saudi Pro League amid reports he was unhappy with the way the club is being funded, particularly after watching rival Al-Hilal sign Karim Benzema in last month’s transfer window.
Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli are all majority owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
In a statement, the SPL outlined that no player is bigger than the club or the league.
“The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules,” the league said. “Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al-Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition. But no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club.”
Despite the absence of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Al-Nassr beat reigning champion Al-Ittihad 2-0 on Friday.
Ittihad is the only one of three Saudi teams in the top-tier AFC Champions League Elite not to have secured a place in the round of 16, with two group games remaining.
Despite losing star striker Karim Benzema last week to Al-Hilal, which has a history of making high-profile signings, including Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, Ittihad will advance to the next round if it defeats Al-Gharafa of Qatar on Tuesday.
The top eight in each of the tournament’s two 12-team groups – divided geographically into East and West Asia – qualify for the second round.
Al-Hilal leads the western zone and is the only team with a perfect record of six wins from six, meaning coach Simone Inzaghi can choose to rest players. Al-Ahli, which won its first Champions League title in May, is also guaranteed a spot in the knockout stage.
In the eastern zone, only Vissel Kobe has clinched qualification, but Japan will have three teams in the round of 16 if both Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Machida Zelvia win this week.
The pressure is on China’s three representatives, which occupy the bottom three positions.
Chinese champion Shanghai Port is in last place and on the verge of being ousted from the tournament. Wins for Chengdu Rongcheng and Shanghai Shenhua would keep both teams in contention.
Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield were repeatedly accused of ducking the same former world champion, who eventually faced the latter in a long-awaited heavyweight clash.
Before that, Tyson and Holyfield were largely considered to be on a collision course, especially after ‘The Real Deal’ dethroned James ‘Buster’ Douglas in 1990.
Douglas had caused an almighty upset by knocking Tyson out, via a 10th-round finish earlier that year, to become the unified world heavyweight champion.
‘Iron Mike’, however, was able to swiftly bounce back with two first-round stoppages, while Holyfield became a two-weight world champion following his third-round finish over Douglas.
The former cruiserweight king was then ordered to defend his titles against Tyson, only for a lucrative battle with George Foreman to take priority instead.
Their collision in 1991 finally materialised after Foreman, who ended his decade-long retirement in 1987, had spent the past few years calling out both Holyfield and Tyson.
In the end, Holyfield came away with a unanimous decision victory, before losing to Riddick Bowe a year and a half later, while Tyson never locked horns with ‘Big George’.
According to Foreman, whose interview around that time has been shared by Combat Highlights, the two American heavyweights wanted no part of him whatsoever.
“I’m not fighting Mike Tyson [and] I’m not fighting Evander Holyfield, because they are afraid of me. Let’s get that straight.
“They’re going to fight each other, because they’re small guys and they don’t want to fight Big George.
“I’ve gotten into the ring with guys and I’ve seen them turn their back, and run; I mean literally turn their backs on me and run.”
Holyfield went on to complete his iconic trilogy with Bowe and secure a sizable upset victory against Tyson, stopping him in the 11th round of their first encounter in 1996.
Both Si Woo Kim and Nicolai Hojgaard are putting on a clinic with their Callaway drivers in very different ways this week.
The pair head into the final round at the WM Phoenix Open tied for second at 12 under par, a shot behind Hideki Matsuyama and are third and fourth this week in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee.
Kim is doing it while leading the field in driving accuracy with over 80 percent of his fairways hit, while Hojgaard is doing it with a blend of distance (T22, 320 yards) and accuracy (T12, 67%). The different ways they play require vastly different driver setups, but the common denominator is that both players recently switched to different versions of Callaway’s new Quantum Triple Diamond platform.
Keep reading below for a more detailed dive into their setups.
Si Woo Kim
As we wrote two weeks ago in the Tour Report, Kim finally gave up his Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond driver that he had held onto for the last two seasons.
“It was almost plug and play,” Callaway Tour Content Manager Thompson said. “I mean, there really wasn’t a ton of work that was done with Si Woo. He hit a few shots, and he was like, ‘This thing’s awesome,’ and literally that was it.”
Kim isn’t one of the faster players on Tour, so he’ll take any meaningful speed gains he can get. He also lives on the higher end of the spin threshold, which makes killing spin just as much as a priority.
That’s why you see him play the more compact Triple Diamond model as opposed to the Triple Diamond Max.
The start line was also important for getting Kim to switch from his Ai Smoke, which is why you’ll see below in his specs he keeps the back weight on the heel side of the club to encourage a left start line.
With the new driver, Callaway Tour Rep Kellen Watson said Kim added about 2 mph of ball speed and cut his spin delta to just 400 rpms. They wanted to switch at the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic last fall, but the driver wasn’t on the conforming list yet.
“he loved that we went back to AI Smoke topline and crown and loved the look at address and the sound,” Watson told GOLF. “Easily one of my favorite player/caddie combos. The toughest job is to have him not play the new thing yet, but the numbers let us know that it was a no-brainer.”
Si Woo Kim’s Quantum Triple Diamond Specs:
Head: Quantum Triple Diamond 9.0
Actual loft: 8.9˚
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black+ 6-X
Length: 44 15/16″ EOG
Tipping: 1″
Optifit: N/S
Weights: Neutral Weight (Heel)
Swingweight: D3.4
Grip: Golf Pride MCC ND Blackout 58R
Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond Custom Driver
View Product
ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Callaway
Nicolai Hojgaard
Hojgaard, meanwhile, is in the upper echelon of speed on the PGA Tour, already ranking second in ball speed this season after finishing third in driving distance a year ago.
His switch to the Quantum Triple Diamond Max driver took a little more time, but he made the move this week and it’s paying off.
With all of his speed, Hojgaard plays with more stability and spin (high 2000s) than you might imagine. He uses a high-lofted Triple Diamond Max, which is the more stable of the two Triple Diamond platforms, with a Fujikura Ventus TR Blak that is just over 45″.
“While this could be more efficient from a distance perspective, this higher spin setup gives him ultimate control,” said Callaway Tour Rep Zach Smith. “He still cruising near 190 ball speed with the triforce tech, so he’s not really giving anything up versus the field.
“Nico has one of the most efficient deliveries on tour, and has lower spin loft through the bag, making him always on the low end of spin so we’re always working to increase his ability to control the ball.”
He also plays the Chrome Tour X+ golf ball, which is a spinnier version of the Chrome Tour X, which, coupled with the higher lofted driver, gives him a nice combination for control.
Nicolai Hojgaard’s Quantum Triple Diamond Specs:
Head: Quantum Triple Diamond Max 10.5
Actual loft: 11.2˚
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6-X
Length: 45 1/8″ EOG
Weights: 3 g front/ 9 g back toe / 6 g back heel
Swingweight: D2.3
Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond Max Custom Driver
View Product
ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Callaway
The author welcomes your comments at Jack.Hirsh@golf.com.
Want to find the best driver for your game in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.
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