For most professional golfers, a five-month gap between PGA Tour victories barely qualifies as a drought.

For world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, it’s long enough to make people wonder if something is wrong.

That conversation is going to last at least another week, especially with the way it happened.

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Viktor Hovland defeated Scheffler on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff Monday morning at TPC River Highlands, winning the Travelers Championship after both players finished regulation tied at 21-under Sunday.

And he did it in stunning fashion.

Viktor Hovland reacts after making birdie on the 18th green in a playoff during the final round continuation of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. (Jordan Bank/Getty Images)

Both players found the fairway on the first playoff hole. Both players hit their approaches inside 10 feet. Then Hovland poured in his birdie putt, putting all the pressure on the best golfer in the world.

Scheffler had a short birdie putt to extend the playoff.

He missed.

Yes, really.

That’s the shocking part. Scheffler forced the playoff Sunday evening by draining an 8 1/2-foot par putt on the 72nd hole, then came back Monday morning and missed from about half that distance with the tournament on the line again.

Golf is weird. Golf is cruel. Even for the world’s best player.

The Travelers Championship needed a rare Monday finish after weather and darkness prevented the tournament from being decided Sunday. The playoff began on the par-4 18th hole, and Hovland wasted no time finishing it.

For the Norwegian, it meant a massive win after refusing to let Scheffler pull away during a tense, rain-delayed final round.

For Scheffler, it meant another close call.

Scottie Scheffler reacts after missing a putt on the 18th green in a playoff during the final round continuation of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Scheffler entered the Travelers with just one victory in 2026, which came all the way back in January at The American Express. Of course, “just one victory” is doing a lot of work in that sentence.

It’s not like Scheffler has played poorly this season. Quite the opposite, in fact. The world’s top player had eight top-five finishes in his first 13 starts this season, including his win at The American Express and runner-up finishes at the Masters, RBC Heritage and Cadillac Championship. He finished third at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and tied for fourth at the U.S. Open last week.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER SAYS BEING THE NO. 1 GOLFER IN THE WORLD IS ‘NOT A FULFILLING LIFE’

But Hovland kept him from turning another close call into a trophy.

Scheffler started the final round one shot behind Hovland after a wild first three days in Connecticut. He opened with a 64, nearly shot a historic 59 on Friday before settling for a 60, then posted a 67 on Saturday that left him in solo second place, one back of Hovland.

Scheffler had a ho-hum front nine in the final round, making one birdie and one bogey for an even-par 35. Hovland dropped a shot on the front with a 36, which allowed a number of players back into the tournament.

Collin Morikawa shot a 61 in the final round, posting the clubhouse lead at 20-under several hours before Scheffler and Hovland finished.

For a while, it looked like Morikawa might be the player Scheffler had to beat.

Then Hovland made his move.

Scheffler made birdies at Nos. 10 and 13 to move to 21-under and take a one-shot lead over Morikawa’s clubhouse number. Hovland, who also made birdie on No. 13, was still lurking two back. But that’s when heavy rain started hammering TPC River Highlands and forced an 83-minute weather delay.

After the delay, Hovland completely flipped the tournament.

Viktor Hovland of Norway reacts after winning the Travelers Championship in a playoff at TPC River Highlands. (Jordan Bank/Getty Images)

He birdied No. 14 to pull within one, then added another birdie at No. 15 to grab a share of the lead. Suddenly, Scheffler was no longer cruising toward another PGA Tour victory. He was trying to survive Hovland’s late charge.

Scheffler had his own chance to regain control, but his birdie putt on No. 17 lipped out, leaving the two players tied heading to the 72nd hole.

Both players hit solid approach shots on No. 18, but Scheffler found himself slightly farther away than Hovland. The American gave it too much pace, sending it well past the hole and leaving himself 8 1/2 feet coming back for par.

It wouldn’t have mattered if Hovland drained his 25-foot birdie putt, but Hovland’s potential tournament-winning putt just leaked wide of the hole at the end. He tapped in for par, meaning Scheffler would need to make his putt to send the pair to a playoff.

Scheffler drained the putt, gave an enthusiastic fist pump and shook Hovland’s hand before the two players returned Monday morning to decide it.

In front of a pretty large crowd, especially for a Monday morning finish in Connecticut, Hovland finished the job to secure his eighth career PGA Tour victory and first since the 2025 Valspar Championship last March.

What made the win so impressive is how he did it. Hovland looked like he was out of it when he made bogey on No. 10 and Scheffler made birdie. That turned a tie at the top of the leaderboard into a two-shot deficit to the world’s best player with eight holes remaining.

But he never gave up. He made three consecutive birdies on Nos. 13, 14 and 15 with the latter two coming immediately after a nearly hour-and-a-half weather delay.

Then he came back Monday and beat Scheffler head-to-head. He watched Scheffler hit his approach inside six feet and followed by hitting a dart of his own. He buried a clutch putt, thinking he needed to make it or the tournament was over.

That’s some serious mental fortitude, especially for a player who has had a roller-coaster season.

Hovland has had some good results this season, including top-20 finishes at multiple signature events (WM Phoenix Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational, PLAYERS Championship) and a top-20 at the Masters. But he failed to make the cut at both the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open.

For Scheffler, it was another high finish that didn’t result in a victory. Technically, he’s in the midst of a lengthy drought, at least to his lofty standards. He hasn’t gone 13 consecutive tournaments without winning since 2023.

Of course, Scheffler’s dry spells would be career-best stretches for just about everyone else. He keeps putting himself near the top of leaderboards, keeps piling up top-five finishes and keeps making deep Sunday runs at the biggest events in golf.

WYNDHAM CLARK HANDLED HIS U.S. OPEN WIN WITH THE PERFECT ATTITUDE TO WIN BACK GOLF FANS

But when the bar is this high, close is not enough.

Scheffler came to TPC River Highlands looking like he was ready to end any talk of a dry spell before it got too loud. Instead, Hovland dragged him all the way into Monday and forced him to make one more putt.

This time, Scheffler missed.

There is still nothing wrong with Scottie Scheffler.

But Hovland was better when it mattered most.

Trainer Kelvin Southey holds no regrets about deferring Bazaball Rewarded’s metropolitan racing debut until this season, and he is pleased she is now receiving the chance to prove her mettle.

The four-year-old mare’s three starts this year have all been at Caulfield, resulting in wins bookending a fifth-place finish in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes.

Bazaball Rewarded is scheduled to return to Caulfield this Saturday for the $130,000 Sportsbet More Places BM84 Handicap over 1100 metres.

Mornington-based Southey kept the daughter of Reward For Effort to her home track last preparation, where she earned the title of Mornington Marvel, an accolade that came with a $100,000 reward.

This substantial prize was an irresistible incentive for Southey, who believes the additional experience in lower-grade racing might have benefited her.

“I would have brought her to town earlier, but that was a bit of a carrot there,” Southey commented. “She ran a track record at Mornington, so she’s obviously got some gears and then the two wins at Caulfield have been really good and this prep I think she’s improved.”

Bazaball Rewarded won five of her six starts at Mornington last preparation, with her sole defeat occurring beyond 1000 metres when she finished fourth in a 1200m BM66 event behind Recon.

Her two victories this campaign have both been over 1000 metres. While the Bel Esprit Stakes was run over 1100 metres, Southey feels there was merit in that run and is adamant she is more than just a short-distance specialist.

“I thought she was unlucky in the Bel Esprit, so far as they just ran a bit quick early and then she still sprinted well at the top of the straight, but just probably in the wrong part of the track,” he said. “I think if we can just have her settle a little bit better early, she’ll finish off better.”

Southey considered running Bazaball Rewarded against her own sex at Caulfield in the second race, a BM84 over 1100m restricted to fillies and mares. However, he opted for the colts and geldings race with a lighter weight.

Premiership contender Jamie Mott will ride from barrier 12 in a field of 16. Bazaball Rewarded will carry 59.5kg, two kilograms less than she would have borne in the fillies and mares event.

“I just didn’t want to put too much weight on her and Jamie rides her well – he’s got a good feel for her,” Southey concluded.

Check out the online bookmakers for the upcoming race at Caulfield.

India suffered a shocking 2-0 T20I series defeat to Ireland, marking the first time they have lost a bilateral T20I series against the Irish side. After dominating the IPL on batting-friendly surfaces, India’s young batting unit struggled to adapt to the seamer-friendly conditions in Ireland as the hosts outplayed them in both matches. The result also marked another series defeat for Gautam Gambhir in his tenure as head coach.Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes the defeat exposed a flaw in India’s team composition rather than just their execution. He argued that India have become overly reliant on batting all-rounders and now urgently need a specialist middle-order batter, also he cites why Shubman Gill should make a comeback in T20I setup. Taking to X, Manjrekar wrote: “It was too little earlier… under Gambhir, it is too many. The ‘all-rounders’. India need a PURE middle-order batter, pronto!”

Manjrekar wants Gill back in T20Is

During the broadcaster’s post-match discussion, Manjrekar further explained that Indian batters must develop the technique to succeed on pitches offering assistance to bowlers, instead of relying solely on the flat batting tracks they are accustomed to at home and in the IPL. He cited Shubman Gill as the ideal example of a batter capable of thriving in such conditions and backed the India ODI captain to eventually make a return to the T20I setup.“Shubman Gill… just for people to understand, this is a guy who is a T20 batter now and had a tremendous IPL as well. I’m not talking about captaincy, but these are the players you slowly want to introduce back into T20 cricket because they have a little more depth in conditions like these and are used to them as well, like we saw when he played in England and overseas,” Manjrekar said.“That is the path for Shubman Gill going forward. It won’t happen immediately, but I think you will slowly start seeing him back in India’s T20 plans,” he added.India will have an opportunity to bounce back quickly when they begin their five-match T20I series against England on July 1, with the team looking to put the disappointing Ireland tour behind them.

Less than 24 hours after guiding Ireland to a 2-0 T20I series win over India, head coach Heinrich Malan stepped down from his role with immediate effect.Ireland completed a 2-0 sweep after beating India by one run in the second T20I on Sunday. It was Ireland’s first-ever series win over India in any format. They had won the opening match by 34 runs a few days earlier against the reigning T20 world champions. Batting first, Ireland scored 154 for eight in 20 overs. India finished on 153 for nine despite Prince Yadav hitting a six off the final ball of the innings.“It has been an absolute privilege to work with these players, staff and the wider Irish cricket community. My family and I have had a wonderful experience living here, and we will look back on our time involved in Irish cricket with great affection,” Malan said in a statement.“On the field, we can look back with great pride on our historic T20 World Cup victory against England in Melbourne, our first-ever Test victory against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi, the first home Test win vs Zimbabwe in Belfast, the historic T20 series win at home vs India and beating Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa as well as direct qualifications for T20 WC’s through our consistent ability to challenge and beat the world’s top teams.”Malan’s contract was due to run until early 2027, but the 45-year-old South African decided to leave early. Cricket Ireland said Malan believed it was the right time for a new coach to take charge and prepare the team for qualification for next year’s ODI World Cup.Malan was appointed Ireland’s men’s head coach in January 2022 on a three-year deal, which was extended in 2024. During his time in charge, Ireland qualified for three straight T20 World Cups in 2022, 2024 and 2026. One of the team’s biggest results came in Melbourne in 2022, where Ireland defeated eventual champions England.He also led Ireland during all three of the country’s Test victories, including their first-ever Test win.Ireland will next host Afghanistan for a five-match ODI series in August.Meanwhile, Cricket Ireland later appointed Gary Wilson as head coach of the men’s cricket team. Wilson, 40, represented Ireland 292 times across a distinguished 15-year international career before retiring in 2020.

Maja Chwalinska’s French Open fairytale turned into a Wimbledon nightmare after the Roland Garros runner-up was knocked out in the first round by Thai qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew.

Last month, Chwalinska made history by becoming the first play to advance to the French Open final as a qualifier, losing to Mirra Andreeva while ranked as the world No 114 in Paris.

Due to Chwalinska’s historic run coming after the direct cut-off for Wimbledon, the Polish player was in the extremely rare position of requiring a wildcard but entering the singles draw as the 20th seed.

However, the 24-year-old crashed down to earth as she lost 2-6 7-5 6-2 to the Thai qualifier Sawangkaew, who is ranked 164th in the world. Chwalinska took a medical timeout after winning the first set after slipping and hurting her ankle.

Just a month ago, Chwalinska became just the second player to make a grand slam final as a qualifier, after Emma Raducanu at the US Open in 2021.

Sawangkaew as making her Wimbledon debut and just appearance at a grand slam, following a first-round defeat to Raducanu at this year’s Australian Open.

A modest placing in midweek racing might not appear to be the ideal form guide for the Stayers Cup, but trainer Adrian Bott is relying on Centenario’s natural progression and fitness to handle the step up in class.

The former New Zealander secured third place over 2400 metres at the Kensington track in his most recent outing. With the benefit of that run at the distance, combined with a significant 6-1/2 kilogram weight advantage, Bott anticipates Centenario will be better prepared for Saturday’s test at Rosehill.

“He’s a bit out of his grade, but true weight can hopefully help offset that,” Bott said. “I feel he’s improving nicely, and he may have needed that strong run at the distance last start because he has come on well. I expect to see continued improvement from him, and it’s the right time of the preparation to be testing him.”

Bott and co-trainer Gai Waterhouse are also set to field three-year-olds Albany Road and Lady Invictus in the Kia Ora Bloodlines to Headlines Handicap over 1100 metres.

Albany Road achieved consecutive victories over the 1100m distance during the summer. Provided he can overcome a difficult barrier draw, Bott believes he is capable of a strong fresh performance.

“It took us a while to figure him out,” Bott commented. “It’s an awkward draw for him, but he’s a horse that gets back in his races anyway and enjoys the speed on. He might need a bit of luck, but he has come back better this time around.”

Lady Invictus has earned her place in Saturday grade following a sharp first-up win at midweek level.

This was only her second career start, and Bott indicated that the daughter of acclaimed sire I Am Invincible has continued to impress them in training.

“That was a really good win. She’s up quickly in grade, but she has improved nicely, and there was a lot to like about her performance at Warwick Farm,” he remarked. “She has trained on the right way, and it looks a nice race for her. It’s a good time of year for these three-year-olds to try to step up into that grade and take that next step in their careers.”

Explore Australian betting sites for the best odds on the Stayers Cup.

Dylan Gibbons, a jockey, has opted to postpone his end-of-season holiday to ride the emerging stayer Thebudgiesmugla in the upcoming Caloundra Cup.

Gibbons had planned an overseas trip following this Saturday’s Tattersall’s Tiara meeting at Eagle Farm. However, this break has been deferred after Luke Hilton, racing manager for trainer Bjorn Baker, confirmed Thebudgiesmugla’s participation in the Sunshine Coast feature.

“I pushed my holiday back to ride him in the Caloundra Cup once Luke Hilton mentioned it,” Gibbons explained. “I came in Tuesday morning and galloped him, and I was amazed how he’d come through his last run. After a 2400 metre run, he galloped close enough after that, and just felt amazing. As long as he can hold that into the race he’ll run well.”

Thebudgiesmugla has been a consistent performer since his arrival from New Zealand last year, winning four of his eight starts for Baker. He secured his first stakes success in the Winter Cup (2400m), with Gibbons in the saddle.

The gelding boasts an unblemished record over the 2400m journey. Gibbons is confident that a strong performance in the Caloundra Cup could propel him towards greater challenges next season, much like Half Yours, who won the same race a year ago before completing the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups double.

“If he can take care of business next Saturday, they can aim higher with him,” Gibbons stated. “The staying ranks do thin out a bit in Australia, and I think he’s the right horse to continue going through the grades. He has ticked the 2400 metre box a few times and won in Listed grade, so hopefully he can start to step up and take on the better horses.”

Thebudgiesmugla’s ability to perform on various surfaces, from good to heavy, is a significant advantage, especially considering the unpredictable Queensland winter weather, according to Gibbons.

“The wetter the better, but he can do it on top of the ground,” he remarked. “He’s got a great racing style, and he is flying at the minute.”

With the Caloundra Cup on the horizon, punters can get involved by checking out the racing betting markets available from various providers.

You would think after all these years that Johnny Manziel‘s heart may have softened toward the Cleveland Browns, and you’d be wrong; in fact, really wrong.

If anything, Manziel’s heart has hardened against the franchise. Manziel hates Cleveland a lot, as he told Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco on their podcast Nightcap, he has nothing but contempt for the whole organization.

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“I sit here today and I go back on forth, am I going to let Cleveland off the hook, let it go or am I going to sit here with hate and animosity in my heart for the rest of my life,” Manziel admitted. “I finally sit here today, and I’m like, [Expletive] it, I think I’m gonna be pissed at them and hate them forever. It is what it is man, no love for the Browns.”