This ranking is based on the Gators returning six of the top seven scorers — specifically Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland, Reuben Chinyelu, Urban Klavsar and Isaiah Brown — from a team that finished 27-8 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen and 7-foot center Jones Lay.
This ranking is based on the Blue Devils returning four of the top six scorers — specifically Patrick Ngongba II, Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer and Dame Sarr — from a team that finished 35-3 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski, Loyola Maryland transfer Jacob Theodosiou, five-star prospects Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr., Bryson Howard and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje.
This ranking is based on the Illini returning six of the top nine scorers — specifically Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovich, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, Jake Davis and Brandon Lee — from a team that finished 28-9 and advanced to the 2026 Final Four. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks, four-star prospects Quintin Coleman and Lucas Morillo and three-star prospects Ethan Brown and Landon Davis.
This ranking is based on the Huskies returning three of the top seven scorers — specifically Braylon Mullins, Silas Demary and Jayden Ross — from a team that finished 34-6 and advanced to the championship game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Duke transfer Nikolas Khamenia, Seton Hall transfer Najai Hines, Stanford transfer Oskar Giltay, Wofford transfer Nils Machowski, Jacksonville State transfer Jaye Nash, Northern Arizona transfer Isaiah Shaw, Arkansas transfer Elmir Dzafic and four-star prospects Colben Landrew and Junior County.
This ranking is based on the Spartans returning five of the top eight scorers — specifically Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, Kur Teng, Jordan Scott and Cam Ward — from a team that finished 27-8 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke and four-star prospects Ethan Taylor, Carlos Medlock Jr., Julius Avent and Jasiah Jervis.
This ranking is based on the Longhorns returning one of the top two scorers — specifically Matas Vokietaitis — from a team that finished 21-15 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by TCU transfer David Punch, Colorado transfer Isaiah Johnson, Tennessee transfer Amari Evans, Auburn transfer Elyjah Freeman, Saint Mary’s transfer Mikey Lewis, international prospect Mantas Laurencikas and four-star prospects Austin Goosby, Bo Ogden and Joe Sterling.
This ranking is based on the Wildcats returning two of the top five scorers — specifically Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov — from a team that finished 36-3 and advanced to the 2026 Final Four. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by North Carolina transfer Derek Dixon, Washington transfer JJ Mandaquit, five-star prospect Caleb Holt and four-star prospect Cameron Holmes and international prospect Endurance Aiyamenkhue.
This ranking is based on the Wolverines returning two of the top five scorers — specifically Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney — from a team that finished 37-3 and won the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Tennessee transfer J.P. Estrella, Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam, LSU transfer Jalen Reed, five-star prospect Brandon McCoy Jr., and four-star prospects Lincoln Cosby, Quinn Costello and Joseph Hartman.
This ranking is based on the Zags returning three of the top five scorers — specifically Braden Huff, Davis Fogle and Mario Saint-Supery — from a team that finished 31-4 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Houston transfer Isiah Harwell, Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop and four-star prospects Luca Foster, Sam Funches and Jack Kayil.
This ranking is based on the Cavaliers returning five of the top 10 scorers — specifically Thijs De Ridder, Sam Lewis, Chance Mallory, Johann Gunloh and Elijah Gertrude — from a team that finished 30-6 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by UC Irvine transfer Jurian Dixon, Saint Louis transfer Kalu Anya and four-star prospect Favour Ibe.
This ranking is based on the Razorbacks returning one of the top four scorers — specifically Billy Richmond III — from a team that finished 28-9 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by five-star prospects Jordan Smith Jr., JJ Andrews and Miikka Muurinen, Furman transfer Cooper Bowser, Georgia transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson, four-star prospect Abdou Toure and international prospect Illia Frolov.
This ranking is based on the Cyclones returning three of the top six scorers — specifically Killyan Toure, Blake Buchanan and Jamarion Bateman — from a team that finished 29-8 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Robert Morris transfer Ryan Prather Jr., Northwestern transfer Tre Singleton, Bradley transfer JaQuan Johnson, Kansas State transfer Taj Manning, Northern Iowa transfer Leon Bond III, four-star prospects Dorian Rinaldo-Komian, Jackson Kiss, Christian Wiggins and Donovan Davis, and three-star prospect Yusef Gray Jr.
This ranking is based on the Cougars returning three of the top seven scorers — specifically Joseph Tugler, Mercy Miller and Chase McCarty — from a team that finished 30-7 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by LSU transfer Dedan Thomas Jr., Kent State transfer Delrecco Gillespie and four-star prospects Arafan Diane and Ikenna Alozie and
This ranking is based on the Cardinals returning one of the top five scorers — specifically Adrian Wooley — from a team that finished 24-11 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga, Oregon transfer Jackson Shelstad, Arkansas transfer Karter Knox, Iowa transfer Alvaro Folgueiras, Dayton transfer De’Shayne Montgomery, USC transfer Gabe Dynes, former G League player London Johnson, five-star prospect Obinna Ekezie Jr., four-star prospect Boyuan Zhang and three-star prospect Isaac Ellis.
This ranking is based on the Vols returning two of the top 10 scorers — specifically Dewayne Brown II and Ethan Burg — from a team that finished 25-12 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris, Notre Dame transfer Jalen Haralson, Cal transfer Dai Dai Ames, Belmont transfer Tyler Lundblade, VCU transfers Terrence Hill Jr. and Christian Fermin, Loyola Chicago transfer Miles Rubin, Kennesaw State transfer Braedan Lue, four-star prospects Christopher Washington Jr., Ralph Scott and Manny Green, and three-star prospect Marquis Clark.
This ranking is based on the Wildcats returning one of the top six scorers — specifically Malachi Moreno — from a team that finished 22-14 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic, Washington transfers Zoom Diallo and Franck Kepnang, Washington State transfer Jerone Morton, James Madison transfer Justin McBride, Providence transfer Alex Wilkins, four-star prospect Mason Williams and international prospect Ousmane N’Diaye.
This ranking is based on the Red Storm returning two of the top eight scorers — specifically Ian Jackson and Ruben Prey — from a team that finished 30-7 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou, Columbia transfer Avery Brown, Mercer transfer Kyle Cuffe Jr., international prospects Quinn Ellis, Djordije Jovanovic and Lazar Stojkovic, and four-star prospect Theo Edema.
This ranking is based on the Trojans returning three of the top five scorers — specifically Rodney Rice, Alijah Arenas and Jacob Cofie — from a team that finished 18-14 and missed the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by five-star prospect Christian Collins, four-star prospects Adonis Ratliff and Darius Ratliff, Georgetown transfer KJ Lewis, UConn transfer Eric Reibe, Colgate transfer Jalen Cox, Lindenwood transfer Jadis Jones and South Dakota transfer Isaac Bruns.
This ranking is based on the Crimson Tide returning four of the top 10 scorers — specifically Aden Holloway, Amari Allen, London Jemison and Keitenn Bristow — from a team that finished 25-10 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Boise State transfer Drew Fielder, Kentucky transfer Brandon Garrison, NC State transfer Cole Cloer, Mississippi State transfer Jamarion Davis-Fleming and four-star prospects Qayden Samuels, Jaxon Richardson and Tarris Bouie.
This ranking is based on the Boilermakers returning five of the top nine scorers — specifically C.J. Cox, Daniel Jacobsen, Omer Mayer, Gicarri Harris and Jack Benter — from a team that finished 30-9 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by 2024 Ivy League Player of the Year Caden Pierce, and four-star prospects Luke Ertel, Jacob Webber and Sinan Huan.
This ranking is based on the Hurricanes returning three of the top seven scorers — specifically Shelton Henderson, Dante Allen and Marcus Allen — from a team that finished 26-9 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis, Robert Morris transfer DeSean Goode, Georgia transfer Somto Cyril, Indiana transfer Nick Dorn, Saint Peter’s transfer Brent Bland and four-star prospect Caleb Gaskins.
This ranking is based on the Hoosiers returning one of the top eight scorers — specifically Trent Sisley — from a team that finished 18-14 and missed the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Notre Dame transfer Markus Burton, Villanova transfer Bryce Lindsay, Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell, SMU transfer Samet Yigitoglu, Duke transfer Darren Harris, Georgia Tech transfer Jaeden Mustaf, Maryland Eastern Shore transfer Justin Monden, and four-star prospects Vaugn Karvala, Prince-Alexander Moody and Trevor Manhertz.
This ranking is based on the Cougars returning two of the top eight scorers — specifically Robert Wright III and Khadim Mboup — from a team that finished 23-12 and advanced to the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by five-star prospect Bruce Branch III, four-star prospect Dean Rueckert, Kentucky transfer Collin Chandler, Clemson transfer Jake Wahlin, Syracuse transfer Tyler Betsey and UC Riverside transfer Nate Pickens, the last of whom committed to BYU last May but missed the season with an ankle injury.
This ranking is based on the Buckeyes returning two of the top five scorers — specifically John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum — from a team that finished 21-13 and advanced to the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Duquesne transfer Jimmie Williams, Kentucky transfer Andrija Jelavic, Cal transfer Justin Pippen, Memphis transfer Curtis Givens III, five-star prospects Anthony Thompson and LJ Smith, four-star prospect Alex Smith and international prospect Vuk Lazarevic.
This ranking is based on the Tar Heels returning three of the top 11 scorers — specifically Jarin Stevenson, Isaiah Denis and Jaydon Young — from a team that finished 24-9 and advanced to the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas, Utah transfer Terrence Brown, NC State transfer Matt Able, international prospects Sayon Keita and Alexandros Samodurov, and four-star prospect Kevin Thomas.
This ranking is based on the Commodores returning two of the top nine scorers — specifically Tyler Tanner and Chandler Bing — from a team that finished 27-9 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Nebraska transfer Berke Buyuktuncel, Washington State transfer Ace Glass, Auburn transfer Sebastian Williams-Adams, Colorado transfer Bangot Dak, Missouri transfer T.O. Barrett and four-star prospects Ethan Mgbako, Anthony Brown and Jackson Sheffield.
There’s an easy question to ask as a recreational golfer when you’re searching for a quick golf-game fix: “Why don’t I just buy a new driver?” Sometimes it’s said in jest but, as I discovered this season, sometimes it’s the truth.
During the last offseason, I made it my mission to add more power to my game. As analytics have become more prevalent in the modern game, the importance of driving distance has become crystal clear. If you want to shoot lower scores, you have to hit the ball farther.
With that goal in mind, I got to work revamping my game. Part of this process involved hitting the gym and “building my engine” for a faster swing. (You can check out my workout plan here.) Another element involved refining my technique to swing more efficiently. And, finally, there was some good ole fashioned speed training.
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After a winter of dedication, the gains were evident. My max swing speed climbed much higher, and my cruising speed had me hitting it further without even feeling like I was straining. Heading into the 2026 season, my confidence was sky high.
But there was one problem I didn’t take into account. With more speed in the bag, my old equipment — particularly my driver — was not optimized. Even though I could swing harder than ever before, I was still leaving plenty of distance (and accuracy) on the table.
You see, when I was fitted for my old driver (a Titleist GT1), my swing speed was in the mid-90s. This lack of speed — combined with some other swing characteristics — meant I needed a driver that gave me more spin to give me more carry distance. But as I added speed and dialed in my swing, that tendency for spin started to hurt me.
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During my speed training sessions, I noticed that my spin numbers were way too high. Although I was swinging faster, my efficiency suffered. Even when I was hitting record highs with my swing speed (topping out at 109 mph), my spin was so high that I wasn’t getting the most out of that speed.
That’s when I knew it was time for a new driver.
My new driver
I’ve long been a believer in the idiom “it’s not the arrow, it’s the Indian.” However, as I’ve played more and more golf (and technology has advanced), I’ve come to realize that the saying doesn’t cover all circumstances.
While it’s true that a great golfer can make just about any equipment work for them, when you use equipment that isn’t optimized for your swing, you leave easy gains on the table. Case in point: using a driver that is too spinny for your swing. After I saw how much the excess spin from my old driver was hurting my distance, I scheduled a fitting with Titleist for their new GTS line.
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When I arrived for my fitting, I explained to my fitter the issues I was having with the old line and what I was hoping to get out of my new driver. Essentially, it all boiled down to getting less spin while still launching the ball out of my preferred window.
I’m not much of a gear nerd, so I won’t even attempt to break down the different GTS heads and what they are best for (our gear team does a much better job of that). But what I will say is that the difference each head provided to me was noticeable. Some soared through the air with a beautiful shape, while others dived to the ground like wounded ducks. I simply kept swinging my swing and let my fitter do the work configuring a build that would satisfy my needs.
After about 45 minutes of testing different combinations, we settled on the GTS4 — which came as a bit of a shock. I figured I’d be in a GTS2 considering my previous fit of a GT1, but at the end of the day, the GTS4 produced the best numbers for me, keeping my spin down while also launching in a window that maximized my distance.
Now when I hit in the sim, my spin numbers rarely get out of whack and cost me distance. Even my mishits stay in my window of tolerance, and I’m maximizing my distance because of it.
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In my previous driver, when I swung hard at it, I knew I needed to catch the ball perfectly to keep my spin numbers down and maximize. But now, I can swing hard and know that even if I don’t hit it perfectly, it won’t spin off the planet.
It may be a joke to suggest to your buddy that he needs a new driver to fix his game — but there are certain scenarios in which that isn’t so far fetched. I can attest to that.
When Johnny Miller started winning as a young pro in the early 1970s and got to see Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus up close and personal, he made an interesting discovery about their lives: The King and Big Jack both had great big appetites. Their literal appetites, for plus-sized steaks and bowls of ice cream and the rest. But Miller could see their hungry nature in other ways, too — in their willingness to fly anywhere in their pursuit of golf or commerce or both. Nobody who knew Arnold Palmer confused him with Mister Rogers, another son of Latrobe. Arnold liked the ladies and the ladies liked him. Still, he went to his maker as American golf’s most popular and charismatic figure. As for Nicklaus, in his mid-80s, he remains golf’s most admired figure, leading an exemplary do-the-right-thing life, in every season of it.
In more recent years, and in this new and connected century, the closest thing golf has had to Arnold and Jack has been Phil and Tiger, or Tiger and Phil. Really, though, in the name of succession, they have proven to be not close at all. After Woods’s win at the 2019 Masters, I wrote a book called “The Second Life of Tiger Woods.”What are we up to now, his third life? Fourth?
There was Tiger in public again late last month, fresh from behavior rehab after another lucky-nobody-died roadside incident. This was at a PGA Tour show-me-the-future press conference near Hartford, Conn. Woods wore a dark suit and a bright tie and looked all shiny as he introduced the Tour’s newish CEO, Brian Rolapp. Out of happenstance and with stunning speed, an athlete for the ages and a sports executive on the rise are all bro-ey, so smiley, so huggy. You could almost smell all that new VC cash right through your preferred screen and platform. Woods and Rolapp are both in line for a nice piece of all that new money. Our money, at the end of the day.
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Maybe there’s some kind of playbook for Phil Mickelson in all this, looking at Woods and his rise and fall and rise and fall and rise. It is true that he is the greatest golf talent that has ever lived. Even Jack Nicklaus acknowledges that. Woods’s next court date is Aug. 4. So there’s that, too.
Late in 2009, and late one night, Woods ran over a fire hydrant near his driveway, was rendered unconscious, became the subject of a frantic 911 call from his hysterical mother and rushed to a hospital. Almost overnight Woods’s private life became a public joke. It should be obvious to all that Woods is a reckless and dangerous driver and it seems obvious to me that he has abused his body with his huge appetite for weightlifting and practice but (to borrow a phrase) . . . his body, his choice.
Mickelson won a major at 50, the oldest man ever to do so. To those of us watching from afar, his future was so bright with a seal for shades already in place. Wasn’t hard to imagine Phil in a CBS swivel chair per terms he could dictate; a Ryder Cup captaincy and possibly a second one; Phil’s wife, Amy, to become, in her own way, a leader in various public works in the manner of Barbara Nicklaus and Winnie Palmer; $30 million a year in income for her husband; senior majors when he was in the mood to play in them; the first tee at Augusta as long as he could make a backswing; all that adoration. Phil Mickelson had the capacity to make people feel good. He really did. That gift can come with a massive payday. Taylor Swift, Jerry Seinfeld and Tom Hanks know all about that.
We knew a lot about Mickelson’s risk-reward golf and something about his appetite for gambling, for on-the-edge stock-trading, for good food and expensive wine. The extent of it we did not know. Golf Digest is not in the business of bringing down legends, but there it was, just last month, publishing a carefully worded news story about Mickelson leaving one of his San Diego golf clubs in the wake of a charge by a club employee that he made “inappropriate and nonconsensual physical contact.”
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A sort of follow-up story, published by the golf website Skratch, included lurid, vulgar (and now disputed by Mickelson) details about Mickelson’s alleged unwanted personal overtures to Ashley Perez, former wife of the professional golfer Pat Perez. The Skratch story also maintained that Mickelson was required to leave not one but three private California clubs. In a recent public statement, representatives for Mickelson have disputed that claim. “Mr. Mickelson has never been expelled from a golf club,” the statement said. Okay — define expelled.
Alan Shipnuck, the author of a bestselling 2022 biography of Mickelson that celebrates and critiques the lefthander’s never-a-dull-moment life and times, wrote the Skratch piece. Yes, the PGA Tour owns a piece of Skratch, and Phil Mickelson is persona non grata in the Tour’s offices, as he opened the door for other players to leave the Tour for LIV Golf after he bolted first. Would Skratch be willing to publish such a salacious piece about Tiger Woods, chairman of the Tour’s Future Competition Committee? Your real-world educated guess is a likely good one. Yes, Shipnuck and Mickelson have a complicated relationship. If you know Mickelson’s famous “scary motherf-ckers” quote about LIV’s Saudi backers, to Shipnuck and used by Shipnuck, you know that. But those factors, to say nothing of the vulgarity of it all, doesn’t discredit the report or diminish its newsworthiness.
Mickelson is now where Woods was in early 2010. Next up is next up. It’ll be something, as nothing is not an option. The public’s demands are ultimately insatiable, too. Woods wrote a biography that never got published. Someday in the next half-century or so, some form of it will become public, if the lives and times of Ty Cobb and JFK are any example here.
Shipnuck and I are longtime colleagues and friends. About 15 years ago, in the aftermath of Tiger Woods and his sex life appearing on the front page of the New York Post for 20 consecutive days, we wrote a satire called The Swinger. Tree Tremont, the swinger in question, is a notoriously lousy tipper and his serial infidelity, in his view of his life, is a kind of hobby.
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The book, from my vantage point, tries to make the case that the rich and famous have a fundamental right to a private life but that the public at large, always on the prowl for blood in the water, has run out of patience for that world view. I know my own thinking was shaped by Nicklaus. After Woods’s sex life became an SNL bit and the rest, Nicklaus maintained that Tiger’s private life was not his business. That carried the day for me, even though a wise late friend of mine, Fay Vincent, the former baseball commissioner, had another view. Vincent felt once you used your good standing to sell Buicks and the rest, you forfeited your broad rights to privacy. In The Swinger, Shipnuck and I invented a newspaper editorwho says, “It’s always the same. [People] want to know what the dude is, quote, really like, right.” Our invented reporter, in the end, can’t give the editor what he wants. It’s not in him. Mickelson gave me a short review of the book without reading it: “Not cool.”
Amy Mickelson and the three grown Mickelson children are innocent bystanders in all this. Tiger and Elin’s children — Sam Woods, now at Stanford, and Charlie Woods, bound for Florida State — are experts in navigating similar terrain. There is no map, not for them, not for anybody. Arnold’s path was not Jack’s and Jack’s was not Arnold’s. We all make decisions about what we do and how we treat people, every day. From such decisions a cast is filled and your life unfolds. It’s complicated and not. AI cannot help here. AI cannot work in the margins, figure out up and down when you’re surrounded by gray.
Woods’s greatness as a golfer has given him his current chapter, his next chapter, the chapter after that. You could say the same for Mickelson. We don’t know what’s coming next because we can’t know. Mickelson is 56. If his parents and grandparents are an example, 66 and 76 and 86 are coming. Life is weirdly long and famously short.
Mickelson is now where Woods was in early 2010. Next up is next up. It’ll be something, as nothing is not an option.
Nicklaus has said more than once that only a fool would bet against Tiger Woods. He was talking about Tiger Woods the golfer. Is there going to be another scary roadside event with Woods at the wheel? Is he ever going to tell us about . . . what it’s like to be Tiger Woods? Was this most recent rehab stint done chiefly to appease a judge who was going to require it anyhow? Has Woods found new and better ways to address the pain in his life, physical and psychic? I certainly have no answers here. I doubt Woods does, either. Because the questions are hard.
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In the Golf Digest report, in the Skratch report, Phil Mickelson seems repulsive. Are there other aspects to him? Of course there are, and we’ve all seen peak Phil, either in real-time or via Golf Channel and YouTube highlight clips. Phil the Thrill. Appetites are hard to control, for any of us. Appetites are in our DNA, and then your life takes over.
With stardom comes entitlement. Not always, but often, and more so all the time. It’s the superstar politician, movie star, pantheon athlete. Bill Murray used to say that after somebody makes it there’s going to be a period of public and private boorishness, though he was more colorful. It’s a given. Then there comes a reckoning, or not. That’s when you find out who the person really is.
We wanted Tiger and Phil to be Jack and Arnold. That never happened. Not even close. They’re not even Tiger and Phil, not as they once were. This year, neither played the Masters or even the U.S. Senior Open, which is underway this week in Ohio. Neither has been fitted for a Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup captain’s uniform.
Still, Woods found a way to a podium a week or two ago, the pathway lined with bags of legal tender. Another form of everybody loves a winner. Some would say he played his cards right but I would not. Can Tiger’s path be instructive for Phil? That’s up to Phil. It’s hard to imagine him just retreating. The buffet table of life has always been piled high for him. After a while, it will prove to be irresistible. The colors, the smells, the melting ice below. More is a life force for some people, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson among them. It just is. The desire for more is one thing. You can control an appetite. With its cousin, greed, whatever you have is not enough.
Then they trailed and Martinez showed a decisiveness he is often accused of lacking. A quadruple change altered the momentum, the World Cup. One of the arrivals, Goncalo Ramos, was to prove the man who did something many an opponent has failed to accomplish in the last two World Cups and finish off Croatia.
But Martinez’s later, and final, change was his most instructive, perhaps his most influential.
Cristiano Ronaldo paying tribute to late teammate Diogo Jota (Getty)
There was some disbelief when the number went up: seven. The seven of Cristiano Ronaldo, the man who played every minute in the group stage, who survived when Bruno Fernandes and Vitinha went off in the cull of the quartet, who had, 20 years on, finally scored in a World Cup knockout game.
But with a passenger up front, Portugal were being outrun in midfield. And so off went Ronaldo, on came Ruben Neves and Ramos, who had been brought on as a No 10, was relocated to lead the line.
So there he was when Rafael Leao whipped in the most enticing of crosses, meeting it with a superb header. A 94th-minute winner was a goal that may be savoured in San Siro: Ramos has become AC Milan’s record signing and will join Leao there. But this, really, is his stage, the World Cup knockout rounds. He got a hat-trick against Switzerland in the last 16 in 2022, displacing Ronaldo from the starting 11. Now he is back on the bench, but back in the goals.
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But this has seemed Croatia’s stage, too, the World Cup knockout rounds. The team who never know when they are beaten thought they weren’t beaten. Josko Gvardiol bundled in what seemed a 103rd-minute equaliser. But Igor Matanovic got the faintest of flick-ons to Mario Pasalic, rendering the latter offside before he found Gvardiol.
And so one legend reached the end of the road in World Cups: not Ronaldo but the magnificent Luka Modric. For him and Croatia alike, it was a valiant way to say goodbye. Never write off the Germans, the saying used to go; never write off these Croatians. They transformed this game, a sterile first half giving way to a stunning second. Toronto bade farewell to the World Cup with epic drama, Croatia with a sense of what might have been.
Ivan Perisic opened the scoring for Croatia (AP)
Ronaldo was neither the first nor the only old-timer on the scoresheet. Ivan Perisic found the net in the 2018 final; at 37, winning his 158th cap, he got forward from left back to add another. Josip Stanisic stood up a cross, which was flicked on to Perisic. Free at the far post, he took two touches. The third was angled past Diogo Costa.
Croatia can wonder how they did not score another. The unusually dynamic Mateo Kovacic kept driving forward; Costa denied him a goal just after the interval, the woodwork repelled a drive after 75 minutes. Petar Sucic had two goals disallowed for offside. There could have been an 89th-minute winner, Pasalic heading just wide.
Portugal’s defence creaked but their goalkeeper, Costa, was defiant. They received a jolt when they went behind. They had sterile domination before the break: Dominik Livakovic made a fine third-minute save from Fernandes, and Renato Veiga headed just wide. Otherwise, they accomplished little.
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Going behind galvanised Portugal. Leao curled a shot against the bar. Ronaldo took a delectable touch and lobbed Livakovic, but the reason his 41-year-old legs were behind the Croatia defence was that he was offside. He soon had his goal anyway.
Ronaldo equalised from the penalty spot (Reuters)
When Veiga was rugby-tackled in the box by Nikola Vlasic, the Portugal bench – the substituted quartet included – implored referee Espen Eskas to go to the monitor. He pointed to the spot. Ronaldo’s penalty was terrific; cathartic, too. Perhaps it was vindication for Martinez keeping him on initially. It was nevertheless ridiculous when Fifa named Ronaldo the man of the match.
There were times when the veteran had felt like the footballing answer to the CN Tower: immediately identifiable in the Toronto skyline but unlikely to move. But he had to trudge to the sidelines when substituted.
Yet whereas the accusation is that Ronaldo can behave as if it is all about him, there was an unselfishness at the end. Ronaldo was in tears, the shirt he was brandishing not the number he has worn for most of a career that has now yielded 146 international goals, but the 21 of the late Diogo Jota.
Portugal posed afterwards, the entire squad and staff around the late forward’s shirt. This is a team with a greater cause. And now they can carry their bid to honour Jota into a clash with Martinez’s native Spain in Dallas.
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The last the World Cup will see of Ronaldo was not him being substituted in Toronto. For Modric, though, an epic journey is over.
Jul 2, 2026; Silvis, Illinois, USA; Lucas Glover lines up his putt on the 18th hole during the first round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Lucas Glover and Zac Blair share the first-round lead at the John Deere Classic after posting bogey-free, 8-under 63s on Thursday in Silvis, Ill.
Zach Johnson, Lee Hodges and German Stephan Jaeger are one stroke behind the co-leaders after one trip around TPC Deere Run. Davis Riley used a hole-in-one and an eagle on consecutive holes to shoot a 6-under 65, where he’s tied with Ben Kohles and Patrick Fishburn.
Glover, 46, birdied seven of his first 11 holes before cooling down the rest of the way. The 2009 U.S. Open champion won the John Deere in 2021 and has collected three of his six PGA Tour titles in this decade.
Blair, meanwhile, is searching for his first PGA Tour victory. The 35-year-old started his day on the back nine, then went birdie-eagle at Nos. 1-2 for a boost. He led the field in strokes gained on approach.
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Johnson’s eagle-birdie finish pushed him near the top of the leaderboard and all but ensured he will make the cut at the John Deere for an incredible 18th year in a row. The native of nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has played the event every year since 2002 and skipped the U.S. Senior Open this week to keep that streak going.
Riley stood at 2 under for his round before sinking the first hole-in-one of his PGA Tour career at the par-3, 150-yard 16th hole. His shot landed just behind the pin and slowly spun back to the cup. He followed that up with an 18 1/2-foot eagle putt at the par-5 17th.
Defending champion Brian Campbell and two-time John Deere winner Jordan Spieth opened with 1-under 70s.
Ronaldo and Modric embrace in the centre circle. One will continue in this tournament, thanks to the man who should have his position. The other will not play another minute of World Cup action at the end of a stunning career.
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Many Croatia players are in tears. Kovacic is distraught. Sucic is heartbroken. Modric is now embracing them.
Alan Smith3 July 2026 02:12
An epic tie
Epic tie, from half time anyway. Croatia were magnificent. Martinez and Portugal eventually rescued themselves.
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(Getty)
Richard Jolly in Toronto3 July 2026 02:10
Full-time! Portugal 2-1 Croatia
109’ – And Portugal are through after the most dramatic ending to a match you will see for a very, very long time.
Alan Smith3 July 2026 02:09
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Portugal 2-1 Croatia
109’ – We’re playing again. For how much longer, I have no idea.
Alan Smith3 July 2026 02:09
Portugal 2-1 Croatia
108’ – Yes, it’s the 108th minute. Bottles continue to be thrown. Perisic is asking for the Croatia fans to stop. They are now showing the offside on the big screen, which does not help matters.
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Alan Smith3 July 2026 02:08
GOAL DISALLOWED BY VAR! Portugal 2-1 Croatia
It won’t count. The VAR says that Mantanovic got a touch before Veiga nodded it back. And Portugal are about to go through.
There are some ugly scenes in the crowd with bottles now raining down on to the pitch.
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I’m not sure if play will restart or not. It looks like it could.
Alan Smith3 July 2026 02:06
VAR check
Perisic’s cross from the left is headed backwards by Veiga into the path of Pasalic. He is offside and puts the ball across the goalface for Gvardiol to finish. But now there is a VAR check… and they are getting the snicko tools out.
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Alan Smith3 July 2026 02:04
GOAL! Portugal 2-2 Croatia (Gvardiol 103)
They are level! Incredible. We’re heading to extra-time.
Alan Smith3 July 2026 02:03
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Portugal 2-1 Croatia
102’ – Conceicao dribbles in and has a shot that goes so wide Croatia have a throw-in near the corner flag. Again, we play on.
Jaylen Brown has been at the center of the NBA world since the Boston Celtics traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. The Celtics received veteran star Paul George, two future first-round draft picks and two future second-round draft picks.
Since the deal, it has also been reported that Brown has “fallen out of favor” with the Celtics organization. On Thursday, there were reports from famed NBA commentator Colin Cowherd that the five-time All-Star believes he’s the smartest person in every room. Cowherd revealed it on “The Colin Cowherd Podcast” and claimed that he had two NBA sources confirm it.
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“I had two NBA sources … two people in the league, one an executive, one a scout, say that Jaylen Brown has — it’s a disease. He suddenly thinks he’s the smartest guy in every room he’s in … You make a lot of money, suddenly you’re absolutely sure, you don’t wanna listen to your bosses, you don’t wanna listen to consultants, you don’t wanna listen to teammates,” Cowherd said.
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Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell quickly shut down Cowherd’s claims about his on-court rival and off-court friend. Mitchell blasted the report on X about the criticism of Brown.
“Critique basketball all you want… but disease is insane… we gotta stop letting people just say whatever… cmon man!” Mitchell posted.
While Jaylen Brown is one of the most talented players in the league, he’s widely recognized as highly intelligent. Among his many noteworthy academic and intellectual achievements is the fact that, at the age of 22, he was the youngest lecturer at Harvard University. The former Celtics star spoke about leadership and education.
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He also took a master’s-level class in Cultural Studies of Sport in Education while a freshman at UC Berkley. He also received a NASA internship offer and collaborations with MIT.
Isaiah Thomas Stood Up for Jaylen Brown Online
Since the deal was announced, there has been considerable criticism regarding Jaylen Brown. Isaiah Thomas, a former teammate, said that anyone may criticize Brown’s style of play. However, he doesn’t tolerate the comments made about his personality.
“It’s so nasty all the NEGATIVE things I’m seeing people say about Jaylen Brown!!! I don’t care how yall talk about bros game, it’s all opinion based anyway! Please stay away from talking about the PERSON and his character!!!! He’s real as they come! Don’t get it twisted people,” Thomas wrote.
Thomas and Brown were teammates with the Celtics for one season, when the latter was still a rookie in the NBA. Although they only spent one year together, they have mutual respect.
Brown also considers Thomas a mentor after his productive years in Boston.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell watches OTA practice at TCO Performance Center, with June 1 placing the offseason scene in Eagan, Minnesota, as the team works through highlights from spring drills. O’Connell oversees timing and installation while players move through practice reps during Minnesota’s early summer preparation window under his coaching staff’s direction. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
The Minnesota Vikings signed four main players in free agency: quarterback Kyler Murray, wide receiver Jauan Jennings, cornerback James Pierre, and tackle Ryan Van Demark. After that, the club entered the 2026 NFL Draft under interim general manager Rob Brzezinski and traded outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard during the event.
For those activities, ESPN afforded the Vikings a ‘B-‘ grade, and NFL.com was not far off with a ‘C+.’
Vikings Gamble Still Comes Down to Murray and Banks
Minnesota Vikings Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski joins KFAN host Paul Allen and analyst Pete Bercich for a Combine discussion, with Feb. 25, 2026 placing the interview in Indianapolis. Brzezinski explains roster-building philosophy and offseason strategy as Minnesota’s front office prepares for free agency and draft decisions during a pivotal evaluation week. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
The Verdict on Vikings Offseason from ESPN
Seth Walder assigned an offseason grade to each NFL team this week, with Minnesota earning the ‘B-‘.
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He explained, “The best thing about the Vikings’ offseason is them signing Murray to a veterans minimum deal, which was possible due to his offsets from his contract with the Cardinals. It was a boon for Minnesota. Murray’s services would be worth many millions more on the free market, and he provides an answer at quarterback in the wake of J.J. McCarthy’s rough 2025 season.”
“The Vikings released veteran defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen in March, consequences of ill-advised spending on the aging veterans the prior year. Those transactions left a hole at defensive tackle, which perhaps is why Minnesota reached for Caleb Banks with the No. 18 pick in the draft, far earlier than he was expected to go (the Draft Day Predictor gave Banks only an 18% chance to be selected in the first round).”
Banks’s stock fell because of two foot injuries he sustained since the summer of 2025, including one at the NFL Combine in February — a broken foot.
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“During the draft, the Vikings dealt Greenard, one of their best players, to the Eagles in exchange for two third-round picks. I don’t think it was worth it, especially in the current trade environment for high-end players. Despite only three sacks in 12 games last season, Greenard’s 23.2% pass rush win rate at edge would have ranked fourth at the position had he qualified,” Walder continued.
“The Vikings made a nice postdraft acquisition of Jauan Jennings on a one-year, $8 million deal. That’s good value for a No. 3 receiver, especially one with the upside Jennings showed in 2024, when he averaged 2.5 yards per route run.”
From NFL.com
That was the “good” grade. NFL.com’s Matt Okada handed Minnesota a ‘C+.’
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After applauding the Murray signing, he wrote, “The rest of the offseason has been largely unimpressive, with the lowest free-agency spending in the league, per Over the Cap. The Vikes parted with a defensive stalwart in OLB Jonathan Greenard (trade), and safety Harrison Smith remains unsigned as of this writing. DTs Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen were released after ineffective one-year stints.”
“The Vikings had a less-than-stellar draft, highlighted by what I viewed as a reach on Banks at No. 18 overall. Snagging Jennings on a cheap deal in May was a plus, but unfortunately, nowhere near enough to elevate an otherwise-lackluster spring.”
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard lines up on defense at State Farm Stadium, with Jan. 13, 2025 marking the NFC Wild Card matchup in Glendale, Arizona, against the Los Angeles Rams. Greenard helps set the tone for Minnesota’s front, bringing pressure and leadership as the Vikings try to slow a dangerous postseason offense. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Per both publications, the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles had especially impressive offseasons.
Hindsight Will Boil Down to Murray Signing and Banks Draft Pick
Offseason grades are just like trade grades and draft grades: they’re only legitimate with hindsight. Judging them now only provides something to talk about and gauge public opinion. For example, Walder gave the Seattle Seahawks a ‘B-‘ offseason grade in July 2025; they won the Super Bowl seven months later.
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The Vikings offseason marks can move into the ‘A’ range if Murray cooks during his first season with Minnesota and prolongs his stay beyond one year. The same goes for Banks, who was a controversial pick at the time and remains so for some fans today. If Banks plays and performs efficiently, Minnesota will look like damn geniuses for seeing something other general managers did not. If he fires up a redshirt season, the Vikings will look silly.
Of course, wins will cure all offseason grades, too. The Vikings haven’t won a playoff game since 2019. It’s time to end the drought.
Teasley Now in Charge
What’s more, the Vikings ironically already have a clean slate. The team’s owners, the Wilfs, hired new general manager Nolan Teasley from the aforementioned Seahawks four weeks ago after firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in January. There’s a built-in fix if 2026 offseason moves don’t amount to much — Teasley had nothing to do with those transactions, and he is currently assessing the roster and salary cap with fresh eyes.
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Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley appears in a team-produced feature about Seattle’s draft process and scouting operation, with Before The Noise Episode 2 framing the front-office look. Teasley is shown around post-Combine evaluation work as personnel staff review prospects, develop assessments, and prepare draft decisions within Seattle’s broader planning process that spring. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
Suppose the Vikings bank a winning record in 2026, along with a postseason trip — great. Teasley will merely be along for the ride. If the campaign goes pear-shaped, he’ll start anew in the 2027 offseason.
Oddsmakers expect Minnesota to win 8.5 games this season while finishing last in the NFC North.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
Path of Exile 2 just rolled out a surprise thursday patch with 0.5.4b. As apparent from the numbering, this one is just a batch of fixes and QoL passes on various problems with the Endgame. Specifically, those who are stuck with Doryani’s Science quest after failing to one-up Immured Fury, will now have a guaranteed attempt every three Corrupted Nexus maps.
Another huge set of QoL improvements have hit the Expedition. After receiving its own Atlas Tree in this patch, it still remained the most bug-prone of all League mechanics. Expedition will still unforunately reserve the most lethally annoying monsters in Path of Exile 2 after patch 0.5.4b, but now at least you won’t have to scrub the deck to find hidden small mobs that prevent the completion of a Verisium node.
Another massive change that will make Expedition more lurcrative is that boss-encounter Logbooks will actively avoid overwriting Grand Expedition maps. While the entire 0.5.4b subpatch is dedicated towards improvements like this, one new piece of gear might slip your notice if you skim through the patch notes. The Master’s Reach Kulemak-exclusive Unique gloves added in the patch last week now has its Martial Artist version!
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Without further ado, though, here are the full official patch notes for Path of Exile 2 0.5.4b.
All changes and fixes in Path of Exile 2 0.5.4 (full patch notes)
Tor Gul is no longer allergic to more than 99% Freeze (Image via GGG)
Boss Improvements
Removed a majority of the stun and freeze immunity windows from all versions of the Tor Gul, the Defiler boss fight.
Improved the Minion Phase in the Tasgul, Swallower of Light boss fight.
Fixed a bug where It That Was Esh could sometimes fail to advance phases properly.
Fixed a bug where the Arbiter of Divinity could rarely drop loot in an unreachable location.
Defeating the Arbiter of Divinity now re-enables the exit elevator.
Extended the time the player has to get into the first Flame Seed during the combo skill that begins with the Large Laser in the Arbiter of Ash boss fight.
The voiceline used by the Arbiter of Ash when doing his skill which creates lanes of fiery death now plays at the start of the skill, instead of after he rises up to the air.
Made the following improvements to the Vessel of Kulemak boss fight:
Fixed an issue where it could get stuck after its Teleport Slam skill during the final phase of the fight.
Disabled the skill used during the final phase of the fight that summoned minions.
The Volatiles spawned during the final phase of the fight now spawn in bursts, with a significantly longer time between each burst. This is to allow for more time to fight and damage the boss.
Improved the visual feedback of the portals during the final phase. Further improvements to these will be coming at a later time.
Adjusted the blocking of the abyss in the middle of the arena during the final phase to more closely reflect the actual shape.
Fixed a bug where after killing the Vessel of Kulemak for the first time in a given instance, reviving at checkpoint would not put players in a new instance.
Made the following improvements to the Arbiter of Divinity boss fight:
The voicelines used by the boss are now guaranteed for his notable skills, as opposed to having a low chance to play.
The voicelines used by the boss now have less variance, so you can better correlate specific lines to specific skills.
The Divinity Clones created during the second phase of the fight now have a significantly larger hitbox allowing them to more easily be hit and killed while you have the Divinity buff.
Increased the windows of time between certain attacks and many of the combo skills to make dodge rolling these skills more consistent. This is also accompanied by a number of visual telegraphing improvements and reduction in aggression on target tracking speed.
Made the following improvements to the Phya, Sentinel of the Cradle boss fight in The Matriarch Halls:
Improved telegraphing and visuals of the Dashing Sunders skill.
The Dashing Sunders skill now correctly deals Physical damage, instead of Cold Damage.
Reduced the frequency and count of projectiles fired by the Generator.
Removed the chilling ground from the projectiles fired by the Generator.
The Generator will now stop firing projectiles during the Gravity Well and the Turret Sunder phases.
The Gravity Well phase will now correctly hit you if you fail to make it to the safe zones anywhere in the arena. Previously you could avoid this by hiding behind the spheres in the four corners.
Gravity Wells can no longer be created outside of the arena.
If you fail the Gravity Well phase while Shapeshifted you are now transformed back into a human and thrown into the air. Previously nothing would happen to your character and you’d just take damage without knowing why.
Improved the visuals of the ‘dash’ skills to look more like a teleport as intended.
Expedition Improvements in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.5.4b
Logbooks that add a Boss Expedition now prioritise replacing regular Maps over Grand Expeditions.
Modifiers in Grand Expedition now appear in the map stats list when inside the area.
Added an additional option to the Expedition Atlas Tree “Double or Nothing” Notable, allowing players to select no change if desired.
Fixed a bug where some monsters in Expeditions could become invisible and invincible.
Fixed an issue where Medved, Vorana, Uhtred and Olroth were not considered Powerful Map Bosses. This means they also now have notably more Life.
Fixed a bug where Verisium Sentry minimap icons would not disappear upon activating them.
Fixed a bug where the Barren Atoll Map did not have a Grand Expedition Atlas Marker.
Fixed a bug where Underground Areas in Expeditions and Grand Expeditions could sometimes spawn with all their monsters dead. This would occur if the underground area was opened with an explosive that also activated a Remnant encounter and that Remnant encounter had the Life Rune. The monsters in the underground area would then have their life shared with the Remnant monsters and would thus be killed when the Remnant monsters were defeated. This was also why Styrn, Fallen Knight of Aldur would sometimes be dead when entering his cave.
Fixed a bug that prevented players from rerolling Remnants when using a controller.
Fixed a bug where the loot from Underground Areas in Expeditions and Grand Expeditions could be redirected to a Verisium Remnant. This would cause the monsters in the underground areas to appear to drop no items.
Fixed an issue where underground areas in Grand Expedition could sometimes be accessed without detonating the entrance.
Fixed a bug where Oath Rune could spawn monsters in blocked or inaccessible areas.
Fixed a bug with Verisium Remnants in Grand Expeditions where monsters (without Oath Rune necessarily) could spawn out-of-bounds and prevent completion.
Fixed a bug where the following Grand Expedition areas could be attempted infinitely: Craggy Peninsula, Lush Isle, Frigid Bluffs, Barren Atoll, and Exhumed Ruins.
Endgame Improvements in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.5.4b
The Queen in the Mists can now only have 1 active Whirling Slash at a time.
Monsters Corrupted by the Offerings to the Queen Atlas Passive now have 100% increased Rarity of Items Dropped (from 50%).
The Distant Origins Atlas Passive Skill now notifies the player when it reveals The Ezomyte Megaliths on their Atlas.
Fixed a bug where Doryani’s Head of the Snake and Jado’s Untold Histories Atlas Master options were applying their bonuses to non-Pinnacle Endgame bosses.
Fixed a bug where Jado’s Untold Histories Atlas Master option was not applying to Expedition Bosses, except for Styrn, Fallen Knight of Aldur who was incorrectly receiving the 50% bonus instead of the 35% bonus.
Fixed a bug where Hilda’s Gutting and Skinning Atlas Master options were not working on the Vessel of Kulemak, The Raven Trickster, and Atziri, the Red Queen.
Fixed a bug where the Lord of the Runes Atlas Passive Skill was not applying the toughness from Monster Effectiveness.
Fixed a bug where the Whispers of the Waving Grains Atlas Passive Skill was not applying.
Fixed a bug where the Trapped Subordinate Essence Atlas Passive Skill was not adding additional rare chance as expected.
Fixed an issue with the spawning condition of the Immured Fury. It is now able to spawn any time after you have completed 3 Corruption Nexuses, so you can complete additional Corruption Nexuses to find the boss if you failed to kill them the first time.
Fixed a bug where the From Distances Untold Cleansed Atlas Passive Skill was applying to non-Cleansed areas.
Fixed a bug where the Sole Purpose: Destruction Breach Atlas Passive Skill was not increasing damage of Skills granted by Ailith.
Fixed a bug where the Expanding Territory: Remnants and Warring Survivors Atlas Passive Skills, as well as Hilda’s Mighty Prey and Patient Battue Atlas Master options were not applying their random chance to apply correctly.
Fixed a bug where the Training and Preparation Atlas Passive Skill did not apply when opening the Temple of Atziri from the Vaal Ruins in Act 3.
Fixed some cases where certain standalone bosses, such as those spawned by Summoning Circles could disable area transitions. This could cause areas such as the Sun Temple Map to be uncompletable.
Fixed a bug where maps with an extra completion objective would not complete if a player had completed the required objective but later died to the map boss and respawned.
Fixed a bug where Atziri’s Temple was sometimes created at the wrong monster level.
Fixed an issue where some players were unable to get a replacement Origin Cradle from Doryani in the Tower of Origin, preventing the use of the Precursor Reactor.
Fixed an issue where Delirium Fog Banks spawned on Atlas nodes it shouldn’t have.
Fixed an issue where Grand Delirium Mirrors in the Deforestation Map could not be interacted with.
Fixed a bug where areas could preview the incorrect amount of Deliriousness when being selected from the Atlas Map.
Simulacrum areas no longer preview any amount of Deliriousness when being selected from the Atlas Map. This is purely a visual change.
Simulacrum icons on the Atlas Map are now described as “Contains a manifestation of Delirium”. This is purely a descriptive change.
Fixed a bug where some Azmerian Wisps could cause Breach encounters to be uncompletable.
Fixed a bug where players could get stuck in the Ancient Lexicon room in The Burning Monolith.
General Improvements and Bug Fixes in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.5.4b
You can now copy a placed hideout decoration by right-clicking it, then left-clicking to place it. This allows you to quickly replicate Hideout Decorations if you need to place many of the same one.
Added support for upgrading runes using a Masterwork Rune in the Martial Artist’s Runic Meridians inventory.
Advanced Runeshape recipes now indicate when a Skill reward level has reached its maximum.
Updated the Map Pin art for the Great White One to convey the fact that it now gives a quest reward that grants permanent character bonuses.
Added support for the Martial Artist’s Way of the Stonefist Ascendancy Passive for the Master’s Reach Unique Gloves.
Temporarily disabled the damage from the burning ground created by Birth of Fury Unique boots when equipped by a Rogue Exile.
The Orb of Sacrifice currency items have been added to the Currency Exchange.
The Dominus’ Providence Passive Skill no longer provides Unaffected by Elemental Weakness, which was not correctly applying. It now provides 30% reduced effect of Curses on you.
Azmerian Wisps can now only be released from a monster once, the first time a monster is killed.
An inherent Skill that has had a Perfect Jeweller’s Orb applied to it now correctly transfers all the sockets when transformed to Fists of Stone.
Passive Skills allocated from using the From Nothing Unique Jewel are now properly reset when fully respeccing.
Fixed a bug that could cause the buff granted by the Rain of Blades Skill to be removed early when gaining a different buff.
Fixed a bug where monsters in Abyssal Depths were not benefiting from increased chance for Abyssal monsters to have Abyssal or Lichborn Modifiers. In addition to the guaranteed Abyssal Modifier all Rare monsters in Abyssal Depths have, they will now have a chance of an additional modifier, and a chance of Lichborn modifiers.
Fixed a bug where the Meteoric Demise Abyss monster modifier dealt no Damage.
Fixed a bug where the Untether Skill (granted by The Master’s Reach Unique Gloves) gained a second Quality stat from the Gemling Legionnaire’s Advanced Thaumaturgy Passive Skill.
Fixed a bug where Runic Reprieve’s Quality when you have the Gemling Legionnaire’s Advanced Thaumaturgy Passive Skill allocated was instead increasing the amount of damage you take from Blocked Hits rather than decreasing it.
Fixed a bug where you could create a Portal to Town while being hit. The animation is correctly interrupted again in this case.
Fixed a bug where Torvian’s Leap Slam would sometimes not move him at all, and sometimes he’d go backwards.
Fixed a bug where the Recover X% of maximum Life when you use a Warcry modifier was recovering life on all Skill uses instead of just Warcries.
Fixed a bug where items that are consumed by interacting with certain objects, such as the Pinnacle Boss Key used to access the Vessel of Kulemak boss fight, would be consumed from both the main inventory and the Titan’s expanded inventory needlessly.
Fixed a bug where Essence of Horror encounters could spawn permanent invulnerable minions.
Fixed a bug where Quality did not apply to some Jewel modifiers.
Fixed a bug where Lightning Arrow could not chain to Lightning Rods created by Shockchain Arrow.
Fixed a bug where Cursecarver was unable to generate with Vulnerability as its chosen curse (those cases instead picked Elemental Weakness, leading to higher rates of that option). This does not change existing items.
Fixed a bug where the Ironbound Unique Bow was not granting Armour.
Added a verisium Runeforge upgrade for the Ironbound Unique Bow.
Fixed a bug where Monstrous Treasure was used for the name of 2 different Ancient Modifiers, the version that grants Map Bosses a Unique Item is now named Behemoth’s Bounty. This is purely a descriptive change.
Fixed a bug where Rite of the Nameless progress was not migrated across leagues, such as when migrating out of SSF.
Fixed a bug that could cause Explosive Transmutation supported by Spell Cascade to deal damage in the wrong location.
Fixed an issue where the quest markers on Map Pins in Act 4 weren’t visible when you were choosing an area to sail to.
Fixed a bug where the Thaumaturge’s Crossbow Skill microtransactions were not updating their visuals properly without reloading ammo.
Fixed an issue where the view patch notes button on the login screen led to an incorrect webpage.
Fixed 5 client crashes.
Fixed 4 instance crashes.
That’s all the patch notes for Path of Exile 2 0.5.4b. We (and by we, I mean I) have narrowly escaped getting a certain ice-breaking tech nerfed, or even a new perma-companion tech in this subpatch. The next big one is likely to come much later, as GGG are possibly focusing on PoE1 before 0.5.5 rolls around.
Spain finally ended their long wait for a FIFA World Cup knockout victory after beating Austria 3-0 in Los Angeles to reach the last 16 of the 2026 tournament.
The victory was Spain’s first win in a men’s World Cup knockout match since they lifted the trophy in South Africa in 2010. Since then, they had failed to win a knockout game, suffering a group-stage exit in 2014 and last-16 defeats to Russia in 2018 and Morocco in 2022.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring in the 36th minute after finishing Marc Cucurella’s low cross. Spain doubled their lead in the 66th minute when right-back Pedro Porro headed home Alex Baena’s delivery. Oyarzabal completed the victory in the closing stages after another assist from Cucurella.
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The match also saw Austria play their first World Cup knockout fixture since 1954, ending a 72-year wait to return to the knockout stages of the competition.
Spain’s defence continued to impress as they became only the second team, alongside Mexico, not to concede a goal in their opening four matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Oyarzabal also reached another personal milestone, taking his international tally to 29 goals in 58 appearances for Spain. His brace against Austria moved him to four goals in the tournament.
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The victory underlined Spain’s growing strength at the World Cup. After managing just 16 shots on target during the group stage, the European champions produced 10 shots on target against Austria alone.
Teenage star Lamine Yamal once again showed his quality despite not getting on the scoresheet. The 18-year-old troubled Austria’s defence throughout the match and was only denied a goal by a goal-line clearance from David Alaba.
Spain’s comfortable victory confirms their return as a major force at the World Cup and strengthens their status as one of the favourites to win the tournament
LJ Go has a virtual lock on the title. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
BAGUIO—It’s going to be one tight battle in the final round. For second place, that is.
LJ Go cracked par for the third straight day, shooting a two-under-par 70 to open up a 12-shot lead for the ICTSI Pinewoods Challenge title that plays its final 18 on Friday where eight players are within six shots of each other now reduced to looking for the top consolation prize.
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“I will play it the way I played the first three rounds,” Gol told the Inquirer as he takes a 195 aggregate into the final round, with Jeff Lumbo, who submitted a 73, trailing by a dozen shots and the fast-charging Clyde Mondilla lurking four shots back after a 69.
Go’s lead is the largest anyone will be taking into a final round in the long history of the Philippine Golf Tour, and the 31-year-old is in great position towards erasing the nine-shot win of Reymon Jaraula over Rupert Zaragosa at Del Monte last October for the most lopsided victory.
“I’ve never had a lead as big as this,” Go went on after dropping three shots in his front nine before shooting all six of his birdies coming home. “I will just try to do what I have been doing right so far.”
After opening with a 67 to trail by just three after the first round, Lumbo again had an up-and-down 37-36 effort and gave out a smile when asked if the 12-shot deficit is still manageable.
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“It might not be anymore,” Lumbo told the Inquirer in Filipino. “But I will still come out (for the final round) giving it all that I have. Fight until the final putt is holed.”
Mondilla had seven birdies that went with a double bogey and two bogeys, a marked improvement from the second round 79 that effectively took him out of the title fight on Wednesday.
He is just four shots behind Lumbo, with the pint-sized Rupert Zaragosa another stroke back after shooting a 72 like Fidel Concepcion, who is giving chase another shot behind together with four others counting Antonio Lascuña.
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Lascuña finally broke par, shooting a 70 as the 6,000-yard layout continued to bedevil the talented field.
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