Sports
Why the Florida Gators’ One Fatal Flaw Could Cost Them Another Title
Don’t look now, but with Selection Sunday just four weekends away, the Florida Gators look like they intend to win another national championship.
Thanks to Wednesday’s 20-point win at Georgia…which followed a 19-point win at Texas A&M…which followed a 23-point home thrashing of Alabama…which followed a 47-point win at South Carolina, the Gators (18-6, 9-2 SEC) have built a one-game Southeastern Conference lead heading into Saturday’s first-place showdown with Kentucky in Gainesville, Fla.
They are a top-ten ranked team in the NET rankings as of Friday morning but fifth in KenPom, which is exactly where they were one year ago today. That’s just one of many good signs for the Gators.
Thanks to the nation’s most productive frontcourt — key returnees Thomas Haugh (17.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg), Alex Condon (13.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg) and Rueben Chinyelu (11.8 ppg, 11.8 rpg) — Florida leads the country in rebounding margin at plus-15.3 per game.
Per KenPom.com, the Gators boast the nation’s fifth-best defense as they allow just 91.1 points per 100 possessions. That’s a tad better than last year’s defense (91.8) that was good enough to win the NCAA title.
The sharps believe in the Gators, too. When you take a spin around the nation’s top online sportsbooks, Florida generally holds the fifth-best odds to take it all on April 6 in Indianapolis — trailing only Arizona, Michigan, Duke and Houston.
Long story short, the Gators are the best team in what continues to be college basketball’s best league. So of course they’re in the hunt for the national title.
So why doesn’t Florida have a legitimate shot to go back-to-back? Because they don’t have enough legitimate shooters.
Here’s what we mean: While the Gators enjoyed their best 3-point shooting night in months on Wednesday night at Georgia — going 10 of 26 (38.5%) from long range – they’re still below 30% for the year. Specifically, they’re at 29.2%, which ranks last among all power-conference teams and 353rd out of Division I’s 365 squads.
There’s nothing in modern college hoops history that suggests this is good enough to become the national champion.
Since the NCAA moved the 3-point line back to the international distance (22-foot-1¾) prior to the 2019-20 season, here’s how each NCAA champ has shot.
2025: Florida 35.6% 82nd in nation
2024: UConn 35.8% 72nd
2023: UConn 36.3% 62nd
2022: Kansas 36.1% 51st
2021: Baylor 41.3% 1st
2020: No tournament, but Kansas was the clear No. 1 per KenPom when the season was cancelled due to COVID — and the Jayhawks ranked 132nd nationally at 34.1%
If you look at last year’s Sweet Sixteen, only Michigan State (31.1%) was within a few percentage points of Florida’s current rate. It’s just too much to expect a bad 3-point shooting team to reel off six straight wins — especially when so many of the nation’s other top teams have embraced offenses with four or five shooters on the floor.
The Gators have just three guys who are hitting at least one 3-pointer per game: sixth man Urban Klavzar (49 of 127; 38.6%), Haugh (45 of 130; 34.6%) and shooting guard Xaivian Lee (37 of 145; 25.5%). As a team, Florida makes just 7.4 3-pointers per game.
Now look at the NET’s top 10 through Wednesday’s games. Here’s how they shoot from 3-point range, where that ranks nationally and how many guys average at least one 3-pointer per game:
Michigan: 35.4% 102 Six
Arizona: 35.7% 81 Three
Duke: 34.1% 175 Four
Houston: 34.1% 176 Four
Illinois: 36.1% 65 Seven
Gonzaga: 34.9% 133 Three
Florida: 29.2% 353 Three
UConn: 37.0% 39 Four
Iowa State: 40.0% 5 Four
Purdue: 37.7% 28 Five
One of these things is not like the others. That’s why the Gators won’t be able to separate themselves from the rest for another “One Shining Moment.”
A Pace Center for Girls Jacksonville student uses a controller to play a video game with police after the Sheriff’s Office’s new mobile gaming center was unveiled at the facility. Team Liquid pulled out a marathon 3-2 win over Team Falcons on Friday to reach the semifinals of the BLAST Slam VI event in Attard, Malta.
In the other quarterfinal match, Team Yandex took down HEROIC 3-1.
The Saturday semifinals will feature Team Liquid vs. OG and then Natus Vincere vs. Team Yandex.
BLAST Slam VI is a 12-team Dota 2 event that pays $300,000 to the winner and $1 million overall. The event opened with three days of group play — a round-robin, best-of-1 format in which each team played each other team once. The top two teams in the standings, Natus Vincere and OG, moved on to the semifinals of the playoffs.
The teams finishing third through eighth in the standings advanced to the play-in round — four best-of-3 matches in which the winners advance to the playoffs and the losers were eliminated. The teams finishing ninth through 12th in group play competed in the last-chance playoff, another best-of-3 format where the winners advanced to the play-in round and the losers went home.
All playoff matches are best-of-5. The championship squad will receive $300,000 plus $100,000 in team earnings, while the runner-up will get $150,000 and $50,000 in team earnings.
On Friday, Team Falcons opened with a 45-minute win on red before Team Liquid posted a 33-minute victory on red and a 35-minute win on green. Team Falcons sent the match to the limit with a 43-minute victory on green before Team Liquid took the decisive fifth map in 38 minutes on red.
Poland’s Michal “Nisha” Jankowski recorded a 46/13/54 kill-death-assist ratio for Team Liquid. Slovakia’s Oliver “skiter” Lepko wound up at 40/17/28 for Team Falcons.
After HEROIC earned a 34-minute win on red, Team Yandex captured three consecutive maps, in 46 minutes on red, 46 minutes on green and 47 minutes on green.
Kazakhstan’s Alimzhan “watson” Islambekov produced a 43/12/43 K/D/A ratio for Team Yandex. Nicaragua’s Yuma “Yuma” Langlet finished at 38/13/30 for HEROIC.
BLAST Slam VI prize pool
1. $300,000 (plus $100,000 in team earnings)
2. $150,000 (plus $50,000)
3-4. $60,000 (plus $29,000)
5-6. $35,000 (plus $15,000) — Team Falcons, HEROIC
7-10. $22,500 (plus $6.250) — Team Spirit, Xtreme Gaming, Tundra Esports, GamerLegion
11-12. $10,000 (plus $2,500) — REKONIX, MOUZ
–Field Level Media
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U.S. men’s figure skater Ilia Malinin revealed his mind became flooded with “thoughts and memories” before his performance in the men’s free skate final at the Winter Olympics Friday.
Malinin, a top contender to win gold for the U.S., surprisingly fell twice during his routine. He fell all the way to eighth place and missed out on the podium.
“I just had so many thoughts and memories flood right before I got into my starting pose, and almost, I think, it maybe overwhelmed me a little bit. I’ve been through a lot in my life, a lot of bad and good experiences,” Malinin told NBC Washington in a reporter scrum after the competition.
“So, I just feel like it’s the pressure of especially being that Olympic gold medal hopeful. It was just something I can’t control now.”
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Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the men’s free skate program in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Feb. 13, 2026. (Ashley Landis/AP Photo)
Malinin emphasized the impact of the “pressure of the Olympics” in his first ever Olympic games.
“The pressure of the Olympics, it’s really something different, and I think not a lot of people understand that. They only understand that from the inside and going into this competition, especially today, I felt really confident, really good,” he said. “But it really just went by so fast I did not have time to process.”
Malinin took solace in knowing he will return to the U.S. with the team gold medal he helped contribute to earlier in the week as he tries to mentally process what happened on Friday.
“I think that’s definitely a positive for me. And it honestly maybe gives me thoughts that I need to understand why that happened in the individual event. I think going into this competition I made sure that I was able to prepare myself for at least four programs or four performances,” Malinin said.
“So, honestly, I haven’t had time to fully understand what went on.”
WHO IS ILIA MALININ? ‘QUAD GOD’ MIGHT ALREADY BE ONE OF THE GREATEST FIGURE SKATERS OF ALL TIME
Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts after competing in the men’s singles skating at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, Feb. 13, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Malinin dominated the short program earlier this week, entering the day leading by more than five points with a score of 108.16.
But his final performance was his worst.
When his routine started Friday, Malinin connected on a quad-flip to start but then settled for a single axel. He then had a double loop instead of a quad loop.
He then fell on a quad Lutz attempt and then fell on another jump shortly after. He scored a 156.33, a far cry from the world record of 238.24 he set in December and the 200-mark he routinely hits in the free skate.
Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won the gold with a total score of 291.58, a personal best. His 198.94 score in Friday’s free skate was also the highest of his career.
Yuma Kagiyama of Japan got the silver, and Shun Sato, Kagiyama’s teammate, came away with the bronze.
Malinin, who posts total scores in the 300s regularly, settled for just 264.49. His personal best is 333.81.
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Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts after competing in men’s singles skating at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, Feb. 13, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Malinin congratulated his Kazakhstani competitor right after the event concluded.
While on the bench, Malinin said if he had been in Beijing four years ago, he would not have skated as poorly as he did. Malinin was 17 when he was left off the roster in favor of veterans. That was a tell-tale sign of a mental battle, which Malinin confirmed almost immediately after he left the ice.
Malinin’s finish sparked widespread disappointment among Team USA and ice skating fans in general across social media.
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The Super Bowl is in the rearview, and truth be told, the Minnesota Vikings are glad because the general population can move on from the skewering unleashed over the Sam Darnold fallout. But there’s a whole new batch of rumors, as the offseason approaches Week No. 7.
Three Vikings rumor threads are circulating: McCarthy trade buzz, Carr’s status, and a Flores-linked cornerback target.
Per the weekend routine, we’ve got all the Vikings-themed rumor hot and ready.
Three Threads Driving the Vikings Rumor Mill
It’s the Purple Rumor Mill for Saturday, February 14th — Valentine’s Day.
Rumor: The Vikings could trade J.J. McCarthy to the Arizona Cardinals in a deal for Kyler Murray.
At the top of his quarterback carousel predictions list, Bleacher Report‘s Moton floated McCarthy and Kirk Cousins to Arizona, writing, “The Arizona Cardinals could turn over their quarterback room under new head coach Mike LaFleur. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team is ‘likely’ to move on from Kyler Murray before his guaranteed money raises the cost to keep him.”
“The Cardinals should call the Minnesota Vikings about a signal-caller swap to dump Murray’s contract and take on J.J. McCarthy’s rookie deal. The third-year quarterback’s contract would cost only about $6 million against the cap. In addition, Arizona can add Kirk Cousins to replace Jacoby Brissett, who may not fit into the new coaching staff’s plans.”
McCarthy would link up with Arizona’s new offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, who previously coordinated MVP-caliber units in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers.
Moton continued, “Because of the perceived gap between Fernando Mendoza and the other quarterback prospects in the 2026 draft class, the Cardinals are unlikely to add a signal-caller with the No. 3 pick. Instead, they can develop McCarthy, who’s only 23, and have him battle Cousins for the lead job.”
“If Arizona doesn’t think the former is ready to play, the latter can run the offense as the unquestioned starter for at least a year. In this scenario, LaFleur would have an experienced quarterback under center while working on a high-upside developmental player who showed flashes in the previous season.”
That setup would basically create Vikings of the AFC West, which will turn Vikings fans’ heads.
Rumor: Derek Carr, considering unretirement, is an option for Minnesota.
Carr has surfaced in the quarterback carousel this offseason after a season-long retirement. NFL.com reported Monday, “As quarterback injuries mounted this season and into the playoffs, teams conducted due diligence on Carr, trying to gather information as to whether the former Saints franchise passer would consider coming out of retirement, sources tell The Insiders.”
“The Bengals, for instance, contacted Carr after Joe Burrow went down with his turf toe injury. That work continues, and an offseason of quarterback uncertainty — with limited options in free agency, trades and the draft — makes Carr a possible solution in the right situation.”
Carr started 10 games for the 2024 Saints, posted a 15-touchdown to 5-interception split, and New Orleans went 5-5 in those outings.
NFL.com added, “The Saints still hold Carr’s rights, though Tyler Shough’s impressive rookie season, the amicable end to Carr’s time in New Orleans and the way the sides worked through any salary-cap issues add up to his tolled contract being an unlikely hurdle in the process.”
“The Saints could ask for compensation in a trade, though the price surely wouldn’t be an unreasonable ask for a player who has no future in New Orleans.”
There aren’t many good teams that need quarterbacks this offseason, rocketing Carr’s name into the Vikings’ orbit if the unretirement comes to fruition.
Rumor: Brian Flores and Co. could sign Kansas City Chiefs CB Jaylen Watson in free agency.
Ryan Wilson jumped on CBS Sports airwaves this week and mapped out preferred landing spots for several of the league’s top free agents.
On Watson, he said, “I love the idea of Brian Flores getting his hands on Jaylen Watson in Minnesota. There will be competition, and that will only drive his price up.”
Kansas City selected Watson in the 7th Round of the 2022 draft, and he’s developed into one of the better late-round wins from that class. Cap space, however, remains tight in Kansas City, which could complicate efforts to secure him on a second contract.
Watson would fit in nicely with the Vikings, though many expect the club to use the 1st Round of the draft on a corner rather than free agency.
Here’s Watson’s Pro Football Focus resume:
2025: 74.1
2024: 69.6
2023: 68.5
2022: 61.2
Sportrac expects Watson’s next contract to pay him around $13 million per season. It’s unclear if Minnesota can afford that. Stay tuned.
Arsenal and Chelsea will face off at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday for the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final, with the Gunners holding a narrow 3-2 lead from the first leg at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal have been in exceptional form during the 2025-26 season, sitting atop the Premier League and progressing in the Champions League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup.
After a dramatic penalty win over Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals, Arsenal edged past Chelsea in the first leg, with goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi, despite a strong fightback from Chelsea’s Alejandro Garnacho.
Chelsea, under new manager Liam Rosenior, have found their rhythm, winning five consecutive matches, including a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over West Ham. However, they will need to overturn a tough record at the Emirates, where they’ve failed to beat Arsenal in their last 10 meetings, including three consecutive defeats at the stadium.
Arsenal are aiming to defend their slender lead and book a place in the final, while Chelsea seek to bounce back and make a dramatic comeback.
Arsenal Team news
Arsenal will be without Max Dowman, who is sidelined due to an ankle injury, while Bukayo Saka remains a doubt. Mikel Merino may miss the rest of the season with a foot issue.
In Saka’s absence, Noni Madueke is likely to retain his spot on the right wing, partnering with Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyökeres in attack.
In midfield, Zubimendi and Declan Rice are expected to continue their roles at the base, and the defense could remain unchanged following the 4-0 victory over Leeds.
On the Chelsea side, Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia, and Jamie Gittens are unlikely to feature due to injuries.
Chelsea Team news
Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia, and Jamie Gittens are all unlikely to be available due to various injury concerns.
On the other hand, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Joao Pedro, and Reece James, who made significant contributions off the bench in Chelsea’s comeback win over West Ham, are expected to start in this match.
As a result, Malo Gusto, Benoit Badiashile, Jorrel Hato, and Alejandro Garnacho may find themselves on the bench.
Arsenal vs Chelsea EFL Cup semi-final Probable starting 11
Arsenal starting 11: Arrizabalaga; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Odegaard, Martinelli; Gyokeres
Chelsea starting 11: Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Pedro; Delap
EFL Cup semi-final 2nd leg: Arsenal vs Chelsea live telecast and streaming details
When will the EFL Cup semi-final match between Arsenal and Chelsea be played?
The EFL Cup semi-final match between Arsenal and Chelsea will be played on February 4 (according to IST).
What time will the EFL Cup semi-final match between Arsenal and Chelsea begin on February 4?
The EFL Cup semi-final match between Arsenal and Chelsea will start at 1:30 AM IST.
What will be the venue for the EFL Cup semi-final match between Arsenal and Chelsea?
The EFL Cup semi-final match between Arsenal and Chelsea will be hosted at the Emirates Stadium.
Where will the live telecast of the EFL Cup semi-final match between Arsenal and Chelsea be available in India?
The live telecast of the EFL Cup semi-final match between Arsenal and Chelsea will not be available in India.
Where will the live streaming of the EFL Cup semi-final match between Arsenal and Chelsea be available in India?
The live streaming of the EFL Cup semi-final match between Arsenal and Chelsea will be available on the FanCode app and website in India.
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Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych’s push to legally wear a customized helmet as he competed in races at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics ran into perhaps its most daunting obstacle Friday.
Heraskevych took his plea to don the helmet that paid tribute to Ukrainian war victims to the winter sliding sport’s highest court.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled against Heraskevych’s appeal, effectively ending his final opportunity to compete for a medal at this year’s Games.
Heraskevych was disqualified from a skeleton race over the helmet, which displayed the faces of more than 20 Ukrainian coaches and athletes who have been killed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych arrives at the finish during a men’s skeleton training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation also concluded that Heraskevych’s intention to wear the helmet was in direct violation of Olympic rules. The IOC cited rules against making political statements on the field of play.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry met with Heraskevych before Thursday’s men’s skeleton event to try to change his mind about wearing the helmet, ultimately to no avail.
“We didn’t find common ground in this regard,” Heraskevych said.
Heraskevych’s attorney, Yevhen Pronin, reacted to the court ruling in step with the IOC, arguing his client did not actually commit misconduct.
“The court sided with the IOC and upheld the decision that an athlete could be disqualified from the Olympic Games without actual misconduct, without a technical or safety threat and before the start,” Pronin said.
Vladyslav Heraskevych of Ukraine during training wearing a helmet in tribute to athletes who have died in Russia’s attack on Ukraine Feb. 11, 2026. (Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)
CAS, the sole arbitrator hearing the case, said it “found these limitations reasonable and proportionate,” especially since Heraskevych could show his helmet away from the racing surface, such as in interview areas and on social media. Heraskevych also wore the helmet in training runs.
The appeal was largely moot anyway. He was disqualified from the competition less than an hour before its start on Thursday, and whatever CAS said on Friday wouldn’t have changed that.
“Looks like this train has left,” Heraskevych said after Friday’s hearing.
AMERICAN OLYMPIAN AUSTIN FLORIAN GOES VIRAL FOR INCREDIBLE HELMET DESIGN
He left Cortina d’Ampezzo’s Olympic Village on Thursday night with no plans to return, then headed to Milan and arrived in Munich on Friday night — helmet in hand — for a dinner with Ukrainian officials at a security conference. He is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this weekend as well.
Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych arrives at the finish during a men’s skeleton training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Heraskevych admitted he was surprised by the strong reaction.
s”I never expected it to be such a big scandal,” he said.
He also said he found his accreditation for the Games being taken away, then returned shortly afterward Thursday in what seemed like a goodwill gesture, puzzling.
“A mockery,” he said.
CAS did agree that Heraskevych should keep his accreditation.
Tributes from other athletes competing in Milan Cortina were permitted without penalty, including American figure skater Maxim Naumov displaying a photo of his late parents who were killed in a plane crash last year.
Italian snowboarder Roland Fischnaller had a small Russian flag image on the back of his helmet during the Games, and Israeli skeleton athlete Jared Firestone wore a kippah bearing the names of 11 athletes and coaches killed while representing that country during the 1972 Munich Olympics.
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The IOC said those cases were not in violation of any rules.
Naumov showed his photo in the kiss-and-cry area and not while he was actually on the ice. Fischnaller’s helmet was a tribute to all the past Olympic sites he competed at, with Sochi included. And Firestone’s kippah “was covered by a beanie,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.
The IOC offered Heraskevych a chance to compete with a different helmet and bring the tribute through the interview area after his runs. He also could have worn a black armband.
“I think it’s the wrong side of history for the IOC,” Heraskevych said.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Last month, Gervonta Davis was stripped of his WBA lightweight world title and a date for a clash for the now vacant belt has been confirmed, with one of boxing’s most exciting prospects involved in the bout.
Davis was winless since June 2024 prior to being stripped, with his lone outing since being a debatable draw against Lamont Roach Jr last March, that almost cost him his undefeated record.
Since then, a number of external issues have been behind the inactivity of ‘Tank’, who was issued with an arrest warrant issues based on charges of battery, false imprisonment and attempted kidnapping.
As a result, the WBA have decided to demote Davis to champion-in-recess, meaning that their lightweight title is now vacant, but that Davis will be well poised to challenge the new champion upon his return.
On Instagram, the WBA’s number one contender, 23-year-old Floyd Schofield, has revealed that he will be fighting for the vacant title in April.
“We been through the fire to get to this point in our life.
“We have so much more to do and so much more life to live. Stay tuned and continue to watch the growth of both me and my son.
“Tune in April for our @wbaboxingofficial World Title fight. Thank you to all our sponsors, fans and friends.”
It is believed that ‘Kid Austin’ will collide with Canada’s Lucas Bahdi, despite the latter being ordered for an IBF final eliminator against Albert Bell earlier this week, with Saturday, April 11, the anticipated fight date.
Welcome to Fully Equipped’s weekly Tour equipment report. Each Friday of PGA Tour weeks (plus other times, if news warrants), GOLF equipment editor Jack Hirsh will run you through some of the biggest news surrounding golf clubs on Tour, including changes, tweaks and launches.
Callaway’s Quantum Mini driver and Ti fairway wood weren’t the company’s only prototype heads to make noise on the PGA Tour this week.
While the presumed next iterations of Callaway’s mini driver and titanium fairway woods surfaced on Tour, it was the Quantum TD-TD driver head that actually went in play, getting conversions from both Min Woo Lee and Kevin Yu.
Lee raised eyebrows last year when the long-hitting Aussie switched into the Elyte Triple Diamond Tour Draw head and immediately saw an uptick in driving accuracy, finishing tied for first in the category at the FedEx Open de France. This year, in two starts, his driving accuracy percentage is six points higher than in 2025.
He loved the smaller profile of the Triple Diamond TD head, and the reduced face progression (more offset) helped him get a more neutral start line than the standard Triple Diamond, making it easier for him to hit his favored pull cut off the tee.
But he still didn’t feel like he had his “bomb it” swing and was living at the higher end of spin windows, between 2,400 and 3,000 RPMs, according to Callaway Tour Rep Kellen Watson.
;)
Min Woo Lee hits fades, so why is he using a ‘Draw’ driver head? | Tour Report
But in testing the new Quantum TD-TD — which hit the USGA conforming list last fall with some of the other Quantum heads — this week, Watson and Lee found a shaft change from the OG Fujikura Ventus Blue 7-X to the new Ventus Black 7-X with VeloCore+ not only brought that high spin threshold down about 300 rpms, but also tightened his delta to 2,300 to 2,700.
“Shape suited his eye very well and all the numbers were similar, but mainly the ‘all-out’ drive had a much better start line, spin rate and down-range pattern. Allowing Min to take full advantage of his length is a huge boost for his chances every week.” Watson told GOLF. “About 12 shots on the range and nine holes of practice on a very windy day at Pebble were enough to get his stamp of approval.”
Lee gained .648 strokes off the tee in Round 1 at Spyglass Hill in a round of 67 and had hit 19 of his first 25 fairways as he finished up his second round on Friday.
Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond Custom Driver
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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Callaway
Min Woo Lee’s new driver specs
Callaway Quantum TD-TD
Loft: 10.5 degrees @ 10.6 degrees
OptiFit Setting: N/S
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 7-X
Length: 45″ EOG
Tipping: 1/2″
Grip: Gripmaster Leather (3 Double Sided wraps + 1 DS on RH)
Meanwhile, Yu, who prefers a push draw to Lee’s fade, also found success with the Quantum TD-TD. Yu previously played the Elyte Triple Diamond Max and the Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond Max.
But the new Quantum Triple Diamond Max is a little different than the previous iterations, Watson said.
“He was trying to change swing mechanics to compensate for the small differences,” Watson explained. “In the load of testing we had done with all of our staff, we were quick to find out that the TD-TD was a great option for previous TD Max users who wanted to work the ball both ways.”
Thanks to the more neutral start line, Yu actually found he could work in a slight fade to his arsenal, a valuable weapon around a tight track like Pebble Beach.
“In the grand scheme of things, the footprint difference between the TD-TD and TD Max is minute,” Watson said. “Kevin didn’t have any apprehension between the two shapes, especially after the first few shots with TD-TD. Ball speed, spin rates and launch dynamics were unchanged after the previous models, allowing Kevin to seamlessly transition with a new shot shape to take advantage of.”
Yu hit 11 of 14 fairways at Pebble Beach in Round 1 and gained nearly .8 strokes off the tee.
Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond Max Custom Driver
View Product
Kevin Yu’s new driver specs
Callaway Quantum TD-TD
Loft: 9.0 degrees @ 9.9 degrees
OptiFit Setting: N/S
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD-VF 6-X
Length: 45.5″ EOG
Tipping: 1″
Overall, it was a big week for Quantum as Lee’s switch meant eight of the 10 Callaway staffers in the field — and 10 percent of the field — were playing a Quantum driver at Pebble.
Lee adds a versatile weapon
For someone who has 170 mph ball speed with a 2-iron, Pebble Beach would seem like an obvious track to gear back with iron off the tee, but Lee actually took the club he once called his “secret weapon” out of the bag this week.
Last week at the WM Phoenix Open, Lee added a new 21 degree Apex Utility Wood to the bag and he’s kept this week despite the windy conditions at Pebble Beach.
“The problem in the past for me is I spun the hybrid way too much,” Lee told Callaway’s Johnny Thompson. “This one keeps the spin down, which is nice, but it still has the height, which is what you want into par-5s and into tee shots.”
The club could actually be a more long-term replacement for Lee as Watson said the club was the best option at three windows: a stinger, stock and high ball. The stinger had the same ball speed and carry that Lee gets with his utility iron, but he also got the best landing angle when he tried to hit a high ball.
Callaway 2025 Apex Custom Utility Wood
The Apex UW is designed for serious, avid golfers seeking the perfect blend of a fairway wood’s power and a hybrid’s versatility. Engineered with Tour feedback and loaded with performance technologies, it delivers a higher, more neutral ball flight with the control all players demand.
TUNGSTEN SPEED WAVE
A dynamic, 41g+ tungsten wave structure positions mass low and forward, enhancing ball speed and launch—particularly on low-face strikes where players tend to lose distance.
STEP SOLE DESIGN
A redesigned sole with a stepped geometry reduces turf interaction, helping to maintain swing speed through impact and promoting more consistent contact across different lies.
TRIAXIAL CARBON CROWN
The lightweight carbon construction allows for strategic weight redistribution, creating a more forgiving clubhead while refining launch and spin for greater shot-making control.
TOUR-INSPIRED SHAPING
Designed with input from the world’s best, the compact, refined shape and neutral face angle inspire confidence at address and deliver workability from tee to turf.
View Product
ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Callaway
Three major Odyssey swaps
In more Callaway news, in what was otherwise a quiet week with a smaller field and a huge purse at stake, Lee wasn’t done with gear changes, making a swap at putter, too.
He had been using a prototype black and white Odyssey S2S Jailbird, but this week, he’s switched to a new Odyssey prototype putter.
From photos, we can tell the putter has four movable weights on the sole, presumably to dial in CG. Odyssey’s Cody Hale said Lee was seeking a change to something that better matches his in-to-out stroke path and had a touch more face rotation.
Sepp Straka moved away from his Odyssey Stroke Lab Tuttle for a similar reason, picking up a White Hot OG Rossie with a slant neck to add some face rotation, too.
Meanwhile, Keegan Bradley also moved into an Ai-Dual 1/2 Ball Jailbird Cruiser that matched the specs of his previous Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser, but with three dots milled into the 1/2 ball.
Odyssey Ai-DUAL 1/2 Ball Jailbird DB Cruiser Custom Putter
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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Odyssey
Check this out
This section is dedicated to cool photos we’ve snapped recently on Tour, but haven’t had a reason to share yet. For this week, check out Neal Shipley’s Ping Mini Driver Prototype.
Odds and Ends
Some other gear changes and notes we’re tracking this week.
Rory McIlroy returned to his RORS PROTO blades. … Marco Penge switched into PXG’s Tour-only Lightning Tour Max driver, the same driver Eric Cole is using, highlighting a trend we started tracking a few weeks ago with Max Homa’s switch to the Cobra OPTM LS-K prototype driver. … Wyndham Clark went back to a Titleist TSR3 driver after using a Ping G430 LST his past few starts. … Ryo Hisatsune switched from a Vokey SM11 K*-grind to a .08M in his 60-degree. … Harry Hall switched from a TaylorMade Qi4D LS driver to a Titleist GT3 and upgraded his wedges from Vokey’s SM10 to SM11. … Robert MacIntyre added a TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood in place of his Stealth 2 Rescue. … Sepp Straka and Michael Thorbjornsen both added 21 degree Qi4D 7-woods, with Straka replacing a three-year-old Callaway Paradym 7-wood. … There were 71 TaylorMade fairway woods in play with 21 Qi4Ds out of the 80-player field.
3 things you should read/watch
A selection of GOLF content from the past week that may interest you.
Rory McIlroy makes surprising gear switch before PGA Tour season debut. The biggest gear news of the week was that Rory McIlroy’s experiment with P7CB cavity-backs was over. But was that really the end or just the beginning?
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Precise milled face and grooves combined with a constant CG the P•7CB is designed to deliver an optimal launch and spin combination for the ultimate control and precision.
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Wedge gapping EXPLAINED with Vokey Wedge Rep Aaron Dill. In Part 2 of our wedge fitting series with Vokey’s Aaron Dill, Johnny Wunder gets his new SM11 wedge set gapped out by Vokey’s resident Tour fitter.
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How 5 days of club fittings changed my mind on golf equipment | Fully Fit 2026. Senior writer Sean Zak explains what is was like to be embedded with us gear degenerates for a week and a half, getting fit for more golf clubs than he could imagine during Fully Fit 2026.
T150 Irons are crafted for added distance with unwavering accuracy. Forged into a player’s shape with progressive blade lengths, T150 offers a precise blend of speed, stability, and consistency—providing the confidence to hit and hold greens from anywhere. 
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Confidence-Inspiring Forged Design
Forged into a player’s shape with a slightly larger head size for pure feel with extra stability.
Elevated Ball Speed
1° stronger lofts (vs. T100) combine with an improved muscle channel through 7-iron and lower long-iron CG to help improve speed, launch, and carry.
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The author welcomes your comments at Jack.Hirsh@golf.com.
Want to overhaul your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.
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It happens to weekend warriors and tour pros alike: You stripe a few down the middle and your driver starts to feel automatic — until it isn’t.
In a recent video from Titleist, GOLF Top 100 Teacher Joe Hallett explains that when players get that sudden boost of confidence, it often pulls their focus from the fundamentals. The most common error? A stance that creeps too wide.
“When you start hitting the ball good, especially on the tee, there’s something that starts to sneak into you and it’s this feeling of power, the feeling that you’re invincible. And that begins to show in the width of your stance,” he says.
“Little by little, you will notice as players get up to the tee, they start to get more and more of this set and the stance becomes wide,” he continues, “That is when you need to start worrying.”
Find your perfect driver stance
To find your optimal driver stance, Hallett explains that you need to determine what width gives you the most accuracy and power. The best way to do that is to use Hallett’s Goldilocks method:
- Hit a few drives with your feet just inside shoulder width
- Then at shoulder width
- Then slightly outside than shoulder width
This will help you understand how each stance width impacts your quality of contact, ball flight, accuracy and even power.
“If we keep our feet together, it kind of controls the swing, the length of the swing. That probably lends itself to more accuracy,” he says, “As the stance gets wider, it provides a little extra punch.”
Once you’ve hit a few shots with each stance, Hallett says you should start to notice a slight decline in performance as you play around with that wider stance.
“You are going to have a phenomenon where you go, that wasn’t quite as solid,” he says, “Back that up a notch, and then you have found your stance width.”
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Avoid the ‘wide right’ miss
While your perfect driver stance is optimal for most tee shots, sometimes you really want to step on one. Hallett says that’s when you need to know how to make a wider stance work for you. In his experience, a wider stance that does not work has one commonality: The trail foot is too far outside the trail shoulder.
“This stance, I call wide right,” Hallett says.
The reason the “wide right” stance causes issues is because it forces you to make a massive move to load into your trail side, which, as Hallett explained earlier, can reduce your accuracy and power in a big way. Hallett says having your trail foot too far back can also cause you to keep your weight on your lead side through the swing, creating a reverse pivot and as a result, draining your swing of power.
1 huge mistake beginner golfers make with their drivers — and how to fix it
;)
“When I go to hit this, my weight’s going to move backwards. And I can tell you that moving backwards is not going to help the ball go forwards,” he says.
Instead, Hallett recommends setting up in what he calls the “correct right” stance. The key: move your trail shoulder and trail foot together as you take your stance.
This trick helps you stack your shoulders over your hips and knees, while positioning your feet slightly wider. Which allows you to load properly at the top of your backswing and generate maximum power without sacrificing control.
“Now, I’m loaded up behind the ball and I can add some extra pop into that tee shot,” Hallett says.
To dial in your drives on the course, just remember to focus on your feet. Stick with your optimal driving stance for most shots, and when you’re ready to really crush one, set your trail foot and shoulder together. This “correct right” stance will help you load properly and unleash your a powerful, controlled strike.
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Tempers flared at an Olympic curling match between Canada and Sweden Friday with a profane insult being hurled after allegations of cheating were made.
Canada beat Sweden 8-6, and Canadian third Marc Kennedy and Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson got into it after Eriksson accused Kennedy of an illegal procedure called double-touching stones after releasing them at the hog line.
Kennedy shouted, “I haven’t done it once. You can f— off,” at Eriksson.
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Canada’s Ben Hebert, Brad Jacobs and Brett Gallant compete in the men’s curling round-robin against Sweden during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo Feb. 13, 2026. (Tiziana Fabi/AFP)
Eriksson replied, “I’ll show you a video after the game. I’ll show you a video where it’s two meters over the hog line.”
Both sides appealed to the officials, but no results were changed.
Swedish team leader Fredrik Lindberg said in a statement, “At this point, the Swedish Olympic Committee will not seek an investigation regarding the events during Friday’s game,” according to The National Review.
POWER OUTAGE HALTS MILAN CORTINA OLYMPICS CURLING COMPETITION MOMENTS AFTER MATCHES BEGIN
Sweden’s Rasmus Wranaa, left, reacts next to Canada’s Ben Hebert during the men’s curling round-robin during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo Feb. 13, 2026. (Tiziana Fabi/AFP)
Kennedy responded to the allegations after the match.
“I have a ton of respect for Oskar Eriksson,” he said. “He’s one of the best players to ever play. I just told him … I would never accuse you of cheating. I’ve been on tour for 25 years. He pulled a hog line official on us to make sure we weren’t double-touching. The hog line official was there for six ends, never said a thing and he’s still talking about it in the ninth end.
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The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on Feb. 4, 2026, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
“I don’t like being accused of cheating, so I told him what I thought of it.”
According to World Curling policy, a moving stone cannot be touched beyond the hog line, but it is not a violation if a thrower double-touches the rock before the line.
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Oct 9, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Deontay Wilder (red/black trunks) is knocked out by Tyson Fury (black/gold trunks) during their WBC/Lineal heavyweight championship boxing match at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Tyson Fury’s return to the boxing ring will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The former heavyweight champion’s April 11 bout against Arslanbek Makhmudov was announced last month, but the venue wasn’t revealed until this week.
Fury, a 37-year-old Manchester, England, native, hasn’t fought since losing back-to-back matches in 2024. He lost his title belts in a split decision against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk that May in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, then dropped a rematch to Usyk in a unanimous decision at the same venue seven months later.
Those were the first two career defeats for Fury (34-2-1).
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the site of Fury’s last title defense, on Dec. 3, 2022, against fellow Briton Derek Chisora. Fury won his next fight, vs. former UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou, in Riyadh on Oct. 28, 2023, before taking the two defeats the following year.
Makhmudov (21-2) will be fighting in England for the second straight time. The 36-year-old Russian defeated David Allen by unanimous decision in Sheffield last October.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in addition to being home of a Premier League soccer team, plays host to two NFL games per season.
The Fury-Makhmudov fight will be shown on Netflix.
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