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Jalen Brunson weighs the pros and cons of the second apron with the New York Knicks

Published

17 hours ago

19 July 2026

Jalen Brunson weighs the pros and cons of the second apron with the New York Knicks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Winning the 2026 NBA Finals was a massive achievement for the New York Knicks. However, like most teams over the past few seasons, they had to part ways with a key player on the roster, as they had to let Mitchell Robinson sign with the Boston Celtics in the offseason.

That is the norm under the NBA’s second apron rules, which are likely one of the biggest reasons why there has not been a back-to-back champion since the 2018 NBA Finals. Brunson himself has had thoughts on what has happened with his team due to the second apron.

Jalen Brunson gives his take on the second apron for the Knicks

Brunson has one of the league’s most team-friendly contracts because he left around $100,000,000 on the table. This helped the Knicks have financial flexibility under the second apron rules to build a team that can compete with almost anyone in the league.

It worked out for both Brunson and the Knicks because their gamble paid off in 2026. They had the roster with players who are being paid well, like Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby. Incidentally, those are the two players with the biggest impact outside of Brunson during their NBA Finals series against the San Antonio Spurs.

MORE: Jalen Brunson did not want to give the pitch to LeBron James

Now that Brunson and the Knicks are champions, Brunson has given his take on the second apron and how that affects the team previously, today, and in the long-term future.

“I think there are pros and cons to it. Because of the second apron, we had to lose Mitch. Obviously, I would’ve loved to have him back, he was a big part of what we’ve been able to do. Everyone prior to the second apron, prior to the previous eight teams being champions, we had too many superteams,” Brunson said on Nightcap with Shannon Sharpe.

“People called it the participation trophy. What are we doing? You guys want competition, or you guys don’t want superteams, what is it? There are pros and cons to it. For me, I just navigate the best I can, control what I can control.”

While the NBA will continue to have this rule in place, there are probably some discussions with the NBA Players Association and the league. It will be a point of contention for sure, but it will be interesting how they pivot away from it after years of it being set in stone.

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BREAKING: Man United handed Lisandro Martinez injury blow as defender comes off in World Cup final

Published

2 minutes ago

19 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Lisandro Martinez was deployed by Lionel Scaloni from the start during Argentina’s World Cup final clash with Spain on Sunday, but the Manchester United defender failed to see out the first-half

20:54, 19 Jul 2026Updated 21:05, 19 Jul 2026

Lisandro Martinez has sparked Manchester United injury concerns, as he was substituted off in the first-half of Argentina’s World Cup final with Spain. The centre-half was given the nod to start by Lionel Scaloni as the two sides met at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, having impressed throughout the tournament.

However, he was unable to make it through the first-half, substituted 44 minutes in as a result of injury. Having picked up a yellow card moments earlier for a cynical challenge on Mikel Oyarzabal, Martinez was spotted taking a seat on the turf, showing signs of discomfort.

Surrounded by Emiliano Martinez, Enzo Fernandez and referee, Slavko Vincic, a gesture was made toward Scaloni’s dugout that a substitution was required. Speaking during the BBC’s coverage of the final, Sam Matterface said: “Having just been booked, Lisandro Martinez is now down in his own penalty area.

“Slavko Vincic will be reiterating that if he needs treatment, he’s going to have to go off. The signal has just came from Emi Martinez that he’ll be going off anyway, he won’t be coming back on.”

He added: “Argentina could be losing one of their trusted centre-backs. It’s been a really good partnership between the man from Spurs [Cristian Romero] and the man from Old Trafford.

“I know some have criticised it, but they just seem to gel. We’ll use their nicknames; the Butcher is being replaced by the General. [Nicolas] Otamendi on to play for his country for the 139th time.”

Martinez looked to be signalling discomfort in his quad before making way for Otamendi, as Manchester United fans will be hoping that it’s nothing too serious.

There will be more to follow. We’ll bring you the very latest updates on this breaking news story.

For the latest news and breaking news visit our Manchester United page. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.

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Reese: ‘Appreciate’ Brondello’s apology for mid-game comment

Published

15 minutes ago

19 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Angel Reese has responded to Sandy Brondello’s apology.

The Atlanta Dream star said she appreciated the Toronto Tempo head coach’s apology after she was caught on a mic saying, “Angel, she’s a protected species” during a Friday game between the teams.

Brondello has since apologized and been suspended one game.

“First, I appreciate Sandy’s apology, but I also appreciate the love and support that I’ve had for the last 48 hours. It has been very overwhelming with a lot of love and also other things. But I am grateful that the league did take action,” Reese said.

“There is no place for discrimination or hate in this league from anyone — from fans to coaches to players. And I’m just grateful that we are able to move on from the situation and just play winning basketball. The WNBA is supposed to be positive and we are going in a great light right now, so I just want to continue that and move forward.”

Brondello also addressed the media after Tempo practice on Sunday. She said she has reached out to the Dream organization asking to speak with Reese and apologize but hasn’t had the chance to speak with her yet.

“I felt mad myself because I’m part of the solution, not the problem,” Brondello said. “I hope we can have a chat and if she gets to know me and my heart, I think everyone else that I’ve coached in this league, they know that, and they know what I’m about, and you know, and I’ll try to you know be better as I move forward. I did make a mistake.”

Brondello will serve her one-game suspension on Monday when the Tempo host the Las Vegas Aces. Associate head coach Olaf Lange will step up in her place.

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Argentina vs Spain LIVE Score | FIFA World Cup 2026 Final, Spain vs Argentina: Lionel Messi’s Argentina Survive Huge Scare; Lamine Yamal Wastes Golden Chance | ARG 0-0 ESP

Published

28 minutes ago

19 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Once again, here are the starting lineups for Argentina and Spain:

Spain XI: Unai Simon (GK) | Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella | Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo | Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Alex Baena

Argentina XI: Emiliano Martinez (GK) | Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico | Enzo Fernandez, Rodrigo de Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Nico Gonzalez | Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez

SPAIN vs ARGENTINA
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Starting XI’s confirmed for World Cup final! pic.twitter.com/7CYOxrUKKD

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) July 19, 2026

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Kirk Cousins Could Already Have a QB Controversy in Las Vegas

Published

42 minutes ago

19 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Apr 8, 2026; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins speaks at a press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders signed Kirk Cousins in March, about six weeks before their very obvious draft pick of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza first overall. Now, somewhat predictably, there’s a mystery looming, with Raiders fans unsure how long Cousins will be under center.

Las Vegas evidently wants Cousins to start indefinitely while the world wonders, “What’s the hold-up?” on Mendoza.

Mendoza Gives Las Vegas a Built-In Pivot

Kirk Cousins Raiders — Jun 3, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) warms up during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Ian Rapoport on Cousins

Training camps begin in about one week, and among quarterback competitions around the league, Cousins versus Mendoza is near the top of the list.

NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport said this week, “The way they’re hoping for it to all be is for Kirk Cousins to be the starter at the beginning of the season, throughout the season, and the end of the season”

Sitting Mendoza behind Cousins for an entire year would be fine in the long run; it’s just that first overall picks usually play sooner rather than later. The last first-overall-pick to watch and learn was Jared Goff in Los Angeles, and that was a decade ago. Before Goff, Raiders passer JaMarcus Russell — hopefully not a good career comp for Mendoza — only started one game as a rookie. And in 2003, Carson Palmer sat all year behind Jon Kitna for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Overall, it’s a little weird for a first overall pick to have a clear bench assignment as a rookie. Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence, for example, started right away.

The Head Coach’s Musings

Earlier in the offseason, Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak — a former Vikings offensive coordinator — opined on this topic, telling Fox Sports, “Ideally, you don’t want him to start from day one. You’d love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That’s in a perfect world. It doesn’t always work out that way.”

“Sometimes they have to play from day one, and it’s our job as coaches to get them ready to go. I think it does help the player if they can sit behind a mature adult and watch how they run the show.”

Kubiak backed up his words by signing Cousins, and with Cousins’s history of production, he could retain the QB1 job longer than most. Perhaps Kubiak enjoys the “Green Bay Packers model” of quarterback development; just letting a young passer marinate indefinitely.

Just Fluff?

Not everyone is buying the Cousins QB1 theory, though. Fansided‘s Rucker Haringey wrote Saturday, “The more likely date for Mendoza’s first start will come in Week 8 when the Raiders travel to New York to take on the Jets.”

“The downside to that date is that Vegas heads to San Francisco the following week to take on a good 49ers defense. It’s not a perfect runway for Mendoza, but it represents the right balance between rushing him onto the field in Week 1 and having him sit until the season has ceased to be competitive for the Raiders. In the end, Raiders fans should ignore what their team’s higher-ups continue to say about Cousins.”

May 2, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) speaks during a news conference at the team’s Rookie Minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images

There’s a chance that promoting Cousins as the starter through the media is a tactic to motivate Mendoza.

“He’s not going to hold off Mendoza for the full season unless the rookie is entirely unable to operate the offense. Expect to see the No. 1 overall pick firmly entrenched as Las Vegas’ starter before the midpoint of the regular season,” Haringey added.

The Inevitability

One thing is certain: Mendoza will be the Raiders’ starting quarterback before too long. It’s all a matter of when.

NCAA Football: Indiana at Purdue — Nov 28, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) looks on during the third quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

If Mendoza looks markedly better than Cousins at training camp, Kubiak can just tell the masses, “Hey, the guy earned it, and we didn’t expect him to look this terrific.” And if Cousins looks the part, the Raiders can insist that Mendoza as the QB2 to start the season was the plan all along.

But all signs point to Cousins starting multiple games out of the gate in 2026, even if most NFL teams start first overall picks right away.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

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Blue Jays offence fails to back Yesavage in loss to White Sox

Published

54 minutes ago

19 July 2026

NewsAdmin

However, unfortunately for the Toronto Blue Jays, that didn’t impact the result as the team’s offence continued to sputter.

Yesavage righted himself after an outing that was marred by wildness, yet the Blue Jays couldn’t muster any runs during a 3-0 loss to the White Sox in front of 41,288 at Rogers Centre on Sunday. With the loss, the Blue Jays dropped two out three games in the weekend series, and fell to 46-53 on the campaign.

The club currently sits four games behind the final American League wild-card spot.

Walks have been an issue for Yesavage this season and that became glaringly evident during his previous start, when he couldn’t find the zone and issued seven free passes in just 1.2 innings against the San Diego Padres last week.

Following that outing, the rookie said his wildness was the result of a mechanical issue — he was leaning too far back during his delivery and that was causing his front side to fly open. Yesavage worked with the Blue Jays coaching staff on correcting that during what manager John Schneider described as a “good work day” on Friday.

“With the unique delivery comes a lot of moving parts and making sure that they’re all in sync,” Schneider said this weekend. “The fact that he’s aware of it is good. It’s not like we’re sitting here screaming, ‘This is what you’re doing.’ He felt that. He was aware of it.

And he’s had a few of those outings, even looking back into last year in the minor leagues where things can get out of whack a little bit,” continued the manager. “So, I think it was a lot delivery, nothing about stuff. Stuff comes with the delivery being kind of intact.”

The stuff, along with everything else, certainly looked sharp for Yesavage out of the gate on Sunday as he struck out six out of the first nine hitters he faced.

He ran into trouble in the fourth inning when the White Sox opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly and then again in the sixth when Chicago shortstop Colson Montgomery launched a solo home run and right-fielder Braden Montgomery added a hard-hit RBI single that pushed the lead to 3-0.

All told though, Yesavage authored a quality start by allowing three runs on five hits over six innings. He walked just two batters and punched out nine while generating 21 whiffs, an indication that his stuff was back to normal.

Perhaps most impressive, though, was that Yesavage filled up the strike zone. He recorded first-pitch strikes to 22 of the 24 batters he faced while 69 of his 95 total pitches were strikes (72.6 per cent).

Under most circumstances, such a performance would be worthy of a win. But that’s not the case when a lineup is experiencing the type of struggles that the Blue Jays are going through.

The club was shut down by White Sox starter Sean Burke, who surrendered just two hits over 6.2 frames, and remained punchless against the Chicago bullpen. The Blue Jays tallied just five runs during the three-game series and sit 26^th in the majors in OPS (.687) and 27^th in runs (397).

Sunday also began on an emotional note with news of the passing of former Blue Jays pitcher Duane Ward, who died on Saturday of natural causes. The team held a moment of silence for Ward, who was an impactful reliver during his nine years with the franchise. He was 62.

Up next is a pivotal four-game set against the AL-East leading Tampa Bay Rays, beginning Monday at Rogers Centre.

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NSC Chairman Explains N6.44bn World Cup Budget After Atiku’s Questions

Published

1 hour ago

19 July 2026

NewsAdmin

National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, has explained why a N6.44 billion budget provision for Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign remained in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

The issue came up after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar questioned why the money was still included in the budget even though Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Atiku said the budget item, listed as “Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers,” needed a public explanation.

He asked why the government budgeted N6.44 billion for the World Cup qualifiers after Nigeria’s qualification campaign had ended. He also questioned who approved the budget line and what the money was meant for.

The budget provision has sparked public discussion, with many Nigerians asking whether the allocation was for a programme that had already been completed.

In response, Dikko said there was a misunderstanding about how the country’s budget system works.

According to him, the N6.44 billion was first included in the 2025 budget to support the Super Eagles’ World Cup qualifying campaign. However, he said the money was never released during the 2025 financial year.

Dikko explained that despite not receiving the funds, the National Sports Commission still financed Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying matches, including the playoff fixtures, using other available resources.

He said the Federal Government later approved the transfer of some unfunded 2025 budget items into the 2026 budget so payments could be made for projects already carried out or programmes that were still outstanding.

“The budget sub-head has been in the Federal Government budget since the 2025 Appropriation Act to support the World Cup qualifiers,” Dikko said.

He added that when the 2026 budget was prepared, Nigeria still had a petition before FIFA concerning the qualification process. Because of this, he said there was reason to keep the budget item until the matter was concluded.

Dikko also revealed that after Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup officially ended, the NSC worked with the National Assembly and the Budget Office to change the budget through a corrigendum.

He said the amendment would allow the funds to be legally redirected to support other Nigerian national teams taking part in international competitions.

According to the NSC chairman, using a budget corrigendum is a legal process for correcting or updating items in the Appropriation Act.

He maintained that rolling over unfunded budget provisions from one year to another is part of the Federal Government’s budget implementation policy for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), especially where projects have already been completed but payment has not yet been made.

The controversy has renewed calls for greater transparency and accountability in the management of government funds for sports development and other national projects.

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Spain-Argentina live: Defending champions face European powerhouse for the crown

Published

1 hour ago

19 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Spain and Argentina meet in the World Cup final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with both nations seeking to etch their names in football history. The European champions face the defending world champions in a clash of styles, experience, and ambition as the tournament’s ultimate prize hangs in the balance. Follow our liveblog for minute-by-minute commentary.

Official lineups for Spain-Argentina

Spain: Simon – Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella – Rodri (c), Ruiz – Yamal, Olmo, Baena – Oyarzabal.

Argentina: E. Martinez – Montiel, Romero, Li. Martinez, Tagliafico – De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister, Gonzalez – Messi (c), Alvarez.

Spain arrive as reigning European champions, seeking to replicate the extraordinary achievements of their golden generation by winning a second Euro-World Cup double sixteen years after their 2008-2010 feat. The Roja have showcased commanding possession-based football throughout this tournament, controlling matches through their midfield superiority and collective organisation. Their ability to dictate tempo and starve opponents of the ball has proven devastatingly effective, culminating in their semi-final demolition of France.

Argentina come as defending World Cup champions, bidding to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups. The Albiceleste have displayed pragmatism and defensive resilience despite being tested repeatedly in the knockout stages. Lionel Messi leads the charge, pursuing both a second World Cup crown and potentially reclaiming the all-time goalscoring record from Kylian Mbappé, who currently stands at 22 goals.

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Argentina vs. Spain prediction, odds: 2026 World Cup final picks

Published

2 hours ago

19 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Argentina needed an extraordinary late comeback to beat England in the 2026 World Cup semifinal, and Lionel Messi’s side now faces Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday. Messi has now scored or assisted in every one of Argentina’s matches at this World Cup, tallying eight goals and five assists. Spain, meanwhile, proved why they may be the best all-around team at this tournament, dismantling France 2-0 in the semifinal with a display of complete dominance. They have conceded just one goal in seven matches and are riding a seven-game winning streak, and 37-match unbeaten run, coming into the Final.

Kickoff for Argentina vs. Spain is 3 p.m. ET from East Rutherford. The latest Argentina vs. Spain odds from FanDuel Sportsbook list Spain at +125 (risk $100 to win $125) on the 90-minute money line, with Argentina at +260 and a draw at +195. The over/under is 2.5 goals. Spain are -160 to lift the cup, with Argentina at +138. Messi (+160) has the shortest soccer odds as an anytime goal scorer, followed by Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal (+165) and Lamine Yamal (+230). Before locking in any Argentina vs. Spain picks or World Cup 2026 final predictions, check out the Argentina vs. Spain predictions from SportsLine’s Jon Eimer.

Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, he has covered the English Premier League, Champions League, Serie A, the FA Cup, and much more. He’s been red-hot on his soccer betting picks in 2026, posting a 31-13-2 record and returning over $1,200 of profit on his Champions League picks, and is on a profitable 27-18-2 run on WC picks. Anyone wanting to follow his World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could see big returns.

Now, Eimer has studied Argentina vs. Spain and just revealed his 2026 World Cup picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several World Cup odds and soccer betting lines for Spain vs. Argentina:

Argentina vs. Spain 90-minute money line	Spain +125, Argentina +260, Draw +195
Argentina vs. Spain over/under:	2.5 goals Advertisement
Argentina vs. Spain to finish third:	Spain -160, Argentina +138
Argentina vs. Spain picks:	See picks at SportsLine Advertisement
Argentina vs. Spain streaming:	Fubo (Try for free)

Top Argentina vs. Spain predictions

After examining Argentina vs. Spain from every angle, Eimer is leaning Under 2.5 total goals (-164). Spain have conceded just one goal in seven matches at this World Cup and were virtually untouchable against France in the semifinal. Argentina tend to strike late — nine of their 11 knockout-stage goals have come after the 75th minute — but breaking down this Spanish defense is a fundamentally different challenge.

“I expect a tight, tactical final where goals are at a premium,” Eimer told SportsLine. See Eimer’s best bets for Argentina vs. Spain at SportsLine, and you can bet the Under in Argentina vs. Spain at FanDuel here:

How to make Argentina vs. Spain picks

After studying the Argentina vs. Spain matchup from every angle, Eimer has found a critical x-factor and locked in three best bets, including a must-see Messi prop. You can head to SportsLine to see what they are.

So what are the best bets for Argentina vs. Spain? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for Argentina vs. Spain, all from expert on a 27-16 roll on World Cup picks, and find out.

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Promising filly Sword Of Legacy shines at Rosehill in 2026

Published

2 hours ago

19 July 2026

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Horses and jockeys race down a grassy track, colorful silks in a tight pack as they sprint toward the finish line.

Sword Of Legacy has concluded a successful week for trainer Matthew Dunn, achieving a determined victory at Rosehill. This win comes just three days after Band Of Brothers, carrying the same lime, purple, and gold silks of David Moodie’s Hesket Thoroughbreds, clinched the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton.

The $2.25 favourite, Sword Of Legacy, took out the Ranvet Handicap (1200m) on Saturday. This marked Dunn’s 130th win for the current season, propelling him to sixth place in the national trainers’ premiership, a testament to an outstanding campaign for the stable. The filly was a popular choice with the public, according to leading online bookmakers.

“The same colours on Wednesday won the Ramornie. We’ve had a great season,” Dunn commented.

“That’s about 130 winners for the season, and we’re fifth or sixth in the Australian premiership, so to do that from a country base is a credit to my team.”

Having achieved Group placings in Victoria as a two-year-old, Sword Of Legacy joined Dunn’s stable earlier this year and has since won three of her six starts under his care.

Dunn admitted he had been inclined to spell the filly after her last start at Eagle Farm, but Moodie persuaded him to give her another run.

“I was actually going to stop her after her last start and David Moodie convinced me to go one more,” he said.

“She’s had to dig really deep on a testing track, and I suppose it ticks another box moving forward with her career. She’s going to improve again off what she’s doing now.

“She has already performed at stakes level. She should have won a Listed race three starts back in Brisbane, and just missed in a stakes race her second start in a race.

“I think she is better than an off-season Saturday horse.”

The Grafton influence continued when the Tom Charlton and John O’Shea-trained Roselyn’s Star captured the Schweppes Handicap (1100m) in the following race. Charlton had previously won the Grafton Cup (2350m) with King Pedro on Thursday.

Roselyn’s Star, the $2 favourite, was having its first start since winning at Group 3 level in the autumn and proved a class above its competitors, winning by a comfortable 2-1/4 lengths from Grand Impact ($20).

“The key to him was when we turned him out a winner,” O’Shea explained.

“He had a nice break, he had his tail in the air coming off a win. He’s come back in, and Tom and the team have done a wonderful job preparing him today.”

O’Shea confirmed that the Magic Millions carnival next year is the long-term goal for the talented winner.

Check out the latest betting markets for the race and see who the experts are tipping.

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Ryan Fox wins Open Championship, claims first major in shocking fashion

Published

2 hours ago

19 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Cameron Young shot 64 on Sunday at Royal Birkdale, and then he waited. And waited. And waited some more. He started the day seven back but now held the clubhouse lead, although surely the hole he started in was simply too big a deficit to overcome and win the Open Championship, right?

But the longer he waited — it became over two hours — the longer it seemed like a possibility he would hoist the Claret Jug.

And then Ryan Fox ruined his parade.

The 39-year-old New Zealander birdied two of his last three holes, including the par-4 18th, to clip Young by one and claim the biggest title of his career.

It’s the first major title for Fox, who before Sunday had never even recorded a major top 10 in his 28 previous starts. He’s won all over the world and on several tours, and his biggest victory came at the BMW PGA Championship, the flagship event of the DP World Tour, back in 2023. Last year he won the PGA Tour’s Myrtle Beach event and the RBC Canadian Open.

At the Open, Fox jumped into contention with a 62 on Saturday and earned a spot in the final pairing with 54-hole leader Sam Burns on Sunday. Fox was one over through 12 holes on Sunday, but he birdied four of his last six to shoot a two-under 68. He made a 12-footer for birdie on the 18th, which pushed him to 10 under and stole the title from Young, who held the clubhouse lead for several hours at nine under.

Even before the first balls went into the air on Sunday, it was an eventful few days on the northwest coast of England.

Three players — Lucas Herbert and Burns on Friday, and Fox on Saturday — shot 62, tying the major championship record.

And then there was Bryson DeChambeau, who injected a considerable amount of drama into golf’s oldest major when he was embroiled in a rules controversy on Friday night. DeChambeau put the tournament (and third-round tee times) on hold when he disputed what later would become a two-stroke penalty for inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing on his second shot on the 5th hole. Afterward, he hit balls well into the night on Royal Birkdale’s range, a bizarre scene in which more than a dozen reporters watched and waited to see if he would answer questions when he was through. (He did not.)

Several players were asked about the controversial penalty and most tiptoed the sensitive topic, although Rory McIlroy had no issue expressing his opinion. He said he believed there was “no doubt” DeChambeau improved the line of his backswing and called the penalty justified. (“I won’t pretend to be up here and defend Bryson,” McIlroy said. “I’m not particularly fond of him.”)

On Sunday, the focus was solely on the golf.

Burns started at 10 under and with a two-shot lead, although he’d been just 1 for 5 in converting 54-hole lead or co-leads in his career. Fox and Si Woo Kim both stood at eight under, with Ryan Gerard and Herbert at seven under. Other stars lurked too: Ludvig Aberg and DeChambeau six under, Tommy Fleetwood five under, and Scottie Scheffler four under.

Burns’ lead was still two when he teed off in the final pairing, but the leaderboard was shaken up quickly.

Young started his day with five straight 3s — good for four birdies — and shot 64 to post nine under, despite an 18th-hole bogey, to take the clubhouse lead. Burns birdied the 2nd hole but went bogey-bogey-bogey on Nos. 4-6. Meanwhile, other marquee names started to fade. Fleetwood, the hometown favorite, made bogeys on 9, 10 and 11. DeChambeau made a triple-bogey 7 on the 11th.

Scheffler, who struck the ball beautifully all week but battled a cold putter, got off to a good start but made bogeys on 13 and 15, only to birdie 16 and 17 and give himself a chance to tie Young’s lead. Ultimately, he bogeyed 18 and shot 67 to finish seven under and in a tie with Fleetwood for fourth.

As the day wore on, everyone was still chasing Young, who had to start feeling better about where he stood at nine under.

Burns, Kim and Fox were all eight under with five to play, but Fox went birdie-bogey-birdie on Nos. 14-16 to tie Young at nine under with two to play. After narrowly missing his birdie try on 17, Fox went to the 18th hole needing birdie to win and a par to force a playoff. He found the fairway and then the green, and after Burns missed his birdie putt, the stage belonged to Fox.

The newest owner of the Claret Jug didn’t miss.