Jul 17, 2026; Southport, ENG; Joaquin Niemann plays his shot from a bunker by the tenth green during the second round of The Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Birkdale. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
After a pair of blistering rounds, Joaquin Niemann cooled off on Saturday yet clung to a two-stroke lead after three rounds of the LIV Golf New York event in Bedminster, N.J.
The Chilean stands at 14-under-par 199 after his third-round 70, but his lead shrank from five strokes to two during the third round as Harold Varner III vaulted up the leaderboard with a 65 at Trump National Golf Club.
Englishman Lee Westwood duplicated his Thursday round of 2-under 69 to drop into solo third at 10 under par. Westwood is three shots clear of Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin (70), while Spain’s Sergio Garcia (72) dropped eight shots off the pace.
The team scores took a beating in the windy conditions. Niemann’s Torque GC is the lone team under par at 1-under after amassing an 8-over score on Saturday. McKibbin’s Legion XIII side lapped the field with a 4-under round and closed to within two strokes.
Niemann, who played bogey-free golf through 36 holes while posting rounds of 64 and 65, opened with a double-bogey 6 after his drive on the 514-yard par 4 went out of bounds to the right.
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He shot 36 on the front nine after solving the outward half in 30 on Thursday and Friday.
Niemann, looking for his ninth LIV Golf individual title, steadied himself on the inward half. He made birdies at Nos. 12 and 15, but another wayward drive cost him an opportunity for birdie on the finishing hole, a 580-yard par 5.
“I mean, it was a pretty good last 17 holes,” Niemann said. “Obviously not the best start. But pretty proud and happy the way I played today, especially coming into the end of the round.”
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Varner started the day tied with McKibbin for fourth place, seven shots behind Niemann. He posted the lowest round of the day by a margin of three shots, making four birdies on the front nine on the way to a bogey-free round.
“Yeah, obviously it suits my game,” said Varner about the Bedminster layout. “It’s playing really long right now. Obviously it’s — I don’t know how long it is, but it’s an advantage for me. It’s a great opportunity to do something well.
“I feel like I’ve been playing well, and tomorrow is going to be a great chance.”
Westwood admitted to some fatigue coming down the stretch on a blustery day. He was at 12 under through 12 holes, but took a double bogey on No. 14 and a bogey at 16.
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“I’m just pleased to be in good enough shape, my game still be at an elite level where I can compete with these guys that are some of the best in the world,” Westwood said. “Joaco is one of the best players in the world, in my eyes. You’ve got Jon Rahm and Bryson and Tyrrell, and they’re not even in contention this week.
“At 53 years of age, I think it’s quite an achievement to still be mixing it with the youngsters. If you go out there and watch us all playing, I’m giving up quite an advantage off the tee. Not all the time, I get the occasional one out there, but in general, I’m playing a different golf course, really.”
Niemann plans to carry an admirable attitude into the final round.
“I mean, just be grateful,” Niemann said. “I feel like if I just remember the good things that I have around me and the people around me, it’s just easy to go back to sleep. I have a good life.”
The Washington Commanders were dealt a tough blow during Saturday’s practice, as star left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a torn triceps, which will require surgery and force him to miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season, per ESPN.
Tunsil suffered the injury while attempting to stifle a bull rush from free-agent addition Odafe Oweh during one-on-one drills. Just five months ago, Washington made Tunsil the first $30 million-per-year offensive lineman, signing a two-year, $60.2 million extension that reset the left-tackle market. It marked the second time in his career that Tunsil became the highest-paid player at his position.
Tunsil was acquired by the Commanders from the Houston Texans via trade last offseason and started 14 games for Washington in 2025. A video of Tunsil’s injury circulated around social media. It doesn’t offer the clearest look at what happened, but you can see Tunsil grab at his arm while kneeling down after the rep:
Tunsil just turned 32 years old last Sunday and has long been viewed as one of the best left tackles in the NFL. The former No. 13 overall pick of the Miami Dolphins has made five Pro Bowls over 10 seasons and is viewed as the cornerstone of Jayden Daniels‘ protection. PFF ranked Tunsil as the sixth-best offensive tackle in 2025 after he allowed 15 total pressures and two sacks.
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This is a troubling development for the Commanders, who had their 2025 season derailed by injury. After going 12-5 in 2024 with an NFC Championship appearance, Washington went 5-12 when several key players were sidelined. On the offensive side alone, Daniels missed 10 games with multiple issues, including a dislocated elbow, star wideout Terry McLaurin had the worst season of his career after being forced to miss seven games due to a quad injury, and running back Austin Ekeler tore his Achilles in Week 2.
What happens next?
The Commanders will likely look in-house for their Tunsil replacement, and they do have a couple of options.
One is Brandon Coleman, the former third-round pick out of TCU in 2024, who began his NFL career at left tackle for Washington. The Commanders did make the NFC Championship with him blocking on the blind side, but Coleman was moved to left guard last year when Tunsil was acquired. Coleman ended up being benched for Chris Paul in Week 3, but did re-enter the starting lineup at left tackle when Tunsil was injured at the end of last season. In this training camp, Coleman was battling Paul for the starting left guard spot.
While experienced, Wylie has never started at left tackle. He was Washington’s starting right tackle in 2023 and 2024, but was replaced by No. 29 overall pick Josh Conerly Jr. in 2025. Wylie then moved inside to right guard and played 16 games with five starts.
The young Coleman and the veteran Wylie are likely Washington’s top two options, but there are a couple of notable names still out there on the open market. Taylor Decker and Cam Robinson headline the slim pickings.
Decker requested his release from the Detroit Lions this offseason after the two sides could not “find common ground.” The one-time Pro Bowler has 140 career starts to his name, but it’s curious as to why he’s still available. Would he play for a franchise other than the Lions, has he been actively searching for a new landing spot and what kind of shape is he in? It’s worth mentioning that new Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough spent several seasons with the Lions as a backup quarterback. The two have some kind of a relationship.
As for Robinson, he began last season with the Texans before being traded to the Cleveland Browns four weeks into the season. Robinson started in 12 of 13 games played for the Browns, and has 114 career starts for four different franchises. He was a former No. 34 overall pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2017.
Siya Kolisi has emerged as a major doubt for South Africa rugby’s series against New Zealand rugby after suffering a hamstring injury.
Kolisi was forced off in discomfort in the 25th minute of the Springboks’ 17-10 win over Argentina in Buenos Aires, with the veteran flanker grasping at the back of his leg.
The 35-year-old has already missed three Tests this year with a hamstring issue, withdrawing late ahead of the Nations Championship game against England and then missing subsequent clashes with Scotland and Wales.
Siya Kolisi suffered an injury against Argentina (Getty)
Kolisi now faces scans on a possible recurrence of the injury with just two weeks until South Africa play the first of four Tests against the All Blacks.
“I hurt my hamstring again, unfortunately,” Kolisi said to the host broadcaster in Argentina. “I’ll go for a scan and see how it is.
“It’s really tough, but I can’t be sad about it. There’s nothing I can do now but go for a scan and see how long I’ll be out for.”
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Rassie Erasmus had been pleased to be able to return Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to his starting side for the game against Argentina, though saw his side look rusty in a clunky attacking performance.
South Africa overcame Argentina (Getty)
Tries from Edwill van der Merwe and Cameron Hanekom proved enough for victory after Benjamin Grondona had struck early for the hosts, who had several first-choice players unavailable because of club commitments in Europe.
Marco van Staden replaced Kolisi after his injury and is his likely replacement on the openside flank if the Springboks skipper misses part or all of the All Blacks series.
Being labeled a cheater on the golf course is a black mark that’s virtually impossible to remove. Whether it’s a wild cheating scandal at Q School or someone fluffing their lie during a Saturday morning scramble, cheating in golf isn’t new.
But what happened recently at WingHaven Country Club near St. Louis rocked the local golf scene and is spreading after the culprit went on ESPN Radio in St. Louis to confess.
To set the scene, the events happened during a member-member championship at WingHaven last weekend. The golfer in question, who we won’t name to avoid piling on, is a plus-2 handicap and played college golf at a junior college before having what he described to ESPN as “a cup of coffee” at Eastern Illinois University.
At the WingHaven event, there was a hole-in-one pot. The golfer in question was in the first tee time of the day, which he learned before the round. He told his group before they teed off that his grandmother had been having health issues and he was expecting a phone call that he might have to take. On the third green, the golfer told his group he got the call. So he ran up to the fourth tee box and teed off to keep up the pace of play. He told his group he’d meet them on the tee when he’d finished his call.
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The fourth hole is a par-3. When the group caught up to their playing partner, they asked him how he fared with his tee shot. He said he “thinned it a little,” but didn’t see where it landed. When they got up to the green, there was a divot on the green . . . and the golfer’s ball in the hole.
Naturally, a celebration occurred, but there was understandably some skepticism because no one had witnessed the shot. Players sought out the superintendent, who reviewed security camera footage from a maintenance shed near the fourth green. The footage showed the golfer driving past the shed early in the morning toward the fourth green well before his tee time. After that footage surfaced, the golfer informed the super that he had placed the ball in the hole early in the morning. Aware he had put himself in an untenable spot, the golfer resigned his membership.
News of the faked ace quickly made its way around the St. Louis golf scene, leading the culprit to call into the ESPN show, “The Morning After,” on Friday to issue an apology, offer an explanation and ask that his family be left out of the reaction to his cheating. The pro shop at WingHaven confirmed the legitimacy of the story to GOLF.
“You do something as dumb as I did, there are consequences for that,” the golfer said. “Some are very fair, and some aren’t.
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“I made a terrible mistake. The lack of moral character. I can take the banter and the chatter and the heat because I deserve that from a golf perspective. What I am most worried about is my family — breaking trust with a marriage that I have had for five years next month. We have two kids that are under 3 and it’s not fair to them for me to put them in that situation where when they walk through a room there is a stigma there that your dad is a [cheater]. So questions that they may get asked or be getting asked down the road, that’s the worst part. The golf is secondary.”
Asked why he made the decision that will follow him for the rest of his golfing life, the golfer did not provide much of an explanation.
“I was so upset that we were giving a couple shots back,” he said. “That’s no excuse. There’s no excuse for what I did, and I was completely in the wrong.
“There’s really no motivation. Just complete stupidity and we were giving two shots back to the field and that’s not an excuse. There’s no excuse for what happened. We were giving two shots back to the field and I went about it just completely and utterly the wrong way.”
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The hole-in-one manipulator ended his appearance on ESPN Radio in St. Louis with a plea to those piling on — to not bring his family into the repercussions that are headed his way.
“People say he’s only sorry because he got caught and that might have been true at first,” he said. “But the messages that I’m going to get, I’m just someone to attack. People that I’ve never met in my life. People that don’t know me. People that have no clue who I am. They just want to attack. I get it. I opened up the door to that. That’s fine. I can take that. But my family doesn’t deserve that.
“I’m not a cheater on the golf course,” the golfer said. “I made a bad decision and I have to suffer the consequences. I’m trying to move forward as best I can and it’s been rough. … I’m trying to move forward and do what’s right for my family and be there for them and the two young kids that don’t deserve this. The wife that doesn’t deserve this. It’s terrible. I don’t want sympathy from anybody. I don’t deserve sympathy. But I just wish people would tread lightly on my family.”
It has been said that a reputation is earned in drops and lost in buckets. At WingHaven Country Club’s member-member, a swing that never happened cost a golfer something much more valuable than the money he had to return once his ruse was found out.
Ekaterina Alexandrova celebrates match point against Aryna Sabalenka during day seven of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers at Sobeys Stadium on August 08, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
World number one Aryna Sabalenka was eliminated by Russian 16th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova on Saturday in a fourth-round match at the WTA Toronto Masters tournament.
Alexandrova defeated the four-time Grand Slam winner from Belarus 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4 in 2hr 29min to book a berth in the quarterfinals.
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Sabalenka, who will seek her third consecutive US Open title next month, fell to 5-5 in her career WTA rivalry with Alexandrova, who will face either American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova or Ukraine’s ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.
Sabalenka broke for a 2-0 lead in the opening set, dropped the next four games, then held and broke back to 4-4 on a forehand drop volley winner.
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Double faults by Sabalenka in the 11th game and Alexandrova in the 12th surrendered breaks leading to a tie-break.
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The Russian took five of the last six points to seal the first set when Sabalenka swatted a crosscourt forehand wide.
In the second set, Alexandrova hit a forehand long to surrender a break and give Sabalenka a 4-3 lead. The top seed then held serve twice to force a decider.
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Sabalenka was broken when she netted a forehand to give Alexandrova a 3-1 edge, but the Russian double-faulted away a break in the seventh game.
In the 10th game, Sabalenka made three unforced errors to give Alexandrova break and match points.
Sabalenka saved the first on a service winner and the second on an ace.
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But after sending a backhand beyond the baseline, the Belarusian made her sixth and final double fault to lose the match.
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“I didn’t have any expectations before the match,” Alexandrova said. “I knew it was going to be super difficult when I walked on the court.
“I was trying to risk as much as possible because it felt like it was the only way to create some chances. It caused many more mistakes but at the same time I created many more opportunities.”
Miami Dolphins cheerleader and Carson Beck’s sister, Kylie Beck, shared a fresh summer look with her Instagram followers.
Kylie posted the photos on her Instagram Stories. In the first picture, she posed for a bathroom mirror selfie while wearing a bright pink-and-white gingham two-piece bikini from swimwear brand Kulani Kinis.
Thanks for the submission!
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Source: (Via Instagram/ @kyliebeck_)
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In a second photo, Kylie showed off the same bikini while enjoying the sunny weather outdoors. She wore sunglasses as she relaxed and took another selfie.
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Source: (Via Instagram/ @kyliebeck_)
Kylie’s latest post came just days after her brother, Carson Beck, started at quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, Aug. 6.
On the game day, Kylie showed her support for Carson on Instagram. She shared a video of him throwing a touchdown pass to Cardinals wide receiver Simione Tufui Fehoko during the second quarter in Canton, Ohio.
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“That’s how it’s done,” Kylie wrote on her Instagram Story.
Kylie has also been celebrating another major achievement this summer. On June 24, she announced that she had become a Miami Dolphins cheerleader after going through the team’s audition process.
“Still on cloud 9 and in complete awe of the Lord and how He has moved in my life over this audition process of becoming a MIAMI DOLPHINS CHEERLEADER!!” Kylie wrote.
She said the video she shared showed her journey from attending preparation classes to making the team. Kylie also said she was thankful for the experience and described it as a “heartwarming & rewarding journey.”
Along with her announcement, Kylie shared a poem she wrote in March about dreams, faith and following God’s path.
In the poem, she wrote about how dreams can come from above and said people should not be afraid when following them. She also wrote about giving up doubts, staying hopeful and continuing to push forward even during difficult moments.
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Kylie ended the poem by saying that God sees a person’s dreams and heart and can lead them down a different path before their “cup will one day overflow.”
She finished the post with a prayer hands emoji.
Kylie studied at the University of Georgia. While she was there, she was a UGA cheerleader. She was also part of the Georgettes and Dance Dawgs dance teams.
In April 2025, when she was a sophomore, Kylie left the university.
On the face of it, archery and cricket have very little in common. It may, therefore, come as a surprise to many that a former Australian all-rounder has emerged as an unlikely inspiration for one of the rising stars of Indian archery. For Sahil Jadhav, it was a book by star cricketer Shane Watson that provided the spark of inspiration as he gears up to take on the continental elite at the Asian Games 2026.
“I started reading a book called ‘The Winner’s Mindset’ by Shane Watson around a month ago. My initial intent was to reduce the time I spent scrolling my phone. However, I have received valuable knowledge on how to deal with pressure and keep myself focussed during competitions,” Jadhav said during an interaction with SAI Media.
Mental strength and patience are qualities which Jadhav has required in copious amounts over his career. The 25-year-old endured seven years of disappointment before winning his first national title and break into the Indian squad.
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It was the support and sacrifices of his family that kept Jadhav going during those difficult years. “I took up archery quite late, at the age of 19. But my family was extremely supportive. In fact, my family have sacrificed more than me. They stood by me during those difficult years and supported me in every way possible. I took seven years to win my first medal at the national level. It was a test of patience and grit as every year I used to miss out by extremely small margins,” Jadhav recalled.
The years of hard work and perseverance bore fruit as Sahil Jadhav won his first national medal in 2024 — a gold at the senior nationals before tasting international success by emerging champion in the individual category at the World University Games 2025 along with a silver medal in the team event.
The Satara native is in good form this year, registering the biggest result of his career by clinching a bronze medal in the men’s individual compound event at the Archery World Cup 2026 Stage 2 in Shanghai, China, earlier this year.
“As I stood on the podium, I thought about my parents, their sacrifices and all the struggle I had to undergo over these last few years,” he said.
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While he is confident about his personal form, Jadhav feels that he and his colleagues in the Indian squad need to pay attention to the ‘minor’ details in order to upstage global archery powerhouses such as South Korea, China and Japan at the Asian Games 2026 which starts in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, next month.
“The selection trial for the Indian squad is the toughest in the world. If we have managed to earn our spots in the Indian team, it means we have the potential to beat the best in the world. However, sometimes our archers choke under pressure, make minor errors or slip up by one or two points. We lost bronze medals at three World Cups in this manner,” he said.
“We need to address this issue. If we give our 100 percent, there should be no problem.”
Currently training at SAI’s National Centre of Excellence, Eastern Centre in Kolkata, Sahil Jadhav is focussed on the Asian Games – his biggest international assignment so far. “Conditions here are perfect for training. I have training at SAI for the last 3-4 years. We owe a lot to SAI since they take care of our training, lodging, food, equipment and other facilities. In fact, SAI is a crucial factor behind the international success I have achieved,” he said
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We hit another winner on the diamond yesterday with the Rays and Drew Rasmussen getting the victory over the Mariners. It was a very low-scoring game, but that didn’t matter because we came out on the correct side of it. Unfortunately, I lost the full game bet on the Padres, so it was basically a wash. However, I hit on our Jose Altuve bet, so we did end up profitable for the day, and that’s the ultimate goal. Let’s get some profit here as the Braves take on the Yankees.
The Atlanta Braves are quietly having one of the best seasons of any team in baseball. They are the second team to reach 70 wins and are now 8.5 games ahead of the second-place Phillies. There is a lot to like about this team that just keeps winning. They have really strong hitters up and down the lineup. They can beat you with speed, contact hitting, power, and a fairly strong defense. Their pitching staff has had some concerns, but no team is perfect.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale pitches during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, California, on April 6, 2026.(Caroline Brehman/AP Photo)
They do have one of the best pitchers in baseball on the roster, and he takes the pill tonight. Chris Sale has been as good as it gets since coming over to Atlanta. He had two phenomenal years with them already, and this might be his best. He is 12-6 with a 2.08 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. He also has 143 strikeouts for the season. His wins, ERA, and WHIP are all in the top-10 in the Majors. He was very good in July, allowing just six runs over 27 innings. He had three starts where he didn’t allow a run, although one was a short, three-inning outing. The Yankees don’t have a ton of experience against him, and they are just 4-for-29.
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The New York Yankees were going to catch some heat from their fans unless they added Tarik Skubal to the roster at the trade deadline. That didn’t happen, but the team did do some work to try and address their needs. Their biggest need is filling the shoes of Aaron Judge, who has been out for months. You’re not going to find that on the trade market. Instead, they got Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos. Neither of those players will make you overly excited, but this is still a team that has 65 wins and is in a comfortable position to make the postseason. Additionally, Judge is trying to return to action sooner rather than later.
Pitcher Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning of a spring training game at Sloan Park on March 24, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)(Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
The team turns to Gerrit Cole this afternoon. Cole started the season on the injured list, but has now been back for two full months and is looking more and more like his old self. He has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his past six outings. Two of those were fewer than six innings of work, but he still hit the five-inning threshold in those. He hasn’t been wildly different on the road or at home so far this season, but he has allowed more homers in Yankee Stadium than he has on the road. Braves hitters are not very successful against him, going just 6-for-52.
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 3: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves hits a home run against the New York Mets in the fifth inning at Truist Park on July 3, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images)(Getty Images)
Today might be a day to give off to Matt Olson, he is 0-for-21 against Cole with just two walks and 14 strikeouts. Ouch. I’ll put a player prop on him to not have a hit today. That’s a +122 payout. I’m also going to take the under here. I think Sale and Cole will battle each other out and post lost of scoreless innings. I expect this to be closer to a 2-1 game than a 7-5 score. Give me the under as well as the Olson prop.
Unless, of course, a small child brought into question whether you could, in fact, play it as it lies.
That was the bizarre question facing Wyndham Championship 54-hole leader Beau Hossler on Saturday afternoon, shortly after the horn blew in the 18th fairway forcing a stoppage in play for a band of inbound storms.
As Hossler went through the typical pro golfer’s checklist after the horn blew — mark the ball with a white flag in its position, retrieve it, put your things away, go into the clubhouse — he was greeted with an unexpected visitor. A young girl, no older than two, had stepped over the ropeline and into the field of play, prancing through the grass in the direction of Hossler.
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The girl was not a threat to Hossler … or anyone, really. But she was a threat to his golf ball, which nestled safely next to its white flag. As the girl drew nearer to Hossler, she tripped, as young children tend to do, regaining her footing with one large step smack-dab in the middle of his lie.
Hossler knew something rules-adjacent had happened immediately, and when the horn blew again to signify the restart, he acted accordingly. Hossler called over a rules official to alert him of the situation with the girl and see if he might be entitled to move his golf ball on account of it.
“She didn’t step on the ball, I had already picked it up, but she stepped on it,” Hossler told the official in an exchange that CBS’s microphones picked up. “That’s why this tee that I just picked up was all the way in there, because she’d stepped on it.”
“It looked like she was on this side of the flag from the video we saw,” the rules official countered.
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“Look, I’m not saying it’s better or worse, I was just letting you know that that area, after picking up the ball, she was standing on it,” Hossler said. “It was sitting like every other lie, just halfway down.”
After a short back and forth, the official agreed with Hossler’s interpretation, and granted Hossler the chance to move his ball just inches away to a lie that represented what it had been before the toddler stomping.
Hossler took advantage of the relief and hit a tidy approach from 190 yards to about 50 feet, setting up a tidy two-putt for a par and a share of the 54-hole lead.
Hossler enters Sunday at the Wyndham Championship with more than babysitting duties on the mind. He’s still in pursuit of his first career PGA Tour victory — a feat he’ll get a grade-A chance at accomplishing on Sunday afternoon in North Carolina.
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The 31-year-old pro will face a charging field of FedEx Cup playoff hopefuls on Sunday at the Wyndham. If he’s lucky, that group won’t include any more children.
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell looks on against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
J.J. McCarthy was a Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pick. Now gone, Adofo-Mensah can no longer insist on rolling with the young fella. So says Cris Carter, at least in the retelling from within a recent interview.
A few days ago, Kevin O’Connell chatted for about half an hour with Dan Barreiro of KFAN. Berreiro really does a nice job as an interlocutor, asking reasonably tough questions but doing so in a manner that’s curious rather than accusative. At one point, he passed along the Carter comment to ask for O’Connell’s response.
Carter’s “sources indicate to him,” the interviewer suggests, that Adofo-Mensah was the main person behind the McCarthy selection.
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O’Connell’s response: “Yeah, I can’t really speak to his sources. I will just say this, Dan, it was a time and place in this organization where there was a lot of momentum — from me included — to draft a quarterback […] I wanted the same thing happening now, then. I wanted a competitive daily situation.” In O’Connell’s retelling, there would have been a battle between McCarthy and Sam Darnold.
At the risk of misinterpreting, O’Connell appears to be saying that the issue isn’t rolling with McCarthy but, rather, that McCarthy has been hurt so often. O’Connell then clarified that what has changed is “10 football games in three years.”
Kevin O’Connell, Cris Carter, & The Status of J.J. McCarthy
What’s O’Connell supposed to say?
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In theory, the skipper could have shifted all of the blame to his former colleague, but that would have been remarkably stupid. After all, O’Connell has done quite a lot of talking about the young passer since McCarthy was scooped up at No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) discusses strategy with head coach Kevin O’Connell on Sep 14, 2025, during first-half play against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The two reviewed adjustments on the sideline as the rookie continued gaining command of the offense under O’Connell’s guidance in the early stages of his first NFL season. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Over on Sports Illustrated, Will Ragatz has passed along a lot of the coach’s enthusiasm following the brutal injury in the summer of 2024.
Consider one bold claim: “As excited as I was to draft him, he’s confirmed everything that I hoped to see. Our fan base and everyone should be excited about the fact that we’ve got our young franchise quarterback in the building.”
Calling Mr. McCarthy a franchise quarterback is bold. Hard to walk that one back, right? Note, as well, that the comment confirming McCarthy as the franchise passer came after expressing enthusiasm about drafting him. A couple of years later, O’Connell is being pressed on his desire to have added McCarthy in the first place.
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Consider, as well, the comments that O’Connell made about the role that franchises play in a young arm’s development. Jordan Dajani of CBS Sportshelpfully passes along that quote: “I just think as a whole, there’s not enough emphasis put on the organization’s role in the development of the position, meaning I believe that organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations.”
Oct 5, 2025; Tottenham, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during warmups before an NFL International Series game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Maybe unsurprisingly, a lot has been said on the matter. Some of that can be brought back to Kevin O’Connell as an individual but then there’s plenty of broader chatter.
Per Carter (but via the KFAN interview), the former GM wanted J.J. McCarthy. Let’s assume that’s true. After all, there’s been no shortage of chatter about Kevin O’Connell really wanting Drake Maye.
Since then, O’Connell has said quite a lot.
Calling McCarthy the franchise quarterback before then taking aim at the NFL’s franchises more broadly for failing young fellas means that O’Connell is invested in this thing. He is, after all, the quarterback whisperer, the one who is supposed to get it since he was an NFL passer before turning into a quarterback coach (and then rising up from there).
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What’s odd, as well, is that Minnesota didn’t have a true quarterback competition last year. Sam Howell got brought to town to throw the pigskin alongside Brett Rypien and Max Brosmer. None of these three got anywhere close to threatening the top quarterback job.
In fairness, the Vikings did want Daniel Jones, as Adofo-Mensah later admitted to the media. But then there was the refusal to add anybody in free agency. Most notably, Aaron Rodgers wanted to come to the Twin Cities but the team decided not to do so.
Did Kevin O’Connell sign off on all of these decisions and indecisions?
Aug 2, 2024; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) and quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warm up during practice at Vikings training camp in Eagan, MN. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
Later today, the Vikings will continue working through a quarterback competition. Most expect that Kyler Murray will become the QB1 before long. J.J. McCarthy, regardless of who was the main person pushing for him, will look to overcome tough odds.
Oct 4, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons running back Demond Claiborne (1) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images
PurplePTSD works in partnership with Vikings Territory, similarly doing their utmost to offer top-notch coverage of the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, we’re promoting five of their top articles of the past month in “The P/PTSD Perspective.” Take a peek at some of their best stuff.
Nov 23, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons running back Demond Claiborne (1) runs with the football against the Miami Hurricanes during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
2) Vikings Announce Roster Moves After Day 1 of Training Camp: A roster is an evolving thing. GM Nolan Teasley hasn’t done too much but has sent some guys packing while bringing new talent to town. Many are wondering if there will be an eyebrow-raising deal before too long.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy throws during first-half action against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. On Dec. 14, 2025, McCarthy continued his first season as Minnesota’s starting quarterback while facing another playoff contender on the road. The young passer remained one of the franchise’s most closely watched players. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images.
4) Baker Mayfield Has Entered the Vikings Rumor Mill: To my eye, Mr. Mayfield does well when he’s underestimated. He responds well to having a chip on his shoulder. Can he continue being a great passer when he’s entrenched and a well-paid QB1?
5) Vikings 2026 Draft Class is Giving Reason for Excitement: At this stage, seeing a draft class shine early on would feel like finding an oasis in the desert. Minnesota has been parched. Does the cluster of young fellas consisting of Caleb Banks, Jake Golday, and several others make a difference from Week 1 onward?
Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Banks is selected by the Minnesota Vikings as the number 18 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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