Welcome to Bag Spy, a GOLF series devoted to understanding the crucial equipment choices that define a player’s bag. With the help of players and/or their expert fitters, we dig deep beyond the photos to examine setups, specs and the thinking behind them. In this installment, GOLF Associate Equipment Editor Jack Hirsh takes you inside Si Woo Kim’s bag and new equipment setup for 2026.
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At first glance — and depending on what course you catch him — Si Woo Kim has a pretty old-school bag.
Driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, 3-iron through pitching wedge and just two wedges, a 52˚ and a 60˚. We don’t see a lot of that set-up on the PGA Tour anymore.
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But a deeper dive and conversation with Callaway Senior PGA Tour Player Development Representative Kellen Watson shows Kim actually has a unique relationship with gear. He focuses strictly on looks, and if it passes the first couple of swings, there usually won’t be much hesitancy with putting it in the bag.
“If there’s something that fits his eye very nicely, you can be damn sure that either the wedge that it might be or the set of irons or the driver or whatever, it’s going in play like right away,” Watson told GOLF. “The performance stuff, we’ll incrementally get exactly where we need to get to. But aesthetically, if it’s pleasing to his eye, there’s nothing bigger. If it goes through the ground perfectly, it’s going in the bag.”
Watson called Kim a “corporate dream” because he’ll put almost any club in his bag as long as it meets his eye test.
That’s notable because Kim held onto his Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond driver for two years before moving into the Quantum Triple Diamond this season.
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But he’s not afraid to try anything, and, in fact, Watson has to prevent him from trying too much.
“He gets some ideas, and he’ll just do it behind my back,” Watson said. “That’s why I try to stay in front of him all the time so we don’t allow him to do anything like that.”
Si Woo Kim and caddie Manny Villegas form an unlikely but endearing duo.
Warren Little/Getty Images
Watson also has to rely on Kim’s caddie, Manny Villegas, to help maintain Kim’s clubs. It’s usually Villegas who asks for regrips or loft/lie checks.
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“Manny’s almost playing offensive coordinator and Si Woo’s just the quarterback, just taking the play calls,” Watson said.
So far that’s been working well this season, as Kim, despite a bulky putter, had four top-11 finishes in his first four starts this season, including two top-5s. He’s 9th in the FedEx Cup standings and second in Strokes Gained: Approach with Callaway’s yet-to-be-released Apex MB ’26 irons.
Kim and Villegas, the brother of five-time Tour winner Camillo Villegas, form one of professional golf’s most unlikely player-caddie duos, but they’re also perhaps the most laidback and fun.
“I still think they should make a TV show of him and Manny, almost like there’s a sequel of ‘Rob & Big.’ I would watch that. I would watch them talk to each other all day long, every day,” Watson said. “I don’t think there’s anybody there you want to be around more than Si Woo when you’re playing golf. And that just kind of goes for every day anyway. Some of it’s just because you never know what he’s going to say next.”
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Kim’s golf bag embodies much of that persona.
Keep reading below to dive into the bag of one of the PGA Tour’s best characters, Si Woo Kim.
Breaking down every club in Si Woo Kim’s bag
Ball
2022 Callaway Chrome Tour Dot
As a player who plays a fade and generally plays at a spin surplus throughout the bag, Kim is one of the many users of Callaway’s Chrome Tour Dot golf ball, a Tour-only version of the Chrome Tour X.
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“Just the higher spin guys — it’s just the flight’s a little bit better for him. The spin control is a lot better for him,” Watson said of the ball, which is also played by Xander Schauffele.
The Dot has an identical aero package to the Chrome Tour X, but it reaches a slightly lower peak height due to reduced spin. Otherwise, it flies similarly.
Players who play a fade generally are going to spin the ball more than players who draw it, so being able to retain control and wind performance with a touch lower spin, while keeping launch, speed and feel the same, is a good match for Kim.
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Callaway 2026 Chrome Tour X Golf Balls
SPEED TECHNOLOGY
Revolutionary new Tour Fast Mantle that increases distance through an optimized core/layer system.
ADVANCED SEAMLESS TOUR AERO®
Incredible distance and flight consistency on every shot.
PRECISION TOUR URETHANE COVER
Incredible feel and wedge control.
PRECISION TECHNOLOGY
Provides the ultimate in consistency. Every detail in the design, manufacture, and testing of the Chrome Tour X ball has been engineered to ensure maximized performance throughout your game.
Specs Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond 9.0 Actual Loft: 8.9˚ OptiFit Setting: N/-1 Weights: 7 g front, 9 g back heel, 1 g back toe Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 6-X Length: 44 15/16″ EOG Tipping: 1″ Swingweight: D3.4
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Stock Carry: 290 yards
When it comes to his driver, there isn’t much unique about Si Woo Kim’s, but it is notable given he did not switch to Callaway’s Elyte driver last season.
You would think, after Kim hung onto a Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond for two seasons, that it would have been a long and arduous testing process to get him into a new Quantum Triple Diamond for this season.
But it took Watson only three swings.
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“We did kind of a preliminary fitting at Sea Island,” Watson said. “I think we gave him the 8.5. I remember every interaction with him and Manny because they’re some of my most fun times on Tour. But I think he hit it twice. Little low spin. Nine-degree first shot, and it was like, ‘Can we play this this week?’”
The start line was also important for getting Kim to switch from his Ai Smoke, which is why you’ll see above in his specs he keeps the back weight on the heel side of the club to encourage a left start line.
Unfortunately, at the RSM Classic last fall, where Callaway annually does testing with their staff players for the new driver, the Quantum was not yet on the USGA conforming list.
But Kim got his driver in mid-November and he was one of the first to put it in play the first week of December at the Australian Open when it hit the conforming list.
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One thing that Watson struggled with, however, was getting him to test a backup driver.
“He hates to do like a backup head, and I forced him to do like a backup head today (Tuesday at Bay Hill),” Watson said. “He’s like, ‘Nothing’s wrong with this one. This one will not fail.’ I’m just making sure, dude.”
Kim moved into the updated Fujikura Ventus Black with VeloCore+ during testing with the Elyte driver as they found the slightly softer profile had a better feel for him. It also aided his timing for a fade.
“If anything, a little less catch-up in the shaft, just being just like a touch softer is probably better for him, where the club will stay behind him at impact and he can kind of hit that fade a little bit better,” Watson said.
Specs Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Ti 340 Mini Driver 11.5 Actual Loft: 11.2˚ Lie: 57˚ OptiFit Setting: -1/N (Flat Cog) Weights: 14 g front, 5 g back Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 7-X Length: 43.125″ Tipping: 2″ Swingweight: D3.1
In some ways, the mini driver has become synonymous with Kim, as he is famous for his DODs from anywhere.
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Fairway, rough, other, you name it, Si Woo Kim has probably tried to hit a driver off the deck from it.
That was the impetus for Kim in sticking with his Paradym Ai-Smoke mini driver, because it was much easier for him to hit off the fairway.
Watson intends to show Kim the new Quantum Mini Driver soon, but wanted to get more insight from the club from Min Woo Lee and Max Greyserman, both of whom already have it in the bag.
Kim loves the ability to swing the Mini Driver flatter and not down on it like a 3-wood.
While Kim doesn’t use the 3-wood often in favor of the longer Mini Driver, when he does, he likes to be aggressive with it. It’s to the point where Watson compared his divots to Sergio Garcia, one of the best and also steepest fairway wood players of all time.
The 5-wood is a better story as Kim previously played a Rogue ST LS 5-wood since the club came out in 2022.
But in the fall, Kim wanted to shorten the club and did so while in Japan for the Baycurrent Classic. Why?
“I don’t know. I have no idea!” Watson said. Remember when Watson said he had to get between Kim and some of his “ideas?” This is why.
The club never felt the same to Kim after that. Watson built him a new 5-wood before the start of the season and the 3-wood just so he has options and doesn’t have to look for a new club in the middle of the season.
Specs Callaway Apex MB ’26 3-PW Shafts: KBS Tour V 125 Lofts: 19.3/21.4/24.9/28.5/32.3/36.6/40.5/44.5 Lies: 60/60.3/61.1/61.5/61.7/62.3/62.9/62.6 Length: 7-iron 37″ EOG Swingweight: D3 (“Or whatever feels good sometimes” – Watson)
3-iron Stock Carry: 221 7-iron Stock Carry: 174
Kim is one of a growing number of players on Callaway’s unreleased Apex MB ’26 prototype irons. He has played blades at times throughout his career, but not since his first year with Callaway in 2018.
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But when Kim first tested the new blades, like all of his other changes, the decision to switch was almost instant. Again, the swap was driven more by visuals.
Watson says the new MB has a longer blade length and a more Japanese-inspired pinched toe shape, similar to the X Forged, which was all familiar to him. Kim was one of just three staffers previously playing the Apex CB ’24, primarily due to the longer blade length.
“I think the longer the blade length for him, I think the better the results he gets,” Watson said. “For him, a longer blade length, the higher toe, the matched window of launch and spin being pretty much exactly where you need it — I think that is the determination of, is it going in play?”
In testing, Watson said the new MB “hits more of that CB kind of window” launch conditions which made the switch simple for Kim.
Looking at his specs, you’ll notice his irons are all bent 1-2 degrees strong. That’s not done for launch/spin or even turf interaction reasons. Keeping with the theme here, that’s all done to fit Kim’s eye. He’s played the stronger lofts since before he signed with Callaway in 2018.
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“If there’s something that really fits his eye — he’s a lot about aesthetics — if there’s something that fits his eye very nicely, you can be damn sure that either the wedge that it might be or the set of irons or the driver or whatever, it’s going in play like right away,” Watson said.
Kim’s high-spin tendencies allow him to play the blades all the way through to the 3-iron, a rarity on the modern PGA Tour where even 4-irons are starting ot become extinct.
But the 3-iron doesn’t actually get used that often and, Watson said, sometimes he’ll even be content with rolling with just 13 clubs.
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Callaway Apex MB Custom Irons
The new Apex MB Irons are developed for the absolute best in the game who are looking for a high level of performance in a modern Tour blade. With our Dynamic Sole Design, it provides more efficient turf interaction, enhanced workability, and the classic feel that elite players expect.
A PURE BLADE IN A MODERN DESIGN
The new Apex MB Irons are developed for the absolute best in the game who are looking for a high level of performance in a modern Tour blade. With our Dynamic Sole Design, it provides more efficient turf interaction, enhanced workability, and the classic feel that elite players expect.
PURE FORGED PERFORMANCE
The Apex MB body and face are forged as one-piece in a proprietary forging process from 1025 carbon steel, creating the purest feeling iron imaginable.
PROGRESSIVE CG DESIGN FOR ADDED CONTROL
A progressive CG throughout the set improves trajectory control. The long irons feature a lower CG that promotes towering shots that land soft into greens while the short irons utilize a higher CG for a lower trajectory with more spin for added control.
DYNAMIC SOLE DESIGN FOR ENHANCED TURF INTERACTION
These irons feature a dual chamfer on the leading edge to cut through the turf more efficiently. A trailing edge chamfer provides relief from the turf after contact for enhanced feel. This Dynamic Sole Design maintains speed through the turf and promotes consistent contact on all shots.
Specs Callaway Opus SP RAW Lofts/Grinds: 52/10S @ 51.5˚, 60/8C @ 59˚ Shafts: KBS Tour V 125 Lie: 60.8/63 Length: 35″ EOG/34.625″ EOG Swingweight: D3 (“Or whatever feels good sometimes” – Watson)
52˚ Stock Carry: 114 60˚ Stock Carry: 89
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Just two wedges?! Yes! just two wedges.
While the conventional wisdom for a player with strong lofted irons is to usually add more wedges, Kim plays just a couple and relies on feel to gauge the proper distance.
“I think that has more to do with the incredible set of hands that Si Woo just has,” Watson said. “I think he does more of it just with his hands. Totally feel.
“He’s more of an artist than people kind of would lead you to believe.”
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Unlike most pros on the PGA Tour, Kim doesn’t use a clock system to hit distance wedge shots.
Like the rest of the bag, Kim had little issue switching into the new Opus SPs.
“I think he picked up both of them, just put them in the bag, like, ‘Okay, you take these two. I’ll play these two,” without even the waiting,” Watson said. “It’s like… ‘Yeah… Cool.’”
SPIN POCKET™ CONSTRUCTION
A re-engineered 2-piece construction head design strategically reshapes mass to optimize CG locations. The Spin Pocket redistributes weight higher, raising the CG, and promoting a lower, more penetrating launch. The result is more spin and enhanced control, especially when you need to flight shots or attack tight pins.
NEW SPIN GEN 2.0 FACE™
The most advanced face in OPUS history. A new 17° groove angle with tighter pitch spacing delivers more groove edge contact for more consistent spin across a variety of lies. Combined with a deeper cross-hatch laser pattern across the face, Spin Gen 2.0 produces enhanced friction for more bite and stopping power on all types of approach shots.
SHAPE 6 – TOUR-VALIDATED PROFILE
Trusted by Tour players for its clean, confident look at address, Shape 6 offers precise leading edge shaping and refined sole geometry. Shape 6 is the 6th and final iteration in the Opus prototype shaping phase, validated by Tour players and major champions. OPUS SP introduces progressive shaping in gap wedges to seamlessly blend with modern iron sets—creating a more cohesive setup from top to bottom.
X GRIND – VERSATILITY WITH BOUNCE
Back by popular demand, the X Grind returns in OPUS SP. Designed for shotmakers who want added bounce for forgiveness, without giving up versatility, the X Grind is ideal for players who like to open the face around the greens or play in firmer turf conditions. It’s the perfect blend of playability and performance in a wide range of shots and conditions.
The flatstick has been a club holding Kim back this season as he ranks second in Strokes Gained: Tee-To-Green this season, but is losing nearly seven-tenths of a stroke on the greens. While this year is one of his worst, Kim has never gained strokes putting since joining the PGA Tour in 2016.
This Odyssey O-Works 3T is new this season and Kim loves the look of it, but this week, he’s testing out a new Odyssey prototype TRTL mallet putter.
Si Woo Kim doing some work with an Odyssey Prototype TRTL mallet putter.
This is similar to the proto Mini Woo Lee switched to at Pebble and finished T2. Four interchangeable weights on the corners, but Si Woo has some big ole strips of lead tape across the bottom center.… pic.twitter.com/u5hJu2uv6I
It’s the same putter that Min Woo Lee is using and it obviously passed the eye test for Kim to consider using it this week. The specs match his current O-Works 3T.
Putter has been a revolving door the past two seasons for Kim after he stopped using an Odyssey 2-Ball 10 Broomstick.
Watson doesn’t know exactly why the run with the broom came to an end — nobody does, he said — but he has his guesses.
“He might have been getting sick of the look and just wanted to look at something different,” Watson said. “That would be my answer… and that wouldn’t be odd as an answer to the question about Si Woo with anything.”
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Will the new TRTL be the next one to have staying power? We’ll see if it even makes it to the bag at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Luke Donald said there are “always bumps in the road” on the way to the Ryder Cup. Rory McIlroy undoubtedly agrees. But the Northern Irishman believes the current issue facing Team Europe, as they turn their attention to 2027 with Donald back at the helm, is one with an easy solution.
It just takes one man to change his mind. At the moment, that solution seems unlikely to materialize.
On Tuesday, Jon Rahm refused to budge in his ongoing battle with the DP World Tour. The DP World Tour recently reached an agreement (independent of LIV Golf) with eight of its members to grant them conditional releases to compete in LIV events without accumulating further sanctions. Players, including Tyrrell Hatton, agreed to pay all outstanding fines, participate in additional stipulated DPWT tournaments and withdraw all pending appeals. Rahm declined the offer, saying the European Tour was “extorting” players by having them play in six events, two of which will be determined by the DP World Tour, instead of the four normally required to maintain membership.
“I don’t like what they’re doing currently with the contract they’re having us sign,” Rahm said. “I don’t like the conditions. They’re asking me to play a minimum of six events, and they dictate where two of those have to be, amongst other things that I don’t agree with.”
Rahm has challenged the DP World Tour’s conflicting events policy — which he says has resulted in over $3 million in fines — in arbitration court. He can remain a DP World Tour member until that case is heard. If he loses the case, he’ll need to pay his fines to remain a member, something he has said he won’t do, or he will be ineligible for the Ryder Cup.
On Wednesday, ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy said he believes the European Tour did everything possible to find a middle ground that would allow players to retain their membership while playing on LIV and benefiting the DP World Tour at the same time. A better deal is something McIlroy has trouble seeing coming down the pike.
“It’s a really generous deal,” McIlroy said. “Like it’s a much softer deal than what Brooks [Koepka] took to come back and play on the PGA Tour. Look, the European Tour can only do so much to accommodate these guys.
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“There’s a reason eight of the nine guys took that deal, right? I think it’s a really good deal. Yeah, obviously Jon doesn’t think so, and he’s obviously well within his rights to think that way. But I just don’t see what more the European Tour can do to accommodate these guys to retain their membership.”
As Rahm explained his position on Tuesday in Hong Kong, he noted that the six-event requirement to drop the legal battle and settle all business wouldn’t work with his schedule. The two-time major winner said he’d be happy to play four events after the LIV schedule ends, but didn’t want the DP World Tour to dictate which two extra events he has to play. The irony in that complaint was not lost on McIlroy, given that Rahm already signed up to play on a league that gets to dictate the majority of his schedule. Those 14 LIV events are non-negotiable.
“[It] isn’t a heavy lift,” McIlroy said of the six-event ask from the Euro Tour. “Yes, okay, maybe the European Tour gets to have a say in where those two [additional] events are, but I mean, I’m sure Jon doesn’t want to go to [LIV] South Africa next week, but he’s going there. So, you know, like I don’t, again, like … He signed a contract for LIV, and he plays 14 events and the whole thing. Like I get all that. But the DP World Tour is well within its rights to protect itself as a members organization and as a business.”
As for Rahm’s murky Ryder Cup future, Donald said he hadn’t yet spoken to the Spaniard but planned to in the near future. DPWT CEO Guy Kinnings joined Donald for Wednesday’s press conference and was clear about where things stand with Rahm.
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“I think it’s pretty straightforward,” Kinnings said. “You know, he either withdraws an appeal and settles fines or he goes through the appeal process, and that process is underway. And then we’ll obviously then have to go with whatever the decision is made in that appeal hearing.”
Rahm’s Ryder Cup status has been a constant topic since he bolted for LIV in 2023.
When the defection occurred, McIlroy was among the first to say that Team Europe needed Rahm and that there had to be a way to get him on the team in 2025. With Rahm’s court case still pending, he was able to maintain his DP World Tour membership and play at Bethpage despite not paying his outstanding fines.
In Dubai in January, McIlroy said Rahm and Hatton should pay their fines and prove they are willing to pay to play in the Ryder Cup, as was Europe’s rallying cry at Bethpage. After accepting the Euro Tour’s olive branch, Hatton is now a DP World Tour member in good standing as long as he meets the requirements. Rahm remains in limbo with 17 months until RC rosters are finalized. To McIlroy, the ramifications are what they are. The Ryder Cup exists above individuals and the current divide in professional golf.
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“Look, the Ryder Cup is bigger than any one person,” McIlroy said. “It’s bigger than all of us. We come and go. Players are — we pass through the system. Like, it’s the platform that’s the big thing. I mean, I think we should all be grateful that we have a platform like the Ryder Cup that we can play on and that we can showcase our skills and be a part of something that’s obviously way bigger than ourselves. So at the end of the day, it’s about the team, and no one player is bigger than the team.
“I think at the end of the day we all see the opportunity for [Luke Donald] to go down as the greatest Ryder Cup captain ever, if we go on and win in Ireland,” McIlroy said later. “So I’m excited for him, I’m excited for the opportunity that he has, and obviously I just want to be a part of that team to help him try to make that history.”
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) reacts after a touchdown during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
The 2026 NFL Draft is often viewed as one where teams will end up focusing more on the floor of a player rather than the ceiling.
The consensus is that there aren’t many league-wrecking prospects in this class, but that point of view might need to be thrown out the window with Kenyon Sadiq. The tight end is dripping with potential to become a star at the next level.
Background
Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) warms up before the game against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Statistics
2023: 5 receptions, 24 yards, 1 TD (14 games)
2024: 24 receptions, 308 yards, 2 TDs (14 games)
2025: 51 receptions, 560 yards, 8 TDs (14 games)
Measurables
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 241
Hand Size: 10″
Arm Length: 31 1/2″
40-Yard Dash: 4.39
10-Yard Split: 1.54
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Vertical: 43.5″
Broad Jump: 11’1″
3 Cone: N/A
Bench: 26 reps
Sadiq spent the first two years of his collegiate career as a developmentary reserve in the Oregon Ducks program before bursting onto the scene as one of the best receiving tight ends in the country in 2025. Now, he’s hoping to turn that production into a high end draft status this spring.
Strengths
Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) looks on before the game against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Sadiq is a very clean receiving tight end prospect. He can run just about any route whether it be a go route breaking away from defenders in the secondary, or he can intricately break in and out of his routes with buttery smooth foot speed and balance.
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His NFL Combine performance is a testimony to that with numbers that are virtually identical to what Vernon Davis accomplished at the event though Davis did have 13 pounds on Sadiq.
Not only is Sadiq a very solid receiver, he is an impressive player in run blocking as well. He doesn’t take those snaps off and is capable of planting himself and holding his own against defenders. His strong hands are capable of fighting off rush moves, and those hands also help him hold onto the football through collisions at the point of the catch.
Weaknesses
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq hauls in a touchdown catch as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
While Sadiq is plenty capable of blocking while playing along the line of scrimmage, he isn’t exactly the player you want taking lead blocks down the field in the second and third levels of the defense. He seems to mistime himself or hold back some contact on those blocks, allowing defenders to shed fairly easily.
Drops were also an issue for Sadiq in 2025. On 67 targets, he had six drops. In on target passes, he had a drop rate of 10.5%.
Finally, while he certainly is a willing blocker, a 241-pound frame could cause some issues in that department at the NFL level.
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2026 NFL Draft Projection
Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) celebrates scoring a touch down during the first half against the Southern California Trojans at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
NFL Draft Projection: Mid First Round
Team Fits: Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins
Sadiq has a few things to clean up before he becomes a star at the NFL level, but all the potential in the world is there. He has the upside of being an All-Pro tight end a few years down the line, and TE-needy teams in the first round should jump at the chance to pick him.
Editor’s Note: Statistics from Pro Football Focus helped with this article.
Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey
If you get anxious about where to sit at Thanksgiving, imagine how you might feel as a still new-ish Masters winner approaching the table at the fabled Champions Dinner and deciding where to pull up a chair. There are no place cards or seating charts — just assorted legends and multiple-time major winners peering up from their vodka-sodas and dinner rolls and saying with their eyes, “Really, kid, you’re going to sit here?”
“It’s not assigned seating, but a lot people sit in the same chairs,” Adam Scott, the 2013 champion, said in 2023. “I like that, to be perfectly honest. I like the fact that you kind of feel like that’s your spot.”
Well, yeah, once you’ve established that spot.
The first year is easy, because as the defending champion and host, you’re seated by default at the head of the table, flanked by the dinner’s resident host, two-time champion Ben Crenshaw, and Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley. Year 2 gets trickier. Scott navigated his sophomore dinner appearance by fast-walking to an open spot next to his junior-golf pal Trevor Immelman, a pocket of the table where Nick Faldo also is a regular.
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Other players have formed their own table cliques: Zach Johnson shoulders up with Jordan Spieth, with the likes of Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed and old-timers Larry Mize and Bernhard Langer also in the region. Three legends — Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Tom Watson — gravitate toward seats just to the left of the head. The late Fuzzy Zoeller used to favor the far end of the table, which is a little like sitting at the back of the school bus. And so it goes. Call them comfort zones.
It may feel like Scottie Scheffler has been winning green jackets (and a lot of other things) for decades, but he, in fact, didn’t attend his first Champions Dinner until 2023. “It’s your first time in that room, you don’t really know what to expect,” Scheffler said Wednesday from Bay Hill. “The only thing I really knew is where I was going to sit. That’s basically the only thing I knew, sitting next to Mr. Crenshaw and the chairman.”
Scheffler said he arrived early and “snuck” his wife, Meredith, into the room to give her a peek at a dinner that she had helped arrange (among the menu items: cheeseburger sliders and tortilla soup).
A year later, at the dinner hosted by 2023 winner Jon Rahm, Scheffler was less certain about his movements. “There’s a little protocol,” he said of where players tend to sit, or, for that matter, not sit. “I’m definitely not going to go sit in the area where Tiger and Jack sit. Like, there’s kind of spots where you kind of feel you’ll naturally flow into.”
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Cozying up to his Texas buddy Spieth would have been a logical move for Scheffler, but Scheffler knew better than to try that, saying with a laugh, “I definitely didn’t ask Jordan to sit by him, because he would have done something to make sure that I didn’t have a place to sit.” Instead, Scheffler turned to Zach Johnson and said, “Hey, where are you sitting this year? And he told me, and he was nice and let me join him.”
Selection Sunday is just two weeks away, so it’s time do your homework before making your 2026 NCAA Tournament picks. Although last year’s brackets lacked many big upsets, college basketball parity means this year could be different. Until 2018, no 16 seed had ever defeated a No. 1. Now, it has happened twice. Could it happen again in the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket? On the men’s side, a number of powerhouses all have a clear shot to make noise. Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Iowa State are all in position to claim No. 1 seeds in the 2026 March Madness bracket.
Recent national champions like UConn and Florida are right behind. On the women’s side, UConn entered weekend play unbeaten with UCLA and South Carolina among their top competitors. With the action so close, now is the time to set up your 2026 Men’s March Madness pools and 2026 Women’s March Madness pools.
If you’re looking for a NCAA Tournament bracket game home, CBS Sports is the perfect place. You can play Bracket Games free on the CBS Sports App in pools with your friends and join free Men’s and Women’s Bracket Challenges to potentially win big prizes.* Get started right here.
How to create a 2026 NCAA Tournament pool with friends and family
Run your own free 2026 March Madness pool on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app and invite all of your friends, family, and co-workers to play against you during this year’s tournament.
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To start a bracket pool for Men’s March Madness, go to the Create Men’s Bracket Pool page, name your group and choose if you want a locked pool where you control the invites or an open pool that everybody can share. After that, just confirm your rules and then you can copy and share your personal pool link with friends or have CBS Sports send them emails.
For a Women’s March Madness pool, you can follow the exact same process but start at the Create Women’s Bracket Pool page in order to start your pool for the Women’s NCAA Tournament.
How to play 2026 March Madness Brackets for prizes
There are CBS Sports NCAA Bracket Challenges for the men’s and women’s tournaments and a trip to each 2027 Final Four on the line in both challenges. It’s easy to compete for those epic trips.
For the Men’s Challenge, simply click this link, click the “Join Now” button and enter.* Fill out your men’s bracket after it is revealed on Sunday, March 15, and the winner of the trip to the 2027 Final Four will be chosen from among the entrants. If you’ve already created brackets in pools with friends, you can quickly enter the Challenge by importing an already-created bracket.
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You can also enter the Women’s CBS Sports Bracket Challenge later that night after the Selection Show at 8 p.m. ET. Importing your brackets from your women’s pools is a convenient option for filling your Women’s Challenge brackets as well.
The men’s bracket deadline is March 19 when first round action tips off, while the women’s bracket deadline is March 20. To be eligible, follow the steps above to join the Men’s Challenge and then join the Women’s Challenge here before each tournament begins.
2026 NCAA Tournament Men’s teams to watch
Now that you know where to play 2026 NCAA Men’s Bracket Games, here are some teams to watch as the Tournament approaches:
Florida Gators: Don’t look now, but the defending national champions are back in the mix. The seventh-ranked Gators entered the weekend on an eight-game winning streak and were atop the SEC standings. Florida features a balanced scoring attack with six players averaging double-figure scoring. They are led by junior forward Thomas Haugh, who is averaging 16.9 points, six rebounds and two assists. The Gators are 5-3 against ranked opponents, including recent wins over Alabama and Kentucky.
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Arizona Wildcats: Arizona opened the season with 23 consecutive victories before suffering its first loss against Kansas on Feb. 9. The Wildcats went on to lose their second straight against Texas Tech, but they’ve picked up several impressive victories this season, including wins over Houston, BYU, UConn, Alabama and Florida. Arizona features a plethora of offensive playmakers, and the Wildcats can cause havoc on the defensive end of the floor as well. Tommy Lloyd’s men will be battle tested heading into the 2026 March Madness brackets, and the Wildcats will be in the hunt for a No. 1 seed with a strong finish to the regular season. Join the CBS Sports 2026 NCAA Men’s Bracket Game here.
2026 NCAA Tournament Women’s teams to watch
Now that you know where to play 2026 NCAA Women’s Bracket Games, here are some teams to watch as the 2026 NCAA Tournament approaches:
UCLA Bruins: Cori Chase’s squad made the Final Four for the first time in program history last season and are cementing their status as a contender in 2026. The Bruins are off to a 26-1 start with a perfect 16-0 mark in the Big Ten and Lauren Betts continues to dominate after an All-American season in 2024-25. The center is averaging 16.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 blocks per game and leads an experienced UCLA roster whose top six scorers are all seniors.
Vanderbilt Commodores: Vanderbilt has used NIL to reshape its athletic department as has found success in football and men’s basketball. However, the women’s squad might be the university’s best shot at a national championship this season, as the Commodores are 24-3 overall and 10-3 in the SEC. Sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes is averaging 25.9 points per game this season and Vanderbilt checks in at No. 5 in the latest AP poll. Join the 2026 Women’s Bracket Game here.
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How to enter 2026 NCAA Men’s & Women’s Bracket Games
Michael Carrick cut a frustrated figure as his unbeaten start to life as Man Utd head coach came to a disappointing end at Newcastle.
Michael Carrick said his Manchester United side must learn their lessons from a painful defeat at Newcastle after seeing his unbeaten start in the job come to an end.
United had a man advantage for the whole of the second half after Jacob Ramsey was sent off before the break, with Anthony Gordon and Casemiro both scoring in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
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But they failed to press home that advantage, with Newcastle starting on top and dominating the early exchanges in the second half, which left Carrick particularly agitated on the touchline.
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United did weather the storm and seemed more likely to find a winner before William Osula’s stunning 90th-minute goal and Carrick admitted defeat was a painful one to take.
Asked what was irking him at the start of the second half, he said: “Just the way the game was going. Emotions are part of the game. Certain things we wanted to do and we didn’t do it.
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“It’s football, these things happen in the game, it goes away from you. There are certain things we have to do. We can be an awful lot better.
“I’m really, really disappointed with tonight, for different reasons. But we can’t lose sight of the position we’ve got ourselves in as well.
“So, as much as I’m disappointed, and we need to learn from it, because it’s been a lesson for us tonight in some ways, we can’t lose sight of the bigger picture as well.”
As the travelling West Ham supporters descended into pandemonium at Craven Cottage, Crysencio Summerville stood still, arms outstretched and smiling.
The Dutchman had every reason to grin as he celebrated his fifth Premier League goal of the season to help the Hammers to a vital 1-0 victory against Fulham.
His 65th-minute strike was enough to continue the his side’s quest for Premier League survival in 2026 – on a night when they gained two points on 17th-place Nottingham Forest.
The forward – who struggled for both form and confidence after joining from Leeds United in August 2024 – has now managed more goals in his last 10 appearances for the club (seven), than he did in his first 38 (one).
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Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Summerville said: “We have to fight until the end, that’s what we did. I am very pleased to get the three points.
“I am in a good space. I love to play, I am just happy to be back and I try to show it every week.
“We have to keep going now. We took positives from the Liverpool game, we had lots of positives, the fans behind us are very pleased and we are going in the right direction – the only way is up.”
But it’s not only Summerville who is finding his feet as the business end of the season looms – West Ham are, too.
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The Hammers have now accumulated 14 of their 28 points this season in their past eight Premier League games.
Such an impressive run for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side means that if they defeat Manchester City when they return to Premier League action on 14 March, they will be out of the relegation zone for the first time since December.
South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has accused Morocco of putting pressure on the Confederation of African Football over the hosting of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Morocco was earlier confirmed as host of the tournament, which would have marked their third straight time staging the competition. However, uncertainty has surrounded the event in recent weeks, with reports suggesting the North African nation may be reconsidering its position.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe had previously said the tournament would go ahead in Morocco as planned. Despite that statement, speculation has continued.
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Speaking at a press conference, McKenzie praised Morocco for organising the last Africa Cup of Nations but questioned their commitment to the women’s competition.
“If Morocco is ready to host the WAFCON because they had a brilliant AFCON, they should do so,” McKenzie said.
“But if they are not ready, we want to tell them, we are not a country with no stadiums, a country that doesn’t host games. We are not a country with less infrastructure. We will never be held hostage by countries that have less than what we have.”
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He added that women’s football deserves respect and proper planning.
“We will not allow women’s football to be treated in such a fashion. We don’t wait for anyone,” he said.
McKenzie also made it clear that South Africa is prepared to step in if needed.
“If Morocco is not going to host it, South Africa is standing ready,” he said, while noting that his remarks should not be linked to the CAF President.
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Motsepe has not publicly reacted to the comments.
With the tournament drawing closer, participating countries, including Nigeria’s Super Falcons, are watching closely for a final decision from CAF on the host nation.
Jai Opetaia has been keen for title unifications since he got his hands on a cruiserweight world title, but unified champion Gilberto Ramirez is instead facing David Benavidez. Now, Opetaia has offered his thoughts on the fight.
Opetaia has been chasing a showdown with Ramirez ever since the latter unified the WBA and WBO cruiserweight crowns with a victory over Chris Billam-Smith in November 2024, but currently, hopes of seeing that affair are fading.
Outside of the Zuffa franchise, an exciting battle between Ramirez and Benavidez is set to take place on Cinco De Mayo, in what looks to be the most intriguing clash at 200lbs since Oleksandr Usyk left the division in 2018.
Speaking to The Ring, Opetaia looked ahead to the fight and revealed that he is leaning towards reigning WBC light-heavyweight ruler, David Benavidez, despite the 25lb jump up in weight.
“You have got to remember that both of these boys have come up [in weight]. It is crazy that there is two light-heavyweights fighting for a cruiserweight world title right now. They are both coming up to the weight so it’s an even match-up, the way I see it.
“I don’t know too much about Zurdo to be honest, he is a good fighter and I have never thought he was a bad fighter or anything like that, but I actually like Benavidez’s headspace and he seems like he is hungry.
“The legacy of why he is doing it, he is more pumped up and he is younger, and sh*t like that. So, I’m sort of leaning towards Benavidez but, honestly, I don’t really care. I just want this fight to be done so that we can get ours on [against the winner].”
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Ramirez vs. Benavidez is set to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in two months’ time, where a WBC lightweight title bout may also be added to the undercard.
In the good ol’ days, March Madness meant focusing on the games, enjoying the Cinderella stories, tracking your brackets and dreaming that your team might be the one showered with confetti on the first Monday in April as “One Shining Moment” plays.
In this NIL portal era, all of that still applies — but March Madness has morphed into just as much of a scouting mission as a bid for a national championship.
As mid-major and low-major conference tournaments unfold this week across the country — the first NCAA Tournament bid gets doled out Saturday night to the winner of the Ohio Valley Conference title game — power conference fans get to salivate over potential portal acquisitions.
Meanwhile, power conference coaching staffs will be finalizing their additions to 2026-27 rosters. Yes, finalizing.
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While the portal doesn’t open officially until April 7, it’s naïve to believe that highly paid consulting firms haven’t been sending targeted lists of suitable prospects to big-time head coaches who, in turn, have instructed their general managers to negotiate with agents to determine how much $$$ it will take to land their prized clients.
Yeah, that’s modern college basketball.
But enough about how things have changed so starkly over the last few years. Which sharpshooters should everyone be dreaming on?
How about Bellarmine junior forward Jack Karasinski, who’s averaging 21.3 points, shooting 42.6% from 3-point range and getting to the line more than six times per game? The only player in America who’s a more efficient go-to guy than Karasinski (according to KenPom) is Duke’s Cameron Boozer, who’ll win all the National Player of the Year awards.
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Or maybe UNLV’s Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, the former Illinois guard who has averaged 29.7 points over the last nine games while hitting an absurd 45 of 85 from 3-point range? He’s an athletic freak, too, albeit 6-foot-1.
Perhaps Buffalo sophomore guard Daniel Freitag, a four-star prospect who did little as a freshman at Wisconsin but has restored his career arc by averaging 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Bulls?
They are among the many fine ideas out there, but everybody — coaches, fans, the transfers themselves — should go into this process with their eyes wide open.
Based on an unofficial study conducted just now looking at every player who averaged at least 17 points per game last season, there are a lot more misses than hits when low- and mid-majors make the jump to the big time.
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(Yes, picking 17 points per game while ignoring other key stats is arbitrary, but coaches are always looking for scorers, hence this decision.)
Anyway, back to this extremely scientific study. There were 118 Division I players who averaged at least 17 points last season. Fifty-five guys either ran out of eligibility or turned pro early.
Fifteen guys — including such studs as Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton, Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn and Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard — stayed where they were.
That left us 48 who changed schools. Ignoring high-major guys who jumped to other high majors — fellas like PJ Haggerty (Memphis to Kansas State), Jason Edwards (Vandy to Providence) and Keyshawn Hall (UCF to Auburn) — it becomes clear that it’s rarely roses for the players who climb a notch or two to the big time.
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For each Lamar Wilkerson, who went from averaging 20.5 points at Sam Houston State to 21.3 at Indiana and meriting all-Big Ten honors, there are four guys like Bucknell’s Noah Williamson (Alabama), Southern Illinois’ Ali Dibba (Texas A&M), Northeastern’s Rashad King (LSU) and Kansas City’s Jamar Brown (UCLA) who were relegated to bench roles at their new schools.
If they believed they would get similar minutes and shots at their new place, then that’s a bummer.
But, hey, as Mad Men’s Don Draper once screamed at underling Peggy Olson, “That’s what the money is for!”
Jun 10, 2025; Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA; Andrea Pavan plays a shot from a bunker on the eighth hole during a practice round for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Italian golfer Andrea Pavan has been released from the hospital after suffering injuries when he fell three stories down an elevator shaft prior to a DP World Tour event in Cape Town, South Africa.
Pavan, 36, was slated to play the South African Open last week before the incident occurred on Feb 25.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday announcing his departure, Pavan said he would need to remain in South Africa for five more weeks to rehab the shoulder and back injuries he sustained. He said he also has secondary injuries and bruises, and he was photographed with his right arm in a sling and using a cane.
“It truly feels like a miracle to be able to walk and start to do some basic activities, although at a very slow and careful pace,” he wrote, also thanking numerous people for their assistance and care since the accident.
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“The road is very long but this small step feels very good!”
Pavan apparently was unaware that an elevator cab was missing when he stepped forward after the doors opened.
Born in Rome, Pavan makes his home in the Dallas area. He played collegiately at Texas A&M.
Ranked 257th in the world, Pavan won the 2018 D+D Real Czech Masters and the 2019 BMW International Open.
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