Despite all the anticipation and buzz, Chris Jericho didn’t return at WWE Royal Rumble 2026. The Men’s Rumble match rarely saw any major surprise returns, but Roman Reigns‘ victory was a fitting conclusion to the match.
With Y2J’s absence from the show, fans are confused, especially since the Saudi Arabia PLE appeared to be the perfect spot for his comeback. In this article, we will discuss three reasons why Chris Jericho didn’t make his comeback at the Royal Rumble this year.
Thanks for the submission!
Advertisement
#3. Chris Jericho is busy with his band
Besides professional wrestling, Chris Jericho is part of the band Fozzy. One of the key reasons he did not return at Royal Rumble could be his passion for music. Recently, the band confirmed its upcoming UK tour, running from February 6 to 21.
Advertisement
Even if Jericho had returned at Royal Rumble, it was unlikely that he would have appeared on weekly television shows. Considering this, WWE might have decided not to pull triggers on Chris’ return at the recent premium Live event.
The Stamford-based promotion may consider his comeback after he finishes his commitment with the Fozzy band.
#2. Is he still part of AEW?
So…no Chris Jericho? #RoyalRumble
Although reports confirmed that Chris Jericho is now a free agent and no longer associated with the All Elite Wrestling promotion, fans noticed that the former WWE star is still listed on AEW’s official website as active talent.
Advertisement
This means that either Jericho is still part of the Tony Khan-led promotion and could be on a break, or he may have a few days left in his contract expiration. This serves as another major reason why he didn’t return at WWE Royal Rumble.
#1. Triple H might bring Chris Jericho for WWE WrestleMania 42
The Royal Rumble show officially kicks off the Road to WrestleMania. Meanwhile, Elimination Chamber will still be a major PLE. So the company will first focus on the Elimination Chamber show and later put all efforts into the ‘Mania 42 card.
There is a slight chance that the Chief Content Officer of WWE might be saving Chris Jericho for this year’s Showcase of the Immortals. This could explain why he failed to appear in the traditional Men’s Rumble match.
The Game might bring Jericho after Elimination Chamber PLE and directly insert him in a major way for The Show of Shows.
CHENNAI: It’s finally firing just when it matters. The Indian top-order, which left a lot to be desired until now, came into its own on a batting beauty at the MA Chidambaram Stadium against a pedestrian Zimbabwe attack on Thursday. With West Indies looming next at Eden Gardens on Sunday, there is bound to be a sense of relief in the camp.To start with, Abhishek Sharma got going, and the recycled opening partnership with Sanju Samson smashed 48 off 22 balls, which set the tone for the massive total of 256 for 4. Abhishek, during the course of his 30-ball 55, got his runs at a strike rate of 183.3, but he seemed to cut down on his recklessness. The lefthander’s bat swing is one of the best in the business, so it is not always necessary for him to try and generate extra power. On Thursday, he looked to time the ball more than strive for power and played the ball a lot straighter, making run-scoring look easy and relatively risk-free.
India land in Kolkata for do-or-die WI clash | Semi-final spot on the line
Explaining his unhurried approach, the southpaw said: “I just wanted to spend some time on the pitch. So far, I haven’t batted 10-12 balls. I want to thank my team; they backed me and reminded me that my time will come,” Abhishek said.While Abhishek getting runs was a good sign before the must-win West Indies game, Sanju’s 24-run cameo, too, came in for praise. Firstly, the left-right combination was a welcome shift, and Zimbabwe couldn’t use one of their off-spinners right at the beginning of the Powerplay. Tilak Varma, who had to come down to No 6 because Ishan Kishan took his place at No 3, felt Sanju’s innings was important in India’s batting resurgence.“It’s important that openers give a good start; Nos 3, 4 and 5 can come out with confidence when it happens. Sanju did that brilliantly today, and it was followed by others,” the southpaw said.Tilak spoke about a change in approach by the batters ahead of the game that made a difference. According to the 23-year-old, it was coach Gautam Gambhir who sat with the batters and told them to go in with the mindset that helped them play so well in T20Is over the last year-and-a-half.“We wanted to put fear in the mind of the opposition; we wanted them to realise that we’re coming for them, even if we lost a wicket… Gautam sir reminded us of the brand of cricket we played last year and against New Zealand and South Africa prior to the World Cup. So, whatever the situation, as individuals, our plan was to go out there, smile and enjoy the game,” Tilak said.No. 6 is a position where Tilak hasn’t batted too much recently. He always enjoys a little bit of time in the middle, but following an indifferent patch at No 3, the team wanted him to take up the finisher’s role. More so, with Rinku Singh looking unlikely for the rest of the tournament following the death of his father. Tilak said he didn’t mind it at all, because “it’s all about the team’s cause”.“I played that role for India as well as Mumbai Indians a few times. So, I’m up for it. This game is about adjusting according to the situation… I was just waiting for one good innings, and it came at the right time. I am pretty confident going forward that I can win games for the team,” Tilak said about his 16-ball 44.Another player who batted with flourish was Hardik Pandya. His 23-ball 50 and economical three-over spell earned him the Player-of-TheMatch award.“It was an innings where I had to reassess my style. Initially, I was trying to hit the ball too hard. Then I realised I could time the ball and did that. Now it’s about keeping our skillset and putting our best foot forward,” Pandya said.
Quite often in this modern era of college football, it feels like the NCAA has lost the plot.
So many of the recent changes to the sport — such as the transfer portal, NIL and revenue sharing — are long overdue modern updates which have helped put some well-deserved power back in the players’ hands.
The NCAA, though, has refused to enforce or take a stand on issues that have arisen from these changes — things like tampering, exceeding the roster salary cap and the like — insisting that it is the government’s job to establish these guardrails.
Thankfully, the NCAA hasn’t totally given up on what really matters in college football: the first word in the sport’s name.
Thankfully, logic won out and Aguilar, who turns 25 this summer, won’t be back for his eighth season in college football.
His argument for one more year was an extension of Diego Pavia’s case last season which got him an additional year of eligibility. Pavia argued, with Aguilar and a host of other college football players joining the lawsuit, that years played at junior college shouldn’t count against Division I eligibility.
There’s many reasons why this argument doesn’t hold water but probably the biggest is…the second word in junior college.
Advertisement
The injunction that allowed Pavia to play last season was a net positive because of what he brought to the 2025 season as a Heisman finalist who led Vanderbilt to its first 10-win season in program history.
It also set a dangerous precedent, one which clearly made Aguilar think he could similarly get an extra year.
In theory, I’m ok with the occasional additional year of eligibility. When granted, they are basically always connected to players who have missed extensive time to injuries throughout their careers and whose pro prospects are low because of their injury history and age.
That doesn’t track with Aguilar’s path. He redshirted in 2019 at City College of San Francisco before the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He then transferred to another JUCO program, Diablo Valley, playing in 16 games over the 2021-22 seasons.
Advertisement
After that, he hopped to the FBS level with a transfer to App State, where he started 25 games over two seasons there, missing minimal time.
The Pavia injunction made Aguilar eligible for the 2025 season so he landed at Tennessee after originally transferring to UCLA for what was essentially his bonus year.
It was an extremely successful season. He started all 14 games, racking up 3,565 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. He led the Southeastern Conference in passing yards during the regular season.
But once again, it was a full season competition — Aguilar’s fourth at the collegiate level with 10-plus games and fifth with six or more. That’s a full career and then some.
Advertisement
So it’s a relief the NCAA fought the case in court and even more that the Tennessee state judge sided with the organization over the local athlete.
Don’t get my point twisted: Player empowerment is good for college sports.
But with that power comes responsibilities. Among them, the responsibility of realizing when it’s time to move on to the next stage of football and/or life.
Kelsey Plum hit the game-winning shot for Phantom in a 72-68 win over Rose in Unrivaled on Friday night. The victory clinched the top seed for Phantom in the Unrivaled playoffs, who finish the regular season 11-3.
With the target score set at 72 after Phantom finished the third quarter with a 60-56 lead, Rose cut its deficit to 64-63 on a layup by Sug Sutton. Plum and Angel Reese then traded 3-pointers to keep it a one-point game at 67-66. But Plum then followed with another 3 to put Phantom one basket away from the win.
Advertisement
A Lexie Hull layup made it a 70-68 game, but Rose couldn’t get the defensive stop it needed on Phantom’s next possession. Dribbling off a screen by Kiki Iriafen at the left wing, Plum drove into the lane and hit a short jumper over Hull for the win.
Advertisement
Plum finished with a game-high 35 points (hitting 6-of-12 3-pointers) with 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Tiffany Hayes followed with 17 points, adding 4 rebounds and 4 assists, while Iriafen scored 14 points and grabbed 14 boards.
Rose was led by Reese’s 17 points and 8 rebounds, with Kahleah Copper adding 16 points. At 6-8, Rose will be in the playoffs as the No. 5 seed.
Advertisement
Phantom finished last in Unrivaled last year at 4-10, but drafted Plum for this season and she made a big impact, scoring 22.6 points per game.
Advertisement
“I was just super-grateful for the opportunity; I don’t take that lightly,” Plum said afterward, via broadcaster Wendell Epps. “I was excited to come to a team that was in last place. For me, I want to affect winning at the highest level.”
With its 11-3 record, Phantom finished ahead of Mist (10-4) for the top seed in the playoffs. Mist defeated Vinyl earlier on Friday, 72-62, and would have tied for the best record if Phantom had lost. However, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head record and Phantom won both of the matchups with Mist, 64-61 on Jan. 12 and 83-71 on Feb. 7.
Advertisement
The Unrivaled playoffs begin Saturday with first-round games in Miami scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET and 9:45 p.m. ET. Phantom and Mist will get first-round byes, while Laces face Vinyl and Breeze matches up versus Rose.
Advertisement
The two semifinal contests will be played in Brooklyn on March 2, followed by the championship game in Miami on March 4.
Wolves boss Rob Edwards understands the significance of his side moving past Derby’s record-low Premier League points tally after a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Molineux.
It had looked for much of the season that Wolves would struggle to match the meagre 11 points the Rams posted in the 2007/08 season.
But second-half goals from Joao Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes gave them just a second win in 29 games, which takes them to 13 and beyond the possible notoriety of being the worst-ever Premier League team.
Asked if it means a lot to lose that tag, he said: “It does. It’s not something I’ve been focusing on, but being aware of it.
“Of course, I know it means a lot to the supporters. You don’t want that tag. Clearly we don’t. No one wants that.
Advertisement
“That’s just obvious. But it’s not something that’s been weighing me down or I’ve been thinking about too much, but if that releases a little bit more tension or whatever, and helps you more, then great.
“I know it’s important to the supporters. I know it’s important to the football club. It’s not something that I’ve been really focusing on or talking about too much all of the time.”
Wolves opened the scoring with their first shot on target when Joao Gomes thrashed home but Rodrigo Gomes’ last-gasp second sparked mass scenes of celebration, with Edwards sprinting down the touchline.
Edwards added: “At the end, that was incredible. It was a special moment in a really difficult season. It’s nice to be able to show some emotion and build that connection that we’re desperate to do that.
Advertisement
“That’s why I came here. Nights like that. Really special moments and that’s a moment that will live with me forever.”
Villa boss Unai Emery did not enjoy it as much and stormed straight down the tunnel when the second goal went in and was not around to shake Edwards’ hand at full-time.
Edwards added: “I get it. The two games that we have won in the league this year, both managers have disappeared.
“I think everyone expects just to turn up and win, which is understandable the way the season’s gone. So two guys have not been that happy.”
Advertisement
Emery was not happy with what he saw from his side after a dire performance, which saw their Champions League qualification hopes suffer a blow.
They have now won just one of their last five games and are now looking over their shoulders at the chasing pack.
But Emery called for perspective.
He said: “Of course, it’s getting balance. We are doing a great season, a great season, and this is the moment I want to tell our supporters, now we need the supporters.
Advertisement
“We need the energy, we are grateful for them being with us, but again playing in Villa Park on Wednesday, we need again their help, and we need to be together.
“The players, coaches, supporters, everybody, because the season is being fantastic, and we can remind ourselves now how we were in in September, how we are now.
“Maybe now we are a little worse than two months ago. We are losing the opportunity to compete for the title in the Premier League, two months ago you were asking about it.
“Some supporters maybe they were dreaming it. Now we are not with the possibility to fight for the Premier League, some can feel frustrated, even myself because I have my dreams.”
Speaking to Betway, the ex-City manager said: “When you look at all football clubs around the world and look at how stable certain clubs are, Manchester City are one of the most stable of the lot. With the manager, you don’t see the owners clamouring for headlines.
“But it’s going to be a big, big ask to replace him when he leaves. Whether you look at a like-for-like replacement potentially, they’ve got feeder clubs around the world, but have they got managers around the world that might come in from their other clubs?
Advertisement
“That might be something going forward. A total change of style might set them back slightly. Can you replicate what he’s achieved already? It’s been absolutely incredible.
“Obviously, I was at City prior to the wealth and the riches arriving. So you can see the impact he’s had. I would try and hang on to him as long as humanly possible.
“There’s been talk over the last few years about him packing it in. Personally, if I was City, I would just keep him there – you might even want to keep him there as a director of football afterwards.”
Advertisement
In a recent interview, Haaland appeared to suggest he and his City team-mates are bracing themselves for Guardiola to depart the club in the near future. The Norwegian goal machine said: “When I talk about good people around me, it’s not just my friends but the people at the club.
“I’m lucky to be at a club with so many good people, and with Pep, who pushes us every single day. I’m lucky to have worked with Pep for three-and-a-half years.
“It’s been an amazing time, as we all know, and no matter what happens in the future, we still need to keep pushing. I need to keep pushing myself and others around me to get better.”
Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings
Advertisement
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Advertisement
Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.
USA Rugby, the nation’s governing body for the sport of rugby, announced Friday it will be introducing a new “open” gender division to accommodate trans athletes.
The new rule comes more than a year after President Donald Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order and nearly seven months after the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s (USOPC) new requirement for all governing bodies to comply with it.
“USA Rugby will now have three competition categories; Men’s Division, Women’s Division and Open Division. The Open Division will permit any athlete, regardless of gender assigned at birth and gender identity, to compete in USA Rugby-sanctioned events, whether full contact or non-contact,” the organization said in a statement.
Cassidy Bargell of the United States passes the ball during a women’s rugby World Cup 2025 match against Samoa at LNER Community Stadium in Monks Cross, York, Sept. 6, 2025.(Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto)
The organization’s policy also seemingly allows any hopeful competitors to simply select their gender when registering, with potential vetting by officials.
“Division status will be determined during the membership application and registration process, when an athlete selects the ‘gender’ option in Rugby Xplorer. When applying for membership or registering as ‘Female’ or registering for an event in the Women’s Division, an athlete represents and warrants to USA Rugby that they are Female.”
“This representation creates a rebuttable presumption that the individual’s sex identified at birth was female,” the organization’s member policy states.
Advertisement
Gabriella Cantorna, Ilona Maher and Emily Henrich of the U.S. before a women’s rugby World Cup 2025 match against Samoa at York Community Stadium Sept. 6, 2025, in York, England. (Molly Darlington/World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
“The determination of whether an individual is Female may be established through records from authoritative sources. Only USA Rugby shall have the right to contest the individual’s Women’s Division status or challenge the presumption of an athlete registered as ‘Female.’”
In July, the USOPC updated its athlete safety policy to indicate compliance with Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order.
However, Trump has also pushed for mandatory genetic testing of athletes to protect the women’s category at the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics amid concerns over forged birth certificates allowing biological males to gain access to women’s sports.
The USA Rugby goal line flag before a match between the United States and Scotland at Audi Field July 12, 2024, in Washington, D.C.(Scott Taetsch/Getty Images for Scottish Rugby)
USOPC Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Finnoff said at the USOPC media summit in October the SRY gene tests being used by World Athletics and World Boxing are “not common” in the U.S. but suggested the USOPC is exploring options to employ sex testing options for its own teams and that he expects other world governing bodies to “follow suit.”
“It’s not necessarily very common to get this specific test in the United States, and, so, our goal in that was helping to identify labs and options for the athletes to be able to get that testing. And (it was) based on that experience and knowing that some other international federations likely will be following suit,” Finnoff said.
Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
After a stellar Olympic debut with five goals and five assists in just six games as a 19-year-old, it’s safe to say Macklin Celebrini will probably be among those representing Canada in the French Alps in 2030.
However, the end goal for Celebrini and Team Canada fell short after they lost to the U.S.A in the gold-medal game 2-1 in overtime.
Macklin Celebrini’s father, Rick, who’s the director of sports medicine for the Golden State Warriors, believes the gut-wrenching loss will add extra motivation to take home gold in four years.
“He was inconsolable after the game, he was upset, he was upset at himself, he was upset at the results,” said Rick Celebrini at a Warriors press conference on Friday.” I think that, with a lot of athletes, it’s fuel, and I really do think it’s a motivator for him. I’m sure it’s a long way to be thinking about it, but four years from now that will be part of additional motivation to prepare, to be ready and to hopefully influence a different outcome.”
Advertisement
Macklin Celebrini wowed all hockey fans on the international stage with his performance in the tournament, earning a nod to the Olympic all-star team and finishing second among all players in scoring behind teammate Connor McDavid and his record 13 points.
His play in the gold-medal game was exceptional, too, with him logging six shots on net.
But while the gold medal is missing from the trophy case, Celebrini’s father thinks he should be happy with the effort the Canadians put in.
“He was almost competitive to a fault and probably loses perspective in the moment, but I think at this point he can look back and be proud of his team and himself and to say that they put their best foot forward and played their butts off and lost to a better team that day,” said Rick Celebrini.
Advertisement
The Olympic stage is not the only place Macklin Celebrini has been dominating, as the young phenom has his San Jose Sharks just five points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference on the back of his fourth-most 81 points.
Welcome to Fully Equipped’s weekly Tour equipment report. Every Friday of PGA Tour weeks (plus other times, if news warrants), GOLF equipment editor Jack Hirsh runs you through some of the biggest news surrounding golf clubs on Tour, including changes, tweaks and launches.
As the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing kicked off at PGA National, many of the game’s top pros were taking a week off before next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. But that didn’t stop companies from bombarding us with putter prototypes.
If you’re a fan of low-torque (also known as zero-torque) putters, this week was sure to get you excited.
First up is the Tour launch of the new L.A.B. Link 2.1 and 2.2, the next generation of the Link 1, currently L.A.B.’s only blade in their matrix.
Advertisement
The 2.1 is a more traditional modern blade shape, while the 2.2 is a shorter heel-to-toe wide-body blade. But the interesting thing is that both putters have L.A.B.’s new HS riser hosel introduced on the OZ.1i HS last summer.
Additionally, they have a new deep-flymilled face. I would be super interested in this, as all the L.A.B. faces thus far have been either too soft or too firm for me.
But L.A.B. wasn’t the only company offering up new heel-shafted, low-torque options. Bettinardi launched a few new “Hexpiramental” Prototypes at the Cogninzant Classic, and each appeared to have a new low-torque hosel from the company.
Bettinardi currently has four shapes in its Antidote low-torque line, and all are center-shafted. But it seems like the company has come up with a new hosel that looks more like a traditional long plumber’s neck, but with the shaft oriented toward the center of the putter.
Advertisement
Like I said, these new Bettinardi Hexperimentals low-torque protos really have my attention.
It seems like a very similar concept to L.A.B.’s riser hosel or Odyssey’s S2S Tri-Hot SB that Max Greyserman is using, where the axis point of the shaft is raised so it aligns with the CG of the putter to give it toe-up properties.
Bettinardi’s take on it looks about as traditional as an attempt as we’ve seen yet.
Advertisement
So far, we’ve seen only two shapes: a high-toe wide-body blade SS9 and a new mid-mallet option similar to an Odyssey Jailbird or Scotty Cameron Fastback with a window in the back.
But it also looks like there are tons of options for face milling already, with photos showing Bettinardi’s new VFT milling pattern and the FIT face currently on their Antidote line.
Lastly, Scotty Cameron also unveiled a new prototype to pros this week with a new T12 mallet.
We don’t know much about this one, and you’ll have to check out the photos on GolfWRX for yourself, but we’ll address the elephant in the room and acknowledge it’s pretty clear what kind of look and performance Cameron is going after here. But before anyone starts throwing accusations around, know that pretty much every OEM has putters and tech that look exactly like another’s. People like what does well, so there’s no sense in trying to make things that are radically different from what is working.
Advertisement
What’s interesting here is that the last time we saw a Scotty “12” mallet in the Phantom X line, it too had gaps between the wings and the center of the putter. But that putter seemed larger and more focused on delivering ultra-high MOI.
We have no idea when this could be coming out because we still haven’t heard any details about the T3 mallets (the one Ryan Gerard is gaming) that have been out since last summer! I wouldn’t expect anything soon, as the T12 we saw on GolfWRX doesn’t appear to have the new SCS insert or chain-link face milling that the rest of the 2026 Phantom line has.
Two works of art go into play
Chris Kirk also added this gorgeous new Odyssey Prototype Damascus Milled #7 Single Bend.
Seeing a Damascus steel putter on the PGA Tour is pretty rare, but they usually produce a pretty soft feel, not unlike carbon steel since it’s usually based on that.
While all those new prototypes look awesome, the only new prototype putters that actually went into play this week were two Odyssey Damascus Milled No. 7s.
Yes, you read that right! Damascus!
Damascus steel is one of those materials that’s typically used in high-end boutique putters to give them a one-of-one look. The material is usually based on carbon steel and then welded, folded or forged together to create a unique look only that piece has.
Advertisement
It’s more considered art than a piece of performance material, but both Chris Kirk and Kevin Yu put the new Odyssey Damascus wands in the bag this week at the Cognizant. Kirk played a single-bend version, while Yu had one with a Crank Hosel.
Check this out
This section is dedicated to cool photos we’ve snapped recently on Tour, but haven’t had a reason to share yet. For this week, check out Joel Dahmen’s Ping Anser hybrid, still kicking in his bag more than 14 years after its release.
Joel Dahmen’s Anser hybrid might never leave the bag.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
Odds and Ends
Some other gear changes and notes we’re tracking this week.
Advertisement
Keith Mitchell added a new Scotty Cameron Kombi S (yes, new!) after testing against an original Kombi he brought from home … Matthieu Pavon has a Scottsdale Tec Ketsch Onset, the same platform as Tony Finau’s new wand and in the same configuration, just with a different headshape … Emiliano Grillo added a TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood and TaylorMade led the fairway count with 84 … Danny Walker and Hoatong Li both added the TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini driver … Chandler Phillips added a 10.5 Qi4D driver, the 16th Qi4D driver in play this week and 17th TaylorMade driver … Brandt Snedeker, Davis Thompson and Li all got Spidered this week … Brooks Koepka is still in a Spider Tour X L-Neck, but has reportedly switched to a Titleist Pro V1x golf ball … Alejandro Totsti added a 25˚ Qi4D Rescue… Garrick Higgo added a split set of TaylorMade P7CB (4-5) and P7MB (6-PW) irons … Chris Kirk and Rasmus Hojgaard both moved into the Quantum TD Max driver.
3 things you should read/watch
A selection of GOLF content from the past week that may interest you.
Tony Finau’s new putter isn’t his only equipment tweak | Bag Spy – Take a deep dive into the bag of Tony Finau, who has made a few more tweaks than normal this season, including a brand new Ping prototype Scottsdale Tec putter.
Advertisement
PING G440 LST Custom Driver
The G440 driver family (MAX, LST, SFT) is optimized to deliver more ball speed through multiple advancements, including PING’s deepest CG in a driver to date and a shallower, thinner face, while continuing to ensure the game-changing forgiveness expected from a PING driver. The G440 LST (Low Spin) design appeals to players with faster swing speeds, providing lower spin and more control in 9° and 10.5° lofts with the three-position back weight.
HIGHLY FORGIVING
Lighter head weight allows for heavier back weight.
FASTER FACE
Shallow, thinner, face increases ball speed for more distance, higher launch.
SOUND DESIGN
New shaping, carbon crown and internal ribs produce muted impact experience.
FREE-HOSEL DESIGN
Saves weight to lower CG, increase forgiveness. Allows for more heel-side face flexing for consistent ball speed across face.
The re-engineered head profile increases ball speed thanks to improved aerodynamics developed through advanced simulations.
FACE FOR DISTANCE
60x Carbon Twist Face™ is a technological cornerstone that provides weight savings, incredible ball speed and more consistency vs. a titanium face.
ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE
Advertisement
4° loft sleeve can be used to adjust loft, lie and face angle for optimized flight.
TOUR PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES
New and improved cut-through Speed Pocket™ protects ball speed and reduces spin on low-face strikes.
Advanced CAD modeling creates a design with a clean and powerful sound, a foundation of TaylorMade driver performance.
Multi-Material Construction allows engineers to strategically place mass in areas of the head where it maximizes performance, speed, and stability.
Bryson DeChambeau and LA Golf have split. Here’s why it didn’t work out – GOLF’s Michael Bamberger looks into where things went sour between one of the most marketable stars and one of the trendiest equipment companies.
The third round of the 2026 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches gets underway Saturday, February 28, at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., a little earlier than usual, thanks to some expected inclement weather on Saturday afternoon in South Florida. You can find full Cognizant Classic tee times for Saturday’s third round at the bottom of this post.
Featured tee time for Round 3
Thirty-one-year-old Austin Smotherman only has one career top 5 on his PGA Tour resume — the 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta — but thanks to an excellent start in Florida, the Southern Methodist alum may be adding to that tally this weekend with something even better: a win.
Smotherman opened with a sizzling round of nine-under 62 on Thursday and followed that performance with a two-under 69 to reach 11 under overall. He now leads the field by three shots heading into the weekend.
Smotherman’s closest competitor is Taylor Moore (-8), followed by A.J. Ewart and Nico Echavarria (both -7), and Joel Dahmen (-6).
Advertisement
Smotherman will play alongside Moore and Ewart in Saturday’s final grouping at 9:40 a.m. ET.
You can watch Saturday’s third round of the 2026 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches from 10-3 p.m. ET on Golf Channel. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage beginning at 7:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, in addition to featured group and featured hole coverage.
Check out the complete Round 3 tee times and groupings for the Cognizant Classic below.
With an ESPN+ subscription, you gain access to PGA Tour Live, where you can stream the best PGA Tour events live from wherever you want.
Advertisement
2026 Cognizant Classic tee times for Saturday: Round 3 (ET)
Tee No. 1
7:28 a.m. – Zecheng Dou, Matthieu Pavon, Max McGreevy 7:40 a.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Chan Kim, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 7:52 a.m. – Ryan Gerard, Brooks Koepka, Ben Silverman 8:04 a.m. – Steven Fisk, Ricky Castillo, Eric Cole 8:16 a.m. – Max Homa, Thorbjorn Olesen, Kevin Streelman 8:28 a.m. – Matti Schmid, Takumi Kanaya, Kevin Roy 8:40 a.m. – Seamus Power, Chad Ramey, Carson Young 8:52 a.m. – William Mouw, Michael Brennan, Daniel Berger 9:04 a.m. – Aaron Rai, Shane Lowry, Jimmy Stanger 9:16 a.m. – Kristoffer Reitan, Pontus Nyholm, Hank Lebioda 9:28 a.m. – Nico Echavarria, Joel Dahmen, Mark Hubbard 9:40 a.m. – Austin Smotherman, Taylor Moore, A.J. Ewart
Tee No. 10
7:28 a.m. – Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Alex Smalley, Danny Walker 7:40 a.m. – Rasmus Hojgaard, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Dan Brown 7:52 a.m. – John Parry, Austin Eckroat, Beau Hossler 8:04 a.m. – Lee Hodges, Matt Wallace, Keith Mitchell 8:16 a.m. – Davis Thompson, Jackson Suber, Adrien Saddier 8:28 a.m. – Patrick Fishburn, Zach Bauchou, Dylan Wu 8:40 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Adam Schenk, Chandler Phillips 8:52 a.m. – Tom Kim, Patton Kizzire, Haotong Li 9:04 a.m. – David Ford, Billy Horschel, Garrick Higgo 9:16 a.m. – Joe Highsmith, Nicolai Hojgaard 9:28 a.m. – Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Jordan Smith
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah surveys the field during pregame warmups Nov 24, 2022 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota before a matchup with the New England Patriots. Adofo-Mensah continues shaping Minnesota’s roster through measured draft decisions and targeted free-agent moves as the franchise builds toward long-term stability. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports..
On January 30th, three and a half weeks after the end of the 2025 regular season, the Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after four seasons. Reasons for his termination ran rampant, but thanks to ESPN’s Peter Schrager, the cause is known: Adofo-Mensah’s quarterback decision-making was not trustworthy for the long haul.
The firing elevates Kevin O’Connell’s influence, and it compresses the timeline to get the quarterback call right.
Executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski now holds the interim general manager title, and fans will merely hope he’s better in the director’s chair. Fans will get a verdict rather soon, as the NFL’s “legal tampering” period of free agency gets cracking in 10 days.
Advertisement
Schrager’s Explanation Points Back to the Quarterback Bet
Schrager succinctly explains the Vikings’ decision.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah speaks with reporters Feb 25, 2025 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana during the NFL Scouting Combine. Adofo-Mensah discussed roster-building philosophy and draft priorities while evaluating prospects alongside league executives preparing for the upcoming offseason cycle. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Schrager on Kwesi’s Downfall
Speaking to Get Up on ESPN, Schrager explained Adofo-Mensah’s termination: “This was a 14-win team a year ago, and they fired their GM less than 12 months later. And it’s not because of paternity leaves or the relationship with Kevin O’Connell.”
“They fired the GM because he had Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and an interested Aaron Rodgers in the building, and he said, ‘No, we’re good with JJ — and Max Brosmer and Carson Wentz are gonna be his backups. They’re not going to make the same mistake twice.”
Advertisement
It’s also worth noting that Adofo-Mensah had an approximate 15%-20% success rate in the draft, which did not help his cause for long-term employment.
The Working Theory — Explained
These are the Cliff Notes of Schrager’s comments, extrapolated with a little flair from VikingsTerritory:
Kevin O’Connell recommended the Vikings trade up for Drake Maye in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Vikings tried, but the New England Patriots wouldn’t move off the third overall pick. With O’Connell’s blessing, Minnesota then drafted J.J. McCarthy.
After the 2024 campaign, when Sam Darnold delivered 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns, O’Connell urged his boss to re-sign Darnold; Adofo-Mensah didn’t want to spend $33 million per season on a quarterback who played like trash in the two most important games of the season. After all, Adofo-Mensah had drafted McCarthy 11 months prior.
O’Connell also nudged his team to re-sign Daniel Jones, but Jones picked the Indianapolis Colts over the Vikings, knowing he could win the starting job over Anthony Richardson, whereas Minnesota seemed committed to McCarthy.
Then, O’Connell and Aaron Rodgers had talks about a one-year relationship, but Adofo-Mensah never took the bait.
Every step of the way — Maye, Darnold, Jones, and Rodgers — O’Connell came up with the right solution — but was ignored.
That’s what the tea leaves point to — and explain why Adofo-Mensah was fired five days after Darnold helped the Seattle Seahawks win the NFC Championship.
One Chance for O’Connell to Make It Right
Advertisement
All of that said, O’Connell doesn’t have a clean slate. With Adofo-Mensah’s departure, the pressure on O’Connell to deliver results has intensified. Now wielding greater control over roster decisions, the head coach bears full accountability for the team’s performance, and the quarterback situation demands immediate attention — either a full commitment to McCarthy or the identification of a viable alternative.
Entering his fifth year, still seeking his first playoff victory, the 2026 season looms large for O’Connell. A playoff berth feels essential, and a January win could be crucial for his long-term job security, as few coaches survive beyond Year 5 without demonstrating some level of playoff success.
NFL Network analyst Peter Schrager works on the sideline Dec 17, 2022 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York before a matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. Schrager regularly contributes league insight and reporting on roster decisions, coaching developments, and offseason movement across the NFL. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports.
Historically, head coaches rarely outlast the general manager who hired them. Teams that dismiss the GM often move on from the coach shortly thereafter if significant improvement isn’t evident. Recent examples include Tennessee and Carolina, and Miami nearly followed suit before ultimately firing Mike McDaniel.
Minnesota now finds itself in a similar position. A season mired around 6-11 or 7-10, particularly if attributed to a poor quarterback selection, could trigger further organizational changes. Achieving a 9-8 record or better and demonstrating genuine playoff potential likely represents the minimum requirement for stability, especially given ownership’s increased reliance on O’Connell as the primary decision-maker.
Adofo-Mensah Back on His Feet
Advertisement
As a side note, Adofo-Mensah didn’t wallow in unemployment long. The San Francisco 49ers hired him this week, naming him a “personnel executive.” The club will evidently give him a more suitable job title after the draft.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah observes practice activities Jul 27, 2022 at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota during team preparations. Adofo-Mensah has overseen multiple roster transitions while shaping Minnesota’s long-term direction through draft selections and targeted personnel acquisitions across recent seasons. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Adofo-Mensah’s stock is low, but the job in San Francisco will keep him relevant and perhaps in the mix to reapply for general manager jobs in a few years.
Per the NFLPA Player Report Card, players assigned Adofo-Mensah an ‘A’ grade in 2025 for his general management.
;)
