Let’s get real for a moment. Most golfers, and by “most,” I mean players with an 18 handicap or higher, probably aren’t reaping the full benefits of a premium golf ball.
Expensive balls tend to cater to better players who rely on specific performance characteristics. Taking advantage of those features often requires a combination of higher swing speed, consistent contact and the ability to control launch and spin.
Knowing and accepting that, the good news is that most recreational players don’t need to absorb the added cost of premium golf balls. There are plenty of excellent options for less money that still provide the feel, distance and spin better suited to the recreational player.
The following five golf balls are available from PGA TOUR Superstore for less than 30 bucks. Whether you prioritize soft feel, straighter flight, added distance or all-around performance, there is an affordable option here for your game.
Titleist built the TruFeel for players who value three things: a soft feel, added distance and consistent control around the green. Its TruTouch core is designed to generate speed while retaining that cushioned sensation at impact, while the soft TruFlex cover helps produce spin on chips and approach shots. The ball’s 376-dimple aerodynamic pattern promotes a penetrating trajectory for a more controlled flight rather than watching the ball climb excessively high, especially when playing in windy conditions.
1 thing we really like: It delivers the quality and consistency golfers expect from Titleist for less than half the price of the company’s premium tour balls.
All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team.
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Truly Long. Truly Soft. For some, a soft feeling golf ball is everything, but for most golfers, soft feel isn’t everything. These golfers also expect quality, control, and above all, distance. That’s where TruFeel comes in. TruFeel golf balls have ultra-soft feel, consistent short game control, and long distance. Why Play TruFeel? TruFeel is recommended for players who prefer ultra-soft feel, long distance and consistent greenside spin. Player Profile TruFeel is for players who prefer ultra-soft feel, long distance and consistent greenside spin. Not available for purchase or shipment to Australia.
Callaway’s Supersoft balls come with a HyperElastic SoftFast core that’s engineered to increase ball speed with the driver and irons while retaining a soft feel on shorter shots. The Hybrid Cover complements that core by balancing distance, durability and control. Although golfers should not expect the stopping power of a premium urethane model, the Supersoft offers enough short-game control to be a practical everyday ball for a broad range of moderate-swing-speed golfers.
1 thing we really like: It’s an obvious one, but the soft feel is exceptional with this ball. It even feels soft off the putterface.
Super Long. Super Straight. Super Soft. Product Details: Increased Ball Speed with Soft Feel: HyperElastic SoftFast™ Core for faster driver and iron speed, with soft greenside feel. Exceptional Feel, Control, and Spin with Long Distance: Hybrid Cover combines maximized distance with soft feel and durability. Greenside Spin and Control: New cover system for enhanced control on approach shots and short game shots.
The Bridgestone e6 Soft is designed for golfers who want more distance without giving up the soft feel that makes a ball enjoyable to play. Its larger, softer core is built to compress efficiently and generate speed off the tee, especially for moderate swing speeds who may struggle to fully compress a firmer golf ball. Also, Bridgestone pairs the core with a soft, seamless cover intended to improve feel and provide additional control.
1 thing we really like: Its soft, easy-to-compress core makes the e6 a solid choice for moderate-swing-speed golfers seeking more distance.
Product Details Introducing the new e6 Soft Feel golf ball – the ultimate combination of soft feel and long distance. The e6 features a softer and larger core for faster compression, resulting in longer distance off the tee. Our seamless cover technology optimizes spin and feel for a truly unparalleled golfing experience. Upgrade your game with the e6 golf ball. Available in white and optic yellow. NEW! The soft feel, long distance golf ball LONGER DISTANCE – Softer and larger core for faster compression and longer distance INCREASED CONTROL – Soft seamless cover for better spin and feel Proudly Represented By: TIGER WOODS, JASON DAY, FRED COUPLES, KURT KITAYAMA, HARRY HALL, MATT KUCHAR, CHRIS GOTTERUP, TAKUMI KANAYA, BOO WEEKLY, AYAKA FURUE, MIA SAIGO, YURI YOSHIDA, AND SAKI BABA on international professional tours
The Srixon Soft Feel is another excellent choice for players who prefer a softer ball. Its FastLayer Core gradually transitions from a soft center to a firmer outer edge. This allows the ball to feel soft but not too soft, while still generating added speed for more distance. Srixon’s 338 Speed Dimple pattern reduces drag and increases lift, helping the ball stay in the air longer and fly straighter in the wind. Around the green, a thin ionomer cover provides soft feedback and useful spin on pitches, chips and putts.
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1 thing we really like: The 338 Speed Dimple pattern gives the Soft Feel a flight designed to remain stable and efficient even when the wind begins to pick up.
Whether off the tee, approaching, or around the greens, SOFT FEEL lives up to its name. Experience incredible softness with a solid yet comfortable impact on every swing, plus enhanced distance—giving you more confidence as you address each shot. If feel matters most to you, choose SOFT FEEL for ultimate all-around performance. Enjoy a solid yet comfortable impact on every swing, while the premium FastLayer Core generates impressive ball speeds for increased distance. It’s the best of both worlds—soft feel and great length. Product Details: FastLayer Core: SOFT FEEL features Srixon’s FastLayer Core technology, gradually transitioning from a soft inner core to a firm outer edge. This design reduces long-game sidespin for straighter shots while increasing ball speed and distance. Speed Dimple™ Pattern: The 338 dimple design reduces drag and boosts lift for a higher, longer flight. Shots stay straighter, even in windy conditions. Lower Drag, Higher Lift: A lower drag coefficient helps the ball cut through the air with minimal resistance, while a higher lift coefficient keeps the ball airborne longer, maximizing distance. Soft, Thin Cover: Provides more greenside spin and a softer feel for pitches, chips, and putts.
The Vice Tour Zap (you can get a non-Zap one if you want) has a three-layer construction to help deliver a more complete balance of speed, feel and control. It’s positioned as an all-around option for golfers with medium swing speeds, although it can work for players across a wider range of speeds. Vice actually increased the ball’s compression to promote higher ball speeds while reducing the rigidity of the outer mantle for a soft-but-not-too-soft feel. This updated design also produces more wedge spin, giving golfers additional control on approach shots and around the green. The Vice Tour feels slightly firmer than some of the ultra-soft models featured above, but that more responsive feel may appeal to golfers who find low-compression balls too mushy.
1 thing we really like: Its firmer feel is a welcome choice in a sea of soft-feeling balls at this price point. And the Zap logo art is also on point.
You can call it a friendly rivalry between Jeff Fujimoto and Simon Holt, the two captains at next month’s Bridges Cup. They agree on most things, like the fact they are thrilled the premier mid-amateur international team match-play competition is heading to a venue as prestigious as Trump Turnberry. And that the Bridges Cup, about to get underway for the fourth time, is instrumental in promoting mid-amateur golf and showcasing the players who balance work and family while still competing at a high level.
The only thing Fujimoto and Holt can’t agree on? Which team should be favored in the upcoming Bridges Cup.
“The level of competition every year seems to get stronger and stronger,” said Fujimoto, the U.S. captain. “It’s exciting — I think we are going to go in and upset them.”
“I’d probably disagree that they are underdogs,” added Holt, the International team captain. “History dictates the U.S. has won three times, but it’s going to be great. The Americans come in incredibly strong — they always do — and we just can’t wait to get there and go toe-to-toe again.”
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The U.S. team celebrates its win at the 2023 Bridges Cup.
Oisín Keniry
This year’s Bridges Cup, set for Oct. 5-7 at Trump Turnberry in South Ayrshire, Scotland, might be the most anticipated yet.
The Americans won by just a point in the inaugural Bridges Cup in 2022 and then cruised to a victory in 2023. In 2024, the latest edition, it came down to the final match, with the U.S. winning 17-15 at Haesley Nine Bridges in South Korea.
The Americans are 3-0 in the event, but with that winning streak comes pressure. Plus, it’s a road game.
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“We should have, in theory, an advantage being on links golf,” Holt said. “Especially the time of year we’re going to play, the weather could really lean into it.”
There’s also the pressure that comes with being the final prestigious team event on the global golf calendar in 2026. Just last month, Great Britain and Ireland pulled off a stunning come-from-behind victory to beat the U.S. and win the Walker Cup. Europe just beat the U.S. in the Solheim Cup last week. And the Ryder Cup? Well, you remember Bethpage Black last fall. Europe has that trophy too.
Maybe things are aligning for Holt’s International team after all.
“[The last Bridges Cup] was so exciting,” Holt said. “It came down to the final hole, and unfortunately it didn’t go our way. But this year we’re going to Turnberry, my home turf in Scotland, a world top-20 golf course at Trump Turnberry, and we couldn’t be more excited about this year’s event.”
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Speaking of Trump Turnberry, the five-star luxury golf resort on the Firth of Clyde will host this year’s event, with the matches being played on the iconic Ailsa Course as well as King Robert the Bruce. The Ailsa Course ranks 18th on GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the World ranking, while Martin Ebert built the King Robert the Bruce course in 2017 (he also renovated the Ailsa in 2025).
The Ailsa Course has hosted four Open Championships — 1977, 1986, 1994 and 2009 — and has been the site of some of golf’s most famous moments, including the 1977 “Duel in the Sun” between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. Watson was again a central figure there in 2009, when he was 59 years old and making a run at becoming the oldest major champion in golf history. (Watson held a one-shot lead on the 18th on Sunday but bogeyed the final hole and later lost to Stewart Cink in a playoff.)
An aerial view of the Alisa Course — and the iconic Turnberry Lighthouse — at Trump Turnberry in Scotland.
Courtesy Trump Turnberry
Trump Turnberry has hosted other marquee events — like a Women’s British Open and several Senior Open Championships — and has also been a venue for premier amateur tournaments, a detail that’s important to Bridges Cup organizers and the history they want to honor. Trump Turnberry hosted the 1963 Walker Cup as well as the British Amateur Championship in 1961, 1983, 1996 and 2008. The British Am and U.S. Amateur are considered the two most prestigious individual amateur events in the world.
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And now 24 decorated mid-amateurs will tee it up there too.
Australia’s Lukas Michel, the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur champ who played in the Masters and U.S. Open, is back for his second appearance after he was a perfect 5-0 at the last Bridges Cup. There’s Caolan Rafferty, who represented Great Britain and Ireland at the 2019 Walker Cup and became the first golfer to win all four Irish provincial championships. And don’t forget Colm Campbell, who is a two-time Irish Amateur Open champion.
As for the Americans, Drew Kittleson, a 2008 U.S. Amateur runner-up and Masters and U.S. Open participant, is back again. And making his debut is John Peterson, the 2011 NCAA individual champion who made 93 PGA Tour starts before later regaining his amateur status.
There’s also that wrinkle that these elite mid-amateurs have jobs and families. This year’s field alone has salesmen, GMs, entrepreneurs and even a golf course architect and a director of a fishing company. Players from both sides were selected to compete because of their low handicaps, but also for their previous accomplishments in the game, international experience, match-play credentials and more.
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The competition itself is simple: 12 U.S. players face 12 International players in three days of competitive matches (four-ball, foursomes and singles) at a world-class golf club.
For now, the Bridges Cup is a friendly competition where it’s anyone’s guess which team is the favorite and who is the underdog. But come Oct. 5 at Trump Turnberry, when the first session gets underway, the chill creeps in and the breeze picks up, the stakes will be raised. That’s just how things work in these premier team events — and elite competitors thrive on it.
“Turnberry has not really been showcased for quite a long time,” Holt said. “So to take these top-level mid-am golfers there, to really test them out on one of the world’s great golf courses, I think it’s fair to say this is the best golf course we’ve ever taken the event to.”
NEW DELHI: If you were seated on the second tier here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday evening, the white Kookaburra ball would have seemed to be perpetually flying in your eyeline for the first 10 overs of the third T20I between India and Afghanistan. It was Abhishek Sharma who was bringing a dead rubber to life just the way Indian T20 batters are used to doing in home conditions and the IPL.Such are the standards set by Abhishek over the last three years that bringing up his hundred off 30 balls felt like just another day in the office. As one was still coming to terms with the carnage he inflicted, Abhishek decided to celebrate his century by calmly sitting in the middle of the pitch, meditating like a monk.Having endured a comparatively modest year with the bat in international cricket, Abhishek’s relentless hitting was kind of a throwback to his marauding run with the Indian team before the T20 World Cup in March.Abhishek’s onslaught on a tired pitch made his opening partner Sanju Samson‘s 35-ball 50 look like a laborious effort. That one knock of 108 off 34 balls, which ended in the 10th over, was enough for India to post 221/7 after Abhishek left the park with the scoreboard reading 142/1.The 11 sixes and nine boundaries off Abhishek’s bat were enough to break the spirits of the Afghanistan team. Afghanistan’s batting folded for 94 in just [missing number] overs to lose by 127 runs, bringing their first ‘home’ series against India to an end with a 3-0 scoreline in favour of India.The Afghan players clearly lacked energy on the field, having endured heavy poundings in the first two T20Is here this week. It appeared they almost waited for this game to just pass by. But Abhishek wasn’t satiated despite his two whirlwind knocks in the previous two matches.As the Afghan players looked like merely rolling their arms over and tossing the ball without any intent, Abhishek was amusing himself by testing the catching skills of the spectators in the stands.Abhishek’s returns in international cricket haven’t been the best since the T20I World Cup in March. The runs have come at a premium for him. He wasn’t going to let this opportunity go to waste in re-establishing himself as India’s undisputed first-choice opener in T20Is even as the buzz around 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi only keeps growing. He finished the series with 209 runs off 85 balls.
Reddy’s bowling gives confidence
Nitish Kumar Reddy is the pet project for the team management to get him ready as a premier seam-bowling allrounder besides the injury-prone Hardik Pandya. On Thursday, he managed just one off four balls with the bat in his only outing in the series.Captain Shreyas Iyer chose to give him the new ball like Pandya has been doing in T20 cricket for India. The first one didn’t look incisive, but Reddy came back later in the innings with a clear plan of varying the pace and length. He finished with figures of 3/25 in four overs.Having pulled him out of the Asian Games team, Reddy’s performance on Thursday night will give the team management a lot of confidence as they start preparing for the ODI World Cup with the ODI series against West Indies later this month.
Tom Brady is not ready to dismiss the Kansas City Chiefs from the Super Bowl contender conversation. In fact, he’s making a big declaration about the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
In his latest NFL power rankings, Brady placed the Chiefs at No. 7 and he thinks Mahomes is playing like himself again after tearing his ACL last December.
“I think, in a lot of ways, he’s back to [being] Patrick Mahomes,” Brady said. “What do I mean by that? His leadership, discipline, tenacity — all of those things were on display. He’s going to pick up some steam. He’s missed some football, missed a lot of the offseason. But never sleep on No. 15 for the Chiefs.”
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Mahomes didn’t have the strongest stat line in the Chiefs’ 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Monday night. He completed 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. But he also ran for a 15-yard score in the first quarter, making a vintage Mahomes-like play.
“Patrick Mahomes, are you kidding me? He might be able to contribute something to this offense as well,” Brady said. He wasn’t avoiding any contact [on Monday night]; I’m sure of that.
Statistically, Mahomes wasn’t the catalyst of the Chiefs’ offense on Monday night. Newcomer Kenneth Walker III dominated on the ground. He rushed for a career-high 173 yards on 7.5 yards per carry and a touchdown, with that 60-yard score giving Kansas City a decisive advantage in the second half.
Walker’s performance earned a shout-out from Brady. However, the bulk of Brady’s commentary focused on Mahomes, giving him an endorsement as many have compared the two quarterbacks’ careers. Brady also returned from an ACL injury around the same time as Mahomes did in his career, so he knows what the Chiefs star is going through.
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And as the Chiefs have the three-time Super Bowl winner back at quarterback, he made it clear he isn’t buying the idea that Kansas City is fading.
“Why are we counting them out? Never count them out,” Brady said.
Patrick Mahomes finished with three total touchdowns in week 1 against the Broncos, throwing two and adding another on the ground in a 31-10 victory. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Brady closed with the same logic that’s carried the Chiefs through multiple championship runs already: put the right coach with the right quarterback in an organization built on winning, and the results tend to follow.
“I always felt like when you’ve got a great coach and you’ve got a great QB, and that organization has championship standards … watch out, man.
Belmont Park is reopening after three years and $455 million worth of renovations, with one of horse racing’s biggest stars taking center stage.
Forever Young, the Japanese star who won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, is the headline attraction for Belmont’s return to racing on Friday. He’s the star of a five-horse field – reduced from seven following the scratches of Banishing and Chunk of Gold – for the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup.
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The Jockey Club Gold Cup, run at 1 ¼ miles on dirt, is the fifth race on Friday’s Belmont card with a post time of 4:14 p.m. ET.
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Before Forever Young steps into the starting gate, here’s a guide to what you need to know about the Japanese star and his career.
Who is Forever Young?
A 5-year-old Japanese-bred son of Real Steel, Forever Young is one of the most accomplished racehorses on the planet and the sport’s all-time leader in purse money won with more than $31 million in earnings.
Trained by Yoshito Yahagi, ridden by Ryusei Sakai and owned by Susumu Fujita, Forever Young has 11 wins, one second and three thirds in his 15 career starts. He beat Sierra Leone and Fierceness to win last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, and is a two-time winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup, the world’s richest race.
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When is Forever Young running at Belmont Park?
Forever Young is running in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Friday, Sept. 18 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
It’s the fifth race on a nine-race card, and carries a post time of 4:14 p.m. ET.
Who is Forever Young facing in the Jockey Club Gold Cup?
Jockey Club Gold Cup horses, post positions, odds
Baeza (Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado, 9-2)
Stars and Stripes (Bill Mott, John Velazquez, 15-1)
What channel can I watch Forever Young in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on?
The Jockey Club Gold Cup will be shown on Fox.
Throughout Friday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup card, racing will be shown on several of Fox’s family of networks.
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Jockey Club Gold Cup Day TV schedule
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Has Forever Young ever raced in New York before?
No, the Jockey Club Gold Cup will be his first start in New York.
Has Forever Young raced in the U.S. before?
Forever Young has made three lifetime starts in the United States. He was third behind Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, and third behind Sierra Leone and Fierceness in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. His most recent race in the U.S. was the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he won by a half-length over Sierra Leone.
What races has Forever Young been in this year?
Forever Young has raced twice this year, both times in the Middle East. He won his second straight Saudi Cup in February, then finished second to American star Magnitude in the Dubai World Cup in late March.
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His start in the Jockey Club Gold Cup will be his first in nearly six months as he prepares for another Breeders’ Cup Classic start next month at Keeneland.
Where does Forever Young rank among the richest horses of all-time?
Forever Young is the sport’s all-time leader in purse earnings by a wide margin, having secured more than $31 million in his 15-race career.
Sep 16, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) calls for time during an at-bat against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The American League West race is even with 10 games left as the playoff battles intensify on Thursday. The Texas Rangers have won four straight games to catch the Houston Astros with identical 76-76 records.
The Rangers and Astros also are part of a tight wild-card field that sees the fading Chicago White Sox holding the third and final spot by one game. The Rangers host the Boston Red Sox and the Astros host the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.
In the National League East, the Philadelphia Phillies visit the New York Mets in the opener of a four-game series and their focus may soon be totally on the wild-card berth as they trail the Atlanta Braves by 4 ½ games. The Phillies are second in that derby, a half-game behind the Chicago Cubs.
BOSTON RED SOX AT TEXAS RANGERS
Texas won the first two games of the series with the Red Sox to get a pivotal nine-game homestand off to a stellar start. The Rangers racked up 13 hits and went 7-for-16 with runners in scoring position during Wednesday’s 7-3 victory.
Texas had been floundering most of the season but suddenly is a hot club at a very good time. The Red Sox are slumping with five losses in their past seven games but it would take an even bigger collapse to fall out of the AL’s second wild-card spot.
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Willson Contreras increased his career-best homer count to 27 with a two-run shot Wednesday that gave him a career-high 81 RBIs. Right-hander Sonny Gray is 8-3 with a 3.21 ERA against Texas but it feels like this one won’t be a winning effort.
Rangers to win moneyline, +118 (DraftKings)
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KANSAS CITY ROYALS AT HOUSTON ASTROS
Remember when Yordan Alvarez appeared to be sailing toward AL MVP honors while making a run at the Triple Crown? Yeah, that guy who had 35 homers at the end of July has gone deep just four times since though he does still lead the league with a .310 batting average.
But this version of Alvarez has brought Houston back to the pack and the Astros have lost seven of their last 10 after splitting the first two games with the Royals. As for Kansas City, Bobby Witt Jr. has just 18 homers and 54 RBIs and the real power is being supplied by guys named Carter Jensen (24) and Jac Caglianone (23).
Caglianone was a first-round draft pick (sixth overall) in 2024 and Jensen was a third-round choice in 2021. Right-hander Seth Lugo is the most important Kansas City player Thursday and he is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in five career starts against the Astros while struggling with Alvarez (4-for-11, one homer).
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Teams to score under 9 runs, -112 (DraftKings)
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PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES AT NEW YORK METS
When the Phillies beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 on Wednesday, it was just their fifth win in 13 games, hindering their chances of making a run at the Braves. The good news is they now face the Mets, who have been playing out the string for the second half of the season and have lost four straight games entering this set.
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New York scored seven runs during the skid and five of them came in one game. Perhaps seeing right-hander Aaron Nola will help as he is 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA in two starts against the Mets this season. Juan Soto has five homers in 46 at-bats against Nola and Francisco Alvarez is 5-for-10 with three homers against him.
Kyle Schwarber leads the majors with 45 homers and he has torched New York pitching this season with six homers and 13 RBIs in just 34 at-bats. However, right-hander Nolan McLean (2-1, 0.47 in three career starts against Philadelphia) has held Schwarber to 0-for-7 with two walks, which will make for some interesting confrontations in this game.
Rory McIlroy got off to a flying start in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth but his round unravelled to leave fellow major champion Aaron Rai as the joint first-round leader.
The Northern Irishman was five under through 10 holes and in the outright lead before some waywardness off the tee proved costly coming home, making three bogeys over his final six.
US PGA champion Rai, playing alongside the Masters winner and Open champion Ryan Fox in the marquee group which finished a combined 13 under par, was typically more solid.
He also had five birdies in his first 10 holes, with one bogey, and two more coming home saw him post a six-under 66, three better than McIlroy and two ahead of Fox.
McIlroy, who covered the course in 60 in Wednesday’s pro-am, is trying to reel in Patrick Reed to win a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title and he looked like he was intent on making a statement with the American out in the group in front.
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Starting at the ninth, all but one of his first five birdies came from inside two and a half feet, a 20-footer at the par-five 12th the exception, with three in a row from the 16th from a combined five feet five inches.
He left an eagle attempt frustratingly short at the 17th and another for birdie at the second but from there things started to go awry.
McIlroy bogeyed the third and sixth, but a good recovery at the fourth saw him make birdie and he salvaged par at the seventh.
However, from deep rough after another poor drive at the eighth he hacked into the pond guarding the green and dropped his third shot of the day to finish with a three-under 69.
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Rai drove into the same pond at the eighth but chipped up to save par. He was later joined on six under by Swede Joakim Lagergren, whose round contained an eagle at the 12th.
Reed had briefly held a share of the lead with a fifth birdie before he too fell foul of the 395-yard par-four eighth to finish in the group on four under, which also included Fox and Viktor Hovland.
“Started very strong, five-under through 10, and started hitting a few loose shots on the way in,” said McIlroy.
Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed is in contention at the BMW PGA Championship (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)
“It started to get a little tricky there at the end, the wind was gusty, but I played well. I certainly saw some improvements on the greens compared to last week.
“It felt like I could have been a couple better at least but I think it’s going to play pretty tricky this afternoon so 69 isn’t a bad score to start with.”
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Reed, who is bidding to become only the second American after Collin Morikawa to win the Race to Dubai, said: “It would mean a lot. I’ve always prided myself as being an American that consistently comes over and shows support to this tour.
“It’s definitely in the back of my mind, but at the end of the day (I’ve got to) just go out there and take care of business each and every day.”
Jon Rahm struggled to a first-round 78 (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)
The afternoon starters fared much worse, with two-time major winner Jon Rahm already struggling to make the cut after five bogeys and a double.
His six-over round of 78 left him just one behind last man Marcel Siem, while playing partners Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood were slightly better as they both finished one over.
The opening week of the 2026 NFL season is done and dusted, and fantasy football league managers are gearing up for Week 2. They’ll be looking to make roster moves that’ll either give them their second win of the campaign or get to .500.
Two Buffalo Bills wide receivers to watch in the upcoming week are D.J. Moore and Khalil Shakir. With that in mind, here’s which veteran wideout you should start in Week 2.
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Should I start D.J. Moore or Khalil Shakir for Week 2 Fantasy Football?
In the offseason, the Buffalo Bills acquired D.J. Moore from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2026 second-round draft pick. The veteran wideout was fresh off his eighth year, amassing 50 receptions, 682 yards, and six touchdowns in 17 games catching passes from Caleb Williams.
Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
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Moore was phenomenal in his Bills debut, catching five passes for 100 yards and one touchdown. His football IQ was key in him scoring a 43-yard TD against the Houston Texans.
Khalil Shakir has spent his entire professional football career with the Bills. He entered Year 5 as the team’s WR2 behind the newly acquired Moore.
Shakir had a solid but unspectacular start to the season. He posted a stat line of four receptions, 50 receiving yards and no touchdowns.
While D.J. Moore and Khalil Shakir are talented players in their own right, Moore seems the better Week 2 start. As Josh Allen’s primary target, Moore is the most likely source of fantasy points in the Bills receiver room.
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Moore is the clear WR1 and high-end option, while Shakir occupies a lower-ceiling supporting role. Furthermore, Moore’s ranking as a strong top-15/20 option makes him too tantalizing to ignore.
How to watch Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions?
The Buffalo Bills continue their campaign against the Detroit Lions. Both teams will look to record their second win of the season.
With the game on Thursday, here’s what you need to know to watch it.
If GOLF’s most recent ranking of the Top 100 Resorts in the World whets your appetite for some travel, you’ll be happy to know that you can visit more than a quarter of these properties without traversing the Atlantic. A whopping 27 of the 100 resorts on the list can be visited right here on the North American continent.
For those keeping score in the U.S., the most recognized state might be surprising: Wisconsin! The Badger State wears the crown as America’s most honored on our list, with four resorts recognized: The American Club, Erin Hills, Sand Valley and SentryWorld.
Next is Florida, with three properties: Cabot Citrus Farms, Streamsong Resort and Trump National Doral Miami, followed by multiple states with two mentions each.
With some 800 golf resorts available around the U.S., the competition for visits is intense. But you can rest assured that if you choose to visit these properties, you’ll come away impressed by what’s on offer both on and off the course.
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Check out the full list of Top 100 Resorts in the U.S. and Canada below.
Top 100 Resorts in the U.S. and Canada
The American Club Kohler, Wis.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort Bandon, Ore.
Big Cedar Lodge Ridgedale, Mo.
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The Broadmoor Colorado Springs, Colo.
Cabot Cape Breton Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada
Cabot Citrus Farms Brooksville, Fla.
Erin Hills Hartford, Wis.
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Fairmont Banff Springs Banff, Alberta, Canada
Four Seasons Resort Lana’i Lana’i City, Hawaii
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea Wailea, Hawaii
Pacific Dunes in Bandon, Ore.
Evan Schiller
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French Lick Resort French Lick, Ind.
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“I’d like to reclaim the flag for myself — or for us,” Klopp said.
“I want us to always wave it in a way that makes no one think: ‘What’s wrong with you?’” he said. “But, rather, that people simply get the feeling that you’re happy and understand how lucky you are to have been born, raised or moved to this wonderful country.”
Klopp said of the election “that some people probably thought it was OK, while many others thought: ‘Good heavens, what’s going on there?”
The former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool head coach was quick to say he is not a political expert and that he doesn’t want to talk about politics at every press conference, but that he doesn’t want to “leave national pride to the wrong people.”
Rather than leaving that up to misinterpretation, something Klopp said was possible, he turned toward the concept of “positive patriotism.”
“I can be proud to be German and still be open-minded, diverse, kind and friendly,” he said. “I actually think we’re a wonderful country.”
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The 59-year-old added that, just as he had selected the current squad by looking at what the country had to offer in terms of football talent rather than what it was lacking, it might help to do the same when looking at the country as a whole.
This echoed a similar sentiment of former Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann, who spoke emotionally after Germany’s Euro 2024 exit.
“Being together must become more important again. We must not be consumed with envy, always paint everything in a negative light and not begrudge our neighbors anything,” Nagelsmann said.
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“I believe that if everyone starts within their own small circle — on their street, helping their neighbors when something comes up […] [we can] support one another, integrate everyone, welcome them, and help them feel at home, and bring people together to work with us toward a better future.”
Klopp highlights power of football
Klopp was quick to turn to the power of football, while also recognizing its place in wider society.
“It’s more important that we have doctors. It’s more important that we have nurses. It’s more important that we have a great, great many people in a wide variety of professions,” he said, before adding that football can “foster a sense of community that lets us truly feel the power of sports.”
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Klopp cited the recent successes of Alexander Zverev, the world champion field hockey team, the home World Cup in women’s basketball and the success of athletes at this summer’s European Athletics Championships as further positive examples of the power of sport.
“That’s our mission. We have to create the right atmosphere — I know that. But to do that, we need people who are willing to embrace it,” he said.
Master class in communication
Klopp’s delivery was a textbook example of how to create alignment across his messaging. His squad, made up of 44 players including 11 new faces, is a reflection of the diverse society that Klopp proudly referenced.
His engagement with the media was also strategically smart. After laying down clear boundaries in his first press conference that included him saying he would quit if coverage strayed into the personal, Klopp this time opted to seek to include the media as part of the process while also subtly reminding them of what he sees as their role.
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‘One of 83 million’ was the message on Klopp’s hat, a reference to Germany’s populationImage: Hannes P. Albert/AFP
When explaining his choice to name such a large squad with so many new and young players, Klopp said he wasn’t going to tell members of the media how to do their job when it comes to assessing players, but said that he knew how he would do it. In between the lines, this was an indirect appeal to the media to choose coverage that would foster the development of this new era of players rather than hinder it by being overly critical or negative.
On top of that, Klopp did all of this while wearing a baseball cap with the words “one of 83 million” written on the front. This is in reference to a Germany’s approximate population and an expression about how everyone has an opinion on the Germany team and so is therefore a “Bundestrainer” (national team coach). It also came across as an attempt to assign a shared responsibility for the team’s success.
Now, through the vehicle of football, Germany’s new head coach has declared a desire to restore that pride. Klopp said his whole career had brought him to this moment.
After these words, it felt like all the disappointments the Germany team — and their fans — have endured over the last few years may also have brought them to the right leader.
Whenever Michael Sowers got home from school growing up, he knew it wouldn’t be long before he was in his backyard with his younger brothers, Andrew and Nick. Every time they got together, it was a war of attrition.
The spring meant two-on-one or two-on-two mini lacrosse games alongside close friend Brett Rama on a field spray painted by Sowers’ father, Dave. The fall was for physical football battles, while the winter meant Sowers and Andrew were duking it out in one-on-one basketball clashes.
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The lacrosse games obviously brought Sowers the most joy. No matter the circumstance, he said the games always ended in some sort of fight. As brothers, they were naturally tough on each other, but it’s not lost on Sowers the influence his family had on him.
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“To get to where I’m at, it really does take a village, and I think that’s especially true in my case,” Sowers said. “I am where I am because of the people around me, and I think that my gift was that I loved the game and I had a passion for it, but it was the people around me I think that really got me here.”
Sowers was shaped by his family during their time together in Dresher, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb. His brothers helped him develop a competitive edge and toughness that he’s shown at every level of lacrosse, while Dave was his first lacrosse coach. His mother, Liz, usually dealt with the aftermath of her sons’ conflicts and was always a constant hub of support.
Each of them has seen Sowers grow from an undersized kid who didn’t have to be asked to hit the wall, into one of the best lacrosse players of his era.
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This season, Sowers led the league in points (51) — becoming the fourth player in PLL history to record at least 20 goals and 20 assists — and is a finalist for the Jim Brown Most Valuable Player award alongside teammate CJ Kirst. On Sunday, Sowers can put his name in headlines once again if he helps the Philadelphia Waterdogs win their second PLL championship. (Their matchup with the Denver Outlaws faces off at 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC.)
Michael Sowers’ (middle) relationship with brothers Nick (left) and Andrew (right) shape his career
The Sowers brother showdowns are less frequent now, but they’re not extinct. If they’re ever at Dave’s house, Sowers and Andrew don’t shy away from playing one-on-one basketball against each other in the driveway.
Once the dust settles, they’ll hang out and watch a movie or discuss the latest Philadelphia sports news, whether it’d be LeBron James signing with the 76ers or the Waterdogs’ ambitions for the season. It’s a constant cycle of sports that hasn’t stopped for over two decades.
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Yet, as they’ve gotten older the conversations have gotten deeper, with Andrew not hesitating to seek Sowers’ guidance with life advice and vice versa.
“Mike has helped me so much with just becoming the person I am today,” Andrew said. “It’s more than just lacrosse, at least for me. I always go to him for business advice, life advice, and I really couldn’t ask for much of a better bigger brother because he’s always there for me when I need it.”
Sowers said he is where he is because of Andrew and Nick, and as the oldest, he felt a responsibility to take care of his brothers. Although, as they’ve matured, Sowers doesn’t see a hierarchy; the three of them are best friends.
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They’ve supported him every step of his lacrosse career, starting when he tormented defenders at Upper Dublin High School to his collegiate career at Duke and Princeton and now his pro career.
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Sowers was always uber-talented and it was easy for him to fall in love with lacrosse. Much of his youth was spent in locker rooms or coach’s offices, due to Dave coaching at Hatboro Horsham High School. Sowers rode the team bus and often jetted to the back to talk with Duncan Swezey, a future All-American at Notre Dame. Players like Swezey gave Sowers the blueprint of what it took to play at a high level, while breaking down X’s and O’s provided him with a strong lacrosse IQ.
DOES HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF? 🏆
Michael Sowers took home PLL Championship MVP in 2022 and he’s back looking to help lead the @PLLWaterdogs to another PLL Championship. 👀 pic.twitter.com/WeKQJSdeHl
“He wants to be the best,” Dave said. “He doesn’t want to just play in the game. He wants to dominate it. He wants to be the best for his teammates.”
Despite Sowers’ lacrosse acumen, Dave wanted to ensure his son didn’t burn out. During all of football and most of basketball season, Dave didn’t allow Sowers to touch his lacrosse stick.
When Sowers picked it back up, Dave still had his ground rules. He banned his son from throwing behind-the-back passes in high school and emphasized that he needed to be proficient with both hands — which Sowers clearly took to heart.
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Nowadays, Dave’s advice is less frequent, but still available. Recently, he told Sowers to shoot more when the goalie’s not expecting and implored him not to be a lunatic in front of the cage, something Liz agrees with.
“I do become like this different person [when Sowers plays],” Liz said. “At times it can be stressful, but I think over the years, I learned to trust that he’s where he is because of hard work, and whatever comes, he will deal with it.”
Sowers’ siblings are less stressed when it comes to his sometimes rash decisions, often cheering him on rabidly in the stands. For Andrew, nothing will top seeing Sowers win the 2022 PLL Championship with the Waterdogs.
In the aftermath of the final buzzer, Andrew marauded onto the field and was tackled by a security officer. Somehow he escaped and embraced his brother amid his championship celebrations.
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Despite Andrew’s outlandish decision, the gesture showed the passion Sowers’ brothers have for him. And if Sowers comes out on top with the Waterdogs this weekend, his family will be squarely on his mind.
“You play for those people that have invested in you, and that is your family,” Sowers said. “When you have success, like, you hope that they find that they feel peace of that success because they are the reason that you’re having it.”
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