Nearly every golfer who has played alongside Tiger Woods can remember what that commotion felt like. Fans everywhere. Constant yelling and screaming for Woods’ attention. It can be a lot.

PGA Tour veteran Brendon de Jonge, now 46, remembers it well.

De Jonge joined this week’s Subpar podcast to discuss the upcoming Presidents Cup (he was a former member of the International squad) and also reminisced about playing alongside Woods.

At the 2012 AT&T National at Congressional Country Club in Washington, D.C., de Jonge played his way into Sunday’s final threesome with Woods and Bo Van Pelt. A storm ripped through the area during the tournament, so spectators weren’t allowed on the course Saturday. All of those tickets, however, were honored for Sunday, meaning even more fans were on-site for the final round.

“I get to the first tee, and I have never seen this many people in my life,” de Jonge said. “I was so scared, it was so intimidating. I mean we had double the fans that we would have otherwise because of honoring those tickets. Didn’t get off to the best start, didn’t play that well unfortunately, but I got to see what Tiger was all about with the lead.

“I remember this so vividly, that for the first nine holes, he would putt it up there to about a foot away from the hole, and he’d mark, and he’d wait, because he knew as soon as he taps in everyone is going to take off [to the next tee]. He would mark, he was very courteous, he would let us try and putt. As soon as we got to No. 10, he putted up to a foot away, he’d walk up there and tap it in. As soon as he taps in, sure enough everybody takes off running. So you are standing over your putt and you are looking up, looking up, and all you see is just moving bodies all over the place. He played the game that day — he’d been in that position so many times he knew exactly how to use it to his advantage.”

Subpar co-host Colt Knost said that he never played with Woods, but the first time he walked inside the ropes as an on-course reporter with Tiger he was blown away.

“You can’t describe what the atmosphere is like around Tiger,” Knost said. “Some of these players complaining about everything that’s going on, the noise, you have no clue what it’s like until you tee it up with that guy. It is insane what it’s like trying to play alongside him.”

So insane, in fact, that de Jonge even said he asked Woods that day at Congressional if he ever got sick of all the noise and all the craziness surrounding him.

“He just kinda looked at me and said, ‘What are you talking about?’” de Jonge said. “I was like, Alright, I guess you are able to block that out.”

Every possession between Southside and Westgate football swung the momentum of the game as two 337 heavyweights went toe-to-toe for some Thursday Night Lights.

Each score took the form of a body blow, a right hook or a left jab. In the end, Westgate’s sophomore linebacker Ernest “Bam” Curl delivered the knockout blow scooping up a Sharks fumble and taking it all the way to the house, capping off Westgate’s 42-33 victory over Class 5A Southside on Thursday, Sept. 10 in Youngsville.

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“It just so satisfying that our kid Ernest Curl, who went through a lot with some confidence issues and just trying to figure out his role on the team, for him to get that ball in his hands to help win that game, I’m so proud of him,” Westgate football coach Ryan Antoine said.

With Curl’s scoop and score sucking the life out of the Reef and Southside’s sideline, Westgate not only handed the Sharks their second loss of the season but also further proved that the Tigers are one of the hottest teams to watch from the area in 2026.

Don’t count Westgate out

From the first quarter, fans knew this game was going to come down to the wire. The two teams went back and forth with Southside making a living on the ground game while Westgate’s flashy pass game carried it.

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Leading the Tigers was the junior duo of quarterback Noah Antoine and wide receiver Cayden Lancelin, a four-star recruit according to 247 Sports. The duo racked up over 100 yards and three touchdowns, looking nearly unstoppable against the Sharks.

“Our connection, it started up in middle school,” Lancelin said of Antoine. “We just built our chemistry up and it just happened to work. This is from all the hard work put in during the summer and all the blood, sweat and tears we put into this.

“We deserve it all.”

When Antoine wasn’t connecting with Lancelin, senior Joshua John and Jackilon Roberson were other key targets. John finished the game catching for a 4-yard touchdown as well as rushing for a 15-yard touchdown. Senior running back Caemon Crockem led the Tigers’ ground game with around 85 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Despite trailing at the half, the Tigers’ defense — like their offense — never stopped fighting. Curl manifested his game-sealing play ahead of time.

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“Bam said he was gonna get one before the game,” Lancelin said. “On Tuesday, like two days ago, he had a scoop and score in the JV game and that just shows hard work pays off.”

REQUIRED READING: Here are the Lafayette-area high school football games to watch in Week 2

REQUIRED READING: Four new Lafayette-area football coaches snag first wins in Week 1

A half-step away from a win

Following the Tigers’ scoop and score, you could feel the momentum leaving Southside’s sideline, marking another loss at home this season. For most of the game, the Sharks controlled the tempo, soaking up the clock and chipping away.

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Senior running back Justin Williams led their offense, rushing for over 100 yards and a touchdown, as well as scoring on a kickoff return. Senior running back Coby Broussard added a 3-yard rushing touchdown. The Sharks were able to cash in on the passing game as well, with quarterback Parker Dies connecting with senior Kollen Francis for a 25-yard touchdown.

Southside had the game in its hands in the fourth quarter, trailing by just three points before a fumble and Curl’s scoop-and-score killed any comeback chances.

“The game was right there,” Southside football coach Jess Curtis said. “There’s a handful of plays every game that decides who wins, and it was right there. You can clean those things up, but it’s very frustrating. We came into this year with a lot of hope and big goals and aspirations, but you can’t make mistakes.”

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Shannon Belt covers high school sports, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and LSU men’s basketball for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Westgate football outlasts Southside in a matchup of 337 powerhouses

Elon Musk and Magnus Carlsen

BENGALURU: Elon Musk picked a fight with chess earlier this week. The world’s richest man declared on X that chess will one day be “fully solved”, the way checkers was cracked by computers back in 2007, with his logic being that most legal moves are so obviously bad that AI could eventually map the entire game.Chess.com’s response was a masterclass in brevity. “Skill issue,” they wrote. Musk doubled down anyway, insisting chess “is hard for humans, but not for computers” and would eventually be “fully solved like checkers” before admitting, almost sheepishly, that he’d spent his evening “arguing with some random intern” running the chess site’s account.Chess.com wasn’t about to let that slide. The person on the other end, it clarified, was in fact a full-time employee. The internet, predictably, had a field day.On Thursday, the current World No. 1 and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen was asked about the emergence of AI in chess during an interview with the Indian media on the sidelines of the ongoing Global Chess League (GCL).“I’m not a computer expert, so I don’t know if it’s going to be solved,” Carlsen, currently playing for the defending champions APL Pipers, shrugged.He did offer one technical correction, gently. Chess isn’t unsolved so much as it’s already “semi-solved” in the sense that matters most to players. “We are pretty sure that it’s a draw, and it’s a draw in a tonne of ways. The margin is quite big”, which is a rather more modest claim than Musk’s vision of AI eventually calculating chess down to the last legal move.“AI and computers in general have made the game a lot more accessible,” he said. “You’re now able to follow it, see the score, you’re able to improve a lot faster.”What is his motivation behind coming to India for GCL?Asked what actually motivates him to keep showing up for a franchise-based league like GCL, he made the case for team chess with the same directness. “It’s a really good format,” he said. “I’ve said that from the start that we need team formats in chess that are genuinely exciting. The black-and-white format is very good.”He wasn’t shy about the parts he’d still tweak, pointing to the two-second increment added after move 40 as a concession to players he clearly has little patience for.“I would have preferred for there not to be the two seconds after 40 moves as well,” he explained. “That has been implemented on the request of players who are incompetent and lazy at times.”

Magnus Carlsen in Pipers dugout

“The format where you have the very clear white against black, matches are staggered, which is very good. The match is always going to be decisive unless there is a six-draw. I think there are a lot of good things about it.”As for India specifically, Carlsen framed his regular return trips almost like a reset button. “I also like to come to India every second year or so because I need a year off to remind myself how crowded the tournaments are,” he continued with a smile before adding warmly, “But parts of it I really enjoy. There’s no atmosphere or enthusiasm like it in the east.”

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham did not recruit Bryce Underwood. He wasn’t involved in the massive NIL deal that brought Underwood to Ann Arbor. And he certainly wasn’t the coach who named the former No. 1 overall recruit the starting quarterback as a true freshman.

That could make what happens next between Whittingham and Underwood — who struggled in the Wolverines’ narrow Week 1 win over in-state foe Western Michigan — particularly interesting.

“Kyle Whittingham is not tied to Bryce Underwood,” FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt said Wednesday on “The Herd.” “It was not Kyle’s decision to give Bryce Underwood the NIL deal. He’s not as tied to Underwood as the previous coaching staff.” 

That dynamic could come into focus quickly Saturday, when Michigan hosts No. 11 Oklahoma in one of the most intriguing games of Week 2.

Underwood’s first game under Whittingham didn’t exactly go according to plan. The sophomore quarterback — recruited to Michigan by former head coach Sherrone Moore and his staff — completed just 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and two turnovers in the win.

Earlier this week, Whittingham made it clear that Underwood’s status as Michigan’s starting quarterback isn’t necessarily permanent.

“He’s our QB right now, and it’s not something that’s infinite,” Whittingham said. “At some point, we’ve got to turn a corner.”

Underwood appeared surprised Wednesday when a reporter asked him about his coach’s comments.

“There were comments about that?” Underwood said. “That’s cool. I didn’t see that. It’s cool.”

So, how will this all play out when Underwood and the Wolverines go up against one of the top defenses in the country Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor?

“I think that makes this week interesting,” Klatt said. “How effective is he? How long does he stay in the game if he is ineffective? That’s a question.”

This is new territory for Whittingham, who arrived at Michigan after 20 seasons at Utah, where he became the winningest coach in program history. He inherited Underwood and the rest of the Wolverines’ roster when he took over in Ann Arbor.

Klatt believes that distinction matters, as Whittingham isn’t simply tasked with deciding whether Underwood is talented enough to be Michigan’s starting quarterback. He’s tasked with figuring out how to put him in the best possible position to succeed.

“I’m a firm believer that the best coaches put their players in the best position to be successful,” Klatt said. “So you’ve got to decide: What can our guy do well … and now let’s build a system around what he can do well.”

Bryce Underwood completed 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and added two turnovers in Michigan’s Week 1 win. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

That is where Michigan appeared to struggle in Week 1.

“What it looked like against Western Michigan was oil and water,” Klatt said. “You have a quarterback running a system that just didn’t look like it was gelling.”

That will need to change on Saturday as Michigan won’t have the luxury of easing its way into its Week 2 matchup against standout quarterback John Mateer and the No. 11-ranked Sooners.

If Underwood struggles again, the question Klatt raised becomes increasingly relevant: 

How much patience does Whittingham have?

HAMDEN – Matt Witteman performed as you would expect from one of Connecticut‘s top returning quarterbacks Thursday night – he accounted for all five of Law’s touchdowns.

And if the Lawmen can provide more defensive efforts like they did against Hamden, then they will be tough to beat. Law forced four turnovers in the 36-0 win over the Green Dragons in an SCC football game at Joe Bruno Field.

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“We have really high expectations for this defense, so we were just expecting to do really good this week and that’s what we did,” said Alex Konilan, who had a fumble recovery for Law.

Law forced three turnovers in the third quarter alone, leading to 14 points – two touchdown runs by Witteman for 20 and 2 yards, respectively.

“The defense was on fire today,” Witteman said. “Offensively, we started out a little bit slow, but the defense was right there to pick us up. We have a lot of trust in them and we believe in them, so for them to come through and just pick us up when we’re down, it’s huge for us.”

Konilan had his fumble recovery early in the third quarter right after Hamden recovered an onside kick to begin the half. Marquis Rose picked off Witteman on Law’s first possession of the second half.

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Logan Mullarkey intercepted Hamden quarterback Soren Wallin and Seamus Fedigan recovered a fumble for the Lawmen. Fedigan also recovered a fumble in the first half, deep in Hamden territory.

“They’ve been playing out of their minds,” Law coach Ryan Pearson said of the defense. “They have been playing super-fast, super-physical. The last couple of scrimmages leading into this, they’ve been electric and just playing hard and always fast to the ball and I love to see that.”

In addition to the four turnovers, Hamden came up short on a couple of fourth-down plays, including one late in the first half deep in Law territory.

“I think this game started last Friday. I think the way we approach practices, if we want to be a good team, we got to get better in practice,” Hamden coach Tom Dyer said. “Our practice habits have got to be better, our commitment level’s got to be better. … You can’t come against a Jonathan Law playoff team (in Class SS last season) with a quarterback as dynamic as the Witteman kid, you’re not going to be able to turn the ball over four times.”

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A 52-yard touchdown run by Hamden’s Josh Johnson in the first quarter was also negated due to a holding penalty.

“Credit to Law and Coach Pearson, their game plan was great, they did a nice job, but I also think we left things on the table,” Dyer said. “We are going to evaluate this and look at what do we need to correct to get better, and as coaches, how can we help get our kids in a better spot to win.”

Player of the Game

Matt Witteman, Law: The senior quarterback got off to a slow start with three incompletions, but picked things up in the second quarter and accounted for all five of Law’s touchdowns (three passing, two rushing).

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Quotable

“Expectations can be high, but the kids don’t really buy into it and they just keep doing what they got to do and keep playing hard.”
-Law football coach Ryan Pearson

Law 36, Hamden 0

LAW 3 12 14 7-36
HAMDEN 0 0 0 0- 0

L-Aiden Ramos 35 field goal
L-Dylan Gillard 7 pass from Matt Witteman (pass failed)
L-Hunter Kendzierski 52 pass from Witteman (run failed)
L-Witteman 20 run (Ramos kick)
L-Witteman 2 run (Ramos kick)
L-Reid Moulton 13 pass from Witteman (Ramos kick)

Law 1-0; Hamden 0-1.

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This article originally published at Law football shuts out Hamden as QB Matt Witteman accounts for all five touchdowns.

Kuldeep Yadav and Gautam Gambhir (Image credit: AFP)

Kuldeep Yadav remains part of India’s Test squad but has often struggled to find a place in the playing XI. The left-arm wrist-spinner, however, reminded everyone of his capabilities on Thursday (September 10), claiming 10 wickets for 120 runs as Yorkshire completed a huge County Championship victory over Essex at Headingley.Kuldeep produced his best-ever bowling figures in First Class cricket, returning four for 70 in the first innings before following it up with six for 50 in the second. His combined effort helped Yorkshire dismiss Essex for 171 and 113 and secure a 106-run victory.The performance came on a pitch that offered plenty of encouragement to spin, although Kuldeep’s impact was not limited to the ball. He also contributed 36 off 94 deliveries to Yorkshire’s total of 390.

Kuldeep explains how Headingley helped his bowling

Kuldeep felt the surface allowed him to focus on his strengths rather than trying to generate excessive pace through the air.“It was a lovely wicket to bowl on because you don’t have to bowl quick in terms of pace because the wicket already has pace in it,” he told Yorkshire Cricket TV.The spinner explained that the conditions allowed him to focus on imparting plenty of revolutions on the ball, while also highlighting the contrast with what he encounters in India.“After pitching, you can see there is a bit of quickness and you just have to spin the ball and put a lot of revs on it. Ultimately, that was the key. If you compare it to Indian conditions, it’s totally different. Back home when you bowl, you will get to see a lot of spin, but the wickets are on the slower side and the batsmen can adjust sometimes. Here, because of the quickness, if they go back foot, they get trapped and probably they have to play front foot. That’s where you have a better chance of getting them caught behind or slip or maybe short-leg.”

A timely response after a difficult Test run

The Yorkshire performance assumes greater significance given Kuldeep’s recent struggles to establish himself in India’s Test XI.During the recent two-Test series against Sri Lanka, he bowled the fewest overs among India’s spinners in the first Test before being left out of the playing XI for the second.His Test career has frequently followed a similar pattern. Despite making his debut back in 2017 and establishing himself as one of India’s most accomplished white-ball spinners, Kuldeep has played only 19 Tests, highlighting how difficult it has been for him to secure a prolonged run in the longest format.For several years, India’s spin department was dominated by Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Both offered not only quality bowling but also significant contributions with the bat, making them central to India’s team balance.That left Kuldeep competing for a place whenever conditions favoured an additional spinner.The landscape has now shifted considerably.Ashwin has retired, while Jadeja, at 37, is moving towards the latter stages of his career. On paper, that appeared to open the door for Kuldeep to take on a much bigger role in India’s Test plans. There was an expectation that, with Ashwin gone, Kuldeep would emerge as India’s leading spinner.That, however, has not happened.Kuldeep remains part of the Test squad, but a regular place in the playing XI has continued to elude him. India still place a premium on batting depth when putting together their Test combinations, while other spin options have also strengthened their claims.Washington Sundar has increasingly established himself as an important part of India’s Test plans. His off-spin gives the attack another bowling option, while his ability with the bat makes him particularly valuable when India are looking for greater balance in the XI.Manav Suthar, meanwhile, has emerged as another serious contender. The left-arm spinner made an impressive start to his Test career, taking seven wickets on debut against Afghanistan before following it up with a 10-wicket haul in his second Test against Sri Lanka.Those performances have strengthened Suthar’s case as a potential long-term option for India.Yet Kuldeep brings a quality neither of them quite replicates.Suthar offers accuracy and control, while Kuldeep’s wrist-spin gives India a different threat. His ability to turn the ball sharply and create opportunities with variation makes him a distinct option when the conditions and opposition call for it.

AEW veteran Dustin Rhodes announced a change for an upcoming wrestling event organized by him after a talent scheduled to compete in it suffered an injury. The latter, Brooke Havok, will be substituted by All Elite Wrestling and Ring of Honor performer Robyn Renegade.

Brooke Havok began her pro-wrestling journey in 2020, getting her early training from Cody Rhodes and QT Marshall in the Nightmare Factory. She has been competing extensively on the independent circuit over the past six years, and has made appearances on All Elite Wrestling programming a few times as well. The California-born star has also wrestled in Ring of Honor, AEW’s sister-promotion, on a number of occasions since 2023.

Brooke was last seen in action at a Power Pro Lucha event last Friday, where she and her Team Lodestone partners Amira and Janai Kai were defeated by GummiBurger in a trios bout. Havok was evidently scheduled to compete this coming Sunday at 80s Fever 2026, a show hosted by Dustin Rhodes‘ organization Rhodes Wrestling Association. The Natural’s latest X/Twitter update has revealed, however, that the 27-year-old is now unfortunately out of the event due to injury, and that ROH star Robyn Renegade will be taking her place.

“Announcement: @BrookeHavok is out this Sunday after an injury. @RhodesWrestling wishes her a speedy recovery. Taking her place will be none other than @RobynRen18 from #ROH,” posted Dustin.

Dustin Rhodes has been missing from AEW due to injury

Dustin Rhodes has been away from in-ring action since he lost his TNT Championship to the Don Callis Family’s Kyle Fletcher on the July 31, 2025 episode of AEW Collision. After facing a brutal post-match ambush at the hands of The Protostar following their vicious Chicago Street Fight, the Artist Formerly Known as Goldust went under the knife for double knee replacement surgeries in August.

Dustin has been on the mend since then, although a report from this past March claimed that the veteran had returned backstage to resume his duties as a producer for Dynamite and Collision. Later in June, he confirmed that he had not yet been medically cleared, albeit emphasizing that he is “very close” to making his comeback.

It remains to be seen when Rhodes will return to All Elite Wrestling programming.