It’s not easy saying no to the president, but Tom Fazio did.
When President Trump asked the acclaimed course designer late last year if he’d be game to renovate East Potomac Golf Links — a nearly century-old D.C. municipal course just south of the National Mall — Fazio didn’t need long to mull the offer.
“A quick ‘no,’” he said the other day, recalling his conversation with the president. “Because I don’t deal with aggravation.”
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By aggravation, Fazio, who is 81, meant the extensive permitting, approvals and other red tape that often accompany municipal projects. Trump’s vision also would mean unwinding plans already underway by D.C. nonprofit National Links Trust. In 2020, the Department of the Interior had granted NLT a 50-year lease to manage and restore East Potomac and D.C.’s other two munis, Langston and Rock Creek. For the East Potomac redo, NLT had tapped another marquee designer in Tom Doak. Stepping over that work was certain to draw opposition from the local golf community.
But then, by sheer coincidence, Fazio’s wife Sue intervened. Sue had a D.C. trip scheduled to visit a friend and urged Tom to join her. Tom, who was busy with work, at first resisted but then relented and used the getaway as an opportunity to tour East Potomac, which sits on a manmade peninsula with the Washington Channel to the east, the Potomac River to the west and Washington Monument views to the north.
“I thought, ‘Holy mackerel, this is awesome,’” Fazio said.
He called the president.
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“I told you no,” Fazio told Trump, “but you were right.”
The site was too good to turn down.
East Potomac sits on a manmade peninsula.
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FAZIO HAS KNOWN TRUMP for decades. He has designed four courses in Trump’s portfolio, including the first course at Trump Bedminster, the president’s New Jersey hangout. (Fazio’s course-designer nephew, Tommy Fazio, and Tommy’s course-designer father, Jim, also have their names on Trump courses.) In November, Fazio visited the White House, where he and the president talked golf. They do that occasionally, but mostly by phone and only on weekends. “He’s got other things to do,” Fazio said with a laugh. “He’s running the world.”
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The world, and other things. One of the first signs that East Potomac was on Trump’s radar came in October when dump trucks full of dirt from the president’s East Wing renovation project began showing up at the facility and depositing tons of debris in an area near the 4th and 9th holes on the nine-hole executive course. (The property also has a 18-hole regulation course and nine-hole par-3 course.)
A more obvious indicator of Trump’s interest came at the end of December, when the Interior Department broke the NLT’s lease, alleging the organization had failed to pay rent and was underdelivering on maintaining and improving the courses; NLT roundly disputed the claims.
The Interior Department’s decision left the three munis’ futures in an awkward, unsettling limbo that extended through the first four months of 2026. Then, on May 9, the administration provided some clarity, announcing it had reached a deal with several private and public entities, including Fazio Design, to begin “immediate renovations” of East Potomac, while returning oversight of the Langston and Rock Creek renovations to the NLT.
None of this activity has come without resistance. In February, two D.C.-area golfers, in tandem with the D.C. Preservation League, sued the administration for threatening to undermine East Potomac’s role as a public park. Earlier this month, in response to a different filing, a federal judge ruled the administration could proceed with maintenance work on the course but was prohibited from overhauling it without prior notice and proper approvals. Save East Po, an advocacy group that has been protesting Trump’s plan, describes itself as “people who love East Potomac and want to make sure the character of this special place continues for the next generation of DMV residents.”
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Trump’s East Potomac plans have not come without resistance.
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Some of the public’s pushback has made its way into Fazio’s inbox. “I’ve gotten some emails and requests from people telling me, ‘Don’t work on that project,’” he said. “Some of them were very insulting; some of them are what I’d call ridiculous. But that’s beside the point. I guess you get used to that when you deal with a lot of different opinions and personalities.”
Whatever criticism Fazio weathers or whatever obstacles he’ll need to overcome to see this rebuild through, he believes the payoff will be worth it. The site, in his mind, is that special.
“It’s Pebble Beach quality land in terms of environment, in terms of setting,” he said. “The president’s idea is to upgrade it to be literally a national monument — and there’s no reason it can’t be a national monument.”
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FAZIO KNOWS AND APPRECIATES what the existing version of East Potomac means to D.C. residents. He has friends in the area whose children grew up playing the course; they have expressed to him their concerns about what might become of their beloved muni, the same concerns you’ll hear from many East Potomac regulars. What will happen to green fees, which now are capped at $48? Will the new design, which can play to nearly 7,700 yards — and which Trump has said he’d like to see host majors and a Ryder Cup — box out beginners and shorter-hitters? Will the facility assume an upscale or exclusive atmosphere that could alienate some golfers? Will it lose its ties to its rich history and to the original reversible Walter Travis design that the heralded Golden Age architect laid down in 1921?
“It’s controversial,” Fazio allows, adding of the president, “Anything he’s involved with becomes controversial.” But, Fazio said, it’s also too early to jump to conclusions. “Facts have been not put out yet,” he said. Indeed, the administration has offered few specifics about its plans for the property. Last week, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum shared Fazio’s preliminary design for the site but accompanied only by a brief message that read in part, “Like iconic public courses of Bethpage Black & Torrey Pines, East Potomac will offer locals — of the National Capital Region — championship-quality golf at affordable, highly discounted rates.”
Fazio has no insight into what those rates might be but suspects that the fees will be subsidized for locals, as they have been at other high-profile muni rebuilds in recent years, including The Park in West Palm Beach, Fla.; Memorial Park in Houston; and The Patch in Augusta, Ga., where Fazio led the re-design along with Beau Welling.
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Fazio has little experience working with municipalities or, as he puts it, “the processes that go along with getting lots of different opinions.” But his job, as he sees it, is to build the best possible golf course and facility he can within the parameters that are provided to him by the Interior Department. Ideally, he said, he’ll work quickly, which aligns with Trump’s wishes. “The president happens to be a guy of action,” Fazio said. “He wants to get this thing done so people can enjoy it play it, and not one of these ‘10 years down the road and drag it out forever’ things. He wants to get it done now.”
That has been Trump’s m.o. with projects all over town, ranging from the White House ballroom addition to his remodeling (and renaming) of the Trump Kennedy Center to his plans for a statue park along the Potomac River. He seems determined to leave his physical legacy on the city.
At East Potomac, though, Fazio can’t just snap his fingers. He needs engineering, environmental and legal clearance before he can break ground. In terms of an estimated start date, he said, “We’ll probably know in a month or so from now based on the steps that have to be taken through the permit approval process and the regulations that have to be done.”
Best case, Fazio said, he’d start construction later this summer, grass the course next summer and have it ready for play in the spring of 2028. “That’s, like, the most optimistic schedule that anybody can have, right?” he said.
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Barring a third term, Trump’s last day in office will be Jan. 20, 2029.
Excited to unveil the design for the East Potomac Golf Links renovation from Fazio Design.
Like iconic public courses of Bethpage Black & Torrey Pines, East Potomac will offer locals—of the National Capital Region—championship-quality golf at affordable, highly discounted… pic.twitter.com/foLZAAcsj3
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) May 14, 2026
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WHEN FAZIO DOES GET MOVING in earnest, one of his top priorities will be improving drainage and building up the property’s low-lying areas so they don’t take on as much water as they do now — not only from rain but also from tidal surges. “I don’t know what we’re going to do yet,” he said. “We’re evaluating what do we do to keep it from flooding? How do we grow grass on the turf? We’re doing all those studies as we speak.”
Fazio said the president already has asked him what the renovation will cost. Fazio doesn’t know. “I don’t have an idea yet until we evaluate all the conditions and deal with the constraints of the site,” he said. “Certainly, we know more rules and more regulations mean more cost. Just simple facts. That’s what we’re looking at now and evaluating how much dirt are we going to move to elevate the areas that flood.” He said he’ll expect to have a better handle on budget in several weeks.
Some savings will come by way of the more than 30,000 cubic yards of dirt from Trump’s White House renovation project, which, according to National Park Service data, contains low levels of lead, chromium and other toxic metals. Some savings, Fazio said, but not much savings. “It’s nothing,” he said of the volume of soil relative to what the whole project will require, adding the president “was shocked when I told him that.” Fazio said he intends to use the debris to build a couple of greens and a couple of bunkers, but “it won’t raise the land and keep it from flooding.”
The infamous dirt pile at East Potomac has grown to more than 30,000 cubic yards.
craig kalkut
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The current plan has the opening two holes — parallel par-4s — detached from the rest of the layout in the northwest corner of the property, with a sprawling practice range flanking the 2nd hole and, beyond that, a nine-hole par-3 course. The remaining 16 holes will sit on the footprint of the existing course with about half the holes, Fazio said, occupying the existing corridors.
The current holes all run north and south; Fazio plans to change that. “We like to bend and twist and create some variety in different sun angles and those kinds of things,” he said. Given he has limited land with which to work, he called the design process an exercise in “space allocation.” Fazio added that he would have liked to extend the layout all the way to the end of the peninsula but said “that’s not the criteria that I was given to work with.”
From the back tees, the course will play a beefy 7,660 yards. That figure, paired with the president’s desire for the course to test the world’s best players, has some locals worrying about playability. Fazio is keen to allay those concerns. “I’ve never done a golf course that’s not playable for [a high-handicapper],” he said. “I wouldn’t do it any other way.” The course, he said, will, at a minimum, have two sets of forward tees, two sets of middle tees and two sets of championship tees. “If we only put the third tee from the front,” he said, “guys who are serious players would say, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a short golf course and I’m not interested in that.’”
But, yes, Fazio is intending for the course, when all stretched out, to challenge elite players. “There’s not one golf course I’ve ever done that [the developer] hasn’t thought that we’d be able to hold a major championship on. We’re going to build the best golf course — the equivalent to the Aronominks and the Quail Hollows and the Shinnecocks. It’s gonna be that quality, whether you have an event or not.”
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Trump wants an event, a big one, and Fazio said his planning has accounted for how galleries might flow through the property, and that some of the contouring he’s envisioning could serve as natural vantage points for fans. How tens of thousands of spectators, vendors and tournament support staff might get in and out of the peninsula is another matter, likely one best suited for logistics experts to solve. Still, Fazio said there is a need for more tournament-ready courses in the D.C. area.
“There are many golf courses in the region that can host a PGA-quality event,” Fazio said, noting such sites as Congressional, TPC Avenel and Caves Valley, which is north of Baltimore. “But most of them don’t want to, because that means you have to give up your golf course.”
The president’s idea is to upgrade it to be literally a national monument .
Tom Fazio on Trump’s vision for the East Potomac site
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PRESERVING OR PAYING HOMAGE to Travis’s original design was not top of mind for Fazio, he said, partly because maps and references from Travis’s work are scant but more so because the existing design isn’t suited for the modern game. “There won’t be any holes that are exactly the way they are now because they’re not acceptable in today’s golf standards,” he said. “People talk about designing or preserving the old golf courses. If Donald Ross or [A.W.] Tillinghast, the famous great old designers, if they would have had the budgets and equipment we had today, they would’ve done a whole lot of things differently than they did.”
The current clubhouse, with pillars that resemble a D.C. monument, will stay and be refurbished, Fazio said. The addition of a second clubhouse down the line is also a possibility. “Our job and my job always is to look at options and possibilities and what can be done over time,” Fazio said.
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The new range, which will replace the dilapidated double-decker range that now sits on the northwest corner of the facility, will run south to north. That is intentional so late in the day golfers won’t be hitting into the setting sun, as they do now. “When you hit a golf ball, especially on a practice tee,” Fazio said, “you kind of like to see it land.” Fazio said the range will extend to 400 yards from the back tee with players hitting balls toward the Washington Monument. “The president loves practice ranges,” Fazio said, so Fazio and his team are aiming to take full advantage of East Potomac’s dramatic setting.
“Where’s the greatest practice range you’ve ever seen?” he continued. “Well, if you stood on the practice tee at the East Potomac and hit balls, that could be as good as any place in the world. Of course, as an American, I’d say that, because I’m looking at the Washington Monument. But it’s a big deal.”
The par-3 course, which flanks the east side of the property, next to the Blue course, will be nixed and replaced by another nine-hole short course on the northeast corner of the parcel. Fazio said he expects the hole yardages to be line in with the current course, where the shortest hole from the back tees is 64 yards and the longest is 208 yards. East Potomac’s recently restored miniature golf course, which is the country’s oldest continuously operating miniature golf course and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, will remain, Fazio said.
Changes are afoot, and local golfers can expect them to come sooner than later, with a seal of approval from the highest office in the land.
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“As the president says, as a guy who’s a golfer, he’s just not happy with a golf course with very little grass on it, with bad drainage, with bad putting surfaces, with not quality experiences,” Fazio said. “He’s going to fix it.”
NEW DELHI: Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker will compete in two events at the upcoming Asian Games after being named in India’s 30-member shooting squad announced by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Thursday.The Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, with India aiming to build on its strong showing at the previous edition in Hangzhou.Manu secured her place in the women’s 25m pistol event by finishing second in the selection trials. She was also included in the women’s 10m air pistol event despite finishing seventh in the latest trials, with selectors backing her experience and proven ability to perform on the biggest stages.Besides Manu, three other shooters have been selected for two events — Vidarsa K. Vinod (women’s 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3 positions), former world champion Rudrankksh Patil (men’s 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3 positions), and Esha Singh (women’s 10m air pistol and 25m pistol).A notable decision by the NRAI was to field only one shooter, Anish Bhanwala, in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol event. While most events will feature three Indian shooters competing for both individual and team medals, the federation decided against filling all available spots in rapid-fire pistol.“While all selected athletes successfully cleared the stringent qualification slots laid down by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, the final roster stands at 30 athletes (15 Men and 15 Women) due to strict dynamic quota caps enforced by the Games’ Organising Committee,” said an NRAI statement.The Sports Ministry’s guidelines state that only athletes with realistic medal prospects should be selected for the Asian Games.“Following extensive deliberations and a detailed event-wise assessment, the Committee identified a select group of athletes capable of competing across multiple disciplines. This strategic approach enables India to maximise participation across all available events while maintaining the strongest possible medal prospects in both individual and team competitions,” the NRAI statement added.NRAI secretary general Pawankumar Singh said the federation had chosen the strongest squad possible.“We have selected the best team possible,” Singh told PTI.“The most significant decision was in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol event, where we have chosen not to send a full team. We are targeting only the individual medal event because we could not identify enough shooters with realistic medal prospects to field a team,” he said.Explaining Manu’s inclusion in two events, Singh added: “We could select only 30 shooters — 15 men and 15 women. Yes, Manu is currently ranked seventh after the recent 10m air pistol trials, but considering her experience and ability to perform in finals, she was the best option for inclusion in both the 10m and 25m pistol events.”“Her (Manu’s) ranking may be seventh in the 10m air pistol, but the gap in scores between her and those ranked above her is not significant,” he said.The squad was finalised during a selection committee meeting in Dehradun on June 8.NRAI president Kalikesh Singh Deo said the depth of talent in Indian shooting made the selection process particularly challenging.“Selecting this team was a challenging task given the exceptional depth and quality of talent in Indian shooting today. The final squad reflects the strength, depth and versatility of Indian shooting. We are confident that this team will represent India with distinction and make the nation proud in Aichi-Nagoya.”Squad: Rifle (Men) — 10m air rifle: Parth Rakesh Mane, Himanshu Dhillon, Rudrankksh Patil. 50m rifle 3-positions: Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Niraj Kumar, Rudrankksh Patil. (Women) 10m air rifle: Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar, Vidarsa K Vinod. 50m rifle 3-positions: Ashi Chouksey, Vidarsa K Vinod, Tilottama Sen. (10m air rifle mixed team) Parth Rakesh Mane and Elavenil Valarivan.Pistol (Men) — 10m air pistol: Kedarling B. Uchaganve, Gaurav, Kamaljeet. 25m rapid fire: Anish Bhanwala. (Women) 10m air pistol: Suruchi, Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker. 25m sports pistol: Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, Rahi Sarnobat. (10m air pistol mixed team) Kedarling B. Uchaganve and Suruchi.Shotgun: (Men) — Trap: Kynan Chenai, Ahvar Rizvi, Shapath Bharadwaj. (Women) Neeru, Manisha Keer, Aashima Ahlawat. Skeet (Men) Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Bhavtegh Singh Gill, Mairaj Ahmad Khan. (Women) Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon, Maheshwari Chauhan.
Just weeks after overcoming Junto Nakatani in a historic all-Japanese showdown, Naoya Inoue is being strongly linked with another ‘inevitable’ rivalry.
A four-division world champion, Inoue is currently considered to be boxing’s pound-for-pound number one, with last month’s triumph over Nakatani regarded as a career-best win that cements his position in the top spot.
Whilst many fans have want to see ‘The Monster’ move up in weight once more in an attempt to conquer as many divisions as possible, plenty are now instead hoping that he pumps the brakes and sticks around at 122lbs for a while longer.
Speaking to Ring Magazine, Rodriguez maintained that he is focused on this weekend’s clash with WBA bantamweight world champion Antonio Vargas, but admitted that a meeting with Inoue feels ‘inevitable’.
“To be honest, no [I am not thinking about the Naoya Inoue fight]. Like I say, one fight at a time. I am staying focussed on Antonio Vargas but I know that, when that Inoue fight does happen, the fans are in for a great night of boxing.
“People are already talking about that fight so much that it is inevitable at this point and I feel like, when the time comes, it is going to be a great fight – probably one of the best fights in all of boxing history.”
Vargas vs. Rodriguez takes place at the Desert Diamond Arena on June 13, as ‘Bam’ seeks to capture world honours in a third division and tee up one of the biggest bouts in boxing.
Nigerian music icon Davido used one of football’s biggest global platforms to shine a spotlight on a national tragedy during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Countdown Concert in Los Angeles.
While fans at the event celebrated performances from some of the world’s biggest music stars ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Davido’s appearance carried a message far beyond entertainment.
The Grammy-nominated Afrobeats star performed wearing a custom black leather jacket bearing the names of 39 abducted schoolchildren and seven teachers from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria.
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On the back of the jacket was a simple but powerful message:
“Bring Them Home.”
The gesture immediately attracted attention across social media, with many Nigerians praising Davido for using a global stage to raise awareness about the victims.
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A message beyond music
Davido thrilled the crowd with performances of some of his biggest hits, including fan favourites Fall and Unavailable, during the FIFA event.
Yet it was the jacket—not the music—that became one of the biggest talking points of the night.
Images from the concert quickly spread online, revealing dozens of green badges attached to the jacket, each representing one of the abducted pupils and teachers.
Many observers described the move as a reminder that the victims’ stories should not be forgotten despite the passage of time.
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At a moment when the world’s attention is turning toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Davido used that spotlight to highlight an issue affecting families thousands of miles away in Nigeria.
Bringing a local tragedy to a global audience
The FIFA World Cup Countdown Concert was held as part of celebrations marking one year until the start of the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Performing alongside international acts, Davido was one of the headline attractions representing Africa on the global stage.
Rather than simply delivering a musical performance, the Nigerian star chose to turn the occasion into an opportunity for advocacy.
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For many Nigerians, the jacket served as a reminder of the pain endured by families whose children and loved ones remain victims of abduction and insecurity.
Why the gesture resonated
Football and music have long been powerful tools for raising awareness about social issues.
From anti-racism campaigns to humanitarian causes, major sporting events often provide a platform for messages that extend beyond the game itself.
Davido’s decision to wear the jacket at a FIFA event followed that tradition.
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The gesture was particularly significant because it came in front of an international audience at an event designed to celebrate the world’s most popular sporting competition.
Instead of allowing the countdown to the World Cup to be solely about football, Davido ensured that millions of people were also reminded of a humanitarian issue affecting families in Nigeria.
A moment that transcended entertainment
As anticipation builds for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Davido’s performance will be remembered not only for the music but also for the message.
The singer had the opportunity to entertain a global audience.
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Instead, he chose to do more.
By wearing the names of 39 abducted schoolchildren and seven teachers on his jacket and carrying the message “Bring Them Home,” Davido transformed a World Cup celebration into a call for awareness, compassion and action.
And for many Nigerians watching around the world, that may have been the most powerful performance of the night.
JJ Gabriel is putting in the work ahead of his anticipated Manchester United senior bow under Michael Carrick
Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel could have a big part to play in pre-season and is trying to give Michael Carrick no choice but to give him minutes.
United manager Carrick will be without a number of senior stars in July thanks to World Cup commitments. The first pre-season friendly will take place in Helsinki on July 18, with Wrexham the opposition.
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Gabriel’s father Joe O’Cearuill shared a number of videos on social media, showing the teenager doing strength and speed work at the gym and on the training ground. “JJ 12min kick ups with tennis ball walk to gym,” the caption read, with one of a collage of four videos showing the kick-ups in question.
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Manchester United have launched their new home kit for the 2026/27 season, inspired by the club’s heritage and featuring a classic polo collar with iconic adidas details.
Fans seemed impressed upon watching the footage. “What a player he’s going to be for United, hopefully he will have a statue one day,” one wrote in reply to O’Cearuill’s post.
“I don’t care about the packaging, just work ethic that makes me say this. If he has good people around him who value privacy, he’ll go on to challenge for Ballon d’Or,” wrote another.
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Gabriel isn’t the only United academy talent putting in work this summer. Kai Rooney saw his 2025/26 season disrupted by injury but is doing what he can to be ready to get going again next term, sharing a gym photo which indicated he has been adding muscle ahead of pre-season.
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Carrick will have plenty of time to watch United’s youngsters in action as he prepares for his first pre-season campaign as manager. The Wrexham friendly is the first of six pre-season games over the course of a month before last season’s third-place finishers kick off their 2026/27 campaign.
None of those six matches will take place at Old Trafford. After the trip to Helsinki there’s an away game against Rosenborg in Norway, followed by matches on neutral territory against Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United and AC Milan.
Real Madrid have confirmed the reappointment of Jose Mourinho as head coach.
The 63-year-old has agreed a three-year deal and will begin work when the club returns for pre-season training on 13 July.
Real Madrid have paid Benfica £13m (15m euros) in compensation to bring the Portuguese head coach back to the Bernabeu – more than a decade after his first stint at the club came to an end.
Florentino Perez had vowed to reappoint Mourinho as head coach if he was re-elected as club president earlier this month.
It is the second time Mourinho has taken charge of Real Madrid, with his previous spell, which began in 2010 and lasted three seasons, yielding a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup.
Mourinho has since taken charge of Premier League clubs Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur and had stints at Roma, Fenerbahce and Benfica in more recent years.
During his one and only season at Benfica, Mourinho led the two-time European Cup winners to an unbeaten Liga Portugal campaign, though it was only enough to secure a third place finish.
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Earlier this week, Benfica agreed a deal to appoint former Fulham manager Marco Silva as Mourinho’s replacement.
Mourinho, meanwhile, heads back to Real Madrid with the club having failed to win a trophy in the last two seasons.
Somali referee Omar Artan has been appointed to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg on August 12.
UEFA announced the appointment on Thursday following discussions with the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Artan, 34, is regarded as one of Africa’s leading referees. He has been a FIFA-listed international referee since 2018 and was named CAF Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025 after a series of impressive performances.
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One of the biggest matches he handled was the second leg of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League final, which further strengthened his reputation on the continent.
The appointment comes after Artan missed the opportunity to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Although FIFA selected him among the tournament’s match officials, he was unable to take part after being denied entry into the United States.
UEFA said the decision to appoint Artan was made under its recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with CAF, which aims to strengthen cooperation between both football bodies, including in refereeing development.
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UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin praised the Somali official, describing him as a talented referee who has already shown his quality at the highest level of African football.
“Football is made to connect people, and UEFA wants to show its respect to Omar and his outstanding officiating skills, which had earned him such a prestigious nomination,” Čeferin said.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe also welcomed the appointment, saying Artan has made Somalia and Africa proud through his achievements.
“His receipt of the CAF Men’s Referee of the Year Award 2025 and his appointment as a referee of the FIFA World Cup 2026 are a recognition of his world-class refereeing ability and the international respect that he enjoys,” Motsepe said.
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The CAF President added that Artan’s selection for the UEFA Super Cup is a great honour for African referees and an example of football’s ability to unite people across continents.
J.J. Spaun’s ascent from mini-tour anonymity to 2025 U.S. Open champion was a remarkable transformation. Born August 21, 1990, in Los Angeles, Spaun had a standout collegiate career at San Diego State University and turned pro in 2012, competing on West Coast mini-tours. He survived on shoestring budgets, often just scraping by while chasing his PGA Tour dream.
He earned Web.com status for the 2016 season, which he parlayed into a PGA Tour card the following year. Even with the occasional brilliant round on Tour, his inconsistency fueled long slumps and tested stretches of frustration. After a serious health scare in 2023, Spaun enlisted the help of Adam Schriber, a Michigan-based coach at LochenHeath Golf Club. Schriber’s holistic approach rebuilt Spaun from the ground up. They focused on core stability, efficient rotation and mental resilience, allowing him to minimize strain while simultaneously enhancing power.
“Adam reconstructed my swing and mindset,” Spaun said.
Early in the week of the 2025 U.S. Open, Spaun added short-game coach Josh Gregory to the team, and it paid off immediately with a chip-in on the very first hole. At Oakmont, his refined technique and composed attitude kept him in the hunt after a shaky start, culminating with a 64-foot birdie putt on the final hole, clinching a two-stroke win.
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“This is ours,” Spaun told Schriber, trophy in hand.
Known for his calm demeanor under pressure and ultra-solid ball striking, Spaun built his game around discipline rather than flash. Friends describe him as relentlessly curious, always seeking incremental gains. His journey reflects perseverance, humility and belief — proof that patience, persistence and dedication can outlast early-career obscurity.
Check out below for a breakdown of six positions from Spaun’s swing that every golfer should copy.
Mark Newcombe / Visionsingolf.com
1. Setup
Many shorter amateur golfers bend over too much, causing them to stand excessively far from the ball and limiting their pivot. J.J. adopts just enough forward tilt to allow for a comfortable arm swing and easier wind and unwind.
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2. Takeaway
Spaun rotates his torso away from the ball without unnecessary right-leg straightening, allowing minimal right-arm bend while keeping his arms in front and limiting clubface rotation.
3. Top
J.J.’s arms form a neat, equilateral triangle at the top with perfect left wrist and clubface position. You can’t get to this position with a “hold the tray” right forearm. Additionally, he has turned enough to reach this hand location without overturning.
4. Downswing
Spaun keeps from over-closing the clubface by not overdoing the Internet-popular arching of the left wrist. His wrist remains plenty neutral as the club is lowered and pulled into a great position to unload it without fear of a quick hook.
5. Impact
A top-flight professional impact position requires body twisting that most amateurs have never experienced but could learn: hips forward, tucked and open, lower torso turned, but upper torso right tilted and less open. Do these things, and that hall-of-fame arms-and-hands position is possible. Just like Spaun’s.
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6. Release
Take note of the bent right arm and open clubface in No. 4 and the fully released toe of the clubhead and straightened right arm here. All while keeping the right arm under the left. This brilliantly keeps his fade from being a weak wipe and a pull all but impossible.
Accor Stadium will play host to Thursday’s
Round 15 NRL game between South Sydney Rabbitohs and
Brisbane Broncos. The game kicks off at 7:50 pm with South Sydney Rabbitohs heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the South Sydney Rabbitohs vs.
Brisbane Broncos
game and give you our free tips and bets.
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Brisbane Broncos Preview
Round 15 begins with two proud clubs searching for answers as South Sydney hosts Brisbane at Accor Stadium on Thursday night. Injuries and Origin absences have left both sides heavily depleted, adding another layer of intrigue to a contest that could shape their seasons. The Rabbitohs have slipped outside the top eight after three straight defeats, while the Broncos enter on a five-game losing streak that has seen their finals hopes rapidly fade. South Sydney will be looking for greater consistency without Latrell Mitchell, while Brisbane must find a way to tighten a defence that has leaked points at an alarming rate. Recent meetings between the sides have been closely contested, and with neither team entering in convincing form, this traditional rivalry looms as one of the hardest games of the round to predict.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun explains Indiana’s swift action in securing the Chicago Bears stadium project in Hammond. He contrasts this with the Illinois legislature’s five years of indecision, stating, ‘We’re not wafflers.’ Braun emphasizes Indiana’s business-friendly environment, highlighting the state’s economic growth and low unemployment.
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Former Chicago Cubs star Anthony Rizzo is reveling in the Windy City after retirement, but pretty soon, the city will be without a primary sport.
The Chicago Bears of the National Football League are set to leave Chicago for Hammond, Indiana, roughly 20 miles south of their current home.
The Bears have called Soldier Field home since 1971, and before that, they played their home games at Rizzo’s old stomping grounds, Wrigley Field, for 50 seasons.
A general view inside Soldier Field during the national anthem before the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Chicago Bears in Chicago, Ill., on Dec. 26, 2024.(Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
While the Bears have been pretty insistent on leaving, city officials have been trying desperately to keep them, and Rizzo says they are “in denial that they’re going.”
“I think they’re trying to deny it as long as they can until it’s official,” Rizzo told Fox News Digital.
“Soldier Field was, is, awesome, in my opinion. It’s hard to get in and out of, and it definitely needed some renovations, but the city of Chicago and the fan base, it’s absolutely wild that they’re leaving for Indiana. I know it’s not too far away; it’s not even 20 miles south, but the fact that it’s in Indiana is different,” he continued.
Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo celebrates during the team’s World Series victory rally at Grant Park in Chicago, Ill., on Nov. 4, 2016.(Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)
“Then again, the New York Giants and the New York Jets play in New Jersey, so. The renderings of what they’re doing look amazing. If you build it, they will come, right?”
The Bears’ board of directors met last week into the evening and voted to advance the stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana — with an exact stadium site to be selected. The announcement was made the next day.
“We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana and the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across the neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city,” Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey and CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement.
“It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”
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This is the first time the team’s board has voted on a stadium site. This development is notable and significant, but an NFL source told Fox News there is a chance Illinois might still be able to convince the team to stay in the state. Those chances were characterized as requiring “a Hail Mary” political effort.
Chicago Bears helmets are displayed before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev., on Sept. 28, 2025.(Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)
However, that Hail Mary, even if it were to work, will still move the club out of Chicago, with the only site in Illinois as a likely landing spot being Arlington Heights.
Outkick’s Armando Salguero contributed to this report.
Should Canelo regain the WBC marble, Sheeraz is eyeing up Canelo’s regular Cinco De Mayo outing for a potential 168lb unification affair, planning on announcing himself as the super-middleweight to beat by overcoming the division’s poster boy.
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However, speaking with DAZN Boxing, Canelo stated that, if Sheeraz wants to face him, then he should look to unify the belts against newly crowned IBF world champion, Osleys Iglesias, in order to entice him into the proposed fight.
“I never checked that [potential fights with Hamzah Sheeraz or Osleys Iglesias]. I think that they need to fight each other and then I find out the winner. That is the most smart thing that they can do.
“We all, at some point, we need to earn what we deserve, right? They need to earn it [a fight with me], why not? That is why I say that they need to [fight each other] and I don’t say that they don’t deserve it.
“They deserve it, that is why they are there as champions or number ones or whatever.
“But, they need to fight each other and then, after my fight, we will see.”
;)
;)
;)
;)
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