Kevin O’Connell scans the field on October 20, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis before the Vikings face the Detroit Lions, standing along the sideline during pregame warmups as Minnesota prepares for a pivotal NFC North matchup with standings implications. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
It’s a little early for the label — NFL-themed meida usually waits until the summer — but that didn’t stop FOX Sports from placing head coaches on the hot seat last week. Ralph Vacchiano identified 10 coaches with toasty buttocks, and Minnesota Vikings skipper Kevin O’Connell was not spared.
The GM reset tightens the stakes for O’Connell, and the expectations shift to postseason results as the Vikings enter a defining 2026 year.
O’Connell has led the Vikings for four seasons, banking the league’s fifth-best win percentage on his watch, but his team has not won a playoff game.
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The Hot Seat for Kevin O’Connell in 2026 Is Real
The heat is on.
Jul 28, 2025; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell addresses his wide receivers during training camp at the Minnesota Vikings Training Facility on Jul. 28, 2025. O’Connell spoke between reps as the offense rotated through drills, reinforcing details and tempo while Minnesota prepared for the upcoming regular season. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Fox Sports Hot Seat List: KOC Named
Vacchiano listed hot-seat coaches from warmest to hottest, and at No. 7, O’Connell got the nod. Vacchiano claimed that six other coaches are under more pressure.
He wrote about O’Connell, “He’s incredibly well-respected, has a reputation as one of the greatest ‘quarterback whisperers’ in the league, and has won nearly twice as many games as he’s lost during his five seasons.
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“He just got a lucrative contract extension, too. But his boss, owner Zygi Wilf, clearly wasn’t happy with the Vikings’ 9-8 record this past season and some of their recent quarterback decisions. That’s why he fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.”
The Vikings very vividly preferred O’Connell over Adofo-Mensah; it’s rare for an ownership group not fire both the GM and HC as a package deal. But the Vikings are trying an experiment with O’Connell as the CEO by default.
Vacchiano added, “And while, yes, that means O’Connell emerged the victor of a power struggle, it also puts the heat on him. He’s got to prove Wilf was right, which means developing QB J.J. McCarthy and probably returning to the playoffs next season. Anything else, and who knows what Wilf will do?”
Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets led the way for Vacchiano’s hot seat rankings, with Philadelphia Eagles skipper Nick Sirianni at No. 2.
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Pressure on O’Connell after the Termination of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
History suggests that retaining a head coach after firing the general manager is a recipe for failure. The “GM-only reset” often accelerates the timeline toward further upheaval, as continued poor performance often leads to the coach’s dismissal. Tennessee and Carolina have followed this pattern, and Miami nearly did in 2025 before firing Mike McDaniel weeks later.
Now, Minnesota has embarked on the same path.
With Adofo-Mensah’s firing on January 30th, O’Connell gains more influence over the roster, but this increased power also brings heightened accountability. If the Vikings, with O’Connell- and Brian Flores-influenced personnel additions, struggle to a 6-11 or 7-10 record in 2026 due to an unsuccessful bet on McCarthy, the Wilfs are unlikely to stand pat.
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O’Connell is entering his fifth year without a playoff win, making a postseason appearance essential, and a playoff victory likely necessary, as few head coaches reach a fifth season without January success.
This situation leaves little room for error, as the head coach rarely survives the subsequent downturn when the general manager is fired first.
Playoffs or Bust?
To his credit, Minnesota has reached the playoffs twice in four years on O’Connell’s watch. The problem? O’Connell hasn’t logged a playoff victory yet, and that’s usually required for full job security. In fact, Minnesota hasn’t won a postseason game in six years — the game when tight end Kyle Rudolph walked off the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome. Gradually, the drought is becoming grim.
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Oct 15, 2023; Chicago, IL, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell looks toward the scoreboard during second-half action against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Oct. 15, 2023. O’Connell studied the situation from the sideline as Minnesota worked through late-game adjustments in a tight NFC North divisional road contest. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
So, at the very least, O’Connell must figure out his quarterback solution — roll with McCarthy or find a competent insurance plan — finish with a 9-8 record or better in 2026, and probably win a playoff game. Unfortunately for his sake, the timeline has been expedited because he hasn’t won in January, and the ownership picked him over Adofo-Mensah, putting the onus on him to deliver.
The Accolades
Here’s the case to support O’Connell as an effective head coach:
2024 NFL Coach of the Year
NFL’s fifth-best win percentage since 2022
NFL’s best defense per EPA/Play since 2022
Sixth-fewest penalties since 2022
Jan 1, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell watches from the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Jan. 1, 2023. O’Connell observed the closing moments as Minnesota battled its division rival in a late-season road matchup. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The pro-O’Connell crowd will maintain that he needs a steady QB1 — his teams are 37-15 (.711) when he has his QB1 in the starting lineup — and better draft picks. Adofo-Mensah notoriously and woefully struggled to connect in the draft.
Nominate a clear QB1, draft better, run the football at a normal NFL clip, and prosper. That’s how O’Connell can avoid termination in 2026.
Team India opener Sanju Samson joked that his batting partner Abhishek Sharma should get married soon so that the other players in the side can also enjoy their share of limelight. The keeper-batter also quipped that the left-handed batter’s popularity made other players in the team jealous of him.
Samson was the Player of the Tournament as India won the T20 World Cup 2026 at home last week. He scored 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.38. Samson ended the ICC tournament with three consecutive fifties, registering scores of 97*, 89 and 89. While Abhishek struggled for the most part, he hammered 52 off 21 in the final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.
Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2026, Samson shared his views on Abhishek‘s massive popularity. In a lighthearted tone, he commented:
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“Earlier the boys used to get jealous because of the cheers for Abhishek. It was Abhishek, Abhishek everywhere. We were like, do people only see him or what?”
The 31-year-old then engaged in some fun leg-pulling of the southpaw and urged the youngster to get married soon. Samson added:
“But yes, he is the superstar of the team now. Get married soon, bhai.”
Abhishek began the T20 World Cup 2026 with three consecutive ducks. He scored a crucial 55 off 30 in the Super 8 match against Zimbabwe in Chennai before registering a whirlwind half-century in the final.
“We are not ice and fire, we are fire and fire” – Sanju Samson on partnership with Abhishek
Speaking at the conclave, Samson also shared his thoughts on his opening partnership with Abhishek. Describing their combination as fire and fire, the Kerala cricketer stated that they try to keep things pretty simple out in the middle. The 31-year-old elaborated:
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“We are not ice and fire, we are fire and fire. Sometimes he fires, sometimes I do. We have that kind of combination going. We have done this since 2024, we have a Kerala-Punjabi friendship in the middle. Everything comes pretty naturally to us, so we do not complicate it. He asks me, ‘How is the ball coming?’ I tell him that the ball is coming normally, hit it for a six. It is really simple with him.
“Abhishek is very brave and collected, I love his character. I really love the partnership with him on and off the field,” the keeper-batter concluded.
Abhishek and Samson got India off to a terrific start in the T20 World Cup 2026 final, adding 98 in 7.1 overs. The partnership was broken when Abhishek was caught behind off Rachin Ravindra. The stunning opening stand paved the way for Team India’s historic triumph.
Jazza Dickens makes the first defence of his WBA super-featherweight world title tonight against Anthony Cacace at the 3Arena in Dublin, topping a Queensberry Promotions card broadcast live on DAZN.
Liverpool’s Dickens is enjoying the best run of his career, having upset Zelfa Barrett and stopped Olympic gold medallist Albert Batyrgaziev to become interim champion before being elevated to full WBA titleholder. His first test as top dog is a tough one – Belfast’s Cacace, a former IBF champion, steps through the ropes off the back of impressive wins over Joe Cordina, Josh Warrington and Leigh Wood.
The main card also features Pierce O’Leary against former world title challenger Maxi Hughes for the vacant IBO super-lightweight title, while Jono Carroll meets unbeaten Colm Murphy for the vacant IBO super-featherweight belt. Rising British prospect Ryan Garner is also in action against Cristian Bielma, and highly-touted heavyweight Adam Olaniyan takes on Jan Bezouska in his pro debut.
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Stay with Boxing News for live results and updates as the action unfolds.
Undercard results
Jono Carroll vs Colm Murphy – Vacant IBO super-featherweight title
Result: –
Ryan Garner vs Cristian Bielma – Super-featherweight
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Result: –
Adam Olaniyan vs Jan Bezouska – Heavyweight
Result: –
Pierce O’Leary vs Maxi Hughes – Vacant IBO super-lightweight title
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Result: –
Jazza Dickens vs Anthony Cacace live scorecard and result
This is a Boxing News live scorecard and not the official score from the judges.
The top two teams in the Big 12 clash when the second-seeded Houston Cougars meet the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats in Saturday’s 2026 Big 12 Tournament championship game. Houston advanced to the title game with a 69-47 win over third-seeded Kansas in Friday’s semifinals, while Arizona advanced with an 82-80 win over fifth-seeded Iowa State. The Cougars (28-5), who have won five in a row, are looking to win their second consecutive Big 12 Conference Tournament title. The Wildcats (31-2), who have won eight straight, finished runner-up last season after losing 72-64 to Houston in the 2025 title game.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered conference tournament week on a sizzling 14-2 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season, and is on a 28-21 run on top-rated CBB side picks. Anyone following its college basketball betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.
SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total (138.5 points). The Over has hit in two of the last three Arizona games. Houston is 2-8 against the spread in its last 10 games. Arizona, meanwhile, is 4-6 ATS in its last 10.
The model projects the Cougars to have three players score 12.4 points or more, including Emanuel Sharp, who is projected to score 17 points. The Wildcats are projected to have four players score 10.5 points or more, led by Brayden Burries, who is projected to score 13.2 points. The model is projecting 148 combined points.
Terence Crawford has named one fighter he would have never wished to lock horns with, purely because of their robust friendship outside the ropes.
The former five-division world champion fought a selection of elite competitors, including Canelo Alvarez and Errol Spence Jr, but would rarely consider any such opponents as ‘friends’.
Shawn Porter, it seemed, was the only friend he ended up facing in the ring, with their 2021 welterweight encounter resulting in a 10th-round stoppage victory for ‘Bud’.
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But while Crawford and Porter shared a perfectly amicable relationship, it was hardly the same dynamic that is becoming increasingly apparent between Shakur Stevenson and Keyshawn Davis.
Instead, they would much rather take out the competition in equal measure, with Davis looking to become a two-weight world champion at 140lbs or 147lbs and Stevenson potentially eying a move back down to 135lbs.
In a similar sense, Crawford has insisted that he would have never fought Timothy Bradley, telling Ring Champs with Ak & Barak that their relationship is comparable to that of Stevenson and Davis.
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“Keyshawn beats everybody – him and Shakur. They don’t need to fight each other; they can beat up everybody else.
“I think Tim Bradley [and I] would’ve been like that. I wouldn’t have fought Tim.”
Former sparring partners Crawford and Bradley could have potentially squared off in 2015, back when they held the WBO world title at super-lightweight and welterweight, respectively.
Bradley, however, ended up losing to Manny Pacquiao in his final outing in 2016, while Crawford became an undisputed champion before replicating the feat at welterweight and super-middleweight.
After a narrow loss in Rome to open their campaign, Gregor Townsend’s side bounced back with victories against England, Wales and France.
Tuipulotu says Scotland have unquestionably improved over the course of the competition, despite falling short against Ireland.
“I’ve seen what’s gone in behind the scenes and I’m proud of the boys, how they rallied this championship,” he said. “We’ve definitely made progress, there’s no doubt about that.”
Townsend came under heavy pressure after the defeat against Italy in their opener, but he too agreed with Tuipulotu’s assessment that it has been a positive tournament for his side.
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“The performances we’ve delivered, especially the three victories, is some of the best rugby I’ve seen us play,” he said.
“Today it’s a reminder and a lesson. The lesson is that we have to be better when we do have opportunities. Another game for us to know what works and what we have to lean into more, double down on more.
“There were tactical and technical things we needed to improve on, which we did in the second half and we were going up against an excellent opponent, who were very good today.”
After last weekend’s exhilarating 50-40 victory over France, the question was whether Scotland could recreate such a performance at a venue with so many demons.
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Townsend says it simply isn’t possible to play perfect rugby in every game.
“Ireland are a very good team,” he said. “They have an excellent record here against pretty much every team.
“If you want a perfect performance every week, you’re living in fantasy land. We played some excellent rugby but it wasn’t enough to win.”
Wales ended a three-year Six Nations losing streak with a 31-17 victory over Italy in Cardiff.
Two tries from Aaron Wainwright and another from skipper Dewi Lake gave Wales a 21-0 interval lead which was quickly built on.
Dan Edwards darted over and the Ospreys outside-half added a superb long-range drop goal to four conversions for a personal haul of 16 points.
Wales outside-half Dan Edwards scores his side’s fourth try in their Six Nations victory against Italy (PA Wire)
Italy appeared dead and buried at 31-0 down, but they refused to go out with a whimper and Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, Tommaso Allan and Paolo Garbisi scored tries. Garbisi added a conversion.
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Wales had not tasted Six Nations victory since 11 March 2023 – 15 games and 1,099 days ago – when they beat Italy in Rome.
But there were clear signs of green shoots in defeats to Scotland and Ireland, and Wales produced the performance nearly 70,000 fans inside Principality Stadium had craved to register a first Six Nations home win since February 2022.
Italy could not back up a first-ever victory over England seven days earlier, as hopes of winning three games in a Six Nations campaign for the first time were snuffed out.
The visitors almost undid a positive start from Wales after Tommaso Menoncello turned over possession and led an Azzurri charge.
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(Getty Images)
Wales survived that breakaway and a skewed Garbisi penalty attempt and hit the front after 15 minutes.
Lineout ball was secured to let Eddie James loose and Wainwright took it on with a huge carry that saw the number eight bounce off defenders to score.
Wales were further rewarded when Italy were penalised at the breakdown and chose to go to the corner rather than take the option of three points.
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Edwards delivered an excellent kick and Wainwright was the beneficiary of a driving lineout that Italy could not stop.
The extras were added from the touchline and Wales were in dreamland with a third try before the 30-minutes mark.
Aaron Wainwright was outstanding for Wales (Getty Images)
Lake found his target at the lineout and guided the driving maul over, with Edwards converting again.
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It had been clinical stuff from Wales with three tries from as many entries into the Italy 22, and the roof was in danger of coming off the Principality Stadium.
Wales were just as efficient after the break as the forwards dragged in the Azzurri defence and Edwards sped through a gap for the bonus-point try.
Edwards added another conversion and slotted a drop goal from 40 metres before hooker Di Bartolomeo rumbled over to put Italy on the scoreboard.
Wales were reduced to 14 when Archie Griffin was shown a yellow card and Italy produced their most dominant period after the replacement prop returned from 10 minutes in the sin bin.
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Allan went over in the corner and Ellis Mee denied Monty Ioane with a try-saving tackle as the winger’s left foot just touched the touchline before grounding the ball.
Italy had the last word as Garbisi went over in the corner after Leonardo Marin was adjudged to be just short of the line, but Welsh joy – and relief – at the final whistle was palpable.
After a grand Admin Abuse by YouTuber Kreekcraft, the St Patricks Event has commenced in Knockout. It has replaced the Magma Event to introduce more cosmetics and elimination effects, including the Golden Leprechaun skin and the Lucky Splash effect. Players can get all the exclusive items by spending the new currency called Shamrocks in the St Patricks Event shop at the edge of the lobby.
This guide explains how to get Shamrocks in Knockout, so that you can start collecting the event items from St Patricks shop.
How to get Shamrocks in Knockout St Patricks Event
The St Patricks Event shop (Image via Roblox)
Shamrocks are green plant-like objects that can be collected by any player. They spawn on the map in every round but only when the Shamrock Event is active. This event happens every 60 minutes on a server and its countdown can be seen at the top of the St Patricks shop.
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The Shamrock Event is a part of the St Patricks Event. When it begins, two to five Shamrocks appear at random spots on the map. You can collect them by launching your penguin and hitting the Shamrocks.
Shamrocks are also obtainable from the Lucky Crate and Rainbow Lucky Crate. You can buy both these crates from the event shop.
Contents of the Lucky Crate and Rainbow Lucky Crate
The Lucky Crate and Rainbow Lucky Crate (Image via Roblox)
The Lucky Crate is for free-to-play players. A single crate costs 100 Shamrocks and contains the following things:
50 Shamrocks
Shamrock Egg
Lucky Splash
Cloud9
Irish Jig Dance
Golden Leprechaun
Rainbow Lucky Crate is the premium version of the Lucky Crate. It costs 149 Robux and has all the contents of the Lucky Crate, but with revealed drop rates:
150 Shamrocks – 40%
Shamrock Egg – 25%
Lucky Splash – 22%
Cloud9 – 10%
Irish Jig – 2.5%
Golden Leprechaun – 0.5%
The Golden Leprechaun skin has a limited stock. As of this writing, only 9900 copies of this cosmetic are available, so acquire one quickly by opening Lucky Crates or Rainbow Lucky Crates in bulk.
What are all the skins in the Shamrock Egg?
The Shamrock Egg (Image via Roblox)
The Shamrock Egg, besides being available from the event crates, can also be bought with Shamrocks. It appears briefly next to the St Patricks Event Shop during the Shamrock Event and any player can interact with it.
A Shamrock Egg costs 200 Shamrocks or 99 Robux. It consists of five penguin skins of different rarities, whose drop rates are as follows:
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Clover – 46.5%
Green Shepherd – 30%
Pot O’ Gold – 15%
Lucky Kreek Craft – 7.3%
Leprechaun – 1.2% (limited stock)
Since it belongs to Tier 6, the Shamrock Egg contains some of the rarest skins.
Opening Lucky Crates and Rainbow Lucky Crates is the best way to earn Shamrocks. You have a 40% chance of getting 150 Shamrocks after opening the Rainbow crate.
How long is the Shamrock Event?
The Shamrock Event lasts 10 minutes before going into a cooldown of 50 minutes.
Yankuba Minteh scored the only goal of the game as Brighton clinched a 1-0 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
An end-to-end first half saw both teams have great opportunities in the opening moments, with Jack Hinshelwood superbly denied by Melker Ellborg and Lewis Dunk making a goal-line stop from Chemsdine Talbi.
Chris Rigg had a goal ruled out for offside early in the second half and Brighton took the lead through Minteh’s effort from a narrow angle.
The Seagulls held on to return to winning ways in the Premier League following defeat to Arsenal last week and have now reached 40 points, while Sunderland slip to a third straight loss at home.
Sunderland made four changes to the team beaten by Port Vale in the FA Cup, which included the return of striker Brian Brobbey from injury, while captain Dunk lined up for Brighton as one of four changes from the Arsenal match.
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Ellborg made an excellent save in the ninth minute when Minteh’s teasing ball into the six-yard area was met by Hinshelwood, but his first-time effort was stopped by the outstretched leg of the Sunderland goalkeeper.
It was a hard-fought encounter at the Stadium of Light (Getty Images)
From the resulting corner, Pascal Gross blasted narrowly wide and the Black Cats came close moments later when Rigg’s cross into the box was flicked towards Talbi and Dunk made a goal-line clearance from the winger’s powerful strike.
Omar Alderete had an ambitious effort comfortably held by Bart Verbruggen and Sunderland were forced to clear their lines as Brighton had multiple shots pinball around the box.
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Noah Sadiki had two attempts before former Sunderland striker Danny Welbeck laid a neat pass in for Hinshelwood, but his tame effort was saved by Ellborg and Jan Paul van Hecke’s hooked shot from a corner was cleared.
The hosts had a good string of chances before half-time when Habib Diarra’s cross into Brobbey was booted away by the Seagulls defence and Rigg sliced an overhead kick wide before Lutsharel Geertruida forced Verbruggen to push a shot away.
Sunderland started the second half brightly and Rigg’s strike four minutes in was chalked off by VAR after Alderete was ruled offside in the build-up.
After putting the Seagulls under pressure from a goal-kick, Brobbey fired over the bar, but Brighton began to work back into the game.
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The visitors went ahead in the 58th minute when a corner was quickly recycled and Minteh, formerly on the books of Sunderland’s rivals Newcastle, squeezing an attempt from a tight angle in at the near post.
Yankuba Minteh squeezed home the only goal of the game (Getty Images)
Sunderland suffered a blow as defender Dan Ballard was unable to continue and they pressed for an equaliser when Trai Hume fired over the crossbar.
Brighton found themselves in a promising position but Diego Gomez blasted over and at the opposite end, Verbruggen made a great save to claw Alderete’s header away.
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Sunderland found themselves frustrated as the Seagulls cleared successive free-kicks and Dennis Cirkin hooked the ball over in stoppage time as the visitors managed the final stages to move 10th in the table.
The final round of the 2026 Players Championship begins Sunday morning, March 15, at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. You can find full Players Championship tee times for Sunday’s final round at the bottom of this article once they are released.
Round 4 Players tee times: What you need to know
On Sunday at the 2026 Players Championship, the PGA Tour’s biggest stars will be fighting for an enormous $4.5 million winner prize from the record $25 million purse.
We won’t know the exact tee times for Sunday’s final round until Round 3 is complete. Once Saturday’s play is over, competitiors will be given Sunday tee times based on their leaderboard positions.
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The players at the bottom of the leaderboard will open Sunday’s play at approximately 8 a.m. ET. The leaders will tee off in the final pairing around 2 p.m. ET.
You can watch Sunday’s final round of the 2026 Players Championship from 1-6 p.m. ET on NBC. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early Sunday streaming coverage starting at 7:45 a.m. ET, in addition to featured group and featured hole coverage. Peacock will provide streaming coverage of NBC’s Sunday broadcast.
Check out the complete Round 4 tee times and pairings for the Players Championship below once they are determined Saturday night.
With an ESPN+ subscription, you gain access to PGA Tour Live, where you can stream the best PGA Tour events live from wherever you want.
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2026 Players Championship tee times for Sunday: Round 4 (ET)
(TBA)
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The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr team are brimming with optimism for Phillip Island as he gears up for a debut in a high-stakes race at Caulfield.
In the $1m The Showdown (1200m), Port Phillip will launch his career while still eligible for the Golden Slipper at Rosehill next week, though it’s improbable he’ll run there.
Kent Jnr revealed elevated hopes for Phillip Island based on a solid opening to the two-year-old term with their youngsters.
Among the juveniles shining through the Price and Kent Jnr pipeline this year are Big Sky, Guest House and Brazen Dechambeau, with Kent Jnr placing Port Phillip in similar regard.
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“Every year we have around 80 two-year-olds that go through the system and as trainers you can rank them in a pecking order,” Kent Jnr said.
“When your so-called top three don’t fire in certain years, you are concerned about the rest, but when your so-called top three start winning races and showing they’re amongst the best in the country, that gives you confidence about the horses just below that top tier.
This colt is in that category we think and I’m looking forward to him stepping out.”
Phillip Island enters Saturday’s race with just one trial under his belt this preparation, taking that hit-out at Caulfield Heath ridden by Craig Williams last month.
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Unavailable in Sydney, Williams cedes the ride to Jamie Melham on Saturday.
“We’re going in off one trial, but he trialled really well, and he arguably trialled just as well, or if not better, than Buggsy that won (at Sandown) on Wednesday,” Kent Jnr said.
“Craig Williams really liked him and we’re under no illusions that it’s a hard test.
He is a highly strung horse and we’re asking a lot of him to get it right, but there are only three winners in the race and a number of debutants, like us.
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The test may be running out a strong 1200 (metres) off one trial, but the upside of the prize money, in a restricted race, was a huge carrot to have a go at and it would be no surprise to see him run really well.
