Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) lines up against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Nov 26, 2023, scanning the defense before the snap during a tightly contested matchup between two playoff-caliber teams in a late-season game with postseason implications. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.
The NFL schedule release is still a few weeks away, but hardcore Minnesota Vikings fans know the team’s opponents are readily available to study. Accordingly, the gauntlet of opposing quarterbacks is public knowledge, and it’s time for you to know the pecking order.
Brian Flores will see stars, veterans, and several uncertain young passers.
So, here’s a look at the signal-callers who Flores will face starting in September. We’ve ranked them from easiest to most difficult.
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Minnesota’s Roadmap Starts with the Opposing QBs
It’s not necessarily an easy setup.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) waits in the tunnel before facing the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Dec 21, 2025, standing calmly ahead of kickoff as he prepares to lead the offense in a road matchup with playoff implications late in the regular season. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images.
Geno Smith | New York Jets
The Jets are rolling with Smith in 2026, and nobody knows why. There’s a decent chance that by the time this game rolls around, New York has benched Smith for a rookie.
Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa | Atlanta Falcons
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The Falcons thought they had the QB solution licked in 2024 when they signed Kirk Cousins and drafted Michael Penix Jr. Two years later, Tagovailoa could be the QB1 when the Vikings play them. Tagovailoa has never faced Minnesota.
Tyler Shough | New Orleans Saints
Shough ranked 23rd in the NFL per EPA/Play, a decent mark for a rookie passer. He’ll throw the ball to Chris Olave and rookie Jordyn Tyson on Sunday, which might just work.
Bryce Young | Carolina Panthers
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Young faces perhaps the most significant make-or-break season of all NFLers this season. He can blossom into a Top 15 passer or continue to live in the league’s bottom tier per efficiency.
Daniel Jones | Indianapolis Colts
Per EPA/Play, Jones was the sport’s sixth-best quarterback in 2025, but he tore his Achilles in November, prompting the Colts’ season to wholly unravel. He’s back in the saddle now, reportedly healing nicely and the owner of a two-year, $88 million contract extension.
Malik Willis | Miami Dolphins
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Willis looked marvelous on a few occasions for the Packers. Will that translate to Miami, where he has the worst weapons stable in the NFL?
Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said about Willis last month, “I think Malik’s an ascending player. One, it was important for us to get him on a three-year deal because we want to build around him. Two, this is not a band-aid. I don’t look at this as a band-aid.”
“Now he’s got to go play, and he knows this. But with any young quarterback, there needs to be daily improvement, getting fluid with his reads, taking care of the football.”
Willis was once left for dead by the Tennessee Titans.
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“He’s got, as you guys watched the tape last year, all the traits in the world. He’s got an elite arm. He’s a very, very good athlete. He’s a big, strong, powerful body. He can take the punishment, make plays with his legs, attack all levels of the field,” Sullivan added.
Jared Goff | Detroit Lions (twice)
Goff looked like a total buffoon when the Vikings beat the Lions on Christmas Day. He’s a bit like Kirk Cousins — you know he’s good, but you’re never terribly afraid of him.
Brock Purdy | San Francisco 49ers
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Purdy’s solid, but the Vikings always get the best of him. There’s something about Flores’s defense that flusters him, and that could eventually loom large in a playoff game.
Jordan Love | Green Bay Packers (twice)
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) walks out of the tunnel during warmups at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, on Dec 15, 2024, stepping onto the field before a matchup with the Seahawks as the Packers prepare for a late-season game in a loud road environment. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images.
Love is similar to Dak Prescott: he’s a really good quarterback, but he may never turn the corner into elite status. Most Vikings fans are happy that Green Bay has taken a break from Brett Favres and Aaron Rodgerses. Love is beatable. Often, Rodgers was not.
Jayden Daniels | Washington Commanders
Daniels had a sophomore slump in 2025. He actually played like a moron against the Vikings last year. In all likelihood, he’ll be back with a vengeance in 2026.
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Baker Mayfield | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mayfield started the 2025 campaign white-hot, drawing MVP chants for about three weeks. When it was said and done, he ranked as the NFL’s 19th-best quarterback per EPA/Play.
Drake Maye | New England Patriots
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) delivers a pass during the first quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec 28, 2025, stepping into the throw as defenders close in during a divisional matchup late in the regular season. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images.
Speaking of Daniels, will Maye take a step back when his team plays a real NFL schedule? The Patriots somehow faced one of the easiest slates of opponents in NFL history. That should change in 2026.
Caleb Williams | Chicago Bears (twice)
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Williams came into his own down the stretch of 2025, authoring a playoff game — basically a throw — for the ages. Put plainly, you can’t bring the guy down. He feels like he’s on the verge of a monster next step.
Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills
Patrick Mahomes will probably bounce back and reclaim his throne as the best player in the NFL. Until then, Allen is the standard-bearer in the NFL. He is the Buffalo Bills.
MINNEAPOLIS , MN – APRIL 25: Ayo Dosunmu (13) of the Minnesota Timberwolves roars after scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the third quarter of the Timberwolves’ 112-96 win in game four of their NBA Playoffs series at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Ayo Dosunmu was the standout performer as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 112-96 in Game 4.
Dosunmu scored 43 points and barely missed, making 13 of his 17 shots, with all five of his three-pointers. He also contributed in other areas and helped the team keep their attack organised.
Minnesota had contributions across the board, with Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels both adding double-digit scoring, while Rudy Gobert controlled the glass.
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But the night belonged to Dosunmu. Every time the Timberwolves needed it, he stepped up, scoring and stretching the defense with his shooting.
The win gives Minnesota a 3-1 lead in the series, putting them in a strong position heading into the next game.
I recently took a trip to the PING Golf Proving Grounds in Phoenix, Arizona to do a bit of testing with their full roundup of 2026 offerings. After our Fully Fit visit in December, I was looking to spend a bit more time with some of their offerings that I haven’t gotten to take more than a handful of swings with. The PING lineup of irons is quite robust, and it’s definitely one of the more ‘complete’ lineups on the market. Let’s break down the lineup and sort out which irons fit for what style of player and who may benefit the most from each design.
PING i240 – A cavity back ‘plus’
The PING i240 is a unique iron, in a category where PING has definitely differentiated themselves. It’s not a true cavity back iron, that would be the PING Blueprint S, but it’s also not a player’s distance iron; like the PING i540. It sits somewhere in the middle. It’s a great option for players who want the shape and size of a more traditional cavity back, with a loft structure that’s a bit more traditional, but still need a little bit of help. The i240 aims to provide precision for players that want a bit more control over their flight, but with an MOI package that mirrors a much more helpful category of irons.
With its more traditional cavity back shape, PING took performance of the i240 one step further over previous generations by giving a significant boost to MOI. On the back of the iron you’ll see the new ABS badge, which helps them save over eight grams in weight, distributed to the perimeter of the iron for an increase in MOI without an increase in size or shape of the platform. They’ve also added an elastomer insert in the cavity which helps to create a softer feeling and sound out of the cast 413 stainless steel body. For the better ballstriker who’s looking for a little bit more help than a traditional cavity back like the Blueprint S, the i240 is the perfect option within the PING lineup. If it’s good enough for a guy like Viktor Hovland, it’s good enough for your bag too.
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PING i240 Custom Irons
The Tour-inspired i240 advances our popular Players technology, providing added forgiveness along with the control, look and feel that will appeal to a wide range of skill levels. It’s PING’s highest-launching Players model, giving golfers more control and the ability to consistently hit their distance numbers and stop the ball close to the hole.
A new ABS badge in the true cavity-back design is 8.5g lighter, and combined with an elastomer insert allows for more perimeter weighting to increase the MOI in the mid and long irons. This helps achieve an 11% reduction in dispersion. The badge and insert contribute to a more desirable sound and a softer, responsive feel from the 431 stainless steel cast head.
PING i540 – Some speed assistance for the better player
The i540 is a special iron. It competes in a really unique marketplace for the better player who wants a good visual but may be losing speed. These are the senior club champions at your local course, or in my case, the guys who take my money every weekend, despite being twice my age. They’re also a really good option for players who need the turf efficiency of something like an i240 but they don’t quite have the ball striking to back it up. The i540 sits here in a really good bucket. It provided almost a club more worth of speed for me compared to the i240, while adding launch and maintaining a similar spin window.
While testing the lineup, the i540 stood out most. I made the comment while working with PING WRX Master Fitter James Lee that it almost felt too easy. I would have to calibrate my distances a little bit on course, and probably do some gapping work at the bottom end of the bag, but playing the i540 felt… right. It felt like something I could possibly end up doing, just because the data showed us that the iron was really working for me. The only in my own testing is they’re actually a little bit too fast. 130 mph for a 7-iron is quite a bit of speed, and that calibration in speed and distance could make some of the creative shots a little bit more difficult. But this iron wasn’t built for me. It was designed for a crowd that sits in a nice single digit handicap arena but just doesn’t quite swing it as fast as they used to.
When we visited for Fully Fit both Johnny Wunder and Wadeh Maroun agreed. Wadeh was VERY close to putting them in the bag, but since our first day of the trip was at PING, he actually based the rest of his fittings off of the benefits he saw in the i540, and the rest of the week was testing hollow-body irons over cavity backs or forged options. Johnny jumped on board, too. Both guys are low single-digit golfers with very consistent swings and they know what they need out of their equipment. But, in their own admission, they’re losing out on a little bit of speed compared to where they may have been in years past. A hollow-body, high-tech offering like the i540 that maintains a nice visual behind the ball and allows the better player to worry more about making a good swing than if their clubs can keep up with their current game.
PING G440 – In-line game improvement
In-line irons can be tricky. Every company makes a game-improvement style iron that shares the name of their current in-line metal woods, but its a tough category to find balance in. Making sure that the iron performs well for the bulk of the golfing majority while still looking, feeling and sounding good seems to always involve tradeoffs. If there’s one thing that the G440 isn’t going to tradeoff, it’s performance. In the video testing with Lee you can see how much fun we had hitting the G440 irons. For lack of a better word, they’re dummy-proof. The biggest compliment I can give to anything in this realm is that it’s easy. As long as you make half-decent contact, the club is going to work for you.
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PING G440 Custom Irons
The G440 iron is a distance-driven design that best fits golfers in need of game-improvement technology who prefer the influence of a players-style shape. Increased ball speed comes from the thinner face and the low/back CG location – resulting in higher- launching, longer-carrying shots with stopping power.
FAST AND FORGIVING
Thinner face flexes for more ball speed, saves weight to increase MOI.
LOW CG SYSTEM
Shorter face lowers CG for more ball speed, higher launch.
PLAYERS INSPIRED
Shallow face height and shorter blade height.
PREMIUM PERFORMANCE
Four-piece, chrome-plated cavity badge increases flexing, damps vibration.
I always like to say the G440 is meant for the infrequent player. Somebody who definitely knows what they’re doing and has a repeatable swing, but doesn’t practice much and wants a set of irons that will last a long time and always produce for them. My dad, who’s in the last generation G430 irons, is a perfect example. He doesn’t play a whole lot, usually just on weekends that I can visit, but he knows what he’s doing with his swing and just wants to be out there and have fun without any equipment issues getting in the way. Everything I’ve set up in his bag is about ease of use, and the irons are no different. You can get away with a very off-center strike, they still feel good for the category they fall into, and it helps to make the round go by without any additional stress. Plus, PING continues to make sure that they look good in the bag, behind the ball, and in the hands as you twirl a nice approach.
The in-line PING G440 iron
Tifani Lynch / GOLF
Fun fact: Rocco Mediate is currently gaming the G440 irons on the Champions Tour!
Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
PING G740 – All the help you want
If the G440 is for the repeatable player looking for stress-free and easy rounds, the G740 is for ANY player who wants every single bit of help PING can offer them. The G740 is a large and in charge iron meant for one thing: forgiveness. This is actually a key difference maker in the lineup. The G740 is not an iron developed with speed gains in mind. For me it was about as fast as the i540 or the G440, which all sat around 130 mph ball speed off the 7-iron. What the G740 offers is forgiveness.
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The tech-filled, high MOI PING G740 iron
Tifani Lynch / GOLF
It really does feel like you can hit the ball anywhere on this iron and get away with it. It makes the G440 seem unforgiving, which is saying a lot. With the 740, the goal is high-tech performance and good looks. This is the true “play the game because you enjoy it” type of iron. Older players who just want to keep swinging, juniors looking to get into the sport, or beginners who would like a non-offensive entry point into the sport will all appreciate the forgiving benefits of the PING G740 irons.
Most importantly, get fit.
One of my favorite lines I’ve ever been told was the first time PING’s Marty Jertson told me “PING is an engineering company that happens to make golf clubs.” Part of that philosophy is that every single golfer should get fit for their new golf clubs by an authorized fitter, like True Spec. PING chooses to not sell their equipment direct to the customer to really hammer home this belief. As an engineering company there’s an understanding that to make tools work for the right player at the right time it takes some fine-tuning. There is no “one size fits all” offering at PING, just the final combination of parts that fits you.
Esme Hamilton held off a challenge from fellow Englishwoman Cara Gainer to win her first European Tour title at the South African Open.
Hamilton started the day as joint leader with Slovenia’s Pia Babnik and stayed the course to finish two shots clear of Gainer.
The 26-year-old endured a difficult front nine, picking up a bogey on the third and a double bogey on the ninth, but settled on the home straight to end the day with a two-under-par 71.
It is the first time Hamilton has laid her hands on European Tour silverware, at the 22nd attempt.
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Prior to this week’s event in Cape Town, Hamilton had only managed two top-10 finishes.
Gainer, 30, went into the final round in third place, and a shot adrift of the clubhouse leaders, but a one-under-par 72 meant she fell just short.
After Lucknow Super Giants walked with them toe-to-toe in regulation time, Kolkata Knight Riders found a familiar saviour in Sunil Narine to register a tight Super Over victory in their IPL match in Lucknow on Sunday. Both Super Giants and Knight Riders ended up at 155 when a total of 40 overs were bowled, but Narine made all the difference in the Super Over. Conjuring his years’ of experience, the spinner dismissed Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram to limit LSG to 1 for two, which was also the lowest score in a Super Over.
The Kolkatans did not fumble and notched up the required two runs with Rinku Singh, who also had wonderful day on the field taking four catches, fittingly fetching the winning runs.
It was Rinku’s well-paced 83 not out off 51 balls that worked as the catalyst for KKR total of 155 for seven earlier.
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Once the Super Giants restricted KKR to that modest total, courtesy Mohsin Khan’s five-for, they had an excellent chance to register a rare home victory.
But the hosts slipped against a set of spot-on Kolkata bowlers on a slow black soil pitch.
The result pushed KKR to eighth on the table with five points, while LSG plummeted to the bottom of the pile with four points.
The Super Giants have some big names in their roster – skipper Rishabh Pant, Markram, Mitchell Marsh and Pooran.
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But none of them could give direction and shape to LSG’s chase.
Pant (42) and Markram (31) looked to be in good touch and they added 57 runs for the second wicket after the early departure of Marsh.
But Markram fell to Cameron Green’s pace-off delivery, while Pant’s attempt to reverse scoop Narine, resulted in a catch to stumper Tim Seifert.
It left LSG’s fate in the hands of a clutch of young domestic players like Ayush Badoni, Himmat Singh and Mukul Choudhary to see off the chase.
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They whittled down the equation 17 off the last over with luck and pluck. Two successive no-balls by Kartik Tyagi reduced the equation to 12 off 5 balls.
But the pacer was allowed to continue to bowl even after two waist-high no balls because the second illegal delivery was deemed non-dangerous by the officials.
He jettisoned Himmat Singh, leaving LSG to make 8 off 3 balls, but Mohammed Shami’s last-ball six pushed the match into the seasons’ first Super Over.
Earlier, LSG pacer Mohsin added another sordid chapter to KKR’s batting woes, taking five wickets to restrict them to 155 for seven.
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Mohsin’s 5 for 23 tore apart an already struggling KKR batting unit, as he snaffled the cream wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Seifert, Green, Rovman Powell and Anukul Roy.
Rinku punished Shami in the 19th over for 6, 4, 4 and then smoked four sixes in a row against spinner Digvesh Rathi as KKR made 43 runs in the last two overs to go past the 150-run mark.
But despite that late burst, Mohsin firmly stood in the limelight.
His bowling ethos were rooted in simple tactics – bang the ball into the black soil pitch to gain bounce or use cutters at various pace to keep the batters guessing.
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Mohsin, who started the night with a wicket maiden, showed his variety across two dismissals.
He followed Rahane with a fuller ball as the batter tried to go over the covers, but the ball’s trajectory forced the KKR skipper to just slice the ball up for a simple catch for Markram.
The 27-year-old stayed calm when Green, who looked comfortable out there while smashing George Linde for two successive sixes, slammed him for a huge maximum.
Two balls later, Mohsin dug one short, challenging Green (34) to go for the pull and the Australian all-rounder took the bait.
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The into-the-body angle worked again as Green could only sky the ball to wicketkeeper Pant.
Green’s dismissal also ended a fifth wicket alliance worth 42 with Rinku Singh.
Bizarre dismissal of Raghuvanshi
If the existing turmoil was not enough, KKR had to bear the dejection of seeing Angkrish Raghuvanshi getting dismissed obstructing the field.
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On the final ball of the fifth over from Prince Yadav, Raghuvanshi nudged one towards mid-on and set off for a single, only to be rejected by Green.
Raghuvanshi put in a dive to save himself but he came in the line of the throw from Shami.
Subsequently, third umpire Rohit Pandit accepted LSG’s appeal and decided that the batter’s turning radius was more than required, eventually resulting in the batter’s dismissal in a rare manner.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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IPL 2026 News | Shami’s Sensation Leads Lucknow to First Win of Season
Silvasista relished stretching out from her 2200m win at Donald on April 14, navigating the 2800m test on Saturday effortlessly.
Luke Currie piloted Silvasista ($3.70) to a 3-½ length margin over Finance Merchant ($16), with Chillies ($18) three-quarters-of-a-length further adrift in third.
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The result gave Melbourne Cup training partners Tony and Calvin McEvoy a double, after Mr Blunt took the WGCDR Ian Bayles DFC (1800m).
“She’s a lovely filly but we weren’t sure whether she would stay on her pedigree being by Toronado,” Calvin McEvoy said.
“She put up a great run behind Salty Pearl over a mile and then went to Adelaide and disappointed us.
“We brought her back and brought her back in class and she won over 2200 metres at Donald and sort of looked near the end of it, but we wanted to test her here over the distance with a look to the 2500-metre fillies race in a couple of weeks.
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“The way she won, it was a beautiful ride from Luke, and it could not have worked out any better.
“I’m thrilled for the team at Ballarat. They’ve sent two horses to the races today and they’ve both won at Flemington.”
Earlier, the filly had trailed Salty Pearl at Caulfield and then failed to fire in a stakes contest in Adelaide last month.
Her Donald win over 2200m left the team questioning her suitability for longer trips.
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Success aside, the directive to Currie was clear: keep her settled early.
“The only thing we said to Luke was she was on trial at the distance, so get her to switch off as good as you can and be the last to challenge,” McEvoy said.
“He wasn’t the last to challenge as she was travelling so well and he couldn’t have executed it any better.
“She’s really continued to go through the grades and today was a big test.
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“It’s a big race to win at Flemington and we’re very proud to win it.”
Visit leading betting sites to check the betting markets for the race in the South Australian Derby.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter, left, answers questions as General Manager James Gladstone, right, sits next to him during a press conference Friday, March 25, 2025 at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
Not every team can take home a prized draft pick, especially if they are throwing darts nowhere near the top of the board.
We can’t say enough great things about the Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets and their stadium co-tenants, the Giants. From top to bottom, there’s a lot to love about the Panthers’ draft, too.
But we have no worldly idea what a few other teams were thinking over the three-day NFL draft completed Saturday in Pittsburgh.
Jacksonville Jaguars
From all splash and sizzle in 2025 to … what-was-that vibes in 2026, maybe this is life with a 30-something general manager. We can’t say Travis Hunter, which cost Jacksonville a 2026 first-round pick in the deal with the Browns on draft night ’25, was a home run. Or even an infield single. And now we can’t say much at all about what the Jaguars did in this draft. The franchise is drafting “culture” and we’re anxious to find out how that computes year over year.
San Francisco 49ers
Dec 14, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) prepares to pass the ball during the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
A jumbo receiver who would’ve been on the board 20 picks later De’Zhaun Stribling (Ole Miss) wasn’t entirely unexpected. But the 49ers signed Mike Evans and 2025 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall is being panned as a lead receiver. If these things compute internally, what’s the reward with Stribling? This isn’t a division where drafting depth over difference-makers can be a survival mode. Indiana RB Kaelon Black also would’ve been on the board later and he’s a niche player at best as long as the 49ers have the McCaffrey guy. So two of the top three picks are bit players in a division where everyone north of Arizona will be hyper competitive.
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Atlanta Falcons
Jan 4, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on the sideline against the New Orleans Saints in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell brings immediate value and it’s fair to wonder if the Falcons are having buyer’s remorse over the trade of a first-round pick for James Pearce Jr. in 2025 given his off-field issues. The draft wasn’t deep enough to find high-end pass rushers or offensive tackles in the late rounds. Using their third draft pick this year on Kendal Daniels (Oklahoma) at No. 134 is evidence the Falcons are hoping to hit the lottery on upside. Where Daniels fits in this defense is nowhere near clear at the moment.
MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 24: Jannik Sinner of Italy serves against Benjamin Bonzi of France in the Men’s Singles Round of 64 match during day five of the Mutua Madrid Open at La Caja Magica on April 24, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Jannik Sinner beat Elmer Møller 6-2, 6-3 in Madrid to move into the round of 16.
Sinner took control from the start and never let the match slip, closing it out comfortably in straight sets.
He has now won 19 matches in a row and 24 consecutive matches at the Masters level. Over that stretch, he has won 48 of his last 50 sets and 41 of his last 43 matches overall.
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The win also moves him past Rafael Nadal for the third-longest Masters winning streak, behind only Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
After the match, Sinner was asked about the record and said he is still at the beginning of his career.
“I cannot compare myself with these names. They did so much in their career. I’m just in the beginning.”
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For now, the results speak for themselves as Sinner continues his run in Madrid.
Here, both sides decided to get down to it from the get-go. No feeling their way in, no shadow boxing. With Hearts going for the title and Hibs busting a gut to derail them, there was a school of thought that this was the biggest Edinburgh derby of them all in the league.
And it felt like it. Boy, did it fizz and crackle. Seven minutes in and Martin Boyle scored. His last derby and there he was, writing his own farewell script. Or so he would have hoped.
Jamie McGrath’s vicious free-kick, Beni Banigime dozing and in rushed Boyle – cool and calm, a sidefoot to the solar plexus of the visitors. Down the Hearts end, too. A perfect view of their nightmare start.
Easter Road basked not just in the sunshine but in the anxiety of their guests, the unspeakable horror of having their league dream buffeted by their greatest rivals.
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What unfolded was pulsating, a red card for Sallinger only four minutes after Boyle scored, a daft act of handling the ball outside his own area and a call that was easier to make than the officials made it look.
Everybody knew that Sallinger was goosed on first, or second, viewing. The officials took five or six minutes. It was a calamity for Hibs.
The mood completely shifted and shifted some more when the news came through that Rangers had blinked first in the title race. Later, McInnes spoke of the importance of winning your first post-split game and he was right.
Manchester City’s youngsters beat Arsenal at the Joie Stadium hours after Pep Guardiola’s side had won at Wembley
With four weeks of Premier League action left in the season, Manchester City and Arsenal are neck and neck. The Gunners moved three points and one goal clear at the top of the table on Saturday, but have now played one more game in a title race that could see one of the closest finishes yet.
At youth level, the gap between the teams is more clear. City’s Under-18s thrashed Arsenal 5-2 in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup this year, and on Saturday at the Joie Stadium the Under-21s knocked Arsenal out of the play-offs for the second straight year.
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Ben Wilkinson’s side went in at the break 1-0 down and were looking at a disappointing end to a season in which they finished third in the league stage of the competition. However, they rallied and goals from Christian MacFarlane, Sverre Nypan and Ryan McAidoo saw them run out 3-1 winners.
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After moving through to the quarter-finals with a big win over a rival, City will now head to Aston Villa looking to secure a spot in the last four – where they could meet Liverpool or United. The young Blues beat Villa 4-0 recently in the league but also lost last season’s FA Youth Cup final to the same opponents and the quarter-final offers both teams the chance for revenge as well as moving them closer to a trophy.
“It will be a totally different game,” Wilkinson told club media.“I thought we were outstanding that night, and it was one of our best performances of the season. But we know how good Villa are because obviously at the end of last season we played them in the Under-18s competition, it’s a very similar team for both sides
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“We know the qualities they’ve got and I’m sure next week it’ll be a very different game to what we found a few weeks back but it’s one we can look forward to now.”
This year’s Chevron Championship has been set up to reflect an evolving LPGA — and those changes begin on the balance sheet.
This week, thanks to help from tournament sponsors JM Eagle, the LPGA will deliver $9 million to the players for the first major of the season, an increase of $1 million from last year’s iteration of the event, and just $500,000 less than the purse awarded at this week’s Zurich Classic on the PGA Tour.
As for the golfer in the hottest pursuit of a major title and a major payday? That honor would belong to Nelly Korda, whose 54-hole lead has stretched to five shots at Memorial Park in Houston. Korda is looking for her third major championship victory at the Chevron, and second victory at this event this weekend. Through three days, she’s certainly looked the part: Patty Tavatanakit has recorded just one bogey in 54 holes, and she rises on Sunday morning trailing Korda by five full shots.
Below is the full payout information for the tournament’s $9 million purse, including winner’s share and payout information; you can catch the action on NBC beginning at 2 p.m. ET and following through to the end of the broadcast.
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2025 U.S. Women’s Open payout information, winner’s share
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![The Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter, left, answers questions as General Manager James Gladstone, right, sits next to him during a press conference Friday, March 25, 2025 at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-1200/1777224369642)
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