Sports
NFL insists Vrabel-Russini scandal not considered in scheduling Patriots for 2026 kickoff game
The NFL considered multiple factors in scheduling its 2026 regular-season kickoff game with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, and in picking the New England Patriots as the opponent, league executives insist the drama surrounding the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini scandal played no part in their choice.
So, yes, the league would have us believe it did not seriously weigh the sizeable elephant in the room.
“Look, we focused on the football game and the reach of the Super Bowl, and that alone is an incredible story,” NFL Executive Vice President Hans Schroeder said Friday during a league conference call.
Dianna Russini, left, and Mike Vrabel, right, are shown in a split composite image featuring Russini with an ESPN microphone and Vrabel on the Titans sideline wearing a headset. (Imagn Images)
CHARGERS TROLL PATRIOTS OVER VRABEL-RUSSINI SCANDAL IN SCHEDULE RELEASE VIDEO
Schroeder made the point that the NFL didn’t consider the enduring drama that has become a shadow over the Patriots this offseason following the publication of photos showing their head coach spending time with the former reporter for The Athletic holding hands and embracing on the roof of a private bungalow at a Sedona, Ariz., resort.
Those photos and others that followed eventually led to Russini resigning from her job, deleting all her social media accounts, Vrabel being asked about it multiple times in press conferences and missing the last day of the April draft in order to spend time with his family in Utah and get “counseling.”
“How do we deliver the best game into the best window?” Schroeder said, outlining the NFL’s thinking on setting a Super Bowl rematch as its kickoff game. “And in this case, it felt like that rematch is going to be the most exciting when you can start it out of the box.
“…We liked the idea of really celebrating the Seahawks, giving them a moment to start this year to celebrate their last year. And so we like the idea of opening on NBC on Wednesday, and really using that as a chance to celebrate the rematch, but celebrate the Seattle specifically.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stands with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8, 2026. (Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
This, by the way, falls into line with the hands-off manner the NFL has viewed the entire Vrabel-Russini scandal. The league said early on that Vrabel was not subject to the Personal Conduct Policy as a result of the photos and the rumors they created.
Commissioner Roger Goodell said at the NFL Draft that it was a club matter for the Patriots to handle.
But while the league is declining to get involved in any way (perhaps rightly so) other clubs aren’t looking away and neither are fans.
FANS ROAST PATRIOTS FOR THEIR MOTHER’S DAY SALUTE IN LIGHT OF VRABEL-RUSSINI SCANDAL
It should be noted that both the Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings referenced the relationship between the coach and former reporter in their schedule release videos on Thursday evening, with the Chargers getting significant attention around the league for their move.
The Patriots themselves suffered something of an embarrassing time on their own social media account when they posted a Mother’s Day salute on Sunday.
Some fans in the replies of that post pointed out, often in colorful ways, the apparent disconnect between a team lifting up moms while its coach has perhaps emotionally hurt the mother of his children.
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And this stuff is unlikely to stop.
The Patriots are past the draft and schedule release, and players being asked their opinion about their coach in press conferences. It’s also unlikely Vrabel will continue to be quizzed about the issue assuming no new photos or revelations become newsworthy.
But the Patriots will be playing preseason games and have nine regular-season away games in 2026. Those will give opposing fans the opportunity to spoof New England’s coach and the team by extension about the situation.
Unlike the NFL, those opposing fans might not be solely focused on football when thinking about the Patriots.
FOLLOW ARMANDO SALGUERO ON X: @ARMANDOSALGUERO
Sports
Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez rates Naoya Inoue’s performance against Nakatani ahead of potential mega fight
Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez has rated Naoya Inoue’s performance against Junto Nakatani ahead of their potential undisputed showdown early next year.
The super-bantamweight king retained his titles against Nakatani earlier this month, claiming a unanimous decision victory at a sold-out Tokyo Dome.
While not being the most action-packed affair, the pair engaged in a high-intensity chess match that seemed to be favouring the challenger between rounds eight and 10.
In response, though, Inoue was able to demonstrate his elite-level adaptability, making the necessary adjustments to outpoint the three-weight world champion.
This saw him make a seventh successful defence of his undisputed crown at 122lbs, where he has reigned supreme for the best part of two years.
Someone who could pose a threat to his supremacy, meanwhile, is Rodriguez, who looks to become a three-division world champion in his next outing.
The 26-year-old will face WBA bantamweight champion Antonio Vargas on June 13, having unified the super-flyweight division with back-to-back stoppages over Phumelela Cafu and Fernando Martinez.
Like Inoue, ‘Bam’ is considered a top five pound-for-pound operator, with preliminary talks for their possible blockbuster encounter having already taken place.
In the meantime, Rodriguez must remain in the win column, but tells Fight Hub TV that he gives ‘The Monster’ an A-plus rating for his performance against Nakatani.
“I believe he did a great job – A-plus performance. He beat another [top] pound-for-pound fighter in Nakatani, so I think that’s one of his best wins.”
Clearly, there is a tremendous amount of respect between ‘Bam’ and Inoue, who, at the age of 33, is perhaps approaching the closing stages of his illustrious career.
Sports
Where to watch Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark: Live stream, start time, TV channel for Friday, May 15
The Washington Mystics face Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Both teams have split their first two games of the season. Clark scored 24 points in the Fever’s 87-78 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday. The Mystics haven’t played since dropping a 98-93 overtime loss to the New York Liberty on Sunday.
How to watch Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever
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Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
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Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
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Team records
The NHL came down hard on the Vegas Golden Knights for violating media policies after the team advanced to the Western Conference final.
Head coach John Tortorella didn’t meet with the media after the series-clinching 5-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, May 14, and the dressing room wasn’t opened either, according to reporters.
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The NHL said Friday it was taking a 2026 second-round pick away from the Golden Knights and was fining Tortorella $100,000. The league said the team had been warned before and that Vegas would be able to appeal the penalties. A hearing, if requested, would be held next week in New York.
The team said in a social media statement: “The Golden Knights are aware of today’s announcement from the NHL regarding the postgame media availability following Game 6 in Anaheim. The organization will have no further comment.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vegas Golden Knights lose draft pick for violating NHL media policy
Sports
Roy Jones Jr says there is ‘only one fight’ for David Benavidez next: “You beat everyone else”
Roy Jones Jr has urged David Benavidez to follow in his footsteps, rather than face Dmitry Bivol in an undisputed light-heavyweight clash.
‘The Mexican Monster’ comes off a sixth-round finish over Gilberto Ramirez, whom he dethroned to become a three-division world champion earlier this month.
But despite claiming the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles, Benavidez has expressed his interest in moving back down to 175lbs, where he still holds the WBC belt.
This would be in pursuit of a showdown with unified champion Bivol, who must first defeat IBF mandatory challenger Michael Eifert on May 30.
The Russian has not fought since outpointing Artur Beterbiev in February 2025, when he exacted his revenge by majority decision to become the undisputed king.
Bivol then vacated his WBC title after deciding to undergo back surgery, enabling Benavidez to be elevated from ‘interim’ to full champion.
Instead of moving back down to light-heavyweight, though, Jones would much rather see Benavidez test himself at heavyweight, just like he did against John Ruiz in 2003.
Speaking with Pro Boxing Fans, the pound-for-pound legend said a shot at Oleksandr Usyk, who still holds the WBC, IBF and WBA titles, is the only fight that makes sense for him.
“That’s the only fight for him right now; that’s the only fight I want to see him in.
“You beat everybody else in all the other divisions, [so] go up and fight Usyk. That’s the best fight for him.”
🗣️ “𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧’𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗜 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗘 𝗛𝗜𝗠 𝗜𝗡” 🤷♂️
‼️ @RealRoyJonesJr CALLS FOR @Benavidez300 to fight @usykaa 👀 pic.twitter.com/pcSxWeol3n
— Pro Boxing Fans (@ProBoxingFans) May 14, 2026
While Benavidez has expressed his desire to challenge Usyk at heavyweight, he has said that he will not be rushing up in weight anytime soon, and it is, therefore, far more likely that his next assignment will arrive against Bivol.
It then becomes a case of whether Usyk remains in the sport long enough to face the 29-year-old, who may end up fighting a different heavyweight champion.
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Dalton Rushing is in a bit of a slump, and he sure knows it.
The Los Angeles Dodgers catcher and first baseman got off to a scorching start to the season as he found playing time with Will Smith, hitting .444 with a 1.761 OPS in his first eight games of the season.
But in 14 games since then, he’s 7 for his last 39, which accounts for a .179 batting average, and has posted a .484 OPS.
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Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing reacts in the dugout after striking out with two runners on base and the game tied against the San Francisco Giants in the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on May 14, 2026. It was his third strikeout of the game. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
In the bottom of the fourth inning with a runner on second against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night, Rushing struck out on a breaking ball out of the zone and was not pleased with himself. Rushing broke his bat over his leg and slammed his leg guard on the dugout bench.
Two innings later, with men in scoring position, Rushing struck out on a high fastball, and he put himself in harm’s way by slamming his new bat over his helmet — still on his head — three times.
Overall, it was a game to forget for Rushing, who struck out three times in a hitless effort. He has not gotten a hit since May 6.
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing walks back to the dugout after striking out against Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López in the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on May 9, 2026. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
BASEBALL FAN HOSPITALIZED AFTER FALLING INTO VISITING BULLPEN DURING WHITE SOX-ROYALS GAME
After losing four consecutive games, each by at least four runs, the Dodgers, even with Rushing’s struggles, got back on track to win the final two games of their four-game series against the Giants, including a 5-2 victory on Thursday.
They haven’t exactly wowed the competition, as they sit at 25-18, but they have not let go of first place in the National League West yet this season. However, the San Diego Padres remain right on their tail.
The Dodgers embark on a nine-game road trip on Friday night, although they don’t have to go far for the first three, as they’ll face the Los Angeles Angels.
Dalton Rushing bats for the Los Angeles Dodgers during a game against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on April 26, 2026. (Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
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But then, it’s a big series against the Padres before taking on the Milwaukee Brewers in a National League Championship Series rematch.
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Maybe the best way to understand the Vikings GM news is through The Sixth Sense. After all, the spooky thriller had a twist ending. So, too, is the rejection a bit of a twist insofar as the NFL is usually a place where ambition wins.
Or, perhaps, George Costanza offers the way forward (as he so often does). Any insistence on “it’s not you, it’s me” should be flatly rejected. If there is blame to go around, the Vikings should be taking all if it onto their purple shoulders, thank you very much.
Regardless of one’s media preferences, the news: a Vikings GM candidate has declined Minnesota’s offer of an interview.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated offers the news: “Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander respectfully declined the Vikings’ GM interview request, and withdrew his name from the search, per sources. Alexander’s comfortable in LA, and wanted to see the building of the 2026 team through.”
Vikings GM Candidate Not Interested in Leaving LA
The NFL is a place where it takes two to tango.
Most commonly, that need for reciprocal desire manifests itself in player acquisition efforts. The NFL could feature 31 front offices calling with a trade offer to snag Justin Jefferson, but Minnesota would need to be willing to do a deal (spoiler: they aren’t).
Likewise, free agency is a time when there needs to be shared interest. The Vikings could call a player about coming to Minnesota but that player needs to desire that outcome (see: Jennings, Jauan). There’s a reason, folks, why free agents are called “free.”
Over on Pro Football Talk, there’s some chatter about the withdrawal.
“Alexander is in his third year working under GM Joe Hortiz with the Chargers,” Josh Alper clarifies. “He worked for the Jets and the Ravens — where Hortiz also worked — before joining the Chargers.”
Further: “In addition to internal candidate and acting GM Rob Brzezinski, the Vikings have also requested interviews with Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew, Broncos assistant GM Reed Burckhardt, Dolphins assistant GM Kyle Smith 49ers assistant GM RJ Gillen, Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray, Rams assistant GM John McKay, Seahawks assistant GM Nolan Teasely and Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler.”
In neither the Breer nor the Alper writing is there an explanation for why Mr. Alexander has declined the offer apart from ongoing comfort and the desire to keep building the Chargers. Maybe that’s the whole story.
Or, perhaps, there are other dynamics. Maybe he loves sunny weather and being close to movie stars. Maybe the thought of a Juicy Lucy while sipping Caribou Coffee sounds terrible. Maybe his family has great connections in the community, cherishes the walking trails at a nearby park, and he loves his local bookstore. Maybe he doesn’t want to work with Kevin O’Connell, J.J. McCarthy, and/or other prominent people in Minnesota. Or maybe the full rationale is corralled by Breer.
Without being able to read Chad Alexander’s mind and in the absence of a more thorough public explanation, there are just guesses (some more plausible than others).
At the end of the day, the rationale doesn’t matter as long as the single instance doesn’t become a trend. Explaining away a single rejection is easy, the sort of thing that genuinely could be due to comfort in LA and/or personal factors (weather, cuisine, family). But if the vast majority of Vikings GM candidates back out? Now that would be a problem that says an awful lot about the outside perception of the Vikings.
There’s no indication that that’s the case, but one does think of the Jaguars recently struggling to hire a new head coach before canning the former GM. Not likely to occur in Minnesota, but similar things have happened in the NFL.
The Vikings have been working through online meetings with GM candidates. Afterwards, the competition will grow more intense as the franchise focuses in on the options who appear to be compelling fits. What will then occur (presumably) is a round of in-person interviews.
Look toward the end of May as plausible time for when the new GM will be announced. My best guess is Nolan Teasley from the Seattle Seahawks.
Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.
The 2026 PGA Championship heats up on Saturday, May 16, with the third round at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania. You can find full PGA Championship tee times for Saturday’s third round at the bottom of this post once they are released Friday night.
Round 3 tee times: What we know
Before Saturday tee times at the 2026 PGA Championship can be determined, Friday’s second round must come to an end. Once it does, the cut will be made, with about half of the field heading home early. The survivors will prep to continue their quest for major glory on Saturday.
We won’t know the official tee times until the final putt drops Friday, but there are a few things we do know. First, players will tee off in pairings for Saturday’s third round, with everyone starting off the 1st tee.
Inside the new rules policing player behavior at PGA Championship
;)
Additionally, Round 3 tee times will be based on leaderboard position, with the leaders occupying the final grouping and starting in the afternoon. The players at the bottom of the leaderboard after the cut will tee off first Saturday morning.
We can also look to the past to get a good idea of what this year’s tee times will be. On Saturday at last year’s PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele were scheduled to tee off in the first pairing at 8:25 a.m. ET, while the leaders were meant to start their rounds at 2:45 p.m. ET. However, inclement weather Saturday morning forced organizers to push tee times back.
If bad weather is avoided this year, you can expect Saturday tee times at the 2026 PGA Championship to fall between 8 a.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET.
No matter when they tee off, you can expect stars like Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka and more to be in the mix on Saturday.
You can watch Saturday’s third round of the PGA Championship from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. ET on ESPN and then 1-7 p.m. ET on CBS. You can also stream exclusive online coverage via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ starting Saturday morning at 8 a.m. ET and stream CBS’s coverage online via Paramount+.
Check out the complete Round 3 tee times for the 2026 PGA Championship below once they are determined.
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2026 PGA Championship tee times for Saturday: Round 3 (ET)
(TBD)
“Playing with the weight and lie angle, as I went a little more upright … he actually was losing some ball speed, so he obviously wasn’t hitting it as well,” Shepherd said. “We moved back to the lie angle fit, then we could work on the ball flight without changing the two things.”
Potgieter’s 1-iron features a 12g weight in the heel and a 7g weight in the toe to help him turn it over. His 2-iron is more neutral.
With the 1-iron, which is 5/8 of an inch longer than the 2-iron with the same Nippon Modus GOST shaft, Potgieter carries the ball only a few yards farther than the 2-iron, but its runs out nearly 30 yards farther while reaching 170-172 mph ball speeds.
While Potgieter hit driver off the tee 11 times on Thursday, his driving irons came in handy on three tee shots and his approach to the par-5 9th. It all added up to a share of the first-round lead.
Flatstick swaps
;)
PGA TOUR via Getty Images
One thing that has rung true about the challenge of Aronimink has been the difficulty of its signature Donald Ross domed greens. Was that the reason a number of players chose to make putter changes when tweaks during major weeks are usually more subtle?
The most notable move was Brooks Koepka, who moved into a new TaylorMade 2026 Spider Tour V from his previous 2025 Spider Tour X. Koepka reportedly broke his previous putter at the One Flight Myrtle Beach Classic last week, necessitating the change. He spent several hours working through various mallet putters on Monday before settling on the new Spider Tour V.
We still don’t know much on the new Spider Tour V, which appears to have been redesigned from the previous version that’s in Shane Lowry’s bag. The previous Spider Tour V was the most forward CG mallet in the TaylorMade lineup, making it feel like a blade.
Koepka’s new Tour V appears more compact and the weight ports are forward in the head, which seems to indicate a similar goal. Koepka is likely looking to find something that feels like his previous Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Teryllium putters.
But more surprising was that Alex Fitzpatrick, fresh off a Cinderella three-week run after winning the Zurich Classic team event, swapped putters.
The young Fitzpatrick went from his silver Odyssey Ai-ONE No. 7 S to a Navy Ai-ONE No. 7 CH.
While the change from silver to navy is interesting, it turns out the change from a slant neck to a crank hosel is the key switch.
Odyssey Ai-DUAL #7 S Custom Putter
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Odyssey reps Harry Shih and Cody Hale handled the change because Fitzpatrick, a gear-free agent, said he felt like he was leaving the face open at impact. In his first two events as a PGA Tour member, Fitzpatrick lost nearly a half-shot per round on the greens.
“Just gave him more face awareness,” Shih told GOLF. “He felt like the face was hanging open so we went to the crank so he could square the face up easier. Quintic data confirmed it.”
Hale added that the Crank Hosel matched his stroke rotation better.
“We also went 1 degree more upright to better match the shaft plane to his forearms, which he and his putting coach Andy Paisley like to see in his arm structure,” Hale said.
Sahith Theegala also went back to his Anser 2 gamer after a one-week trial with an Ally Blue H mallet.
And continuing a trend of what might become the PGA Tour’s next hot putter, Tom Hoge added a new Phantom 9.5R, the same model putter Cameron Young uses and Justin Thomas recently added.
Spieth goes longer; Fowler goes shorter
Thursday was a bit of a trip back in time for Jordan Spieth as he chases the career Grand Slam, but it was the driver that was dialed for Spieth, unlike how it was 10 years ago.
Spieth gained 1.93 strokes off the tee on the field in Round 1, ranked second in the field. He missed just two fairways.
Turns out he made a tweak to his GTS2 driver last week after putting it in play at Doral, going to a longer, 46″ Fujikura Ventus Black shaft.
Thanks to the increased stability of the GTS2 head he found he was able to go longer and down in loft (from 10 to 9) to get more speed. Spieth also has his GTS2 front weighted with 9g in the front and 3g in the back to get even more speed.
He gained .663 strokes a round off the tee at the Cadillac but then picked up more than a stroke a day at the Truist with the longer build. Since adding the GTS2, he’s gone from 113th in SG: Off the Tee to 77th in just two weeks.
Titleist GTS2 Custom Driver
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But on the flip side, Rickie Fowler shortened his driver this week.
After using a 45″ driver for the last few weeks, Fowler is back again using a shorter build, but this time at 43.25″, almost certainly the shortest driver on the PGA Tour. In fact, it’s the same length as his mini driver.
Fowler is having one of his most accurate seasons on the PGA Tour in terms of driving accuracy and has used a 44.125″ driver for much of the season. He opened with an even-par 70 on Thursday.
Golf Pride again dominates grip count
As is typical, the overwhelming No. 1 grip at the PGA Championship was Golf Pride.
All but 11 of the 156 players in the field at Aronimink played Golf Pride grips this week, continuing the most dominant run in golf equipment.
Check this out
This section is dedicated to cool photos we’ve snapped recently on Tour, but haven’t had a reason to share yet. For this week, check out Christiaan Bezuidenhout’s new PXG 0317 Tour prototype irons.
;)
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
Odds and Ends
Some other gear changes and notes we’re tracking this week.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout added PXG’s 0317 Tour Proto irons (above) with KBS Tour 125 S+ shafts … Lucas Glover switched to the GTS2 driver after adding the fairway woods last week … Max Greyserman added Callaway’s Quantum TD driver with Ventus Blue 6-X … Viktor Hovland added a Ping G440 Max 3-wood and G440 3-hybrid to his bag … Greyserman and Ryo Hisastune switched to Vokey’s A+ grind to get faster through the turf … Haotong Li is following in the footsteps of Fowler and Gary Woodland by adding a Scotty Cameron GOLO 7 CS … Denny McCarthy (GTS2 9.0) and Luke Donald (GTS3 9.0) added new Titleist GTS drivers non-contracted … Fujikura lead the driver shaft count with 46.2% of the field … Maverick McNealy switched to the new Fujikura Ventus TR Black+ 6-X in his driver.
3 things you should read/watch
A selection of GOLF content from the past week that may interest you.
Hideki Matsuyama is golf’s most notorious tester. Here’s what makes his bag | Bag Spy – Take a deep dive into the bag of Hideki Matsuyama and see why, even as he tests more than anyone, he continues to play mostly the same stuff.
This Aronimink feature has pros re-thinking their wedge setup at the PGA – Aronimink is the first chance for PGA Tour players to see bent grass this season. See what Vokey’s Aaron Dill says is the key to handling northeastern turf.
Cameron Young reportedly playing golf ball that would conform under rollback – Cameron Young revealed on Wednesday that his Titleist Pro V1x Double Dot golf ball passed the new rolled back conformance test. See what that means and what it’s a big deal.
The author welcomes your comments at Jack.Hirsh@golf.com.
Want to overhaul your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.
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Garrick Higgo was late to his tee time on Thursday morning at the PGA Championship by “one second” and received a two-shot penalty for his tardiness.
On Friday afternoon, ESPN ensured he wouldn’t make it two days in a row … with the best troll of the golf season so far.
Perhaps you saw the story from Garrick Higgo’s disaster start at the PGA Championship on Thursday, when he was assessed a two-shot penalty after arriving less than a minute late for his tee time to start the second major of the season.
Higgo’s penalty was one of the rarer feats of major championship rules inanity. It is exceedingly unusual to see a player miss his tee time, even if, as he explained on Thursday afternoon, he was only a few seconds behind his scheduled arrival time.
“I was there at 7:18 and 30 seconds, you know what I mean?” he said after. “I don’t know. I don’t want to be there 10 minutes early. I know that five minutes is fine. I thought I had time. I was obviously too casual, yeah.”
Inside Garrick Higgo’s bizarre (and costly) PGA Championship start
;)
Higgo showed impressive resiliency by shooting one under despite the penalty. Without the two-shot penalty he would have been tied for the first-round lead.
On Friday, he arrived not only with a chance to make the cut but with a chance to vault himself into an unlikely spot near the top of a crowded Aronimink leaderboard. Of course, he also arrived with a chance to show he’d learned a thing a two from his mistake on Thursday.
The latter seemed to attract the attention of ESPN’s golf broadcast team, which handles one of its lone events of the year annually at the PGA. As Higgo arrived on screen about 40 minutes into the network’s coverage of Friday’s second round, ESPN flashed a graphic on the screen that showed the fans at home they were paying attention to Higgo’s time management, too.
As the golfer hit his warm-ups and chatted with his caddie and coach, ESPN’s graphic showed a countdown clock with the minutes (and seconds) until Higgo’s big second-round start.
The troll quickly earned the attention of social media, which delighted in seeing the network poke fun at one of golf’s most good-natured players.
And, to the great relief of all involved, the countdown clock worked: Higgo made it on time to the start of his second round at the PGA Championship, successfully leaving his Thursday embarrassment behind.
The two-time defending NJSIAA state champion Winslow Eagles’ football program has a new leader.
The Winslow board approved Jamal White as its next coach at its monthly meeting this week. White is known as an offensive guru, having served as an offensive coordinator at Timber Creek and, most recently, at Woodbury.
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“Oh man, this it’s amazing,” White said. “This is definitely something I have been looking forward to for a long time now. For it to come up now and be in this position, especially at this place, is truly amazing. It is truly exciting. I mean, it is a lot, but it is great right now.”
White is a Triton High School graduate who went on to have a Towson University Hall-of-Fame career as a wide receiver. As an offensive coordinator, White contributed to three sectional titles at Timber Creek and three more, plus a true state title, in the same role at Woodbury.
White is a middle school special education teacher in Williamstown.
“I’ve been blessed to coach under some really good coaches like Rob Hinson and Anthony Reagan,” White said. “Continuing in the craft that those guys excelled at, learning the establishment of the same discipline and the culture and the love that they’ve shown for their players. Getting them into college and really showing them just true mentorship and true manly love. I’m excited about being able to now take some of the things they’ve taught me and implementing some of their ways and some of my own ways as well.”
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The two-time Group 4 state champion Eagles finished 12-2 last season after an undefeated run in 2024. Former coach Bill Belton has since stepped down and accepted the same position at St., Augustine.
“I look forward to having an opportunity to address all the members of the team,” White said. “A lot of guys are doing other sports, which I completely encourage, and hope they continue to do. I got a chance to address a good nucleus of the team. We are still in the process of setting up one evening where I can meet with all the parents and address the guys that are thinking about coming out and be a part of this program that we want to continue to take to the next level.”
In White’s first head coaching position, he will be charged with maintaining a culture that builds winning football teams and productive members of the community.
“The biggest thing I’m looking forward to producing young men,” White said. “Getting them into college, and having them become valuable people in the community, not just football players. I look forward to developing like boys to become young men, and develop a good foundation with that.”
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Tom Rimback grew up reading the Burlington County Times and Courier Post sports sections and began writing for the BCT in 1996. He has covered everything from Super Bowls and Final Fours to Tri-County Swimming but he’s happiest on a sideline interviewing South Jersey scholastic athletes. Follow him on twitter @Rimbacksports. Email him with story ideas at tomrimback@gmail.com and, most importantly, support local journalism with a subscription to the Courier-Post.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: White embarks on new post as Winslow football coach
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