Michigan star Elliot Cadeau has rejoined his teammates for the Final Four a day after being rushed to the hospital.
The starting point guard revealed that he was hospitalized due to an allergic reaction after an accidental exposure to nuts.
“I just ate something I was allergic to,” the junior said as he sat at his locker at Lucas Oil Stadium two days before the Wolverines meet fellow No. 1 seed Arizona in the national semifinals.
Coach Dusty May said Cadeau, who averages 10.2 points and 5.8 assists, is “fine.”
Cadeau’s treatment came as his teammates were flying to the Final Four, though Cadeau said a Michigan staffer had driven him to Indianapolis to rejoin teammates ahead of Thursday’s locker-room interviews and other pregame promotional activities.
Advertisement
Fans were concerned after Detroit radio station WWJ 950 posted a video on X Wednesday showing Cadeau being wheeled out of Michigan’s player development center on a gurney (Getty Images)
Cadeau described it as “just a minor inconvenience for me.”
“I just had a little bit of hives so that’s why I went to the hospital, just to prevent anything further from happening,” he said.
Detroit radio station WWJ 950 posted a video on X Wednesday showing a covered individual sitting upright while being wheeled out of Michigan’s player development center on a gurney and loaded into an ambulance.
Michigan later confirmed it was Cadeau, who had complained of a possible allergic reaction and received medical supervision “out of an abundance of caution.”
“If it’s the worst thing that happens to us, then we’re very blessed,” May said Thursday. “It also just shows him how much he means to his teammates. They were very concerned, obviously, like we all would be for a reaction like that.
Advertisement
“But just grateful that he’s fine. We have great medical care, and he’s back with us. Dude is a warrior. He’ll be fine.”
At the conclusion of last week’s Houston Open, Augusta National officially invited the winner (Gary Woodland) as well as four pros who’d cemented their spots inside the OWGR top 50 (Nicolai Hojgaard, Jake Knapp, Matt McCarty, Daniel Berger) before the final deadline. (Here’s hoping they got overnight delivery on some green envelopes from Augusta. Plus maybe an email confirmation?)
Because Augusta invites every PGA Tour winner from a full-field event since last year’s Masters, this week’s Valero Texas Open includes the last-chance exemption. Should someone already exempt win this week — Tommy Fleetwood, say, or Ludvig Aberg, two pre-tournament favorites — that spot evaporates. But there are dozens of talented pros just four great rounds from earning the chance to play four more great rounds.
Advertisement
Here are five of those players.
1. Rickie Fowler
Fowler bogeyed two of his first four holes at TPC San Antonio, only steepening his climb — but as I type these words has bounced back with a four-under back nine to open in two-under 70. Fowler has quietly put together a very consistent stretch of golf dating back to last summer. Before he missed last week’s cut he’d logged six top-20s in eight starts. DataGolf still has him as the world’s 25th-ranked golfer, the highest of any player not in the Masters field. But the OWGR rewards very high finishes over consistency, and despite his run of strong play, Fowler doesn’t have a top five since 2024, so he’s No. 65 in the OWGR and on the outside looking in. Fowler has somehow played just one of the last five Masters tournaments; he’s hunting his final chance to make that two in six.
2. Will Zalatoris
Zalatoris just made eight birdies in an opening round of five-under 67 and sits just a shot off the lead. We’re only a quarter of the way through, so it’s early for anything besides what-ifs and wild speculation, but the golf world would be thrilled to see Zalatoris stamp his comeback with a victory and a major berth.
Zalatoris didn’t tee it up on the PGA Tour between the PGA Championship last May to this January’s American Express, where he finished T18. He withdrew from the Cognizant shortly before his first-round tee time with an ankle injury — reportedly unrelated to his previous back procedures. He’s No. 299 in the OWGR, so this would come from left field. What a story it would be.
Advertisement
3. Michael Thorbjornsen
Thorbjornsen looked like he might lock up his spot in the OWGR top 50 via the Players Championship, where he played his way into the final pairing but struggled to a Sunday 77 that sent him plummeting to T22. He also stalled out with a Sunday 72 at the Houston Open, leaving him T14 — and No. 54 in the OWGR.
Nobody’s doubting Thorbjornsen’s tremendous talent; he’s ascendant, he seems like he’ll be a central figure on the PGA Tour for years to come and it seems extremely likely that he’ll be at next year’s Masters. He just might not squeak into this one.
4. Tony Finau
As pointed out by Jeff Eisenband below, Tony Finau is on the verge of ending his streak of major championships played at 33. Finau is No. 107 in the OWGR, though he’s shown flashes of strong form with three top-20s in seven starts in 2026. It feels like there are more chapters of Finau’s major-championship story left to write; check out those nine top-10s from 2018-2021! That next rally could start this week.
Tony Finau has played in 33 straight major championships. He’s played in every @TheMasters since 2018. He hasn’t missed a major start since the 2017 U.S. Open.
Cashmere Keith is another pro in relatively strong form — he’s made 12 cuts in a row, including five top-20s — but although he’s No. 44 in DataGolf’s ranking he’s just No. 104 in the OWGR. There’s plenty of good news with Mitchell’s game; he’s been consistently excellent off the tee, his iron play has been strong, he’s top 20 on Tour from tee to green. If he finds a hot putter this week, who knows? Mitchell could be in his third career Masters.
Otherwise these five will look to next year. Plenty of others will, too.
Griffin, 20 later this month, will be the first teenager to appear in the big leagues since Elvis Luciano and Juan Soto in 2019. The No. 9 pick in the 2024 Draft skyrocketed through the minors last season, slashing .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 steals while climbing from Low Class-A to Double-A. Griffin is 7 for 16 (.438) with three doubles in five Triple-A games this year.
The rap on Griffin during his amateur days was that he had every tool but the hit tool, the most important of the bunch. It was encouraging, then, to see him ease concerns about his swing-and-miss during his first pro season. He connected on more than 75% of his attempts while showing off the power (he cleared the 114 mph threshold) and speed (he stole 65 bases) combination that gave him a high ceiling. Griffin even kept his strikeout rate under 24% during a 21-game stint in Double-A, suggesting that he wasn’t just feasting on younger pitchers or those with less raw talent. Knowing when to adjust priors is one of the trickiest parts of evaluating players. Given everything about Griffin’s year, it would be silly to ignore how much higher his chances of reaching his star ceiling are now than they were 365 days ago.
It should be noted there are not service time games being played here. Griffin did not spend enough time in the minors this year to push his free agency back. The Pirates will control him from 2026-31, though if the two sides complete their reported nine-year extension, service time will be moot, and Griffin will be tied to the Pirates for nine years.
Advertisement
Griffin is being called up early enough that he will accrue a full year of service time and thus be eligible for a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick. Those are extra draft picks given to teams that do not manipulate the service time of top 100 prospects. To get a pick for Griffin, he would need to win Rookie of the Year, or finish top three in the MVP voting in one of his pre-arbitration seasons between 2026 and 2028. (The extension would also have to be signed after he appears in a game.)
The Pirates are 3-3 in the early going. Thursday is a team off-day, then they’ll take on the Baltimore Orioles in Friday’s home opener. Utility man Jared Triolo has started five of the team’s six games at shortstop. Nick Gonzales has started the other.
A nine-year extension would still allow Griffin to become a free agent at age 28.
Three-time champion Phil Mickelson will miss this year’s Masters and step away from golf “for an extended period” because of a family health matter.
The American has only missed the tournament on three other occasions since making his debut at Augusta National in 1991.
In a post on X, Mickelson wrote: “Unfortunately, I will not play in the Masters Tournament next week and will be out for an extended period of time as my family continues to navigate a personal health matter.
“I have great respect for Augusta National Golf Club and it is definitely the most special week of the year. I wish everyone the best of luck and will be watching.”
His absence this year, for the tournament that runs from 9 to 12 April, means it will be the first time since 1994 that both Mickelson and Tiger Woods will not feature in the Masters.
Mickelson sat out of the first four events of the 2026 LIV Golf season, at Riyadh, Adelaide, Hong Kong and Singapore. He also cited a “family health matter” when announcing his initial absence on 1 February.
Although he returned to action last month at Steyn City in South Africa, where he finished tied for 48th place, it was unclear whether he would play at Augusta.
Advertisement
Mickelson, who missed the cut at last year’s Masters, has also won the US PGA Championship twice and triumphed at the Open Championship, at Muirfield, in 2013.
Only Jack Nicklaus (six), Woods (five) and Arnold Palmer (four) have won more Masters titles than Mickelson.
If you’ve been scoping punters for the Minnesota Vikings in the upcoming draft, the best one might fly off the board in Round 2. He’s Brett Thorson, and there’s a wild new theory about his draft stock.
Minnesota could use draft capital on a punter if Thorson keeps climbing boards this spring.
The Vikings almost certainly won’t use a 2nd-Rounder on a punter, but the idea is out in the rumor mill as of this week for Thorson.
Advertisement
Thorson Could Become an Option for Minnesota — But Not in Round 2
A 2nd-Rounder on a punter is wild.
Georgia punter Brett Thorson drives through the football during a combine drill, showcasing hang time and directional control for scouts evaluating specialist consistency and leg strength Feb 25, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, during the NFL Scouting Combine as teams assessed punting prospects ahead of the 2026 draft cycle. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Report: Teams Could Spend Day 2 Pick on Thorson
Get familiar with the name Brett Thorson because his draft placement could blow your socks off.
NFL insider Jason La Canfora quoted an anonymous personnel executive this week: “I don’t know that you can justify taking a punter above the third round, but if that’s the threshold then he meets it. Maybe he even goes late second round.”
Advertisement
“He has elite hang time and distance, and a lot of special teams coaches now seem to be getting more into that and not as much solely looking for the directional stuff… And he can do that too.”
Another source told La Canfora: “It’s crazy to talk this way about a punter, but the Georgia kid might be kind of special. If you really need a punter, and you have a coach who wants to be able to flip the field, there’s value to having a great punter.”
La Canfora added personally, “Thorson is a native of Australia with a tough-minded mentality and a willingness to throw his body into traffic to make a tackle.”
“It can, and has, led to injuries, but teams who have met with him love him and his metrics are off the charts and if nothing else there is a strong sense among teams I spoke to that he will be selected somewhere on the second day of the draft (second and third round).”
In the last half-decade, the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have drafted punters in Round 4, picks that drew scorn from the general public because most specialists can be plucked from later rounds or undrafted free agency.
Taking Thorson in Round 2 — or even Round 3 — would take the cake. And yes — even the men drafted in Round 4 recently were advertised as game-changers, just like Thorson.
Advertisement
Short and simple: drafting punters anywhere in Round 2 or Round 3 is lousy business. It’s an example of a general manager getting carried away or getting too cute.
Thorson’s Scouting Report
The Australian is 6’1″ and 240 pounds. The only knock on him might be a lack of experience in poor weather; they don’t really have that in Australia or at the University of Georgia.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein on Thorson: “Australian punter with adequate drive power and above-average hang time. Thorson gets good leg extension and has the ability to generate consistent lift, allowing the cover team to swarm when punts are returnable. He displayed vast improvement in touch with his coffin-corner kicks in 2025 and checks the boxes to be a Day 3 pick.”
Advertisement
Georgia punter Brett Thorson (92) launches a high, spiraling kick in early action as field position battles take shape, delivering a clean strike off his foot in a championship setting Dec 3, 2022, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, during the SEC Championship game with special teams playing a critical role. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports.
SI.com‘s Ethan Hurwitz on the Georgia punter: “The winner of the Ray Guy Award (given to the nation’s best punter) in 2025, and a finalist of the award one year prior, the two-time All-American was invited to the NFL Combine this past offseason and wowed teams with his strong leg. The Australia native regularly pins teams inside their own 10-yard line and can change the game with one swing of his right leg.”
“In his college career, Thorson punted the ball 156 times for 7,115 yards. His longest punt went 75 yards and he averaged 45.6 yards per punt. Though he’s still adjusting the NFL-sized fields coming from Australia, he’s continued to get better through the draft process, which included a stop at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.”
Vikings Have Johnny Hekker
Moreover, the Vikings have a new punter; his name is Johnny Hekker. Once upon a time, Hekker was the best punter in football, claiming six All-Pros, four Pro Bowls, and a Super Bowl to his name. But that was then, and this is now.
Hekker represented an average punter by the numbers in 2025, and if he takes off in the Twin Cities, it will require a turn back of the clock.
Advertisement
Los Angeles Rams punter Johnny Hekker (6) prepares and swings through a punt, sending the ball deep downfield as coverage units sprint into lanes, illustrating veteran technique and field-flipping ability Dec 23, 2018, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, during a matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.
It’s also worth noting that Hekker’s contractual structure puts him in line to be the primary punter next season. Minnesota would have to swallow a bit of dead cap if it drafted Thorson and cut Hekker. Teams don’t typically keep two punters.
Thorson might be an option for the Vikings, but if he’s truly a 2nd-Rounder, you can rule him out.
Minnesota’s punter from the last four years, Ryan Wright, left the Vikings in free agency for a large contract with the New Orleans Saints.
Dmitry Bivol may not get the fights he wants this year – or be forced to go through with them one belt down.
The Russian pound-for-pound star has been out since his rematch with Artur Beterbiev in February 2025, a points win after losing the first fight.
Bivol’s undisputed reign lasted just a couple of months before he dropped the WBC belt rather than fight mandatory challenger David Benavidez – who was upgraded to full champion – in favour of a trilogy with Beterbiev.
He has also named a hit list of opponents that includes the third fight with Beterbiev – whose team are becoming frustrated by the delay – Benavidez and perhaps a rematch with Canelo Alvarez. Bivol has also not ruled out moving up to cruiserweight to become a two-division world champion.
Those plans will please fans, but the sanctioning body rotation is now in motion and, as reported by the Ring Magazine, the WBO are set to order Bivol to face the winner of Callum Smith vs David Morrell, which takes place on April 18 in Liverpool for the interim title.
Should Bivol want to keep hold of the WBO belt, which he holds alongside the WBA and IBF, it could have major repercussions for the division.
Advertisement
Benavidez intends to drop back down to light-heavyweight after his cruiserweight world title challenge against Gilberto Ramirez in May, but the lack of an undisputed clash with Bivol may make him reconsider, or instead pursue Beterbiev.
Sophie Fawns played with Helen Housby for four seasons at the NSW Swifts in Australia, but has joined AO Manchester Thunder for the 2026 Netball Super League season.
When Sophie Fawns told Helen Housby she was joining AO Manchester Thunder, Housby burst into tears – not out of sadness at what Housby would lose in a teammate, but what Fawns would gain in experience.
Housby and Fawns are now treading opposite paths, with the England shooter making the move from AO Thunder to NSW Swifts in Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball almost a decade ago, while Fawns has swapped Sydney for Manchester to play in the Netball Super League. As one of the most exciting attacking talents in netball, signing Fawns was a major coup for AO Manchester Thunder, but it is a valuable opportunity for the 22-year-old too.
Advertisement
“She was ecstatic for me when I first told her I was going,” Fawns said. “I remember telling her at our gala dinner and she started crying. She told me I was going to have the best time and that the Thunder girls are the best kind of girls and the culture that they have at the club and that Karen [Greig, head coach] has created is second to none.
“It shows that Helen hasn’t been in that environment for 10 years, but she still talks about Karen and what that team is like. It made it extra special knowing what it means to play for Thunder and knowing that Thunder has been around quite some time and there are still only 86 players who have represented the club and the history and the legacy that it holds.”
Housby helped AO Thunder to their second NSL title in 2014 before heading to Australia in 2017, where she has played for the Swifts ever since. Fawns made her debut for the Sydney club at just 19 years old and has represented Australia at Fast5 level.
The shooter has been able to learn from one of the best in the world in Housby having gone from fan to friend. She added: “Helen played a massive part in terms of my career at Swifts. I never really had the aspirations of playing professional netball until I saw the Swifts play in a pre-season game.
Advertisement
“Helen being a goal attack and being that girl was someone I really looked up to and made me want to play professional netball. So, to be able to play with her and when I first came into the environment, I was so starstruck and she gave me a hug in my first training session when I was 16.
“But by the time I signed my first contract she said, you know we are actually friends and teammates now, so you can stop being a fan girl about me, and that was the best because it broke down the barrier that we could be silly and goofy with each other because we were teammates. Being able to be able to play with Helen Housby and what she has to offer to the game, I learnt so much of what you can do and it was a privilege to play with her as one of the best in the world.”
Fawns is now hoping to earn AO Thunder a fifth Netball Super League title, with the team currently sitting second in the table, and taking on league leaders Loughborough Lightning on Saturday at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham. It is a potential Soft & Gentle Grand Final match-up, which has extra meaning for the AO Manchester Thunder team with the Grand Final coming to their city for the first time ever, when it will be held at Co-op Live on 20 June.
Fawns has been partnering Eleanor Cardwell in the shooting circle in Manchester, with Cardwell another player who has played out in Australia. The pair came up against each other in a Grand Final Down Under, with Fawns using that as motivation for this season.
Advertisement
“The first year she was over, she beat us in the Grand Final in extra time, so when we first met I made a joke that ‘I am going to not try and hold it against you but you did take that premiership away from me’, she said. “She is the best and the smarts she has and how she shows and demonstrates that leadership on court is something I am really grateful to be playing with.
“Now that we are on the same team I have told her, ‘I won’t hold it against you, but we do have to win one this year’.”
The road to the Soft & Gentle Grand Final is underway, get your tickets here.
Live Telecast: USA – Tennis TV | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN
Corentin Moutet vs Marco Trungelliti preview
Moutet, seeded third in the tournament, will face Argentina’s Trungelliti in the quarterfinals on Friday. Moutet didn’t put a foot wrong against Taha Baadi in the Round of 16. The Frenchman completed a bagel in the first set and took the second with a 6-2 win.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, Trungelliti earned a place in the last eight all the way from the qualifiers. Even though some of his fixtures went down to the wire, he didn’t drop a single set en route to the quarterfinals. Whoever comes out on top will face either top seed Luciano Darderi or Yannick Hanfmann.
Moutet’s best finish of the season remains his current quarterfinal campaign in Marrakech. Before this, he managed to reach the Australian Open’s Round of 32, the Phoenix Challenger’s Round of 16, and the Miami Open’s Round of 64.
Advertisement
On the other hand, Trungelliti, ranked 117th in the world, notched victories against Henrique Rocha, Rei Sakamoto, and Hynek Barton to reach the quarterfinals. He has found some momentum at Grand Prix Hassan II but faces a stern challenge against the Frenchman.
Corentin Moutet vs Marco Trungelliti Head-To-Head
Moutet and Trungelliti haven’t faced each other once. The quarterfinal fixture at Grand Prix Hassan II will mark their first encounter.
Corentin Moutet vs Marco Trungelliti odds
Player
Moneyline
Handicap Bets
Total Games (Over and Under)
Corentin Moutet
-250
-2.5 (-175)
Over 20.5 (-155)
Marco Trungelliti
+190
+2.5 (+120)
Under 20.5 (+105)
All odds sourced from BetMGM
Corentin Moutet vs Marco Trungelliti prediction
Moutet and Trungelliti have enjoyed a fair share of success along with setbacks at the beginning of the season. Looking at their performances in the last fixtures, it appears the Frenchman will have an edge over the seasoned Argentinian.
Advertisement
The 26-year-old boasted 76% win percentage on first serve, producing two aces against Baadi. He clinched five break points out of nine and won 10 games in a row to cap off his commanding display. Moutet is likely to adopt an aggressive approach against Trungelliti to catch him off guard early on.
On the other hand, the 36-year-old Trungelliti produced double the amount of aces against Kamil Majchrzak and flaunted an impressive 88% win percentage on first serve. However, despite having an edge, he was forced to dig deep to salvage a victory, despite his experience on clay. Considering Moutet has tasted success on clay at the Challenger/ITF level, he could turn out to be a massive threat to Trungelliti.
Predicted winner: Corentin Moutet in straight sets
“I love heights, man!” shouts the man next to me as we awkwardly stuff our limbs into fire-engine-red jumpsuits and tighten the straps. “I’ve wanted to do this for ages.”
This golden retriever enthusiasm should be infectious, but any chutzpah I once had has fluttered away like a maple leaf in Canada’s crisp autumnal breeze. I’m at “basecamp” for Edgewalk, a toe-curling 30-minute creep around the edge of Toronto’s CN Tower, attached only by a black harness. A short lift ride later, and our group of six is gingerly stepping out into the elements at 356 metres (1,168 feet) above ground.
Coal-black rainclouds swell ominously over Lake Ontario, and the tourists below look like shuffling grains of sand. My hands clam up, clutching the harness cord as we attempt our ‘leaning forward’ exercise. Yet, suspended above it all, watching the city I once called home fan out below me is oddly comforting.
My first summer in Toronto was a balmy haze of riding carnation-red streetcars, sinking happy hour beers on downtown terraces, bouncing around busy hostels, learning the rules of ice hockey and savouring fleeting friendships with fellow travellers from around the globe. That was 2011. Now, 15 years later, Canada’s biggest city is gearing up to host six matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Toronto is the perfect city to host the FIFA World Cup 2026, says writer James March (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
I stayed for two years, and the place still feels like home. Toronto’s international character was intoxicating to me when I first arrived, with over half of its three million-strong population born outside Canada and over 180 languages spoken. While I eventually got around to attractions like the Royal Ontario Museum and the Norman Foster-designed Art Gallery of Ontario, it was the city’s diverse neighbourhoods that captivated me most.
“There’s definitely a neighbourhood mentality here,” says Saro Yacoubian, one of the three brothers who run Taline, a Lebanese-influenced Armenian restaurant in Toronto’s leafy Summerhill neighbourhood. It’s the first time I’ve been to this corner of the city, a few blocks north of the bustling Yonge and Bloor intersection, and it’s the first time I’ve eaten Armenian food.
“In the 1960s, this space here was a tailor’s, and upstairs was where the tailor lived. Funnily enough, he was an Armenian too. Total coincidence!” laughs Yacoubian, before he explains what I’m going to be eating tonight. I’ve no idea where to find Armenian food back in Britain, but in a city like this, with its global bazaar of cultures and cuisine, it’s just another Wednesday night.
Taline is the name of the brothers’ late mother, and I tuck into refined versions of the hearty Armenian-Lebanese cuisine she once cooked for them, like unctuous boat-shaped meat dumplings called manti,or tender, well-seasoned vochkhar lamb chops.
The dishes are excellent, but Summerhill is far from the only neighbourhood for sublime food. There is Portuguesebacalhau on Dundas St West, Polish dumplings on Roncesvalles, Korean BBQ on Bloor St West or Peking duck in Spadina’s historic Chinatown. My salvation, though, was always Kensington Market.
Spending my first night back at the glittering Bisha Hotel, I feel like an interloper. This wasn’t my world 15 years ago; I could barely pay rent and became something of an authority on happy hour pints and cheap poutine. Toronto’s skyline may be taller and glassier, but Kensington Market’s edgy, multicultural spirit is as beguiling as ever.
Downtown Toronto is where you’ll find Toronto Stadium, host of six football matches during the FIFA World Cup 2026 (Getty Images)
“Kensington Market is a microcosm that represents everything Toronto is about,” says my guide CJ, as she leads a busy food tour from Chinatown into Kensington’s art-splashed streets. Incense hangs in the air, pro-Palestine flyers are handed out, and Pride flags flutter above the houses. The vintage stores and shabby dive bars I used to frequent are still here, while the revolving cast of affordable bites brings new surprises: with fiery Jamaican beef patties, generously filled tacos and dense fried chicken providing an agonising array of choice.
“The diversity, the multiculturalism. That means everyone is welcomed, recognised, and respected,” CJ adds, before leading our group into a meandering mobile brunch.
If food and football are to go hand in hand, the World Cup is an opportunity to showcase Toronto’s other famous sports. A staunch football fan, I was initially dismissive of ice hockey, basketball and baseball when I arrived, but by the end of my first summer, I was a full-blown Toronto Blue Jays fan. They’re the local baseball team that came within a whisker of winning the World Series championship last October. Ticket prices for games at the hulking Rogers Centre stadium (conveniently located downtown next to the CN Tower) in summer are always affordable, and on a warm evening, with a beer in hand, the games are great fun, even if the rules seem as complicated as a Russian novel to the uninitiated.
Ride a streetcar through Chinatown in downtown Toronto (Getty Images)
The six World Cup games will be played at Toronto Stadium, near the waterfront. Usually home to Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC, its 28,000 capacity is being expanded to 45,000 for the tournament, with two new grandstands and a host of plush new suites. The Bentway – normally a concrete underpass – is being transformed into a vibrant arts, music and events space, and will host the official FIFA fan zone. I’d also recommend wandering into nearby Liberty Village for more drinks and fun. It was where I landed my first job in Toronto, though the less said about that, the better (I was never cut out for manual labour).
One place I was cut out for was the Loose Moose, a cartoonishly named favourite from my time here – a downtown pub with almost as many screens as pints on tap. With the Blue Jays on TV and a cold Canadian pint in hand, my last night in the city is a good one.
“It always makes me happy, because it reminds me of being happy,” wrote the great food critic and raconteur AA Gill about his old home, New York. I feel the same way about Toronto. Though next time, I’ll probably just stick to the CN Tower’s indoor viewing deck.
Advertisement
How to get there
Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh all offer direct flights to Toronto. The airlines that fly there are Air Transat, Air Canada, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, with an average flight time of around seven hours.
Where to stay
Stay at The Drake Hotel on Queen St West. Prices from $370 CAD (£200) per night.
One less lefty will be teeing it up at Augusta National.
Phil Mickelson withdrew from the Masters as his “family continues to navigate a personal health matter,” he announced on Thursday.
Mickelson, 55, has played at every Masters but one since 1995, winning the green jacket three times.
He has spent the past four years playing on the LIV Golf circuit, but has competed in just one of five events this season. He added Thursday that his absence will be for an “extended period of time.”
Advertisement
Earlier this week, five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods also announced his withdrawal in wake of his DUI arrest following a rollover crash in Florida.
With both Woods and Mickelson out, it will mark the first time neither tees it up at the Masters since 1994.
The Masters begins next Thursday with Rory McIlroy set to defend his breakthrough title.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login