A new-look TPC Craig Ranch brought out a vintage version of Brooks Koepka on Thursday at the 2026 CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Carding a first-round 8-under 63, the five-time major champion finally found his footing on the greens and climbed near the top of the leaderboard outside Dallas, Texas, behind just Taylor Moore, who signed for one better with his 62 late in the evening.

“It was just a comfortable group as well,” Koepka said. “Everyone is just kind of feeding off each other, easy. Everyone’s having fun. Makes it enjoyable. I feel comfortable on the golf course as well. 

“Finally, I felt good with the putter. I felt good the last few days with it when I was working in my studio. Then, when I got here, it felt very comfortable. Rick [Elliott] said the same thing from watching. Which also kind of helps build a little confidence, what you feel versus the reality of it. Just happy with the way everything went today.”

Koepka’s 63 may not have been the lowest of the day, but it was among his threesome, which included Dallas resident Si Woo Kim and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Kim needed one more stroke than Koepka en route to his 64 that headlines a large group at 7 under, while Scheffler was as steady as ever and signed for a 66 in the opening effort of his title defense.

“I felt like I was pretty close. I did some good stuff,” Scheffler said. “I felt I was a little short with my irons, making myself a few more looks. It’s just a matter of getting closer and holing a few more putts. Overall, I felt like I did some good stuff, just keeping it closer and holing a few more putts. But overall, did a lot of good things.”

Even in his own backyard, Scheffler seized the stage from Koepka as the powerful right-hander put six birdies and an eagle on his scorecard. A player who entered the week inside the top 10 in greens in regulation, strokes gained approach and proximity to the hole on the PGA Tour, Koepka kept knocking on the door, and his putter finally broke through in Round 1, gaining more than two strokes on the field with that club in hand.

“I feel like it’s a long ways away right now, but yeah, it would be great [to win],” Koepka said. “I think, when I won [The CJ Cup] the last time, I got back to No. 1 in the world. I think there’s such a huge difference right now of trying to get into signature events…on my way back, coming back to the Tour. 

“It would be a big confidence boost for sure because I feel like I’ve been playing well, the results just haven’t been there, mainly because of the putter, but I feel like I’m knocking on the door, and I’m very, very close. I would love to have a chance come Sunday.”

Former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark is among those tied with Scheffler at 5 under, as are PGA Tour rookies Johnny Keefer and Neal Shipley, and 19-year-old Blades Brown, who is hoping to earn special temporary membership on the PGA Tour by week’s end with a high enough finish.

Leaders

1. Taylor Moore (-9)
T2. Brooks Koepka, Jesper Svensson (-8)

For the second straight week, Koepka put a new putter in his golf bag, but unlike last week at the PGA Championship, he was met with quality results at TPC Craig Ranch. The lid was taken off the hole immediately for Koepka as he made an 18-footer for birdie on the par-4 11th, his second hole of the round. That was just the beginning.

Koepka rolled in additional par-breakers from 14 feet, 3 feet, 11 feet, 16 feet, 5 feet and 3 feet for his round. Hitting 14 greens in regulation in the process, Koepka’s performance was made even more impressive by the fact that he hit only three fairways. With preferred lies in effect, he did not have the luxury of cleaning his golf ball and placing it as much as he would have liked, but he will still be able to manage.

Contenders

T4. Emiliano Grillo, Keith Mitchell, Si Woo Kim, Stephan Jaeger, Michael Thorbjornsen, Tyler Duncan, Kensei Hirata (-7)
T11. Doug Ghim, Mackenzie Hughes, Hank Lebioda, Austin Eckroat, Lanto Griffin (-6)

The best player on the PGA Tour this season without a win may very well be Kim, who eyes another opportunity to enter the winner’s circle after an opening 64. That effort marked Kim’s 11th round of 66 or lower on the PGA Tour this year, which is second only to Scheffler’s 12. 

Similar to Koepka, Kim’s putter is the club that has held him back. On Thursday, however, it proved to be an asset as he gained more than 1.50 strokes on the greens and an additional 1.30 strokes by holing a putt from just off the green on his opening hole for birdie. With a stat line that read 13 fairways and 16 greens in regulation, Kim can keep climbing to the top of this leaderboard so long as the putter allows him to.

“It was a good round, then I putted great,” Kim said. “Hitting was a little off, but I kind of still take it. Yeah, it was a good round. Green was a little tougher than I thought. But I putted really good today, so it was a good round.”

Game within the game

The magic number for Blades Brown this week is 21 as he needs a solo 21st finish or better to earn special temporary membership on the PGA Tour, which would allow him to accept unlimited sponsor exemptions to play in PGA Tour events this season.

Brown’s 66 puts him inside that cutoff point, and his play on both the Korn Ferry Tour — where he ranks No. 9 in the season-long race — and the PGA Tour suggests he won’t be going anywhere. So far in 2026, Brown has six top-25 finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour, including a couple of runner-up results.

On the PGA Tour, he has been even better, as he was in the final grouping with Scheffler and Kim at The American Express, where he finished T18. Brown also had the lead at the Puerto Rico Open over the weekend before a third-place finish, and most recently, finished T9 at the Myrtle Beach Classic.

2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson updated odds and picks

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

• Scottie Scheffler: +260
• Si Woo Kim: 13/2
• Brooks Koepka: 7-1
• Taylor Moore: 13-1
• Michael Thorbjornsen: 15-1
• Keith Mitchell: 18-1
• Stephan Jaeger: 20-1

Clark played well on Thursday, and his price hasn’t moved much, as he is listed at 45-1, only a handful of strokes off the pace. He drove the ball much better than he had in recent weeks, and perhaps most importantly, he filled it up on the greens. We have seen over the course of his career that once he finds a comfort level with green complexes, he tends to run hot for the entire week. If that is the case, he should have a chance come Sunday.

Former Manchester United forward Antony has been left ‘saddened’

Former Manchester United forward Antony has expressed his sadness after missing out on Brazil’s World Cup squad. The 26-year-old completed his permanent Old Trafford exit last summer and has been in fine form for Real Betis after struggling in the Premier League.

Antony has netted 14 goals and provided 10 assists in his first season since joining Betis on a permanent deal, having enjoyed a similar impressive run during his loan spell in Andalusia last season. The former Ajax star made the move from the Eredivisie to the English top-flight for £82million but managed just five goals in 62 league appearances during his three-year spell at Old Trafford.

Despite his strong performance that helped Betis to a fifth-place finish and a place in next season’s Champions League, Antony was omitted from Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for the forthcoming World Cup.

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He said: “I’m saddened not to be at another World Cup with the national team, but I’m calm and proud of everything we’ve achieved so far.

“I will continue working as I always have, because this dream is still alive. Now it’s time to cheer on my friends who will represent Brazil in the fight for the sixth title. I’ll be supporting them all from here.”

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Antony has been one of the success stories away from Old Trafford after a series of departures went on to succeed away from the Theatre of Dreams.

The 26-year-old has returned to the fold following his upturn in form with the Spanish side including a call up in June 2025 but he has failed to be considered for selection in the previous squads for the South American giants.

Speaking previously, Antony described remaining at Betis as “one of the best decisions” of his life. He said: “It was one of the best decisions of my life to stay at Betis. I am very happy.

“My family weighed heavily in the decision. Seeing them happy is important. It makes things lighter on the pitch when the family is well.”

In another interview, he added: “The ‘new Antony’ is someone who has learned from hardships, who respects the process and has found joy in playing again.

“Today, I can proudly say that I’m living my best life, in a place where I’ve chosen to settle with my wife and children, in a city that has welcomed us with open arms and helped me find peace.

“The tranquillity I’ve found off the pitch has had a positive impact on my performances on it. I feel more mature, aware of my responsibilities and happy about every training session and match.”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

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UK Active has published new guidance on defibrillators to help fitness and leisure operators deliver life-saving support for anyone who suffers a cardiac arrest.

Developed with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) the guidance forms part of UK Active’s commitment to support gyms, swimming pools, leisure centres and other fitness facilities to further improve safety and standards.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates in the UK remain low, with fewer than one in 10 people surviving. However, rapid defibrillation within a few minutes of collapse can significantly increase survival rates.

The new resource, titled ‘Guidance on Defibrillator Provision in Physical Activity Settings,’ provides practical advice on installing, registering and maintaining a defibrillator, as well as training staff and maximising the life-saving impact of these devices.

The guidance also includes case studies from operators who have used a defibrillator to save the life of someone in cardiac arrest.

UK Active is also encouraging operators with defibrillators to make them available to the local community, by housing them in an external cabinet and registering them with the ambulance services via The Circuit.

The Circuit is the UK’s national defibrillator network, developed by BHF in partnership with the Resuscitation Council UK, St John Ambulance, NHS England, Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, and Save a Life Cymru.

Cameron Saunders, CEO of UK Active, says: “Providing access to a defibrillator can be priceless in an emergency and we regularly hear stories of heroes in the UK’s gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools using CPR and a defibrillator to save someone’s life.

“Our new guidance has been developed with experts to help ensure more operators are fully informed about these life-saving devices and supported to install and maintain them.

“Our members do so much for community health, and there is a huge opportunity to provide emergency support within their local area too, by registering a defibrillator with The Circuit.”

Simon Dunn, head of The Circuit operations at the BHF, says: “Having fast and easy access to a defibrillator can be the difference between life and death. Fewer than one in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in this country. 

“However, timely CPR and defibrillation can more than double survival chances. This is why updated guidance ensuring defibrillators are accessible and visible to ambulance services is a profoundly positive thing that may save lives.”

You can read the guidance on the UK Active website, as well as register your defibrillator with The Circuit.

There is no clear-cut favorite heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but if you ask Fox Sports analyst Alexi Lalas who he believes will lift the trophy at the end of the tournament, he’ll give you one answer.

“I don’t care who wins as long as it’s not England,” he said during Fox Sports’ FIFA World Cup 2026 Media Day on Wednesday in New York City. “I can abide by a lot of things happening this summer, but one thing I cannot is having England come over on our shores, on our 250th birthday of what I feel is the greatest country in the world, and for them to win a World Cup.

“If you think they’re insufferable now, could you imagine they came over and won that World Cup and it’s coming home through our country. I cannot have that, so anybody but England.”

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Alexi Lalas, Fox Sports soccer analyst and U.S. men’s national team legend, appears animated on stage at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on April 14, 2023. (Michael Janosz/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The U.S.-England rivalry in soccer was in full force in 2022, when they were pitted against each other in their group stage in Qatar. It was a 0-0 draw in a hard-fought match for both sides, but in 2026, they’ll have to get out of their respective groups if they are to meet in the tournament.

But Lalas couldn’t imagine England taking home its first World Cup since 1966 — the country’s only victory in the tournament of all tournaments.

US SOCCER GREAT THINKS AMERICAN TEAM CAN SHOCK THE WORLD AT UPCOMING WORLD CUP

There is no denying, though, how great the English squad will be this year, as Lalas knows.

“They’re really good,” he said. “As much as it pains me to say, they are very, very good. The soccer gods have a wicked sense of humor. Please not England, anybody but England.”

Lalas’ Fox Sports colleague, host Rebecca Lowe, is a West Londoner who has dreamed of her country winning it all since she can remember.

“Every four years of my play since 1990, I think about England winning the World Cup,” she said after Lalas’ rant. “So, I’m now getting to a stage where if I now go against them, they’re going to do it.

“I’m going to be courageous. It is going to come home.”

Commentator and former player Alexi Lalas looks on before the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2025 final between the United States and Mexico at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on July 6, 2025. (Omar Vega/Getty Images)

Lowe and Lalas said that they will have a bet in place once the tournament begins where, if England does indeed win it all, the latter will have to do something and vice versa.

Carli Lloyd, Stu Holden, and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez also gave their predictions about who would win. Hernandez was on Lowe’s side believing England could win it all, though he hopes his home country, fellow host site Mexico, can do so instead.

Lloyd and Holden both think France, which fell in penalties to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup Final, will get the job done at MetLife Stadium in July.

“The French, I just look at this team, they continue to get stronger. When they go down a generation, the next generation comes,” Holden said.

Soccer analyst Alexi Lalas speaks at the FOX Sports 2018 FIFA World Cup Celebration on Sept. 26, 2017, at ArtBeam in New York City. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images for FOX Sports)

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“I’m going to go with France as well,” Lloyd added shortly after. “The depth, the experience. I know firsthand losing in 2011 at the World Cup, coming back and really having that desire to really want to win in 2015. There’s something about that.”

The panel was hopeful the U.S. men’s national team can make a run on home soil, but it’s hard to deny the talent level elsewhere as the best players and countries in the world converge on North America in just a few weeks.

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NEW DELHI: Gujarat Titans moved closer to a top-two finish in IPL 2026 after beating Chennai Super Kings by 89 runs in Ahmedabad on Thursday.Gill, Sudharsan and Buttler powered Gujarat Titans to 229/4 before their bowlers bundled out CSK for 140 in 13.4 overs.Shubman Gill scored 64 off 37 balls while B Sai Sudharsan made 84 off 53 balls as the opening pair added 125 runs. It was their seventh century partnership in the IPL, the most by any pair in the tournament’s history.Jos Buttler then added the finishing touches with an unbeaten 57 off 27 balls.CSK, who needed a win to stay alive in the playoff race, lost four wickets inside the powerplay and never recovered. The defeat also confirmed that the five-time champions failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third straight season.Mohammed Siraj struck early for GT, removing Sanju Samson off the first ball of the innings. Samson edged a wide delivery behind to Buttler.Siraj finished with three wickets in the powerplay, while Kagiso Rabada dismissed Matthew Short after the batter mistimed a shot to mid-on.Only Shivam Dube showed some resistance for CSK with a 17-ball 47 filled with sixes, but the chase ended quickly.GT now have nine wins from 14 matches and 18 points. Sunrisers Hyderabad can also reach 18 points if they beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who already have 18 points.Earlier, Gill started aggressively and targeted left-arm pacer Spencer Johnson in the powerplay. He reached his fifty in 23 balls, while Sudharsan completed his half-century in 35 balls, his fifth consecutive IPL fifty.Gill scored most of the runs during their 125-run stand, using cuts, drives and sweeps to keep the scoreboard moving.When Noor Ahmad came into the attack, Gill attacked him immediately with two sixes.The partnership also helped Gill and Sudharsan go past the pairs of David Warner-Shikhar Dhawan and Travis Head-Abhishek Sharma, who had six century stands each in IPL history.After Gill got out, Sudharsan and Buttler kept the scoring rate high. Sudharsan continued playing his shots with control, while Buttler hit four sixes, including two against Noor Ahmad, as GT crossed the 220-run mark.

As we head towards training camp, Pro Football Focus put out an article listing 15 names they believed could be trade candidates. According to them, there could be a big Vikings trade around the corner, with one of the team’s key defenders on his way out.

Cashman Fits the Vikings’ Defensive Timeline, but PFF Disagrees

When I opened the PFF article, I had to admit I wasn’t expecting Blake Cashman’s name to pop up, but there he was. Among the 15 names, the Vikings’ middle linebacker and green dot guy was named. Minnesota wanting to trade their main communicator and the cog in the middle that makes everything else turn didn’t make sense to me, but here is the rationale for PFF’s thinking.

Once the centerpiece of Minnesota’s fabulous defense, Cashman could be on the move after a down year.In 2025, Cashman didn’t look like the strong linebacker of the last two years.

His overall PFF grade dipped from 72.0 to 63.6, punctuated by his 48.6 PFF coverage grade. Nevertheless, he was good as a downhill player with a 7.7% run stop rate and a 5.3% missed tackle clip.In light of

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Cashman’s decline as well as this being the final year of his contract, the Vikings drafted linebacker Jake Golday in the second round as well as extended Eric Wilson. That suggests that either he or Ivan Pace Jr. could have their days numbered in purple.

There are some valid points here. Cashman did have a down year; he is now 30 years old and in the last year of his contract. However, they fail to mention that he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, which severely hampered his start.

He didn’t return to full involvement until Week 8. He looked more like his old self by the end of the season, with 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss in the final two games of the season. Coverage has never been Cashman’s strength, but it’s fair to say he didn’t have the best year in that department.

Will the Vikings Trade Blake Cashman?

Cashman is one of the Vikings’ best players, and I just don’t foresee the Vikings shopping him around. It would leave Minnesota very short at linebacker, with Cashman clearly a level above the others at his position right now. Eric Wilson did well as a rusher last season in Brian Flores’ defense, but I wouldn’t be confident of him taking on Cashman’s role on the defense.

Ivan Pace’s stock has been falling since his breakthrough as an undrafted rookie. He lost his starting place to Wilson last year and didn’t look close to being ready to take over from Cashman. Maybe Jake Golday can come in and take over straight away, but we are a long way off knowing that right now. The plan could be that the Vikings want their second-round rookie to take over next year, but Golday and Cashman playing together would be preferable to me.

Will the Vikings trade Cashman? I don’t know for sure that they won’t, but I would be very surprised if it’s even under consideration right now. The Minnesota native should be staying home at least for 2026.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.