By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
Sports
Shakur Stevenson accused of avoiding rival world champion: “I make him nervous”
Shakur Stevenson is yet to announce an opponent for his Zuffa Boxing debut and one reigning world champion is claiming that he has been avoided by the WBO super-lightweight ruler.
Stevenson outclassed Teofimo Lopez to become a four-division world champion back in January, but the Newark southpaw hasn’t fought since, despite being linked to a host of names; including Devin Haney, Conor Benn, Raymond Muratalla and O’Shaquie Foster.
In fact, Foster was told by Stevenson that he could get his shot if able to defeat his good friend, Raymond Ford, which he did back in May, prompting a post-fight face-off between he and Stevenson, only for talks to then go quiet.
In an interview with Fight Hub TV, Foster explained why he believes the proposed battle makes Stevenson ‘nervous’.
“He don’t want to fight, we didn’t hear nothing, man. He don’t want me to end that gravy train that they got going on, he is going to take his chances somewhere else.
“For real though, Shakur saw me for a long time. Before me and him even started sparring, when we were staying together in Virginia, he saw me work. So, he know what I can do, he knows what I am capable of.
“Then on top of the sparring, Shakur has sparred everybody that he fought and everybody that he wants to fight, he got a beat on them.
“He couldn’t ever get a beat on me, so that is what I feel like it is, it makes him nervous.”
Instead, Foster – who holds the WBC super-featherweight world title – has now moved on to a fascinating three-belt super-featherweight world title unification against unified WBO and IBF 130lb champion, Emanuel Navarrete.
Continuing, Foster maintained that Stevenson will remain his target during the aftermath, potentially prioritising a clash with the pound-for-pound star over a possible undisputed title bout at super-featherweight.
“He came talking about, I need to get past Navarrete, he keep throwing everybody else’s name out there.
When I handle him [Navarrete] though, you come see me next.”
Navarrete-Foster will take place on Saturday, October 24, whilst the remaining super-featherweight title will be on the line when Anthony Cacace attempts to defend his WBA belt against Nick Ball on Saturday, December 19.
Stevenson, meanwhile, may well end up facing Raymond Muratalla, who recently vacated his lightweight title following previous talks of moving up to 140lbs to make the fight happen.
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The Big 12 is not respected as a football conference.
Entering every year facing doubt from the national media, its teams are left to control what they can control.
This season, BYU and Texas Tech are once again the favorites. Utah is on the radar, too, along with Houston.
And no matter how bad the national media tries to trash the league, at the end of the day, at least one team from the Big 12 will make the Playoff.
So forget the outside noise.
Here are the storylines heading into Week One.
Featured Team of the Week: Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State at Tulsa
Saturday, September 5
12:45 PM PT, ESPNU
The Big 12 has lost credibility on the national stage. At the exact same time, Oklahoma State has become a shell of itself. Those two circumstances are directly related.
The Big 12 needs Ok State to be the powerhouse it once was.
That’s right, “once was.”
It’s a new era in the world of conference realignment. Just because you hire a hotshot coach out of the Group of 6 doesn’t mean it will translate.
The whole season is riding on the quarterback. Sound familiar? It’s the same old story in Stillwater.
Is this year all hype and no substance? Show us in Week One why so many are high on the Pokes. There’s no way y’all struggle to beat Tulsa on the road.
Right?
Game to Watch
Oregon State at No. 23 Houston
Saturday, September 5
9:00 AM PT, ESPN
The Beavers head to Houston for a true road game to open the year.
The Cougars are expected to be one of the top teams in the Big 12 this season. The final score of this game will be informative.
The spread is currently set at -20.5 in favor of Houston. That’s a fairly large margin that tells you Vegas is either high on UH or low on Oregon State.
Maybe it’s a combination of both. Either way, we will all find out on Saturday.
Regional Program Previews
Colorado at Georgia Tech
Thursday, September 3
5:00 PM PT, ESPN
The decision to hire offensive coordinator Brennan Marion over the offseason could pay dividends immediately. Marion is the former head coach of Sacramento State, and before that the offensive coordinator at UNLV.
He runs a unique offensive system. It’s effective and should maximize the talents of quarterback Julian Lewis.
The line on this game is only -6.5 in favor of Georgia Tech. That should tell you something.
There’s a reason Marion has been so successful.
Idaho at No. 21 Utah
Thursday, September 3
6:00 PM PT, ESPNU
Just stay healthy. That’s all that matters against Idaho.
Everyone knows what Devon Dampier is capable of. This is a throwaway game to give the depth pieces live reps.
It’s fair to go into the game with two expectations: (1) Utah scores on its opening drive; and (2) Idaho punts on its opening drive.
Run the score up on them. But do it using the two’s, three’s, and four’s. Not the starters.
Utah Tech at No. 14 BYU
Saturday, September 5
5:00 PM PT, ESPN+
Don’t put too much on film. And yank the starters at halftime.
The spread in this game is outrageous. It’s the widest margin in the Big 12 this week.
The other way to look at the game is as a “stat night”. But that’s not the culture at BYU.
The best news out of Provo this weekend would be no news at all. Just handle business and don’t get anyone hurt.
Northern Arizona at Arizona
Saturday, September 5
6:30 PM PT, ESPN+
Northern Arizona should not score a touchdown on the Wildcats this Saturday. That’s the expectation that should be set for Arizona’s defense.
Forget the key contributors lost from the secondary. This is Danny Gonzales’s team. That means physical football.
Big hits, forced turnovers, and disguised pressure on the quarterback.
The Lumberjacks should not score a single touchdown.
Morgan State at Arizona State
Saturday, September 5
7:00 PM PT, ESPN+
All eyes are on quarterback Cutter Boley. The rest of the Arizona State’s roster is expected to be good enough to compete in every Big 12 game this season.
But if Boley isn’t it, the team probably won’t go very far.
On the flip side, if Boley is more than capable of leading the offense, the Sun Devils become a legitimate dark horse in the Conference race.
A blowout win over Morgan State is expected. Anything less would be questionable.
Other Noteworthy Games
Baylor v. Auburn (Atlanta)
Saturday, September 5
12:30 PM PT, ABC
This feels like an obligatory mention because of the brand power of each school.
But neither program is expected to compete for a championship in its respective conference.
This may draw the television ratings the TV executives want. But don’t expect it to be that high quality of football.
The main storyline to monitor is how Florida transfer quarterback DJ Lagway does for Baylor. He could spark them on a run with a win against Auburn.
Coastal Carolina at West Virginia
Saturday, September 5
9:00 AM PT, TNT
Rich Rodriguez enters his second season back in Morgantown.
Coastal Carolina is not the program it was a few years ago. But West Virginia can’t overlook this game.
It’s a Noon Eastern Time kickoff, too. Let’s hope the WVU football players don’t go out partying the night before.
This game is on upset alert.
Boston College at Cincinnati
Saturday, September 5
12:30 PM PT, FOX
This matchup isn’t even a blip on the national radar.
But in the context of the Big 12 versus the ACC, this game is pivotal.
Cincinnati can’t lose at home to Boston College. If that happens, there just aren’t many legs left for the Conference to stand on. Especially if Georgia Tech beats Colorado.
But, really, the Big 12’s reputation has been in the gutter lately. A loss to BC would be the chef’s kiss goodbye to the little remaining respect the Conference has.
Straight-Up Staff Picks for Selected Games
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.
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Good Good Golf CEO Matt Kendrick is no longer with the company, the latest fallout from a controversial advertisement that depicted violence against women.
Kendrick, a Good Good co-founder, oversaw the company’s response to outrage over an advertisement for a Callaway x Good Good driver that featured Good Good’s Garrett Clark pushing creator Alexis Miestowski to the ground. Kendrick then went viral with a social media post criticizing Callaway’s role in the controversy.
Now Kendrick has officially stepped away from his position as Good Good CEO, along with the company’s president Joe Flannery.
The news came via an internal company memo, which was first reported by Business Insider and later Front Office Sports.
Good Good CEO Matt Kendrick out in aftermath of driver ad
According to Business Insider, Good Good head of finance Alex Puchala sent a memo to company employees on Wednesday announcing the departures of Kendrick and Flannery.
“Matt helped build something extraordinary that exceeded all expectations and continues to bring countless new fans to the sport,” Puchala reportedly wrote.
Puchala said Good Good co-founder Nida Giga will take over as interim CEO. Puchala has not immediately returned GOLF’s request for comment.
The news comes as something of a surprise given that Kendrick had survived the initial fallout from the ad, as well as a widely criticized initial apology from the company.
Kendrick later took to LinkedIn to post his own apology and take responsibility for the controversial ad. But that did little to stop the fallout. Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy removed Good Good merchandise from their shelves. Golf Galaxy backed out as title sponsor of Golf Channel’s new “Big Break x Good Good” TV show. Golf Channel then canceled the first season of the show entirely.
The hits kept coming. Last Thursday, Callaway ended its partnership with Good Good, and Good Good announced it would step away as title sponsor of the PGA Tour’s Good Good Championship scheduled for November.
Good Good CEO’s inflammatory X post goes viral
On Friday, Kendrick took to his previously dormant X account to make an early morning post criticizing Callaway, which had ended its partnership with Good Good the day before.
In the post, Kendrick wrote, “Interesting that @CallawayGolf asks us to make an ad then approves it then asks us to take the fall then drops us in a coordinated media blitz and covers it up by giving a million dollars away thinking everyone will be ok with it. 30 for 39 will be legendary.”
The post immediately went viral. As of this writing, it has not been deleted and has racked up 8.8 million views.
Later that morning, Kendrick told Front Office Sports he made the “reactionary” post in light of “what’s come towards [his] family.” He also revealed that he didn’t see or approve of the Callaway driver ad before it was posted. Five days later, Kendrick was out at Good Good.
On Wednesday night, Front Office Sports reached a spokesperson for Good Good, who expressed confidence in the future of the company in light of Kendrick and Flannery’s departures.
“Despite the recent controversy, the company is seeing online retail growth, continued support from investors, and sees an opportunity to re-engage former retail partners in the future,” the spokesperson told Front Office Sports.
An excellent performance from Issy Wong sees her get a five-wicket haul – her first for England in ODI cricket – during the second One Day International in Derby.
Sports
St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Parramatta Eels Tips, Odds, Teams & Predictions – NRL Round 27 2026
WIN Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 27 NRL game between St. George Illawarra Dragons and
Parramatta Eels. The game kicks off at 2:00 pm with Parramatta Eels heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the St. George Illawarra Dragons vs.
Parramatta Eels
game and give you our free tips and bets.
When: Sunday September 6, 2026 at 2:00 pm
Where: WIN Stadium
Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE
St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Parramatta Eels Odds
St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Parramatta Eels Preview
St George Illawarra and Parramatta finish their seasons at WIN Stadium with both teams seeking a positive response to an uneven campaign. The Dragons make one starting change, bringing Blake Lawrie into the front row and moving Loko Pasifiki Tonga to lock, with Ryan Couchman returning to the interchange. Parramatta regains Jordan Samrani from an adductor injury in the centres, sending Sean Russell to the bench. Jack de Belin is also included among the replacements, while Tyrese Lokeni could make his NRL debut. The Eels’ selected spine retains Mitchell Moses alongside Ronald Volkman, offering the visitors an experienced kicking and organisational presence. St George Illawarra can apply pressure through Damien Cook and its mobile forwards, but Parramatta’s edge speed through Josh Addo-Carr and Brian Kelly provides the sharper attacking outlet.
St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Parramatta Eels Teams
Dragons team: 1. Daniel Atkinson 2. Mathew Feagai 3. Moses Suli 4. Valentine Holmes 5. Tyrell Sloan 6. Lyhkan King-Togia 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Toby Couchman 9. Damien Cook 10. Blake Lawrie 11. Dylan Egan 12. Hamish Stewart 13. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga 14. Connor Muhleisen 15. Ryan Couchman 16. Josh Kerr 17. Jacob Halangahu 18. Jacob Webster 19. Setu Tu 20. Ryan Hutchinson 21. Kade Reed 22. Nicholas Tsougranis
Eels team: 1. Apa Twidle 2. Brian Kelly 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Jordan Samrani 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Ronald Volkman 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Luca Moretti 9. Tallyn Da Silva 10. Junior Paulo 11. Jack Williams 12. Kitione Kautoga 13. Saxon Pryke 14. Harrison Edwards 15. Jack de Belin 16. Teancum Brown 17. Dylan Walker 18. Tyrese Lokeni 19. Sean Russell 20. Kelma Tuilagi 21. Jonah Pezet 22. Ryley Smith
CommBank Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 27 NRL game between Penrith Panthers and
Wests Tigers. The game kicks off at 4:05 pm with Penrith Panthers heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Penrith Panthers vs.
Wests Tigers
game and give you our free tips and bets.
When: Sunday September 6, 2026 at 4:05 pm
Where: CommBank Stadium
Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE
Penrith Panthers vs Wests Tigers Odds
Penrith Panthers vs Wests Tigers Preview
Penrith completes the regular season at CommBank Stadium after ending Canterbury’s finals hopes with a controlled 24-10 victory. Mitch Kenny returns at hooker after a long absence, while Luke Garner starts in the centres for the injured Izack Tago. Captain Isaah Yeo is listed among the reserves as he pushes to return from the pectoral injury suffered in Round 23, giving the Panthers another potential lift before September. Wests Tigers has cleared Jarome Luai to face his former club, with Latu Fainu and Sunia Turuva available from the extended interchange. The Tigers can create problems through Jahream Bula and a physical middle, but Penrith retains its core combination of Dylan Edwards, Nathan Cleary and a seasoned pack. That continuity, defensive discipline and finals preparation should keep the Panthers in control.
First Try Scorer
Penrith Panthers vs Wests Tigers Teams
Panthers team: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Thomas Jenkins 3. Luke Garner 4. Casey McLean 5. Brian To’o 6. Jack Cole 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Liam Henry 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. Liam Martin 13. Lindsay Smith 14. Freddy Lussick 15. Scott Sorensen 16. Luron Patea 17. Billy Phillips 18. Blaize Talagi 19. Billy Scott 20. Kalani Leuluai-going 21. Jesse McLean 22. Isaah Yeo 23. John Farragher
Tigers team: 1. Jahream Bula 2. Junior Tupou 3. Solomane Saukuru 4. Patrick Herbert 5. Jeral Skelton 6. Jarome Luai 7. Jock Madden 8. Terrell May 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. Fonua Pole 11. Samuela Fainu 12. Sione Fainu 13. Alex Seyfarth 14. Latu Fainu 15. Vaka Aho 16. Ethan Roberts 17. Bunty Afoa 18. Heath Mason 19. Sunia Turuva 20. Tristan Hope 21. Charlie Murray 22. Faaletino Tavana
Sep 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) scores a run during the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images When Tarik Skubal takes the mound for his sixth start with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the health of Shohei Ohtani will be front and center Thursday night in advance of the series finale against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.
The Dodgers will try to avoid a three-game sweep and might have to do it without Ohtani, who appeared to be dealing with right-arm discomfort during Wednesday’s 8-6 loss in 10 innings. Ohtani struck out in each of his final four trips to the plate for his first four-strikeout game of the season.
“You can see the swing wasn’t the swing that we’re used to seeing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So he’s not close to optimal. What is going to get him close to being able to perform at the level that you know he expects? That’s kind of the question. And time off obviously seems logical, so I’m not blind to that.”
Arm and knee discomfort have prevented Ohtani from pitching since early July. The arm ailment, at least, could take him off the field entirely, although Roberts said he does not expect a stint on the injured list for his star.
The manager told reporters he will consult with the Dodgers’ head athletic trainer and with Ohtani to address the superstar’s physical issues.
Meanwhile, Skubal (8-7, 2.84 ERA) has pitched well in a Dodgers uniform, but the club is just 3-2 in his starts. The two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner was acquired at the trade deadline last month from the Detroit Tigers.
In four career starts against St. Louis, Skubal is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA.
The Dodgers (82-57) saw Freddie Freeman end his career-long 47-game home run drought on Wednesday, while Mookie Betts also homered. But the Dodgers were just 1-for-18 with runners in scoring position.
“I know that everyone doesn’t want to hear it, and the fans don’t want to hear it, but 18 opportunities, at least, I guess you got to try to find a positive,” Freeman said. “But that was a tough loss.”
The Cardinals will seek a series sweep with left-hander Quinn Mathews (1-2, 5.03 ERA) on the mound. He will make his fifth career start following his major league debut on Aug. 1.
Mathews earned his first career win Friday when he allowed one run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts in a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was his first home start.
“It took me four games to get (to a home start), so it was definitely special to finally get to throw in front of the home fans and put together a quality outing,” Mathews said, according to MLB.com.
After scoring 13 runs in the series opener Tuesday, the Cardinals’ most ever in a game at Dodger Stadium, they failed to deliver a hit over the first five innings against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, then chased down two separate three-run deficits.
Thomas Saggese again tormented the Dodgers with a two-run home run and a go-ahead RBI infield single in the 10th inning. He hit two home runs in the 13-8 win on Tuesday.
St. Louis is back to .500 at 70-70 and 3 1/2 games out of the final wild-card spot in the National League.
“Coming to places like (Los Angeles), Philly, Chicago, you want to be able to check those (positives) off,” manager Oliver Marmol told Cardinals TV. “And the one thing you want to make sure your club does is to go into those types of spots fearless. We’ve done that.”
–Field Level Media
State of Play September 2026 showcased quite a few major releases heading to PlayStation. We got a peek at gameplay from previously announced titles and new games from 2026 and beyond, all of which will intrigue PlayStation fans.
If you have skipped the livestream this article is for you. It explores everything shown at the State of Play September 2026.
Everything announced at PlayStation State of Play September 2026
We have listed below all the official announcements from State of Play September 2026:
- Marvel’s Wolverine
- Crimson Desert Charting The Unknown DLC
- Ace Combat 8
- Metro 2039
- Saros Zenith update
- Fangtopia
- Ontos
- Maneater 2
- Until Dawn 2
Marvel’s Wolverine trailer
State of Play September 2026 showcased the final trailer for Marvel’s Wolverine ahead of its official release. This highly anticipated title from Insomniac Games is slated to go live on September 15, 2026, featuring a feral Logan who rejoins the mutant task force.
The gameplay involves third-person brawling and a heavy gorefest – something fans have wanted from a superhero game for a long time. The trailer showcases several iconic characters from the X-Men universe, including Jean Grey, Sabretooth, and Sentinels.
Crimson Desert Charting The Unknown DLC
Pearl Abyss has cooked up some exciting content for Crimson Desert. The upcoming DLC titled “Charting The Unknown” will feature underwater diving, naval combat, and other gameplay elements.
The trailer from State of Play September 2026 shows Kliff exploring the ocean with what appears to be a pet shark. He is also seen piloting a vessel, building a beach house, and fighting new bosses. The DLC is expected to further the narrative of Kliff, Oongka, and Damiane.
Check out our other articles:
Are you stuck on today’s Wordle? Our Wordle Solver will help you find the answer.
Edited by Akash Paul
RBC made a significant PGA Tour announcement Thursday, but Canadian golf fans will need to wait for an official update about the future of the Canadian Open.
The RBC Heritage presented by Boeing was announced as part of the PGA Tour Championship Series, which will begin in 2028. This year was RBC’s 15th as title sponsor, and it was the fourth consecutive year the event had elevated status on the PGA Tour schedule, being played as a Signature Event the last three seasons.
“It is an incredible honour for the RBC Heritage to be a part of the PGA Tour Championship Series. This recognition reflects the strength of our tournament and the support of RBC, Boeing, our sponsors, volunteers and loyal fans,” said Heritage tournament director Steve Wilmot in a press release.
The RBC Heritage is the ninth announced regular-season event on the 2028 PGA Tour Championship Series. The Tour is set to confirm 11 more in the coming weeks, leaving just four remaining spots in the Championship Series schedule.
The full 2028 PGA Tour Championship Series schedule will be announced Feb. 22 in a televised event hosted at PGA Tour Headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said at the Tour Championship last week in Atlanta that the PGA Tour is in “active discussions” with 14 prospective partners.
A 14-for-4 update from Rolapp seems to suggest that we’ve entered a situation of simple economics — when demand outweighs supply, the price goes up.
As far as the Canadian Open specifically is concerned, the work continues.
But other entities are actively placing bids for the remaining Championship Series events.
On the sponsorship side of things in Canada, it’s been reported that Golf Canada has been late to the conversation with Canadian brands to try to marshal upward of US$35 million — or more now, likely — for a winning Championship Series bid.
With respect to the Heritage, RBC has Boeing as the presenting sponsor.
The question now is, does the Canadian Open, and its longstanding history, even need to be a Championship Series event?
“We’ve got to be careful with that because then these national opens lose the fabric of what they are … you can’t call yourself a national open anymore if it’s a closed-off tournament and there’s a certain number of guys,” two-time Canadian Open winner Rory McIlroy said at the Genesis Scottish Open this summer.
“I think these events need to be treated differently than, you know, the Travelers Championship or RBC Heritage or whatever else that are going to be in the Champions Series. … There’s a little bit more nuance with these tournaments, for sure.”
Indeed, the way that the Championship Series is structured, those events will feature only the top 120 (or so) golfers on the PGA Tour. There were 20-plus homegrown talents in the field this year at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, many stamping their ticket via sponsor invites from Golf Canada or winning various cross-country qualifiers.
As it stands, if the event were a Championship Series event, just six Canadians would tee it up. By the time we get to 2028, there may be even fewer. This year was the first time since 2011 that a Canadian did not make it to the second round of the FedExCup playoffs and the first time since 2018 a Canadian did not make it to the Tour Championship season finale.
If the RBC Canadian Open were to become part of the Championship Series, it would essentially cease as a national open in the truest form.
As far as the second-tier Challenger Series events are concerned, McIlroy, again, was a vocal advocate for the Canadian Open to be bigger than those. Featuring the next 100-plus golfers in the standings, there would likely be more Canadians in the field but none of the top players in the game — plus, for example, Corey Conners and past champion Nick Taylor. Those in the Championship Series can’t “play down” onto the Challenger Series as it stands.
“(The Challenger Series) is a glorified Korn Ferry (Tour) event. That’s what (the Challenger Series) is going to be. I don’t think the Canadian Open should be one of those,” McIlroy said at the U.S. Open this summer.
Golf Canada, as a business entity, needs more time to work through things behind the scenes. But there is other real estate in the new ecosystem of golf to consider.
The winning option could be to look bigger — and global.
When the Championship Series was announced, the PGA Tour also brought forth details about how top players from the Championship Series category could be eligible for a “limited series of elevated international events,” played in the fall. These tournaments will be announced later, with the intent to be delivered alongside the DP World Tour, adding that “these events will include prominent national opens” and “will give the best players in the world an opportunity to shine brightly in front of new audiences on an international stage.”
This, on the surface, would likely be the best-case scenario for the Canadian Open.
The event would be able to keep its national open status — and even be given an elevated platform — while also seeing a field featuring some of the best players in the world from the PGA Tour (as golfers who are on the Championship Series track could tee it up) and from around the world, along with plenty of homegrown talent.
As long as the event is hosted early enough in September, there would also be zero issue with the weather conditions in the Greater Toronto Area.
While there are still some uncertainties about the formalized future of the Canadian Open, there is a pathway to a kind of tournament that would make everyone happy.
Which is something harder and harder to do in professional golf these days.
Sports
Italian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton says upgraded Ferrari engine ‘step forward but not whole amount we need’
Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc have both won one race this season, with the Briton 59 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes.
“To win this weekend, the whole collective has to come together. Everything has to flow from the beginning,” said Hamilton.
“There is a first ahead of me, in the sense of if I was to win I go into new territory winning for the first time in Ferrari at Monza. It would be phenomenal.
“The pressure’s high. You want to do it for the team. Many of them will come to this race. The tifosi come out in huge numbers with a passion that’s unmatched.
“And my mum’s here. I don’t think she’s been to Monza, and certainly not (while I was) with Ferrari. I wanted her to experience this and bring any lucky dust she can bring.”
Ferrari’s hopes of a home victory are boosted by the fact that Italian Antonelli will have a grid penalty for exceeding his permitted number of engine parts and is likely to start at the back.
Hamilton said: “There is big gap between the top teams and the rest. Kimi will start from the back but with the power he has, and the performance he has, he should slide through that pack pretty easy and it’s probably why they chose this race to do that.
“So achieving eighth or sixth should be relatively easy. We have to focus on maximising our weekend and try and take the energy from the tifosi to hopefully push us to the front.”
Antonelli’s grid penalty was inevitable at some point after reliability problems earlier in the year meant they would need to exceed his allowance of four engines for the season.
They chose this weekend because they calculated it was the most optimal race to do it, both in terms of the effect of a new engine on a track dominated by straights, and managing their engine pool through the rest of the year.
Team-mate George Russell will also have an engine penalty, most likely in Azerbaijan in two races’ time.
Antonelli said: “I am very much looking forward to this weekend despite starting from the back. I will be able to enjoy it more than I did previously and hopefully we will still be able to have a good race.
“In some ways it helps to release pressure, although I would very much rather fight for pole and start at the front.
“It makes me a bit more relaxed going into the weekend. I think this track can be very good for us but we have to take into account that McLaren, Ferrari, even Red Bull can be good this weekend.
“There are other tracks where it is possible to overtake but this one is very energy starved and there are a lot of places where you can race differently and it gives us the best chance to climb through the field.”
Antonelli referred to energy starvation because the hybrid engines will be without their battery power for a higher percentage of the lap in Monza than at most races this year, because of the long straights and the lack of opportunity for recovery.
Drivers are expecting a difficult and frustrating weekend, and for slipstreaming, which saves energy by reducing drag, to become a major feature in qualifying and the grand prix.
Antonelli said he expected speed would flat-line on the straights but not drop significantly, and that the situation would be “better than many expected”.
There threatened to be late movement in Manchester United’s striker department on deadline day but the chance to secure their ideal addition passed weeks ago.
Manchester United are often accused of living in the past, but that might not have been such a bad thing this summer.
United considered drafting in a back-up option to Benjamin Sesko, though signing a striker was never particularly high on the transfer to-do list in a summer where overhauling the midfield was the priority.
Everton’s late move for Joshua Zirkzee on deadline day raised the question of whether United could make an 11th-hour approach for a replacement. Ultimately, United chose to keep the Dutchman at Old Trafford and Michael Carrick’s forward options went unchanged aside from the return of Marcus Rashford.
While United’s failure to add a left-back to their squad has dominated the grumbles from fans in the wake of the transfer window, not signing a back-up to Sesko hasn’t been far behind. The Slovenia international enjoyed a promising maiden campaign in English football, scoring 12 goals in 32 appearances. However, he has yet to start a game this season as he continues to work his way back to match fitness after injury, and the lack of a focal point without him in the team is clear for all to see.
Zirkzee has shown himself not to be at the level required to lead the line in Sesko’s absence, and while Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha can play through the middle, both are better suited to roles behind the striker.
United clearly missed a trick when opting not to offer Danny Welbeck a return to Old Trafford.
Giving Welbeck the chance to return to his boyhood club at the age of 35 certainly wouldn’t have been a move fuelled purely by emotion. Welbeck scored 13 Premier League goals last season – more than any United player in 2025/26 – and has hit double figures in the last two Premier League seasons having failed to do so in his entire career until 2024/25.
It is therefore no surprise to see Chelsea lure him to Stamford Bridge. Xabi Alonso has been keen to add some experienced heads to his Chelsea squad, yet no signing has been made purely with off-the-field advantages in mind. At 36 and with a recent World Cup appearance under his belt, Jordan Henderson can clearly be relied upon when turned to, and Welbeck is no different.
United were crying out for an experienced forward to take some of the burden off Sesko this season. There could be more than 20 games added to United’s schedule this year compared to last, and asking Sesko to play the majority of them simply isn’t a viable option. Rotation will be needed, and United really should have added a recognised centre-forward to their squad.
Returning to Old Trafford would have been the cherry on the cake of what has been a great career for Welbeck, and he’d have given United what they needed to help Sesko in what will be a demanding campaign.
Instead of returning to his former club, Welbeck will come up against United when they travel to Chelsea on the other side of the international break. With eight goals against his boyhood club since leaving in 2015, you wouldn’t bet against him coming back to haunt United once again.
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