Welcome to Bag Spy, a GOLF series devoted to understanding the crucial equipment choices that define a player’s bag. With the help of players and/or their expert fitters, we dig deep beyond the photos to examine setups, specs and the thinking behind them. In this installment, GOLF Associate Equipment Editor Jack Hirsh takes you inside Si Woo Kim’s bag and new equipment setup for 2026.
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At first glance — and depending on what course you catch him — Si Woo Kim has a pretty old-school bag.
Driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, 3-iron through pitching wedge and just two wedges, a 52˚ and a 60˚. We don’t see a lot of that set-up on the PGA Tour anymore.
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But a deeper dive and conversation with Callaway Senior PGA Tour Player Development Representative Kellen Watson shows Kim actually has a unique relationship with gear. He focuses strictly on looks, and if it passes the first couple of swings, there usually won’t be much hesitancy with putting it in the bag.
“If there’s something that fits his eye very nicely, you can be damn sure that either the wedge that it might be or the set of irons or the driver or whatever, it’s going in play like right away,” Watson told GOLF. “The performance stuff, we’ll incrementally get exactly where we need to get to. But aesthetically, if it’s pleasing to his eye, there’s nothing bigger. If it goes through the ground perfectly, it’s going in the bag.”
Watson called Kim a “corporate dream” because he’ll put almost any club in his bag as long as it meets his eye test.
That’s notable because Kim held onto his Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond driver for two years before moving into the Quantum Triple Diamond this season.
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But he’s not afraid to try anything, and, in fact, Watson has to prevent him from trying too much.
“He gets some ideas, and he’ll just do it behind my back,” Watson said. “That’s why I try to stay in front of him all the time so we don’t allow him to do anything like that.”
Si Woo Kim and caddie Manny Villegas form an unlikely but endearing duo.
Warren Little/Getty Images
Watson also has to rely on Kim’s caddie, Manny Villegas, to help maintain Kim’s clubs. It’s usually Villegas who asks for regrips or loft/lie checks.
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“Manny’s almost playing offensive coordinator and Si Woo’s just the quarterback, just taking the play calls,” Watson said.
So far that’s been working well this season, as Kim, despite a bulky putter, had four top-11 finishes in his first four starts this season, including two top-5s. He’s 9th in the FedEx Cup standings and second in Strokes Gained: Approach with Callaway’s yet-to-be-released Apex MB ’26 irons.
Kim and Villegas, the brother of five-time Tour winner Camillo Villegas, form one of professional golf’s most unlikely player-caddie duos, but they’re also perhaps the most laidback and fun.
“I still think they should make a TV show of him and Manny, almost like there’s a sequel of ‘Rob & Big.’ I would watch that. I would watch them talk to each other all day long, every day,” Watson said. “I don’t think there’s anybody there you want to be around more than Si Woo when you’re playing golf. And that just kind of goes for every day anyway. Some of it’s just because you never know what he’s going to say next.”
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Kim’s golf bag embodies much of that persona.
Keep reading below to dive into the bag of one of the PGA Tour’s best characters, Si Woo Kim.
Breaking down every club in Si Woo Kim’s bag
Ball
2022 Callaway Chrome Tour Dot
As a player who plays a fade and generally plays at a spin surplus throughout the bag, Kim is one of the many users of Callaway’s Chrome Tour Dot golf ball, a Tour-only version of the Chrome Tour X.
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“Just the higher spin guys — it’s just the flight’s a little bit better for him. The spin control is a lot better for him,” Watson said of the ball, which is also played by Xander Schauffele.
The Dot has an identical aero package to the Chrome Tour X, but it reaches a slightly lower peak height due to reduced spin. Otherwise, it flies similarly.
Players who play a fade generally are going to spin the ball more than players who draw it, so being able to retain control and wind performance with a touch lower spin, while keeping launch, speed and feel the same, is a good match for Kim.
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Callaway 2026 Chrome Tour X Golf Balls
SPEED TECHNOLOGY
Revolutionary new Tour Fast Mantle that increases distance through an optimized core/layer system.
ADVANCED SEAMLESS TOUR AERO®
Incredible distance and flight consistency on every shot.
PRECISION TOUR URETHANE COVER
Incredible feel and wedge control.
PRECISION TECHNOLOGY
Provides the ultimate in consistency. Every detail in the design, manufacture, and testing of the Chrome Tour X ball has been engineered to ensure maximized performance throughout your game.
Specs Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond 9.0 Actual Loft: 8.9˚ OptiFit Setting: N/-1 Weights: 7 g front, 9 g back heel, 1 g back toe Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 6-X Length: 44 15/16″ EOG Tipping: 1″ Swingweight: D3.4
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Stock Carry: 290 yards
When it comes to his driver, there isn’t much unique about Si Woo Kim’s, but it is notable given he did not switch to Callaway’s Elyte driver last season.
You would think, after Kim hung onto a Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond for two seasons, that it would have been a long and arduous testing process to get him into a new Quantum Triple Diamond for this season.
But it took Watson only three swings.
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“We did kind of a preliminary fitting at Sea Island,” Watson said. “I think we gave him the 8.5. I remember every interaction with him and Manny because they’re some of my most fun times on Tour. But I think he hit it twice. Little low spin. Nine-degree first shot, and it was like, ‘Can we play this this week?’”
The start line was also important for getting Kim to switch from his Ai Smoke, which is why you’ll see above in his specs he keeps the back weight on the heel side of the club to encourage a left start line.
Unfortunately, at the RSM Classic last fall, where Callaway annually does testing with their staff players for the new driver, the Quantum was not yet on the USGA conforming list.
But Kim got his driver in mid-November and he was one of the first to put it in play the first week of December at the Australian Open when it hit the conforming list.
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One thing that Watson struggled with, however, was getting him to test a backup driver.
“He hates to do like a backup head, and I forced him to do like a backup head today (Tuesday at Bay Hill),” Watson said. “He’s like, ‘Nothing’s wrong with this one. This one will not fail.’ I’m just making sure, dude.”
Kim moved into the updated Fujikura Ventus Black with VeloCore+ during testing with the Elyte driver as they found the slightly softer profile had a better feel for him. It also aided his timing for a fade.
“If anything, a little less catch-up in the shaft, just being just like a touch softer is probably better for him, where the club will stay behind him at impact and he can kind of hit that fade a little bit better,” Watson said.
Specs Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Ti 340 Mini Driver 11.5 Actual Loft: 11.2˚ Lie: 57˚ OptiFit Setting: -1/N (Flat Cog) Weights: 14 g front, 5 g back Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 7-X Length: 43.125″ Tipping: 2″ Swingweight: D3.1
In some ways, the mini driver has become synonymous with Kim, as he is famous for his DODs from anywhere.
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Fairway, rough, other, you name it, Si Woo Kim has probably tried to hit a driver off the deck from it.
That was the impetus for Kim in sticking with his Paradym Ai-Smoke mini driver, because it was much easier for him to hit off the fairway.
Watson intends to show Kim the new Quantum Mini Driver soon, but wanted to get more insight from the club from Min Woo Lee and Max Greyserman, both of whom already have it in the bag.
Kim loves the ability to swing the Mini Driver flatter and not down on it like a 3-wood.
While Kim doesn’t use the 3-wood often in favor of the longer Mini Driver, when he does, he likes to be aggressive with it. It’s to the point where Watson compared his divots to Sergio Garcia, one of the best and also steepest fairway wood players of all time.
The 5-wood is a better story as Kim previously played a Rogue ST LS 5-wood since the club came out in 2022.
But in the fall, Kim wanted to shorten the club and did so while in Japan for the Baycurrent Classic. Why?
“I don’t know. I have no idea!” Watson said. Remember when Watson said he had to get between Kim and some of his “ideas?” This is why.
The club never felt the same to Kim after that. Watson built him a new 5-wood before the start of the season and the 3-wood just so he has options and doesn’t have to look for a new club in the middle of the season.
Specs Callaway Apex MB ’26 3-PW Shafts: KBS Tour V 125 Lofts: 19.3/21.4/24.9/28.5/32.3/36.6/40.5/44.5 Lies: 60/60.3/61.1/61.5/61.7/62.3/62.9/62.6 Length: 7-iron 37″ EOG Swingweight: D3 (“Or whatever feels good sometimes” – Watson)
3-iron Stock Carry: 221 7-iron Stock Carry: 174
Kim is one of a growing number of players on Callaway’s unreleased Apex MB ’26 prototype irons. He has played blades at times throughout his career, but not since his first year with Callaway in 2018.
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But when Kim first tested the new blades, like all of his other changes, the decision to switch was almost instant. Again, the swap was driven more by visuals.
Watson says the new MB has a longer blade length and a more Japanese-inspired pinched toe shape, similar to the X Forged, which was all familiar to him. Kim was one of just three staffers previously playing the Apex CB ’24, primarily due to the longer blade length.
“I think the longer the blade length for him, I think the better the results he gets,” Watson said. “For him, a longer blade length, the higher toe, the matched window of launch and spin being pretty much exactly where you need it — I think that is the determination of, is it going in play?”
In testing, Watson said the new MB “hits more of that CB kind of window” launch conditions which made the switch simple for Kim.
Looking at his specs, you’ll notice his irons are all bent 1-2 degrees strong. That’s not done for launch/spin or even turf interaction reasons. Keeping with the theme here, that’s all done to fit Kim’s eye. He’s played the stronger lofts since before he signed with Callaway in 2018.
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“If there’s something that really fits his eye — he’s a lot about aesthetics — if there’s something that fits his eye very nicely, you can be damn sure that either the wedge that it might be or the set of irons or the driver or whatever, it’s going in play like right away,” Watson said.
Kim’s high-spin tendencies allow him to play the blades all the way through to the 3-iron, a rarity on the modern PGA Tour where even 4-irons are starting ot become extinct.
But the 3-iron doesn’t actually get used that often and, Watson said, sometimes he’ll even be content with rolling with just 13 clubs.
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Callaway Apex MB Custom Irons
The new Apex MB Irons are developed for the absolute best in the game who are looking for a high level of performance in a modern Tour blade. With our Dynamic Sole Design, it provides more efficient turf interaction, enhanced workability, and the classic feel that elite players expect.
A PURE BLADE IN A MODERN DESIGN
The new Apex MB Irons are developed for the absolute best in the game who are looking for a high level of performance in a modern Tour blade. With our Dynamic Sole Design, it provides more efficient turf interaction, enhanced workability, and the classic feel that elite players expect.
PURE FORGED PERFORMANCE
The Apex MB body and face are forged as one-piece in a proprietary forging process from 1025 carbon steel, creating the purest feeling iron imaginable.
PROGRESSIVE CG DESIGN FOR ADDED CONTROL
A progressive CG throughout the set improves trajectory control. The long irons feature a lower CG that promotes towering shots that land soft into greens while the short irons utilize a higher CG for a lower trajectory with more spin for added control.
DYNAMIC SOLE DESIGN FOR ENHANCED TURF INTERACTION
These irons feature a dual chamfer on the leading edge to cut through the turf more efficiently. A trailing edge chamfer provides relief from the turf after contact for enhanced feel. This Dynamic Sole Design maintains speed through the turf and promotes consistent contact on all shots.
Specs Callaway Opus SP RAW Lofts/Grinds: 52/10S @ 51.5˚, 60/8C @ 59˚ Shafts: KBS Tour V 125 Lie: 60.8/63 Length: 35″ EOG/34.625″ EOG Swingweight: D3 (“Or whatever feels good sometimes” – Watson)
52˚ Stock Carry: 114 60˚ Stock Carry: 89
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Just two wedges?! Yes! just two wedges.
While the conventional wisdom for a player with strong lofted irons is to usually add more wedges, Kim plays just a couple and relies on feel to gauge the proper distance.
“I think that has more to do with the incredible set of hands that Si Woo just has,” Watson said. “I think he does more of it just with his hands. Totally feel.
“He’s more of an artist than people kind of would lead you to believe.”
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Unlike most pros on the PGA Tour, Kim doesn’t use a clock system to hit distance wedge shots.
Like the rest of the bag, Kim had little issue switching into the new Opus SPs.
“I think he picked up both of them, just put them in the bag, like, ‘Okay, you take these two. I’ll play these two,” without even the waiting,” Watson said. “It’s like… ‘Yeah… Cool.’”
SPIN POCKET™ CONSTRUCTION
A re-engineered 2-piece construction head design strategically reshapes mass to optimize CG locations. The Spin Pocket redistributes weight higher, raising the CG, and promoting a lower, more penetrating launch. The result is more spin and enhanced control, especially when you need to flight shots or attack tight pins.
NEW SPIN GEN 2.0 FACE™
The most advanced face in OPUS history. A new 17° groove angle with tighter pitch spacing delivers more groove edge contact for more consistent spin across a variety of lies. Combined with a deeper cross-hatch laser pattern across the face, Spin Gen 2.0 produces enhanced friction for more bite and stopping power on all types of approach shots.
SHAPE 6 – TOUR-VALIDATED PROFILE
Trusted by Tour players for its clean, confident look at address, Shape 6 offers precise leading edge shaping and refined sole geometry. Shape 6 is the 6th and final iteration in the Opus prototype shaping phase, validated by Tour players and major champions. OPUS SP introduces progressive shaping in gap wedges to seamlessly blend with modern iron sets—creating a more cohesive setup from top to bottom.
X GRIND – VERSATILITY WITH BOUNCE
Back by popular demand, the X Grind returns in OPUS SP. Designed for shotmakers who want added bounce for forgiveness, without giving up versatility, the X Grind is ideal for players who like to open the face around the greens or play in firmer turf conditions. It’s the perfect blend of playability and performance in a wide range of shots and conditions.
The flatstick has been a club holding Kim back this season as he ranks second in Strokes Gained: Tee-To-Green this season, but is losing nearly seven-tenths of a stroke on the greens. While this year is one of his worst, Kim has never gained strokes putting since joining the PGA Tour in 2016.
This Odyssey O-Works 3T is new this season and Kim loves the look of it, but this week, he’s testing out a new Odyssey prototype TRTL mallet putter.
Si Woo Kim doing some work with an Odyssey Prototype TRTL mallet putter.
This is similar to the proto Mini Woo Lee switched to at Pebble and finished T2. Four interchangeable weights on the corners, but Si Woo has some big ole strips of lead tape across the bottom center.… pic.twitter.com/u5hJu2uv6I
It’s the same putter that Min Woo Lee is using and it obviously passed the eye test for Kim to consider using it this week. The specs match his current O-Works 3T.
Putter has been a revolving door the past two seasons for Kim after he stopped using an Odyssey 2-Ball 10 Broomstick.
Watson doesn’t know exactly why the run with the broom came to an end — nobody does, he said — but he has his guesses.
“He might have been getting sick of the look and just wanted to look at something different,” Watson said. “That would be my answer… and that wouldn’t be odd as an answer to the question about Si Woo with anything.”
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Will the new TRTL be the next one to have staying power? We’ll see if it even makes it to the bag at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
There will be 48 teams at the 2026 World Cup, and travel distances will vary depending on group location and knockout pathways.
While Fifa has regionalised some group-stage fixtures to limit coast-to-coast journeys, deep runs into the knockout rounds are likely to generate travel distances well beyond 12,000 miles for some fanbases.
The biggest group-stage travel burden will fall on the Uefa play-off qualifier in Group B, which could be Wales or Northern Ireland. Fans travelling to all three group games – in Toronto, Inglewood and Seattle – face clocking up more than 3,140 miles.
When return flights from the competing country are included, South Africafans face the largest travel burden – both for the group stage and an admittedly unlikely run to the final:
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Group stage – at least 21,090 miles
Win group, reach final – at least 22,764 miles
Runner-up route, reach final – at least 26,834 miles
The associated emissions for those flights are 4.7 tonnes CO2e per fan for the group stage, rising to as much as 5.9 tonnes CO2e per fan in the group-runner-up-to-final scenario.
The average South African’s expected CO2 emission for a whole year is 5.8 tonnes CO2e, according to the International Energy Agency.
The seeded team with the greatest projected travel burden for fans is Germany:
Win group, reach final – at least 17,935 miles (3.2 tonnes CO2e)
Runner-up route, reach final – at least 19,770 miles (3.5 tonnes CO2e)
At the other end of the scale, France’s group travel – excluding international flights – is estimated at just 370 miles,and train travel is possible between two of their host cities.
Tiger Woods says he is “trying to play” in next month’s Masters after returning to action for the first time in more than a year as his team lost in the final round of the TGL season.
The 50-year-old, who has had a series of operations in the last two years, had been sidelined since having an operation in October to replace a disc in his back.
Woods’ previous appearance was also in TGL – an indoor team league his company co-founded – in February 2025.
His Jupiter Links team lost 9-2 against Los Angeles Golf Club in his return to competitive action.
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The 15-time major-winner looked in good physical shape as he hit a couple of drives more than 300 yards and he said playing in the Masters will depend on how his body recovers.
The tournament, which Woods has won five times, begins on 9 April at Augusta National.
“I’ve been trying, this body doesn’t recover like it did when I was 24, 25,” said Woods.
“It doesn’t mean I’m not trying; I’ve been trying for a while. I’ve had a couple of bad injuries last year that I’ve had to fight through and has taken some time. I keep trying – I want to play.
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“I’ve loved the Masters tournament, I’ve loved being there since I was 19 years old, so it’s meant a lot to me and my family over the years and I’m going to be there either way.”
Woods has held a non-playing role with Jupiter Links GC throughout the 2026 TGL season, the PGA Tour-backed league that uses a huge screen in a purpose-built venue in Florida.
Woods’ side beat Rory McIlroy’s Boston Common in last week’s semi-final to set up a meeting with Los Angeles in the best-of-three final.
Los Angeles, featuring England’s Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood, won the opening match, before Woods replaced Kevin Kisner for Tuesday’s season finale.
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Jupiter Links, which also has Max Homa and Tom Kim in the team, went 2-0 up in the second game of the finals but Woods missed a three-foot putt on the seventh hole and the momentum switched to Los Angeles.
They made three eagles in a row before Jupiter conceded the match and the tournament on the 10th hole.
“It was fine physically,” added Woods.
“We got our ass kicked at the end. Three eagles in a row, we didn’t respond. I missed a short one to kind of get it started and give them momentum and we never got it back.”
Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts against the Phoenix Suns in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Nikola Jokic scored 23 points in his second consecutive triple-double, and his jumper with 11.5 seconds remaining broke a tie and pushed the Denver Nuggets to a 125-123 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
Jokic added 17 rebounds and tied a season high with 17 assists for his 29th triple-double of the season. He reached the plateau 11 seconds into the second half, when his 10th assist set up Aaron Gordon’s dunk.
Jamal Murray scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter as the Nuggets (45-28) ran their winning streak to three games.
Devin Booker amassed 22 points and eight assists while Jalen Green and Grayson Allen scored 21 apiece for the Suns (40-33), who have lost six of seven.
Hornets 134, Kings 90
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Charlotte matched a franchise record by making 26 3-pointers, including Coby White’s 6-for-8 performance off the bench, and the red-hot Hornets blasted visiting Sacramento.
The Hornets earned its fourth consecutive win — all of which have come by double digits — and their 12th victory in the past 15 games behind its long-range barrage. White, who led all scorers with 27 points, was one of eight Hornets to hit at least one 3-pointer. Seven made multiple triples, including LaMelo Ball, who went 6 of 13 from deep on his way to 20 points.
Sacramento, opening a five-game Eastern Conference road swing, took their third loss in four games. The 90 points equaled the Kings’ second-lowest performance of the season. Daeqwon Plowden scored a team-high 22 points.
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Cavaliers 136, Magic 131
Donovan Mitchell scored 16 of his 42 points in the third quarter and James Harden added 26 points and seven assists, lifting Cleveland to a victory over visiting Orlando.
Evan Mobley made all eight of his field-goal attempts and finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Cavaliers, who have won four consecutive games.
Paolo Banchero had 36 points, going 13-for-15 from the foul line, and Tristan da Silva scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter for the Magic. Orlando lost its sixth in a row — immediately after winning seven straight — to fall into a tie for eighth in the East.
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Knicks 121, Pelicans 116
Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns produced a double-double and New York won its seventh consecutive game, defeating visiting New Orleans.
Towns finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks, and OG Anunoby also scored 21 points.
Zion Williamson scored 22, Jeremiah Fears put up 21 and Saddiq Bey had 18 for the Pelicans, who have lost two in a row after a 5-1 run.
Moses Itauma v Jermaine Franklin, Deontay Wilder v Derek Chisora and Fabio Wardley v Daniel Dubois will all be broadcast live on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
Itauma’s fight with Franklin on Saturday in Manchester will kick off the heavyweight streak on BBC Radio 5 Live.
The American has just two defeats on his record – to Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua – and comes into the contest off the back of a big upset win over Ivan Dychko in September.
Wilder v Chisora at the O2 Arena is part of a packed weekend of boxing action on the BBC, with Lauren Price defending her welterweight world titles against Stephanie Pineiro in Wales on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
The main events for both fight nights will not clash, and you will be able to follow all the action from both events on the BBC Sport website and app.
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Wilder and Chisora are both fighting in their 50th bout and, despite promising to retire before, Chisora has insisted he will hang up his gloves whether he wins or loses.
Wardley and Dubois bring an all-British world title fight to Manchester’s Co-op Live arena.
Londoner Dubois is aiming to become a two-time heavyweight world champion while Ipswich’s Wardley remains unbeaten in 21 bouts.
Americain dominated both races in 2010, Dunaden lined up in the Prix Kergorlay in 2011 before conquering the Melbourne Cup.
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Protectionist, trained in Germany, followed suit by winning the pair in 2014.
Victoria Racing Club Chief Executive Kylie Rogers highlighted the France Galop tie-up as a nod to two of racing’s greatest countries.
“France has a storied history and connection with the Melbourne Cup, and we are delighted to formalise our partnership with France Galop by introducing the Prix Kergorlay as a Golden Ticket race,” Rogers said in a statement.
“The Melbourne Cup attracts the best stayers from across the world, and this new partnership both incentivises and ensures that the strongest international contenders are competing on the first Tuesday in November.
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“We look forward to building on this partnership and the long-shared bond between our two racing nations.”
Saturday’s Flemington card launches the quest for Melbourne Cup berths, with the Roy Higgins (2600m) providing exemption to its champion.
Michael Carrick has lost just one of his 10 games in charge at Man Utd and there is a reason he is now the odds-on favourite to get the job permanently.
What started out in January as a long list of potential Manchester United head coaches for next season should have shrunk considerably over the previous three months, thanks to the man currently sitting in the hot seat.
Michael Carrick’s run of 23 points from a possible 30, with just one defeat in his 10 games in charge, has significantly strengthened his own candidacy to the extent that it should have ruled plenty of others out.
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When Carrick was handed the reins until the end of the season just over two months ago, there were numerous potential targets and several current Premier League bosses in the frame.
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Now, it feels like Carrick has seen off those potential challengers. Oliver Glasner remains second or third favourite with most bookmakers, but his time at Crystal Palace isn’t ending particularly positively. He has already been beaten by Carrick, and his back-three system is an obvious sticking point.
So impressive has Carrick’s reign been, featuring wins over potential rivals for the job in Glasner, Marco Silva and Unai Emery and a draw with Andoni Iraola, that it’s difficult to see the sense in promoting someone from a mid-ranking Premier League club now.
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Thomas Frank’s experiences at Tottenham show how difficult it is to make the leap from an upwardly mobile but ultimately under-the-radar club to one of the league’s supposed elite. At least Carrick has shown he can deal with the Old Trafford pressures, has the players on his side and can get results.
That counts for an awful lot when there are so many unknowns about other potential candidates, such as Glasner and Iraola, or even Gareth Southgate, who somehow still features highly in the betting.
Carrick has stabilised United and has them on course for a return to the Champions League. His approach to the job has delivered a sense of calm to Old Trafford that has been absent for an awful long time and that will count for a lot among the club’s executives.
Old Trafford insiders continue to insist that the process to recruit a new head coach will be a thorough one and that there is no rush to make a decision. Although United have only seven games remaining, there is plenty of time left in the season and there isn’t likely to be an early coronation of the kind bestowed on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seven years ago.
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United have been impressed with the work Carrick has done. While there is no guarantee he will get the job, it now feels like it’s either Carrick or one of the very few elite managers the club might be able to attract to Old Trafford.
Top of that list will be Luis Enrique, the Paris St-Germain boss who has a glittering CV and an attractive style of play. He has previously expressed an interest in working in the Premier League and speaks excellent English. The question is whether the rebuilding project at United would be attractive enough to Enrique, whose PSG side look to be coming to the boil at the perfect time again this season.
Another ‘elite-level’ contender is Julian Nagelsmann. He is leading Germany into the World Cup this summer and has a contract with the German Football Association that runs until 2028, which would make it a difficult appointment, but he has a long-standing relationship with the director of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, and experience managing a super club in Bayern Munich.
For many, the choice of head coach is now down to these three. There could be more twists and turns to come, but with every passing week, Carrick is doing his bit to rule others out.
Mar 24, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) celebrates a goal against the Utah Mammoth during the second period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Connor McDavid scored his 400th and 401st career goals, the first of which gave the Edmonton Oilers the lead for good in a 5-2 win against the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday in Salt Lake City.
Eight seconds after Utah’s Lawson Crouse tied the game 2-2 at 11:59 of the second period, McDavid caught a break on a 2-on-1 and put the puck off the crossbar and in to put the Oilers back on top.
Jack Roslovic also scored twice and Evan Bouchard had three assists for the Oilers (35-28-9, 79 points), who had lost two consecutive games but passed the Vegas Golden Knights for second place in the Pacific Division. Matt Savoie added a goal, and Tristan Jarry made 16 saves.
Alexander Kerfoot scored for the Mammoth (37-29-6, 80 points), who had won three of their previous four games. They still hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot. Vitek Vanecek stopped all 10 shots he faced in relief of Karel Vejmelka, who allowed four goals on 15 shots over the first two periods.
Kerfoot put Utah ahead 1-0 at 11:12 of the first period. Sean Durzi set Kerfoot up with a no-look drop pass, and the center’s snap shot deflected off of Edmonton defenseman Connor Murphy before it coasted over Jarry’s shoulder.
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Roslovic tied it 1-1 at 14:27 of the first when Jake Walman set him up on the rush for a wrist shot that went in off the bar. The Oilers outshot the Mammoth 8-3 in the opening frame.
Edmonton grabbed its first lead at 11:24 of the second period. The Oilers were on the penalty kill when Bouchard set Savoie up for a short-handed goal.
Crouse responded to tie the game at 35 seconds later. He received Michael Carcone’s pass off the boards before the power play expired to make it 2-2.
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Following McDavid’s goal, Roslovic extended the lead to 4-2 at 15:04 of the middle frame. Zach Hyman’s shot ricocheted off the post, and Roslovic collected the puck to score on the rebound.
McDavid scored into an empty net with eight seconds left in the third period.
Tulsa and New Mexico both advanced to the NIT semifinals with victories Tuesday and will face each other on April 2 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
No. 1 seed Tulsa advanced with an 83-79 win over Wichita State behind a standout performance from guard Tylen Riley. He finished with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists in the win over the Shockers.
No. 1 seed New Mexico moved on to the semifinals after defeating Saint Joseph’s 84-69 behind 27 points from Tomislav Bulijan.
Wednesday will see the other side of the bracket get filled out. No. 1 seed Auburn hosts No. 2 seed Nevada, while No. 2 seed Dayton will face No. 4 seed Illinois State. Auburn, the only remaining high-major team in the field, has never reached the semifinals of the NIT. The Tigers’ last appearance in the NIT came in 2009, when they lost to Baylor in the quarterfinals.
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Only four power conference teams are competing in the NIT this year: Auburn, Cal, Wake Forest and Oklahoma State. Multiple programs — such as Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, Belmont and San Diego State — declined an invitation to the NIT after missing out on the NCAA Tournament.
Here is a look at the full bracket.
2026 NIT schedule
Games in the first three rounds to be played at the higher-seeded team’s home arena. All times ET
Feb 6, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Kirk Cousins on the Opening Drive show at the SiriusXM NFL radio set at the Super Bowl LX media center at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are unofficially being held hostage by Aaron Rodgers’s gruesomely unpunctual decision-making, and if Rodgers ultimately decides to retire, Kirk Cousins could be the Steelers’ fallback plan.
Pittsburgh may need a contingency plan, and Cousins is firmly in the conversation.
That’s the word recently from NFL insider Jason La Canfora, who claimed that Cousins is Pittsburgh’s current insurance policy.
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The Steelers Continue Weighing Cousins as a Backup Plan
Cousins could start after all in 2026.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) walks off following a tough road loss, with frustration visible as Denver controlled the game late at Empower Field at Mile High, Nov 17, 2024, in Denver, Colorado, USA. Cousins and the Falcons struggled to find consistency against a disciplined Broncos defense throughout the contest. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images.
La Canfora: Steelers Keeping an Eye on Cousins
In article explaining that Cousins may not find a new team until after the NFL draft, La Canfora mentioned, “While several GMs told me they believe the Falcons would have been far better off keeping Cousins as their starter for this season, Atlanta did not attempt to bring him back, the sources said, and at this point it might make the most sense for him to wait until inevitable injuries occur, rather than make a decision now.”
“Cousins is not going to be signing anywhere for the veteran minimum, and there are fewer options available to him now. Pittsburgh is monitoring Cousins and view him as a viable alternative if Aaron Rodgers opts to retire.”
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If not Cousins as the contingency plan, the Steelers are down to Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, and Jimmy Garoppolo from free agency, in addition to their incumbent second-year passer, Will Howard.
Rodgers’s Cringeworthy Delay
Before the 2025 regular season began, reporters naturally asked Rodgers if the campaign was his final, and he hinted affirmatively. The first year in Pittsburgh lined up as his final season in the pros, per his lips.
Then, after the Steelers lost in Round 1 of the postseason, he told the media that he wouldn’t make a rushed decision about his future, waiting for the raw emotion to burn off before locking in his return or retirement. That was 2.5 months ago.
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Fast forward to late March, and Rodgers continues to lollygag, refusing to notify the public of his plans, despite fearlessness over appearing on national programming like ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show. It’s also worth noting that Rodgers and his predecessor for the Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre, are the only two NFLers to do this — get to the offseason for multiple years during their career twilight and then just have everyone guess about what they might do.
It’s utterly bizarre.
Raiders as a Bridge Spot for Kirk
On Cousins, suppose Rodgers returns, postponing retirement and guaranteeing the 2027 offseason brings another “Will he or won’t he?” regarding retirement. Cousins would look for a new landing spot, and the Las Vegas Raiders might make sense if probable first overall pick Fernando Mendoza isn’t quite ready to start Week 1.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) takes the field during pregame introductions, returning to a familiar venue as fans looked on ahead of kickoff at U.S. Bank Stadium, Dec 8, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Cousins faced his former team in a matchup that carried added attention across both sidelines. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
La Canfora noted on Vegas an option for Cousins, “Las Vegas is still looking for a more established quarterback to buy them time if they need it, if presumptive first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza is not ready to start Week 1.”
The Raiders’ new skipper is Klint Kubiak, and he crossed paths with Cousins in Minnesota. The only quarterback — at all — on Las Vegas’s roster at this very moment is Aidan O’Connell. The Raiders traded Geno Smith to the New York Jets. Some teams, like the Vikings, have four quarterbacks in March. The Raiders have one.
The Other Teams?
If it’s not the Steelers or Raiders, Cousins might be down this list of destinations:
Arizona Cardinals
Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts
San Francisco 49ers
The Cardinals have Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew ready to do battle for the QB1 job this summer — not an ideal combo unless a team is outwardly tanking. The Browns have three quarterbacks — which means they could have none in a practical sense — in Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, and Dillon Gabriel.
Colts quarterback and former Viking Daniel Jones is recovering from a busted Achilles, and Indianapolis may trade Anthony Richardson to a team like the Green Bay Packers. The San Francisco 49ers? Why not trade Mac Jones to a team like the Arizona Cardinals for a 2nd-Rounder and sign Cousins for cheap as the QB2?
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins greets attendees and poses for photos during a community event that brought together local athletes and fans, highlighting his connection to the region, May 11, 2019, at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA. The Argus Leader Sports Awards ceremony featured prominent figures from across the state. Mandatory Credit: Michael G. Brown-Argus Leader.
La Canfora on the 49ers and Los Angeles Rams as landing spots for Cousins: “Several executives have noted Cousins’s past ties to head coach Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco) and Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams), and believe Cousins could be a welcome addition as a back-up there (or perhaps with Andy Reid in Kansas City), but at this point it seems unlikely Cousins would go that route without exhausting any opportunity to start.”
Cousins will turn 38 in August and ranked as the NFL’s 10th-worst quarterback last season per EPA/Play.
Chances are your lineup hasn’t been hit hard enough by injuries yet for you to turn to the waiver wire for replacements. If that’s the case, I want you to think of this article as superfluous. No matchup considerations are enough for you to stray from those big bats you drafted.
But if you have had a couple of injuries already or came out of your draft with some known weak points, these recommendations could be of interest.
I’ll come out with some every week, and they may prove to be more vital as the season plays out. Note that I’ll be limiting my selection this week to those rostered in no more than 75 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
This first week actually requires two lists. With the season beginning on a Wednesday, some leagues will choose to treat opening weekend as its own five-day scoring period (which is the CBS standard), but others will combine it with the first full week for an extra long 12-day scoring period. Rest assured that no matter how your league has opted to handle it, I have you covered.
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