AUGUSTA, Ga. — When someone witnesses a catastrophe, several interesting things happen in the brain in an instant.
The autonomic nervous system floods the body with adrenaline and cortisol, speeding up sensory processing in the amygdala and supercharging memory encoding — basically turning the brain into a vector for documentation. Occasionally, this physiological response causes a phenomenon called “tonic immobility,” where the witness of a traumatic event does not flee or fight, but freezes.
In this situation, the witness is helpless — trapped in a moment of unforgivable horror, incapable of doing anything to alter the situation, and undergoing a moment of physiological stress in which their brain is uniquely attenuated to remember every gory detail.
This is the unfortunate situation that befell a few hundred patrons on the side of the 13th hole on Sunday afternoon at the Masters, when Haotong Li endured the worst 30 minutes of his golfing life, then recorded a score that both torpedoed his tournament and defied belief: A quintuple-bogey 10.
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The trauma began fairly innocuously. On his second shot from the fairway, Li overcooked his 3-wood approach into the winding section of Rae’s Creek that frames the hole. Under normal circumstances, the situation facing him would be fairly simple: Recover the ball from the creek, take a drop on dry land no nearer to the hole, and play the wedge approach shot into the green.
Except, as fate would have it, Li’s approach did not arrive under normal circumstances. Rather than settling inside the tributary, his ball ricocheted off a large rock and took an ugly bounce left, nestling deep into the bushes further up the hill on the far side of the creek.
Li sauntered down the fairway without too much concern — but realized his bad luck as soon as he arrived at the scene of the crime. Li’s caddie, Jady de Beer, drew the short straw, dropping the bag and stumbling across Rae’s Creek as he entered the bushes in pursuit of the ball.
After a few hapless seconds, the patrons on the far side of the fairway took pity on the caddie and began to shout instructions en masse, directing de Beer toward the golf ball, which he eventually recovered. (Left, left! Up! Higher!) After a long conversation, Li grabbed a wedge and headed across the river to survey the lie in the trees.
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This might have seemed like a good idea to both parties at the time of the decision, but it seemed quite clear to everybody on the opposite side of the fairway that it was an unforgivable error because it introduced a powerful, terrifying force: temptation. The ball was almost assuredly unplayable; Li seemed like he’d be better served to return to his previous spot than take on any additional risk. But after some more chatter, Li ignored the gallery’s better judgment and settled in for his chip from the middle of the hedges by straddling a bush and battling a thicket of branches just to get his club on the ground.
Finally, he swung, and the crowd’s worst fears were realized. The ball traveled less than 15 feet, on an angle roughly perpendicular to the direction he’d intended to hit his ball, and settled even further into the crap.
It was around this time that myself and my colleague, cv vDylan Dethier, realized we might be on the brink of witnessing something not just bad, but truly horrific. Li’s ball had been in hell. Now it was somewhere worse. He no longer had the option to return to the site of his original tee shot. Instead he could take several club lengths and get a drop that way.
Li appeared to realize this himself as his mind finally adjusted and he recovered the ball in the bushes. He spent a little while attempting to settle into a stance in this new, worse lie — at one point taking dead-aim at the group of onlookers — before giving a dejected look at his ball and stepping away.
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At long last, and to the great relief of those seated potentially within low-laser-to-the-shins range, he decided to take a drop, which was when a new character entered our story for the first time: The rules official, who’d been serving as innocent bystander up to this point.
The problem was that Li appeared to pick his ball up off the ground, like a kid might pluck a dandelion, but he was not actually in a penalty area. The red lines demarcating said area were behind him; he’d just picked his ball up from live action, or at least that’s how it appeared from our vantage point, and so the rules official reacted like Li had just cut the wrong wire on a pipe bomb, furiously waving the golfer back into place so that he could take a proper drop from the location in deeper-hell. Put another way: You’re not allowed to do that.
Eventually, the rules official and Li worked out a solution — though the official still seemed impressively anxious about the whole affair — and after a few more long walks zig-zagging Rae’s creek, Li had taken a proper unplayable drop, sourced a proper golf club, and was prepared to play a shot advancing his ball up in the general direction of the green. (An aside: At one point during the zig-zagging, de Beer realized he’d left the bag roughly 30 yards behind where it needed to be, and began running back to gather it at pretty close to full speed. Two thoughts on that decision: 1. There is no running at Augusta National. 2. It’d been around 15 minutes since he’d first entered the creek when he started the sprint, which struck me as an unusual time to begin caring about pace of play.)
Haotong Li in the moment of disaster.
Getty Images
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Li played his pitch shot, though he used a surprisingly full swing and sent it high over the trees and long and left of the green, landing mercifully on the safe side of Rae’s Creek. The crowd, which was at this point equal parts dismayed and totally stunned, responded with an Augusta National first: A Bronx cheer for the golfer, who quickly escaped from the wrong side of Rae’s Creek and up in the direction of the green.
It was only now, pretty close to 25 full minutes after Haotong Li had first entered the wilderness, that the crowd’s attention turned to the other golfer sharing the hole with him: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who was preparing to hit what might be described as the single most consequential shot of his entire Masters week, a pitch shot to set up a must-make birdie to cut the deficit from leader Rory McIlroy to 2.
Say what you will about Scheffler’s recent snippiness with the press and himself, the man handled the first act of Li’s disaster with the patience of a saint. He’d paced back and forth on the fairway, up to the green, back behind his ball, and now he hustled up to the ball and hit a good — if not great — pitch to roughly 11 feet.
Scheffler might have reasonably expected that his birdie putt might arrive soon after that pitch shot. Common sense would dictate Li playing his next shot with some eagerness, considering the delay his misfortune had already caused. Justin Rose was waiting in the fairway by now, after all. But Li hadn’t demonstrated much urgency at any point throughout the process and wasn’t about to start now.
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Li certainly may have hoped this part would wrap up fast. Instead he made a short, aggressive stroke with his putter toward the tucked Sunday pin location and it became clear that his disaster was only beginning. Li watched in a state of mesmerized disbelief as his ball rolled past the hole, espast his flagstick-tending caddie, past the edge of the green and all the way into the water.
It was around this time that the crowd reacted as if it had literally seen a collision, letting out the kind of low, horrified, disbelieving grunt one might hear after metal on metal, or discovering a cockroach infestation.
It’s unclear what Scheffler was thinking around this time, but his inner-dialogue probably didn’t get any more forgiving after Li’s eighth shot — which was another putt from the same location as the first putt into the water, though it traveled only about half the distance to the hole — nor his ninth, which missed the hole on the low side. Somehow Scheffler’s playing partner had managed to take eight shots between Scheffler’s second on the 13th and his birdie try, which also missed on the low side.
Thankfully, by the time the ball got within striking distance of the hole on his 9th stroke, Li was no longer trying to maintain the artifice of taking his time. He practically ran to place his mark behind his ball, clearing the runway for Scheffler. And then practically ran up to hit his tap-in, which fell into the hole for a truly breathtaking quintuple-bogey 10 … and elicited a second Bronx cheer from the Amen Corner faithful.
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Li, to his credit, was a good sport about the debacle, holding his hands to the sky in mock-celebration after finally escaping with a 10. And CBS, to its credit, was a good sport about it too, choosing not to show Li’s fall from 5 under and in-the-thick-of-it to even par and deeply dismayed.
But to those who watched the action from up close, the journey was a horrifying exercise in the kind of trauma only Augusta National can inflict.
The pain of the moment was real for Haotong Li, but the memory was even realer for those who saw it up close, and who will now live their lives trying to forget.
“I always thought I wanted to play this hole,” one of the victims said Sunday afternoon. “Now I’m not so sure.”
Jun 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder team owner Clay Bennett and the team hold up the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after being announced NBA Champions at the end of game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Oddsmakers really like Oklahoma City Thunder to continue their reign over the NBA and successfully defend their championship.
The Thunder, who concluded the regular season on Sunday with the league’s best record at 64-18 (.780), are the clear favorite to keep the Larry O’Brien Trophy at a range of +110 to +135, according to a survey of sportsbooks on Sunday night.
Conversely, the Portland Trail Blazers, playing beyond the regular season for the first time since the 2020-21 season, have the most convincing to do. The eighth seed in the Western Conference, Portland has a play-in game against the Phoenix Suns and is the biggest underdog to make it all the way and win the NBA Finals, with some odds at +250000.
The odds closely align with the records, as the San Antonio Spurs (62-20, .756) have the second-best odds at +450 to +550.
The Boston Celtics (56-26), fortified by the solid return of star Jayson Tatum from a ruptured Achilles in last year’s playoffs, are the next favorite. The Detroit Pistons (60-22) had the better regular season but perhaps not the track record of recent playoff runs compared to their Eastern Conference rival, who won the NBA title two seasons ago.
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DraftKings has the defending champion Thunder at +110, followed by the Spurs at +500, Celtics at +550 and Nuggets at +950.
Then there’s a jump to the Cleveland Cavaliers (+1600), New York Knicks (+1800) and Pistons (+2200).
The longest odds of the 20 teams are for the Trail Blazers at +200000. DraftKings favors the seventh-seeded Suns downing eighth-seeded Portland with a 4.5-point spread in their play-in game on Tuesday in Phoenix.
FanDuel also likes Oklahoma City to repeat as the NBA champion (+115), with San Antonio and Boston next (each at +550), then Denver and Cleveland (each at +1100) and New York (+1800).
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Here, Portland is at +75000 along with Phoenix and Miami as the three teams with the longest odds.
FanDuel takes the next step by putting odds on the finalists, with a Celtics-Thunder matchup the favorite (+330), which follows the conference breakdown of the overall winner odds.
The Thunder represent the Western Conference in the top four favored matchups, against the Cavaliers (+550), Knicks (+850) and Pistons (+900). Those predicting a Celtics-Spurs final can get +1000 odds, and Cavs-Spurs at +1500.
The longest odds are +75000 for Cavs-Warriors, Knicks-Lakers, Knicks-Clippers, Knicks-Warriors and Pistons-Lakers.
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Take the extra step and pick the matchup and winner, and that’s the Thunder over the Celtics at +500. A Boston series win over Oklahoma City is at +1200 odds.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, is favored to repeat as NBA Finals MVP at +135. Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is next at +500.
BetMGM likes the Thunder to win it all at +135, followed by the Spurs (+450), Celtics (+550), Nuggets (+1000) and Cavaliers (+1400). The Trail Blazers have the longest odds at +250000.
Saturday’s fight with Arslanbek Makhmudov earned Tyson Fury a huge £18.6m payday on his return to the ring
He might have brought in millions from his fight with Arslanbek Makhmudov but Tyson Fury isn’t spending it all at once. Fury was spotted taking a budget flight with his wife and kids after beating Makhmudov by unanimous decision in London.
Fury, 37, was back in the ring for the first time since 2024. Netflix bought the streaming rights and the former world champ banked the best part of £19million, though a chunk of that is expected to go to the taxman.
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Such a hefty payday might have prompted some to splash out on a private jet. He was doing nothing of the sort, though, taking a LoganAir flight from London City Airport to his Isle of Man home.
Fury, wife Paris and their seven children were spotted at the airport preparing for a commercial flight back to the island. Tickets for the journey can cost as little as £40 and even more expensive commercial journeys are still far cheaper than private flights.
The Manchester fighter is believed to have moved to the Isle of Man in late 2025. His new home on the tax haven is reported to have set him back around £8m and is near the island’s capital of Douglas.
Fury and his family had been living in Morecambe, Lancashire, before making the move. The Gypsy King decided to relocate after a scary incident with an intruder and considered other options before settling on their new home.
“I looked at moving abroad, but it turned out that the Isle of Man is the perfect place for me,” the heavyweight said. “It’s English-speaking, has English pound notes, and I can get an English newspaper from the local petrol station with my coffee and speak my own lingo.”
“I want to give you the fight you’ve all been waiting for,” Fury said. “I want you, AJ, Anthony Joshua. Let’s give the fight fans what they want – the Battle of Britain.
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“I challenge you Anthony Joshua to fight me the Gypsy King next. Do you accept my challenge?”
Joshua fired back, though. “Tyson, you are a clout-chaser. I’ve never had no problem getting in a ring with you, I punched you up as kids, watching you tonight I’ll punch you up again,” he said.
“You won’t tell me what to do. I’ve been chasing you the last 10 years, when you’re ready you come and see me. I’m the boss, you work for me. I’m the landlord. You work for me.
“When you’re ready you come and see me and tell me your terms and conditions. I’m the boss, you work for me. I’m the landlord remember that, you work for me.”
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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.
Former LSU women’s basketball guard Bella Hines transferred to TCU, per a report from On3’s Talia Goodman on Sunday. The move comes after her lone season in Baton Rouge.
Hines was part of the top signing class in the 2026 recruiting cycle. She averaged 4.2 points per game, shooting 44% from the field. Most of her shots came from beyond the arc, helping stretch the floor for LSU’s playmakers.
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Early in SEC play, Hines saw few meaningful minutes but that changed in February. She played over 10 minutes five out of the seven games LSU played that month, upping her game as a scorer and defender.
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Hines’ decision to transfer came as a surprise, considering her strong finish to the season. She would’ve been in the running to start or be one of the first two players off the bench, but instead, she’ll head to the Big 12.
TCU developed a reputation for scoring big pickups in the transfer portal. Last season, head coach Mark Campbell secured a commitment from former Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles and former Tiger Hailey Van Lith ahead of the 2024-25 season.
In the end, this second Masters championship for Rory McIlroy is almost unavoidably going to become a milestone.
If last year’s emotional triumph to complete the Grand Slam was a destination – the destination – then retaining it puts him in rarefied air but doesn’t answer the only question which will ultimately matter when all is said and done; where this child prodigy from Northern Ireland turned golfing superstar will rank among the all-time greats.
That is the competition for him now: how many majors he can amass, how many records he can break.
By his own admission on this Sunday night in Georgia, at American golf’s most famous course in its crown jewel competition, he won’t always have this level of preparation for a major.
After 71 holes of rollercoaster golf, the 18th hole on Sunday was a microcosm of it all.
Needing to avoid a double-bogey on the last to win back-to-back Masters championships, McIlroy was once again wayward when the fairway was wide open for him.
“Coming off the 18th tee not knowing where my ball was, that was probably the moment of most stress; thinking this could be anywhere.”
Not for the first time, McIlroy’s driving put him out of position heading down the 18th with a two-shot lead (AP)
The Ulsterman had been long but inaccurate off the tee all week, and found the pine straw yet again. An iron to salvage things ended up in the bunker, but he splashed out to give himself a par putt that would have won the Masters. Drifting only a matter of inches past the hole, a bogey was still enough.
On Tuesday, McIlroy had commented that he felt “winning a Masters makes it easier to win your second one.”
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But last year’s triumph might not have helped in the way you’d expect, and it turns out that there are far greater advantages to winning the Masters than people might realise.
The obvious one of McIlroy no longer feeling that same internal pressure to complete the Grand Slam is something that is undeniable, and he admitted himself that he felt it might be simpler this year without the weight of the Grand Slam on his shoulders. But all those years of neurotically wondering how to best prepare in order to give himself the best chance of winning have also set him up for future success at Augusta that will extend far beyond this year’s triumph, his second in a row.
McIlroy with his family after winning a second Masters, including parents Rosie and Gerry McIlroy – who would not miss a second green jacket (REUTERS)
McIlroy tried a lot of different regimes as he looked to climb the mountain – arriving late, arriving early, practicing a lot, not practicing at all, playing in tournaments, skipping them – but this year’s preparation is almost certainly what he will continue for the rest of time.
From his base in Florida, he has been baking practice at Augusta into his weekly routine to the extent that it now “feels like my home course”. Skipping the three tour events running up to the Masters simply because he “doesn’t like them” will have made a couple of PGA Tour tournament directors wince, but it has allowed him time to effectively commute (via private jet, naturally) and practice around the course where a tournament that will actually matter to his legacy is taking place.
“I did a couple of days where I dropped Poppy to school, flew up here, played, landed back home and had dinner with her – or had dinner with Erica probably… a couple of day trips like that where I felt it was a better use of my time than going to Houston or San Antonio,” McIlroy admitted in typically frank fashion.
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“Monday, Tuesday last week, then Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. I was up here for a day the week before as well.
“I’ve been on this golf course so much the last three weeks, and that’s been a combination of practice and chipping and putting around greens, and then just playing one ball and shooting scores and ending up in weird places that you maybe never find yourself and just trying to figure it out.”
McIlroy’s preparation for this year’s Masters is almost certainly what he will continue for the rest of time (REUTERS)
McIlroy revealed that it wasn’t about conserving energy, just spending productive time working on those details around on the greens where a major championship would be decided come this glorious mid-April Sunday.
And that level of practice has shown.
Ultimately what McIlroy has learned over his nearly two decades of playing years of playing here is that you need to be a killer with the wedges and putter in hand.
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After two days, McIlroy was second-best putting and second-best driving distance but 90th in driving accuracy. He missed every single fairway on the par 5s as he built up his six-stroke lead over Thursday and Friday’s rounds, all eight of them, but came away with seven birdies and a par.
That’s a guy who understands how to play the course.
“I feel like being up here a lot and I’ve prepared as well for this Masters as any other that I’ve played,” he said.
Indeed, his 3.1 strokes gained around the greens during Friday’s round was not just the best in the field all weekend, it was the best by miles. In fact, the gap from first to second was the same as the gap from second to 45th. His chipping and short game was on a different planet to everyone else unfortunate enough to be trying to catch him at Augusta this weekend.
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McIlroy was required to escape from the bunker on the 18th in order to avoid a double bogey (Getty Images)
“My scrambling, my putting and my short game are what won me this tournament,” he would say on Sunday night, that green jacket once again on his back.
While Saturday’s round had made the retrieval of that jacket more difficult, McIlroy leaned into practice as a means of dragging himself to the finish line.
After missing some key iron shots left on day three during a disappointing 73, his post-round trip to the driving range as the shadows disappeared and turned into night on Saturday was all about rediscovering the light fade and re-establishing control.
In McIlroy’s own words, the most important shot of Masters Sunday was his nine-iron off the tee on 12, where he pulled out that baby cut that he’d rehearsed so many times under the lights of the practice area and nailed it under the brightest lights of them all.
McIlroy highlighted his nine-iron off the tee on 12, which led to birdie, as his most important shot of the week (Getty Images)
“It was a really good golf shot at the right time, and probably a golf shot I wouldn’t have been able to hit yesterday before going to the range.”
That birdie, then another on 13, proved decisive. It was his golf through Amen Corner on Sunday and the resultant three-shot swing that was the difference between him and perennial contender Justin Rose, at one point a Sunday leader by two shots, and set McIlroy back on the path to glory after a wobbly start.
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McIlroy described himself on Friday as a “wily old veteran” and this victory provided some support for that. No longer is he the boy wonder who dreams of emulating the greats, he is the established hero who inspires those following around the world.
Could other players have turned up at Augusta over the last few weeks and played practice rounds to familiarise themselves with the angles and sightlines provided by this sternest of tests? Probably not. That’s the benefit of a green jacket. Besides, most of them will have had tournaments to play.
Make no mistake, though. McIlroy has earned the right to prepare how he wishes, he had toiled for more than a decade without tasting glory and tried every which way to prepare in order to win. Now that he’s found his formula, and it appears he truly has, good luck convincing him to change it.
McIlroy and caddie Harry Diamond have cracked the code to win the Masters (Getty Images)
“I thought it was so difficult last year because I was trying to win the Masters and the Grand Slam but it turned it was just really difficult to win the Masters,” he laughed on a Sunday night that will once again be filled with champagne at the impeccable Augusta National clubhouse.
Yet he followed with a more important lesson, and a more pertinent one, as his smile melted into sincerity.
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“If you put the hours in and you work on the right things, it’ll work out for you.”
While the AEW star Josh Alexander is currently out of action due to injury, an update has come up regarding the severity of the injury. The Walking Weapon wrestled his last match last month.
After gaining prominence during his time in TNA, Josh Alexander joined All Elite Wrestling last year. Alexander has been an integral part of the Don Callis Family faction during his AEW run. After his last match on Collision last month, where he teamed with El Clon nd Konosuke Takeshita against JetSpeed and Mistico in a trios match, Alexander was ruled out due to injury.
After announcing that he had sustained an injury, Josh Alexander also underwent successful knee surgery. While Josh is expected to be on the road to recovery, an update is here regarding the same. Alexander’s wife, Jade Chung recently shared a post on Instagram featuring her husband as well.
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Jade was showing her old wrestling gear in a funny reel in which she made Josh Alexander wear her gear through editing. Alexander was seen in the reel with crutches, as he was having trouble walking after the recent knee surgery.
Alexander could be seen with crutches in the following post:
Josh Alexander’s AEW return is uncertain after injury
After his last match on Collision a few weeks back, Josh Alexander disclosed that he had sustained an injury during his last match. In a video shared on X, Alexander also stated that he is not cleared to compete and there is no timetable on when he will return:
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“Last week on AEW Collision, I suffered an injury. And when you suffer injuries, you don’t know how severe they are. I just found out a minute ago how serious this was, and I know I’ve been limping and in pain for a week, but yeah, my surgeon told me I’m going to need surgery this coming Wednesday. And my knee injury is pretty severe, so I will not be cleared to compete, and there’s no timetable set right now for when I will be back,” Alexander revealed.
It remains to be seen when Josh Alexander will be back in action following the recent knee surgery.
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The Denver Broncos took a flyer on quarterback Paxton Lynch during the 2016 NFL Draft, selecting him in the first round that year in one of the event’s biggest shockers.
However, the former Memphis Tigers standout would only play five NFL games before he would bounce around the league from practice squad to practice squad. He was last seen on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster in 2020.
Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch throws a pass against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Aug. 30, 2018.(Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
Lynch was attempting to find a route back into the NFL and landed with the Colorado Spartans of the National Arena League before the 2026 season. He was in his third game with the Spartans when he suffered a torn LCL.
“I was p—ed off,” he told the Denver Post. “And it sucks. I didn’t want it to be like this.”
Lynch appeared to take solace in being able to play again – even if it was in an indoor football league. He suggested he was up for the challenge.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Paxton Lynch trains at Heinz Field during the Steelers 2020 training camp on Aug. 4, 2020, in Pittsburgh, Pa.(Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers)
“I was like, ‘OK, if I play this year in arena football, I’m going to play as Paxton Lynch. I’m going to have full confidence in myself. I don’t really care.’ And that’s what I did,” he told the paper.
“It felt good to do that again.”
He had three touchdown passes in three games with Colorado. Javin Kilgo replaced him at quarterback. Through five games, Colorado is 2-3.
Orlando Guardians quarterback Paxton Lynch drops back to pass against the Houston Roughnecks in the first quarter at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 18, 2023.(Thomas Shea/USA TODAY Sports)
Lynch told the Denver Post he wasn’t sure if he would play in 2027, but if the National Arena League is where his career ended, he said he was just fine with that.
Here’s three reasons why more pros choose spiked footwear over spikeless footwear, and two secrets from the PGA Tour you may not know about golf spikes.
Rory McIlroy won the 2026 Masters Tournament trusting replaceable traction on his feet.
What you need to know:
The obvious traction benefits:
Spiked footwear provides more traction for players in all conditions. Think past just debris, mud or wet conditions to uneven lies, hazardous ground conditions and less than optimal turf. Spikeless shoes may be okay on a dry day with a flat lie, but spikes will always be superior when traction is an essential part of success. Standing on a side hill lie, stepping up to a half grown teebox, or even Rory’s risky approach this year on 18 at Augusta are all moments where spikes aren’t just a better option; they’re mandatory.
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A very under-stated benefit of spiked footwear is the ability to replace the traction whenever you need. As spikes or spikeless shoes are worn and used the spikes are going to degrade. Swing after swing you’re losing traction. With a pair of spikeless shoes you have no choice but to spend hundreds of dollars on a new pair of shoes. With spikes, you simply pay about what you did for your lunch today and get fresh, brand-new traction in minutes.
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Wearing spiked footwear isn’t just about creating more stability, it’s about creating more consistency. According to third-party testing done for Softspikes, the maker of replaceable spikes, players saw a 46% increase in impact consistency on the club face resulting in 60% better dispersion down range and a 5-yard increase in distance. Not because the stability of the spikes allowed them to swing faster, which it does, but because they were able to find the center of the face more consistently, leading to higher averages across the board. I even tested this indoors and sure enough, it worked there too.
Secrets on Tour:
Metal spikes are still out there:
Most people don’t know that metal spikes are still very popular on the PGA Tour. Their usage has gone down in recent years since the release of the Tour Flex Pro spikes, but they still see plenty of use on Tour each week. Metal spikes provide the most downward traction, as well as the best opportunity to penetrate through any debris. This can include pine straw, like Rory and others faced at Augusta, mud, leaves in the fall, or other conditions that may require pushing past debris for the best stance. Just ask Hoatong Li. He sure used his spikes at Augusta.
Haotong Li definitely got the maximum usage out of his spikes during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament.
Combo sets of spikes:
The craziest thing I had heard about spike usage on Tour sent me into a spiral that I still tinker with on a regular basis. Of all the pros that use spiked footwear on the PGA Tour, about half of them are using more than one type of spike on their feet. This is sorted out by using pressure displacement measurement during the golf swing, on-course testing,and through trial and error with the player. Some players will take a single metal spike and place it in the “last ditch effort” spot on their trail foot. Other players, like McIlroy will use a combination of spikes to make sure they are getting the best benefits for their unique swing and how they use the ground. Your feet and the shoes you choose to wear are the only connection you have to the ground you’re standing on. Treating them like any other piece of equipment in the bag is one of the best things you can do for your game.
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Are you willing to put your scorecard on the line?
Confidence in traction is up to you. Are you willing to risk it?
I’ll be honest, the first time the folks at Softspikes approached me about wearing spikes vs. continuing to wear the spikeless shoes I had fallen in love with, I thought they were crazy. How could a simple shoe switch actually help me play better golf? Well as it turns out every claim they have made has come true for me. So much so that I refuse to play golf if I am not in spikes.
It’s become a big confidence problem if nothing else. I’m not a large golfer, but I have a very strong ability to use the ground and generate more power than my 5’7” frame should. A lot of that is aided by my ability to trust my footwear to keep me grounded in place and swinging as hard as I need to to gain an edge on my much larger competition. I’ve even converted Johnny Wunder into a spiked footwear user full-time after a conversation we had on the podcast with Softspikes tour rep Charles Woodward. Remember, every single winner this season has taken home the hardware with replaceable traction on their feet. The truth? Winners wear spikes. And I’m definitely not a loser. Are you?
For more information and some entertainment go watch my buddy Cordie Walker’s video testing spike usage for a small group of players. You’ll definitely take away some interesting learnings.
Tyson Fury got back to winning ways this weekend and is now looking to keep active for the remainder of 2026, eyeing up a clash with Anthony Joshua.
Should that fight not happen, fans are sure to clamour for a showdown between Fury and Moses Itauma, and ‘The Gypsy King’ has shared his thoughts on that proposed scrap.
However, with Joshua still on the mend after his tragic car crash, the two-time world champion was reluctant to agree to a fight on the spot, seemingly unwilling to deviate from plans to first have a warm-up fight and then take face Fury.
In the press conference following his win, Fury made his intentions clear once again, admitting that he has no interest in fights with the next generation, Itauma included, and would chase a Usyk trilogy instead if the ‘AJ’ fight failed to materialise.
“I’m not interested in Daniel Dubois, I’m not interested in Moses [Itauma]. I’m not interested in all these guys.
“They are all great fighters and I wish them all the best of luck in the world but I want to fight Anthony Joshua, that is it. Or, if AJ don’t want it, then let’s get Usyk in the trilogy.”
Manchester City defender Marc Guehi spoke about how the team are feeling ahead of their Premier League match with Arsenal
Marc Guehi knows a bit about arriving at the right time. The Chelsea academy graduate has built his reputation as a classy defender at Premier League and international level by making sure he is always on the scene to shut out attackers.
And he walked into the Etihad at the exact moment where Pep Guardiola needing him most, immediately settling a team that had lost Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol to significant injuries and seen recalled youngster Max Alleyne hit the buffers. Guehi was colossal in a pivotal 2-1 comeback win at Anfield shortly after joining and has formed an excellent partnership with Abdukodir Khusanov that has seen clean sheets against Liverpool and Chelsea in the last two games.
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Guehi was unable to play in the Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal owing to competition rules, but the January signings of him and Antoine Semenyo have undoubtedly been critical in pushing Guardiola’s side into a position where they could yet add two more trophies this season. Beat Arsenal in a title decider next Sunday at the Etihad and the Blues will be three points off top spot with a game in hand and all of the momentum.
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They took advantage of Arsenal’s home defeat to Bournemouth at the weekend by winning 3-0 at Stamford Bridge, with Guehi turning finisher to score an excellent second goal in a performance that added to the feeling that City are building. The former Palace defender says the whole group have benefitted from their Wembley triumph last month, but also that the experience of City’s most decorated players is infectious for the squad as they look to hit their peak.
“In these moments it’s about stepping up, the players stepping up, the team stepping up and I said it last week, it’s about arriving at the right moment. A lot of us did that and there were good performances from the whole team,” he said.
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“Since I’ve come here, it’s been great. Every moment I’ve been here has been a blessing because I’m so grateful to learn off so many good players, so many winners and it’s important to take each game and each day as it comes.
“I think the trophy definitely gave us a lot of confidence. It doesn’t mater what trophy it is, it’s a trophy and it helps the football club so everyone is just focused on the next day, the next game and just try and be consistent as possible. I just want to play every game, it doesn’t matter when, where or what type of game. I’m just glad to be at this football club and to be given the opportunity to do so.”
Man City vs Southampton VIP and hospitality tickets
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Seat Unique offers hospitality packages for Manchester City’s FA Cup semi-final clash with Southampton, including ‘premium’ seats at Wembley and complimentary food and drink.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – JANUARY 11: Kirsty Hanson of Aston Villa celebrates scoring her team’s second goal with teammate Miri Taylor and Rachel Maltby during the Barclays Women’s Super League match between Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion at Villa Park on January 11, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Morgan Harlow – WSL/WSL Football via Getty Images)
Aston Villa Women have confirmed they will take part in the upcoming World Sevens Football tournament in London.
They join Manchester United Women as the only teams announced so far, with six more clubs yet to be confirmed.
The tournament will run from May 28 to 30 at the Gtech Community Stadium and will feature a 7v7 format, with shorter matches played on a reduced pitch.
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A total of eight teams are expected to compete, with further announcements on participants and broadcast details still to come.
Speaking on the competition, Villa managing director Maggie Murphy said:
“We’re delighted to be part of the upcoming World Sevens Football competition.”
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“Innovative formats like this bring a different kind of energy to the game, and we’re excited to see how it unfolds.”
“It will be an engaging and fun experience – not only for the fans, but also for our players and staff.”
“It’s a great opportunity to be part of something a little different in the women’s game, and we’re looking forward to it.”
The competition will also include a $1.5 million prize pool, adding further attention to a format designed to bring a different style of play to the women’s game.
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