Antoine Semenyo returns to former club Bournemouth with Manchester City on Tuesday, with the Blues chasing a vital victory in the Premier League title race
Antoine Semenyo has been getting a bit of grief from his former teammates in the build-up to Manchester City’s trip to his former club on Tuesday.
The Blues travel to Bournemouth still chasing a domestic treble after Semenyo proved the matchwinner in the FA Cup final against Chelsea. His improvised backheel flick settled the showpiece and now Semenyo and City will head to the south coast aiming to keep up the pressure on Arsenal.
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The frontman only departed the Vitality Stadium in January, and has lifted two trophies since moving to the Etihad. City have not lost domestically since Semenyo’s Premier League debut at Old Trafford, while Bournemouth are unbeaten since his departure and chasing a European place. Something will have to give on Tuesday.
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“I was the problem,” joked Semnyo. “I am happy they are doing so well and hopefully they get into Europe too. It’s going to be tough. They’ve got something to fight for so they’re going to make it tough for us.
“It won’t be weird going back. It’ll be good to see everyone again. I still speak to them every day, to be honest, they’ve been giving me a lot of cr*p, just like they’re going to kick me and this and that but it’ll be good to see them all.
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“And obviously, it’s going to be a tough game. So I’m looking forward to the challenge and hopefully we win.”
Semenyo has joined a City side used to winning. After a tough campaign last season, the Blues have returned two trophies this term and the new-look squad will hope to kick on and claim more silverware in the future, regardless of whether they can overhaul Arsenal over the final two matches of the campaign.
For Semenyo, it’s been a whirlwind few months.
“It’s been surreal, to be honest,” he added. “Everything’s just happened so quickly. But again, when you come to the team in January, you have to adapt as quick as you can and do the best for the team. So I’m happy I’m doing so.
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“I think the last five months have been so intense, so many games and expectations are high.
“When you’re playing around top players, you naturally have to be on your toes and on it every single day. So that’s what they give you and they make it easy for you, especially us wingers.
“They are top players getting on the ball, dictating the play, and it makes it easier for us, creates a lot of one vs one situations and that’s essentially what wingers want. We bounce off each other every day on the pitch and off the pitch.
“When you have top pros who have won it all essentially, you just learn a lot and it rubs off on you a little bit. We just have to focus on what we’re doing and see what happens by the end of next week.
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“We’ll just focus on us. We’re not focused on Arsenal and what they do. We just have to win our games and apply pressure the best way we can.”
Oct 26, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) reacts to a call during the fourth quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Lakers are trading center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards in exchange for guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks, ESPN reported Friday.
The picks are in 2031 and 2032, per the report.
Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, averaged 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in 72 games (all starts) in his lone season with the Lakers in 2025-26.
Ayton, who turns 28 on July 23, has averaged 15.8 points and 10.1 rebounds in 470 career games (463 starts) with the Phoenix Suns (2018-23), Portland Trail Blazers (2023-25) and Lakers.
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Hardy, who turns 24 on Sunday, split the 2025-26 season with the Dallas Mavericks and Wizards and averaged 9.2 points in 57 games (four starts).
A second-round pick in 2022, Hardy has averaged 8.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 235 games (19 starts) with the Mavericks (2022-26) and Wizards. He has canned 38.6% of his career 3-point attempts (324 of 839).
When darkness fell over Cartersville Country Club, Woodard switched to glow balls and kept playing, firing at flagsticks outfitted with toy lightsabers for visibility, his path lit by headlamp-wearing volunteers. Dawn broke, and Woodard stuck with it, looping the layout all day Monday and through a second night before holing out one last time at 7:58 a.m. Tuesday.
Thirty-eight sleepless hours after he’d started, Woodard, 40, hadn’t merely set what organizers say is a new world record for consecutive hours playing golf. He’d also raised more than $180,000 for children’s healthcare.
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“When you think about how far some parents have to go to get medical care for their children, 38 hours of golf doesn’t really seem like much,” Woodard said.
Woodard was a kid himself when he got into golf. The local muni doubled as a kind of daycare. He went on to earn a PGA management degree and land a job as an assistant pro. He has since traded that career for a different one — he now runs an employee benefits firm — but he never gave up the game, playing roughly once a week in the way a lot of weekend golfers do: with a cart and generously conceded putts.
It was a friend who first floated the idea of pegging it for a bigger purpose: raising money for Live2540, a nonprofit that funds children’s healthcare initiatives in the West African nation of Liberia. A marathon outing, tackled in the name of charity, seemed like the way to do it, all the better if it shattered a world record along the way.
A single-digit handicap, Woodard didn’t prepare by grinding on the range. Instead, he worked on his endurance, taking long walks after work and hoofing his home course. Portions of it, anyway. “I’d take the cart to my tee ball and then walk to the green from there,” he said.
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Walking was, in fact, a requirement of the record attempt, but Woodard wasn’t plying the fairways on his own. Buggies trailed him for support, and hundreds of spectators turned out over the two days, along with rotating shifts of volunteers who lit his way after dark and kept him stocked with snacks and fluids.
“I don’t think I’ve ever taken in so many electrolytes in my life,” Woodard said.
He needed them. Monday was the hottest day of 2026, with temperatures cracking triple digits. Monday night was cooler in both senses of the word: a full moon lit the course like a spotlight.
The rules allowed him a five-minute break every hour, though Woodard often banked them, saving up the minutes so he could cash in longer rest stops later on. Cartersville is a flat, walkable course, but the heat still took its toll. Woodard swapped his socks every three to four hours, along with his shirt, shorts, and cap, and wore sneakers instead of golf shoes to avoid blisters.
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The real challenge, though, he said, wasn’t physical but mental, especially in what proved to be a strange final stretch. With six to eight hours to go, Woodard began hallucinating, seeing trees and hazards that weren’t there and, by his own account, “talking nonsense.” He credits the volunteers for carrying him through it, along with a boost from Stephen Scroggins, a Green Beret buddy who flew in from Colorado to walk the final hours by his side.
“This was really a community effort,” Woodard said. “I get emotional just thinking about it.”
For those keeping tabs at home, this was the final tally: 144 holes, or eight full rounds, with every shot counted. Woodard’s best score was a 78; his worst was 88. On his final approach, in the pale light of Tuesday morning, he stuck it close. But, golf being golf, the putt didn’t drop.
Not that he was counting. The only sum that mattered was money raised.
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When it was over, Woodard returned to the home he shares with his wife, Nicole, and their two children. He posed for family photos, then he went to sleep, waking briefly in the evening before conking out again and snoozing until morning.
By Thursday, he was back at the office. And by Friday, he was back at the course, playing in his regular game with friends.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Hossam Abdelmaguid scored the clinching goal in a shootout, and Egypt won its debut in the World Cup knockout round by beating Australia 4-2 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw Friday.
Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan didn’t stop any of Egypt’s four shots after replacing starter Patrick Beach late in extra time.
The victory comes in Egypt’s fourth World Cup. Australia is now 0-3 in the knockout round.
Serena Williams’ hopes of playing alongside older sister Venus in the Wimbledon doubles look to have improved after the pair’s match was added to Saturday’s order of play.
Williams, 44, picked up a knee injury in her singles comeback on Tuesday, when she lost to Australia’s Maya Joint.
The sisters, who are six-time doubles champions at the All England Club, are scheduled to reunite on a Grand Slam court for the first time since 2022.
Their match against Colombia’s Camila Osorio and Argentina’s Solana Sierra has not been allocated a court, but organisers say it will not be played before 16:30 BST.
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It suggests Serena Williams is being given as long as possible to declare herself fit after her knee swelled up during a gallant three-set defeat by 20-year-old Joint.
Sources close to the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion told BBC Sport on Friday that the plan is for her to play.
It is likely the Williams sisters, who were given a wildcard, will be put on one of Wimbledon’s biggest show courts once the day’s singles matches have finished.
However, the loose scheduling leaves Wimbledon with no issues in case the American superstars do withdraw.
England all-rounder Sam Curran has described Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rise to the Indian team as an “incredible story”, saying the 15-year-old has earned the attention coming his way, while hoping England can keep him quiet if he makes his international debut in the ongoing T20I series.The cricket world has been waiting for Sooryavanshi’s India debut ever since he was picked for the tour of the UK following his performances for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026.Speaking to the media ahead of the second T20I, Curran said he had followed Sooryavanshi closely during the IPL.“I guess it’s an incredible story. I watched a lot of the IPL for a month, and I was just watching this guy, he looks so easy. It’s truly incredible and it’s rightly so, getting the attention he deserves.“He’s so raw and he’s just having the time of his life, isn’t he? Playing for India at 15 years old is such a cool story and I think even as opposition, you’ve got to admire the skill and things like that,” Curran said.Curran believes England’s conditions could present a different challenge for the youngster.“I think England will probably be a different challenge, the pitches are very different, a lot slower than in India. Guys can have their plans and all this kind of thing.“So I guess, we will have our plans, of course, but I’m not saying they’re the right plans, you never know because he’s playing really well.“But at the end of the day, I’ll try and execute my skills, but there’s no doubt that he’s pretty special for what he’s doing,” he said.Sooryavanshi finished IPL 2026 as the tournament’s highest run-scorer, scoring 776 runs at a strike rate of over 230.Curran also said handling the attention that comes with playing for India could be Sooryavanshi’s biggest challenge.“I think being an Indian cricketer in India is probably much bigger than we are. So I think that’ll probably be his biggest challenge, how he handles that. He has played one or two IPL seasons and is straight into the Indian squad now. I’m sure he’s got people around him trying to help him. But I guess you never know until he’s given his debut and see how he goes.“I’m sure he’s going to have ups and downs like anybody else, but as a cricket player, you’ve got to enjoy what he’s doing because it is pretty cool. At 15 years old, I think I was just knocking in the Surrey indoor school.”
What do you think about the age limit for debuting players in cricket?
Nov 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrate a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Last month, Bleacher Report ranked all NFL teams’ wide receiving corps, and the Minnesota Vikings checked in at No. 1. Fast forward to July, and SI.com has come along to do the same thing, but this time ranking duos, and in this case, just Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison from Minnesota.
And according to Gilbert Manzano, the pair ranks fifth-best in the NFL, which is a bit low for Vikings fans’ liking.
Vikings’ QB Fix Could Settle the Whole Argument
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrates with teammate Jordan Addison (3) after a touchdown at Nissan Stadium, with Nov. 17, 2024 marking the first-half moment in Nashville against the Tennessee Titans. Jefferson’s score helped spark Minnesota’s offense as the Vikings built road momentum during an interconference matchup that afternoon. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images.
Manzano: Jefferson, Addison Rank No. 5
Manzano explained the fifth-best ranking: “There were a few duos considered for the fifth spot, including the Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed, Broncos’ Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton, and Patriots’ A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. But two of those candidates haven’t played a game together and Shaheed made more of an impact on special teams than as a receiver after joining Seattle in a midseason trade from the Saints.”
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“There is some uncertainty with the partnership of Jefferson and Addison after a down 2025 season and the ongoing quarterback battle between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy.”
If there’s uncertainty about the WR duo, it’s news to those who closely follow the Vikings.
Manzano continued, “But this is a dominant duo when receiving competent quarterback play, evident from what they have done since the Vikings drafted Addison in 2023 to pair him with Jefferson, who still might be the league’s best receiver after delivering his sixth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season, despite the disastrous QB play in 2025.”
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“If Murray can regain his top form or McCarthy shows vast improvement, there likely won’t be any debate about who’s the best wideout in the game. Addison hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiving season in his three-year career, but his knack for stretching the field has given Jefferson plenty of beneficial matchups on the field.”
A Quiet Year in 2025 by Their Standards
In 2025, Jefferson logged 1,024 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns, totally pedestrian numbers compared to his typical interstellar standard. His copilot, Addison, produced 610 yards and 3 touchdowns. Together, they created a stat line that Jefferson generally posts by his lonesome.
So, what happened? The Vikings’ quarterback struggled, with McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer all getting snaps under center. Wentz, at times, was able to distribute effectively, but McCarthy struggled with consistency, and Brosmer was a total train wreck.
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If you’re wondering why Jefferson and Addison didn’t rank higher than No. 5 on Manzano’s list, this is probably it — the “what have you done for me lately?” argument.
A Chance to Rebound with Revamped Quarterbacking
Of course, the minuscule output from Jefferson and Addison need not persist. That’s why Murray is in town — to unlock the pass-catchers and the offense, as a whole, to its fullest potential.
In February, the rumor mill suggested that the Arizona Cardinals would cut ties with Murray after seven seasons, and that proved accurate. The Cardinals dumped Murray, willing to pay him to play for another team, and the Vikings pounced, securing the 28-year-old on a contract worth $1.3 million.
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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison secures a pass during pregame warm-ups at Lambeau Field, with Sept. 29, 2024, placing the division matchup preparations in Green Bay before facing the Packers. Addison moves through routes as Minnesota’s offense works on timing, hands, and rhythm under the early stadium lights that afternoon. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images.
Murray didn’t find much team success in Arizona — just one postseason appearance and zero playoff wins since 2019 — but his individual numbers hint that he can succeed in his next chapter, which might involve getting players like Jefferson and Addison the ball.
For example, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride turned into one of the best players at his position with Murray running the show. If McBride could pull that off, why Jefferson and Murray?
Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as Top Dogs
Manzano nominated the Bengals’ WRs as the league’s best, noting, “With most duos, it’s about complementing each other with different skills. That’s not the case with Chase, a top-three wideout, and Higgins, a clutch playmaker who can take over games when needed.”
“They’re both versatile as wideouts who can make plays downfield and near the line of scrimmage. It also helps that Joe Burrow is an established elite quarterback. This dynamic offense has been held back a bit playing with a poor defense the past few seasons.”
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When best WR duo articles circulate on the internet, it’s almost always these two who take home the bacon.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) shares a postgame hug with Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) at U.S. Bank Stadium, with Sept. 21, 2025 capturing the moment in Minneapolis after the matchup. The LSU stars reconnect on the field as players begin clearing out following the final whistle. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Manzano concluded, “It’s been three years since Burrow, Chase and Higgins played in a playoff game, but this group got to a Super Bowl in the 2021 season, Chase’s rookie year. Perhaps this high-scoring offense can return to the big stage after the offseason moves the Bengals made defensively, including the trade for star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II.”
“The AFC likely doesn’t want to see this scary offense return to the postseason.”
Jefferson turned 27 this offseason, and Addison is 24.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
Maria Sharapova has revealed that retiring from tennis was not a last-minute decision, saying she spent years preparing for life after the sport.
The five-time Grand Slam champion explained that she always knew a tennis career had an expiration date, which is why she started building her future long before announcing her retirement in 2020.
“I recognized from an early age that as a woman, my career would end much sooner than in other professions. I was like, ‘I’ve got to hustle. I’ve got to start learning from other people.’”
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Instead of seeing injuries and breaks from the tour as setbacks, Sharapova turned them into opportunities to learn.
She said she attended business school, completed internships and even spent time shadowing NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
“When I was injured, or I had a break, I’d go to a business school… I would take internships. I went to the NBA for a few weeks to shadow Adam Silver.”
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Sharapova also began investing while she was still competing, believing those decisions would help her build a successful career beyond tennis.
Looking back, she said personal growth away from the court was just as important as her success on it.
“There are elements of growth that even though you’re progressing in one arena, I thought it was really critical and important to help grow in others.”
Sharapova retired from professional tennis in 2020 after winning five Grand Slam singles titles and spending years among the sport’s biggest stars.
Ireland will play their opening summer game against Australia in the Southern Hemisphere Series at 11.10am Irish time on Saturday.
Andy Farrell’s side will play Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies at a sold-out Allianz Stadium, Sydney. with live coverage on Virgin Media Ireland.
Dan Sheehan will captain the Ireland rugby team for their inaugural Nations Championship fixture.
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Hugo Keenan will start at fullback for Ireland, with Rob Baloucoune and Jamie Osborne on the wings.
Andy Farrell has chosen Garry Ringrose and Stuart McCloskey to start in midfield, with Sam Prendergast partnering Jamison Gibson-Park in the half-backs.
Alongside Sheehan in the front row will be Tom O’Toole and Tadhg Furlong.
Joe McCarthy and James Ryan are in the second row.
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The back row is made up of Cian Prendergast, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan.
The forwards on the bench are Rónan Kelleher, Jeremy Loughman, Thomas Clarkson, Tadhg Beirne and Nick Timoney.
Farrell’s backline options are Craig Casey, Ciaran Frawley and Bundee Aki.
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Ireland Team
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster), 14. Rob Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster), 13. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), 12 Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster), 11. Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster), 10. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster), 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster).
1. Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(captain), 3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), 4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster), 5. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster), 6. Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht), 7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), 8. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
Ireland Replacements
16. Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster), 17. Jeremy Loughman (Garryowen/Munster), 18. Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College/Leinster), 19. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster), 20. Nick Timoney (Queen’s University/Ulster), 21. Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster), 22. Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster), 23. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht).
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Ireland Facts
Ireland arrive in Sydney having won four of their last five matches, with victories over Scotland, Wales, England and Italy in the 2026 Six Nations.
Ireland have won all five of their most recent head-to-head meetings with Australia, including three victories in Dublin and two on Australian soil.
Stuart McCloskey was Ireland’s standout performer in their most recent match, earning a match rating of 9.1 with 17 carries, 7 defenders beaten and 2 try assists.
Ireland won 100% of their lineouts in the last meeting with Australia in November 2025, while the Wallabies managed just 68% of their own lineout ball in the same fixture.
Britain had been bracing for early-morning kick-off
Outgoing prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has relaxed licensing laws to allow pubs in the UK to stay open until 5am, for the 1am kick-off, and it is unclear how a change would affect that decision.
There is also an ongoing debate over whether children should be allowed to start school later on Monday morning in order to watch the match.
(PA Wire)
Will Castle3 July 2026 20:42
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Fifa yet to confirm scheduled change
Fifa is yet to confirm or deny that the kick-off time has been moved but an earlier start would suit fans at home in England, with 7pm being much more palatable than the wee small hours.
Will Castle3 July 2026 20:28
England vs Mexico could be moved due to storm threat
Media in Mexico, citing sources with knowledge of the matter, have suggested the game, which is scheduled to kick off at 1am BST on Monday morning (6pm local time on Sunday) will now start at 7pm BST (12pm local) instead. The BBC are also reporting that they understand the game has been brought forward.
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That is because of a significant risk of storms in the area when the match is currently scheduled and Mexico already saw their last-32 match against Ecuador earlier this week delayed due to rain.
(AP)
Will Castle3 July 2026 20:13
BREAKING: England vs Mexico could be moved due to storm threat
England’s last-16 tie with Mexico could be moved to earlier on Sunday because of the threat of storms.
Fifa is considering bringing the game at the Estadio Azteca forward, with reports in Mexico claiming kick-off will move from 1am BST to 7pm BST – a jump of six hours.
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Will Castle3 July 2026 19:59
The change Thomas Tuchel has made to England’s World Cup plans to combat Azteca altitude
England are certainly wary of the impact of altitude on Sunday night. Miguel Delaney reports:
Harry Latham-Coyle3 July 2026 19:30
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What do England do at right-back?
England appear in a total mess at right-back. Reece James missed training yesterday and Djed Spence did not convince at all against DR Congo. It feels a problem mostly of Thomas Tuchel’s own making:
Harry Latham-Coyle3 July 2026 19:00
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‘It catches you off guard’: The true impact of Azteca altitude for England against Mexico
England have overcome several World Cup obstacles already this summer – yet Thomas Tuchel is fully aware of the seismic challenge that awaits at the cauldron that is the Azteca Stadium in the last-16.
The co-hosts have been whipped up into a piping-hot frenzy over the last three weeks, unleashed most impressively in their last-32 victory against Ecuador. Following a weather delay, the rampant Julian Quinonez and Raul Jimenez landed a pair of haymakers to leave their South American opponents dazed.
Yet England’s most daunting task on Sunday night could well be the conditions, with altitude set to be a great leveller with Mexico City’s iconic Azteca situated 7,220ft (2,240m) above sea level.
Jack Rathborn and Kieran Jackson3 July 2026 18:30
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HAVE YOUR SAY: Who will win the World Cup?
Harry Latham-Coyle3 July 2026 18:01
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World Cup 2026: Last-16 fixtures, results and full tournament bracket
Have you filled out your World Cup bracket? We’re getting towards the pointy end of the tournament.
Harry Latham-Coyle3 July 2026 17:50
Thomas Tuchel hopes ‘karma’ will be on England’s side
Thomas Tuchel believes England will right the wrongs of the ‘Hand of God’ as “karma” will be on their side for their long-awaited return to the Estadio Azteca.
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Sunday’s mouthwatering World Cup last-16 clash against co-hosts Mexico takes the team back to the historic stadium for the first time since their unforgettable date with Diego Maradona in 1986.
The late playmaker’s goals in Argentina’s 2-1 quarter-final defeat of England have gone down in football folklore, having produced a jaw-dropping solo effort after punching the opener past Peter Shilton.
Tuchel vividly remembers watching that World Cup as a child and believes his side will benefit from cosmic justice when they face Mexico at the Azteca on Sunday.
Asked if the ‘Hand of God’ will be in the air 40 years on, he said: “Yes, it will reward us. We will get it back. It’s karma. Karma will come back for us. We will turn it around. I remember of course the World Cup of Maradona. The two goals against England – the one dribbling and the one which would never stand these days.”
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Diego Maradona scored with his hand against England in 1986 (Getty)
Welcome to Fully Equipped’s weekly Tour equipment report. Every Friday of PGA Tour weeks (plus other times, if news warrants), GOLF equipment editor Jack Hirsh runs you through some of the biggest news surrounding golf clubs on Tour, including changes, tweaks and launches.
With several big names taking the week off after a run of two Signature Events and a major in four weeks, the John Deere Classic is a slower one on the gear moves.
We’ll still have a summary of any news we hear of in the odds and ends section of this week’s Tour Report, but after a busy month, we felt the holiday weekend gave us a great opportunity to look back at several high-profile gear changes from the past month.
The Memorial (June 4-7): Cameron Young’s GTS3 move
Big change for Cameron Young this week as he’s made the move to the Titleist GTS3 driver.
Down in loft to 10˚ from the 11.0 GT3 he was playing since Bay Hill.
Titleist’s GTS drivers exploded onto the Tour in March, with more than 60 players making the switch in the first two months.
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But the biggest conversion came at the beginning of the month at the Memorial when Cameron Young switched into the Titleist GTS3 driver.
Young is the first player ranked inside the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking, at No. 3, to add the new driver. Previously, the highest-ranked player was No. 16, Justin Thomas.
The huge benefit of the GTS was the dual weighting system for Young, who needs a little extra launch when paired with his Pro V1x Double Dot prototype golf ball.
“Being able to utilize the dual weighting just lets us kind of get into a really nice in-between spot in terms of launch and spin for him,” Titleist’s J.J.Van Wezenbeeck told GOLF.
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Because the GTS has both an adjustable front track weight and an adjustable rear flat weight, Titleist was able to put an extra two grams in the rear of Young’s new GTS3, which was just enough to give him the extra launch he needed, while staying at the 10-degree loft.
Young has remained firmly in the top 10 of Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee since the move and was fourth in the field last week at the Travelers.
Viktor Hovland had to force himself to finally retire his longtime Ping G425 LST gamer.
When Hovland made the trip up to Canada for the RBC Canadian Open after three weeks off, he did so with just one driver: a new G440 LST with a Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6-X VeloCore+ shaft.
“That’s one way to switch,” Ping Tour Rep Kenton Oates told GOLF. “Leave your security blanket in Oklahoma and call it a day.”
Hovland had been working on the switch with Ping reps since the beginning of May and it paid off big time three weeks later at the Travelers Championship, where Hovland led the field in SG: OTT and ended up winning in a playoff over Scottie Scheffler.
The G440 driver family (MAX, LST, SFT) is optimized to deliver more ball speed through multiple advancements, including PING’s deepest CG in a driver to date and a shallower, thinner face, while continuing to ensure the game-changing forgiveness expected from a PING driver. The G440 LST (Low Spin) design appeals to players with faster swing speeds, providing lower spin and more control in 9° and 10.5° lofts with the three-position back weight.
HIGHLY FORGIVING
Lighter head weight allows for heavier back weight.
FASTER FACE
Shallow, thinner, face increases ball speed for more distance, higher launch.
SOUND DESIGN
New shaping, carbon crown and internal ribs produce muted impact experience.
FREE-HOSEL DESIGN
Saves weight to lower CG, increase forgiveness. Allows for more heel-side face flexing for consistent ball speed across face.
Two prototype TaylorMade Qi4D driver heads that popped up on the USGA conforming list Monday of U.S. Open week turned out to be for none other than golf’s mad scientist, Bryson DeChambeau.
But this wasn’t something that TaylorMade started working on just because DeChambeau approached them earlier this year. Developing a product for extreme 200+ mph ball speeds was something TaylorMade was already working on, said Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade’s VP of product creation.
“Independent of the conversations we were having with Bryson, we were going down this path of prototyping drivers to, you know, as we always try to stay ahead of things for players of that immense speed that we’re seeing emerge in golf,” Bazzel told GOLF. “The stars aligned a bit as we were going down this path of exploration on sort of a concept car prototype, and then he started inquiring, getting a little bit more serious.”
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DeChambeau’s first tee shot with the Qi4D Proto 200+ went a staggering 427 yards, but DeChambeau faded on Friday to miss his third straight major cut. The driver certainly wasn’t the issue as he led the field in SG: OTT the first two rounds.
The re-engineered head profile increases ball speed thanks to improved aerodynamics developed through advanced simulations.
FACE FOR DISTANCE
60x Carbon Twist Face™ is a technological cornerstone that provides weight savings, incredible ball speed and more consistency vs. a titanium face.
ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE
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4° loft sleeve can be used to adjust loft, lie and face angle for optimized flight.
TOUR PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES
New and improved cut-through Speed Pocket™ protects ball speed and reduces spin on low-face strikes.
Advanced CAD modeling creates a design with a clean and powerful sound, a foundation of TaylorMade driver performance.
Multi-Material Construction allows engineers to strategically place mass in areas of the head where it maximizes performance, speed, and stability.
Travelers Championship (June 25-29): Jordan Spieth’s putter change that never was
The Travelers practice green turned into putter testing week.
Jordan Spieth spent Tuesday and most of Wednesday working with a L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i and a Scotty Cameron Phantom 5 prototype after saying earlier this month he’d been fit for L.A.B. putters over the offseason.
The practice green was littered with guys testing new putters at the Travelers Championship, and a good chunk of them belonged to Jordan Spieth.
Spieth set Twitter ablaze before the tournament by spending all day Tuesday testing a L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i and eventually several other center-shafted mallets. He even went as far as to game the L.A.B. during Wednesday’s pro-am, but by the end of the day Wednesday, he was back with his T.P. Mills Trad Forged II gamer.
This week at the John Deere, Spieth said any struggles he was having on the green were mental and he wasn’t planning on changing putters.
“I feel like I’ve been hitting my lines a lot, and especially the last month I just haven’t seen them go in,” Spieth said. “I’ve actually been hitting my lines well, and I was just, like, well, maybe if I just grab one off the shelf and it goes in on a practice green — you know, so much of putting is mental.
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“My plan this week is just to stay with where I’m at. I made some putts on Sunday, and I plan on taking that momentum into this week.”
“I credit the new putter for helping me get back in the winner’s circle,” Clark said in a release. “The white finish first got my attention, and when I started rolling putts with it, it set up easily and gave me immediate confidence. I’d never used a putter with onset before, so it was a new look for me that really matches my eye. The onset combined with the top-rail dot simplifies alignment and my consistency has improved. I’m sinking more long putts than ever.”
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Wyndham Clark gets makes his second U.S. Open title the first major title for Ping’s new Scottsdale TEC putter.
It’s the first major title for a Ping putter since Bubba Watson at the 2014 Masters. pic.twitter.com/Dlmo7RhXoY
Clark ended up winning at Shinnecock, highlighting the dramatic turnaround in his play on the greens.
He finished 4th in the field at the U.S. Open in SG: Putting and has risen from 155th on the PGA Tour in the stat, where he was losing .725 strokes a round, to 43rd, gaining .239 strokes. He’s also 5th in putting average at 1.702.
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“I played some ugly golf the last two days, but my putter and short game kind of kept me in it,” Clark told NBC’s Mike Tirico Sunday after hoisting the U.S. Open trophy.
Specs Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset CB Loft: 3 degrees Lie: 70 degrees Length: 38″ Headweight: 400g (17g tip weight + 13g lead tape) Insert: PEBAX Grip: SuperStroke Tour 3.0 17″
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Check this out
This section is dedicated to cool photos we’ve snapped recently on Tour, but haven’t had a reason to share yet. This week, check out Scotty Cameron Circle T prototype Phantom 5.5 putter with a Teryllium insert.
If anyone is ever looking to offload this guy, you know where to find this writer.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
Odds and Ends
Some other gear changes and notes we’re tracking this week.
Rickie Fowler switched putters again, this time to a new Scotty Cameron Phantom 12 mallet … Daniel Berger switched from a TaylorMade Qi4D to a Titleist GTS4 … Berger (Tour X DB), Luke List (Tour V CS) and Travis Crowe (Tour X L-neck) all switched to Spiders this week.
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3 things you should read/watch
A selection of GOLF content from the past week that may interest you.
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