Sports

Top 25 And 1: Donnie Freeman’s injury knocks St. John’s down in early rankings

Published

5 hours ago

3 July 2026

Florida
This ranking is based on the Gators returning six of the top seven scorers — specifically Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland, Reuben Chinyelu, Urban Klavsar and Isaiah Brown — from a team that finished 27-8 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen and 7-foot center Jones Lay. — 27-8
2

Duke
This ranking is based on the Blue Devils returning four of the top six scorers — specifically Patrick Ngongba II, Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer and Dame Sarr — from a team that finished 35-3 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski, Loyola Maryland transfer Jacob Theodosiou, five-star prospects Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr., Bryson Howard and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje. — 35-3
3

Illinois
This ranking is based on the Illini returning six of the top nine scorers — specifically Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovich, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, Jake Davis and Brandon Lee — from a team that finished 28-9 and advanced to the 2026 Final Four. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks, four-star prospects Quintin Coleman and Lucas Morillo and three-star prospects Ethan Brown and Landon Davis. 1 28-9
4

UConn
This ranking is based on the Huskies returning three of the top seven scorers — specifically Braylon Mullins, Silas Demary and Jayden Ross — from a team that finished 34-6 and advanced to the championship game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Duke transfer Nikolas Khamenia, Seton Hall transfer Najai Hines, Stanford transfer Oskar Giltay, Wofford transfer Nils Machowski, Jacksonville State transfer Jaye Nash, Northern Arizona transfer Isaiah Shaw, Arkansas transfer Elmir Dzafic and four-star prospects Colben Landrew and Junior County. 1 34-6
5

Michigan St.
This ranking is based on the Spartans returning five of the top eight scorers — specifically Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, Kur Teng, Jordan Scott and Cam Ward — from a team that finished 27-8 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke and four-star prospects Ethan Taylor, Carlos Medlock Jr., Julius Avent and Jasiah Jervis. 1 27-8
6

Texas
This ranking is based on the Longhorns returning one of the top two scorers — specifically Matas Vokietaitis — from a team that finished 21-15 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by TCU transfer David Punch, Colorado transfer Isaiah Johnson, Tennessee transfer Amari Evans, Auburn transfer Elyjah Freeman, Saint Mary’s transfer Mikey Lewis, international prospect Mantas Laurencikas and four-star prospects Austin Goosby, Bo Ogden and Joe Sterling. 1 21-15
7

Arizona
This ranking is based on the Wildcats returning two of the top five scorers — specifically Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov — from a team that finished 36-3 and advanced to the 2026 Final Four. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by North Carolina transfer Derek Dixon, Washington transfer JJ Mandaquit, five-star prospect Caleb Holt and four-star prospect Cameron Holmes and international prospect Endurance Aiyamenkhue. 1 36-3
8

Michigan
This ranking is based on the Wolverines returning two of the top five scorers — specifically Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney — from a team that finished 37-3 and won the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Tennessee transfer J.P. Estrella, Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam, LSU transfer Jalen Reed, five-star prospect Brandon McCoy Jr., and four-star prospects Lincoln Cosby, Quinn Costello and Joseph Hartman. 5 37-3
9

Gonzaga
This ranking is based on the Zags returning three of the top five scorers — specifically Braden Huff, Davis Fogle and Mario Saint-Supery — from a team that finished 31-4 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Houston transfer Isiah Harwell, Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop and four-star prospects Luca Foster, Sam Funches and Jack Kayil. — 31-4
10

Virginia
This ranking is based on the Cavaliers returning five of the top 10 scorers — specifically Thijs De Ridder, Sam Lewis, Chance Mallory, Johann Gunloh and Elijah Gertrude — from a team that finished 30-6 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by UC Irvine transfer Jurian Dixon, Saint Louis transfer Kalu Anya and four-star prospect Favour Ibe. — 30-6
11

Arkansas
This ranking is based on the Razorbacks returning one of the top four scorers — specifically Billy Richmond III — from a team that finished 28-9 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by five-star prospects Jordan Smith Jr., JJ Andrews and Miikka Muurinen, Furman transfer Cooper Bowser, Georgia transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson, four-star prospect Abdou Toure and international prospect Illia Frolov. 1 28-9
12

Iowa St.
This ranking is based on the Cyclones returning three of the top six scorers — specifically Killyan Toure, Blake Buchanan and Jamarion Bateman — from a team that finished 29-8 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Robert Morris transfer Ryan Prather Jr., Northwestern transfer Tre Singleton, Bradley transfer JaQuan Johnson, Kansas State transfer Taj Manning, Northern Iowa transfer Leon Bond III, four-star prospects Dorian Rinaldo-Komian, Jackson Kiss, Christian Wiggins and Donovan Davis, and three-star prospect Yusef Gray Jr. 1 29-8
13

Houston
This ranking is based on the Cougars returning three of the top seven scorers — specifically Joseph Tugler, Mercy Miller and Chase McCarty — from a team that finished 30-7 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by LSU transfer Dedan Thomas Jr., Kent State transfer Delrecco Gillespie and four-star prospects Arafan Diane and Ikenna Alozie and 1 30-7
14

Louisville
This ranking is based on the Cardinals returning one of the top five scorers — specifically Adrian Wooley — from a team that finished 24-11 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga, Oregon transfer Jackson Shelstad, Arkansas transfer Karter Knox, Iowa transfer Alvaro Folgueiras, Dayton transfer De’Shayne Montgomery, USC transfer Gabe Dynes, former G League player London Johnson, five-star prospect Obinna Ekezie Jr., four-star prospect Boyuan Zhang and three-star prospect Isaac Ellis. 1 24-11
15

Tennessee
This ranking is based on the Vols returning two of the top 10 scorers — specifically Dewayne Brown II and Ethan Burg — from a team that finished 25-12 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris, Notre Dame transfer Jalen Haralson, Cal transfer Dai Dai Ames, Belmont transfer Tyler Lundblade, VCU transfers Terrence Hill Jr. and Christian Fermin, Loyola Chicago transfer Miles Rubin, Kennesaw State transfer Braedan Lue, four-star prospects Christopher Washington Jr., Ralph Scott and Manny Green, and three-star prospect Marquis Clark. 1 25-12
16

Kentucky
This ranking is based on the Wildcats returning one of the top six scorers — specifically Malachi Moreno — from a team that finished 22-14 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic, Washington transfers Zoom Diallo and Franck Kepnang, Washington State transfer Jerone Morton, James Madison transfer Justin McBride, Providence transfer Alex Wilkins, four-star prospect Mason Williams and international prospect Ousmane N’Diaye. 1 22-14
17

St. John’s
This ranking is based on the Red Storm returning two of the top eight scorers — specifically Ian Jackson and Ruben Prey — from a team that finished 30-7 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou, Columbia transfer Avery Brown, Mercer transfer Kyle Cuffe Jr., international prospects Quinn Ellis, Djordije Jovanovic and Lazar Stojkovic, and four-star prospect Theo Edema. 6 30-7
18

USC
This ranking is based on the Trojans returning three of the top five scorers — specifically Rodney Rice, Alijah Arenas and Jacob Cofie — from a team that finished 18-14 and missed the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by five-star prospect Christian Collins, four-star prospects Adonis Ratliff and Darius Ratliff, Georgetown transfer KJ Lewis, UConn transfer Eric Reibe, Colgate transfer Jalen Cox, Lindenwood transfer Jadis Jones and South Dakota transfer Isaac Bruns. — 18-14
19

Alabama
This ranking is based on the Crimson Tide returning four of the top 10 scorers — specifically Aden Holloway, Amari Allen, London Jemison and Keitenn Bristow — from a team that finished 25-10 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Boise State transfer Drew Fielder, Kentucky transfer Brandon Garrison, NC State transfer Cole Cloer, Mississippi State transfer Jamarion Davis-Fleming and four-star prospects Qayden Samuels, Jaxon Richardson and Tarris Bouie. — 25-10
20

Purdue
This ranking is based on the Boilermakers returning five of the top nine scorers — specifically C.J. Cox, Daniel Jacobsen, Omer Mayer, Gicarri Harris and Jack Benter — from a team that finished 30-9 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by 2024 Ivy League Player of the Year Caden Pierce, and four-star prospects Luke Ertel, Jacob Webber and Sinan Huan. — 30-9
21

Miami
This ranking is based on the Hurricanes returning three of the top seven scorers — specifically Shelton Henderson, Dante Allen and Marcus Allen — from a team that finished 26-9 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis, Robert Morris transfer DeSean Goode, Georgia transfer Somto Cyril, Indiana transfer Nick Dorn, Saint Peter’s transfer Brent Bland and four-star prospect Caleb Gaskins. — 26-9
22

Indiana
This ranking is based on the Hoosiers returning one of the top eight scorers — specifically Trent Sisley — from a team that finished 18-14 and missed the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Notre Dame transfer Markus Burton, Villanova transfer Bryce Lindsay, Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell, SMU transfer Samet Yigitoglu, Duke transfer Darren Harris, Georgia Tech transfer Jaeden Mustaf, Maryland Eastern Shore transfer Justin Monden, and four-star prospects Vaugn Karvala, Prince-Alexander Moody and Trevor Manhertz. — 18-14
23

BYU
This ranking is based on the Cougars returning two of the top eight scorers — specifically Robert Wright III and Khadim Mboup — from a team that finished 23-12 and advanced to the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by five-star prospect Bruce Branch III, four-star prospect Dean Rueckert, Kentucky transfer Collin Chandler, Clemson transfer Jake Wahlin, Syracuse transfer Tyler Betsey and UC Riverside transfer Nate Pickens, the last of whom committed to BYU last May but missed the season with an ankle injury. — 23-12
24

Ohio St.
This ranking is based on the Buckeyes returning two of the top five scorers — specifically John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum — from a team that finished 21-13 and advanced to the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Duquesne transfer Jimmie Williams, Kentucky transfer Andrija Jelavic, Cal transfer Justin Pippen, Memphis transfer Curtis Givens III, five-star prospects Anthony Thompson and LJ Smith, four-star prospect Alex Smith and international prospect Vuk Lazarevic. — 21-13
25

N. Carolina
This ranking is based on the Tar Heels returning three of the top 11 scorers — specifically Jarin Stevenson, Isaiah Denis and Jaydon Young — from a team that finished 24-9 and advanced to the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas, Utah transfer Terrence Brown, NC State transfer Matt Able, international prospects Sayon Keita and Alexandros Samodurov, and four-star prospect Kevin Thomas. — 24-9
26

Vanderbilt
This ranking is based on the Commodores returning two of the top nine scorers — specifically Tyler Tanner and Chandler Bing — from a team that finished 27-9 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Nebraska transfer Berke Buyuktuncel, Washington State transfer Ace Glass, Auburn transfer Sebastian Williams-Adams, Colorado transfer Bangot Dak, Missouri transfer T.O. Barrett and four-star prospects Ethan Mgbako, Anthony Brown and Jackson Sheffield. — 27-9

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2026 John Deere Classic Friday tee times: Round 2 groupings

Published

6 minutes ago

3 July 2026

NewsAdmin

The 2026 John Deere Classic continues on Friday, July 3, with the second round at TPC Deere Run. You can find full John Deere Classic tee times for Friday’s second round at the bottom of this post.

John Deere Classic tee times: What to know

Rickie Fowler is hoping this week at the John Deere Classic sees him finally re-enter the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour.

Fowler last earned a victory on July 2 in 2023 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. That means it’s been three whole seasons since he’s recorded a W. But the six-time Tour winner’s game and results are starting to come around this season.

After teeing off in the afternoon for the opening round, Fowler will set off in the morning for Friday’s second round.

Fowler will tee off for Round 2 on Friday at 8:24 a.m. ET alongside Keith Mitchell and Zach Johnson.

You can watch Friday’s second round of the 2026 John Deere Classic from 4-7 p.m. ET on Golf Channel. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting on Friday at 7:45 a.m. ET, in addition to featured group and featured hole coverage.

Check out the complete Round 2 tee times and groupings for the John Deere Classic below.

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2026 John Deere Classic tee times for Friday: Round 2 (ET)

Tee No. 1

7:40 a.m. – Patrick Rodgers, Dylan Wu, Takumi Kanaya
7:51 a.m. – Brice Garnett, Lanto Griffin, Max Greyserman
8:02 a.m. – Jonathan Byrd, Hank Lebioda, Sudarshan Yellamaraju
8:13 a.m. – Steven Fisk, Aldrich Potgieter, Garrick Higgo
8:24 a.m. – Adam Schenk, Joe Highsmith, Kevin Yu
8:35 a.m. – Karl Vilips, Will Gordon, Matt Kuchar
8:46 a.m. – Chad Ramey, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Thorbjørn Olesen
8:57 a.m. – Peter Malnati, Adam Hadwin, Mac Meissner
9:08 a.m. – Kensei Hirata, Pontus Nyholm, John VanDerLaan
9:19 a.m. – David Skinns, Paul Peterson, Jeremy Paul
9:30 a.m. – Nicholas Lindheim, Zach Bauchou, Noah Goodwin
9:41 a.m. – Keita Nakajima, Gordon Sargent, Ryan Voois
12:50 p.m. – Rafael Campos, Ryan Brehm, Beau Hossler
1:01 p.m. – Brendon Todd, Fabián Gómez, Mark Hubbard
1:12 p.m. – Nick Dunlap, Robert Streb, Andrew Putnam
1:23 p.m. – J.T. Poston, Jacob Bridgeman, Eric Cole
1:34 p.m. – Brian Campbell, Davis Thompson, Max Homa
1:45 p.m. – Ben Griffin, Jordan Spieth, Jackson Koivun
1:56 p.m. – Matt Wallace, Zac Blair, Ryo Hisatsune
2:07 p.m. – Erik van Rooyen, Doug Ghim, Vince Whaley
2:18 p.m. – Nick Hardy, Tom Hoge, Ben Kohles
2:29 p.m. – Christo Lamprecht, Blades Brown, (a) Preston Stout
2:40 p.m. – Hayden Springer, Neal Shipley, Michael Feagles
2:51 p.m. – Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Jeffrey Kang, Darin Fisher

Tee No. 10

7:40 a.m. – Adam Svensson, Denny McCarthy, Ben Silverman
7:51 a.m. – Austin Eckroat, Patton Kizzire, Michael Kim
8:02 a.m. – Taylor Moore, Harry Higgs, Carson Young
8:13 a.m. – Andrew Novak, Tony Finau, Sungjae Im
8:24 a.m. – Rickie Fowler, Keith Mitchell, Zach Johnson
8:35 a.m. – Chris Gotterup, Keegan Bradley, Tom Kim
8:46 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Ben Martin, Michael Thorbjornsen
8:57 a.m. – Justin Lower, Chandler Phillips, Danny Walker
9:08 a.m. – Cameron Champ, Martin Laird, Dylan Frittelli
9:19 a.m. – Jackson Suber, Luke Clanton, (a) Mason Howell
9:30 a.m. – Zecheng Dou, Jimmy Stanger, Patrick Adler
9:41 a.m. – Alejandro Tosti, Davis Chatfield, Augusto Núñez
12:50 p.m. – Luke List, Tyler Duncan, Pierceson Coody
1:01 p.m. – Matthieu Pavon, Lee Hodges, Troy Merritt
1:12 p.m. – S.Y. Noh, David Lipsky, Austin Smotherman
1:23 p.m. – William Mouw, Davis Riley, Daniel Berger
1:34 p.m. – Taylor Pendrith, Lucas Glover, Webb Simpson
1:45 p.m. – Michael Brennan, Stephan Jaeger, Aaron Wise
1:56 p.m. – Seamus Power, Mackenzie Hughes, Kevin Roy
2:07 p.m. – Camilo Villegas, Joel Dahmen, Rico Hoey
2:18 p.m. – Kevin Streelman, Max McGreevy, Johnny Keefer
2:29 p.m. – Patrick Fishburn, Chan Kim, A.J. Ewart
2:40 p.m. – Haotong Li, Kris Ventura, Marcelo Rozo
2:51 p.m. – Trace Crowe, Chandler Blanchet, Luke Gutschewski

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Toronto Stadium makes memorable impression in last of its six World Cup matches

Published

17 minutes ago

3 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Toronto Stadium ended its tenure as a World Cup venue with a bang on Thursday night.

All-time great Cristiano Ronaldo scored on a penalty kick in the second half and Goncalo Ramos put away the winner four minutes into stoppage time in Portugal’s 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Croatia in a Round of 32 match. Although Toronto Stadium was the smallest of the 16 venues used for the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States, its sold-out crowd of 43,036 left a sizable impression on the teams that played in it.

“Congratulations to everybody, to the organizers, to everybody who’s involved in football, soccer, in the city. It was incredible,” said Portugal manager Roberto Martinez. “The training session yesterday, the quality of the grass, was fantastic.

“Everything around the beautiful facilities here, it reminds me of the old-fashioned Premier League grounds. Congratulations to everybody.”

Toronto Stadium — called BMO Field when Toronto FC of Major League Soccer and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League play in it — hosted six World Cup matches. Five in the group stage and then the climactic elimination game between Portugal and Croatia.

“I think it’s a shame that there are no more games here because we really enjoyed it,” said Martinez in his post-match news conference. “You see the safety for the fans, wonderful support for their teams, with two sets of fans separated by the field.

“I think it was an incredible, incredible spectacle for football.”

There are large Portuguese and Croatian diaspora communities in Ontario. The provincial government said there are more than 300,000 people of Portuguese descent in Ontario and nearly 100,000 people with Croatian roots in the province.

It made for an electric atmosphere in and around Toronto Stadium, with fans singing songs, waving flags, and roaring with every turn of the match. That included Croatian fans throwing debris on the pitch after a tying goal was disallowed in the final minutes of stoppage time.

Croatian manager Zlatko Dalic said the support of the fans tempered the sadness of the match’s result.

“A wonderful atmosphere, a lot of our fans, a lot of support, and I believe that this wonderful football is connecting people, makes people happy and proud,” said Dalic. “I would like to keep the feeling that football is such, and not become a business that it actually has become.”

Toronto Stadium is in the centre of Exhibition Place, Toronto’s fairgrounds. It has a dedicated GO Train station, a loop that is the terminal for two streetcar lines, and a bus route that ends steps away from the Dufferin Gate by the fairgrounds’ northwestern corner.

As the sold-out crowd filtered out of Exhibition Place following Thursday’s match, Toronto Transit Commission spokesman Stuart Green called the transport logistics to and from the venue a success.

“I think it’s a testament to the plan that was done in advance,” said Green, noting that the St. Clair streetcar, which goes through a predominantly Portuguese neighbourhood, had to have some of its service suspended for the night.

“This was the last of the six matches here and after a few adjustments that we made early on to help speed up the fans’ exit. It’s gone quite well.”

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Man City confirm blockbuster Elliot Anderson transfer – fee and possible debut date

Published

30 minutes ago

3 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Man City confirm blockbuster Elliot Anderson transfer – fee and possible debut date – Manchester Evening News

Need to know

Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest with the Blues breaking their club record to land the midfielder in a seismic £116million deal.

14:00, 02 Jul 2026Updated 14:21, 02 Jul 2026

Elliot Anderson has completed his move to Manchester City

All you need to know about Elliot Anderson’s transfer to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest. . . .

Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
The midfielder becomes a club-record arrival for the Blues, who are paying a straight fee of £116million to land the 23-year-old.
Anderson is currently on England duty at the World Cup with the Three Lions facing Mexico in the last-16 this weekend.
City confirmed in a club statement that “the formalities of the move will be finalised upon his return to England.”
He will link up with his new City teammates following the tournament and is set to be given four weeks off before linking up with the Blues.
He is unlikely to travel on the summer tour to Asia, with the first game taking place on August 1 against Inter Milan.
Anderson’s City debut could come in the Community Shield against Arsenal on Sunday, August 16.

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Born exactly 50 years after Garry Kasparov! How 13-year-old Maths Olympiad genius Pratitee Bordoloi became India’s lone medallist at World Youth Chess | Chess News

Published

43 minutes ago

3 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Born exactly 50 years after Garry Kasparov! How 13-year-old Maths Olympiad genius Pratitee Bordoloi became India's lone medallist at World Youth Chess

Pratitee Bordoloi becomes India’s lone medallist at World Youth Chess

NEW DELHI: Last week, 13-year-old Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Pratitee Bordoloi created history for India in Montesilvano, Italy. Competing at the FIDE World Youth Chess Championship 2026, the Bengaluru-based youngster clinched the silver medal in the Girls Under-18 category.Entering as the 16th seed with a FIDE rating of 2129, the Shishya BEML Public School student produced a sensational unbeaten campaign, scoring 9 points out of 11 rounds against players up to five years older than herself.India fielded 13 players across six sections, but Pratitee returned home as the country’s sole medallist, securing her first WIM norm and gaining over 129 Elo rating points. Behind this historic podium finish lies a fascinating duality and perhaps a story of a quiet, introverted teenager who treats chess endings like mathematical equations, balances all arrays of life, and shares an uncanny birthday with a chess legend.

The Kasparov connection

Pratitee was born on April 13, 2013, exactly 50 years after the legendary Garry Kasparov, who was born on April 13, 1963. Beyond the shared birthday, her coach, Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay, notices distinct tactical similarities.“Some of the traits I see. Even in a bad condition in a tournament where she’s lagging behind a point or something, she plans it well to try to beat so that she can do at the top,” Thipsay told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction.

Six-time World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov

However, Thipsay stresses that Pratitee is far from a one-dimensional athlete, adding, “Pratitee is not completely a chess player. She’s a mathematical wizard, and she comes first in all the exams.”Her mother, Pranti Dutta Bordoloi, recalls how her daughter’s journey unfolded organically during the COVID-19 pandemic.Without rigorous formal training, a 9-year-old Pratitee shocked everyone by winning the 2022 Karnataka State Championship, followed by the National Under-9 title in Indore six months later.“She was still very good at calculations, at maths,” Pranti told this website. “She used to give Maths Olympiad from grade one and won a gold medal in the SOF IMO. That time only I thought that she should be good at chess also, since she’s good at Maths Olympiad.”Despite her rapid rise, her family remains deeply committed to a grounded life. “Honestly speaking, we are not that kind of person that, ‘leave everything behind for chess only.’ Our first preference is always studies. Not at the cost of study, because ultimately you have to be educated, otherwise life will not be balanced.”

Focus on independent thinking

“Compared to her age group, she’s much more mature as a person, and the logic base is very high,” Thipsay noted. “If you tell her something is good or not good, she’s not going to accept it blindly. She questions till she is satisfied, and that perseverance is very important.”This analytical mindset makes her a rare commodity in junior chess. “She’s one of the few players who is not bored with studying endings or finding out the accurate moves because she finds it very logic-based. Mathematically, she’s very sound,” the veteran Grandmaster added.During the World Cadet Cup last year, where Pratitee secured gold in the Under-12 Girls category, she established a unique system with Thipsay. She preferred resting immediately after her matches, waiting until the tournament pairings were published late at night.

Pratitee Bordoloi’s current coach Pravin Thipsay (PTI Photo)

“After the pairing was out, which is about nine o’clock there, which means 10:30 p.m. by Indian time, she would say, ‘I want to have a one-hour class or one and a half hours class,’ and we used to study,” Thipsay revealed. “She’s so thorough in the preparation… she wants to learn everything about a position.”This hyper-focus allows her to think independently on the board. “Dr. Lasker (Emanuel Lasker) said that the duty of a trainer is to teach the pupils to think independently. She has that capacity,” said Thipsay.

Keeping the pieces grounded

Despite the growing spotlight, Pratitee maintains strict personal discipline, balancing a 9-to-10-hour sleep cycle with physical training using a punching bag and cycling.With her mother holding a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Christ University and her father working at a leading IT company, Pratitee has been raised to ensure that competitive ruthlessness remains confined to the chessboard.

Pratitee Bordoloi at FIDE Youth Chess Championship (Special Arrangements)

“I always used to tell her that if you also won, just don’t show your happiness in front of your opponent because she must be feeling very horrible at that time,” Pranti shared.ALSO READ: The making of India’s 97th Chess Grandmaster Harshavardhan GB: A ‘legend’ among friends, now his parents’ prideDuring a recent media interaction, the 13-year-old was asked about her future. “She gave two answers,” her mother recalled proudly. “One was, ‘I want to be a world champion.’ And the second time she said beautifully, ‘I just want to play well.’”

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Daniel Daga Wins Appeal, Cleared to Return for Molde FK

Published

56 minutes ago

3 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Molde FK have announced that Nigerian midfielder Daniel Daga has won his appeal after the Frostating Court of Appeal acquitted him of the sexual assault allegations that kept him out of action for 11 months.

In a statement released on Thursday, July 2, 2026, the Norwegian club confirmed that the 19-year-old is now available for selection again as they await the final judgment in the case.

Daga, a former Nigeria U20 international, had been sidelined by Molde since legal proceedings began against him.

The midfielder was previously sentenced to six months in prison by the Romsdal District Court after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman. The court also ordered him to pay NOK 10,000 in legal costs.

Daniel Daga

The incident was said to have taken place in April 2025, while charges were officially filed on December 19, 2025.

Following the earlier ruling, Daga’s lawyer, Astrid Bolstad, maintained that her client was innocent and insisted that the encounter had been consensual. She immediately announced plans to appeal the verdict.

“He is terribly sorry that the verdict was the way it was,” Bolstad said at the time. “He believes he is innocent and that everything happened with consent.”

Daniel Daga, the 18-year-old midfielder for Molde FK, has expressed his excitement after scoring his first goal for the Norwegian champions.

After the initial conviction, Molde FK removed Daga from first-team activities, stating that he would not be considered for selection while the legal process continued.

With the Court of Appeal now overturning the conviction and acquitting the Nigerian midfielder, Daga is set to return to action for Molde after nearly a year away from competitive football.

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How golf-club makers design clubs based on Arccos data

Published

1 hour ago

3 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Arccos has become a valuable asset to golfers everywhere to help them learn more about their own game, but the company is actually helping OEMs develop new golf clubs too.

On this week’s episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped, Arccos CEO Sal Syed explained how the company has relationships with almost every OEM to use their data and explained some of the examples to co-host Jake Morrow.

Syed mentioned Ping has used Arccos data for multiple club development and fitting applications.

“This is something that they have talked about, so I can talk about it. For the last 400 years or so, golf gapping, the iron gapping has been linear,” Syed said. “But what they realized was for the improvement player, for a mid-handicap player, linear gapping doesn’t need linear loft gapping, so the four-degree or four-and-a-half degree, whatever the difference is, doesn’t actually lead to linear differences in distance on the course.

“Now they have a non-linear proprietary gapping algorithm that they have based on Arccos data, so that was a fundamental change that had been based on real-world data.”

Arccos data was also able to show Ping that players were using their wedges more from the rough than the fairway, which encouraged designers to change the grind and bounce options and tailor them more for play out of the long grass.

PING G440 Custom Hybrid

The G440 hybrids appeal to a variety of skill levels, each engineered to deliver different ball- flight characteristics – from the slightly fade-biased 2 hybrid for off-the-tee performance to the draw-inducing 5, 6 and 7 hybrids that help optimize gapping. They all share a new, shallower and thinner face design, which improves face contact for more ball speed and higher-launching shots that hit and hold the green.
FLIES HIGH LANDS SOFT
Optimized launch and spin ensure distance with stopping power.
FREE-HOSEL DESIGN
Saves weight to lower CG, optimize launch/spin and increase forgiveness.
ROUNDED SOLE
Ensures pleasing face angle in all hosel settings
CARBONFLY WRAP
Lightweight carbon crown saves weight to increase MOI, lower CG.

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Morrow brought up the example of the G440 hybrid’s progressive face angle design by loft.

“They looked into every bag of players that were playing hybrids, or Ping hybrids specifically, and there was basically nobody playing a 2-hybrid and a 5-hybrid,” Morrow said. “So they said, why are we trying to build these the same? This 2-hybrid is for this guy, this 5-hybrid is for this set of players. And I thought that that was just such a unique way to use data.”

For more from Morrow and Syed, listen to the full episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped here, or watch it below.

Want to overhaul your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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World Cup 2026: Portugal want to honour Diogo Jota by winning World Cup

Published

1 hour ago

3 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Portugal paid a touching tribute to Diogo Jota at the end of their remarkable World Cup victory against Croatia.

It is a year since Jota, while a Liverpool player, died in a car accident in Spain, 11 days after marrying his long-term partner Rute Cardoso.

His brother Andre Silva was also killed in the accident on 3 July 2025.

At the end of Portugal’s drama-filled 2-1 win to set up a last-16 tie against Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo put on a special ’21’ shirt in Jota’s memory before the squad came together with the shirt held aloft.

Before the game, towards the end of Portugal’s national anthem, Jota’s picture appeared on the big screen in Toronto, and was greeted with a loud cheer from the supporters.

Ronaldo also appeared emotional as the cameras focused on him, having played with Jota 32 times for their country.

“Diogo is our sun and our light,” said Portugal manager Roberto Martinez before the match, having named Jota as an honorary ‘plus-one’ player when he announced his squad in May.

“We want to win the World Cup for him.”

Jota, 28, was on his way back to Liverpool for pre-season when the car, a Lamborghini, left the road because of a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle.

He was making the journey to England by car and ferry as doctors had advised the forward, who celebrated winning the Premier League title two months earlier, against flying because he had undergone minor surgery.

“I still talk to him,” Ruben Neves said about Jota, his close friend and former Porto, Wolves and Portugal team-mate, in the build-up to the match.

“We have a WhatsApp group with Rute and Diogo, and it’s still there, and we continue to talk there,” he told Portuguese TV show, external Alta Definicao.

“Whenever something special happens, I have the conversations archived on my WhatsApp so I can continue to send him messages.”

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World Cup 2026: Ramos stoppage-time winner sends Portugal past Croatia into last 16

Published

2 hours ago

3 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Portugal booked their place in the World Cup 2026 round of 16 after a 2-1 win over Luka Modric’s Croatia in Toronto, decided by a stoppage-time goal from Gonçalo Ramos. Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates will face Spain on Monday.

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Sometimes a new driver really can fix your golf game

Published

2 hours ago

3 July 2026

NewsAdmin

There’s an easy question to ask as a recreational golfer when you’re searching for a quick golf-game fix: “Why don’t I just buy a new driver?” Sometimes it’s said in jest but, as I discovered this season, sometimes it’s the truth.

During the last offseason, I made it my mission to add more power to my game. As analytics have become more prevalent in the modern game, the importance of driving distance has become crystal clear. If you want to shoot lower scores, you have to hit the ball farther.

With that goal in mind, I got to work revamping my game. Part of this process involved hitting the gym and “building my engine” for a faster swing. (You can check out my workout plan here.) Another element involved refining my technique to swing more efficiently. And, finally, there was some good ole fashioned speed training.

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After a winter of dedication, the gains were evident. My max swing speed climbed much higher, and my cruising speed had me hitting it further without even feeling like I was straining. Heading into the 2026 season, my confidence was sky high.

But there was one problem I didn’t take into account. With more speed in the bag, my old equipment — particularly my driver — was not optimized. Even though I could swing harder than ever before, I was still leaving plenty of distance (and accuracy) on the table.

You see, when I was fitted for my old driver (a Titleist GT1), my swing speed was in the mid-90s. This lack of speed — combined with some other swing characteristics — meant I needed a driver that gave me more spin to give me more carry distance. But as I added speed and dialed in my swing, that tendency for spin started to hurt me.

During my speed training sessions, I noticed that my spin numbers were way too high. Although I was swinging faster, my efficiency suffered. Even when I was hitting record highs with my swing speed (topping out at 109 mph), my spin was so high that I wasn’t getting the most out of that speed.

That’s when I knew it was time for a new driver.

My new driver

I’ve long been a believer in the idiom “it’s not the arrow, it’s the Indian.” However, as I’ve played more and more golf (and technology has advanced), I’ve come to realize that the saying doesn’t cover all circumstances.

While it’s true that a great golfer can make just about any equipment work for them, when you use equipment that isn’t optimized for your swing, you leave easy gains on the table. Case in point: using a driver that is too spinny for your swing. After I saw how much the excess spin from my old driver was hurting my distance, I scheduled a fitting with Titleist for their new GTS line.

When I arrived for my fitting, I explained to my fitter the issues I was having with the old line and what I was hoping to get out of my new driver. Essentially, it all boiled down to getting less spin while still launching the ball out of my preferred window.

I’m not much of a gear nerd, so I won’t even attempt to break down the different GTS heads and what they are best for (our gear team does a much better job of that). But what I will say is that the difference each head provided to me was noticeable. Some soared through the air with a beautiful shape, while others dived to the ground like wounded ducks. I simply kept swinging my swing and let my fitter do the work configuring a build that would satisfy my needs.

After about 45 minutes of testing different combinations, we settled on the GTS4 — which came as a bit of a shock. I figured I’d be in a GTS2 considering my previous fit of a GT1, but at the end of the day, the GTS4 produced the best numbers for me, keeping my spin down while also launching in a window that maximized my distance.

Now when I hit in the sim, my spin numbers rarely get out of whack and cost me distance. Even my mishits stay in my window of tolerance, and I’m maximizing my distance because of it.

In my previous driver, when I swung hard at it, I knew I needed to catch the ball perfectly to keep my spin numbers down and maximize. But now, I can swing hard and know that even if I don’t hit it perfectly, it won’t spin off the planet.

It may be a joke to suggest to your buddy that he needs a new driver to fix his game — but there are certain scenarios in which that isn’t so far fetched. I can attest to that.

Want to find the best driver for your game in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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Phil and Tiger could have been Arnold and Jack. They chose different paths

Published

2 hours ago

3 July 2026

NewsAdmin

When Johnny Miller started winning as a young pro in the early 1970s and got to see Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus up close and personal, he made an interesting discovery about their lives: The King and Big Jack both had great big appetites. Their literal appetites, for plus-sized steaks and bowls of ice cream and the rest. But Miller could see their hungry nature in other ways, too — in their willingness to fly anywhere in their pursuit of golf or commerce or both. Nobody who knew Arnold Palmer confused him with Mister Rogers, another son of Latrobe. Arnold liked the ladies and the ladies liked him. Still, he went to his maker as American golf’s most popular and charismatic figure. As for Nicklaus, in his mid-80s, he remains golf’s most admired figure, leading an exemplary do-the-right-thing life, in every season of it.

In more recent years, and in this new and connected century, the closest thing golf has had to Arnold and Jack has been Phil and Tiger, or Tiger and Phil. Really, though, in the name of succession, they have proven to be not close at all. After Woods’s win at the 2019 Masters, I wrote a book called “The Second Life of Tiger Woods.” What are we up to now, his third life? Fourth?

There was Tiger in public again late last month, fresh from behavior rehab after another lucky-nobody-died roadside incident. This was at a PGA Tour show-me-the-future press conference near Hartford, Conn. Woods wore a dark suit and a bright tie and looked all shiny as he introduced the Tour’s newish CEO, Brian Rolapp. Out of happenstance and with stunning speed, an athlete for the ages and a sports executive on the rise are all bro-ey, so smiley, so huggy. You could almost smell all that new VC cash right through your preferred screen and platform. Woods and Rolapp are both in line for a nice piece of all that new money. Our money, at the end of the day.

Maybe there’s some kind of playbook for Phil Mickelson in all this, looking at Woods and his rise and fall and rise and fall and rise. It is true that he is the greatest golf talent that has ever lived. Even Jack Nicklaus acknowledges that. Woods’s next court date is Aug. 4. So there’s that, too.

Late in 2009, and late one night, Woods ran over a fire hydrant near his driveway, was rendered unconscious, became the subject of a frantic 911 call from his hysterical mother and rushed to a hospital. Almost overnight Woods’s private life became a public joke. It should be obvious to all that Woods is a reckless and dangerous driver and it seems obvious to me that he has abused his body with his huge appetite for weightlifting and practice but (to borrow a phrase) . . . his body, his choice.

Mickelson won a major at 50, the oldest man ever to do so. To those of us watching from afar, his future was so bright with a seal for shades already in place. Wasn’t hard to imagine Phil in a CBS swivel chair per terms he could dictate; a Ryder Cup captaincy and possibly a second one; Phil’s wife, Amy, to become, in her own way, a leader in various public works in the manner of Barbara Nicklaus and Winnie Palmer; $30 million a year in income for her husband; senior majors when he was in the mood to play in them; the first tee at Augusta as long as he could make a backswing; all that adoration. Phil Mickelson had the capacity to make people feel good. He really did. That gift can come with a massive payday. Taylor Swift, Jerry Seinfeld and Tom Hanks know all about that.

We knew a lot about Mickelson’s risk-reward golf and something about his appetite for gambling, for on-the-edge stock-trading, for good food and expensive wine. The extent of it we did not know. Golf Digest is not in the business of bringing down legends, but there it was, just last month, publishing a carefully worded news story about Mickelson leaving one of his San Diego golf clubs in the wake of a charge by a club employee that he made “inappropriate and nonconsensual physical contact.”

A sort of follow-up story, published by the golf website Skratch, included lurid, vulgar (and now disputed by Mickelson) details about Mickelson’s alleged unwanted personal overtures to Ashley Perez, former wife of the professional golfer Pat Perez. The Skratch story also maintained that Mickelson was required to leave not one but three private California clubs. In a recent public statement, representatives for Mickelson have disputed that claim. “Mr. Mickelson has never been expelled from a golf club,” the statement said. Okay — define expelled.

Alan Shipnuck, the author of a bestselling 2022 biography of Mickelson that celebrates and critiques the lefthander’s never-a-dull-moment life and times, wrote the Skratch piece. Yes, the PGA Tour owns a piece of Skratch, and Phil Mickelson is persona non grata in the Tour’s offices, as he opened the door for other players to leave the Tour for LIV Golf after he bolted first. Would Skratch be willing to publish such a salacious piece about Tiger Woods, chairman of the Tour’s Future Competition Committee? Your real-world educated guess is a likely good one. Yes, Shipnuck and Mickelson have a complicated relationship. If you know Mickelson’s famous “scary motherf-ckers” quote about LIV’s Saudi backers, to Shipnuck and used by Shipnuck, you know that. But those factors, to say nothing of the vulgarity of it all, doesn’t discredit the report or diminish its newsworthiness.

Mickelson is now where Woods was in early 2010. Next up is next up. It’ll be something, as nothing is not an option. The public’s demands are ultimately insatiable, too. Woods wrote a biography that never got published. Someday in the next half-century or so, some form of it will become public, if the lives and times of Ty Cobb and JFK are any example here.

Shipnuck and I are longtime colleagues and friends. About 15 years ago, in the aftermath of Tiger Woods and his sex life appearing on the front page of the New York Post for 20 consecutive days, we wrote a satire called The Swinger. Tree Tremont, the swinger in question, is a notoriously lousy tipper and his serial infidelity, in his view of his life, is a kind of hobby.

The book, from my vantage point, tries to make the case that the rich and famous have a fundamental right to a private life but that the public at large, always on the prowl for blood in the water, has run out of patience for that world view. I know my own thinking was shaped by Nicklaus. After Woods’s sex life became an SNL bit and the rest, Nicklaus maintained that Tiger’s private life was not his business. That carried the day for me, even though a wise late friend of mine, Fay Vincent, the former baseball commissioner, had another view. Vincent felt once you used your good standing to sell Buicks and the rest, you forfeited your broad rights to privacy. In The Swinger, Shipnuck and I invented a newspaper editor who says, “It’s always the same. [People] want to know what the dude is, quote, really like, right.” Our invented reporter, in the end, can’t give the editor what he wants. It’s not in him. Mickelson gave me a short review of the book without reading it: “Not cool.”

Amy Mickelson and the three grown Mickelson children are innocent bystanders in all this. Tiger and Elin’s children — Sam Woods, now at Stanford, and Charlie Woods, bound for Florida State — are experts in navigating similar terrain. There is no map, not for them, not for anybody. Arnold’s path was not Jack’s and Jack’s was not Arnold’s. We all make decisions about what we do and how we treat people, every day. From such decisions a cast is filled and your life unfolds. It’s complicated and not. AI cannot help here. AI cannot work in the margins, figure out up and down when you’re surrounded by gray.

Woods’s greatness as a golfer has given him his current chapter, his next chapter, the chapter after that. You could say the same for Mickelson. We don’t know what’s coming next because we can’t know. Mickelson is 56. If his parents and grandparents are an example, 66 and 76 and 86 are coming. Life is weirdly long and famously short.

Mickelson is now where Woods was in early 2010. Next up is next up. It’ll be something, as nothing is not an option.

Nicklaus has said more than once that only a fool would bet against Tiger Woods. He was talking about Tiger Woods the golfer. Is there going to be another scary roadside event with Woods at the wheel? Is he ever going to tell us about . . . what it’s like to be Tiger Woods? Was this most recent rehab stint done chiefly to appease a judge who was going to require it anyhow? Has Woods found new and better ways to address the pain in his life, physical and psychic? I certainly have no answers here. I doubt Woods does, either. Because the questions are hard.

In the Golf Digest report, in the Skratch report, Phil Mickelson seems repulsive. Are there other aspects to him? Of course there are, and we’ve all seen peak Phil, either in real-time or via Golf Channel and YouTube highlight clips. Phil the Thrill. Appetites are hard to control, for any of us. Appetites are in our DNA, and then your life takes over.

With stardom comes entitlement. Not always, but often, and more so all the time. It’s the superstar politician, movie star, pantheon athlete. Bill Murray used to say that after somebody makes it there’s going to be a period of public and private boorishness, though he was more colorful. It’s a given. Then there comes a reckoning, or not. That’s when you find out who the person really is.

We wanted Tiger and Phil to be Jack and Arnold. That never happened. Not even close. They’re not even Tiger and Phil, not as they once were. This year, neither played the Masters or even the U.S. Senior Open, which is underway this week in Ohio. Neither has been fitted for a Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup captain’s uniform.

Still, Woods found a way to a podium a week or two ago, the pathway lined with bags of legal tender. Another form of everybody loves a winner. Some would say he played his cards right but I would not. Can Tiger’s path be instructive for Phil? That’s up to Phil. It’s hard to imagine him just retreating. The buffet table of life has always been piled high for him. After a while, it will prove to be irresistible. The colors, the smells, the melting ice below. More is a life force for some people, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson among them. It just is. The desire for more is one thing. You can control an appetite. With its cousin, greed, whatever you have is not enough.

Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com.

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