Sports
Toronto Tempo finding fans all across Canada in first season
TORONTO — The WNBA’s decision to make Toronto the home of its first international team is going well.
Tempo fans can be found across Canada. The expansion team could break the WNBA single-game attendance record next week. Not in Toronto, however, but around 550 kilometres east in Montreal.
On the opening leg of their Cross Canada Series, the Tempo are playing two games at Montreal’s Bell Centre, which holds 22,114 for basketball. A capacity crowd could top the WNBA playoff attendance record of 22,076.
In August, the series heads west for two games in Vancouver.
“We’ve put the work in and we’re continuing to get better every game, so I think the support is going to continue,” said Tempo guard Marina Mabrey. “It’s very inspiring to see this kind of hype and energy around it in Canada. It kind of motivates you to do better every single night.”
The Tempo have two home games before playing Dallas July 10 in Montreal. They have been giving fans much to be excited about. Toronto is one game under .500, with a 9-10 record, thanks in part to the scoring of Mabrey, who is having an All-Star calibre season averaging 21.2 points a game, third-best third in the WNBA.
Mabrey made headlines when she matched the WNBA scoring record with a 53-point performance in a June 25 win over Los Angeles. With the trip to Quebec coming up, she’s looking forward to scoring more points and making fresh fans in a brand new city.
“I haven’t been to Montreal, so I’m excited to see who shows up for that and for us,” Mabrey said.
Guard Kia Nurse is the lone Canadian on the Toronto roster and she expects a great turnout for the team that features players from eight different countries and is led by an Australian coach — two-time WNBA champion Sandy Brondello.
Nurse’s unofficial duties with the Tempo have included using her local knowledge to help her teammates adjust to their Canadian home.
“Early in the season, there were a lot of conversations around the most simple things,” Nurse said. “I’ve tried to help them with anything that’s different, even from the beginning when we got here, they were looking for CVS. I’m like, you want Shoppers Drug Mart. What are the grocery stores? OK, this one is near your house.”
Now that the Tempo have the basics figured out, Nurse said she’s seen her teammates learning something else, too.
“I think what everybody’s really starting to understand is how unique it is to play in a Canadian city and be the only Canadian team in the entire country, the same way the Raptors and Blue Jays are,” Nurse said. “We’re not on national television all the time in the U.S., but we are on national television every single game here in Canada, and that makes a difference, being able to reach people and get more love and excitement about women’s basketball. When we go to Montreal and when we go to Vancouver, the fans will fill out arenas.”
Brondello, who was a WNBA All-Star as a player, said she has received messages of support from Canadian basketball fans far beyond Toronto.
“We are Canada’s team, and we actually do feel it,” Brondello said. “One of the reasons I took this job is because it was a new challenge in a whole new country, and we had this unique opportunity to grow the game even bigger here.
“The WNBA is a real movement at the moment, the last few years,” Brondello said. “I’ve been part of this for 27 of the 30 years, so I’ve seen the evolution from when I played in the early, early days to how it is now, and there’s a sense of pride to see that. Women’s sport is so much more talked about than just a decade ago, five years ago. It’s our time now, and Canada gets to see that.”
As much as Mabrey is inspired by the prospect of a record crowd in Montreal, she also sees a bigger picture for her sport.
“Honestly, this is for all of women’s basketball,” Mabrey said. ’There’s so many players who have sacrificed time, money, themselves for us to be in this position now. It’s only right that when we get a fan base like that, that they’ve been working so many years for, that we go and we do it right and we put on a show, both teams.”
Sports
Wimbledon 2026: Serena Williams and Venus Williams added to Saturday’s order of play but not allocated a court
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.
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.
Sports
‘Going to have ups and downs’: England star issues reality check for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | Cricket News
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.”
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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
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.”
“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.”
“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.
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.
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.”
When best WR duo articles circulate on the internet, it’s almost always these two who take home the bacon.
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.
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.’”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Will Castle3 July 2026 20:42
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.
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.
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.
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
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
‘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
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.
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.”
Harry Latham-Coyle3 July 2026 17:30
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
Titleist’s GTS drivers exploded onto the Tour in March, with more than 60 players making the switch in the first two months.
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.
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.
ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA TOUR Superstore, Titleist
Cameron Young’s GTS3 specs
Titleist GTS3 10.0
SureFit Hosel Setting: A1
SureFit CG Setting: 10g N track, 7g rear
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana PD 60 TX
RBC Canadian Open (June 11-14): Viktor Hovland’s forced driver switch
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.
Read more here
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.
View Product
ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA TOUR Superstore
Specs
Ping G440 LST 9.0
Actual loft: 7.4
Ping Trajectory 2.0 setting: Flat Dot
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black w/ Velocore+ 6-X
Tipping: 1″
Length: 45.75″ EOG
Swingweight: D5+
Grip: Golf Pride MCC Black/Blue 60R (+1 wrap)
U.S. Open (June 18-21): Bryson DeChambeau’s TaylorMade Qi4D prototype
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.”
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.
Read more here
SHAPED FOR SPEED 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 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.
View Product
ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA TOUR Superstore, TaylorMade
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.
He… pic.twitter.com/pehFGtmxFz
— Jack Hirsh (@JR_HIRSHey) June 27, 2026
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.
“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.”
Bonus: Wyndham Clark signs putter-only deal with Ping
While Clark switched to his current Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset CB gamer back in April, he and Ping executed one of the most well-timed sponsorship agreements ever, announcing the deal on the eve of his U.S. Open win.
“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.”
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.
“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.
ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA TOUR Superstore
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″
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.
;)
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.
3 things you should read/watch
A selection of GOLF content from the past week that may interest you.
Why Viktor Hovland finally retired his longtime driver for something new – Viktor Hovland got his first victory since switching away from the Ping G425 LST driver he used for almost six years.
I thought I knew what irons were for my game. I was wrong | Fully Fit 2026 – In the latest entry for GOLF’s Fully Fit, Fairway Jockey’s president explains his journey from playing cavity-back irons, to shifting to player’s distance clubs this season.
Is this the secret to Viktor Hovland’s driver switch? – Viktor Hovland’s new driver also featured a new shaft, the Fujikura Ventus TR Black with VeloCore+. Could this new option be a fit for you?
The kick-off time of England’s last-16 clash with Mexico at the World Cup 2026 looks set to be brought forward by six hours in order to avoid potential storms in Mexico City.
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.
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.
Under tournament safety rules, any lightning strikes detected within eight miles of the stadium result in an automatic 30-minute delay to play, something that affected France’s group-stage clash with Iraq.
Meanwhile Fifa regulations for the tournament state it has the right to “cancel, reschedule or relocate” matches “at its sole discretion”.
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.
Outgoing prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has relaxed licensing laws to allow pubs in the UK to stay open until 5am 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.
A 7pm BST start could pose problems for Fifa however, with the last-16 clash between Brazil and Norway scheduled to start at 9pm BST. If the England match went to extra time, or even if there was a particularly large amount of injury time, then the two games could overlap – something Fifa avoids at World Cups outside of the final round of pool matches.
However, suggestions are that Fifa would move the kick-off of Brazil v Norway back, in order to avoid any potential clash.
Jun 26, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) vies for a rebound against Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes (41) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images Trending in opposite directions, the Atlanta Dream meet the Golden State Valkyries for the third time in 11 days on Saturday afternoon in College Park, Ga.
Atlanta (12-8) dropped all four games on a road trip that began with defeats on June 24 and 26 at Golden State. It marks the longest skid for the Dream since a four-game stretch in August 2024.
“I think we’re playing hard,” Atlanta coach Karl Smesko said after Thursday’s 81-76 loss to the Washington Mystics. “But we have to make some shots. We’ve got to find a way to win even when we don’t shoot it well and the other team does.”
The Dream have averaged 76.8 points during the losing streak, which pales in comparison to their 90.4 points per game during their first 16 contests.
Rhyne Howard leads Atlanta with 18.9 points per game, followed by Allisha Gray at 18.3. Newcomer Angel Reese has amassed 14.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per contest.
None of the three, however, were named Thursday as All-Star Game starters for the July 25 contest. Reese was offended on behalf of her teammates.
“I think they work so hard and they put a lot of work in, and the way that they’re guarded every game and they have to adjust. The reason why we’re where we are is because of those two,” Reese said. “For us not to have anyone (in the starting lineup) was just a slap in the face, but they’re not going to say anything. I am.”
Golden State (13-7), meanwhile, has won three straight games and saw leading scorer Gabby Williams (15.8 ppg) named as a starter for the All-Star contest in Chicago. Williams has helped push the Valkyries to the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference standings heading into the start of a five-game road swing.
“What’s most important is our next game and that’s it,” Golden State coach Natalie Nakase said. “We don’t look too far ahead. I think that’s what keeps our players really level-headed and focused on each team.”
Janelle Salaun adds 12.5 points per game for the Valkyries and Veronica Burton chips in 12.2 points with 5.4 assists.
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