First Published: Mar 21 2026 | 1:19 PM IST

Safe to say that Sungjae Im is feeling a little bit better.

It’s been five months since Im played a Sunday on the PGA Tour; he’s entering this one with a two-shot lead.

“I’m really thrilled about the birdie on the final hole, and to have a two-shot lead going into tomorrow,” Im said after a third-round 69 at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course. His birdie at No. 18 was just the third of the day.

The South Korean star had a lengthy, unconventional offseason. After finishing T27 at last August’s Tour Championship, Im played three fall events in Asia in October — including the Baycurrent, his most recent four-round effort on this tour — before turning his attention to military training.

Because he’d won a gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games, Im was exempt from South Korea’s two-year military service. But he was still on the hook for several weeks of basic military training and volunteer work. That meant laying down his clubs for a three-week boot camp that yielded a new title — “9th Marine Brigade 91st Marine Battalion,” he wrote on Instagram — and emerged he said at the time “without any injuries.”

But Im suffered a setback as he prepared for the 2026 PGA Tour season, missing the first seven events with a wrist injury. He didn’t touch a club for more than a month and a half, he said, an unprecedented move in his 10-year pro career. And when he did return two weeks ago, he missed the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and then again at last week’s Players Championship.

Still, Im said he found a silver lining in his lengthy layoff.

“So after the wrist injury, I wasn’t able to practice for two months. So I think a lot of my shots that I didn’t like from last year I was able to, once I started practicing, I was able to correct and it’s just been consistently getting better. Even though there were shots I’m not happy about, I feel comfortable now.”

Im said he felt some progress in his golf swing at the Players Championship despite a missed cut.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in the lead like this, and I’m sure I will be nervous, but the best I can do is just to play my own game,” he said.

Im said that while he’s eager to break a four-and-a-half-year winless drought, he’s found great satisfaction in his consistency. The 2025 season marked his seventh consecutive qualifying for the Tour Championship.

“Within that period of time I’ve been able to play really well. I’ve had some second and third places. For me, just being able to finish within the top and to have success in that way is important for me and been something that I’ve been happy with,” he said.

Now he’s on the verge of that win. After a spectacular two-eagle opening-round 64 and back-to-back 69s, he leads at 11 under par. Brandt Snedeker and David Lipsky (nine under) are T2, while Marco Penge and Matt Fitzpatrick (eight under par) sit T4.

The Vikings shook operations up just a bit during free agency, notably adding quarterback Kyler Murray and CB3 James Pierre, in addition to new punter Johnny Hekker and offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark. So, it’s time for a mock draft — version 3.0 — the second-to-last before the main event on April 23rd.

This seven-round projection leans defense early and keeps building Minnesota’s depth for the long haul.

As always, these mock drafts are predictive, not necessarily what the author wants, but rather what he believes the Vikings will do on draft weekend.

A Full Seven-Round Prediction for Minnesota’s Draft Moves

The Vikings have nine picks this go-round.

**TRADE**
Vikings Get:
30th Overall Pick
2026 3rd-Rounder (Pick No. 215)
2027 3rd-Rounder
— for —
Dolphins Get:
18th Overall Pick (Kenyon Sadiq, TE)

Round 1 (Pick 30)
Emmanuel McNeill-Warren (S) | Oregon

It really doesn’t matter for the draft’s sake if Harrison Smith returns or retires — the Vikings need a young safety as their succession plan. After doing business with Miami above, the Dolphins fill their tremendous TE1 need with Sadiq, while Minnesota rolls with McNeill-Warren as the Smith replacement.

Round 2 (Pick 49)
Jadarian Price (RB) | Notre Dame

Lord, oh Lord, do the Vikings need to put their foot down and draft a rookie running back. The last elite one was named Dalvin Cook, and he joined the club nine years ago.

Price profiles somewhere between Tony Pollard and Javonte Williams as a pro comp. That will work for the 2026-2029 Vikings.

Round 3 (Pick 74) — from MIA
Sam Hecht (C) | Kansas State

A sneaky roster need right now for Minnesota? Center. Unless the team loves and trusts Blake Brandel or Michael Jurgens, it needs a center to replace Ryan Kelly, who retired last week. Hecht has the juice to be a Day One starter, and outside of signing a free agent like Ethan Pocic or Lloyd Cushenberry III, that’s what the Vikings need.

Round 3 (Pick 82)
Davison Igbinosun (CB) | Ohio State

Igbinosun is a “Brian Flores cornerback.” Our Janik Eckardt noted on his skill set this month, “Davison Igbinosun is a long, physical cornerback whose size, press ability, and competitive mindset translate well to boundary coverage roles. While his Combine testing reflects solid rather than elite athleticism, his experience against Power Five competition and reliable coverage traits give him early-round draft value.”

“In press-oriented systems, he projects as an early contributor with starter upside as technique refinement continues. Igbinosun projects as a Day 2 selection, most commonly in the Round 2–3 range. His size, physicality, and experience against top competition make him a strong fit for defenses that prioritize press-man concepts and boundary physicality.”

Minnesota could put his physicality to use sooner rather than later.

“Early in his NFL career, he profiles as a rotational outside corner and special teams contributor, with the potential to develop into a dependable starter in schemes that emphasize leverage discipline and physical coverage at the line of scrimmage,” Eckardt concluded.

Round 3 (Pick 97)
Bryce Lance (WR) | North Dakota State

Lance is a native Minnesotan — Marshall — who banked 2,157 receiving yards and 25 paydirts in the last two campaigns at NDSU. Meanwhile, with Jalen Nailor departed for the Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota has just Tai Felton and Myles Price as rosterable commodities on the current depth chart.

Kevin O’Connell can put Lance’s 6’3″ frame to work immediately.

Round 5 (Pick 161)
Reggie Virgil (WR) | Texas Tech

Why not two wideouts? Back-to-back even.

Felton barely played on offense in 2025, and some called that pick a dumb one in the first place. Price, the kick and punt returner, also doesn’t play much on offense. Lance and Virgil would add the WR depth needed after Nailor vamoosed.

Round 6 (Pick 196)
Nick Barrett (DT) | South Carolina

Barrett is known as a run-stuffing defensive tackle. The Vikings said goodbye to Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave at the beginning of free agency. Like Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins last year, Barrett is late-round DT depth.

Round 7 (Pick 234)
Quintayvious Hutchins (OLB) | Boston College

Bo Richter is the Vikings’ OLB4 after Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner. Hutchins is known for a combination of smoothness and a nasty streak, an ironic and fantastic combo.

Round 7 (Pick 240)
Nolan Rucci (OT) | Penn State

Christian Darrisaw’s ACL recovery has bent weirdly, and Brian O’Neill will turn 31 around Week 2. Next to Walter Rouse, Rucci is the new insurance.

Round 7 (Pick 244)
Brett Thorson (P) | Georgia

Thorson is the top rookie punting prospect in 2026, and after the Johnny Hekker signing this week, why not Thorson for a “may the best man win” competition later this summer in Eagan?

Despite Ciaron Maher’s vast achievements throughout racing, a Golden Slipper still stands as an unchecked goal.

Darby Racing director Scott Darby is optimistic that Sweet Embrace Stakes conqueror Spicy Miss will rectify that during Saturday’s action at Rosehill.

“We did tell him after the Sweet Embrace we could fix that for him,” Darby quipped.

“I’m really happy for Ciaron to have a runner in it as well, and I think we’re a really good show from that barrier (five).”

Acquired for $150,000 at Magic Millions as a yearling, Spicy Miss hails from accomplished sire Trapeze Artist and has been consistently strong, recording a win alongside two seconds in three races.

She trailed only Revengeance in the Golden Gift (1100m) in November, then was second to Agrarian Girl upon resumption in the Lonhro Plate (1000m) on February 7, before racing prominently and prevailing in the Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m).

Approaching the $5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) on a three-week break, she has gate five, a draw successful twice in 18 years with Lady Of Camelot (2023) and Sebring (2008).

Darby knows Slipper victory from syndicating 2017 champ She Will Reign, following Yankee Rose’s runner-up finish to Capitalist the prior year.

Lead-ups varied for those fillies—She Will Reign through the Silver Slipper (1100m), Yankee Rose fresh—and Spicy Miss mirrors the latter more closely, per Darby.

“Not She Will Reign vibes, more Yankee Rose vibes,” he said.

“She’s got a similar barrier and similar to Yankee Rose, she is very tough.”

Golden Slipper exploits by She Will Reign and Yankee Rose elevated Darby Racing to elite status among Australian syndicators, now in year 18.

Later successes encompass Ozzmosis in the 2023 Coolmore Stud Stakes, Overpass with two The Quokka wins, and Caballus in the recent Newmarket Handicap.

At Rosehill, alongside Spicy Miss, they run Sydney Cup joint favourite Campaldino in the N E Manion Cup (2400m) and Within The Law in the Birthday Card Stakes (1200m), evolving greatly from Darby’s early days peddling shares to pals.

“I was introduced to racing at sixteen and fell into syndication a little bit later by syndicating a few on the side to friends. I didn’t know you needed a licence at that point,” Darby said.

“Darby Racing really took off in 2016, the year Yankee Rose ran second in the Slipper, and then we won it the year later with She Will Reign.

“After that, it was just a huge, upward curve.”

Find competitive online bookmakers offering markets for the Golden Slipper.

The 2026 Valspar Championship concludes on Sunday March 22, with the final round at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Fla. You can find full Valspar Championship tee times for Sunday’s final round at the bottom of this post.

Final-round featured tee time

Sungjae Im has not hoisted a trophy on the PGA Tour since 2021. But on Sunday at the Valspar, he has a chance to end that drought.

Im, a 27-year-old from South Korea, enters the final round at Innisbrook alone atop the leaderboard at 11 under. After a third-round 69 — his second consecutive two-under round — the two-time Tour winner will sleep on a two-stroke lead.

His playing partner for the final round will also be seeking to end a winless drought.

Brandt Snedeker, the 45-year-old and upcoming U.S. Presidents Cup captain, will tee it up in the final pairing alongside Im as he seeks his 10th Tour victory. Playing in the 1:50 p.m. tee time, Snedeker will start the day two shots back as he tries to get in the winner’s circle for the first time since 2018.

Tied with Snedeker in second place is David Lipsky, while Marco Penge and Matt Fitzpatrick sit another shot back.

You can watch Sunday’s final round of the 2026 Valspar Championship from 1-3 p.m. ET on Golf Channel, then from 3-6 p.m. ET on NBC. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting at 7:30 a.m. ET Sunday, in addition to featured group and featured hole coverage.

Check out the complete final-round tee times and groupings for the Valspar Championship below.

Hoping to wager on the Valspar Championship? Sign up for Fanatics Sportsbook with code “SUBPAR” to receive a special welcome offer.

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2026 Valspar Championship tee times for Sunday: Round 4 (ET)

Tee No. 1

7:35 a.m. – David Ford, Vince Whaley
7:44 a.m. – Rasmus Hojgaard, Bud Cauley
7:53 a.m. – Kevin Streelman, Davis Thompson
8:02 a.m. – Billy Horschel, Matti Schmid
8:11 a.m. – Kensei Hirata, Pierceson Coody
8:20 a.m. – Kevin Roy, Justin Thomas
8:30 a.m. – Keegan Bradley, Henrik Norlander
8:40 a.m. – Nicolai Hojgaard, Andrew Novak
8:55 a.m. Blades Brown, Alejandro Tosti
9:05 a.m. – Ricky Castillo, Sam Ryder
9:15 a.m. – Chad Ramey, Karl Vilips
9:25 a.m. – Michael Kim, Joel Dahmen
9:35 a.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
9:45 a.m. – Hank Lebioda, John VanDerLaan
9:55 a.m. – Andrew Putnam, Chandler Phillips
10:05 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Takumi Kanaya
10:20 a.m. – Jimmy Stanger, Webb Simpson
10:30 a.m. – Justin Lower, Denny McCarthy
10:40 a.m. – Alex Smalley, John Parry
10:50 a.m. – Xander Schauffele, Patrick Fishburn
11 a.m. – Matt Wallace, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
11:10 a.m. – Isaiah Salinda, Ryo Hisatsune
11:20 a.m. – Dylan Wu, Lee Hodges
11:30 a.m. – Davis Chatfield, Stephan Jaegar
11:45 a.m. – A.J. Ewart, Patrick Rodgers
11:55 a.m. – Jacob Bridgeman, Doug Ghim
12:05 p.m. – Jordan Spieth, Danny Walker
12:15 p.m. – Patrick Cantlay, David Skinns
12:25 p.m. – Matthieu Pavon, Seamus Power
12:35 p.m. – Gary Woodland, Jordan Smith
12:45 p.m. – Brooks Koepka, Tony Finau
12:55 p.m. – Kevin Yu, Rico Hoey
1:10 p.m. – Corey Conners, Chandler Blanchet
1:20 p.m. – S.H. Kim, Tom Kim
1:30 p.m. – Matt Fitzpatrick, Adrien Dumon de Chassart
1:40 p.m. – David Lipsky, Marco Penge
1:50 p.m. – Sungjae Im, Brandt Snedeker

The momentum Iowa State gained from a dominant 108–74 victory over Tennessee State in the First Round, is tempered by the uncertain status of Second-Team All-American Joshua Jefferson as the Cyclones prepare for a Second Round game against the Kentucky Wildcats. Jefferson suffered an ankle injury in the opening minutes of the game against the Tigers and did not return. He is listed on the injury report as doubtful. Without Jefferson, who leads the team averaging nearly 17 points per game, the Cyclones will be forced to lean more on their top-tier defense and the outside shooting of Milan Momcilovic, who is currently hitting nearly 50% from three-point range and point guard Tamin Lipsey.

Kentucky takes the court Sunday at the Enterprise Center following a dramatic 89–84 overtime escape against Santa Clara. Otega Oweh forced overtime with a game-tying buzzer-beater a few dribbles across midcourt. Under Head Coach Mark Pope, the Wildcats run a high-octane offense and with Jefferson possibly sidelined for Iowa State, the pedal will be put to the floor for 40 minutes.

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To pull off the upset and reach back-to-back Sweet 16s, Kentucky must leverage their rebounding advantage against an Iowa State team that has struggled at times on the glass even with a healthy Jefferson. It would not hurt Pope’s crew to shoot the ball as they did against Santa Clara when they knocked down 51% of the shots they took.

This is the second meeting between these schools. Kentucky took out ISU in that meeting, 87-71. The winner advances to the Sweet 16 and a date against the winner of Tennessee and Virginia.

Lets take a closer look at this Round 2 matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Game Details and How to Watch Live: Iowa State vs. Kentucky

• Date: Sunday, March 22, 2026

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Game Odds: Iowa State vs. Kentucky

The latest odds as of Saturday courtesy of DraftKings:

• Moneyline: Iowa State Cyclones (-218), Kentucky Wildcats (+180)

This game opened Iowa State -5.5 with the Total set at 145.5.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NCAA Basketball schedule!

Expected Starting Lineups: Iowa State vs. Kentucky

Iowa State Cyclones

Kentucky Wildcats

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Important stats, trends and insights: Iowa State vs. Kentucky

• Iowa State is 22-13 ATS overall this season

• Kentucky is 18-17 ATS overall this season

• The OVER has cashed in 18 of Kentucky’s 35 games this season (18-17)

• The OVER has cashed in only 16 of Iowa State’s 35 games this season (16-19)

• Otega Oweh scored 35 points, pulled down 8 boards, and dished out 7 assists in 43 minutes Friday

• Nate Heise came off the bench Friday to score 22 points for the Cyclones including 4-5 from deep

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Sunday’s game between Iowa State and Kentucky:

• Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline

• Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on Kentucky +4.5

• Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 145.5

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

• Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)

• Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)

• Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)

• Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

Tom Brady arrived at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles with a look that only meant one thing: business. The seven-time Super Bowl champion worked hard to hype up the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, even engaging in a tense back-and-forth with WWE superstar Logan Paul in the lead-up to the event.

After several months of waiting and a change of venue due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, the event became a reality. The NFL’s X account shared a video of Brady entering the stadium while wearing a white Fanatics hat with a white T-shirt and black pants. He had a serious look, which drew plenty of attention from fans.

Plenty of people made the same comment about Brady taking things too seriously.

“The way he’s dressed tells me he’s taking this way too seriously. Flag football is about to get its first ever 7-time Super Bowl winning ‘amateur’ lol,” one fan said.

“Yeah… if you know, you know 👀 this one about to be lowkey elite. I’m tuning in just to see who shows out fr,” another fan said.

“Tom Brady is definitely going to treat a friendly flag football game like it’s the Super Bowl. Someone’s catching a stray today,” another fan predicted.

Tom Brady’s vibe caught a lot of attention, and people continued to say the same about his approach.

“Yeah this one feels different already 👀 You can tell it’s not just a casual run-out, there’s real competition and pride in it. Events like this always surprise you with moments you didn’t expect. Definitely tuning in to see who actually shows up and takes over,” one fan said.

“Brady getting ready to cook,” another fan said.

“Here we go… someone’s about to take this way too seriously,” another fan said.

ALSO READ: “One of the highlights of my life”: Tom Brady recalls ‘scary’ Indy 500 experience as new IndyCar era begins

Tom Brady called out opposing QBs Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow before FFFC

Tom Brady didn’t hesitate to hype up the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. His old trash-talking version returned during Wednesday’s draft. The New England Patriots legend called out Washington Commanders legend Jayden Daniels, mocking him by saying his mother/agent let him play.

Additionally, he threw shade at Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow after he was seen leaving the Oscars with Brady’s rumored girlfriend, Alix Earle.

It seems that Brady took it a little personally, and he won’t back down against the new generation.