Oct 1, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat (94), defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (91) on field against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings usually make at least one trade each summer, and sometimes more. According to NFL writer Wynston Wilcox, the purple team could swing for the fences this go-around, doing additional business with the Philadelphia Eagles after the Jonathan Greenard trade by finalizing a deal for defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
The idea is quite zany, considering Minnesota’s investment in two rookie defensive tackles, but a take is a take.
Vikings DT Plan Makes the Idea Unlikely
Jan 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter looks on from the sideline during the third quarter against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Wilcox: Vikings Should Be on Carter Trade List
Wilcox of FanSided suggested a 2nd- and 5th-Round pick would push the deal over the finish line for the Vikings and also mentioned the San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders as alternate destinations.
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He explained from Minnesota’s standpoint, “The Vikings don’t really have any player they could give up in a deal that wouldn’t gash this roster, so they’ll have to resort to draft capital, which could be a hefty price to pay. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are at odds a bit, but he doesn’t have a potential out in his contract until 2028, according to Spotrac.”
“That means a move for J.J. McCarthy just wouldn’t make too much sense right now. The Vikings don’t really have receiver depth either, so they’re stuck with giving up draft capital to land Carter. That said, he’s a beast and would instantly make this defensive line better.”
Carter is a Top 10 defensive tackle in the NFL right now.
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“They went the young route, releasing Javon Hargrave and then trading Jonathan Allen to the Cincinnati Bengals. They drafted Domonique Orange and Caleb Banks as their future, but adding Carter would ensure they stay in championship contention,” Wilcox continued.
As a point of clarification, Allen wasn’t traded. The veteran was a post-June 1st cut who opted for the Bengals as a free agent.
“When you want stars on your team, it’s costly, but the Vikings can’t ignore how big of an addition Carter would be.”
The Vikings Have Their Version of Carter: Caleb Banks
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Minnesota drafted Banks — somewhat shockingly — in Round 1 three months ago to be their Carter. Swinging a deal for Carter may not inherently put Banks on the back burner, but it would crowd the position, especially for a team that just used 1st-Round draft capital on a high-profile defensive tackle.
Nov 26, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis (90) and defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) walk off the field after a victory against the Buffalo Bills at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports.
Meanwhile, the Vikings also employ Jalen Redmond, who has fully blossomed as a long-term, startable interior defensive lineman. Adding Carter would presumably demote Redmond; either that — or Banks wouldn’t get much playing time because you can’t trade for Carter and bench Carter.
In short, Minnesota has hope for a Carter of its own; it’s Banks.
Just Not Enough Space for the Investment
Between signing Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave last year (later released), cultivating Redmond since 2024, and drafting Banks, along with 3rd-Round defensive tackle Domonique Orange, Minnesota has adequately addressed a long-ignored DT position. It’s great that Carter would be in play for the Vikings, but the timing is off.
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Minnesota should focus on developing its current defensive tackles rather than trading 2nd-Round capital for an established veteran.
Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley speaks during a behind-the-scenes feature examining Seattle’s preparation for the NFL Draft. The video offered a look inside the club’s scouting and personnel departments, detailing how evaluators study prospects, compare grades, and build the team’s draft board following the NFL Combine. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
For example, if the new general manager is desperate to sell 2nd-Round draft picks, defensive tackle should be low on his list. DT might even be the deepest position on the depth chart.
Other Logical Trade Options
Pretend Teasley is looking to wheel and deal, aspiring to go all-in right now, like the Los Angeles Rams. He might choose to get rich at one of the following positions — not defensive tackle:
Running Back
Outside Linebacker
Cornerback
Instead of trading for Carter, Minnesota could theoretically debate whether Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders is worth the squeeze of two 1st-Rounders. It’s probably more valuable for Minnesota to hang on to its picks, but Crosby would arguably have a greater impact than Carter.
Teasley, too, could just keep his draft picks. No one would be too upset about it.
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Betwitchery is set to chase a third consecutive victory when she resumes racing at Flemington.
The mare, prepared by the training partnership of Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin, is scheduled to begin her latest campaign in the VRC Member Brendan Sobozynski Plate (1200m) this Saturday.
Betwitchery, a five-time winner from eighteen starts and a proven performer first-up, concluded her previous preparation with a win over 1400m at Pakenham, followed by a triumph in the VOBIS Gold Distaff (1400m) at Caulfield on March 14.
After a short break, the daughter of Blue Point underwent a jump-out in April, after which it was decided to grant the mare an extended spell.
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In preparation for her Saturday comeback, Betwitchery has completed two jump-outs at Flemington, finishing third on both occasions on June 26 and July 10.
Larkin conveyed the stable’s contentment with the mare’s progress, noting this will be her debut run down the Flemington straight.
“She’s going really well at home,” Larkin explained. “Her jump-outs have been good and she’s probably going her best now as she has ever.”
“She’s a mare that has always been progressing and had maturity to come, and I think that has come now as she has always been a bit fierce in her work, but she seems to be getting the hang of that now.”
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“The straight for the first time is a question mark and as a Flemington trainer you would love to be able to give them a look, but unfortunately, you can’t.”
“But what she has is one of those actions that would normally suit the straight.”
“She’s a big striding mare, so she should get room, which she loves to get and I’m sure she’ll run very well.”
Apprentice jockey Holly Durnan will take the reins for Betwitchery on Saturday, and her 3kg claim means the mare will carry 53.5kg.
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Want to get involved in the action? Find the best racing betting markets for the VRC Member Brendan Sobozynski Plate.
The Las Vegas Aces are turning to a familiar face to continue ramping up their offense.
On Friday night, the Aces officially announced the signing of guard Mai Yamamoto to a rest of season contract.
The move comes on the heels of the Aces announcing that rookie forward Janiah Barker would be out for the remainder of the season due to injury.
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Yamamoto is something of a known commodity for the Aces, and one they will be more than happy to see on their side this time around. On April 26, when the Aces faced Team Japan in a preseason exhibition, Yamamoto was easily the best player on the court for the Japanese with seven three-pointers and 24 points.
While Yamamoto has no WNBA experience outside of a brief cup of coffee with the Dallas Wings before the 2025 season, she brings a glut of international experience. She has been a star in several renditions of the FIBA World Cup and Asian Cup, and also put up 17 points, three rebounds and five assists when Japan faced Team USA in the 2024 Olympics.
The signing comes as the Aces aim to improve on the offensive end.
Despite looking to find players to provide scoring punch beyond the trio of A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray, the offseason acquisitions have not done much this season. Stephanie Talbot and Brianna Turner have been more impactful on the defensive end, but have produced less than five points per game combined. Chennedy Carter appeared to be finding her groove as a microwave scorer coming off the bench, but things quickly soured and she scored more than 10 points only once since May 31 before being waived.
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A healthy Dana Evans and an eyebrow-raising start from Justine Pissott should help add some firepower from the bench, but the Aces felt the need to do more.
There is zero doubt that Becky Hammon and Nikki Fargas did their homework on Yamamoto after the Japan game, and they clearly liked what they saw enough to give her a chance to see if the impressive preseason effort translates in regular season action.
Fifa has no plans to move the World Cup final on Sunday, even as smoke from Canadian wildfires degrades air quality in the New York area, according to people familiar with the matter.
There have been informal discussions about the wildfire situation including Fifa and Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House’s World Cup task force, but no some major formal meeting is on the books about the matter right now, according to a White House official.
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The game featuring Spain and Argentina will kick off at 3 pm at the 80,000-capacity MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Staff from the National Weather Service has been stationed at the Fifa command centre in Miami throughout the tournament and will continue to monitor the weather, an NWS spokesperson said.
While smoke in New York City will likely get worse on Saturday, most of that will clear by Sunday, said Bob Oravec, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Centre.
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“Sunday will not be terrible for the World Cup,” Oravec said. “Everything we see is that the smoke will be clearing on Sunday.”
Hotter and drier conditions fueled by climate change have caused hundreds of wildfires in Canada to send dangerous smoke plumes across the continent.
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Poor air quality has already disrupted professional sports, resulting in the postponement of a Thursday MLS match in Chicago and leading officials to move an MLB game in Philadelphia forward by one hour.
Air quality alerts have been issued in major US population centres, with the US Environmental Protection Agency labeling readings in cities such as Detroit and Minneapolis as “hazardous.”
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Fifa previously monitored air quality at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, deploying a network of solar-powered sensors and air quality monitoring stations across all eight stadiums being used.
While Latin Americans have traditionally rallied behind football teams from the region who advance deep into the World Cup tournament, a flood of memes, jokes and criticism has made it clear there is one exception: Argentina. In one photoshopped pic that went viral, Lamine Yamal — who leads Argentina’s opponent, Spain — is wearing a Brazilian jersey. The snarky caption? “The hope of the Brazilian people.” The fervor goes beyond the historic rivalry between Pele’s Brazil and Diego Maradona’s Argentina: Mexico, Colombia, Chile and others are all hoping Lionel Messi’s Albiceleste bite the dust on Sunday.
A similar phenomenon occurred before Argentina won its third World Cup title in 2022.
Colombian sociologist German Gomez told AFP that the “dynamic of solidarity … has been broken” with Argentina.
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He said the digital era and social networks have fueled “narratives” that the team is a darling of football’s world governing body FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino.
“Argentina has had help from referees,” said Francisco Santos, a Brazilian fan trading World Cup stickers at a shopping center in Sao Paulo, where cheers rang out when England scored first against Argentina in the semi-finals.
If Brazil could not become six-time champions, “I would rather see Spain become two-time champions than Argentina become four-time champions,” the 42-year-old said.
Critics say Argentina has received more favorable calls such as penalties and yellow or red cards against opponents, even when such decisions have been backed by FIFA and experts.
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“We’re going to cheer for Spain,” said Juan Camilo Abusaid, a 28-year-old finance worker in Bogota.
‘Very political’
Antonio Lopez, 51, a police officer in Mexico City, described Messi as a “legend.”
But Lopez added: “If you’re going to sweat and break your back on the pitch to become champions twice, I accept that. If referees are going to help you, I don’t.”
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At a press conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum jokingly asked journalists which team they were supporting in the final.
“Spain! Spain!” they replied.
For Mexican anthropology professor Jorge Negroe, a specialist in social studies of sport, “this World Cup has proven to be very political.”
Gomez meanwhile said that while Maradona was seen as a revolutionary who confronted FIFA’s power, current narratives perceive Messi as FIFA’s “golden boy.”
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National politics has also created resentment.
“I really don’t like Javier Milei (Argentina’s president) at all!” said Rachid Sjoberg, a 29-year-old agricultural laboratory operator in Santiago.
“The idea that he would then boast about having won the World Cup if they win does not sit well with me.”
Argentine fans and some players have also faced accusations of racism — such as a chant sung by the team in the past mocking the Black players on the French team as not being really French.
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There is also a long history of club-level fans throwing bananas on the field or making monkey gestures at Brazilian fans or black players.
During this World Cup, FIFA condemned racism in a statement after an Argentine supporter told a Black US influencer known as IShowSpeed to go “cry at the zoo” during a livestream.
‘We are unbearable’
Messi himself has acknowledged the strong feelings around whether the team wins or loses.
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“Four years ago, we achieved what we wanted: to play the final and be the best for four years. Once again, we have shown that nobody gives us anything for free, and we have put ourselves among the two best again,” he said.
“Let it hurt whoever it hurts.”
A brand of fernet, an alcoholic drink which is hugely popular in Argentina, has taken advantage of the anti-Argentine sentiment with humor.
Under the slogan “We are unbearable,” it launched an advert showing fans from different teams sitting in a therapy circle complaining about Argentines’ unbridled passion for football.
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While many in Latin America are rooting against Argentina, the team has received a rapturous response at training camps in the United States, with fans chanting “Messi! Messi!”
But some still embrace regional solidarity.
“I’m going to support Argentina because it’s a South American country,” said Valentino Tocto, a 20-year-old student in Lima.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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FIFA World Cup 2026 | Argentina Fans Sing & Dance After Dramatic Comeback Against Egypt
Levi Wallace, 31, is hanging up his cleats after an eight-year NFL career that began when he signed as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama. (This video contains AI-assisted content)
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Cornerback Levi Wallace has retired from the NFL at age 31.
Wallace was with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, but spent the year on injured reserve and never appeared in a game. His final game action came with the Denver Broncos in 2024.
He announced his retirement on Instagram, captioning the post, “Walk-on. Undrafted. 8 years. Retired.”
Buffalo Bills cornerback Levi Wallace reacts to a defensive play against the Atlanta Falcons at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y.(Rich Barnes/USA Today Sports)
“Not bad.”
Wallace was undrafted out of Alabama, but being an underdog was familiar to him. He played for Nick Saban at Alabama, joining the team as a walk-on in 2014.
For the first two years of his collegiate career, he played on the scout team and eventually saw the field, earning a scholarship for the 2016 season. In 2017, he became a key starter for the Crimson Tide defense during the National Championship-winning season.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Levi Wallace stands on the sidelines during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa.(Philip G. Pavely/USA TODAY Sports)
In 2017, he recorded 48 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three interceptions and led the SEC with 15 pass breakups. He returned one of his interceptions for a touchdown.
Coming out of Alabama, Wallace went undrafted and signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent. He eventually earned a spot in the starting lineup during his rookie year, starting seven games.
Once Wallace seized a spot in the secondary, he didn’t let go, as he started every game he appeared in for the Bills over his four-year stint with them. With the Bills, Wallace recorded 219 tackles and six interceptions.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Levi Wallace leaves the field after a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev.(Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
Wallace signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers following his Bills tenure, and started 18 of 31 games over two seasons. While he didn’t start as much, he still remained a ball hawk, snaring six interceptions over those two years for Pittsburgh.
In Wallace’s final season with Denver, he started two of 13 games and recorded 28 tackles.
In 96 career games, Wallace recorded 333 tackles, 56 pass deflections and 12 interceptions.
PHOENIX — Leila Lacan scored a career-high 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field to lead the Connecticut Sun to a 96-83 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Friday night in the first of back-to-back meetings between the teams.
The Sun (7-18) have won consecutive games for just the second time this season and are 5-3 in their last eight.
Kennedy Burke had 13 points, Brittney Griner and Aaliyah Edwards scored 12 apiece and Diamond Miller added 11 for the Sun.
Kahleah Copper had 21 points to lead the Mercury (8-18), who have lost five straight. Alyssa Thomas had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists, Valeriane Ayayi scored 13 points and DeWanna Bonner grabbed 10 rebounds to go with eight points.
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Lacan hit a three-pointer, converted a three-point play and then made a layup that capped an 11-0 run and gave Connecticut a 19-point lead with 4:10 remaining in the second quarter.
The Mercury were scoreless for nearly four minutes, went without a made field goal for almost five and committed eight of their 13 turnovers in the second quarter.
Griner, who spent her first 11 WNBA seasons with the Mercury, played just her second game in Phoenix since she and the franchise parted ways following the 2024 season.
Saniya Rivers returned from a two-game absence due to a left ankle sprain and had six points in 14 minutes off the bench for the Sun.
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Monique Akoa Makani took an incidental elbow from Griner to the face in the opening seconds and went to the locker room briefly. The second-year guard finished scoreless on 0-for-6 shooting.
Aneesah Morrow (reconditioning) missed her fifth consecutive game.
Uncrowned has Diego Pacheco vs. Immanuwel Aleem live results, round-by-round updates, highlights, ring walks and start time for the Pacheco vs. Aleem fight card on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. In the night’s main event, top-ranked super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco faces Immanuwel Aleem as he continues his ascent toward a world title shot
Pacheco (25-0, 18 KOs) has established himself as one of the leading contenders at 168 pounds, and now returns for the first fight of his career under Hall of Fame trainer Buddy McGirt. Pacheco survived a knockdown to claim a career-best win over top-10 contender Kevin Lele Sadjo this past December.
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Aleem (22-4-3, 14 KOs) was defeated this past March by Lester Martinez in his bid for the WBC interim title. He has served as a gatekeeper to the world level at middleweight in recent years and now at super middleweight.
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In the night’s co-feature, recent title challenger Andy Cruz (6-1, 3 KOs), a 2020 Olympic gold medalist, fights for the first time since falling short to Raymond Muratalla for the IBF lightweight title this past January. Cruz battles Mexico’s Abraham Montoya (24-7-1, 14 KOs).
The Pacheco vs. Aleem prelims begin at 5:30 p.m. ET and can be watched on Uncrowned.
The main card starts at 8 p.m. ET on DAZN, with main event ring walks expected around 11 p.m. ET.
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Follow all of the action with Uncrowned’s live results and play-by-play of the main card below.
Main card (8 p.m. ET, DAZN)
Super middleweight: Diego Pacheco vs. Immanuwel Aleem
Lightweight: Andy Cruz vs. Abraham Montoya
Featherweight: Albert Gonzalez vs. Aaron Alameda Lopez
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Bantamweight: Saul Sanchez vs. Bruno Rios Jr.
Prelims (5:30 p.m. ET, Watch on Uncrowned)
Heavyweight: Leo Atang vs. Glen Williams
Middleweight: Frank Espinoza vs. Luis Caraballo Ramos
Lightweight: Samuel Contreras vs. Jorge Alberto Ayala Lopez
World Cup Winners to receive Championship Rings for the First Time
FIFA has officially announced that the winners of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will receive championship rings for the first time in the tournament’s history.
The rings will be awarded alongside the traditional World Cup trophy and winners’ medals, introducing a new tradition inspired by championship rings in American sports.
A total of 30 custom-made rings will be created for the winning team’s players, coaches, and staff. Each ring will be designed after the final and personalized.
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FIFA will also produce 1,996 numbered collector’s rings for fans, bringing the total number of rings to 2,026 in celebration of the 2026 tournament.
The rings will be presented after Sunday’s World Cup final, where Argentina and Spain will battle for football’s biggest prize.
SOUTHPORT, England — The last steps of Bryson DeChambeau’s Friday evening went exactly as he would have wanted. While in contention at the Open Championship, he signed autographs, took selfies with his fans and, yes, even discussed a video collab with British YouTube golfers.
The sun had long set on Royal Birkdale and for a brief moment you might have even forgotten that his previous two hours hadn’t completely thrown this tournament on its side.
DeChambeau had spent the afternoon roiling the crowd into a frenzy, not too dissimilar to the scenes from two summers ago at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. He drove it magnificently, angled to the crowd for club selection advice on tee boxes and routinely went out of his way to high-five anyone with an open palm in sight.
And then, about 10 minutes after grooving a 12-footer for birdie on the 18th, around 8:30 p.m. local time, he learned rules officials were considering issuing him a two-shot penalty for improving his lie on the 5th hole. Any player would have smashed the pause button and demanded an explanation, but this ensuing deliberation put the entire championship on hold for two confusing hours.
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Rather than move toward the driving range and player locker room, DeChambeau and his agent reversed course sharply and ventured out with rules officials to inspect and reenact what happened about five hours earlier. In an instant, they were 1,000 yards away and on the northern edge of the property. TV cameras followed it all while recordings of the broadcast swept up the remaining attention on social media. Nevermind that local hero Tommy Fleetwood was finishing out at four under, nor that Jon Rahm had received a code of conduct warning. The night had shifted.
Meanwhile, dozens of media members assembled near scoring, anxious for answers. Coincidentally, DeChambeau had decided to not speak with the press this week, or at either of the last two major championships. His golf hasn’t been good — missing every major cut — and the only time he’s wanted to speak about his form this summer has come via his YouTube page.
Instead, the world was forced to just watch, watch, watch, wherever they could. A few media members even began trudging out to the 5th hole for a better view when DeChambeau and the rules brigade started their return to scoring. It was 9:06 and the waiting was far from over. Only now an incendiary bit of info had just leaked: DeChambeau said he may sit out the remainder of the tournament as a protest of the ruling.
Another 30 minutes of deliberation took place in scoring. Scottie Scheffler, who had played two rounds with DeChambeau, finished his post-round putting practice and weaved his way through the media horde. “My day was not nearly this interesting,” he said with a chuckle. A roar carried out over the clubhouse. One of the final groups on the course featured a surprising made cut.
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DeChambeau and a rules official post-round on Friday.
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At 9:36, DeChambeau finally exited scoring and walked directly to the driving range.
“Hey everybody, how y’all doin’?” he asked the reporters. (He repeated himself multiple times when he didn’t receive much of a response.)
Trailing behind but veering off to speak with the media was R&A executive director of governance, Grant Moir, who had given DeChambeau the penalty and heard every argument. He stepped in front of cameras holding a copy of the published, two-inch thick Rules of Golf book that governs the game. The rule in question: 8-1, which oversees how a course must be played as it is found. It states that a player may not move or break any growing or attached natural object. DeChambeau’s various steps in and around the mess of fescue, weeds and reeds, the officials decided, impacted the conditions of the shot he played over a hazard and through the green.
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Moir was brief and punctual with his statement, which included two important words: inadvertently and accidentally. It implied that DeChambeau would indeed receive a two-shot penalty, that his sterling 66 would become a 68, but that DeChambeau clearly denied knowing he was altering his lie. But that’s where that heavy book comes in handy. According to Rule 8-1, a player must take the “least intrusive course of action” to address his ball, and cannot alter the conditions affecting the stroke, even by mistake.
“I would reiterate this rule applies even when there’s no intention to improve the area, as was the case with Bryson,” Moir said. “That’s all I have to say.”
By this time, DeChambeau was well into a cooldown range session, which we’ve learned can stretch long into the night. A crescent moon crept slowly across the sky. Darkness slid in. His launch monitor only needs a few inches of light and the nearby leaderboard provided plenty. It also offered a new score: five under for the tournament, tied for fifth instead of solo second.
It may have felt like this was just the final touches of one man’s Friday, but it was far from it. Tour players all over Southport were waiting for the R&A to post tee times for the third round, which had been delayed at least an hour longer than necessary. Justin Thomas even tweeted at The Open asking for clarification.
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In front of one swing coach, his caddie, his manager, his agent, another swing coach and maybe 15 reporters, DeChambeau sent ball after ball after ball into the haze. Irons, woods, the driver, back to irons, more woods, the driver again. DeChambeau turned around cheekily to everyone who had committed their evening to the ordeal and asked, “What do you guys think of the swing? Does it look good?”
After nearly an hour, DeChambeau quit around 10:30 and turned toward the massive, tented clubhouse erected for players during a week where, clearly, all kinds of history will be made. Along the way, he paused for those autographs and selfies and shared contact information for one of his content managers. The collab, with Big Wedge Golf and its 800,000-plus subscribers, may happen after all.
But those fans were just as curious as the rest of the golf world: What does he think of it all? Did this change his routine? Will he still show up for the third round?
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DeChambeau apologized, called it a “rules debacle,” said he was off to eat dinner and thanked them for waiting. As to his plans for the third round, or any other thoughts on the matter, he didn’t offer any clues.
The SmackDown main event was the equivalent of a Premium Live Event main event as Cody Rhodes faced Gunther in a huge grudge match. During the bout, a WWE star made a huge return.
As Gunther made his entrance for the main event, Cody Rhodes attacked him in an act of revenge. During the match itself, CM Punk came out to keep a check on The Ring General. CM Punk had expressed his dissatisfaction at Adam Pearce announcing that if Gunther and Sami Zayn win, they will be added to the WWE title match at SummerSlam 2026. He was also not pleased with Cody for taking on a match just one night before their high-stakes headliner at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
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Thanks for the submission!
With a little under four minutes remaining before the show came to a close, Sami Zayn returned and took Punk out in an act of vengeance. Things broke down into a DQ finish, and SmackDown went off the air with Gunther and Sami Zayn brawling with CM Punk and Cody Rhodes.
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Gunther and Sami Zayn are far from friends. In fact, it was Sami Zayn who dethroned Gunther a couple of years ago to end his record-breaking reign as the Intercontinental Champion. However, they are now on the same page and will be extra motivated to make sure that they get an entry into the WWE title picture at SummerSlam.
Still, Sami Zayn is far from a bad guy. He was simply resentful of CM Punk for dethroning him because he likely felt it was unfair that he had to defend his WWE Championship on a show he didn’t even belong to. The entire sequence of events has been crazy, and this was the kind of explosive end that was needed on SmackDown, as little else of substance occurred on the show.
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