Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn are set to collide in three weeks’ time, but there is one reigning world champion who claims that both men have swerved him.
Benn tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug named Clomifene ahead of a grudge match with Chris Eubank Jr in September 2022, which was cancelled as a result.
Meanwhile, Ostarine was found in Garcia’s system after a career-best win over Devin Haney in April 2024, but after a one-year ban, the Californian returned in an unsuccessful challenge for the vacant WBA welterweight title, losing a unanimous decision to Rolando Romero.
Garcia then secured a second consecutive world title bid and finally got his hands on world honours when he dethroned Mario Barrios earlier this year to claim the WBC welterweight world title, with Benn lined up for his attempted first defence next month.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, when asked to predict the fight, former ‘King Ry’ foe Romero refused to offer his thoughts, instead labelling both men as ‘juice heads’ and declaring that both men ducked him.
“Two juice heads.”
“I don’t care about that [fight], they both ducked me.”
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When asked why he believes neither man wishes to face him, Romero stated his belief that his punch power is too much for either of Garcia or Benn to accept the fight.
“I punch hard, I could end your whole career with one punch.”
Whilst Garcia-Benn takes place next month, Romero faces Teofimo Lopez on Saturday as he looks to defend his welterweight crown for the first time since trumping Garcia 15 months ago.
AEW star Buddy Matthews is one of the most agile stars in the company. Unfortunately, he has been absent from the Jacksonville-based promotion for over 18 months. He injured his leg at Grand Slam Australia in February 2025 during his match against Kazuchika Okada. Throughout the year, fans have been waiting for him to return.
A few weeks ago, the former AEW World Trios Champion announced that he will return to the ring in October 2026 for a major tour of World Series Wrestling. He is also medically cleared to wrestle. Shockingly, the date for All Elite Wrestling has still not been announced. With All In just around the corner, he could have played a major part at the pay-per-view.
Recently, Buddy Matthews took to Instagram and uploaded a story of him working out. He is looking absolutely phenomenal despite being out of the ring for over one and a half years.
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Take a look at the screenshot of the story below:Buddy’s Instagram story [Image via Instagram/@snm_buddy]
Rhea Ripley talks about Buddy Matthews’ road to recovery
The injured AEW star has been training for many months to get ready for a return. His wife, Rhea Ripley, recently talked about his training.
“Every now and then (her & Buddy train in the ring together). He’s still starting to get back into the ring stuff because he got injured over a year ago in February when they (AEW) went to Australia. So he got injured then, so he’s just started getting back into the ring now, and he’s just trying to rehab it and see what he can do. So he’ll get in, and we’ll run the ropes. I’ve been teaching him some rolls, since the boys class didn’t do as many rolls as the girls class apparently… We’ve been getting in a little bit. Also, I get nervous about getting hurt, especially these days, because I’m always on the road, I’m always doing stuff. I want to stay sharp, but I also don’t want to get beat up more than I get beat up. So, I go a little bit easier,” she said.
It will be interesting to see if Buddy Matthews returns at All In.
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Jordyn Tyson’s start to his NFL career is not going according to plan.
The New Orleans Saints receiver, who went in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, could miss the next two months after suffering a hamstring injury during training camp, according to NFL Network.
The 22-year-old Arizona State product, whom the Saints took eighth overall back in April, suffered the injury during last Thursday’s joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jordyn Tyson of the New Orleans Saints participates in drills during a joint practice at Ochsner Sports Performance Center on Aug. 13, 2026, in Metairie, La.(Getty Images)
Saints head coach Kellen Moore, who enters his second season leading the franchise, said one day later that the injury could force Tyson to be sidelined through the start of the season. Now, if the current timeline remains, Tyson is looking at potentially missing at least five games.
There were also reports Tyson sought multiple opinions on his hamstring injury, leading to discourse on social media among football fans worried he would be missing more than just a few practices.
A two-month timeline would mean a return near Week 6, where the Saints would travel to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Giants. Then, they travel overseas for a game in Paris as part of the NFL’s International Games.
Tyson did have hamstring issues while starring for the Sun Devils, but Moore refuted speculation that this injury was comparable.
“I think my understanding of this one, any player that was put in his situation where your foot slips and you get shoved from behind, this has nothing to do with Jordyn’s history,” Moore explained, per ESPN. “Any player in that situation probably has the same diagnosis coming out of this.”
Moore added that Tyson, who had practiced every day in training camp before the injury, was having a good time getting acclimated to his new team.
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Jordyn Tyson of the New Orleans Saints participates in drills during a joint practice at Ochsner Sports Performance Center in Metairie, La., on Aug. 13, 2026.(Getty Images)
“He’s played really good football,” Moore said. “Inevitably, this is the unfortunate part of what preseason and training camp football is. We’ve already had a few of these guys, that you just have something that comes up and … we’ll just work through it.
“He’ll be fine. We’ll get through this, and he’ll be good to go.”
Moore is charged with continuing the positive football that came in the second half of last season for the Saints, particularly when Tyler Shough, the team’s second-round draft choice a year ago, was named the starting quarterback.
Now, as Shough had a full offseason to prepare as the team’s starter moving forward, the Saints did a great job adding offensive weapons for him to work with.
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One of them was Tyson, who hit the prospect radar for NFL scouts with a breakout 1,101-yard performance in 2024. He dealt with hamstring problems in 2025, which led to just nine games on the field for Arizona State. However, he tallied 61 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns over that span.
Jordyn Tyson of the New Orleans Saints attends the OTA Offseason Workout at Ochsner Sports Performance Center on May 28, 2026, in Metairie, La.(Getty Images)
New Orleans also locked in top receiver Chris Olave on an extension before the start of the season, while adding Travis Etienne Jr. this offseason on a four-year, $48 million contract. Alvin Kamara returns to the fold as well, providing a dynamic duo in the backfield.
But Tyson’s priorities will be on recovery now, as the Saints hope to have their first-round pick back on the field soon with the regular season a few weeks away.
Curt Cignetti took a bit of a jab at Notre Dame, hinting at the idea of a home-and-home with the Irish…but the Hoosiers’ head man couldn’t resist a remark about their lack of a conference affiliation.
He’s great for College Football.
On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, I make my 2026 record prediction for the Georgia Bulldogs.
Will Kirby Smart be right back in the SEC Championship Game?
Boise State enters 2026 with a three-peat of Mountain West Conference Championships in the rearview mirror.
Will they make the Playoff as a Pac-12 school in the new era?
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00:00 Discussing The Big Short movie 05:14 Discussing Indiana’s championship chances 11:55 Georgia Bulldogs football expectations 16:29 Discussing marquee football matchups 22:44 Boise State football schedule discussion 24:49 Boise State playoff potential
Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes has attracted interest from Turkish club Galatasaray in the final weeks of the transfer window.
Manchester United will not entertain any offer for Bruno Fernandes in the final two weeks of the summer transfer window.
Galatasaray are interested in luring Fernandes to Turkey – where a favourable tax rate for top-flight players is on offer – but United are not prepared to consider offers for their captain.
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Club sources have gone as far as to say Fernandes is not available for any price this summer.
Fernandes won a fifth Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award for his performances last season, and he broke the Premier League assist record on the final day of a superb individual campaign.
Fernandes rejected an approach from Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal in favour of staying at United last year. However, he made headlines in December when he suggested United wanted him to join Al-Hilal.
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The Portugal international previously said during a sit-down with Manchester-based reporters in October that the club had echoed Ruben Amorim’s desire for him to stay.
United sources were also adamant that Fernandes had been informed he was key to the club’s future plans.
A few months ago, Fernandes discussed how “special” it would be to lead United to glory again after over a decade’s wait for the Premier League title, and he is understood to be settled in England.
Fernandes’ contract runs until the summer of 2027, but United have the option of another year.
Inspired by Harmanpreet Kaur and her women’s cricket team, who created history by winning the ODI World Cup last year, veteran striker Navneet Kaur wants the Indian hockey team to script a similar title-winning story at the FIH Women’s World Cup.
India, ranked ninth in the world, began its campaign with a fighting 2-2 draw against Paris Olympic silver medallist and world No. 4 China.
They next face 18th-ranked South Africa on Tuesday. The Indian women’s cricket team’s triumph over South Africa in the final last year, which earned them their maiden ODI World Cup title, has inspired women athletes across the country, Navneet believes.
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“Everyone now knows the players of our women’s cricket team, which they didn’t know as much before. As women players, it’s an inspiration for us. If that team can play so well at this level, why can’t we?” Navneet told PTI in an exclusive interview.
“Playing at the world level and winning a title by performing at your best is a huge thing, and we too would like to achieve this feat in hockey,” added the 30-year-old, who has scored 70 goals in 211 appearances for India.
Navneet has been in fine form this year, scoring four goals each in the FIH Nations Cup and the World Cup qualifiers. She believes she is in the best phase of her career and is keen to carry that momentum into the showpiece event.
“I’m confident because I’ve been playing for a long time and the team’s preparation has been good. I have performed well in all the tournaments I’ve played this year and I’d like to maintain that momentum in the World Cup,” she said.
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Having made her World Cup debut in London in 2018, Navneet is now one of the senior-most members of the side and sees her role as more than just scoring goals.
“When I joined the team, I was a junior player, and the environment was different. Back then, I constantly tried to learn from the coaches and senior players, but now my role has changed because I’m a senior myself,” she said.
“Now I know how I progressed and how I can help the junior players.”
This is Navneet’s third World Cup, and she feels the experience of playing more than 200 international matches has brought maturity to her game.
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“There’s responsibility, but I know how to handle it. This is my third World Cup. When I played my first World Cup, I had no idea what the experience would be like. I performed well in the second, but now, after playing over 200 matches, I’ve matured and know exactly what to do,” she said.
Navneet, who has been part of the senior team since 2017, also stressed the importance of evolving beyond technical skills.
“Initially, I focused solely on hockey skills, but gradually I realised that playing smart hockey and paying attention to fitness are also important. Now, I’m working hard on that,” she said.
With 11 players in the current squad featuring in their first World Cup, Navneet has taken on the role of guiding the newcomers.
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“I keep telling them that when we first played, we didn’t know much about the experience or how the teams play. But playing together, we have seen the skills in you that a world-class player should have. Just believe in yourself,” she said.
“There will be pressure because it’s a huge tournament, but you can talk to your seniors or coaches, who will tell you to do only what you’re told. You don’t have to do anything extra,” she added.
Navneet feels the current team and its preparation are different from those of the side that finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, with a greater blend of youth and experience.
“There were a lot of senior players in the team at that time, but this team has a lot of junior players. Regarding preparation, it was a different environment then due to COVID-19. We spent more time together and practised by playing as much as possible among ourselves,” she said.
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The Nations Cup and World Cup qualifiers have, however, provided the youngsters with valuable exposure ahead of the World Cup.
“They are playing well, and our coordination with them has been excellent, so the performance will be excellent,” she said.
For now, Navneet insists the team’s focus is firmly on the World Cup, with next month’s Asian Games taking a back seat.
“The Asian Games are also important, but right now we are playing the World Cup, so we have to focus on that. This is also a very big tournament and the confidence we gain by playing well here will be taken to the Asian Games,” she said.
ARDMORE, Pa. — Andy Whaley couldn’t believe his eyes. Standing at the back of Merion East’s soaked 15th green, he smiled and laughed as his son, 22-year-old Jack Whaley, raised the Havemeyer Trophy after conquering the best amateur field in the world.
“Did I ever think he could win the U.S. Amateur? No. Did I ever think he’d win it this year? Absolutely not,” Andy Whaley told GOLF with a laugh as his son did the post-win media car wash.
Andy and his wife, Kerry, were scheduled to fly home on Saturday night. “That tells you how confident we were,” Andy Whaley said with a chuckle. Instead, Andy Whaley, carrying his son’s bag for the first time in five or six years, changed his flight and set out to walk Merion for a final day with his son.
This week’s U.S. Amateur at Merion was golf watching in its purest form. The famed golf course opened its doors to the world’s best amateurs and local crowds flocked by the thousands to walk its fairways, raid the pro shop and watch the best amateur golf has to offer. It was a week for the true, dyed-in-the-wool golf fans who appreciate and understand what the game has always been about.
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It was fitting that, during a week about Merion, the Hugh Wilson design outside Philadelphia remained the main star throughout the week. The world’s best amateurs — Preston Stout, Miles Russell, Tyler Watts and others — all either failed to make it out of stroke play or made an early match play exit. This week was about getting to see Merion, one of the game’s great cathedrals, without it being overrun by giant buildouts and throngs of fans. It was just the world’s best ams and fans who wanted to soak in good golf at a place steeped in history. It was about the magic and mystique of a place we rarely see.
But as Jack and Andy Whaley made their way through the bracket, knocking off the last mid-am and then the Merion favorite Carter Loflin, a different story emerged. One with a meaning far greater than golf or trophies or cathedrals. A story as old as time, but one that never gets old.
That of the bond between fathers and sons.
Jack Whaley
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Andy Whaley might say he didn’t think Jack Whaley could win the U.S. Amateur, but he always believed his son would achieve his golfing dreams. Andy first got Jack into golf as a 4-year-old, when he’d take him to the Pete Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham, England. Andy would buy Jack a lollipop after every practice at the Academy. As fathers tend to do for their sons, Andy Whaley did everything he could to allow young Jack to play golf. Money was tight back then for the Whaleys. Jack didn’t get his first new set of irons until he was 16. When Andy bought his son a new 60-degree wedge when Jack was 12, he dipped into his savings, telling his son that he had worked hard and he deserved it.
“At 12 years old, I don’t understand, but now when I look back at it, I really do appreciate the things he sacrificed for me,” Jack said on Saturday at Merion. “He’s my hero. I want him to see me play well and watch me succeed.”
On Saturday night, after Jack Whaley beat Loflin on the 18th hole, he opened up about how he felt he had disappointed his dad during a stretch of golf from 12 to 17 that saw him rack up missed cut after missed cut. Jack felt that he was stealing from his dad, who was footing the bill for his golf dreams. But Andy Whaley only wanted one thing for his son on the course — enjoy it.
“He’s voiced it, so he clearly felt that that was the case,” Andy Whaley said as the celebration commenced. “But it never ever crossed my mind. It was just about giving your son the opportunity to have fun. If ever, if ever I thought he wasn’t enjoying what he was doing, then that would’ve been difficult to keep it going. I’ve seen him miss cuts. And he’s missed a cut, and we’re having a sandwich after on the patio and having a beer and a chat with the other parents, and he’s not moping; he’s out on the putting green with the other guys who have made the cut, just having fun. You think, well, you’ve missed the cut, but you’re alright if you’re having fun. That’s what mattered. It’s why we’re here.”
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“To have a dad that’s that supportive of someone who’s almost — almost looks as if I was failing, was just amazing,” Jack Whaley said on Sunday night about his dad’s influence on his golf journey. “A lot of parents would have just given up, and I know a lot of parents that have given up. He’s not one of them, and he’s the guy that will back me for everything.”
Jack Whaley blossomed during a gap year before college. He planned to work hard on his game, and if he didn’t feel like he was getting better, he was going to hang it up. No college golf, no chasing pro dreams, that was that. But he improved and played well enough to finally crack the World Golf Amateur Rankings. He went to NAIA Dalton State and won five times in two years, including the 2025 NAIA individual title, and won the Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, and Mickelson awards. Then he transferred to Florida State as Andy continued to watch his son do what he always knew was possible, as long as Jack’s cup and soul were full on the course. Like all good fathers, Andy Whaley just wanted his son to find joy in life, whatever that entailed. Nothing more, nothing less.
“We’ve always felt that he could be an elite golfer, but you just don’t know where you can get to,” Andy Whaley said. “We’ve looked at each season, we’ve looked at how he’s performed and we’ve look at this season and gone, ‘Right, this season was better than the last season. So we’re still headed in the right direction.’ We don’t know how far that will take us. But the theory being that if you keep improving until you just can’t improve anymore then you are where you are. As long as you’re having fun along the way, as long as you’re enjoying what you’re doing. If it becomes a job and it becomes a chore and it’s becoming hard to get out of bed in the morning to want to do it, then maybe it’s not for you. He’s always, well, the last seven or eight seasons that escalation has been there. We’re still escalating. We’re still scaling the ladder.”
That ladder brought Jack and Andy Whaley to Merion this week. Jack didn’t know if he’d be in the field, but as some top amateurs turned pro, he slipped inside the top 100 in the WAGR rankings and booked a ticket to Merion and told Andy he wanted him on his bag. The Merion experience started with Jack Whaley shooting 2 over through the first two days, which landed him in a 16-for-11 playoff to get into match play. Whaley nearly holed his shot on the par-3 13th and tapped in a birdie to advance. He beat Jackson Ormund in the Round of 64, dispatched Bowen Mauss in the Round of 32, took care of Christian Cavaliere in the Round of 16, handled Adam Bresnu in the quarterfinals, and outlasted Loflin to reach the championship match against Jay Leng Jr.
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Andy Whaley has always shared a mantra with Jack: Drive forward, see where you go and just have fun
On Sunday, at famed Merion, Jack and Andy arrived with their eyes forward and calm nerves after a hectic semifinal Saturday. The job was clear. After 18 holes, Jack trailed Leng by two, but he never felt like he was in trouble. Andy had a front-row seat to the biggest day of his son’s life. But it was easy for Andy to be caddie Andy and not dad inside the ropes. He caddied for Jack a lot when he was younger. Then, they butted heads, needing a “250-meter rule” because Andy says that if he was closer than 250 meters and Jack hit a bad shot, then it was his fault.
“It’s Dad’s fault, you know, and that’s all right, that’s what I’m here for,” Whaley said, recalling those times he carried the bag as Jack struggled.
But Sunday was different.
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“We’ve been through some good days and some bad days,” Andy Whaley said. “Today just felt mellow. He was good. He was good. We both knew we got a job to do. Focus on the job. Focus on what we need to do out on the course. There’s a lot of people come to watch good golf, so we needed to give them some good golf. … It has been surreal.”
Whaley quickly flipped the script on Leng during the afternoon 18. He won four straight holes to take a 2-up lead as the rain started to pour. A birdie at No. 10 moved him to 3 up, and then Jack and Andy Whaley reached the 15th hole, still with a three-hole advantage, knowing they were close to a place they never imagined.
Whaley bombed his drive over the right fairway bunker and then hit his approach to some 10 feet. When Jack and Andy arrived at the green, they looked at their destiny and liked what they saw.
“I will admit that when we stood behind it, we did fancy it a little bit. We did like it. There wasn’t much in it. We did like it,” Andy Whaley said with a glimmer in his eye, a laugh and a big smile as the sun set on soggy Merion.
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Andy placed the bag on the back of the green, planning to go to 16. But Leng missed his birdie putt, and then Jack Whaley, who once thought about quitting golf to stop wasting his dad’s money, settled over the biggest putt of his life with his dad watching. Jack Whaley took the putter back smoothly and sent the ball right into the middle of the cup. He unleashed a mighty fist pump and then turned to Andy and embraced his father, the two crying as the rain continued to pummel Merion.
Jack Whaley celebrates his winning putt at Merion
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“When it dropped, I just roared,” Andy said. “I screamed my bloody head off. … It’s surreal. I can’t believe it.”
“I think it was amazing,” Jack Whaley said of his championship-winning week with his dad on the bag. “I think, from the hours that my dad has taken me to practice and all the different golf lessons he’s taken me to, it feels like it was all worth it. Now he can actually see me happy and I can see him happy coming off the golf course, which is really good. I’m very proud of myself for this week.
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“I wouldn’t be here without him. Everything is for him.”
As the Whaleys celebrated on Merion’s 15th green, Andy Whaley beamed as his son snapped photos with every fan remaining at Merion. He took some himself, but mainly, Andy Whaley just smiled and laughed in awe. What he saw, however, was not the U.S. Amateur champion or a likely Walker Cupper. It was his son, who handled himself in the manner that Andy and Kerry always wanted him to. It was the pride of a father who saw his son becoming the type of man he had always hoped for; the good golf is just extra and only registers because it fills still brings a smile to Jack’s face.
“The pride of what he has achieved, for me, I like how he’s gone about it,” Andy said as his son took a photo with a young kid on the green. “Just the kind of guy he is and always will be, I hope. The pride in what he achieved is tremendous. But the pride in how he behaves and how he does it overrides it.”
As the crowds started to disperse, the stage belonged to the Whaleys. A cathedral of the game that is synonymous with Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan now also belongs to Jack Whaley. No matter what the future holds, no matter if golf breaks his heart or not, Jack Whaley and Merion will forever be linked. Nothing can steal the joy the week has brought.
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“Whenever anything is happening at Merion, I’m sure that clip will pop up,” Andy Whaley said of his son’s winning putt, the giant smile of a proud parent still stretched across his face. “That’s incredible. Just the opportunity to come and play here is magical. That will do for starters. And then to come and compete against the best in the world and be successful is just the icing on the cake. This is a seriously iconic place, and to go out there and test yourself against the best in the world is just epic.”
Late college basketball coach Jim Valvano once said: “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: He believed in me.”
Such has always been the story of fathers willing to put their sons on their shoulders, giving them every chance to be all they could dream of. Not to be rich or famous or powerful, but to be happy and kind and to live a full life.
And so there was Andy Whaley watching his son’s crowning moment, beaming from ear to ear and laughing with anyone who came by to congratulate him on his son’s win and for the man that the son he raised has become.
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Then, Andy Whaley, still wearing his red USGA bib, wiped his eyes and started to follow his son and the rest of the crowd toward the Merion clubhouse, his son, Jack, having just answered the most important question of all.
“Of course he’s still having fun,” Andy Whaley said.
That’s all that’s ever mattered to Dad. Jack wanted to give his father more to repay him for an invaluable gift.
On Sunday at famed Merion, a magical week ended with both father and son getting their wish.
If sporting an athletic look is the on-course vibe that appeals most to you, Nike is likely a familiar brand in your closet.
A decade after exiting the ball, club and bag side of the golf business, the Swoosh has remained synonymous with some of the game’s biggest names, partnering with World Nos. 1 and 2, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy on the men’s side, and Nelly Korda and Michelle Wie West on the women’s side.
While we recreational players can’t necessarily ensure the same result as the pros when we try to replicate their equipment specs, we can certainly strive emulate their look as closely as possible by seeking out the apparel and footwear we see them wearing on Tour. And after Scheffler’s impressive performance at the FedEx St. Jude, we’re shining the spotlight on his Nike Victory Pro 4 spiked golf shoes, which you can buy at PGA TOUR Superstore.
These sneaker-style shoes have a chunkier athletic vibe. They’re casual yet clean, and are available in several colors, none of which are flashy. Instead, they have a simple, comfortable, go-with-everything appeal.
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In terms of technical attributes, the Nike Victory Pro 4’s feature “Fly Wing” — a design enhancement that connects the upper and midsole to increase lateral stability, enabling the wearer to better utilize ground forces to generate speed and power through impact. A nine-spike traction pattern helps provide grip where you need it.
Given Scheffler’s performance this year — 2 wins, and 12 total top-10 finishes thus far in 2026 — it’s clear the shoes are an important cog in Scheffler’s on-course gear machine. But unlike his TaylorMade Qi4D 7.8-degree driver, which may prove a bit difficult for the average recreational player to flush off the tee, Scheffler’s Nike shoes are refreshingly accessible.
Check them out in detail below, and click on the link to order your pair now.
Shop Scottie Scheffler’s Nike Victory Pro 4 golf shoes
Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan celebrates after a match against Magdalena Frech of Poland on day seven of the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 17, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP
Elena Rybakina needed two hours on court plus two one-hour rain interruptions to defeat Magdalena Frech 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) on Monday and reach the fourth round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters.
The second-seeded Kazakh admitted she struggled to close out a match which dragged on for much of the afternoon.
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The players were forced off court after nine games of the first set and again in the seventh game of the second.
Upon the second return at the start of a week when rain is repeatedly forecast, two-time Grand Slam champion Rybakina was unable to wrap it up on three match points against the Frech serve in the 12th game.
With the Pole holding serve, the match went to a tie-breaker, where the seed finally got the job done on her fourth chance to get off court barely 10 minutes before more weather arrived.
“It was a crazy day, to be honest, coming out every time into clouds and humidity,” Rybakina said. “I felt that I was on top of the ball in the tie-break, but it was a difficult one.
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“I had the opportunities on the three match points but when you are tired it’s difficult to keep concentration.
“I’m happy the tiebreak went my way, I just tried to win as many points as I could.”
Former world number one and defending champion Iga Swiatek was able to go through hours before the poor weather, turning the tables after losing the first set to defeat Maria Sakkari 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
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The Polish seventh seed, who won the Toronto title last week, improved to 6-4 over her Greek opponent, heading to the changing rooms after dropping the first set and returning as if another player.
Swiatek, winner of six Grand Slam titles including the US Open four years ago, only lost two more games after her remarkable turnaround.
The seventh seed needed two hours to complete her reversal in form, saving seven of eight break points while breaking Sakkari five times. The Greek hit the net with a return on Swiatek’s first match point.
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‘Lacked precision’
“It’s hard to analyze this match,” Swiatek said. “I was playing good in the first set but I lacked precision, I was playing too much to her.
“After that I wanted to push her and not give so many opportunities. I’m happy it started working in the second set I played a bit better.
“She made mistakes and the momentum changed a little bit.”
Swiatek moved into a match against Diane Parry, winner of an all-French battle with Lois Boisson 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
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In the men’s draw, Thiago Tirante maintained his pace after ousting Novak Djokovic in the second round with the Argentine advancing past Spain’s Martin Landaluce 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4) to reach the third Masters round of 16 in his career.
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Roland Garros finalist Flavio Cobolli came from a break down in the deciding set to defeat Alexander Blockx 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 and avenge a loss to the Belgian in Monte Carlo.
Kyle Walker accused Pep Guardiola of picking on him and blaming him for everything in a dressing-room row as their relationship as Manchester City captain and manager broke down.
And Guardiola told Walker he did not understand and to accept more responsibility as skipper of the side during City’s awful autumn of 2024.
City’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in December 2024 came during a spell of nine losses in 12 games, the worst run of Guardiola’s career.
And he turned on right-back Walker in an argument after the match, saying: “You don’t understand, Kyle.”
Walker replied: “Pep, you keep saying my name, every meeting in every f***ing thing. Every f***ing meeting it’s my name.”
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In the argument, shown in Prime Video’s forthcoming documentary A Beautiful Obsession, Guardiola responded: “Maybe it’s because you are captain.”
The Catalan is also seen warning Walker about balls over the City defence at half-time in the Manchester derby in the same month – and before one led to a Manchester United winner.
Walker only played three more games for City before telling Guardiola he wanted to look for a move abroad.
He joined AC Milan on loan for the rest of the 2024-25 season before getting a permanent deal to Burnley last summer.
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Whereas Walker had been elected City captain by his teammates, Guardiola appointed Bernardo Silva as skipper in the summer of 2025.
:: A Beautiful Obsession launches exclusively on Prime Video in UK & Ireland 19 August 2026
![Buddy's Instagram story [Image via Instagram/@snm_buddy]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2026/08/9eb2b-17870168227808-1920.jpg)
Boise State enters 2026 with a three-peat of Mountain West Conference Championships in the rearview mirror. 
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