The ESPYS brought some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment to New York City on Wednesday night, a day that typically ranks among the slowest on the sports calendar.

But this year’s ceremony was preceded by a World Cup semifinal match in Atlanta that was already being described as an instant classic. Lionel Messi and Argentina punched their ticket to a second straight World Cup final with a win over England. The defending champions will meet Spain on Saturday in nearby New Jersey, just a short trip across the Hudson River from where comedian Marcello Hernández opened the ESPYS.

The “Saturday Night Live” star wasted little time taking a few jabs at Jake Paul, Tiger Woods and other sports figures.

ESPN’S JOHN BUCCIGROSS NAMES HIS MOUNT RUSHMORE OF ALL-TIME SPORTSCENTER ANCHORS

Marcello Hernández speaks onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

“Mike Tyson ripped my watch off. Welcome to the ESPYS!” Hernández joked after making a boxing-style entrance in a robe with Tyson as part of his entourage.

“I must say, it’s an honor to be here among so many great athletes, and Jake Paul,” Hernández began in his roughly 10-minute monologue.

Paul appeared to take the joke in stride, laughing and applauding as cameras cut to him in the crowd. Hernández then stayed on the YouTube star-turned-boxer, needling him over his history of fighting older opponents.

“Jake, that’s just a joke. Don’t fight me,” Hernández continued. “My dad and my stepdad are both here. They’re over 50, and I know that’s how you like them. So, fight them instead.”

Paul kept laughing as Hernández’s bit played out, eventually closing with the comedian shifting attention to his father and stepfather, who were shown in the audience.

Atmosphere at the 2026 ESPYS at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Square on July 15, 2026, in New York, New York. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

Hernández later used Caleb Williams’ “Madden 27” cover as a lead into Woods.

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“I want to congratulate Caleb Williams, the quarterback for the Chicago Bears, who will be on the cover of the new Madden video game. Congratulations to Caleb,” Hernández said, before adding, “And Tiger Woods will be on the cover of Grand Theft Auto.”

Woods was arrested in Florida in March on charges of DUI after a car crash. The arrest report said a deputy found pain pills in his pocket and observed signs of impairment at the scene. Woods later announced he would take time away from golf to seek treatment.

Hernández also worked North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick into the monologue, using the 74-year-old’s relationship with Jordon Hudson as part of a joke about the New York Knicks’ title drought.

“The Knicks won their first championship since 1973. And to put into perceptive how long ago that was, in 1973 hockey players didn’t wear helmets, basketball had no three point line. And in 1973, Bill Belichick was the age his girlfriend is now.”

The Knicks later took home the ESPY for Best Team.

Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and other members of the 2025-26 Knicks championship team took the stage to accept the award, but Josh Hart was noticeably absent. Brunson drew laughs when he joked, “I want to say thank you to the ESPYS for pulling Josh Hart’s invite.”

Earlier in the night Brunson also received the “Best Championship Performance” award.

Jalen Brunson accepts the Best Championship Performance award onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City on July 15, 2026. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P)

Former NBA player Jason Collins, who died in May at age 47 following a battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma, posthumously received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. Former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, while Scott Ruskan was honored with the Pat Tillman Award for Service.

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The ESPYS are held every summer, bringing together top athletes and other stars to celebrate the best moments from the past year in sports while honoring figures recognized for courage, service and impact. In past years, the ceremony has been held in Los Angeles, but shifted to New York this year.

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Manchester United have completed the signing of Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and he has become the club’s third addition in the space of a week

Manchester United are close to completing their midfield rebuild after signing Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos. Michael Carrick also welcomed goalkeeper Karl Darlow to the club this week.

After a quiet start to the transfer window, United have roared into life, announcing the signing of three first-team players this week. They’ll no doubt be more arrivals to follow, but regarding exits, Marcus Rashford still finds himself in quite the predicament.

The boyhood United star spent the previous campaign on loan with Barcelona, but they opted not to trigger the £26million buyout clause included in the agreement. This has left him in limbo and he has been dealt yet another blow to his chances of a dream exit as the Manchester Evening News takes a look at the latest transfer news out of Old Trafford.

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Marcus Rashford exit blow

Rashford’s hopes of returning to Barcelona have taken a further hit, with reports from Spain indicating that Ferran Torres’ future won’t be resolved until September.

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Barcelona have already wrapped up the £70m capture of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle and are poised to bring in Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund.

Given that both players occupy Rashford’s position, any prospect of Barcelona rekindling their interest appears remote. Torres’ departure might open a window for a transfer, but Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo now reports he could pen fresh terms in September.

The hold-up is down to FFP concerns, but either way, it means Torres either puts pen to paper on a new deal, leaving Rashford without a destination, or he departs after September, by which point the Englishman’s fate will in all likelihood already be sealed.

Youri Tielemans picks iconic squad number

United’s latest addition is set to strengthen Carrick’s midfield with his Premier League pedigree and deep-lying playmaking qualities. However, Tielemans has considerable expectations to meet after selecting the No. 18, famously worn by Paul Scholes.

Ashley Young also donned the No. 18, as did Bruno Fernandes during his first few seasons at the club. Casemiro was the most recent player to wear it.

Following the announcement of Tielemans’ arrival, he said: “It’s hard to describe just how proud I am to join Manchester United. Signing for such a special club feels incredible, it is the culmination of years of dedication since I first fell in love with football.

“I have had the privilege of experiencing success in the game and it has only increased my determination to achieve more. The ambition from everyone at the club is extremely clear; we are all determined to push for the biggest trophies over the coming years.”

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England’s long wait to win a World Cup or even reach the ​final goes on after a loss to holders Argentina on Wednesday, but manager Thomas Tuchel prefers to see it in football terms and not as a curse after a clash he described as two separate games.

“None of these players, none ​of the French players want to play this match. ‌They want to play in the final. We ​gave everything to be in the final. Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but it is what it is.”

England have not reached the decider since lifting the World Cup for the only time in 1966, and they looked like getting that monkey off their back until Argentina netted two late goals for a 2-1 win in the semi-final.

“I love to see these things in a football matter and not through football curses,” Tuchel told reporters.

“I don’t believe so much in an English thing and in a curse or ⁠whatever, history repeating itself in these moments.

“It’s just like it’s different coaches, different players, different situations, different opponents. So I think basically I believe in the football thing.”

England took the lead in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon but Argentina then ⁠seized control and Tuchel’s side failed to withstand the pressure or find a way to gain ​some possession.

“I think at that point of the match, it was deserved, that we take our moment and go 1-0 up,” Tuchel said.

“Unfortunately, and strangely enough, it marked then a complete momentum switch in the game.”

Argentina played with more risk, played with more rhythm, played with a feeling maybe that they have nothing to lose anymore, which freed them up and held us back because we obviously played suddenly with a feeling that we have a lot to lose.

“I think it’s two completely different matches. It’s until the goal and then after the goal.”

Tuchel received great praise for getting England this far, coming through tough battles with DR Congo, Mexico and Norway, but is already under fire for the changes made against Argentina after taking the lead and setting up too defensively.

“That’s just the nature of the game. As soon as you lose, you get criticised,” the German said.

“That’s just what it is. You get criticised after. No one knows what would have happened if you made different decisions. So it makes no sense to engage in that and lose my head. I’m responsible for them. I took them, so I take the criticism.”

England now have the unwanted consolation prize ​of a match against France for third place on Saturday, and for Tuchel now ‌is not the time to look back with ⁠pride on what they accomplished.

“A lot of big football nations are eliminated before the semi-final, so it is an achievement,” Tuchel said. “No one wants to hear that at the moment. Me neither, because we demand the most of ‌ourselves.

England did what Algeria, Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde and Egypt all failed to do. Lionel Messi didn’t score. The greatest goalscorer in World Cup history took only one shot and it didn’t trouble Jordan Pickford. England harried him, frustrated him and badgered him out to the right wing. But there they discovered a truth: that goals are just one strand of his multifarious brilliance. Messi created one, then another, and sent England back across the Atlantic.

Messi’s assist for Argentina’s equaliser may have been a routine pass to Enzo Fernandez, but his sheer presence had already dragged England defenders across, out of shape, leaving holes to puncture. His assist for Argentina’s winner was a little piece of brilliance, driving down the right wing and floating a cross over John Stones’ desperate leap before dropping precisely onto the forehead of Lautaro Martinez.

Messi barely had a kick for an hour, and left Atlanta with the man of the match award. Now he marches – or perhaps walks – on to another World Cup final. Only one man, Cafu, has played in three finals and Messi will match that feat on Sunday.

Messi’s first, Rio de Janeiro in 2014, caused him nightmares for years afterwards. Messi missed a crucial one-on-one with Manuel Neuer, before Mario Gotze scored Germany’s winner in extra time. It would be eight years until he returned to the final, scoring twice in Doha and rolling home the most audacious penalty in the shootout to finally get his hands on the trophy he most prized, laying to rest the ghosts that haunted him.

Having spent so many frustrating years chasing international success, facing scrutiny and criticism at home in Argentina, he might now bow out with a second World Cup to go with those two late-career Copa America glories. Messi’s career can essentially be broken into two halves: a spell for Barcelona that altered how football is played, how it is understood; and a spell for Argentina to alter how history is written, how his story will be told.

He was kicked to the fringes for much of this semi-final in Atlanta, squeezed out of the middle of the pitch. Within five minutes, Elliot Anderson and Harry Kane crunched him between their bodies. Djed Spence snapped in to poke the ball and when Messi didn’t get a free-kick, he gave referee Ismail Elfath a scowl. Anderson took a yellow card knocking him down in full flight, the briefest glimpse of Messi’s quick feet in a quiet first half.

But in hindsight, perhaps England’s greatest mistake was to score a goal. They retreated back onto their own box – a tournament trait as English as eating fish and chips – and they stopped pressing, counter-attacking or playing much football at all. It was a tactic Tuchel had succeeded with in Mexico City a couple of weeks earlier, but there England were down to 10 men. Here there was no such pressure, and the strategy only emboldened Argentina.

England dropped dangerously deep and Messi emerged from the shadows. His greatest trait is often said to be finding space, understanding the geometries of a game, the moving pieces. Messi doesn’t watch the ball, he watches defenders, mapping his opponents in his mind and searching for soft spots. For a brief moment he became cartographer, taking mental notes, drawing in the enormous contours of Dan Burn’s head.

A study of Messi’s interpretation of space, conducted while he was at Barcelona by a professor of applied mathematics, David Sumpter, discovered that Messi was finding space several seconds before it appeared, anticipating gaps that didn’t yet exist. Messi, Sumpter concluded, is “one of those rare people who has something beautiful and unique in his head which allows him to do what he does … It’s the knowledge that you can’t explain … He finds solutions where mortal people aren’t able to do so.”

And so Messi drifted into a space on the right side, on the ragged edge of England’s midfield, and got to work. He began jinking away from tired legs, curling in pinpoint crosses onto the heads of arriving teammates. John Stones intervened, Jordan Pickford made a vital save. The woodwork spat out a couple more.

But England couldn’t get out, drowning in their own penalty area, and Messi seized the moment. He took a short corner and when he received it back to his feet, Kane, Spence and Anderson all became attracted to him. Messi slipped the pass to Fernandez for a free strike at goal, and Argentina were level.

Minutes later he was dancing towards the box and then driving to the byline, Spence and Nico O’Reilly a couple of strides too slow, and the cross was exquisite, a low arcing trajectory, fast in flight, dropping out of the sky at just the right moment. Messi hadn’t scored, but he had made it almost impossible for Martinez not to.

At the final whistle Messi sank to his knees, just as he did when Argentina won the World Cup four years earlier. He was physically spent, emotionally empty. There is still one almighty opponent ahead, a greater hurdle to overcome. But for Messi, the last dance is not over yet.

Tom Brady built a Hall of Fame career by proving himself every Sunday. He expects Las Vegas Raiders rookie Fernando Mendoza to do the same.

Speaking with Liz Claman on FOX Business’ “The Claman Countdown,” Brady wasn’t interested in fueling offseason quarterback fever. As far as the Raiders minority owner is concerned, Mendoza hasn’t earned anything yet.

“Well, I love Fernando, but Fernando is like every other young rookie,” Brady said.

FERNANDO MENDOZA’S FIRST PITCH AT MARLINS GAME DRAWS HARSH REVIEWS

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons at NRG Stadium on Feb 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images)

“He’s got to go out there and earn it like everybody else… none of these young players, none of the rookies have ever had a meaningful snap in the NFL.”

For Brady, draft status and offseason hype only go so far.

“Their career and their journey will be determined by the work that they put in, by the adversities that they overcome, by the kind of teammate and team player that they are,” Brady added.

TOM BRADY CRACKS JOKES ABOUT ‘CRANKY’ BILL BELICHICK, JETS, ELI MANNING IN MOTIVATIONAL COMMENCEMENT SPEECH

It’s the same mindset Brady says he’s bringing to his latest venture off the field.

HAMBURG, GERMANY – MAY 06: Tom Brady gestures on stage during day two of the annual OMR Festival at Hamburg Messe on May 06, 2026 in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images) (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

The 48-year-old recently joined digital health company eMed as its Chief Wellness Officer, saying he wants to help give everyday Americans access to the kind of health guidance he relied on throughout his legendary career.

“My body truly was my asset as a football player,” Brady recalled.

“So you’re right, I was very lucky over a period of time to learn a lot of disciplines that allowed me to take the field feeling very healthy, feeling energized and excited about going out there to try to, you know, win some football games.”

Brady wants to bring that same blueprint to people who don’t have access to an NFL-caliber support system.

“But when I retired, I realized that there’s a lot of people in life that maybe they’re not professional athletes, but to a degree, we all are living athletic lifestyles,” he said. “We wanna be healthy. We wanna play with our kids. We wanna play with grandkids.”

Tom Brady and Joe Montana look on before Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

Brady also praised the impact GLP-1 medications have had on helping people begin improving their health.

“There’s no debate about the way that this medicine is working right now in terms of keeping people and getting people on their wellness journey started,” Brady stated. “And then we do a great job keeping them on that journey.”

To Brady, whether the goal is winning the QB1 job or improving someone’s health, success comes down to focusing on fundamentals.

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“I realized that a lot of the values that I had as an NFL player transitioned very well to what happens in the workforce,” Brady explained. “And it comes down to accountability, discipline, showing up for other people, serving other people.”

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The 2026 Open Championship tees off on Thursday, July 16, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. The first tee times come at 1:35 a.m. ET.  Scottie Scheffler, who tees off at 4:58 a.m. ET, is the defending Open Championship winner, while Jordan Spieth won this event the last time it was at Royal Birkdale in 2017. Scheffler is the +750 favorite (risk $100 to win $750) in the latest 2026 Open Championship odds. McIlroy is next on the PGA odds board this week at +850.

Englishmen Matt Fitzpatrick (+1300) and Tommy Fleetwood (+1500), Jon Rahm (+2000) and Xander Schauffele (+2500) are among the other top Open Championship 2026 contenders. Before locking in any 2026 Open Championship picks, be sure to see the 2026 British Open predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

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SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, simulated every PGA Tour event 10,000 times and reveals golf betting picks that have a history of being extremely profitable. 

This same model has also nailed a whopping 17 majors entering the weekend, including the 2026 Masters — its fifth Masters in a row — as well as last year’s PGA Championship and Open Championship. Anyone who has followed its sports betting picks could have seen massive returns on betting sites. 

Now that the 2026 Open Championship field is set, the model simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard.

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2026 Open Championship predictions 

One major surprise the model is calling for at the Open Championship 2026: Fleetwood, who is tied for the fourth-lowest odds on the board at +1500, stumbles and doesn’t finish in the top 5. He’s a golfer to fade in Open Championship best bets. Fleetwood has a pair of top-5 finishes at the Open Championship, but also missed the cut in 2024 and finished outside the top 10 last year. He finished 27th the last time this event was at the Royal Birkdale. With no finishes better than T11 in any major this year, the model has found better values on the board. See who else to fade here. 

Another surprise: Ludvig Aberg is a top-3 contender on the projected leaderboard despite never having won a major and having longer odds at +3300. This will be just his third British Open appearance, but he finished in the top 25 in this event last year. He’s also been steady at the majors this year, which was highlighted by a T4 finish at the PGA Championship. He’s one of the best drivers in both distance and accuracy on tour right now, and that quality alone makes him a top contender at Royal Birkdale. See who else to pick here. 

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How to make 2026 Open Championship picks

The model is also targeting several longshots, including one shocking pick who is going off around 50-1. You can only see the model’s picks here. 

Who will win the 2026 Open Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Check out the 2026 Open Championship odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed 17 golf majors, including three in 2025.

2026 Open Championship odds, field

Get full 2026 Open Championship picks, best bets and predictions here.
(odds via FanDuel and subject to change)

Scottie Scheffler +700
Rory McIlroy +850
Matt Fitzpatrick +1300
Tommy Fleetwood +1500
Jon Rahm +2000
Xander Schauffele +2500
Chris Gotterup +2700
Viktor Hovland +2700
Robert MacIntyre +2700
Collin Morikawa +3000
Wyndham Clark +3300
Ludvig Åberg +3300
Justin Rose +3300
Cameron Young +3500
Tyrrell Hatton +3500
Si Woo Kim +4000
Shane Lowry +4500
Sam Burns +4500
Russell Henley +5000
Min Woo Lee +5500
Justin Thomas +5500
Tom Kim +5500
Patrick Cantlay +6000
Patrick Reed +6000
Aaron Rai +6500
Alex Fitzpatrick +6500
Joaquin Niemann +6500
Bryson DeChambeau +6500
Hideki Matsuyama +7000
Brooks Koepka +8000
Jordan Spieth +8000
Harris English +8000
JJ Spaun +8000
Rickie Fowler +10000
Maverick McNealy +10000
Brian Harman +10000
Adam Scott +10000
Nicolai Højgaard +10000
Kurt Kitayama +10000
Akshay Bhatia +10000
Kristoffer Reitan +10000
Ben Griffin +10000
Corey Conners +12500
Eugenio Chacarra +12500
Matt Wallace +12500
Ryan Gerard +12500
Keegan Bradley +12500
Alex Noren +12500
Victor Perez +12500
Alex Smalley +15000
Jordan Smith +15000
Tom McKibbin +15000
Cameron Smith +15000
Sepp Straka +17500
Jacob Bridgeman +17500
Bud Cauley +17500
Haotong Li +17500
Marco Penge +17500
Max Homa +17500
Ryan Fox +17500
Casey Jarvis +17500
Nick Taylor +17500
Harry Hall +17500
Keith Mitchell +17500
Jason Day +17500
Eric Cole +17500
J.T. Poston +17500
Johnny Keefer +17500
Michael Thorbjornsen +17500
David Puig +22500
Jake Knapp +22500
Sahith Theegala +22500
Rasmus Højgaard +22500
Andrew Novak +22500
Thomas Detry +22500
Michael Kim +22500
Max Greyserman +22500
Angel Ayora +22500
Gary Woodland +22500
Sungjae Im +25000
Jayden Schaper +25000
John Parry +25000
Pierceson Coody +25000
Sam Stevens +25000
Laurie Canter +25000
Michael Brennan +25000
Matthew Jordan +25000
Ryo Hisatsune +25000
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +25000
Sami Valimaki +35000
Hennie du Plessis +35000
Daniel Hillier +35000
Jackson Suber +35000
Scott Vincent +35000
Lucas Herbert +35000
Daniel Berger +35000
Bernd Wiesberger +35000
Nico Echavarria +35000
Matt Mccarty +35000
Stewart Cink +35000
Aldrich Potgieter +35000
Billy Horschel +50000
Shaun Norris +50000
Keita Nakajima +50000
Daniel Brown +50000
Francesco Molinari +50000
Kota Kaneko +75000
Jesper Svensson +75000
Andy Sullivan +75000
Francesco Laporta +75000
Antoine Rozner +75000
Peter Uihlein +100000
Alejandro De Castro Piera +100000
Nevill Ruiter +100000
Matthew Southgate +100000
Baard Bjoernevik Skogen +100000
Travis Smyth +100000
Dan Bradbury +100000
Naoyuki Kataoka +100000
MJ Daffue +100000
Marcus Plunkett +100000
Cameron John +100000
Tiger Christensen +100000
Ryutaro Nagano +100000
Jeong Woo Ham +100000
Lev Grinberg +100000
Martin Couvra +100000
Jack Buchanan +100000
Joakim Lagergren +100000
Frederic Lacroix +100000
Stuart Grehan +100000
Matthew Baldwin +100000
Kazuki Higa +100000
Sam Bairstow +100000
Darren Clarke +100000
Fifa Laopakdee +100000
David Duval +100000
Padraig Harrington +100000
Mason Howell +100000
Ren Yonezawa +100000
Jiho Yang +100000
James Nicholas +100000
Michael Hollick +100000
David Howard +100000
Mateo Pulcini +100000
Kazuma Kobori +100000
Henrik Stenson +100000
Tim Wiedemeyer +100000
Jack McDonald +100000
Adrien Saddier +100000
Caleb Surratt +100000
Alistair Docherty +100000
Jose Luis Ballester +100000
Austen Truslow +100000
Tom Sloman +100000
Joe Dean +100000

The week of festivities at the 2026 Open Championship is firmly underway as Royal Birkdale hosts the final major of the season in Southport, England. The same question abounds, though: Who will become Champion Golfer of the Year and raise the Claret Jug at week’s end?

With an excellent 156-man field featuring nearly all the best golfers in the world competing, the fourth major championship of the 2026 season should once again be a tremendous ride from Thursday’s first round onward. Royal Birkdale will serve as a particularly difficult test, which should only heighten tensions, particularly given the expected condition of the course over the week.

While The Open field is stacked, the overall favorite, Scottie Scheffler, is not playing his best golf. While he remains the best overall player in the world, it got to the point last week that Rory McIlroy looked poised to overcome Scheffler on an odds board involving both golfers for the first time in years. McIlroy is still second on that list, coming off three tremendous rounds of golf at the Scottish Open, but a rocky Moving Day kept him from hoisting that championship last week.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will each miss all four majors this season, facing starkly different personal circumstances, and Bryson DeChambeau enters The Open facing the potential of missing the cut at all four majors in a given year for the first time in his career. On a more positive note, English golfers like Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose will have a ton of local support that could buoy any or all of them into terrific performances.

So, what is going to happen in Southport this week? Let’s take a look at a full set of predictions and picks from our CBS Sports experts as we attempt to project who will win — and what will go down — in the final major championship of the season. To hone in even tighter on The Open, check out the nine golfers most likely to raise the Claret Jug on Sunday.

2026 Open expert picks, predictions

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Patrick McDonald, golf writer

Winner — Matt Fitzpatrick (18-1): Seems too good to be true, but I am riding with an Englishman who is in top form. Arguably the Player of the Year as it stands with three wins under his belt, Fitzpatrick is flying into this Open with every club in his bag performing properly. He has improved in majors as the season has progressed, earning him a final pairing tee time Saturday at the U.S. Open before falling off the pace. His game is in good order, and so is his mental state; he appears relaxed and ready for the challenge ahead. Fitzpatrick leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained approach and strokes gained around the green. That feels like a nice recipe.

Sleeper – Shane Lowry (66-1): I haven’t heard a single soul mention his name, and that is where I like to live. The Irishman has not flashed brilliance since his collapse at PGA National, though his game appears to be turning a corner with three top-25 finishes in his last seven tournaments. The resurgence stems from a return to Lowry’s DNA: hitting fairways consistently and leaning on his iron play, where he ranks 10th over the last three months. Something in my gut says he will have a good week.

Top 10 lock — Scottie Scheffler: Look, he’s still the best player in the world, and his record in this championship is quite good. Scheffler may be slightly off his high standards, yet the completeness of his game should allow him to thrive on this version of Royal Birkdale that features firm, fiery turf. If his iron play continues as it has for years, he will be on the leaderboard’s first page. 

Star who definitely won’t win — Xander Schauffele: This pains me to write. Physically pains me. The hope for Schauffele this season was to return to 2024 form. While he has clocked three top-15 finishes in majors this season, the quality has been off. Schauffele arrives off a missed cut at the Scottish Open and a forgettable start at the Travelers Championship, where he was again unable to put the entirety of his game together. His floor is so high that he will finish top 20, but I don’t see him winning. 

Top Englishman — Matt Fitzpatrick (1st): If he is the pick to win, then he is the pick to be the low Englishman. Let me instead shed some light on Justin Rose, who could complete the storybook ending this weekend with a win. He has a great chance to do so as he continues to peak at the precise right time for these tournaments with three top-11 finishes this season. Rose has a pair of runner-up finishes in 2024 and 2018, both at a crispy, dried-out golf course in Carnoustie. 

Biggest surprise — An old guy contends: Just don’t tell them that I called them “old.” Give me one of Francesco Molinari, Padraig Harrington, Stewart Cink or Henrik Stenson to at least climb inside the top 20 by week’s end. All in the field due to winning previous Opens, this quartet of older players (1) is playing solid golf and (2) has the experience, knowledge and mental fortitude to handle anything Royal Birkdale throws their way.

Lowest round: 64 (-6)
Winning score: 267 (-13)
Winner’s Sunday score: 67 (-3)

Robby Kalland, golf writer

Winner — Sam Burns (50-1): I’m going to take a longer shot this week to continue the trend of the season with Burns, who has been insanely consistent since The Players. He’s got two major top 10s already, including a 2nd at the U.S. Open, and has been inside the top 26 in 9 of 11 starts going back to TPC Sawgrass (making the cut in all 11). His links record isn’t great, but the way he played at Shinnecock Hills (about the closest thing you can get to it in the U.S.) should buoy his confidence heading into Royal Birkdale. 

Sleeper – Johnny Keefer (175-1): Keefer is coming off a T3 at the Scottish Open, and all this guy does is contend and win tournaments. He dominated his first year on PGA Tour Americas to move up to the Korn Ferry Tour and dominated there to advance to the PGA Tour in one year. It took a little bit to get his footing on the big tour, but he’s popped up a few times, and last week, he proved that he’s extremely comfortable with his game when he gets into the mix on a weekend. If he gets into the hunt on Sunday, he’s not going to wilt under the pressure. 

Top 10 lock — Rory McIlroy: When Rory shows up to The Open with anything approaching his A-game, he finishes in the top 10. He’s been prepping for this since the U.S. Open, taking a page out of his Masters playbook to get some extra time in at Royal Birkdale in the weeks leading up to the tournament. He showed last week in Scotland that he’s in good form — if not for nine dreadful holes on Saturday in the fog he could’ve won — and if he’s not on the first page on Sunday, it’d be a shock. 

Star who definitely won’t win — Tommy Fleetwood: I can’t tell you how much I’d like to be wrong here, but unfortunately, I just don’t see it happening. Fleetwood is always under some pressure at The Open, but this time he’s back home in Southport and will deal with everything that comes with that. The scene on Sunday, if he’s in contention, would be incredible, but I fear that, even if that’s the case, the anxiety of everyone trying to will him to the win would only add to the stress he feels — and he’s proven in the past that he doesn’t always hold up well. 

Top Englishman — Tyrrell Hatton (T5): Fleetwood has all the pressure of being at home. Fitzpatrick is the favorite based on form, but he hasn’t quite found his best in the majors this year. Hatton, meanwhile, has two sneaky top 10 finishes in majors this season. While I’m not expecting him to win, he’s in form, comfortable on the links, will have the support but not quite the same scrutiny and has steadily improved as a major competitor. 

Biggest surprise — Bryson DeChambeau completes golf’s Golden Sombrero: I’m not sure how much of a surprise it would be for DeChambeau to miss the cut at The Open, given his history here is checkered at best, but in the grand scheme, it would be shocking for Bryson to miss all four major championship cuts in 2026. That’s firmly in play, and my biggest concern with DeChambeau is that his mental game seems to be shot. He gets into a pit of negativity so quickly now on the course, and once his confidence goes, he tends to eject. 

Lowest round: 65 (-5)
Winning score: 269 (-11)
Winner’s Sunday score: 68 (-2)

Who will win the 2026 Open Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed 17 golf majors heading into the weekend, including the past five Masters, and find out. 

Go Media Stadium will play host to Saturday’s
Round 20 NRL game between New Zealand Warriors and
St. George Illawarra Dragons. The game kicks off at 5:30 pm with New Zealand Warriors heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the New Zealand Warriors vs.
St. George Illawarra Dragons
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday July 18, 2026 at 5:30 pm

Where: Go Media Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

New Zealand Warriors vs St. George Illawarra Dragons Odds

New Zealand Warriors vs St. George Illawarra Dragons Preview

The Warriors continue to strengthen their premiership credentials after comfortably accounting for the Tigers despite missing several Origin stars. Their depth has been a feature all season and they’ll be confident of maintaining that momentum back at Go Media Stadium.

St George Illawarra should be competitive through the opening exchanges, but containing New Zealand across the full 80 minutes presents a far greater challenge. Chanel Harris-Tavita has become increasingly influential on the Warriors’ left edge, combining effectively with Wayde Egan, Kurt Capewell and Adam Pompey. If that combination fires again, the home side will be difficult to contain as fatigue begins to take its toll.

The Brazil international star’s move to Manchester United collapsed late on

Former PSG and Tottenham Hotspur star Lucas Moura revealed he almost joined Manchester United. The 33-year-old, who now plays for Sao Paulo in his native Brazil, won four Ligue 1 titles in France.

In 2019, he played in the Champions League final for Spurs, where they lost to Liverpool. Yet his career could have worked out very differently.

Moura began his career at Sao Paulo and started to attract interest from Europe’s top clubs. In 2016, the winger said it was a tough decision to turn down United for PSG.

He said it was former Brazil star Leonardo, then the director of football at PSG, who swayed him to move to France in 2012.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Moura said: “I was very close to joining Manchester United. It nearly happened but, at the last minute, Leonardo called me and spoke to me and my parents.

“It was a very difficult moment because suddenly I had to make a choice when I thought I was joining Manchester United. I thought about it a lot; I talked about it with my family and I made my choice. Football is like that. You have to choose a team.”

After six seasons in Paris, Moura joined Spurs for around £25million and he made 221 appearances for the club over the next six years. United have been pursuing another Brazilian midfielder, Ederson, this summer but their chase is now in doubt.

United will seek to renegotiate the deal they’ve agreed with Atalanta to get the signing over the line after fitness doubts regarding the star emerged.

Despite reports stating the deal has collapsed, United remain open to bringing the 27-year-old to Old Trafford, but the deal has become complex after medical tests raised concerns about a knee injury sustained last season.

Further tests were carried out last week, and United could now try to restructure the deal in their bid. A fee of £35m plus a further £3.8m in add-ons had been agreed around six weeks ago.

The transfer was slated to go through in early July but Ederson was a late call-up to the Brazil squad for the World Cup. He underwent part of his medical while in the United States, and then had further checks after Brazil were beaten by Norway in the last 16.

Sources in Italy have claimed the deal is off and that Atalanta are ready to offer Ederson a new five-year deal. United haven’t ruled out moving ahead with the signing, however.

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England’s 2026 World Cup kits

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