The course next door.

That’s how Brookline Golf Course has long been known. There is, after all, no ignoring its location. The municipal layout in the Massachusetts town of the same name sits beside a luminous neighbor: The Country Club, a storied venue that has hosted four U.S. Opens.

A chain-link fence divides the two properties, but the distance between them runs far deeper than that — one is a private playground of immense prestige, the other a humble workhorse of public-access golf. During both the 1988 and 2022 U.S. Opens, Brookline Golf Course was pressed into service as a parking lot.

But the muni has an impressive pedigree of its own. Designed by Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleeck, it was the stomping grounds of Francis Ouimet. Best known for winning the 1913 U.S. Open, Ouimet also caddied at this very course back when it went by the name Putterham Meadows. A statue of him and his famous 10-year-old caddie from that Open win, Eddie Lowery, stands outside the clubhouse today.

These days, though, one of the course’s biggest attractions is inside that clubhouse: the food.

The Hemlock Grill has developed a following that extends well beyond golfers, drawing locals who come strictly for the menu. And the menu’s undisputed star is the fried chicken sandwich — named the best fried chicken in Boston by Boston Magazine. Not best at a golf course. Best in the city, period, beating out traditional restaurants across the board.

The creation of chef Alex Saenz — who is of Peruvian descent but grew up steeped in the cooking traditions of the Carolinas — the sandwich starts with a quick dunk in buttermilk. Not a lengthy marinade, just enough to keep the chicken tender. It’s then coated in a boldly seasoned spice blend, fried for precisely seven minutes until deeply crisp, and served on a pillowy potato bun with pickles.

The result is crunchy, juicy, and balanced, with just enough heat to keep you reaching for another bite.

Watch the video above to see how Saenz makes it. Turns out the course next door serves an irresistible main course, too.

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, Group 1, Bristol

West Indies 128-7 (20 overs): Henry 27* (21); Murray 2-13

Ireland 129-4 (18.1 overs): Prendergast 63 (44); Munisar 2-28

Ireland won by six wickets

Scorecard, Table

Ireland earned their first win at a Women’s T20 World Cup with a surprise victory over semi-final hopefuls West Indies at Bristol.

After a fine all-round bowling performance restricted West Indies to 128-7, Orla Prendergast led Ireland’s chase with a stunning 63 from 44 balls.

Prendergast was dismissed in the 16th over with 21 runs from 28 balls still required, but Rebecca Stokell held her nerve with an unbeaten 16 to seal the win with 11 balls to spare.

Ireland have lost all of their previous 21 matches in five editions of the tournament and West Indies were winners in 2016.

The defeat does not eliminate West Indies, as they still finished with a better net run-rate than Sri Lanka, so they will be through if New Zealand lose to England in Saturday’s later game (18:30 BST).

West Indies’ batting line-up could not get going, with their three powerhouses in Hayley Matthews, Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin all scoring at a strike-rate of less than 100.

That left too much for the lower order to do in order to catch up, despite Chinelle Henry’s 27 not out.

Spinner Cara Murray was the pick of the Irish bowlers with a miserly 2-13, including the key wicket of Matthews for 22.

Captain Gaby Lewis fell cheaply in reply, but Amy Hunter steadied the chase with a stand of 62 with Prendergast.

Hunter was dropped on three and went on to make 28 before Prendergast accelerated through the middle overs, whacking eight fours and two sixes in her match-winning knock.

Ireland did not do enough to secure a top-four finish in the group, however, which means they must join Scotland in the qualifying rounds for the 2028 tournament.

Since 2015, roughly 45% of NFL playoff teams fail to return to the postseason the next year. That means about six or seven teams qualify for the playoffs and then don’t make it back the following campaign.

So, we ask, who’s it going to be this year? These are our seven picks from 2025 playoff clubs that miss the tournament in 2026.

Recent Risers Face a Much Tougher Road in 2026

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers shockingly reached the postseason last year in the weak NFC South, and there’s no reason to believe that the division has markedly improved.

Too, Carolina checked in as the NFL’s 25th-best team per DVOA one year ago. That translated to eighth-worst. Think of it this way: based on the numbers, the Panthers were lucky to reach the dance. They won’t make it a sequel in 2026.

Chicago Bears

Speaking of DVOA, Chicago finished 16th in 2025 — smack dab in the middle. Its season was propped up by an epic playoff triumph over Green Bay, which should not be discounted. Finally conquering the Packers was a big deal.

Still, Chicago won oodles of close games last year, and when the Vikings pulled off the same magic trick in 2022, they regressed to the mean in 2023, winning just seven games and missing the playoffs.

That will happen to Chicago.

Denver Broncos

This article is not here to denigrate Denver. Hell, they reached the AFC Championship last year and might’ve been a Bo Nix injury away from the Super Bowl — or even winning it all.

Our theory here is that the Kansas City Chiefs will be back, resuming their dynastic tendencies, while the Los Angeles Chargers pester the Broncos.

Kansas City and Los Angeles will reach the postseason; Denver will narrowly miss out.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers basically gain the NFC’s seventh seed annually under quarterback Jordan Love. That’s fine, but it proves the club could be on the cusp of failing to qualify sooner rather than later. Green Bay lost oodles of players to free agency, and Micah Parsons probably won’t return until October or November.

Couple that with the competition level in the NFC North, and the Packers will finish 8-9 or 9-8, snatching the eighth seed, not their precious seventh.

USA Today‘s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz recently noted, “With Parsons acknowledging he won’t return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament until at least mid-October, it’s clear that the Packers will have to navigate another season in which they’re not close to full strength.”

The Vikings might even take the Packers’ spot in the tournament.

New England Patriots

Drake Maye played buffoonishly in the AFC Championship and Super Bowl. Nobody really cared because New England overachieved in the first place. Yes, the Patriots added A.J. Brown via trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, and yes, the Patriots’ defense will play well in 2026.

But with head coach Mike Vrabel’s reputation a bit sullied, and with New England having one of the easiest schedules in NFL history last year, it will crash back to earth in 2026 and finish 8-9.

FOX Sports‘ Will Hill wrote in April, “The Patriots also notably had one of the easier schedules in league history last season, as their opponents had a combined winning percentage of .366, the lowest mark in the NFL since 1999. That will not only change this year but do so in dramatic fashion, as the Patriots will now battle a first-place schedule. “

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are due for a down season. Soon, their salary cap woes will come home to roost, and many have hinted this offseason that Jalen Hurts cannot faithfully operate a pass-happy offense. There’s something just not right about the Eagles.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys are hungry to reach the playoffs again, Jayden Daniel is back and healthy in the nation’s capital, and the New York Giants hired John Harbaugh.

The Eagles will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2020. It’s time.

Pittsburgh Steelers

It would just feel poetic if the Steelers suffered their first losing season in 20 years the moment Mike Tomlin left town. Aaron Rodgers is back, though, and he’ll distribute the ball among DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman, rookie Germie Bernard, along with running backs Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle.

The Steelers’ defense will remain formidable, but the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens will finish in first and second place in the AFC North, leaving the Steelers around 7-10 or 8-9 in third place.

Then, of course, Rodgers will hold everyone hostage with his 2027 offseason decision-making process, even though he has already announced that this season is his last. You know the drill.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Minnesota Vikings training camp gets underway at the end of July, and fans can join the fun on August 1st in Eagan. That’s about a month away, so it’s time to look at the lingering questions ahead of the event.

Ranked in ascending order of importance (No. 1 = most important), these are the top questions before training camp.

Vikings’ Camp Drama Starts with QB and Pass Rush Uncertainty

5. Is the OLB All Set or Looking for One More Guy?

This one is pretty damn straightforward. Will the Vikings use recently converted DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins on the EDGE? Or are those just best-laid plans in June? Is rookie Jake Golday ready to play a hybrid ILB-OLB role immediately? What about Bo Richter? Can he be trusted with the OLB3 job?

Minnesota’s OLB situation fundamentally changed the moment it traded Jonathan Greenard. It’s now Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner — and question marks.

If the Vikings want an EDGE defender from free agency, these are the options:

• Derek Barnett
• Jadeveon Clowney
• Marcus Davenport
• Leonard Floyd
• Von Miller
• Yannick Ngakoue
• Haason Reddick
• Kyle Van Noy

Zone Coverage’s Zac Scholl wrote last week, “Looking at Minnesota’s needs still this offseason, it’s hard to ignore the edge-rusher room. There is still plenty of veteran talent left in free agency, including Jihad Ward, who previously played a depth role for them.”

The Vikings have just over $13 million in cap space if they want one more outside linebacker. That’s more than enough for any man on the list above.

4. Who Gets Extensions?

In good faith, these players can knock on new general manager Nolan Teasley’s door this summer and ask for contract extensions:

• Jordan Addison (WR)
• Blake Brandel (C)
• Blake Cashman (ILB)
• Jordan Mason (RB)
• Brian O’Neill (RT)
• Isaiah Rodgers (CB)
• Andrew Van Ginkel (OLB)
• Jay Ward (S)

O’Neill feels like a no-brainer to extend. But who else will Teasley green-light? His decision will reveal his team-building philosophy, as he picks and chooses who to retain for the long haul in his first few months on the job.

3. Will Harrison Smith Return?

The fact that Smith hasn’t told the Vikings about his return-or-retirement plans is bizarre. C.J. Ham called it quits. So did Adam Thielen. If Smith was ready to walk away, wouldn’t he have vamoosed along with those men, his pals?

The evidence suggests that Smith will return for one more hurrah. But the question is when. Next week? August? Midseason?

2. Is Caleb Banks Ready to Roll?

Banks has the talent to become an All-Pro someday; the only question is when he’ll actually play.

Training camp will offer the first real hint. If he looks good and moves freely, everything will be fine, and concerns about his pre-draft foot injury will be moot. Otherwise, the Vikings might place him on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

Minnesota surprised everyone in April by drafting Banks, who has been recovering from back-to-back foot injuries. Most analysts had predicted they would select Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, but that popular prediction never materialized.

All eyes turn to Banks’s game-readiness because the Vikings, a team that has not drafted well in the last half-decade, cannot afford to miss on a 1st-Rounder who had a very vivid and recent injury history leading up to the draft.

The gamble must be worth it. Banks cannot have a redshirt year.

Our Kyle Joudry recently noted, “Minnesota tends to be ultra cautious with injuries. Back in 2025, Justin Jefferson missed almost all of training camp due to a desire to ensure the WR1 was fully healthy. The plan worked…but created another issue. J.J. McCarthy sometimes struggled to find his most dangerous weapon, lacking some degree of chemistry with the receiver.”

“Might some more work together have been helpful? Quite possibly, but the Vikings were being very careful with their top player. Oh, and that McCarthy kid was kept in bubble wrap for a decent portion of the year. The Vikings appeared quite reluctant to push him too hard.”

1. Who Wins the QB Battle?

Will it be Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy? That question is on Vikings fans’ minds, a group that hasn’t experienced a true quarterback battle in 12 years, when Matt Cassel, Christian Ponder, and Teddy Bridgewater did battle.

Murray is the frontrunner, but always remember, life would be so much easier if McCarthy showed up to Year No. 3 and balled out.

You can tentatively circle Murray as the starter, but McCarthy won’t go down without a fight. The quarterback battle remains the item that will put butts on bleachers in Eagan.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Jaron Ennis believes a win over Xander Zayas, which he is fully confident in securing, will prove that he is the world’s pound-for-pound No.1 fighter.

The 29-year-old does, indeed, appear to possess elite-level talent, yet his achievements pale in comparison to those of Oleksandr Usyk and Naoya Inoue.

Many would consider these two as the sport’s leading operators, given that they have become two-division undisputed champions by defeating a selection of world-class competitors.

Ennis, meanwhile, has crafted a resume that lacks career-defining victories, other than perhaps his sixth-round finish over Eimantas Stanionis in April 2025.

Even then, the American was largely credited for the dominant nature of his performance, rather than for it being against a genuinely elite-level opponent.

With a win over Zayas in the early hours of tomorrow morning, though, Ennis would certainly strengthen his case for becoming a pound-for-pound star.

The two super-welterweights will collide at the Barclays Center, New York, with Zayas making a first defence of his unified WBO and WBA crown.

Throughout the build-up, ‘Boots’ has maintained his belief that he defeats Zayas inside the distance, which would see him become a two-weight unified champion in emphatic fashion.

Speaking with Ariel Helwani, the challenger insisted that this statement performance should be enough to convince fans that he is the pound-for-pound top dog.

“I know for a fact that I’m pound-for-pound No.1. I’m going to show it on Saturday; I’m going to give y’all a little taste.”

While a stoppage over Zayas would be mightily impressive, Ennis would still lack the credentials to surpass the likes of Usyk and Inoue.

Former Sevilla manager Joaquin Caparros has been diagnosed with colon cancer.

The 70-year-old, who holds a club record for managing 248 official matches across various competitions, is undergoing treatment.

Caparros s a highly respected figure within the club, having been instrumental in guiding Sevilla back to Spain’s top flight and establishing their presence in LaLiga during his initial five-year tenure.

Caparros later returned to the club in interim coaching roles in 2018, 2019, and most recently in 2025.

His significant contributions were recognised last July when he was named Sevilla’s honorary president.

“Sevilla FC wishes to express its deepest support and affection to our Honorary President, Joaquin Caparros, who has been diagnosed with colon cancer,” the club wrote in a statement.

“The beloved former Sevilla coach, who has the full support of his family, friends, and the entire Sevilla fanbase, is already undergoing the necessary medical treatment.”

Beyond his extensive time at Sevilla, Caparros has managed several other prominent La Liga clubs, including Deportivo La Coruna, Athletic Bilbao, Real Mallorca, Levante, and Osasuna, overseeing more than 500 games in Spain’s top division.

He also served as head coach of the Armenian national team between 2020 and 2022.

Reuters

Dutton Ranch Season 1 Episode 8 centers on the fallout from the shocking events of the previous episode as several characters face personal and professional challenges. While Beulah’s medical emergency forces those closest to her to reconsider their priorities, Joaquin continues searching for answers surrounding Wes’ death.

At the same time, Carter struggles to find direction after making a life-changing decision, leading to another emotional confrontation. Elsewhere, Rip’s carefully planned investigation into the 10 Petal finally uncovers important information about the ranch’s hidden operations.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers about Dutton Ranch Season 1 Episode 8. Reader’s discretion is advised.

Dutton Ranch Season 1 Episode 8 recap: Rip learns the truth behind the illegal 10 Petal operation

Following the chaotic events of the previous chapter, Dutton Ranch Season 1 Episode 8 picks up right where the drama left off. Beulah is in the middle of a massive medical emergency after suffering a severe heart attack.

Emergency responders arrive quickly, and a medical helicopter takes her to the hospital. Everett asks Rob-Will to accompany her, while Beth and Oreana are left behind with little they can do. At the hospital, doctors manage to stabilize Beulah, giving everyone hope that she will recover.

As Dutton Ranch Season 1 Episode 8 continues, Everett calls Joaquin to the hospital. The meeting between Joaquin and Rob-Will remains tense because of their unresolved differences.

Beulah asks both men to put their conflict aside and work together, reminding them that they also need Beth and Rip if they want to protect everything they have built. Although Joaquin and Rob-Will agree in front of her, neither appears to be comfortable with the arrangement.

Later in Dutton Ranch Season 1 Episode 8, Joaquin continues searching for answers about Wes’ death. He takes the murder weapon to the Sheriff, hoping it will connect Rob-Will to the crime. However, without Wes’ body, the Sheriff cannot move forward with an investigation. Joaquin then speaks to his father, suggesting that he may have information about the hidden side of the 10 Petal business.

Meanwhile, Beulah begins looking at life differently after her medical emergency. Feeling exhausted by the pressure of running her business, she spends time with Everett instead. Once Everett admits he wants to be with her, the pair quietly leave the hospital together and head to his home. They spend the afternoon away from everyone else, leaving their responsibilities behind for a short while.

Dutton Ranch Season 1 Episode 8 also focuses on Carter after the events of the previous episode. Rip brings him home following his public outburst. Carter is still drunk and remains deeply embarrassed during the ride.

The following morning, he opens up to Beth and admits that he has quit school because he no longer believes it is the right path for him. Instead, he says he wants to become a cowboy. Beth accepts his decision and tells him to spend the day working alongside Rip.

Despite his terrible physical condition, Carter heads out to the 10 Petal in Dutton Ranch Season 1 Episode 8. He forgets to bring his gloves, making it difficult to perform normal tasks. Later, while trying to rope cattle that have broken away, he is pulled off his horse and gets injured. Although he claims that this is his ultimate dream, he completely breaks down and loudly shouts at Rip and rides away into the distance.

Later, Rip confronts Carter about his behavior. Carter finally reveals everything weighing on him. He is still struggling with his feelings for Oreana, the murder he witnessed, and his uncertainty about his future. Even though Beth asks him to stay, Carter leaves the ranch. He later offers to work for the Sheriff, but the offer is turned down, leaving him with no clear direction.

Elsewhere in Dutton Ranch Season 1 Episode 8, Rip’s long-running plan to find secrets about the 10 Petal begins producing results. He had secretly placed Zechariah inside the bunkhouse to learn more about the ranch’s activities and gain the workers’ trust. Zechariah notices that Austin appears ready to speak about what he knows and eventually convinces him to meet with Beth and Rip.

During the meeting, Austin explains the illegal cattle operation connected to Mexico and reveals that it has been keeping the 10 Petal business alive. He also shares that the operation is linked to Wes’ death and the disappearance of Beth and Rip’s herd. This gives Beth and Rip a better picture of everything that has been happening behind the scenes.

However, by the end of Dutton Ranch Season 1 Episode 8, several major storylines remain unresolved. Joaquin continues searching for justice, Carter walks away from the ranch without knowing where to go next, and Beth and Rip now understand the truth behind the illegal operation connected to the 10 Petal.