Sports
Chris Gotterup on top, Scottie Scheffler in trouble at WM Phoenix Open
Feb 5, 2026; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; Chris Gotterup of the United States putts on hole 18 during the first round of the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images Chris Gotterup owns a two-stroke lead at the WM Phoenix Open after shooting an 8-under-par 63 in the first round at TPC Scottsdale that was suspended due to darkness Thursday in Arizona.
Nine players, none of them lower than 3 under for their rounds, have one or two holes left to complete Friday morning before getting on with the second round.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick shot a 7-under 29 on the back nine (his first nine holes of the day) but bogeyed his closing two holes to settle for a 6-under 65. Tied for third at 5-under 66 are Michael Thorbjornsen, Pierceson Coody, Sam Stevens and Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard.
Gotterup began his bogey-free round on the back nine and got into red figures with an eagle at the par-5 13th. He reached the green in two and sank a 27-foot eagle putt to jumpstart his round.
The 26-year-old proceeded to birdie the next three holes, capped by a 7-footer at the famed par-3 16th, Scottsdale’s “Stadium Hole.” Gotterup added another birdie at No. 18 and two more on the front nine.
It has been a dream start to the 2026 season for Gotterup. He won his third PGA Tour title at the season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii, then tied for 18th at the Farmers Insurance Open last week.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is in danger of missing the cut after signing for a 2-over-par 73. On his back-nine start, he made four birdies but followed three of those immediately with a bogey. His struggles continued with a three-putt bogey at No. 1 and a messy double bogey at No. 2.
When Xander Schauffele missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open, it left Scheffler as the active leader on tour with 65 consecutive cuts made.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Seahawks slide to bigger favorites ahead of Super Bowl LV
Feb 4, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots helmets at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images SAN FRANCISCO — The Seattle Seahawks have been hit with the big injury concern days ahead of Super Bowl LX, but that didn’t stop the NFC champions from cushioning their favorite status.
The consensus line moved to the Seahawks favored by 5.0 points to beat the New England Patriots across major sportsbooks on Thursday afternoon, according to MetaBet. That includes at BetMGM, where the line had been at 4.5 points for several days after opening at 4.0 points when the Super Bowl matchup was finalized.
The book reported earlier in the day that 61% of the spread-line money and 55% of the total bets have backed Seattle. The Seahawks’ -235 moneyline to win the game outright has held steady, drawing 67% of the money, while the Patriots at +195 has been backed by 66% of the total ML bets.
Thursday’s bump in favor of the Seahawks came despite standout rookie safety Nick Emmanwori leaving Wednesday’s practice late with an ankle injury. However, coach Mike Macdonald said Thursday morning that he’s “fully expected to play.”
The line has remained at 4.5 at several other sportsbooks, including DraftKings, FanDuel and Caesars.
The total points line is 45.5 at DraftKings and BetMGM. It opened at 46 at the latter, but has inched down slightly with the Over backed by 52% of both the total bets and money wagered.
The Patriots were the NFL’s second-highest scoring team at 28.8 points per game, with the Seahawks right behind at 28.4. Seattle had the stingiest defense in the league in 2025, allowing 17.2 points per game. The Patriots were fourth at 18.8.
The book reported that the most popular correct score prop bet has been the Seahawks to win 24-17 at +10000, while the most-bet winning margin has been Seattle by 7-12 points at +340.
According to teamrankings.com, the Seahawks and Patriots are the best teams against the spread (record when factoring in the point spread) this season, including playoffs.
Seattle is 14-5-0 against the spread (ATS), while New England is 13-6-1.
This will be the second Super Bowl meeting between the Seahawks and the Patriots. New England beat defending champion Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX (49) on Feb. 1, 2015 when Patriots defensive back Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson at the goal line with 20 seconds left in the game to seal the 28-24 win in Glendale, Ariz.
–Derek Harper, Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Celtics' Xavier Tillman traded to Hornets in buzzer-beater
Oct 24, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics forward Xavier Tillman (26) warms up before the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images The Boston Celtics traded forward Xavier Tillman Sr. and cash considerations to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, ESPN reported, moments before the NBA trade deadline passed for good.
The Hornets acquired Tillman and $3.5 million in cash considerations, pulling Boston away from the luxury tax, similar to the deal that brought guard Tyus Jones in and out of Charlotte from Orlando on Wednesday.
Tillman had been seeing declining minutes since his championship-winning stint with the Celtics in 2024, seeing more than 15 minutes on the floor just five times. Through the 2025-26 season, Tillman averaged 2.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 14 appearances.
Tillman was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft, but was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies on draft day. Tillman played three full seasons in Memphis, along with one full season in Boston.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Penn State's Gavin McKenna broke man's jaw
Penn State’s Gavin McKenna, center, arrives with the team for a Big Ten hockey game against Michigan State at Beaver Stadium on January 31, 2026, in State College. When highly regarded NHL prospect Gavin McKenna was charged with felony assault Wednesday, it was reportedly for breaking a man’s jaw and knocking out his tooth with a pair of punches.
According to The Athletic, which reviewed police reports and court documents, the 18-year-old Penn State freshman was involved in an altercation Saturday night shortly after leaving Doggie’s Pub — a College Avenue bar across the street from Penn State’s campus.
McKenna and his group encountered the alleged victim and his group at a nearby parking garage. After an “exchange of words,” McKenna punched the man twice in the face. The man was taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center, where a local policeman spoke to the man and his friends.
In addition to being charged with felony aggravated assault, which can lead to as much as a 20-year prison sentence and a $25,000 fine, McKenna has been cited for a misdemeanor assault charge along with summary charges of harassment and disorderly conduct.
McKenna, who hails from the Canadian town of Whitehorse, Yukon, was regarded as the No. 1 prospect in the upcoming NHL draft when he made the decision to leave the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers and enroll at Penn State last fall.
The 6-foot, 170-pound wing has amassed 11 goals, 21 assists and 34 penalty minutes in 24 games for the Nittany Lions, who rank as the nation’s No. 6 team per USCHO.com. McKenna paces the squad in assists and shares the team lead in points.
–Field Level Media
Seahawks slide to bigger favorites ahead of Super Bowl LV
Report: Celtics' Xavier Tillman traded to Hornets in buzzer-beater
