Sports
Scottie Scheffler targets third Players title with ailing McIlroy defending
Scottie Scheffler hits from the 18th fairway during the second round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl. Friday March 14, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The Players Championship has made a habit of delivering high drama at an iconic venue which suits a wide array of golfers, and this week’s edition promises more of the same as World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler bids for a rare third victory in the event.
Among other leading contenders are World No. 2 and defending champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who is looking to shrug off a back injury that led to a later arrival at TPC Sawgrass following his withdrawal from last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, and fifth-ranked Justin Rose, who won his 13th PGA Tour title last month at the Farmers Insurance Open.
The elite field is one of the strongest in the game with the top 10 golfers in the world rankings — and 47 of the top 50 — assembled at Sawgrass for the tournament’s 52nd edition.
However, Scheffler will command much of the fan interest as he hunts his 21st career tour title at a venue where he triumphed in 2023 and 2024. Only golfing great Jack Nicklaus has won the PGA Tour’s flagship event three times, and Scheffler will be looking to match him.
“I don’t know if my approach to this tournament has changed very much, but I think it suits my game because you have to play a variety of shots,” Scheffler said ahead of Thursday’s opening round when he will play alongside World No. 3 Tommy Fleetwood and 14th-ranked Justin Thomas in a marquee grouping. “I think that’s something that I’ve always enjoyed about the game of golf is being able to try to curve the ball different directions and hit different spins.”
While Scheffler has not quite replicated his dominant form from last year so far this season, he can still point to a victory at The American Express in January and two other top-10 finishes in his five starts.
“When it comes to my golf game and my expectations of myself, my expectations are based around what I want for me mentally on the golf course as being committed to what I can do, and controlling that aspect,” said the 29-year-old Texas resident. “Throughout this season I’ve been really good in some spots and then some other spots I feel like I can improve in terms of my commitment to the shot.”
Scheffler has long admired the varied test of golf at TPC Sawgrass where surprise winners, such as Craig Perks and Fred Funk, and expected champions, like Tiger Woods and McIlroy, have emerged triumphant.
“When you look at this golf course, you see a variety of winners, and you also don’t see one style of player winning this tournament a bunch of times,” said Scheffler. “It’s so unique in a sense of, the way modern golf is kind of trending … this place you kind of take some steps back where the areas to hit into are small.
“And there’s certain holes where you can definitely take advantage of your length if you’re a longer hitter. But there’s also some holes where you got to get the ball in play, and you have to be able to curve the ball both directions.”
Two-time champion McIlroy will command just as much fan interest as Scheffler but his tournament prospects were still hanging in the balance after he arrived at TPC Sawgrass late Wednesday afternoon to test his back and swing on the practice range.
The Northern Irishman is the defending champion; he won the 2025 tournament in a playoff with J.J. Spaun.
McIlroy pulled out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday before the third round after feeling “a small twinge” in his back while warming up in the gym. Prior to arriving at Sawgrass on Wednesday, he had been at home recovering and receiving treatment.
Rose, 45, will be bidding for his second PGA Tour win this season after romping to victory by seven strokes at the Farmers. Like Scheffler, Rose relishes competing at Sawgrass where he has recorded three career top-10s in 20 starts, including a T4 in 2014.
“It’s a course that I love, actually,” smiled Rose. “It’s one of the best courses that we play on tour. I think it’s very fitting for this championship. It suits all types of players.
“But it’s tricky as well. I feel like it’s a venue that I’ve sort of would like to figure out a bit better this year, that is for sure. I’ve had some good weeks here, some great rounds, but I would love to put four together this week.”
Englishman Fleetwood, the 2025 FedEx Cup champion, will make his ninth Players appearance and will aim to improve on a best finish at TPC Sawgrass of T5 in 2019.
“It’s just nice to be back,” he said. “It’s always a tournament that everybody gets really excited about. I think the biggest compliment you can give the golf course is that everybody holds it very high on their list, and I think that there’s always a wide spread of opinion.
“There’s been some big tournaments already this year but I think The Players, where it sits now, always marks the start of a big period coming.”
This week, a field of 123 golfers will tee it up at TPC Sawgrass in pursuit of a winner’s check for $4.5 million. Traditionally, the field totaled 144 but it was shrunk this year to a base of 120 players. With Brooks Koepka eligible for the tournament based on his return to the PGA Tour through the Returning Members Program, two more players were added to make it an even 41 threesomes for the first two rounds.
–Mark Lamport-Stokes, Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees to honor late broadcaster John Sterling with uniform patch
May 4, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees wear “JS” stitched on their hats honoring radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images The New York Yankees will honor longtime radio announcer John Sterling, who died on Monday at the age of 87, with a patch on their uniforms for the reminder of the season.
The Yankees will continue to wear caps with the initials “JS” on the back through May 17. The team will switch to the patch as their tribute to Sterling on May 18, when the Yankees’ next homestand begins.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone approves of the tribute.
“I think it’s appropriate, certainly,” Boone told the New York Times after the Yanks’ 7-4 victory over the Texas Rangers. “(I’m) glad we’ll be able to honor his legacy throughout the rest of the season.”
The patch will feature Sterling’s name, as well as a microphone with the Yankee logo on a pinstriped background.
Sterling passed away from complications of heart failure on Monday, the Times reported. Sterling was honored prior to Monday’s game with a ceremony that featured a moment of silence and a video of some of Sterling’s most iconic radio calls.
After Monday’s game, Sterling’s signature call of “Thuuuuuuuuuuh Yankees WIN!” was played over the PA system at Yankee Stadium, followed by Frank Sinatra’s “Theme from New York, New York.”
Both manager Boone and Yankees captain Aaron Judge called for making that combo a permanent tradition. But Sterling’s call was not part of Tuesday’s post-game victory celebration, and it was unclear if the team intends to continue it, the Times reported.
Count Jazz Chisholm Jr. among those who feel the patch is a good way to honor Sterling this season.
“He was here for a long time,” said Chisholm. “He represented the Yankees well. We all, in our childhood, have that John Sterling call rising in our ears. I think it’s pretty cool that we, as a team and organization, get to recognize him for all the great things that he’s done here.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
MLB Panic Meter: Mets, Red Sox, Angels Among Biggest Early Concerns
May 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The season isn’t one-fourth complete, meaning it’s relatively early by MLB standards.
But it’s also time for concern for a spate of underachieving teams and players to be calibrated against the potential for a rebound.
Here’s our look at some particularly worrisome slow starts around the game.
1. The New York Mets
David Stearns’ nonsensical off-season overhaul — dumping a spate of franchise icons all in the name of improving the defense by signing or moving a bunch of people to positions they’d never played — left the Mets in a much more vulnerable position than any team should be with a $352 million payroll. But it shouldn’t be going THIS badly, even with Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor playing just seven full games together due to their calf injuries.
At least the Mets no longer have the worst record in the bigs after winning three of four from the Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies. But when you’ve got to win three of four from the Angels and Rockies just to escape the basement.
2. The Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies
May 1, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Houston Astros during the third inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images The 2-for-1, you-both-got-your-managers-fired deal here. As with the Mets, the off-season should have provided more of a hint that the Red Sox (who didn’t re-sign valuable veteran leader Alex Bregman) and Phillies (who re-signed every aging veteran this side of Steve Jeltz) might stumble out of the gates. A 4-0 start under interim manager Don Mattingly served as a reminder the Phillies have an immeasurable edge of the Red Sox in terms of postseason-tested players and, especially, competent upper management. Boston’s geniuses apparently thought it’d be a good idea to toss Triple-A manager Chad Tracy into a locker room filled with angry players. Hard to believe “chief baseball officer” Craig Breslow actually played in the majors.
3. The Los Angeles Angels
May 5, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) is greeted after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images We should all be immune to being disappointed by the Angels, who have the longest playoff drought in the majors as well as the longest streak of consecutive sub-.500 finishes despite employing both Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout from 2018 through 2023.
But the American League is a mashup of mediocrity and Trout is enjoying a renaissance season, so it wouldn’t take much for the Angels to at least hover around the fringes of contention. So of course they’ve lost 13 of 15 to fall to 13-23, which is the worst record in the bigs and puts the Angels on pace to lose 100 games for the first time ever. So there is that.
4. Willy Adames and Rafael Devers, San Francisco Giants SS/1B
Buster Posey’s weird plan to construct a contender around a bunch of singles hitters was always contingent on Adames, the one Giants position player star who chose to play in hitter-unfriendly Oracle Park, and Devers, a blockbuster trade addition last year, providing the token bit of power.
But the duo have combined for just five homers and rank 161st and 163rd, respectively, in OPS at .579 and .572 as the Giants have started 14-21. Adames’ poor strikeout-to-walk ratio — he’s struck out 45 times while drawing just six walks — is a big red flag after he increased his walk total each of the previous three seasons.
5. Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds P
Jun 10, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott (41) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images Abbott outperformed his peripherals (a 2.87 ERA but a 3.66 FIP) while making the All-Star team for the first time last season. But the market correction has been unforgiving for Abbott, whose 5.97 ERA is seventh-worst in the NL amongst pitchers who have thrown at least 30 innings. He is also striking out just 6.2 batters per nine innings, easily the lowest figure of his career and a concerning trend as the Reds bank on a bounce-back.
Sports
Should the Celtics Blow It Up? Analyzing Every Major Option
Feb 28, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens before their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Everyone seems to have an opinion on how to “fix” the Celtics.
You’ll probably not be surprised to hear I have a few myself. OK, more than just a few.
Raising a 7-foot bar on a bunch of wishful thinking among Celtics fans and senseless knee-jerk reactions among the unfaithful, here’s where I stand on some of the more popular suggestions:
Fire Brad Stevens.
Let’s get the most ridiculous one out of the way.
Stevens was NBA Executive of the Year this year for a reason. He did the seemingly impossible (or so Golden State tells us) … He got rid of a bunch of overpaid veterans, remained competitive even without Jayson Tatum for the most part, and restructured a roster that should be able to compete for Eastern titles for most of the next decade.
Fire him? I say: Reward him.
Fire Joe Mazzulla.
He did such a great job during the regular season, he set himself up for a hard fall in the playoffs. And even at that, you have to wonder what might have happened had Tatum not contracted a case of Embiid-itis.
Did he mismanage the Philadelphia series? Sure. The Pistons would have fired their coach if he’d done that. Maybe even the Knicks and Cavaliers. But they haven’t won a title, made the Finals twice and been a perennial contender for the better part of a decade.
Based on the improbable regular season alone, Mazz deserves the benefit of the doubt. But don’t let it happen again.
Trade Derrick White.
On the surface, this one makes sense. As the 76ers series demonstrated, the Celtics could use a Robert Williams III type more than a White type. But that’s what Stevens, in a rare blunder, thought when he exchanged Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic.
Look at the Eastern Conference. When Joel Embiid isn’t playing – which is most of the time – the top players are almost all guards: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Tyrese Haliburton … You need somebody to slow them down.
Yeah, the Celtics could move Jaylen Brown fulltime to the backcourt, but that likely would force Tatum to actually have to guard somebody. Giving Brown the tough frontcourt assignments allows Tatum to freelance, grab cheap rebounds and stay fresh for his late barrage of missed 3-pointers. Wait, that was supposed to be a positive.
Trading White maybe gets you Wendell Carter Jr., but does that make you better? I say: Just bigger.
Trade Jaylen Brown.
May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) talks with Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7)after Philadephia’s win in game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Let’s be honest: Breaking up the Brown/Tatum tandem would take a lot of guts. But after watching the Celtics play without Tatum for two-thirds of last season, it’s at least worth considering.
So which one gets shopped? That depends what type of team you want.
We’ve seen what the Celtics look like without Tatum – energetic, defensive-minded and all-inclusive on offense. And that’s without whatever high-level player or players you would get by trading Tatum.
You turn Brown into, say, Naz Reid and Terrence Shannon Jr., and you improve defensively on the interior and offensively on the perimeter. But you lose what made the Celtics so fun to watch this season – the team’s best defender and emotional leader.
I’d keep Brown.
Trade Jayson Tatum.
It might take just one call to turn the Celtics into the Eastern frontrunner again …
Stevens: If we give you Tatum for Giannis, how many first-round picks would you want?
Bucks GM Jon Horst: Let me get back to you on that.
If the response is anything you can count on one hand, the Celtics’ off-season is complete.
Tatum has done a lot of good things for this team, but he’s not in Giannis’ league. Few players are.
The Celtics would get their interior force, a runner who would allow the team to pick up the pace and another elite shot-blocker who would make Boston the most well-rounded defensive force in the league, with White shadowing star little guys, Brown locked onto mid-sized scorers and Giannis pitching a tent in the middle.
Stop dreaming? OK, then I’d settle for Domantas Sabonis and De’Andre Hunter.
Stand pat.
Stevens earned a nice, long vacation. Maybe he should take one.
No phones. See you in October with the same pieces that made the Celtics the favorite in the Eastern playoffs. Even with Tatum at less than 100 percent.
After all, it ain’t broke.
Unless, of course: Brad, this is Horstie getting back to you …
Maddies Secret trailer reveals John Early as youve never seen him before
Pride is almost here! Check out the best dating apps for LGBTQ women.
