Sports
Golf Glance: Rory McIlroy returns ahead of major; LIV Golf in Virginia
Rory McIlroy tees off during the third round of the 2026 Masters. Credit: Grace Smith-Imagn Images The PGA Tour sees Rory McIlroy return to action for a signature event ahead of next week’s PGA Championship, while LIV Golf is in Virginia and the LPGA Tour makes its annual stop in New Jersey.
PGA TOUR
THIS WEEK: Truist Championship, Charlotte, May 7-10
Course: Quail Hollow Club (Par 71, 7,583 Yards)
Purse: $20M (Winner: $3.6M)
Defending Champion: Sepp Straka
FedEx Cup Leader: Matt Fitzpatrick
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS); Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday: 7:15 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @TruistChamp
NOTES: This is the sixth of eight signature events this season, featuring a $20 million purse and elevated FedExCup points. … The event returns to Quail Hollow after being held at The Philadelphia Cricket Club in 2025. … World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is not playing this week, but the field is highlighted by seven of the top-10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking and 46 of the top 50 in the FedExCup standings. … Lucas Glover is making his 22nd career start in the event, seven more than any other player in the field. … Rickie Fowler enters with three consecutive top-10 finishes in signature events. … Sponsors exemptions include Tony Finau, Max Homa, Mackenzie Hughes and Webb Simpson. … The winner will receive a spot in next week’s PGA Championship if not otherwise exempt. … Five players are in the field via the Aon Swing 5: Ricky Castillo, David Lipsky, Matt Wallace, Chandler Blanchet and Kristoffer Reitan. … Wyndham Clark owns the tournament scoring record at Quail Hollow with the 265 he posted in winning in 2023.
BEST BETS: Rory McIlroy (+580 at DraftKings) returns from his post-Masters break to one of his favorite course. The four-time winner of the Truist Championship owns the 18-hole scoring record of 61 at Quail Hollow set in the third round in 2015. … Cameron Young (+920) is coming off his second win of the year to rise to No. 3 in the world rankings. … Xander Schauffele (+1175) has five top-25 finishes in six previous event starts, topped by a second place in 2024 after holding the lead after each of the first three rounds. … Matt Fitzpatrick (+1700) has won his past two starts on tour and also finished runner-up at The Players this year. … Sepp Straka (+4400) seeks to become the first player to successfully defend at the Truist. He enters with three top-10s so far this year.
THIS WEEK: Myrtle Beach Classic, Myrtle Beach, S.C., May 7-10
Course: Dunes Golf and Beach Club (Par 71, 7,347 Yards)
Purse: $4M (Winner: $720,000)
Defending Champion: Ryan Fox
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 10 a.m.-Noon ET; Saturday-Sunday: 3-5 p.m. (Golf Channel)
X: @MyrtleBeachCl
NOTES: The opposite-field event offers 300 FedEx Cup points to the winner, a two-year PGA Tour exemption and a spot in next week’s PGA Championship if not otherwise qualified. … The field includes five-time major champion Brooks Koepka, 18-year-old Blades Brown and notable tour veterans including Billy Horschel, Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker. The highest-ranked player in the field is No. 39 Marco Penge, followed by No. 42 Aaron Rai.
Last Tournament: Cadillac Championship (Cameron Young)
Next Tournament: PGA Championship, Philadelphia, May 14-17
LIV GOLF LEAGUE
THIS WEEK: LIV Golf Virginia, May 7-10
Course: Trump National DC (Par 72, 7,679 Yards)
Purses: Individual: $30M (Winner: $4M); Team: $10M (Winners: $3M)
Defending Champions: Individual: Joaquin Niemann; Team: Crushers GC
2026 Season Leaders: Individual: Jon Rahm; Team: Ripper GC
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday: 1-6 p.m. ET (Fox One); Friday: Noon-2 p.m. (Fox); Saturday: 1-6 p.m. (FBN); Sunday: Noon-5 p.m. (Fox)
X: @livgolf_league
NOTES: This is the seventh of 13 events this season, with the scheduled New Orleans event in June postponed. It’s the league’s third event in Virginia and its second at Trump National DC, with Harold Varner winning in 2023. … The top player who is not otherwise exempt and in the top 3 of the 2026 LIV Golf individual standings will earn an entry into next month’s U.S. Open. Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau lead the standings and are already exempt, with 11 players still holding a mathematical chance of claiming the third spot. … The daily shotgun start includes 13 teams and 57 total players, including five wild cards. … Phil Mickelson continues to be sidelined by an undisclosed personal medical matter. He will be replaced on the HyFlyers GC by Scott Vincent.
Last Event: LIV Golf Mexico City (Individual: Rahm; Team: Legion XIII)
Next Event: LIV Golf Korea, May 28-31
LPGA TOUR
THIS WEEK: Mizuho Americas Open, West Caldwell, N.J., May 7-10
Course: Mountain Ridge Country Club (Par 72, 6,735 Yards)
Purse: $3.25M (Winner: $487,500)
Defending Champion: Jeeno Thitikul
Race to CME Globe Leader: Nelly Korda
HOW TO FOLLOW:
TV: Thursday-Friday: 10-12 p.m. ET; Saturday: 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Streaming: Thursday-Friday: Noon-2 p.m. ET; Saturday: 5-7:30 p.m.; Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (GolfChannel.com)
X: @LPGA
NOTES: This is the first time since the event began in 2023 that it is not being held at Liberty National Golf Club. … Tournament host Michelle Wie West is in the field competing in an LPGA event for the first time since the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open. She will also compete in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open. … Thitikul went bogey-free over the final 27 holes in winning by four shots last year. … The event includes 24 AJGA junior players competing in a Stableford competition.
Last Tournament: Mexico Riviera Maya Open (Korda)
Next Tournament: Queen City Championship, Cincinnati, May 14-17
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
THIS WEEK: Insperity Invitational, The Woodlands, Texas, May 8-10
Course: The Woodlands CC (Par 72, 7,002 Yards)
Purse: $3M (Winner: $450,000)
Defending Champion: Stewart Cink
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Cink
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Friday: 7-9 p.m. ET (Golf Channel – Tape Delay); Saturday: 8:30-10:30 p.m. (GC – Tape Delay); Sunday: 5-7 p.m. (GC)
X: @ChampionsTour
NOTES: Bernhard Langer holds the tournament scoring record of 25-under 191 set in 2007. … Cink has won four of the first eight events this season and leads the standings by more than twice as much money earned than No. 2 Zach Johnson. … Langer is one of seven World Golf Hall of Fame members in the 78-player field.
Last Tournament: Regions Traditions (Cink)
Next Tournament: Trophy Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco, May 8-10
DP WORLD TOUR
THIS WEEK: Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, Barcelona, May 7-10
Course: Real Club de Golf El Prat (Par 72, 7,057 Yards)
Purse: $2.75M (Winner: $458,333)
Defending Champion: Eugenio Chacarra
Race to Dubai Leader: Patrick Reed
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 7:30-10 a.m. ET; Saturday: 7:30 a.m.-Noon (Golf Channel); Sunday: 7 a.m.-Noon (Golf Channel).
X: @DPWorldTour
NOTES: This begins the six-event European Swing, the fourth of five Global Swings on the 2026 Race to Dubai. The player with the most points at the end of each Swing earns a $200,000 bonus and entry into every event in Phase Two of the season called the “Back 9”. … Spain was the site of the tour’s first event in 1972, when it was known as the European Tour.
Last Tournament: Turkish Airlines Open (Mikael Lindberg)
Next Tournament: Soudal Open, Antwerp, Belgium, May 21-24
–Field Level Media
Sports
LIV CEO: League's value rests in teams, optimistic on funding
Jun 28, 2025; Carrollton, Texas, USA; The LIV Golf logo near the first tee during the second round of the LIV Golf Dallas golf tournament at Maridoe Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil expressed optimism Tuesday in his first public comments since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed it will pull its financial support following the 2026 season.
O’Neil cited the value of the league’s 13 teams as a means to attract new investors in the wake of the PIF news.
“If you ask me where the value of this business is, it’s in the teams,” O’Neil said at his pre-tournament press conference ahead of this week’s LIV Golf Virginia event in Washington, D.C.
“If you’re looking for direction, we believe that teams will have extraordinary value,” O’Neil said. “We believe that once we set the business in the right direction with the right trajectory, with the right revenue base and cost base — which we’re well on our way to doing — that these teams will have extraordinary value. And that’s where, if you’re an investor and you’re listening to this or reading this, that’s where you’re going to get your value.”
His comments came one day after LIV Golf announced that New York-based Ducera Partners LLC will serve as an investment banking advisor as it seeks financial stability moving forward.
O’Neil also discussed sponsorships, ticket sales and television contracts on Tuesday as a means to drive up funding.
“The way the process will typically work — I may be getting ahead of myself — is that we’re going to create a business plan, we’re going to lock arms with the players, we will go to market and raise money on a top level, and then we will get investors in teams in that order,” he said. “The players on the team should be locked in.”
O’Neil also addressed whether the PIF had committed to honoring contracts past 2026.
“I mean, they own the majority of the business now, and they’ve agreed to fund through the season, as they said. Nothing there has changed,” he said.
O’Neil said later in his press conference that he has “confidence that this is a place players want to be.” That said, he also was asked about golfers pursuing other options.
“I have so much to say on this topic, and I’m going to keep this short because I’m under direction to,” he said. “I will tell you this, one of the beauties of LIV Golf, the beauties, the thing I enjoy most about it, is that we are for golf. We always have been and we always will be. Our players, we commit them to 14 weeks. They come and play. They know exactly the weeks they’re expected to play, they show up, and they play.
“If another Tour is open for them to play, that’s 14 weeks out of 52. That’s 38 weeks. So if you want to see the best players in the world playing together more often, no problem, let’s do it on the other 38 weeks. Like it’s such a special opportunity.
“I feel like the opportunity, the chance, the gift we’ve been given here at LIV Golf is that we have players who will travel the world, and that is a gift to the game.”
Founded in 2021, LIV Golf made its debut in June 2022 and used lavish, guaranteed contracts to lure dozens of stars like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau away from the PGA. Former LIV participant Brooks Koepka already has returned to the PGA Tour while Patrick Reed will return later this season.
PIF has provided LIV with more than $5 billion, but the league reportedly has lost millions of dollars per year. Earlier this month, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF’s governor and LIV’s main financial backer, shared a plan for the kingdom to cut back on international investments and focus on more domestic projects.
O’Neil replaced former league leader Greg Norman as CEO in January 2025.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brewers LHP Angel Zerpa to have Tommy John surgery
Apr 17, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Angel Zerpa (61) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the eighth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Angel Zerpa will have season-ending Tommy John surgery next Monday, the team confirmed Tuesday.
The 26-year-old reliever was placed on the 15-day injured list last week after experiencing tightness in his left forearm. The general recovery timeline for elbow surgery and UCL reconstruction is between 12 and 18 months.
Zerpa, acquired in an offseason trade with Kansas City, was 0-2 with two saves, a 6.39 ERA, six walks and eight strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings over 12 appearances with Milwaukee.
He last pitched on April 25, giving up three runs, one hit and one walk with one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning in taking a 6-3 loss in 10 innings to the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.
The native of Venezuela is 12-9 in his career with two saves, a 4.13 ERA, 59 walks and 158 strikeouts in 189 2/3 innings over 160 regular-season games (eight starts) with Kansas City (2021-25) and Milwaukee. He also was 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in five playoff appearances with the Royals in 2024.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Chiefs GM: Patrick Mahomes 'way ahead of schedule'
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid pre game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium. Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach concurred with team owner Clark Hunt, saying that quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ recovery from knee surgery is “ahead of schedule.”
In a Monday interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Veach said, “”I think it wouldn’t surprise you guys, the way it’s been really inspiring just to see — my mind, I’ve been there before with Pat, he had that dislocated knee (in 2019) and worked his tail off and came back in three weeks. I knew that this bump on the road wouldn’t slow him down at all.
“But I mean, this guy has been in the building — especially like a player that has accomplished everything and can do anything he wants. He can hire his own trainers and be wherever he wants; he’s in our building every single day. Even when he goes away for a few days, say, to Dallas for a weekend with his family, he takes one of our trainers with him.
“So, needless to say, he’s way ahead of schedule. I think the biggest challenge that we’re going to have is protecting him from himself. I’m sure when we get to St. Joseph, Missouri, for training camp, he’s gonna want to be full-go, but we are going to have to hold him back a little. And again, I don’t want to put a timetable on it, but I think you guys know the type of person and competitor that Pat is. I would just say, we are in a really good place right now.”
Mahomes, 30, tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee in a Dec. 14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The two-time NFL MVP sat out the rest of the season and the Chiefs (6-11) missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
Mahomes has guided the club to five Super Bowl appearances and three championships since being drafted 10th overall out of Texas Tech in 2017. He is 95-31 as a starter in the regular season and 17-4 in the postseason.
Veach expanded upon what Hunt had said at the NFL annual meetings in Phoenix in late March.
“By every indication, Patrick is ahead of schedule, and he’s worked really hard to be ahead of schedule,” Hunt said. “Knowing how that plays out in terms of being ready for contact, I don’t think any of us can speculate. But he’s doing fantastic, and we certainly hope we’re going to bounce back this year. We absolutely think we’re a playoff team again, for sure.”
The Chiefs traded for Justin Fields in March and drafted former LSU signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier in April’s NFL draft. Fields has started 53 games while playing for the Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets, while Nussmeier was a seventh round selection after making 23 starts in five seasons in Baton Rouge.
–Field Level Media
LIV CEO: League's value rests in teams, optimistic on funding
Brewers LHP Angel Zerpa to have Tommy John surgery
