Sports
Golf Glance: Jake Knapp defends maiden PGA Tour title in Mexico
February 2, 2025; Pebble Beach, California, USA; Jake Knapp hits his bunker shot on the second hole during the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Field Level Media’s Golf Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.
PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: The Genesis Invitational (Ludvig Aberg)
THIS WEEK: Mexico Open at VidantaWorld, Vallarta, Mexico
Course: Vidanta Vallarta Golf Course (Par 71, 7,436 Yards)
Purse: $7M (Winner: $1.26M)
Defending Champion: Jake Knapp
FedEx Cup leader: Ludvig Aberg
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (NBC); Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (NBC)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @MexicoOpenGolf
NOTES: The first seven weeks of the 2025 PGA Tour season have produced winners from seven different countries. … This is the first event in which players can earn FedEx Cup points toward the Aon Swing 5 for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The top five players following this week and the Cognizant Classic who are not otherwise exempt will earn spots into the fourth signature event of the year. This week’s winner will also earn spots in the five remaining signature events of 2025. … Vidanta Vallarta was designed by former LIV Golf CEO and current board member Greg Norman. Tony Finau holds the tournament scoring record of 260 set in 2023, while Jon Rahm set the 18-hole record of 61 in the third round the same year. … Blades Brown, 17, will make his second start of the season. … Knapp beat Sami Valimaki by two strokes first his first PGA Tour victory last year. No one has successfully defended a title at the event. … San Diego State senior Justin Hastings, a native of the Cayman Islands, will make his second career PGA Tour start. He previously missed the cut at the 2024 Puerto Rico Open. … There are five players from Mexico in the field: Alvaro Ortiz, Santiago de la Fuente, Jose Cristobal Islas, Gerardo Gomez, Jose Antonio Safa.
BEST BETS: Akshay Bhatia (+1400 at DraftKings) is coming off a T9 at the Genesis and has not missed a cut in four events this year. … Rasmus Hojgaard (+1800) is coming off his first missed cut since October following four consecutive finishes of T22 or better worldwide. … Kurt Kitayama (+2000) is a four-time winner who has fared well recently against softer fields, including a fifth at the Zozo and a T9 at the Shriners over the fall. … Patrick Rodgers (+2200), who held the 54-hole lead at the Genesis, is the only player to finish in the top 10 in each of the first three editions of the Mexico Open. … Knapp (+4000) is already making his seventh start of the season and is playing for the sixth consecutive week. He finished T17 at the Genesis. … Patrick Fishburn (+5500) appeared primed for a breakthrough PGA Tour win but enters this week having missed three consecutive cuts. Still, he has shown the talent over the past six months that could make him a dark horse threat in this field.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Cognizant Classic, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Feb. 27-March 2
LPGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: Founders Cup (Yealimi Noh)
THIS WEEK: Honda LPGA Thailand, Pattaya, Chonburi, Feb. 20-23
Course: Siam Country Club, Old Course (Par 72, 6,632 Yards)
Purse: $1.7M (Winner: $225,000)
Defending Champion: Patty Tavatanakit
Race to the CME Globe leaders: Noh, A Lim Kim
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV/Streaming: Wednesday-Thursday: 10 p.m.-3 a.m. ET; Friday: 10:30 p.m.-3:30 a.m.; Saturday: 10 p.m.-3 a.m. (Golf Channel, NBCSports.com)
X: @HondaLPGAThailand
NOTES: This is the 18th playing of the tournament, which features no cut for the 72-player field. … Tavatanakit, who is one of 12 players from Thailand in the field, won last year following a victory the week before at the LET’s PIF Saudi Ladies International. World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul won in Saudi Arabia last week. … Brittany Altomare returns from maternity leave to make her first start since the 2023 Ascendant LPGA.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: HSBC Women’s World Championship, Singapore, Feb. 27-March 2
LIV GOLF LEAGUE
LAST TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf Adelaide (Individual: Joaquin Niemann; Team: Fireballs GC)
THIS WEEK: OFF
Leaders: Individual: Adrian Meronk; Team: Legion XIII
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Hong Kong, March 7-9
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
LAST TOURNAMENT: Chubb Classic (Justin Leonard)
THIS WEEK: OFF.
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Ernie Els
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Cologuard Classic, Tucson, Ariz., March 7-9
–Field Level Media
Sports
With 318th homer, Royals' Salvador Perez sets club mark
Jul 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) receives receives congratulations from teammates after he hits a home run in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Salvador Perez, who hit the first home run of his career at Comerica Park in Detroit in 2011, set the Kansas City Royals’ all-time record with No. 318 on Saturday at the same venue.
In the Royals’ 3-2 win over the Tigers, Perez tied the game at 2 in the seventh inning with a 401-foot solo shot to left off right-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan.
Perez’s blast broke a tie with Hall of Famer George Brett, who hit 317 homers for Kansas City from 1973-93. Like Brett, Perez has played his entire career with the Royals since debuting in 2011.
The 36-year-old is batting .210 with 15 homers and 44 RBIs in 98 games this season. He is a nine-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glove catcher.
In 1,805 games with Kansas City, Perez has hit .261 with 748 runs and 1,060 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers place 3B Josh Jung (calf) on 10-day IL
Jul 21, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) follows through on his single against the Chicago White Sox during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images The American League West-leading Texas Rangers placed starting third baseman Josh Jung on the 10-day injured list on Saturday — retroactive to Wednesday — with a left calf strain.
In a corresponding move, the Rangers recalled infielder Josh Smith from Triple-A Round Rock before Saturday’s home game against the second-place Seattle Mariners.
Jung, 28, exited Tuesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox after three innings with a left calf issue and has not played since. In 92 games this season, the 2023 All-Star is hitting .294 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs. He is eligible to return to the active roster on Aug. 1.
Texas’ first-round pick (No. 8 overall) in the 2019 MLB Draft, Jung has hit .264 with 58 home runs and 196 RBIs in 417 games with the Rangers.
Smith, 28, is in his third stint with the Rangers this season, batting .230 with one run and eight RBIs in 40 games. The versatile five-year veteran has played five positions in 2026, mainly seeing time at second base (34 games/30 starts).
In 496 games with Texas since being acquired from the New York Yankees in 2021, Smith has hit .236 with 32 homers and 136 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros put RHP Spencer Arrighetti (foot) on 15-day IL
Jul 8, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Spencer Arrighetti (41) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images In the thick of the American League West and AL wild-card races, the Houston Astros placed right-handed starter Spencer Arrighetti on the 15-day injured list Saturday with nerve irritation in his foot.
Arrighetti, 26, left Friday’s start against the Chicago White Sox after one inning and 33 pitches due to the foot issue.
In a corresponding move, Houston recalled left-handed reliever Bryan King from Triple-A Sugar Land.
In 17 starts this season, Arrighetti is 7-5 with a 4.60 ERA, allowing six or more earned runs in three of his final four starts before the All-Star break. The 2021 sixth-round pick, who debuted with Houston in 2024, is 15-23 with a 4.66 ERA in 53 games (52 starts).
The 29-year-old King has made 42 relief appearances with the Astros in 2026, posting a 2-3 record with a 3.40 ERA. Across his three MLB seasons, all with Houston, he is 8-7 with a 2.91 ERA in 138 relief outings.
–Field Level Media
With 318th homer, Royals' Salvador Perez sets club mark
Rangers place 3B Josh Jung (calf) on 10-day IL
