Sports
Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy lament missed chances at PGA
May 17, 2026; Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA; Jon Rahm plays on the first hole during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — While Aaron Rai was pulling away from the pack Sunday at the PGA Championship, two of the biggest names in golf were unable to keep pace on the back nine and make the first-time major winner from England sweat it out.
Spanish star Jon Rahm tied for second three shots behind Rai by going 67-68 on the weekend, while Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy landed five behind Rai and tied for seventh after a Sunday 69.
Rai played his final 10 holes in 6 under par to emerge from an ever-changing leaderboard, and Rahm, McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and others with major-championship experience could not solve the more challenging back nine at Aronimink Golf Club.
Five of the course’s six toughest holes this week were on the back nine, and only two on the back played under par — the short par-4 No. 13 and No. 16, the only par-5.
Rahm only birdied No. 16 amid a sea of eight pars; he narrowly missed a birdie putt at No. 13, as well as 17 and 18.
“What Aaron did today, catching him could have been very difficult,” Rahm said. “I don’t know if it could happen, but I would have liked a better chance playing the last two holes.”
Rahm’s T2 was nonetheless his best finish at a major in three years, which coincides with his three seasons as a member of LIV Golf. Asked Sunday what he feels he needs to tidy up to “get across the line” this season, Rahm responded, “I’m assuming you mean in majors?” That’s because he’s had a successful LIV season, with two victories and three runners-up to date in seven events.
“The margin, even though it’s three shots, it can be so small honestly,” Rahm said. “I feel like I’m playing really good golf and definitely played good enough this week to give myself a chance to win. So keep doing what I’ve been doing well.
“I still need to give myself some time to think about what I could have done better this week. Right now I’m really still fresh on just today, but I did miss two putts from about four feet yesterday. So that’s two shots right there.”
Rahm has previously said he needed to change some things about his preparation for major championships. He told reporters Sunday that he did in fact make some tweaks; asked if he’d elaborate, Rahm grinned and said, “No.”
“I think you guys always think it’s going to be something life-changing,” he said. “It’s just small, little details that, unless you’re within (the game), you’re not really going to understand. It’s hard to explain.”
Masters champion McIlroy was very much in contention to win his second leg of the calendar Grand Slam after rebounding from an opening 74 with rounds of 67 and 66. Far and away the fan favorite on the property Sunday, he thrilled the crowd by sticking his approach at No. 2 to 5 feet and converting the birdie.
But that was the only birdie he’d see until the par-3 14th, one hole after a disastrous bogey at the gettable 13th, where he shoved his drive to the right and hit from back-to-back thick lies in the rough.
McIlroy also failed to capitalize at No. 16, making par and resigning himself to a top-10 finish rather than a victory.
He did not sit for a full press conference but gave brief comments in a TV interview.
“I think not birdieing the two par-5s and making the bogey at the drivable par-4 13th” did him in, he said. “To me I felt like I played the golf I needed to play the rest of the way. If I birdied the two par-5s and turned that 5 into a 3 on 13, the day looks very different.”
But both Rahm and McIlroy joined the chorus of praise for Rai, who shook off three early bogeys and sank a 40-foot eagle putt at No. 9 before a series of terrific shots led to four birdies on the back nine, including a 68 1/2-footer at No. 17.
“You won’t find one person on property who’s not happy for him,” McIlroy said.
In the long term, the intriguing piece is that Rahm and McIlroy may have been watching a future Ryder Cup teammate. Rai, 31, has yet to be selected for a Ryder Cup team but has put his name in the mix for 2027 at Adare Manor.
Rahm said he has not spent much time with Rai, but the reviews are overwhelmingly positive.
“I have heard consistently there’s very few people that are nicer and kinder human beings than Aaron Rai,” Rahm said, noting his respect for the game. “… I have heard absolutely nothing but good or great things about Aaron Rai. He’s been playing great golf. He’s a fantastic golfer. He’s been able to perform really well. What he did today is nothing short of special.”
–Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media
Sports
Denny Hamlin rallies to win All-Star Race
May 17, 2026; Dover, Delaware, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) races to the inside of driver Brad Keselowski (6) during the NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images Denny Hamlin tracked down Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe, got by with 29 laps remaining and held on to claim the $1 million payday for Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Del.
Briscoe’s No. 19 Toyota took the point from Hamlin’s No. 11 with 52 laps left after the final restart, but Hamlin patiently hunted down his teammate’s Camry, moved by on the frontstretch and won the exhibition race by 0.887 seconds.
The 45-year-old Hamlin won the All-Star Race for the second time (Charlotte, 2015) in his 20th start. It was also his third straight victory at Dover.
Erik Jones finished third followed by Austin Dillon and rookie Connor Zilisch.
The high-banked, one-mile speedway reached out on Lap 2 as the first incident happened. Ryan Preece’s Ford was moved up on the straightaway and got into the No. 5 Chevrolet of reigning title winner Kyle Larson, creating a mess in Turn 1 in a nine-car melee.
The wreck involved Cup champions Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott, whose crews scrambled to repair their cars since the drivers were locked in to the final 200-lap segment.
After a lengthy cleanup, Brad Keselowski continued to pace the field but relinquished the point to polesitter Hamlin after leading the first 16 laps. Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota quickly built a 3½-second lead in 13 circuits.
Bubba Wallace passed Hamlin on the segment’s final restart, and his No. 23 Toyota won it after Riley Herbst spun in a wreck that involved Elliott for a second time, ending the day for the sport’s most popular driver.
AJ Allmendinger gathered the lead from Shane van Gisbergen in the second segment, but the road course specialist later spun. A wreck involving Keselowski, Ross Chastain and Wallace resulted in Chastain’s No. 1 being retired.
Tyler Reddick worked his way back to the front to earn the checkers in the 75-lapper over Briscoe and Hamlin, but JGR’s Ty Gibbs had a tire go down and wrecked while running sixth on Lap 126.
Briscoe passed Hamlin to lead early in the final segment, but Reddick showed strength as did a hard-charging Zilisch as the competition caution neared. Hamlin moved by Reddick to the point as the yellow waved with 125 to go.
Just after Hocevar and William Byron pitted, Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford crashed in Turn 1 after his left-rear tire came apart.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kody Clemens helps Twins avoid sweep at hands of Brewers
May 17, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Kody Clemens (2) celebrates after hitting an RBI double against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Kody Clemens went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs as the Minnesota Twins escaped with a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Ryan Jeffers hit a solo homer for Minnesota, which salvaged a win in the three-game series. Victor Caratini added an RBI.
Garrett Mitchell and Christian Yelich each hit a solo home run for Milwaukee, which lost for only the second time in its past 10 games. Sal Frelick and Jake Bauers drove in one run apiece for the Brewers
Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (5-2) allowed three runs on six hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out one.
Brewers right-hander Grant Anderson (1-2) allowed one run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief. He followed starter Robert Gasser, who allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits in four innings of his season debut.
Twins reliever Luis Garcia allowed a run in the ninth but notched his second save.
The Twins opened the scoring during the bottom of the first. Austin Martin drew a leadoff walk and scored from first on Clemens’ two-out double to right.
Milwaukee evened the score 1-1 during the top of the second. Frelick doubled to right to drive in Bauers from first base.
Minnesota grabbed a 3-1 lead in the third when Jeffers led off with a single to center, and Clemens followed with a double off the wall in left.
Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio tried to make the catch against the wall, but he could not get there in time. The ball bounced off the wall, ricocheted off his leg and rolled toward the corner.
Chourio chased down the ball and threw toward the infield, but cutoff man Joey Ortiz fired a wild throw past the plate as Jeffers came home. The ball skipped out of play, and umpires awarded Clemens home plate for the equivalent of a little league home run.
The Brewers pulled within 3-2 in the fourth on Mitchell’s solo homer.
Yelich tied the score 3-3 with a solo homer in the fifth.
The power surge continued as Jeffers led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot to put the Twins on top 4-3. Caratini added a sacrifice fly in the left to make it 5-3 in the eighth.
The Brewers tried to rally in the ninth but fell short. Bauers hit an RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-4, but Frelick popped up to end the game.
-Field Level Media
Sports
Edgar Quero's game-winning homer lifts White Sox over Cubs
May 17, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox catcher Edgar Quero (26) hits a one run single against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Edgar Quero smacked a game-ending two-run home run in the 10th inning and joined Andrew Benintendi with a three-hit game to lift the host Chicago White Sox to a 9-8 victory against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
The White Sox finished 7-2 on a nine-game homestand while earning their fifth series victory in the past six. They prevailed after a wild finish in which they outscored the Cubs 5-4 from the eighth inning onward.
Quero and Tristan Peters, who delivered a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth, both went deep for the first time this season. Quero connected against Cubs reliever Ryan Rolison (3-1).
Closer Seranthony Dominguez couldn’t hold the lead for the South Siders after the Peters homer, yielding a tying three-run blast to Michael Conforto after a walk and third baseman Miguel Vargas’ one-out error.
Alex Bregman had two hits and two RBIs for the Cubs. He drove in a run on a groundout in the top of the 10th. Conforto also had two hits.
The Cubs took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Michael Busch opened the scoring two batters into the game, reaching White Sox starter Erick Fedde for a two-run home run to right field on a full count.
Fedde has yielded a home run in four consecutive starts and seven of nine appearances overall. He later uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Bregman to score.
Quero delivered an RBI single in the second to put the White Sox on the board. After Bregman’s run-scoring single in the fourth restored a three-run advantage for the Cubs, the White Sox responded with Benintendi’s RBI double in the bottom half.
Vargas tied the game with a two-run double with two out in the fifth, sending a ball the opposite way to the gap in right center.
Both starters took no-decisions. Fedde, who pitched with a blister issue on his right throwing hand for much of the afternoon, spaced four runs and six hits with four walks and two strikeouts over three innings.
Rea scattered four runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.
Tyler Davis (2-1) was the winner, allowing an unearned run in the 10th while working around three walks.
A crowd of 38,608 attended the game, the third sellout in as many contests in the crosstown series.
–Field Level Media
Denny Hamlin rallies to win All-Star Race
Kody Clemens helps Twins avoid sweep at hands of Brewers
