Sports
Ludvig Aberg's star set to explode with iconic venues ahead
Feb 15, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Ludvig Aberg holds up the ball after hitting a birdie putt on the 17th hole during the third round of The Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Torrey Pines. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images When the established guard of the PGA Tour talk about the rising stars who are ushering in a new era of interest, all conversations begin with Ludvig Aberg.
The 25-year-old stands tall literally and figuratively, as the 6-foot-2 Swede already has a pair of PGA Tour victories on his resume, leads the early 2025 FedExCup standings and has been a standout during the first season of the TGL.
Ranked fourth in the world, Aberg is coming off a win at The Genesis Invitational. But his star could reach new heights in the coming months.
He tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando on Thursday ahead The Players Championship up the Florida coast next week, and with the Masters only a month away.
Aberg tied for 25th last year at Bay Hill, a course that he said requires a lot of patience. That in itself can be the biggest challenge for a young golfer who admits he likes to play quickly.
“Bay Hill is definitely one of the most iconic ones,” Aberg said Wednesday. “It’s a cool golf course because you sort of have to take a lot of shots on, you can’t really bail out. You’re going to get a lot of tee shots over water, a lot of cool second shots over water.
“It will be important to stay patient, but also being very aggressive to our targets.”
While Bay Hill is iconic, it doesn’t rank as high on Aberg’s list as TPC Sawgrass. And he would know, having played it numerous times since moving to Ponte Vedra Beach last month.
“For me, it’s a top-five golf course in the world,” he said. “Tee to green, I think it’s amazing. It’s right in front of you. You have to hit the shots, but if you don’t, you’re going to get punished, which is the type of golf that I really like. So I can’t help myself but play it a lot when I’m home.
“If there’s an advantage, I’m not sure. A lot of guys in the field have played it plenty of times, but it’s a really cool place.”
Aberg sits behind only multiple major champions Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele in the Official World Golf Ranking. He could have closed the gap on that trio even further after a T5 at the season-opening The Sentry, but he fell ill while leading the Farmers Insurance Open, was forced to withdraw from Pebble Beach the following week and then returned to win the Genesis.
Aberg called it “a little bit of a roller coaster,” but he’s excited for the upcoming stretch of “cool” tournaments at some of the tour’s most iconic venues. After The Players, he’ll take a trip to see Augusta for the first time since last April, when he finished runner-up to Scheffler.
But first is Bay Hill. And for a young player with a deep appreciation for the history of the game, Aberg would love to add his name to Palmer’s trophy.
“You can’t speak enough of what Arnold Palmer and his legacy means to our game,” he said. “I sort of try to do it the way that he does it, or the way he did it, which was amazing.
“If you can slightly do it the way that he did it, I think you’re going to be pretty good.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Angels reinstate RHP Alek Manoah from injured list
Mar 17, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Alek Manoah against the Chicago Cubs during a spring training game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Angels reinstated right-hander Alek Manoah from the 15-day injured list on Wednesday.
The former All-Star has not pitched in the major leagues since the 2024 season with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Angels signed Manoah to a one-year, $1.95 million deal in December. He began the season on the IL with a finger contusion.
Manoah, 28, was 29-20 with a 3.34 ERA in 75 starts with the Blue Jays from 2021-24. He was an All-Star and a 16-game winner in 2022 before having Tommy John surgery in June 2024.
The Angels optioned left-hander Sam Aldegheri (1-0, 4.76 ERA) to Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding transaction.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lexi Thompson's U.S. Women's Open streak in jeopardy
Jun 21, 2025; Frisco, Texas, USA; Lexi Thompson plays her shot from the sixth tee during the third round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Lexi Thompson’s streak of 19 consecutive U.S. Women’s Open appearances is in jeopardy after she withdrew from a qualifier on Wednesday in Florida.
The streak started in 2007 when a 12-year-old Thompson set a then-record as the tournament’s youngest qualifier.
Thompson, 31, stepped away from full-time golf after the 2024 LPGA Tour season.
The 11-time LPGA Tour winner has missed the cut at the past three U.S. Women’s Opens, where her best finish was a tie for second in 2019 at the Country Club of Charleston (S.C.). Her only major win came at the 2014 Chevron Championship.
Thompson had been scheduled to play a 36-hole qualifier at the Wilderness Country Club in Naples, Fla.
She can still play her way into the field for the June 4-7 tournament at Riviera by winning an LPGA Tour event or climbing into the Rolex Rankings’ Top 75 by May 25. Thompson currently ranks 94th.
Her streak of U.S. Women’s appearances is tied for the longest among active players with South Korea’s Amy Yang.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mexico threatens Liga MX players' World Cup spots over camp dispute
Nov 17, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Mexico Coach Javier Aguirre Onaindia speaks to the media ahead of his Mexican National Team match against Paraguay at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Jefferson-Imagn Images Liga MX players were given an ultimatum by the Mexico Football Federation (FMF): Report to a pre-planned World Cup camp on Wednesday and miss their league playoffs and CONCACAF Champions Cup matches or lose their spots on Mexico’s World Cup roster.
The FMF stated in a Wednesday morning press release that “any player who does not turn up at the (national team’s) training center will miss the World Cup.”
On April 28, FMF announced that 20 players from Liga MX would participate in a pre-World Cup minicamp in Mexico City beginning Wednesday, with 12 of those players guaranteed a spot on the World Cup roster.
As a result, players from Toluca and Chivas de Guadalajara called in by Mexico manager Javier Aguirre would not be able to participate in the Liga MX quarterfinals and any subsequent matches, along with the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal second leg and final.
Toluca requested on Tuesday that FMF release players Jesus Gallardo and Alexis Vega for the club’s Champions Cup semifinal decider Wednesday against LAFC. Toluca trails 2-1 on aggregate after losing the first leg. FMF had an agreement with Liga MX clubs, and Toluca’s request was seen as a breach of that agreement.
As for Chivas, it will play Tigres in the Liga MX playoffs on Saturday, and trails 3-1 on aggregate ahead of the second leg of a quarterfinal.
Chivas club president Amaury Vergara wrote on social media platform X on Tuesday, “The agreement is valid only when all parties respect it. I have instructed the club’s sporting leadership that our players are to report to the club’s facilities tomorrow.”
Five Chivas players — former U.S. international midfielder Brian Gutierrez, veteran Luis Romo, winger Roberto Alvarado, forward Armando Gonzalez and Raul Rangel, who is expected to be the starting World Cup goalkeeper — are affected by this conflict.
Mexico’s World Cup roster announcement is expected to come June 1, following friendlies against Ghana and Australia. Mexico faces Serbia on June 4 in a final World Cup tune-up.
Co-hosting the World Cup along with the United States and Canada, Mexico opens the tournament June 11 against South Africa in Mexico City. The tournament runs through July 19.
–Field Level Media
Angels reinstate RHP Alek Manoah from injured list
Lexi Thompson's U.S. Women's Open streak in jeopardy
