Sports
Nick Faldo criticizes Bryson DeChambeau's links game
Sir Nick Faldo talks about the first time he played golf with Jack Nicklaus during his Memorial Honoree Ceremony at the driving range at Muirfield Village Golf Club before the 2015 Memorial Tournament on June 3, 2015. (Dispatch photo by Kyle Robertson) World Golf Hall of Fame member Nick Faldo teed off on Bryson DeChambeau, accusing the two-time major winner of having “zero clue of strategy” for links golf ahead of this week’s The Open Championship.
Faldo, 68, who counts three Claret Jugs among his six major titles, said DeChambeau’s power-hitting, attack-oriented approach won’t work at links courses like Royal Birkdale Golf Club.
“I’d say it to his face — DeChambeau has zero clue of strategy,” Faldo told Sky Sports.
“He said last year: ‘I’m going to go out and attack the links.’ Well, I’ve never attacked a links. You thread it, don’t you? You feed it down the fairway.
“You look at humps and bumps. If I send it over and feed it, it nudges back into play. You don’t think: ‘Oh, I’ll just blast it down there. Can’t see where I’m going.’ The fairway is 20 yards wide.
“You’ve got to think: ‘How do I get it on the short grass?’ It is so important.”
DeChambeau, 32, brings a dubious streak into the 154th Open in Southport, England. The LIV Golf member missed the cut at each of this season’s first three Grand Slam events.
Both of DeChambeau’s major wins came at the U.S. Open, in 2020 and 2024. His best finish at The Open is a tie for eighth in 2022 at St Andrews in Scotland, and he tied for 10th last year at Royal Portrush in Ireland.
DeChambeau does have two LIV Golf wins this season and sounded confident upon his arrival at Royal Birkdale.
“This is a tough golf course; I like it,” DeChambeau said. “It really tests every facet of your game.
“I’ve got new irons in the bag. They were 3D-printed. They take about an hour to print. From machining and printing and all the different processes we make.
“If I feel good, I know I can give myself a chance. I know I haven’t had the best results this year, but I’ve won twice, and top-three’d three times. Just a couple of weird things happening at the majors.”
DeChambeau is playing the first two rounds Thursday and Friday in a threesome with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and England’s Tyrrell Hatton, also from LIV Golf.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Conor McGregor Should Never Fight in the UFC Again After Latest Injury
LAS VEGAS – If you haven’t seen it by now, Conor McGregor’s attempt at a comeback after a five-year layoff ended in nightmarish fashion on Saturday. The once Notorious Irishman went out in humiliation, suffering a knee injury on his very first action of the fight.
Afterwards, a distraught McGregor took to social media to convey his heartbreak and deny rumblings that he was entering with a pre-existing injury. On Monday, McGregor posted on Instagram that he plans to get surgery and that he’ll fight out the last remaining fight on his contract.
Let me just say it in no uncertain terms: McGregor absolutely, positively should never step foot in the Octagon again. His last two attempts have ended in catastrophic injury, and he has just one win that occurred after the end of the Barack Obama administration. McGregor was never the insurmountable foe he was often made out to be in his prime, and he hasn’t even been close to that level as a fighter on this side of the 2020s.
How Dana White could save McGregor’s future
Fortunately for McGregor, Dana White’s new Zuffa Boxing project could potentially present some intriguing options for his final contracted fight with UFC and the TKO organization. Perhaps it’s a boxing match against an enigma like Jake Paul, which would almost certainly find itself in Mayweather-McGregor territory in terms of hype and handle. And on the topic of Mayweather-McGregor, could you even rule out the possibility of running that back a second time.
The reality of McGregor’s situation is that he simply can’t be trusted to sell a high-level MMA fight again. Fans were already reluctant to buy into any pre-fight hype this time around, and it feels like a near impossible task to once again try and sell the fact that a man who’s spent the better part of the last decade destroying his own body and mind can fight at a high level.
If McGregor attempts to box once again, it almost certainly removes another catastrophic leg injury from the equation. Despite the fact that he lost to Mayweather in 2017, his performance in that bout showed that has the hands to seriously contend with the best boxers on the planet. I’d expect him to have an even better performance against Mayweather if he did go down the path of that second fight.
If McGregor and TKO/Zuffa attempt to pivot to a Jake Paul fight, the fireworks that will come from those promotional press conferences and face-offs would likely make the bout the most viral fight in history. McGregor would certainly have to find an answer for Paul’s size and power, but the fact that Paul’s jaw is so severely compromised from the Anthony Joshua fight gives McGregor a window for an early stoppage.
In reality, the idea that either Mayweather or Paul are next for McGregor seems far-fetched. Admittedly, I don’t know the legal logistics that would be required to move his contract from UFC to Zuffa boxing either, though I imagine it’s something that can be done. As it stands, I would expect to see McGregor finish out his contract in the Octagon against either Michael Chandler or Max Holloway once again.
Sports
Jon Rahm: 'Confidence is always high' ahead of The Open
Jul 17, 2025; Portrush, IRL; Jon Rahm tees off on the first hole during the first round of The 153rd Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Portrush. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images Three years have passed since Jon Rahm won a major, the most recent celebration coming at the 2023 Masters when Scottie Scheffler put the green jacket on the Spaniard at Augusta National.
Rahm won the U.S. Open in 2021, and has ties for second at the PGA Championship (2026) and The Open Championship (2023) also high on his resume. While he said he enters The Open on Thursday at Royal Birkdale with plenty of confidence, he knows just how difficult it will be to hoist the Claret Jug on Sunday.
“God, it’s hard. It’s very hard,” Rahm said of winning a major in his pre-tournament news conference on Tuesday in Southport, England.
His attitude is far from defeated, however.
“Confidence is always high,” said Rahm, 31. “I think as a player you have to have that belief in yourself, that things are always going to be good, so feeling good. Very excited to be here.”
Royal Birkdale last hosted The Open in 2017, when Jordan Spieth (12-under) finished three strokes ahead of Matt Kuchar.
The next champion will have different challenges than those Spieth faced. Since then, the course has been re-imagined.
But one challenge remains constant: the wind, which is going to impact club selection.
“It’s one of the venues that I remember as being a fantastic championship venue, historically very difficult one,” Rahm said. “Weather-wise, very unusual week. Looking forward to see what the challenge presents because I think we’re going to see a bit of everything, see 6-irons off tees, drivers and long irons into par-4s. It should be a really fun one.”
Rahm has just one more day to review the course before teeing off Thursday at 5:09 a.m., paired with Spieth and Tommy Fleetwood of England. They follow the star-studded group of Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Englishman Tyrrell Hatton.
There will be a lot of eyes on those two groups. Rahm’s eyes will be on factors such as pin placement, the speed of the greens and how the flag whips in the wind.
Rahm, a former World No. 1, now competes in the LIV Golf League and on the DP World Tour. Given those experiences of worldwide travel, he was asked if he’d like to see the PGA Tour add another major abroad.
“I wouldn’t know the logistics of that. I don’t know who can decide what a new major becomes or is now a major, he said. “That would be interesting to see a major happen in other parts of the world, in other continents, I mean. Golf being a global game and as big as it is, it’s something that could be explored for sure.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Folarin Balogun joins Klutch Sports
July 6, 2026; Seattle, Washington, U.S.; Folarin Balogun of the U.S. looks dejected as he applauds fans after the match following their elimination from the World Cup. Mandatory Credit: Blake Dahlin-Imagn Images Klutch Sports signed United States men’s national team breakout star Folarin Balogun, the midfielder who scored three goals and added a controversial red card during the World Cup.
Balogun, who formerly played with Arsenal, has been rumored to be considering a move back to the Premier League following his headliner showing in the World Cup.
“Folarin Balogun is one of the most talented and influential players in global football today,” agency founder Rich Paul posted via social media. “His relentless ambition and cultural impact represent the standard of excellence we hope to continue to bring to the sport. We are incredibly proud to welcome him to KLUTCH and excited about everything we can build together.”
The 25-year-old’s brace against Paraguay and another goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina came before the red card violation that became a political flashpoint. FIFA eventually overturned the one-game suspension that comes with receiving a red card after intervention by President Donald Trump and some members of his cabinet.
Balogun ultimately was cleared to start in the round of 16 loss to Belgium in Seattle on July 6. The final score was 4-1.
Klutch was founded by LeBron James’ business partner, Paul, in 2012 and represents a host of professional athletes, including Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and James.
–Field Level Media
Conor McGregor Should Never Fight in the UFC Again After Latest Injury
Jon Rahm: 'Confidence is always high' ahead of The Open
