The Travelers Championship, the PGA Tour’s annual stop outside Hartford, Conn., is the first tournament to be formally named to the tour’s upcoming Championship Series.

In 2028 the tour is introducing a two-tiered schedule, with paths called the Championship Series and the Challenger Series. The Championship Series will be reserved for the sport’s top players and feature up to 24 events.

Those 24 include The Players Championship and the four majors, though those aren’t operated by the PGA Tour and have their own criteria for qualifying.

As the series is an evolution of the current set of “signature events,” it was expected that the most prestigious events on the calendar would be selected for the Championship Series.

The Travelers has been a signature event every year since the format was introduced in 2023. The PGA Tour has been coming to Hartford since 1952 and to TPC River Highlands since 1984.

“This partnership with Travelers and with the PGA Tour has taken the tournament to incredible new heights,” Travelers tournament director Nathan Grube said in a release. “We’re proud of the Travelers Championship, the economic impact it makes on our community and the state of Connecticut, and the hundreds of local charities that continue to benefit financially.”

–Field Level Media

Caitlin Clark had quite the weekend at the WNBA All-Star Game.

She met former President Barack Obama, unveiled her new line of basketballs and scored 17 points to help Team Spoon defeat Team Coop 129-122 Saturday in Chicago.

Clark and the Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Fever (17-10), who are riding a three-game winning streak, return from the All-Star break with a game Tuesday in Seattle (6-23), which has lost six in a row and is in last place.

“I’m excited this weekend is packed with a lot of stuff. I never want to take (All-Star weekend) for granted,” said Clark, who missed the All-Star Game as a rookie last season because of an injury.

“Any time you get to put on a uniform and play an All-Star Game is really special. It’s really a unique experience for myself as I never really got to play in a true All-Star Game (before).”

Clark was joined at the All-Star Game by teammates Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, the latter who scored a game-high 28 points for Team Coop.

The Storm were represented in Chicago by 20-year-old center Dominique Malonga, who threw down a dunk off a pass from Angel Reese. Malonga is averaging a team-high 16.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks.

“I wanted to have an All-Star season but not necessarily be an All-Star,” said Malonga, who missed eight games earlier this season with a concussion. “I don’t know if it makes sense. I knew we were rebuilding and I just wanted to step up for this team and just have the season of me being a starter and just bringing all the work that I put in the offseason.”

This will be the third and final meeting between the Fever and Storm in the regular season, the first in Seattle. Indiana prevailed 89-78 on May 17 and 110-107 on July 17, with Clark scoring a career-high 45 points and adding 10 assists in the latter.

–Field Level Media

Vita Vea has requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after negotiations over a new contract failed to produce an agreement.

The two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle’s agent, Collin Roberts, confirmed the request to multiple reporters Monday, one day before Tampa Bay’s veteran players were scheduled to report for training camp.

Vea is entering the final season of the four-year, $71 million extension he signed in 2022. The 31-year-old is due a $17 million base salary in 2026, but none of that money is guaranteed. He can also earn up to $1 million through per-game roster bonuses.

The contract dispute had already carried into the Buccaneers’ offseason program. Vea attended mandatory minicamp in June but did not participate in practices, allowing him to avoid fines while continuing to push for an extension.

Coach Todd Bowles said at the time that Vea was healthy and described the hold-in as “part of the business” side of the league.

It is unclear whether Vea will take part in training camp while Tampa Bay weighs its response to the request.

Vea remained one of the most important pieces of the Buccaneers’ defense last season, starting all 17 games and recording 34 tackles, 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and 13 quarterback hits. His presence in the middle has helped Tampa Bay consistently rank among the NFL’s stronger teams against the run.

The Buccaneers selected the 6-foot-4, 347-pound lineman with the 12th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He has totaled 256 tackles, 35 sacks and 79 QB hits in 112 games (107 starts) over eight seasons.

Vea also helped Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV and earned Pro Bowl selections following the 2021 and 2024 seasons.

His request creates another major contract issue for the Buccaneers as camp begins. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is also entering the final year of his deal and has been seeking an extension, though he participated fully during minicamp.

Tampa Bay can reject Vea’s request and require him to play out the season, continue trying to reach an extension or explore a trade for one of the league’s most established interior defenders.

–Field Level Media