Sports
Rory McIlroy encouraged by game heading into challenge at Riviera
February 15, 2026; Pebble Beach, California, USA; Rory McIlroy 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 As a student of the game from an historical standpoint, five-time major champion Rory McIlroy has an appreciation for playing in a tournament like this week’s Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.
The event returns to its home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., after a one-year hiatus because of the fires there and the Los Angeles area. McIlroy, ranked No. 2 in the world, was asked at a news conference why Riviera, established 100 years ago, has stood the test of time.
“I think the green complexes are a big part of it,” McIlroy said. “Yeah, we haven’t been here in a year, obviously, and I just, I don’t know why I was surprised but some of the movement and some of how much break you have to play on a lot of the putts out here, it just, I don’t know why I didn’t remember but it’s like wow, this is — so the greens provide a challenge in themselves.
“Then you get a little bit of wind and it starts to swirl in this valley a bit and it starts to play pretty tricky,” he continued.
The native of Northern Ireland knows something about playing in windy conditions. The course conditions could change, McIlroy asserted, if the tournament at the iconic golf club was moved to later in the year, possibly August, as part of widely discussed changes to the PGA Tour’s annual schedule.
“This week it doesn’t matter if you hit it in the fairway or not,” McIlroy said. “It’s actually a benefit sometimes if you do hit it in the rough because the ball’s not going to come spinning back on you.
“So if you do get it in August where the greens are firm, there’s more of a consideration of strategy off the tee especially, and it starts to make the guys think a little bit,” he continued. “It certainly becomes a much more strategic golf course in that way. … but even if you moved it a little bit later in the year there just to have the opportunity to have better weather and firmer conditions, that would be a good thing.”
McIlroy, 36, made his first start of the PGA Tour season last weekend at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He tied for 14th after rounds of 68-67-72-64 for 17-under par.
He felt like he shook off a little bit of rust.
“Felt like I learned quite a bit about my game last week, played well for a lot of it,” McIlroy said. “Obviously made some big numbers which kept me from being right in contention on Sunday, but I feel like there’s enough good in there to be encouraged going into this week.”
McIlroy has won 29 times on the PGA Tour, most recently the Masters Tournament last April to complete a career Grand Slam and end his 11-year major drought.
He returned to Augusta National Golf Club to do “some filming” for promotional purposes. He has plans next week to play a round with his father, Gerry, and Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley.
“It was cool to get up to the champions locker room and see my nameplate alongside the other two champions that I share a locker with,” McIlroy said of his first visit back to Augusta. “Yeah, it was somewhat nostalgic. I wouldn’t say it was emotional but definitely there was nice memories. Yeah, different feels the first time staying on site without having to need a member there. There’s a lot of perks you get with being a champion.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nuggets scratch Aaron Gordon (calf) for Game 5
Apr 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bones Hyland (8) shoots by the defense of Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) in the second quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images The Denver Nuggets will be looking to avoid elimination in Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves without key contributor Aaron Gordon due to his injured calf.
The team ruled Gordon out Monday evening ahead of the game in Denver. Minnesota leads the first-round NBA playoff series three games to one, following Saturday’s 112-96 win. In that game, Gordon played but was visibly limited in his movement. He finished 4-of-11 shooting from the field, including 1 of 5 from 3-point range in scoring 9 points.
The 12-year veteran sustained the injury in Game 2 of the series and did not play in Game 3.
Gordon had season averages of 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
Neither team will be at full strength Monday, as the Timberwolves will be without guard Donte DiVincenzo who suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in Game 4 as well as All-Star Anthony Edwards, who sustained a hyperextended knee and bone bruise in that same contest.
Edwards will be week-to-week should Minnesota advance.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Magic silence Pistons late to take 3-1 series edge
Apr 27, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) dunks in front of Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) during the first quarter during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images Desmond Bane scored 22 points and made one of his five 3-pointers with 1:16 left as the Orlando Magic beat the visiting Detroit Pistons 94-88 on Monday to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
Detroit tied the game at 85-all with 5:24 remaining on Ausar Thompson’s layup before Bane’s 3-pointer capped a 7-1 run and put the Magic ahead 92-86.
Thompson missed two free throws with 28 seconds left and Detroit’s Caris LeVert was off target on a 3-point attempt before Jalen Suggs sealed the victory with two foul shots.
The top-seeded Pistons were held without a field goal in the final five minutes before Isaiah Stewart scored at the buzzer.
Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is set for Wednesday in Detroit.
Orlando forward Franz Wagner had 19 points before exiting late in the third period due to right calf soreness. Paolo Banchero scored 18 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The eighth-seeded Magic forced 20 turnovers and improved to 6-1 in their past seven home playoff games.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 25 points, nine rebounds, six assists and eight turnovers. Tobias Harris scored 20 points, and Jalen Duren contributed 12 points and eight rebounds.
Orlando jumped to a 17-7 lead before Detroit closed the opening period on a 20-9 run to go up by one.
After Cunningham’s layup put the Pistons ahead 40-30 with 7:14 left in the second quarter, Orlando battled back to take a 54-52 lead into halftime.
Wagner had 17 points in the first half to lead all scorers. Cunningham put up 16 for Detroit before the break.
Bane closed the third quarter with a 3-pointer and two free throws to give Orlando a 75-69 lead.
Jamal Cain ignited the home crowd with a thunderous one-handed dunk over Duren to put the Magic ahead 80-76 with 8:34 left.
Cain provided a spark for Orlando after Wagner left the game and finished with eight points and nine rebounds in nearly 24 minutes off the bench.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Aaron Judge hits 11th homer, Ben Rice hits 10th as Yankees top Rangers
Apr 27, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice (22) bumps elbows with right fielder Aaron Judge (99) after hitting two-run home run against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Max Fried pitched six scoreless innings and was backed by three homers as the New York Yankees recorded a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers Monday night in Arlington, Texas.
Ben Rice, Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered as the Yankees won for the ninth time in 10 games. New York hit at least three homers for the seventh time in its first 29 games.
Fried (4-1) allowed four hits and produced his fourth scoreless start this season. The left-hander notched three of his five strikeouts against Corey Seager and walked two.
Fried was also backed by a pair of double plays started by Jose Caballero in the first and sixth against Josh Jung and Brandon Nimmo. Fried also notched his MLB-best 38th pickoff since 2017 when he picked off Jung in the fourth.
Rice hit a two-run shot off Texas starter Jack Leiter (1-2) in the second after a single by Trent Grisham. Rice homered for the sixth time in his past 11 games when he drove a first-pitch fastball into the visiting bullpen beyond the left field fence.
Judge followed by sending a full-count curveball to left field. Judge homered for the eighth time in 15 games and his 11th homer tied Houston’s Yordan Alvarez and Chicago White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami for the major league lead.
Chisholm gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead by lifting a first-pitch slider into the right field seats in the fourth. It was the second baseman’s third homer in his past five games after not going deep in his first 23 games.
Judge finished with three hits and reached base four times as the Yankees improved to 6-1 on their nine-game road trip.
Leiter allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings. He struck out four, walked one and tied a career high by allowing three homers.
Joc Pederson hit a pinch-hit homer off Camilo Doval in the seventh but Texas lost for the sixth time in nine games. Seager grounded out with two on in the eighth against Tim Hill and David Bednar allowed an RBI single to Alejandro Osuna in the ninth before securing his eighth save in nine chances.
–Field Level Media
Nuggets scratch Aaron Gordon (calf) for Game 5
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