Sports
Rory McIlroy taps into Masters champion confidence to spark rally
April 9, 2026; Augusta, Ga.; Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot on the fifth hole at Augusta National. Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy admitted he hasn’t felt the same at “certain” golf tournaments since completing the career grand slam 12 months ago, but all the same old feelings came rushing back on the first tee at Augusta National on Thursday.
And that’s a good thing, in his estimation.
“It’s the Masters. If I felt absolutely nothing on that first tee, that’s not a good sign,” he said after carding a 5-under-par 67 on Thursday to take a share of the lead. “So, it was nice to feel my hand shaking a little bit when the tee went into the ground and struggle to put the ball on top of the tee.
“So, I knew I was feeling it. That’s a good thing. That’s why we want to be here. We want to be able to try to play our best golf when we’re feeling like that.”
McIlroy entered Thursday with an average opening-round score of 71.7 in 17 previous Masters appearances. He appeared to be well on his way in that direction while missing his first six fairways with his driver and relying heavily on his short game to save several pars.
Sitting at even par just off the fairway on the eighth hole, that’s when McIlroy said the pre-Masters champion version of him might have started to lose confidence in his swing.
“It started pretty scrappy. I was hitting out of the trees a little bit the first seven holes,” he said. “Sometimes here that would lead me to get tentative and a little ‘guidey,’ and I kept swinging, just trusting that I’m going to find it eventually.
“So, maybe that was a little bit different.”
Rather than trying to get all of a 5-wood from the first cut off the eighth fairway, McIlroy choked down on a 3-wood and rolled it up to the center of the green. He two-putted for birdie, and the momentum shift was on. McIlroy would go 5 under for his final 11 holes of the day.
He said earlier in the week that winning a Masters makes it easier to win a second one. McIlroy is now just the seventh Masters champion to hold at least a share of the first-round lead the following year. The list also includes Jack Burke Jr. (1957), Arnold Palmer (1961), Gary Player (1962), Jack Nicklaus (1966), Jose Maria Olazabal (1995) and Jordan Spieth (2016).
“It’s hard to say because there’s still shots out there that you feel a little bit tight with, and you just have to stand up and commit to making a good swing and not worry about really where it goes,” he said.
“But I think it’s easier for me to make those swings and not worry about where it goes when I know that I can go to the Champions Locker Room and put my green jacket on and have a Coke Zero at the end of the day.”
McIlroy has also said repeatedly that he has things he still wants to accomplish in golf. He has declined to provide specifics other than to say the goal posts “keep nudging a little bit further and further out of reach.”
Asked if repeating as Masters champion was one of those goals, McIlroy said that “certainly wasn’t at the forefront of my mind when I started 2026.” But he did admit that it was a good sign that those nerves returned on the first tee at Augusta National.
“I was nervous, I was anxious just like I always am on that first tee,” he said. “It’s the first round of the 16 most important rounds of the season. It would be worrisome if I didn’t feel that way, because it still means something to me.”
–Derek Harper, Field Level Media
Sports
Browns sign 1st-round pick WR KC Concepcion
Jun 9, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver KC Concepcion (1) catches the ball during mandatory mini camp at Cross Country Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images The Cleveland Browns signed first-round draft pick KC Concepcion to his four-year rookie contract on Wednesday.
Concepcion, the 24th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, will receive $19.7 million in fully guaranteed money that includes a $10.8 million signing bonus. The deal also includes a fifth-year team option for the wide receiver from Texas A&M.
Concepcion, 21, recorded 61 catches for 919 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for 75 yards and a score in 13 games in 2025, his first season with the Aggies after spending his previous two with North Carolina State.
Concepcion caught 124 passes for 1,299 yards and 16 touchdowns, and rushed for two scores, in 25 games over two seasons for the Wolfpack. He was the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year in 2023 after setting program records for a freshman with 71 receptions and 10 TDs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Crew sign veteran free agent D Brooks Lennon
Aug 6, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta United defender Brooks Lennon (11) celebrates after a victory over Atlas at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Columbus Crew have signed veteran defender Brooks Lennon in free agency.
Lennon, 28, is under contract through June 2027 with club options for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons.
He has 12 goals and 42 assists in 257 MLS matches with Real Salt Lake (2017-19) and Atlanta United (2020-25).
“Brooks is a proven MLS player whose versatility and skill set are a good complement to our roster,” Crew general manager Issa Tall said in a news release on Tuesday. “He is a hard-working player whose professionalism and ability to impact the game in multiple ways will provide important depth and competition within our group heading into the remainder of the season.”
Columbus will return from the World Cup break on July 22 against visiting New York City FC.
“I’m extremely excited to be joining the Crew,” Lennon said. “It’s an incredible organization with amazing facilities, and the way Columbus likes to play fits my style perfectly. I can’t wait to get going … and bring home wins for our fans.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Best Bets for Knicks vs. Spurs Game 4 at Madison Square Garden
Jun 8, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) shoots the ball against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during game three of the 2026 NBA Finals in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The New York Knicks were living larger than Times Square when they opened the NBA Finals with two straight victories in San Antonio. But suddenly, the pressure is back on the Knicks after the Spurs delivered a big Game 3 triumph at Madison Square Garden.
New York badly needs to take Game 4 on Wednesday as a 3-1 lead sure beats being tied 2-2 with two of the final three games slated for San Antonio. And just imagine the worry the Knicks’ fans will feel if they start to sense the title drought since 1973 might continue.
The Spurs, of course, have pressures to deal with too. They don’t want to return to the Alamo City on the brink of elimination.
Spurs looked like a different team in Game 3
Digging the 0-2 hole in San Antonio put the Spurs in deep trouble but coach Mitch Johnson made adjustments and the Spurs played aggressively throughout the contest. Big man Victor Wembanyama looked fully in the moment while veterans Harrison Barnes (DNP) and Luke Kornet (nine minutes) were all but removed from the game plan.
Having three and sometimes four smaller athletic players who are solid with the ball to go with Wembanyama created positive advantages for San Antonio. Stephon Castle was sharp with 23 points while the Spurs worked around substandard shooting performances from De’Aaron Fox (4-of-14) and Dylan Harper (5-of-18).
The Knicks again saw Jalen Brunson (32 points) excel but Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with just 11 points and is scoreless in the fourth quarter in this series. New York’s offense will have to be better Wednesday if it wants to keep the lead in the series.
Spurs plus 2.5-point spread, -115 (DraftKings)
Wemby gets physical, finds comfort zone.
Wembanyama looked more like the third-place finisher in the MVP race when he scored 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting and committed just one turnover in Game 3. The rest of the stat line included eight rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.
He also seemed more settled in than his shaky Game 1 outing (6-of-21 shooting, six turnovers) and late Game 2 mishaps (pass off Castle’s back, missed 3-pointer prior to the buzzer) and could be ready to take control of the series. He made 18 of 29 two-point shots the past two games after making just 4 of 12 in Game 1.
Wemby also wasn’t taking any guff on Monday, though his toss of Brunson to the floor was a big-time cheap shot. He’s going to be a marked man in the Garden for the rest of his career but expect him to produce big in Game 4.
Wembanyama to score 27-plus points, -121 (DraftKings)
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Brunson has a trusted friend named OG.
Brunson (30-plus points, +120) has attempted a whopping 81 shots in the series but is making them at just a 37% clip. His 11-of-25 showing in Game 3 was his most efficient effort and he simply will always be counted on to carry the offense in every game.
While Towns (18-plus points, -114) could rebound, OG Anunoby might be the best bet to be Brunson’s scoring sidekick in Game 4. Anunoby scored 28 points on just 13 shots (making nine) for his best output since twice scoring 29 points in the first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks.
Anunoby is 8-of-18 from 3-point range and shooting 54.3% overall in the Finals. With Towns being 0-for-6 shooting in the fourth quarter in the series, the final 12 minutes should be Anunoby’s time to share scoring duties with Brunson and his over/under is low based on his Game 3 showing.
OG Anunoby to score 17-plus points, -109 (DraftKings)
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Browns sign 1st-round pick WR KC Concepcion
Crew sign veteran free agent D Brooks Lennon
