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Amanda Balionis in awe of Rory McIlroy act eight years in the making at the Masters

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Amanda Balionis has opened about on a brief but life-changing encounter between Rory McIlroy and Noah Kent – who practiced together ahead of the Masters.

CBS Sports reporter Amanda Balionis recounted a heartfelt moment involving Rory McIlroy and a young fan who has since become his peer. Earlier this week on social media, Balionis – who is back on air covering golf at Augusta – posted about what she called “one of my favourite stories”, highlighting a short but meaningful meeting between McIlroy and Noah Kent.

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The encounter took place in 2017 at Erin Hills, when McIlroy, chasing his first green jacket at the Masters, came across Kent, at the time a 13-year-old amateur golfer. Although McIlroy had just missed the cut at the 2017 US Open, he brushed aside his frustration and generously gave Kent five minutes of his time at the course, which had been co-designed by Kent’s stepfather, Dana Fry. Before speaking with McIlroy, Kent was focused on pursuing hockey. However, following a pivotal piece of guidance from his role model, he shifted his goals and dedicated himself fully to golf.

“I was a hockey player at the time and I kind of just looked up to Rory and I was just like, ‘How do you hit it so far, like, you’re not that tall’,” Kent told Balionis. “He kind of just pointed at the ground, he’s like ‘It’s all on the legs’.”

Eight years later, fate brought Kent and McIlroy together once more – this time on the fairways of Augusta National, where they played a practice round earlier this week. Balionis underscored how much influence these small gestures from prominent athletes can have.

“I think it’s worth noting that five minutes might not seem like a whole lot to these athletes out here, but it can really change a kid’s life,” she said. Kent agreed, insisting: “It just means so much that he would even spend time with me.”

He added: “He doesn’t know who I am, I’m just a 13-year-old kid out there just watching and supporting, so it just means the world.”

McIlroy, upon realising the lasting impression he left on Kent, was visibly touched. As Golfweek’s Adam Schupak reported, the now 35-year-old later mailed Kent a signed Nike shirt – an item that still hangs proudly in Kent’s bedroom.

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Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture

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The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.

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With the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.

Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?

Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.

“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.

Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..

 

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Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.

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Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.

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It’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.

These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.

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Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses

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It looks like LIV Golf is over.

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The Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.

That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.

So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.

But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?

Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.

Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour

Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.

 

That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.

 

If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.

But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.

Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.

For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.

Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time

With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.

He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.

DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.

He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.

He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.

He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.

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