Entertainment
The Open: Rory McIlroy ready to embrace new major mountain after Grand Slam glory and chase home victory at Royal Portrush
Rory McIlroy missed the cut when The Open was last played at Royal Portrush in 2019; McIlroy plays in Northern Ireland for the first time since completing the career Grand Slam at The Masters; Can McIlroy enjoy more major success? Watch The Open live on Sky Sports Golf
Rory McIlroy conquered his golfing Everest by securing Grand Slam glory in April, but The Open provides an opportunity to climb another mountain and deliver more major redemption.
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Join us on WhatsAppIt is just over three months since McIlroy fulfilled a lifelong dream by becoming the sixth player in history to complete the Grand Slam, ending an 11-year wait for an elusive fifth major title with a dramatic play-off victory at The Masters.
An emotional McIlroy sunk to his knees in tears after finally winning at Augusta National, securing the Green Jacket – in his 17th appearance – at an event where the annual narrative was previously dominated by his own past disappointments.
“What are we all going to talk about next year?” was how McIlroy opened his victory press conference on that dramatic Sunday, with attention since turning to how the world No 2 will move forward from a career-changing success.
McIlroy admitted to struggling for motivation in the events immediately after that win, failing to contend in the next two majors, but has since reset his focus towards this week’s opportunity to lift the Claret Jug on home soil.
“This was the tournament that was circled, even more so than The Masters,” McIlroy revealed in his pre-tournament press conference at Royal Portrush, where he added that it “means a lot” to be teeing it up again in Northern Ireland.
McIlroy has previously discussed the need for another mountain to climb after the win at Augusta National, with a homecoming – in front of record-breaking crowds – and the chance to bookend his major campaign with victories his next challenge.
The fairy-tale win – which would be his first as a professional in Northern Ireland – was initially predicted when this course last hosted The Open in 2019, where McIlroy failed to live up to his billing as pre-tournament favourite after a nightmare start.
McIlroy quadruple-bogeyed the par-four first hole and triple-bogeyed the last on his way to an opening-round 79, a staggering 18 shots worse than he managed when breaking the course record as a 16-year-old in 2005.
“I remember the ovation I got on the first tee on Thursday and not being prepared for it, not being ready for how I was going to feel or what I was going to feel,” McIlroy admitted ahead of this year’s event. “Then the golf on Thursday feels like a bit of a blur. I try to forget that part of it.”
McIlroy responded by firing a second-round 65 but still missed the cut, just the second time he had ever failed to reach the weekend of The Open, although feels better prepared to deal with expectation and pressure this time around.
“I want to do my best this week to enjoy everything that comes my way, enjoy the reaction of the fans and enjoy being in front of them and playing in front of them,” McIlroy explained. “But at the same time, I want to win this golf tournament, and I feel like I’m very capable of doing that.”
He has already enjoyed a hero’s welcome this week, seeing big crowds quickly gathering for his early-morning practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday, with McIlroy immersed in the added support heading his way.
“I think in 2019 I probably tried to isolate and I think it’s better for everyone if I embrace it,” McIlroy said. “It’s nice to be able to accept adulation, even though I struggle with it at times.
Entertainment
Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture
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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Join us on WhatsAppWith 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 ..
Entertainment
Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.
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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Join us on WhatsAppIt’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.
Entertainment
Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses
It looks like LIV Golf is over.
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Join us on WhatsAppThe 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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