Entertainment
Rory McIlroy refreshed ahead of Scottish Open after ‘hiding’ and ‘detaching’ from PGA Tour ‘grind’
Watch Rory McIlroy in action on Sky Sports at the Scottish Open from Thursday through to Sunday, and at The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush the following weekend; watch the tournaments live this month on Sky Sports or stream with no contract
Rory McIlroy hopes going into hiding for a couple of weeks has helped him recharge as he prepares for the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club.
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Join us on WhatsAppMasters champion McIlroy has taken a break since finishing in a tie for sixth at the Travelers Championship last month, which saw a welcome upturn in form following a testing run since his Augusta triumph.
Having settled into a new family home in Wentworth, McIlroy feels being able to get away from the “grind” of the PGA Tour circuit has sharpened his focus on a strong run in North Berwick ahead of his challenge for another Open crown at Royal Portrush.
“The one thing I would say about the last couple of weeks is I felt like I could detach a little bit more and sort of hide in a way,” the world No 2 said at a press conference.
“Sometimes you need that to completely get away. I feel like this world of golf can become all encompassing if you let it.
“Justin Rose and I came up here together yesterday [Tuesday] and we were just chatting about how there is a detachment from the sort of week-in, week-out grind when you get back over here, from when you play PGA Tour for that sort of first 25 to 30 weeks of the year.
“It has been lovely to get back and see some familiar faces, and is the first time back playing in the UK since what happened at Augusta, which is a really nice feeling as well.”
McIlroy, who won the Scottish Open in 2023 and then finished tied fourth last year, added: “I don’t think I started out too well here but I have learned how to play the course a little bit better.
“Obviously I had that great finish in 2023, then played well again last year, so I am looking forward to getting out there tomorrow [Thursday].”
Robert MacIntyre secured a memorable Scottish Open victory last year, winning on home soil by one stroke ahead of Adam Scott.
“I think the pressure is off, obviously with me saying how much I wanted [to win] this golf tournament,” said US Open runner-up MacIntyre, who was the first Scottish winner of the event in 25 years.
“But the expectation is not from me – from outside and the fans, the expectation is through the roof.
“I can’t control that, so I have just got to go out there [and] prepare as well as I can.”
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler will tee off on Thursday morning in a group alongside MacIntyre and Scott.
“If I wanted to just do preparation [for the Open] I would have gone and played some other golf courses for fun,” said Scheffler, who is on a run of nine consecutive top-10 finishes.
“Tournament golf is a little bit different – being here in the right conditions, in the wind, getting used to the time [difference] and stuff like that.
“This is an important tournament for me and is a tournament I want to play well in.”
As well as Ryder Cup qualification points being on the line for the likes of MacIntyre and England’s Tommy Fleetwood, the leading three players not already exempt to make the cut will qualify for The Open.
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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