Entertainment
Emma Raducanu gets nightmare Australian Open draw despite three-year first in Melbourne
The British No.1 has had a tough start to 2026 and things aren’t going to get any easier in Melbourne, where top seed Aryna Sabalenka is blocking her path
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Join us on WhatsAppEmma Raducanu has been handed a nightmare draw at the Australian Open – despite being seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time in more than three years.
The British No.1 has had a tough start to 2026 and it’s not going to get any easier in Melbourne, with two-time former champion and world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka standing in her way.
As the 28th seed, Raducanu doesn’t have to face any other top players until round three. But she has arguably the toughest task of anyone if she gets there, as she’s projected to face Sabalenka. The top seed has a 3-0 unbeaten record against Raducanu, including a third-round win at Wimbledon last year.
Raducanu faces world No. 195 Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the first round. Thai ace Sawangkaew made her top-100 debut last year but got injured, and has entered the tournament using a protected ranking. Raducanu will then take on Suzan Lamens or Anastasia Potapova in the second round – with Sabalenka looming.
Raducanu, 23, has extended her partnership with Spanish coach Francisco Roig and looked prime for a good year – but things haven’t gone to plan.
A foot issue has caused concern and rain wreaked havoc during her time in Hobart, where Raducanu suffered a shock loss in the quarter-finals. The world No.29 beat Camila Osorio in a match that spanned two days after play was suspended due to rain during the second set.
Raducanu got a walkover to get her place in the quarters when her opponent withdrew. There, she was stunned by world No.204 Taylah Preston. The Aussie wildcard had only won one match on the WTA Tour before this week – now she’s into the semi-finals after beating an out-of-sorts Raducanu 6-2 6-4.
Katie Boulter has also been handed a brutal draw after getting a last-minute lifeline into the tournament also. Down at No.113 in the world rankings after struggling with injuries and a loss of form last year, Boulter was expected to go through qualifying, but got into the main draw following three withdrawals.
But the draw hasn’t been kind to Boulter, who faces an in-form Belinda Bencic. The world No.10 helped Switzerland reach the United Cup finals this month, and was named tournament MVP. A former world No.4 and Olympic gold medallist, Bencic welcomed her first child in April 2024, then made a comeback just over a year ago. She returned to the top 10 this week.
Sonay Kartal will also face a top player in her opening match, coming up against No.31 seed Anna Kalinskaya. Six-time Major winner Iga Swiatek is a potential third-round opponent for the British No.2.
And Francesca Jones will hope to carry her momentum into the Aussie Open after getting the best win of her career over Emma Navarro on her way to the recent Auckland quarter-finals. Now at a career-high ranking of No.69, Jones faces Polish qualifier Linda Klimovicova, who is making her Grand Slam main draw debut.
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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