US Sports News

Golf on TV Today: Golf Tournament Television Schedule

PGA Tour: Cognizant Classic

Site: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Course: PGA National (Champions). Yardage: 7,125. Par: 70.

Prize money: $9 million. Winner’s share: $1.62 million.

Television: Watch on FuboTV
Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (NBC).

Rory McIlroy watches a shot in the final round of the 2024 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. — Rory McIlroy is playing at PGA National for the first time since 2018.
Imago

Defending champion: Chris Kirk.

FedEx Cup leader: Matthieu Pavon.

Last week: Jake Knapp won the Mexico Open at Vidanta.

Notes: The tournament again leads off the Florida swing under a new name. Cognizant takes over as title sponsor of what previously was the Honda Classic. ... Rory McIlroy is playing to beef up his pre-Masters schedule. He last played the tournament in 2018. ... Six of the seven winners on the PGA Tour this year were outside the top 50 in the world ranking. The exception was Wyndham Clark, No. 10 when he won at Pebble Beach. ... This is the last tournament for the leading top 10 in the FedEx Cup and the leading five players in “swing category” to earn a spot in Bay Hill next week. ... Since turning pro after winning The American Express, U.S. Amateur champion Nick Dunlap finished in last place at Pebble Beach and missed the cut at Riviera. He is in the field this week. ... NCAA champion Fred Biondi, who turned pro last year, received a sponsor exemption. ... The field features five of the top 25 in the world ranking.

GCSAA Fact Sheet: Click here.

Next week: Arnold Palmer Invitational and Puerto Rico Open.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/

LPGA Tour: HSBC Women's World Championship

Site: Singapore.

Course: Sentosa GC. Yardage: 6,749. Par: 72.

Prize money: $1.8 million. Winner’s share: $270,000.

Television: Watch Golf Channel on FuboTV
Wednesday-Saturday, 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.

Defending champion: Jin Young Ko.

Race to CME Globe leader: Lydia Ko

Last week: Patty Tavatanakit won the Honda LPGA Thailand.

Notes: This is the second of three straight weeks in Asia. The HSBC Women’s World Championship dates to 2008 and typically gets a strong field. ... Jin Young Ko is going for her third straight title in Singapore. ... Lorena Ochoa set the course record of 268 in 2008, the inaugural year of the tournament. ... The field features eight of the top 10 in the women’s world ranking, missing only Nelly Korda and Charley Hull. ... Atthaya Thitikul, No. 11 in the world, has an injured left thumb and does not plan to return until the end of March. ... Former U.S. Women’s Open champion In Gee Chun is playing on a sponsor’s invitation. ... Minjee Lee is in the field, playing for the first time this year on the LPGA Tour. ... Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis has named Paula Creamer, Angela Stanford, Brittany Lincicome and Morgan Pressel as assistants for this year’s matches in Virginia.

GCSAA Fact Sheet: Click here.

Next week: Blue Bay LPGA.

Online: https://www.lpga.com/

LIV Golf League: LIV Golf Jeddah

Site: King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia.

Course: Royal Greens Golf & CC. Yardage: 7,048. Par: 70.

Prize money: $20 million. Winner’s share: $4 million.

Television: Watch CW Network on FuboTV
Friday-Sunday, 3-8 a.m. (CW app); Saturday, 12:30-5:30 p.m. (tape delay); Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (tape delay).

Defending champion: Brooks Koepka.

Points leader: Dustin Johnson.

Last tournament: Dustin Johnson won LIV Golf Las Vegas.

Notes: Brooks Koepka is going for his third straight LIV victory in Saudi Arabia. The tournament was played in the fall the last two seasons. ... Anthony Kim is expected to make his LIV debut as an individual. Kim has not competed anywhere since May 2012 at the Wells Fargo Championship. He is now 38. ... Dustin Johnson’s victory in Las Vegas makes him the first player to win in each of the three seasons of LIV Golf. Among those with a chance to match him this week are Koepka and Cameron Smith. ... Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Harold Varner III and Abraham Ancer have all won in Saudi Arabia outside the LIV Golf League. ... Jon Rahm’s new team is leading the standings after two events. ... Joaquin Niemann was the only LIV Golf player who received a special invitation to the Masters based on his European tour performances in the offseason. ... Patrick Reed is no longer among the top 100 in the world.

Next week: LIV Golf Hong Kong.

Online: https://www.livgolf.com/

DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour: SDC Championship

Site: Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Course: St. Francis Links. Yardage: 7,192. Par: 72.

Prize money: $1.5 million. Winner’s share: $250,000.

Television: None.

Defending champion: Matthew Baldwin.

Race to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy.

Last week: Darius van Driel won the Magical Kenya Open.

Notes: The tournament is co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour of South Africa. ... This is the second of three straight tournaments on the African continent. ... The field features only four players from the top 100 in the world. The highest-ranked player is Rikuya Hoshino, who is at No. 81. ... South Africa only has five players in the top 100 in the world. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who plays the PGA Tour, is the top-ranked South African at No. 59. ... Only two players from Nos. 126-200 in the FedEx Cup last year are in the field, Matthias Schwab and Jonas Blixt. Dylan Frittelli was in that category until winning earlier this year to get full European tour membership. ... Keita Nakajima, a former world No. 1 amateur, is in the field. He is eligible from winning the Japan Golf Tour money title last year. ... The tournament only became part of the European tour schedule last year.

Next week: Jonsson Workwear Open.

Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/ and https://sunshinetour.com/

Korn Ferry Tour: Visa Argentina Open

Site: Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Course: Olivos GC. Yardage: 6,795. Par: 70.

Prize money: $1 million. Winner’s share: $180,000.

Television: None.

Previous winner: Zack Fischer.

Points leader: Aldrich Potgieter.

Last tournament: Kevin Velo won the Astara Golf Championship in Colombia.

Next week: Astara Chile Classic.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/

PGA Tour Champions

Last week: Ricardo Gonzalez won the Trophy Hassan II.

Next week: Cologuard Classic.

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Steven Alker.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions/

Other Tours

Asian Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia: New Zealand Open, Millbrook GC (Coronet and Remarkables), Arrowtown, New Zealand. Defending champion: Brendan Jones. Online: https://asiantour.com/ and https://pga.org.au/.

Japan LPGA: Daikin Orchid Ladies, Ryukyu GC, Okinawa, Japan. Defending champion: Jiyai Shin. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/

27 Feb 24 Jimm Sallivan

Ex-NFL Coach Dirk Koetter Returns to Boise State as Offensive Coordinator

Boise State is hiring former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator, Jay Tust of KTVB in Idaho first reported and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde confirmed.

Koetter is a veteran coach in both college and the NFL, spending time as either a head coach or offensive coordinator for 35 years. He is most known for his time in the NFL, leading Tampa Bay from 2016 to ’18 after nine years as an offensive coordinator for three NFL teams.

Koetter previously spent three years as Boise State’s head coach between 1998 and ’00, and returned to the school as an offensive analyst and eventual interim offensive coordinator in 2022. He’s also been the head coach at Arizona State.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter looks on from the sidelines during a game. — Former Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter will be Boise State's new offensive coordinator.
Jonathan Dyer/USA Today sports

The Broncos enter 2024 with a new head coach, as Spencer Danielson takes over after finishing last year as the interim head coach. The former Boise State defensive coordinator went 3–1 as the interim coach last season, including wins in the Mountain West championship and in the LA Bowl.

Danielson comes from a defensive background, so he will task Koetter to run an offense that includes new quarterback Malachi Nelson, a former top recruit who transferred to Boise following one season at USC.

27 Feb 24 Jimm Sallivan

Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart Inks NIL Deal With Private Jet Company

Jaxson Dart is one of college football’s most notable returning quarterbacks entering the 2024 season. On Tuesday morning, one of the most intriguing college football NIL deals to date was announced with the Ole Miss gunslinger.

Dart has signed a deal with Nicholas Air, a private air travel company, as noted by sports business reporter Darren Rovell. The deal will grant Dart private jet use for “travel, training and philanthropy,” per Rovell.

Nicholas Air is no stranger to deals with Ole Miss football greats. Both Archie and Eli Manning have endorsed the company, along with the likes of golfer Daniel Berger, journalist Tom Brokaw and actress Nicole Kidman.

According to his representation at ESM, Dart’s endorsement is the first NIL deal with a private jet company. It serves as further proof that the NIL world continues to ramp up, especially as it comes on the heels of a federal court decision that granted an injunction preventing the NCAA from enforcing NIL rules.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is among those who have urged caution around the impact of NIL and transfers on his program and the sport as a whole. Even so, he didn’t hesitate to use Dart’s new arrangement for recruiting purposes.

Dart had his best collegiate season in 2023, completing 65.1% of his throws for 3,364 yards with 23 touchdown passes and five interceptions, leading the Rebels to an 11–2 record and Peach Bowl win over Penn State.

He and Ole Miss will open their 2024 season at home against Furman on Aug. 31.

27 Feb 24 Jimm Sallivan

Sean Payton Offers Timeline for Broncos’ Decision on QB Russell Wilson

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton hinted at a timely resolution regarding the team's quarterback dilemma when fielding questions about Russell Wilson’s future on Tuesday.

After Wilson was benched at the end of the 2023 season, many speculated that he would be released after two unfruitful years in Denver. Payton declined to say exactly what the franchise has in store for the 35-year-old but teased a decision in the near future.

During media availability at the NFL scouting combine, Payton told reporters that a decision could come out in the “next two weeks.”

“Next week, we’ll be in meetings with ownership,” Payton said on Tuesday. “So I expect that we’re going to know fairly quickly. … Somewhere in the neighborhood next week. There’s a couple of factors here, obviously the cap projections came out, we’re further down the road with the draft class, so I would anticipate it being within the next two weeks.”

Payton’s comments undercut the resurfacing drama between he and Wilson following their first year together with the Broncos. Earlier this week, Wilson publicly spoke about his contract situation and the nefarious circumstances surrounding his benching, which painted the Broncos’ front office in a negative light.

“I got that call, ‘Hey, we’re going to bench you for the next nine games if you don’t change your injury guarantee.’” Wilson said on the I AM ATHLETE podcast. “I didn’t want to set a precedent for players to remove their injury guarantees. There was no way I was going to do that.”

At the combine, Payton claimed he “did not hear” what Wilson said on the podcast. Broncos GM George Paton, however, did reportedly listen to Wilson's comments.

Paton said, “We’ve moved forward. Everything we did was above board.” He added that he hasn’t been contacted by any NFL teams about a potential trade for Wilson so far.

Wilson signed a five-year, $245 million extension in Denver following a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks in March 2022. His potential release this offseason would cost the Broncos $85 million in dead cap money.

27 Feb 24 Jimm Sallivan

Broadcasters Delightfully Go Bonkers After Mississippi Valley State Earns First Win

There are 362 programs playing Division I men’s college basketball this season. Before Monday, 361 of those programs had won at least one game this season.

The lone holdout was Mississippi Valley State, an HBCU in Itta Bena, Miss., far better known for producing Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice than for any accomplishments on the hardwood. The Delta Devils opened this season 0-27, with a few close calls but nary a victory to show for their efforts.

That changed Monday evening. Led by a 21-point outing from guard Rayquan Brown, Mississippi Valley State beat visiting Prairie View, 57–51, to improve to 1-27 on the season.

The announcers on the Delta Devils’ online broadcast celebrated accordingly as fans streamed onto the court.

Enjoy their epic call in the clip below.

“That’s game!” the commentators yelled jubilantly. “They’re storming the court! They’re storming the court! They’re storming the court. Oh my God! … The Delta Devils improve to 1-27, 1-14 in the SWAC! What are you sayin’? The Delta Devils are currently on a one-game winning streak!”

Mississippi Valley State’s men’s hoops history may not be completely barren—the school produced scoring machine Alphonso Ford and scared Duke in the 1986 NCAA tournament, after all.

However, the events of Feb. 26, 2024, appear likely to loom large in the Delta Devils’ annals. Go crazy, Itta Bena.