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Deadspin | Stars take 2-1 series lead, edge Wild on Wyatt Johnston’s double-OT goal  Apr 22, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton (5), center Michael McCarron (47) and Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) complete for the puck during the first period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images   Wyatt Johnston scored a power-play goal with 7:50 left in double overtime to lift the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinals series Wednesday night in Saint Paul, Minn.  Matt Duchene and Jason Robertson finished with a goal and two assists apiece for Dallas, which grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Johnston and Mikko Rantanen each tallied one goal and one assist.  Marcus Johansson, Joel Eriksson Ek and Michael McCarron scored one goal apiece for Minnesota.  Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger stopped 28 of 31 shots to win the marathon contest.  Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt allowed four goals on 36 shots.  Johnston provided the winning goal on a deflection. Miro Heiskanen fired a shot toward traffic in front of the net, and Johnston redirected it for his third goal of the series.  An early penalty by Minnesota paved the way for Dallas to grab a 1-0 lead on the power play 1:25 into the first period. Robertson zipped a pinpoint pass to Rantanen, who punched in a backhand shot.   The Stars increased their lead to 2-0 with 6:12 to play in the first period. Robertson kept the puck on a two-on-one rush and ripped a wrist shot beneath Wallstedt’s glove.  The Wild got on the scoreboard on a power-play goal with 1:40 left in the first period. Johansson fired a shot from the slot that deflected off a pair of Stars defenders and into the net.  Minnesota evened the score at 2-all with 15 minutes to go in the second period. Matt Boldy weaved through the Dallas defense with the puck and slid a pass to a wide-open Eriksson Ek, who capitalized with a one-timer.  The Wild seized a 3-2 lead with 2:35 remaining in the second period. McCarron sprinted into the offensive zone and buried a shot from the slot for his first career playoff goal.  Dallas responded on the power play to make it 3-all with 9:42 to go in the third period. Rantanen waited until Wallstedt was out of position and fed a pass to Duchene, who scored on a one-timer from the left side of the crease.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Stars #series #lead #edge #Wild #Wyatt #Johnstons #doubleOT #goal

Deadspin | Stars take 2-1 series lead, edge Wild on Wyatt Johnston’s double-OT goal
Deadspin | Stars take 2-1 series lead, edge Wild on Wyatt Johnston’s double-OT goal  Apr 22, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton (5), center Michael McCarron (47) and Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) complete for the puck during the first period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images   Wyatt Johnston scored a power-play goal with 7:50 left in double overtime to lift the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinals series Wednesday night in Saint Paul, Minn.  Matt Duchene and Jason Robertson finished with a goal and two assists apiece for Dallas, which grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Johnston and Mikko Rantanen each tallied one goal and one assist.  Marcus Johansson, Joel Eriksson Ek and Michael McCarron scored one goal apiece for Minnesota.  Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger stopped 28 of 31 shots to win the marathon contest.  Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt allowed four goals on 36 shots.  Johnston provided the winning goal on a deflection. Miro Heiskanen fired a shot toward traffic in front of the net, and Johnston redirected it for his third goal of the series.  An early penalty by Minnesota paved the way for Dallas to grab a 1-0 lead on the power play 1:25 into the first period. Robertson zipped a pinpoint pass to Rantanen, who punched in a backhand shot.   The Stars increased their lead to 2-0 with 6:12 to play in the first period. Robertson kept the puck on a two-on-one rush and ripped a wrist shot beneath Wallstedt’s glove.  The Wild got on the scoreboard on a power-play goal with 1:40 left in the first period. Johansson fired a shot from the slot that deflected off a pair of Stars defenders and into the net.  Minnesota evened the score at 2-all with 15 minutes to go in the second period. Matt Boldy weaved through the Dallas defense with the puck and slid a pass to a wide-open Eriksson Ek, who capitalized with a one-timer.  The Wild seized a 3-2 lead with 2:35 remaining in the second period. McCarron sprinted into the offensive zone and buried a shot from the slot for his first career playoff goal.  Dallas responded on the power play to make it 3-all with 9:42 to go in the third period. Rantanen waited until Wallstedt was out of position and fed a pass to Duchene, who scored on a one-timer from the left side of the crease.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Stars #series #lead #edge #Wild #Wyatt #Johnstons #doubleOT #goalApr 22, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton (5), center Michael McCarron (47) and Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) complete for the puck during the first period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Wyatt Johnston scored a power-play goal with 7:50 left in double overtime to lift the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinals series Wednesday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

Matt Duchene and Jason Robertson finished with a goal and two assists apiece for Dallas, which grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Johnston and Mikko Rantanen each tallied one goal and one assist.

Marcus Johansson, Joel Eriksson Ek and Michael McCarron scored one goal apiece for Minnesota.

Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger stopped 28 of 31 shots to win the marathon contest.

Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt allowed four goals on 36 shots.

Johnston provided the winning goal on a deflection. Miro Heiskanen fired a shot toward traffic in front of the net, and Johnston redirected it for his third goal of the series.


An early penalty by Minnesota paved the way for Dallas to grab a 1-0 lead on the power play 1:25 into the first period. Robertson zipped a pinpoint pass to Rantanen, who punched in a backhand shot.

The Stars increased their lead to 2-0 with 6:12 to play in the first period. Robertson kept the puck on a two-on-one rush and ripped a wrist shot beneath Wallstedt’s glove.

The Wild got on the scoreboard on a power-play goal with 1:40 left in the first period. Johansson fired a shot from the slot that deflected off a pair of Stars defenders and into the net.

Minnesota evened the score at 2-all with 15 minutes to go in the second period. Matt Boldy weaved through the Dallas defense with the puck and slid a pass to a wide-open Eriksson Ek, who capitalized with a one-timer.

The Wild seized a 3-2 lead with 2:35 remaining in the second period. McCarron sprinted into the offensive zone and buried a shot from the slot for his first career playoff goal.

Dallas responded on the power play to make it 3-all with 9:42 to go in the third period. Rantanen waited until Wallstedt was out of position and fed a pass to Duchene, who scored on a one-timer from the left side of the crease.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Stars #series #lead #edge #Wild #Wyatt #Johnstons #doubleOT #goal

Apr 22, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton (5), center Michael McCarron (47) and Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) complete for the puck during the first period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Wyatt Johnston scored a power-play goal with 7:50 left in double overtime to lift the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinals series Wednesday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

Matt Duchene and Jason Robertson finished with a goal and two assists apiece for Dallas, which grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Johnston and Mikko Rantanen each tallied one goal and one assist.

Marcus Johansson, Joel Eriksson Ek and Michael McCarron scored one goal apiece for Minnesota.

Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger stopped 28 of 31 shots to win the marathon contest.

Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt allowed four goals on 36 shots.

Johnston provided the winning goal on a deflection. Miro Heiskanen fired a shot toward traffic in front of the net, and Johnston redirected it for his third goal of the series.

An early penalty by Minnesota paved the way for Dallas to grab a 1-0 lead on the power play 1:25 into the first period. Robertson zipped a pinpoint pass to Rantanen, who punched in a backhand shot.

The Stars increased their lead to 2-0 with 6:12 to play in the first period. Robertson kept the puck on a two-on-one rush and ripped a wrist shot beneath Wallstedt’s glove.

The Wild got on the scoreboard on a power-play goal with 1:40 left in the first period. Johansson fired a shot from the slot that deflected off a pair of Stars defenders and into the net.

Minnesota evened the score at 2-all with 15 minutes to go in the second period. Matt Boldy weaved through the Dallas defense with the puck and slid a pass to a wide-open Eriksson Ek, who capitalized with a one-timer.

The Wild seized a 3-2 lead with 2:35 remaining in the second period. McCarron sprinted into the offensive zone and buried a shot from the slot for his first career playoff goal.

Dallas responded on the power play to make it 3-all with 9:42 to go in the third period. Rantanen waited until Wallstedt was out of position and fed a pass to Duchene, who scored on a one-timer from the left side of the crease.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Stars #series #lead #edge #Wild #Wyatt #Johnstons #doubleOT #goal

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Lamine Yamal out for season with hamstring injury: Barcelona <div id="content-body-70897343" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal is out for the rest of the season after sustaining a thigh injury during his side’s La Liga 2025-26 match against Celta Vigo, the club confirmed on Thursday.</p><p>The Spanish league leader, however, said that he is likely to be available for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is happening over the summer, where Spain will be looking for a second title.</p><p>“The tests carried out have confirmed that first-team player Lamine Yamal has an injury to the biceps femoris of his left leg,” Barcelona said in a statement.</p><p><b>ALSO READ | <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/epl/chelsea-fc-sacks-liam-rosenior-cfc-news-premier-league-table/article70894261.ece" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Chelsea sacks Liam Rosenior after poor run of results</a></b></p><p>Yamal converted from the spot in the 39th minute against Celta Vigo, but went down seconds after the goal, clutching his left leg. He was helped off the field soon after by Barca’s medical team, as it went on to win 1-0.</p><p>“The player will follow a conservative treatment plan. Lamine Yamal will miss the remainder of the season and is expected to be available for the World Cup,” it added.</p><p>The 18-year-old has 24 goals and 18 assists for Barcelona in all competitions this season, helping the side remain in pole position to lift the La Liga title with 82 points from 32 games, nine ahead of second-placed Real Madrid.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 23, 2026</p></div> #Lamine #Yamal #season #hamstring #injury #Barcelona

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भीकनगांव में आंदोलन के बाद सिंचाई परियोजना में आई तेजी: 4 दिन में संसाधन बढ़ाने कलेक्टर का अल्टीमेटम, 7 मई तक काम पूरा करने की डेडलाइन – Khargone News

In a way, Gujarat Titans is a throwback to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru of yesteryear.

Back then, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle used to do the bulk of the scoring and the rest of the batting line-up would be comparatively airy. GT of today is eerily similar, with the troika of Shubman Gill, B. Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler expected to do all the heavy-lifting.

On Friday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here, GT’s biggest test against an RCB outfit that operates at full throttle from ball one will be to prove that its methods – even if they seem anachronistic – are effective enough.

“I don’t think we’ll suddenly change,” said Vikram Solanki, GT’s director of cricket, on match-eve. “We’ll remain consistent in the way we go about our cricket altogether. We trust in a method and formula, and we trust the players that have delivered.”

Just that, in the most recent match, the players didn’t. GT lost by a crushing 99 runs to Mumbai Indians, a defeat Solanki attributed to “a number of errors”. It is imperative that the middle- and lower-orders contribute, especially Rahul Tewatia and M. Shahrukh Khan who have totalled 84 runs in 10 combined visits to the crease.

RCB too is coming in following a defeat – to Delhi Capitals at home by six wickets. But that reverse was only its second this season from six matches, and it boasts of such a well-set team that even a generational talent like England’s Jacob Bethell has had to warm the bench.

Friday will be the last time RCB will play in the Garden City this campaign, and there will be significant attention on a pitch which has not aided free-flowing strokeplay from the get-go. The city is also in the midst of a searing summer, but the RCB faithful will want nothing more than a rain of runs.

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#IPL #GTs #topheavy #method #face #fullthrottle #RCB #test">IPL 2026: GT’s top-heavy method to face full-throttle RCB test  In a way, Gujarat Titans is a throwback to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru of yesteryear.Back then, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle used to do the bulk of the scoring and the rest of the batting line-up would be comparatively airy. GT of today is eerily similar, with the troika of Shubman Gill, B. Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler expected to do all the heavy-lifting.On Friday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here, GT’s biggest test against an RCB outfit that operates at full throttle from ball one will be to prove that its methods – even if they seem anachronistic – are effective enough.“I don’t think we’ll suddenly change,” said Vikram Solanki, GT’s director of cricket, on match-eve. “We’ll remain consistent in the way we go about our cricket altogether. We trust in a method and formula, and we trust the players that have delivered.”Just that, in the most recent match, the players didn’t. GT lost by a crushing 99 runs to Mumbai Indians, a defeat Solanki attributed to “a number of errors”. It is imperative that the middle- and lower-orders contribute, especially Rahul Tewatia and M. Shahrukh Khan who have totalled 84 runs in 10 combined visits to the crease.RCB too is coming in following a defeat – to Delhi Capitals at home by six wickets. But that reverse was only its second this season from six matches, and it boasts of such a well-set team that even a generational talent like England’s Jacob Bethell has had to warm the bench.Friday will be the last time RCB will play in the Garden City this campaign, and there will be significant attention on a pitch which has not aided free-flowing strokeplay from the get-go. The city is also in the midst of a searing summer, but the RCB faithful will want nothing more than a rain of runs.Published on Apr 23, 2026  #IPL #GTs #topheavy #method #face #fullthrottle #RCB #test

Golf’s schedule shakeup has begun.

The PGA Tour this week confirmed that it would not return to Hawaii, where it’s traditionally opened the season with consecutive tournaments on Maui and in Honolulu.

The long-rumored move is undoubtedly the first of several to come as PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp preaches scarcity and tries to contract the schedule. If you’re just catching up, the tour’s current preference is to create a top tier of 21-26 tournaments and a second track for lower-ranked players to earn opportunities for promotion.

The elevated track would include the four majors, The Players Championship and the FedEx Cup playoffs. You figure the eight “signature events” that already exist maintain that status. That leaves five to 10 standard tournaments to select — and a bunch of regular-season tournaments that won’t make the cut.

Now that’s much more interesting to me. Who gets the axe? I’ve got four suggestions for a shortlist of tournaments to either chop completely or demote to the second tier.

There are plenty of reasons to cut a tournament, from lack of fan interest to an expiring sponsor to even the environment on Maui, which has dealt with wildfires and drought alike. (It’s worth remembering the tour also made several missteps pre-LIV Golf, dropping popular annual stops in Boston, New York, Washington and Chicago and cold-shouldering millions of golf fans in those areas. Rolapp rightly wants to claw some of those back.)

I considered five criteria to determine which ones wouldn’t be missed: TV ratings (2025 numbers compiled by Sports Business Journal), estimated attendance (tracked by the fellow behind this website), relative strength of field (measured by Datagolf.com), consensus about the golf course and location.

As luck would have it, we’ll start with the team event that begins Thursday:

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Most elite players, including past champion Rory McIlroy, are taking the week off because the Zurich comes at an odd time in the jam-packed schedule. A sampling of players who are in the field this week: Martin Couvra, Pontus Nyholm, Chandler Blanchet, Trace Crowe. Casual fans, are you excited yet? A shrinking New Orleans market and bottom-five TV ratings (among standard tour events) don’t help, but above all, it feels cheap for a pairs tournament to be doling out FedEx Cup points when it’s an individual sport the rest of the season.

CJ Cup Byron Nelson

I’d delete this from the calendar for the abominable name alone. That aside, TPC Craig Ranch is the real problem here. Dallas native Scottie Scheffler played the tourney last year and embarrassed the course by going 31 under par for four days. That prompted a revamp, and headlines promising the course is no longer a pushover are never a good sign. The field is weak, attendance is low and Dallas-Fort Worth doesn’t need to hog two tournaments when there’s more history at Colonial Country Club.

Rocket Classic

In 2019 the PGA Tour introduced both their Minnesota and Detroit events, the 3M Open and the Rocket Classic. The Upper Midwest is a good home for some July golf, but neither of these have any juice. I was torn between the two and nearly picked the 3M due to worse TV ratings, but I came back to Detroit Golf Club, which is flat and straight-ahead and usually quite soft due to summer rain. It’s boringly easy, with more birdies made there than any other course on tour in 2025. They left the D.C. area for this.

Wyndham Championship

The attendance is relatively low, the TV ratings aren’t better, but more than anything this choice comes down to philosophical fit. Right now the Wyndham serves as the final regular-season event for players to squeak into the playoffs. Top players never come here because they never have to. In the PGA Tour’s New World Order, it works better as a late-season tournament for the rookies and journeymen to scrap for promotion to the top track next year.

#Events #Axed #PGA #Tour #Shakeup #Deadspin.com">Four Events That Might Be Axed in PGA Tour Shakeup | Deadspin.com   Golf’s schedule shakeup has begun.The PGA Tour this week confirmed that it would not return to Hawaii, where it’s traditionally opened the season with consecutive tournaments on Maui and in Honolulu.The long-rumored move is undoubtedly the first of several to come as PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp preaches scarcity and tries to contract the schedule. If you’re just catching up, the tour’s current preference is to create a top tier of 21-26 tournaments and a second track for lower-ranked players to earn opportunities for promotion.The elevated track would include the four majors, The Players Championship and the FedEx Cup playoffs. You figure the eight “signature events” that already exist maintain that status. That leaves five to 10 standard tournaments to select — and a bunch of regular-season tournaments that won’t make the cut.Now that’s much more interesting to me. Who gets the axe? I’ve got four suggestions for a shortlist of tournaments to either chop completely or demote to the second tier.There are plenty of reasons to cut a tournament, from lack of fan interest to an expiring sponsor to even the environment on Maui, which has dealt with wildfires and drought alike. (It’s worth remembering the tour also made several missteps pre-LIV Golf, dropping popular annual stops in Boston, New York, Washington and Chicago and cold-shouldering millions of golf fans in those areas. Rolapp rightly wants to claw some of those back.)I considered five criteria to determine which ones wouldn’t be missed: TV ratings (2025 numbers compiled by Sports Business Journal), estimated attendance (tracked by the fellow behind this website), relative strength of field (measured by Datagolf.com), consensus about the golf course and location.As luck would have it, we’ll start with the team event that begins Thursday:Zurich Classic of New OrleansMost elite players, including past champion Rory McIlroy, are taking the week off because the Zurich comes at an odd time in the jam-packed schedule. A sampling of players who are in the field this week: Martin Couvra, Pontus Nyholm, Chandler Blanchet, Trace Crowe. Casual fans, are you excited yet? A shrinking New Orleans market and bottom-five TV ratings (among standard tour events) don’t help, but above all, it feels cheap for a pairs tournament to be doling out FedEx Cup points when it’s an individual sport the rest of the season.CJ Cup Byron NelsonI’d delete this from the calendar for the abominable name alone. That aside, TPC Craig Ranch is the real problem here. Dallas native Scottie Scheffler played the tourney last year and embarrassed the course by going 31 under par for four days. That prompted a revamp, and headlines promising the course is no longer a pushover are never a good sign. The field is weak, attendance is low and Dallas-Fort Worth doesn’t need to hog two tournaments when there’s more history at Colonial Country Club.Rocket ClassicIn 2019 the PGA Tour introduced both their Minnesota and Detroit events, the 3M Open and the Rocket Classic. The Upper Midwest is a good home for some July golf, but neither of these have any juice. I was torn between the two and nearly picked the 3M due to worse TV ratings, but I came back to Detroit Golf Club, which is flat and straight-ahead and usually quite soft due to summer rain. It’s boringly easy, with more birdies made there than any other course on tour in 2025. They left the D.C. area for this.Wyndham ChampionshipThe attendance is relatively low, the TV ratings aren’t better, but more than anything this choice comes down to philosophical fit. Right now the Wyndham serves as the final regular-season event for players to squeak into the playoffs. Top players never come here because they never have to. In the PGA Tour’s New World Order, it works better as a late-season tournament for the rookies and journeymen to scrap for promotion to the top track next year.   #Events #Axed #PGA #Tour #Shakeup #Deadspin.com

2025 numbers compiled by Sports Business Journal), estimated attendance (tracked by the fellow behind this website), relative strength of field (measured by Datagolf.com), consensus about the golf course and location.

As luck would have it, we’ll start with the team event that begins Thursday:

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Most elite players, including past champion Rory McIlroy, are taking the week off because the Zurich comes at an odd time in the jam-packed schedule. A sampling of players who are in the field this week: Martin Couvra, Pontus Nyholm, Chandler Blanchet, Trace Crowe. Casual fans, are you excited yet? A shrinking New Orleans market and bottom-five TV ratings (among standard tour events) don’t help, but above all, it feels cheap for a pairs tournament to be doling out FedEx Cup points when it’s an individual sport the rest of the season.

CJ Cup Byron Nelson

I’d delete this from the calendar for the abominable name alone. That aside, TPC Craig Ranch is the real problem here. Dallas native Scottie Scheffler played the tourney last year and embarrassed the course by going 31 under par for four days. That prompted a revamp, and headlines promising the course is no longer a pushover are never a good sign. The field is weak, attendance is low and Dallas-Fort Worth doesn’t need to hog two tournaments when there’s more history at Colonial Country Club.

Rocket Classic

In 2019 the PGA Tour introduced both their Minnesota and Detroit events, the 3M Open and the Rocket Classic. The Upper Midwest is a good home for some July golf, but neither of these have any juice. I was torn between the two and nearly picked the 3M due to worse TV ratings, but I came back to Detroit Golf Club, which is flat and straight-ahead and usually quite soft due to summer rain. It’s boringly easy, with more birdies made there than any other course on tour in 2025. They left the D.C. area for this.

Wyndham Championship

The attendance is relatively low, the TV ratings aren’t better, but more than anything this choice comes down to philosophical fit. Right now the Wyndham serves as the final regular-season event for players to squeak into the playoffs. Top players never come here because they never have to. In the PGA Tour’s New World Order, it works better as a late-season tournament for the rookies and journeymen to scrap for promotion to the top track next year.

#Events #Axed #PGA #Tour #Shakeup #Deadspin.com">Four Events That Might Be Axed in PGA Tour Shakeup | Deadspin.com

Golf’s schedule shakeup has begun.

The PGA Tour this week confirmed that it would not return to Hawaii, where it’s traditionally opened the season with consecutive tournaments on Maui and in Honolulu.

The long-rumored move is undoubtedly the first of several to come as PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp preaches scarcity and tries to contract the schedule. If you’re just catching up, the tour’s current preference is to create a top tier of 21-26 tournaments and a second track for lower-ranked players to earn opportunities for promotion.

The elevated track would include the four majors, The Players Championship and the FedEx Cup playoffs. You figure the eight “signature events” that already exist maintain that status. That leaves five to 10 standard tournaments to select — and a bunch of regular-season tournaments that won’t make the cut.

Now that’s much more interesting to me. Who gets the axe? I’ve got four suggestions for a shortlist of tournaments to either chop completely or demote to the second tier.

There are plenty of reasons to cut a tournament, from lack of fan interest to an expiring sponsor to even the environment on Maui, which has dealt with wildfires and drought alike. (It’s worth remembering the tour also made several missteps pre-LIV Golf, dropping popular annual stops in Boston, New York, Washington and Chicago and cold-shouldering millions of golf fans in those areas. Rolapp rightly wants to claw some of those back.)

I considered five criteria to determine which ones wouldn’t be missed: TV ratings (2025 numbers compiled by Sports Business Journal), estimated attendance (tracked by the fellow behind this website), relative strength of field (measured by Datagolf.com), consensus about the golf course and location.

As luck would have it, we’ll start with the team event that begins Thursday:

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Most elite players, including past champion Rory McIlroy, are taking the week off because the Zurich comes at an odd time in the jam-packed schedule. A sampling of players who are in the field this week: Martin Couvra, Pontus Nyholm, Chandler Blanchet, Trace Crowe. Casual fans, are you excited yet? A shrinking New Orleans market and bottom-five TV ratings (among standard tour events) don’t help, but above all, it feels cheap for a pairs tournament to be doling out FedEx Cup points when it’s an individual sport the rest of the season.

CJ Cup Byron Nelson

I’d delete this from the calendar for the abominable name alone. That aside, TPC Craig Ranch is the real problem here. Dallas native Scottie Scheffler played the tourney last year and embarrassed the course by going 31 under par for four days. That prompted a revamp, and headlines promising the course is no longer a pushover are never a good sign. The field is weak, attendance is low and Dallas-Fort Worth doesn’t need to hog two tournaments when there’s more history at Colonial Country Club.

Rocket Classic

In 2019 the PGA Tour introduced both their Minnesota and Detroit events, the 3M Open and the Rocket Classic. The Upper Midwest is a good home for some July golf, but neither of these have any juice. I was torn between the two and nearly picked the 3M due to worse TV ratings, but I came back to Detroit Golf Club, which is flat and straight-ahead and usually quite soft due to summer rain. It’s boringly easy, with more birdies made there than any other course on tour in 2025. They left the D.C. area for this.

Wyndham Championship

The attendance is relatively low, the TV ratings aren’t better, but more than anything this choice comes down to philosophical fit. Right now the Wyndham serves as the final regular-season event for players to squeak into the playoffs. Top players never come here because they never have to. In the PGA Tour’s New World Order, it works better as a late-season tournament for the rookies and journeymen to scrap for promotion to the top track next year.

#Events #Axed #PGA #Tour #Shakeup #Deadspin.com

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