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Sei Young Kim led the BMW Ladies Championship at the end of first, second and third rounds this week at Pine Beach Golf Links in South Korea, but in the final round the nerves set in.

The 32-year-old South Korean pro hadn’t won a tournament since 2020, but she was in position to end the drought on Sunday — and then she missed a makable birdie putt on the first hole and three-putted for bogey on the third.

“I was very nervous from the very beginning, since it has been a while since I played in the last group, I wasn’t sure whether this was real. So I really was questioning myself,” Kim said. “… My father always told me when I’m nervous, ‘Don’t back off’ and I tried to remember that mindset.”

Kim didn’t make another bogey and made birdies on 5, 6, 7 and 9. She added two more on 14 and 15 to sign for a five-under 67 and cruised to the finish line. At 24 under, she beat runner-up Nasa Hataoka by four. Celine Boutier and A Lim Kim tied for third at 18 under.

It’s Kim’s 13th career victory, and she’s now a record 27th different winner on the LPGA Tour this season.

“I think it shows how strong the LPGA Tour is at the moment,” Kim said.

Back in 2019, Kim won three times, including the CME Group Tour Championship. She won twice more in 2020, highlighted by her only major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in October 2020 (which pushed her to No. 2 in the world). A month later she won the Annika but hasn’t lifted another trophy since.

As the drought continued, her confidence dwindled.

“There wasn’t any victory for the past five years. I was worried that this was going to get longer,” she said. “I just wanted to try hard, whether it takes five years or 10 years. I think it’s very important that you find the momentum and keep on that track, and keeping on the right track is I think one of the biggest lessons that I have learned. I want to take this momentum to have more wins in my career going forward.”

Kim started the day with a four-shot lead over Yealimi Noh and Hataoka, but Noh played the final 14 holes in even par after she was two under in the first four. Hataoka was one under after 11 and then birdied four of her last five, and while that late surge was good enough for runner-up honors, it wasn’t near enough to scare Kim.

“I think it took me more than 10 years to win in front of my family and friends,” Kim said. “It means so much to me. It is a tournament that I really wanted to win, and I find that I can’t express my words to all of it. I really had good energy from all the fans.”

Oct 19, 2025, 05:56 AM ET

HAENAM, South Korea — Decade-long LPGA Tour veteran Sei Young Kim carded a final round 67 to hold off any final round challengers as she claimed a four-stoke victory at the BMW Ladies Championship on Sunday.

It was Kim’s 13th career title since joining the tour in 2015, and ended a five-year long drought since her last tournament victory at the Women’s PGA Championship in 2020.

Kim, 32, finished with a four-round total of 24-under-264 at Pine Beach Golf Links on the Korean peninsula, with the South Korean only dropping a shot at the par-3 third before finding six birdies through the remainder of the round to comfortably hold her closest rival, Nasa Hataoka, at bay.

Hataoka of Japan also had a final round 67 to finish at 20-under 268, with Celine Boutier (67) and Kim A-lim (66) a further two shots back in a share for third place.

Defending champion Hannah Green shot 66 and finished at 17-under 271 in a share for fifth with Yealimi Noh (70) of the United States. Fellow American Lindy Duncan (65) was a shot further back in a three-way tie for seventh with South Korean pair Choi Hye-jin (63) and An Na-rin (63) who shared the lowest round of the day.

Jeeno Thitikul last week became the first multiple winner on the LPGA this season with a five-hole playoff win in Shanghai over Minami Katsu. Thitikul did not play this week but will be part of Thailand’s team in the International Crown next week.

After the International Crown, two more LPGA events are scheduled on the five-event Asian swing — at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and in Japan.

Getting booed off after your first match, and booed off with a fair degree of vituperation to boot, was not how Jack Wilshere intended his managerial career to begin. But that was what he endured as he led his players off the Kenilworth Road pitch past a seething Luton fanbase, who two years ago were loving life in the Premier League.

A 2-0 defeat by Nigel Cloughâ€s Mansfield was no disgrace, a finely balanced contest decided by the chances Luton failed to take and those that Mansfield didnâ€t. It was a loss that left the hosts 14th in League One, eight points off the playoff spots, but Clough was positive about Lutonâ€s prospects of turning things around under Wilshere, and surely that is correct. It would be wrong, though, not to note that there was an eerie note of fatalism in the ground, even as an apparent new era was only just getting under way.

Wilshere said the end of the match would not tarnish his memory of the beginning, when the former Arsenal star was serenaded on to the pitch with chants of “Super Jack†and the crowd were on their feet applauding. “It was probably one of the best moments of my career,†he said. “I felt the love, I heard the noise.†He also put the result down to technical errors, albeit mistakes that allowed a longstanding lack of confidence among his players to come to the surface.

“When you come from the Premier League straight to League One in two seasons, there obviously is something [going on],†he said. “So we knew that, we have to find out what it is, and I think we know what it is. We just have to find ways of being able to give the players more confidence. Iâ€ve said to them before, I want them to really feel the belief I have in them, and that doesnâ€t change.â€

Quick GuideLeague One roundup: Salech on target as Cardiff take top spotShow

Reyes Cleary’s stunning goal for Barnsley from inside his own half was the highlight of a 2-2 draw at Bradford, with the Bantams manager, Graham Alexander, calling the 60-yard strike “world class”. Patrick Kelly earned the visitors a point, cancelling out goals from Antoni Sarcevic and Stephen Humphrys.

Yousef Salech fired Cardiff to the top of the League One table in a 2-1 home win over Reading. Lewis Wing had given the hosts the lead, but after Omari Kellyman had pegged them back, Salech struck to secure the three points. That was enough to ease the Welsh side above Stevenage, who lost 1-0 at Lincoln after Rob Street’s first league goal for the Imps. AFC Wimbledon are level on 25 points with Stevenage and Bradford after a 2-1 win at Plymouth thanks to goals from Omar Bugiel and Marcus Browne, as are Stockport, who beat Exeter 1-0 with Nathan Lowe the scorer.

Jack Wilshere’s first game as Luton manager ended in defeat as his side went down 2-0 at home to Mansfield. Hatters striker Nahki Wells saw a first-half penalty saved before Rhys Oates and, from the spot, Tyler Roberts struck for the visitors. Northampton’s Sam Hoskins was also successful from 12 yards in a 2-1 win at Doncaster, who had taken the lead through Ben Close before Ethan Wheatley levelled.

Archie Collins handed Peterborough a 1-0 win at fellow strugglers Burton despite Tom Lees’ late red card, and Sam Nombe was Rotherham’s match winner as they beat Leyton Orient by the same scoreline.

Maleace Asamoah fired Wigan to a 1-0 home victory over Port Vale despite playing the second half with 10 men after Dara Costelloe’s dismissal, while managerless Blackpool surrendered two points at home to Wycombe when Jack Grimmer cancelled out Ashley Fletcher’s goal in the 12th minute of stoppage time. PA Media

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The link between a team and its fans is almost as crucial to a clubâ€s success as that between players and coach. When one side is at odds with the other, bad results often follow. Increasingly in the modern era, however, fans and players seem to mirror each other. That lack of confidence and belief Wilshere noted in his players, was also clearly detectable among the support.

Luton recorded their biggest crowd of the season, at 11,784, but the atmosphere in the town and around the ground was subdued. Among the crowd was Elk Walsh, from Adelaide, who had followed Luton all of his life because of his parents†affiliations and was now making his first trip to the ground. Walsh described himself as “eternally hopeful†in the manner you would expect from someone who had flown across the world to watch lower league football. But he also described Wilshereâ€s appointment as “spinning the wheel†and was still upset at the clubâ€s decision to dispense with the stalwart midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu in the summer. More frustrating still, he said, was his teamâ€s failure to score goals: “I feel like weâ€re never going to score sometimes, like weâ€re battling against an invisible force and I donâ€t understand why.â€

Luton fans display a welcome message to the new manager, Jack Wilshere, and the assistant, Chris Powell, at the start of the match. Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images

That invisible force was present on the Kenilworth Road pitch again as Luton emerged from a sticky opening period to take control of the game, but never scored. Their best player, Jordan Clark, who sat in Wilshereâ€s old No 10 position and impressed with some delicate touches, saw a beautiful effort clawed out of a top corner by Mansfieldâ€s Liam Roberts on the half-hour. Almost immediately after he won a penalty with a slaloming run, only for Nahki Wells to strike a tame effort into Robertsâ€s midriff. Seven minutes after that, Wells misplaced a pass awfully in the centre of the field and the Mansfield striker Rhys Oates was able to hit an effort almost identical to Clarkâ€s, albeit with the one key difference that it flew into the back of the net.

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From then on there was no sense that a team who have lost 53 games in the past two and a bit seasons were going to turn things around. An ungainly handball on the hour led to a penalty which Tyler Roberts rolled past Josh Keeley, and Mansfield eased their way to victory. Luton, meanwhile, struggled to make a pass or take a decision that wasnâ€t the wrong one.

How do a club and the town they belong to pull themselves out of a spiral of doom and gloom? For Wilshere it is a case of sticking together, learning lessons and building confidence. For Clough, who had taken charge of a remarkable 1,544th game as a manager and has Mansfield ninth, there is also a question of expectations and perspective. “Weâ€re at Mansfield enjoying life in League One,†he said. “Weâ€ve been in it for a season and a bit now, the first time that the club has stayed in the division for 35 years. So weâ€re enjoying ourselves and if we get anywhere near the top six, itâ€ll be a major bonus. Luton are expected to be in that top six, and itâ€s a different thing to deal with. Completely different.â€

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India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, right, and Chirag Shetty in action (Claus Fisker/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) In a thrilling men’s doubles semifinal at the Denmark Open Super 750, India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost to Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi on Saturday.The Asian Games champions, who had recently reached finals in both Hong Kong Super 500 and China Masters Super 750, showed resilience after losing the first game but ultimately fell short with scores of 21-23, 21-18, 16-21.The intense 68-minute match featured fast-paced exchanges and sharp rallies, marking the end of India’s campaign at the USD 950,000 tournament.The world No. 7 Indian pair entered the match as favourites with a 4-1 head-to-head advantage and three consecutive wins against the Japanese duo. However, the 2021 world champions Hoki and Kobayashi demonstrated superior coordination and precision at crucial moments.The opening game saw the Indians take an early 4-1 lead, but unforced errors allowed the Japanese pair to move ahead 5-4. Kobayashi’s angled smashes and Hoki’s returns helped them build a lead of 11-6 at the interval.After the break, Satwik and Chirag improved their rhythm, narrowing the gap to 12-13 and eventually levelling at 14-14.The Japanese secured the first game 23-21 after saving two game points, with Chirag’s final serve return hitting the net.In the second game, the Indians showed better form with Chirag’s aggressive net play and strategic placement, maintaining a lead at 16-14.They successfully closed the second game 21-18, with Chirag’s cross return forcing a decisive third game.The final game began as an intense battle of angles and reflexes. Despite good line judgments from Chirag keeping the score level at 5-5, errors gave the Japanese an 8-6 lead.The Indians briefly led 11-10 at the break, but the Japanese pair increased their intensity afterwards, winning a 31-shot rally to take a 13-11 lead. Hoki and Kobayashi maintained their momentum with steep attacks and better anticipation, extending their lead to 17-13.Despite a brief comeback attempt by the Indians reducing the gap to 16-19, a net error from Chirag gave the Japanese four match points.Kobayashi sealed their first final appearance of the year with a precise return, ending the match at 21-16 in the deciding game.

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Pakistan ended world champions South Africa’s unbeaten run by completing a 93-run victory in an entertaining and hard-fought first Test in Lahore.

The Proteas, whose 10-match winning streak in Test cricket culminated in victory over Australia in the World Test Championship final in June, were dismissed for 183 in pursuit of 277.

Having resumed on 51-2, they lost first-innings centurion Tony de Zorzi lbw to left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi to the third ball of the day to push the finely-poised chase in Pakistan’s favour.

Left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who took 10-191 in the match, removed Tristan Stubbs for two and bowled Dewald Brevis, who offered some resistence with a run-a-ball 54.

Off-spinner Sajid Khan also took advantage of sharp turn to end opener Ryan Rickelton’s stay – he lasted 145 balls for 45 runs – and Shaheen returned in the afternoon session to knock over the tail with a fine display of reverse swing.

He had Kyle Verreynne lbw for 19 and bowled Prenelan Subrayen and Kagiso Rabada to seal the win.

It was both sides’ first match of the 2025-27 Test championship cycle and moves Pakistan straight into second place behind leaders Australia.

Their victory was built around contributions of 93 by opener Imam-ul-Haq and, crucially, number seven Salman Agha which lifted them to 378.

From there spinners Noman and Sajid took advantage of favourable home conditions, as they did in their Test series win over England last year, to maintain their advantage.

The second and final Test begins on 20 October.

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Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss Xander Schauffele’s return to the winner’s circle, Jeeno Thitikul breaking an LPGA streak, fromer pros playing in the U.S. Mid-Am, Tiger Woods’ latest surgery and more.

Xander Schauffele won the first two majors of his career last season but was winless in an injury-plagued 2025 — until this weekend, when he won the Baycurrent Classic in Japan by beating Max Greyserman, who has now finished runner-up on Tour five times and is still without a victory. Who needed Sunday’s trophy more — Schauffele or Greyserman?

Xander Schauffele wins Baycurrent Classic to snap 15-month victory drought

By:

Josh Sens

Sean Zak, senior writer (@sean_zak):The correct answer is probably Greyserman, as we’ve seen when it comes to guys needing to get over that first-victory hump. But Schauffele had genuinely battled some confidence issues throughout this year. Remember, it was Xander who we counted on to mount any serious defense to Scottie Scheffler’s war on pro golfers. Schauffele considered himself a couple pegs below Scheffler at the beginning of 2025 and that had to grow and grow as the season wore on, without any wins or even real moments in contention. This was massive for him just to remind himself — you’re one of the five best golfers in the world.

Nick Piastowski, senior editor (@nickpia):I think the answer comes down to what you like more — a breakthrough or a re-breakthrough. Greyserman has put together a solid couple of years on the PGA Tour and is one of pro golf’s hardest workers, and you get the feeling one win would lead to three more quickly — so you could argue that he needed it more, as you’d like to see him keep rolling. But if you’re a fan of stars and players who play at the highest levels, then the answer is Schauffele. This season, the two-time major winner has been battling back from injury, and for him to start next year with a win at the top of his mind is no doubt beneficial.

Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): That’s a good way of framing it, Nick. Greyserman is still looking for that first W, so he needed it more. But the game as whole is more compelling when a guy like Schauffele is in synch.

Jeeno Thitikul won the LPGA Shanghai in a playoff to become the LPGA Tour’s first two-time winner this season, ending a surprising streak in which the 26 previous events this season were won by 26 different players. This comes just one year after Nelly Korda won seven times last year. Which is better — the parity or a player or two dominating?

Jeeno Thitikul’s history-stopping comeback win meant something more

By:

Josh Schrock

Zak:It is not the parity. I promise you it is not the parity. TV ratings, overall interest, etc. will back it up. The LPGA needs at least one, if not two or three front-runners that are locking horns against each other and setting some standard for players 5-30 to fight for.

Piastowski:The depth of talent on the LPGA is stunning — but greatness sells. You tune in for Tom Brady. For Michael Jordan. For Nelly Korda. The hope, I would think, is that the players around her will push her to even greater heights.

Sens: A fiery rivalry is best. That obviously requires a rare kind of talent, but also certain personality types. I’ve heard some grousers complain of Scottie Scheffler’s “Pete Sampras” effect–dominance without flash or a full embrace of the spotlight can have a dulling effect. As Sean says, the LPGA needs a player like Korda at her best–ideally with a few foils around her.

2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur champ Brandon Holtz joined GOLF’s Subpar podcast to break down his mid-am title and playing Augusta, and he also discussed the controversial topic regarding former pros regaining amateur status. At the U.S. Mid-Am, 14 of the final 16 players were former pros. Do you have any issue with this? Should it be harder for pros to regain amateur status?

Should pros regain amateur status? Here’s what the mid-am champ says

By:

Josh Berhow

Zak:The problem with the phrasing of this question is it makes all 14 cases seem the same. They’re not! I do think the USGA could do a much better job of publicizing its criteria for former pros regaining am status. What does a cup of coffee on the PGA Tour mean on that journey? To answer the question, I’m mostly conflicted without good, hard information and context. Dear USGA, help us out and maybe we’ll stop talking about it!

Piastowski:I just wonder if this can’t be solved by another category — let those who’ve always played as amateurs play in one category, and have those one-time pros play in another. Just a thought.

Sens: I’m not sure exactly what the answer is, but the issue needs to be addressed as events like the Mid-Am are losing touch with their original identity. A similar issue reared its head at this year’s Walker Cup, which featured a guy who’d been playing pro golf only a year before. Remember the Pub-Links, which got away from its roots and became so overrun by college standouts that it became unrecognizable and was cast into the dustbin? No one wants to see a repeat. A smart friend of mine suggests that as with so many things in golf, Augusta National holds the cards in this: if the green jackets put a foot down and said something like, we don’t want to see former pros getting into the Masters on the strength of an amateur win; it’s not in the amateur spirit of Bobby Jones. So, do something about this or we’re going to stop extending April invites to some of your amateur event winners.

Two TV-centric announcements came last week: the full schedule of season 2 of TGL and the news of Netflix’s Full Swing coming back for season 4. Now with sample sizes at our disposal, have these two supplementary productions succeeded in expanding the sport’s reach? Anything you’d like to see different from either?

Netflix’s ‘Full Swing’ golf series coming back for 4th season

By:

Jessica Marksbury

Zak:As much variability as possible in results of shots from TGL. Whatever you think is a lot, I want more. And as for Full Swing, my attention span for that show is pretty minimal now. I’m not the audience they’re chasing, though! So if I were asking for something, it would be hyper-narrow focus on all the ways the PGA Tour is DIFFERENT from F1 or the ATP Tour. Because the same company has produced a lot of the same docu-follows on pro sports, these world tours all seem like slightly different cousins when in reality they’re very, very different.

Piastowski: To the first question, the answer is yes. Golf on a Monday night in the dead of winter, as TGL provides, is something additive. Golf stories on demand, as “Full Swing” offers, are something additive. Here are some requests. To TGL, fewer house ads; we don’t need constant reminders why we’re tuned in. (And I like Sean’s idea — gimme the funky.) As for “Full Swing,” you’ve established your ‘stars,’ so now let’s go deeper. I don’t mind the season yearbook approach, but, as my editors say, tell me something I don’t know.

Sens: I’m not sure whether to think of these shows as engines of change or mirrors that capture how the game is evolving. Probably a bit of both. Personally, I have a hard time getting very excited about either. But I’m not the target market, and based on my anecdotal experience (getting paired with strangers on the course; listening to friends’ kids talk about golf), I’m not the best barometer of success. In fact, if I find it boring, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve got a runaway success.

Tiger Woods announced he had a seventh back surgery Friday, this one replacing a disk in his lower back that caused pain and mobility issues. Do you think we’ll see Tiger in 2026?

Tiger Woods makes ‘good decision’ to have another back surgery, return is unclear

By:

Josh Schrock

Zak:Not as a player. Hopefully as a very comfortable, walking-18 golf dad/coach! And very likely as a TGL non-playing captain. For all the Tiger obsessives desperate to see Woods as the next American Ryder Cup captain, I think we’re forgetting that his main priority in 2027 will be watching/traveling alongside Charlie Woods’ burgeoning college career.

Piastowski:I don’t see it, and it’ll also be a bit disappointing not to see him and son Charlie at this year’s PNC Championship. But then again, that’s his call and he knows his body best. Champs tour golf also allows for carts, you know.

Sens: Not in competition. But he’s got other roles to play in the game and in life. Seems long past the time for us all to let go of expecting anything more.

The Korn Ferry Tour season ended Sunday at French Lick in Indiana with 20 players earning PGA Tour membership for 2026. Who is one player casual fans should have on their radars?

These 20 Korn Ferry Tour players just earned their 2026 PGA Tour cards

By:

Josh Schrock

Zak:Casuals love to obsess about the longestgolfers in the pro game — I’m excited for them to be in awe of Davis Chatfield, who doesn’t hit it far but just knows how to get the damn ball in the hole. He was 140th in driving distance but 1st in accuracy. On the KFT — the ultimate mash-it-and-chase-it tour — that’s not necessarily a recipe for success, but he found plenty of it with three top-3 finishes. That’ll get you to the big leagues. No,w what can you do with it?

Piastowski: Neal Shipley. He’s a personality. He’s a player. He’s a Waffle House enjoyer. The PGA Tour needs all of that.

Sens: Christo Lamprecht. Crazy tall. Crazy long. Far from another robopro in appearance and playing style. We’ve seen flashes of him, like when he briefly held the lead at the Open a couple years ago. It will be fun to see more.

The Call Your Shot Gauntlet match at TNA Bound For Glory 2025 lit up the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts, but fans werenâ€t thrilled with how it ended — and they werenâ€t quiet about it either.

TNAâ€s annual spectacle went down on Sunday, October 12, with the intergender Call Your Shot Gauntlet match once again offering the winner a future title shot of their choosing. The rules were clear: survive the battle royal, make it to the final two, and win by pinfall. But this yearâ€s match took a left turn nobody saw coming.

Léi YÇng Lee entered the match at #1, followed by Mara Sade. The early minutes were full of surprises — Ryan Nemeth entered third, but quickly got jumped by both women. Nic Nemeth entered fourth to back up his brother, and Cedric Alexander hit the ring next in his Bound For Glory debut.

As more names entered — including Rich Swann, AJ Francis, Eric Young, Jake Something, and even YouTuber BDE — the eliminations piled up. The Rascalz stormed in as a unit, while Dani Luna, Rosemary, and hometown surprise entrants added even more chaos.

One moment drew major heat: Jody Threat was scheduled to enter at #17 but never made it to the ring. Frankie Kazarian ambushed her and stole her spot. Santino Marella came out next, Cobra in hand, and dropped Kazarian before being swiftly tossed out by Nic Nemeth.

Then Matt Cardona entered at #19 to a thunderous ovation and quickly cleared house, only to be double-teamed by the Nemeth Brothers. Mance Warner was the final entrant, taking the match down to the final stretch.

It all came down to Kazarian — who was never officially eliminated — and Nic Nemeth. After both men appeared to score a pin at the same time, the referees couldnâ€t come to an agreement. In the end, TNA declared them both winners.

That announcement set the crowd off. Fans erupted in boos, chanting “bullsht!â€* as both Kazarian and Nemeth celebrated their dual victory. Social media lit up with fans calling the decision a “joke†and demanding TNA make it right.

The Call Your Shot Gauntlet may have produced two winners, but it left the audience with zero satisfaction. Now the big question is — will both men actually get a title shot, or will TNA be forced to revisit this messy finish?

What did you think of the double win at TNA Bound For Glory? Should there have been a clear winner? Drop your comments below and let us know how youâ€d fix this finish.

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MILWAUKEE – When Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer swung the trade to bring Kyle Tucker into the fold last offseason, the goal was to transform the offense and make a run at the World Series. If those goals were met, the fact that Tucker was around for only one year would have been worth it.

On Saturday night, Tucker stood in front of his locker in the visitors†clubhouse at American Family Field, facing an uncertain future in the wake of the Cubs†3-1 loss to the Brewers in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. He did transform Chicagoâ€s lineup, but the North Siders†quest to be the last team standing is over.

“It sucks,†Tucker said. “But Iâ€m very proud of this group.â€

The question now, of course, is whether Tuckerâ€s one-year experience with the Cubs will carry any weight as the days tick toward his free agency. The star outfielder will be arguably the best all-around hitter on the open market, positioning Tucker to land a lengthy, lucrative contract even after an injury-marred 2025.

Other potential top free-agent hitters in this winterâ€s class – some weighing opt-out clauses – include Kyle Schwarber, Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, Bo Bichette and Cody Bellinger.

Tucker was asked if his ideal outcome would be to sign a long-term deal with the Cubs.

“Weâ€ll see what happens,†Tucker said. “I donâ€t know what the future is going to hold. If not, it was an honor playing with all these guys and I wish everyone the best of luck, whether itâ€s playing next year or not with them. Itâ€s a really fun group to be a part of.â€

In the winner-take-all Game 5, Tucker went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, including one against lefty Aaron Ashby with two on and no outs in the sixth inning. It was an opportunity for Tucker to swing momentum Chicagoâ€s way, with the Brewers clinging to a 2-1 lead at the time.

After Tucker struck out, Chad Patrick took over for the Brewers and retired Seiya Suzuki (flyout) and Ian Happ (strikeout) to end the Cubs†potential rally. That 0-for-3 showing represented Chicagoâ€s only chances with runners in scoring position in the loss.

“That was the inning,†Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Itâ€s really the only inning you could talk about. We just didnâ€t do much. We had six baserunners. Youâ€re going to have to hit homers to have any runs scoring in scenarios like that.â€

Throughout this season, the Cubs†offense functioned its best when Tucker was healthy and productive. He went 2-for-4 in Chicagoâ€s clinching win over the Padres in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series. In Games 3-4 of the NLDS at Wrigley Field, Tucker was 4-for-6, with three walks and a home run.

“He meant a lot,†Cubs first baseman Michael Busch said. “The consistency of at-bat. Getting on base and driving [in runs]. Heâ€s just as complete of a hitter as you can get. I think putting him in any lineup, heâ€s going to be right up at the top. I think heâ€s one of the best hitters in the game. He can change that lineup just with putting him in there.â€

Hoyer sent Cam Smith, Hayden Wesneski and Isaac Paredes to the Astros on Dec. 13 to land Tucker, knowing it might only be a one-year arrangement.

In 136 games, the 28-year-old Tucker hit .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs, 25 doubles, 73 RBIs, 25 stolen bases and nearly as many walks (87) as strikeouts (88). He dealt with a hairline fracture in his right hand in June and later missed three-plus weeks in September due to a left calf strain, but he returned in time for the playoffs.

Tucker entered July with a .291/.395/.533 slash line and earned a spot in the starting lineup for the NL All-Star team. He was putting up MVP-caliber production, and the Cubs†lineup was one of the best units in baseball over the first three months, averaging 5.4 runs per game.

“The depth that he provides in our lineup is so obvious,†shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “[Heâ€s] somebody you can count on each and every day to show up and have professional at-bats and do things that help the team win ballgames. So, you know, any time you can have a player like that on your team, you obviously want that.â€

For what itâ€s worth, Tucker raved about the relationships he established in such a short time with the organization.

“I feel like weâ€re just kind of one big family,†Tucker said. “Weâ€re not just here to show up to work. Weâ€re hanging out outside the field and becoming close. I donâ€t know that thereâ€s many teams that are like that or not, but this team definitely built a lot of relationships on and off the field this year.â€

Tucker also believes the ballclub – with a foundation of young talent mixed with core veterans – has the ingredients for multiple postseason runs.

“I think this team is really, really talented,†he said. “A great group of guys. And I can definitely see this team having a lot of success in the future.â€

Does that give the Cubs any kind of advantage in free agency?

“I donâ€t really know right now,†Tucker said. “I was more worried about the game tonight and everything. Iâ€ll kind of get through this today and worry about that a little later.â€

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The Hardy Boyz are riding high on a wave of momentum as of October 12, 2025, ahead of their title defense against Team 3D at TNA Bound For Glory.

Jeff Hardy (48) and Matt Hardy (51) are in the dusk of their wrestling careers. Team 3D (Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley), who pioneered the TLC match alongside The Hardy Boyz and Edge & Christian, will wrestle for the last time this Sunday. They will challenge for the TNA Tag Team Championship and the NXT Tag Team Championship, both of which are currently in possession of The Hardys.

The Hardy Boyz Only Signed A One-Year Deal With TNA

The Hardy Boyz signed with TNA in November 2024 for another run. Fightful Select has confirmed those were one-year deals. Sources in the company have said that the deal has been mutually beneficial and a lot of positive has emerged from it. It should not surprise anyone that Jeff and Matt Hardy are still heavily in demand and have stayed hours after TNA shows to honor meet-and-greets.

While TNA hopes to retain them, at the time of this writing, their contracts will be up next month. Unless a contract extension has been discreetly negotiated, The Hardy Boyz will be on their way out sooner rather than later.

Matt Hardy Hints At Retirement From In-Ring Competition

During an episode of TNA Impact three months ago, Matt Hardy articulated his thoughts regarding the latest run of The Hardy Boyz. According to Matt, they don’t want to overstay their welcome, and the business will move on long after they retire.

Weâ€re being very real with ourselves, and we donâ€t want to overstay our welcome, because the business will move on after the Hardy Boyz are gone,†he said.

Meanwhile, Jeff Hardy has openly stated earlier this year that the “perfect ending” to his wrestling career would be a world title win and, most importantly, a WWE Hall of Fame induction.

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Just one day after confirming her departure from WWE, Stevie Turner has dropped a major update — sheâ€s stepping back into the ring.

Turner, who recently served as the on-screen General Manager of WWE EVOLVE and was assistant to NXT GM Ava, confirmed her release on October 10. But sheâ€s not wasting time getting back to action. In a post that immediately caught fan attention, Turner revealed sheâ€s getting ready to compete again.

“Canâ€t believe Iâ€m gonna get to wrestle again.â€

Turner was signed by WWE in 2021 as part of the NXT UK brand. Before her shift to a managerial role, she worked matches on NXT UK and WWE Level Up, and even faced TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace during Graceâ€s guest appearance on NXT in June 2024. Turnerâ€s last in-ring match came in February at an NXT live event.

Before WWE, she built a strong name on the independent circuit as Bobbi Tyler, with runs in STARDOM and RevPro.

Her exit from WWE was unexpected given her prominent role in helping launch the EVOLVE brand on Tubi. Introduced as EVOLVEâ€s GM during the March 26, 2025 episode, Turner played a central role in the showâ€s early narrative direction. On October 10, she announced her exit with a message that kept things optimistic.

“My time with WWE has come to an end. Iâ€ve had a brilliant time and Iâ€m so excited for the future 😆 see you soon!â€

Now with her in-ring return confirmed, fans are already speculating where Stevie Turner might land — and who she might face next.

Are you excited to see Stevie Turner back inside the ropes? Which promotion should she join next? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know who youâ€d book her against first.

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