Browsing: future

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 Tiger Woods’ first public comments in months, the potential for a new PGA Tour schedule, Rory McIlroy’s career major total and more.

Tiger Woods spoke to the media for the first time in several months when he held his annual press conference at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas (won by Hideki Matsuyama). Tiger touched on a variety of topics; which was most interesting to you?

Dylan Dethier, senior writer (@dylan_dethier): I was most intrigued by Woods’ involvement in the future vision for the PGA Tour; I wrote about that here but what’s fascinating to me is the pairing of Woods — the ultimate insider, and at this point one of the Tour’s longest-tenured figures in any position — and Rolapp — the ultimate outsider with admittedly very little golf-specific knowledge — as the shapers of the Tour’s future.

Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow):I don’t think anyone anticipated this particular presser getting so into the rumored schedule changes, but I thought Tiger speaking about it added some legitimacy to it. The health update was both unsurprising and disappointing. I don’t think Tiger can come back and contend regularly these days, but it would be fun to see him healthy and play a few times a year. The watch is on for the Masters.

James Colgan, news and features editor (@jamescolgan26): I was most interested by Tiger’s comment about YouTube. He indicated he felt the infinite video library of swings on the internet was helping to turbocharge golf’s youth movement. Every so often, you’ll hear Woods say something that reflects he thinks about golf on a wholly different plane from most mere mortals. One example was when he started talking about the “cut” and “draw” spin necessary on chip shots at Augusta National. This was another.

As the chair of the Future Competitions Committee, Tiger also indicated the Tour is looking at creating a shortened schedule (and avoiding the NFL) that could begin in 2027, although he was light on details. There’s been much talk about the potential for a new Tour schedule in the future, but what’s the biggest hurdle from making it all happen?

Dethier: Ironically one of the things the Tour wants to change is the same thing preventing it from making that change. There are so many [buzzword alert] stakeholders, so many separate deals with so many different tournaments that it’s challenging to get everything just right for everyone without crossing a dozen can’t-cross lines. Put another way: the Tour is a big boat, and it’s tough to turn a big boat around.

Berhow: Wow, love the boat analogy, Dylan. Good work. But the answer is there’s a lot in the way of making something like this happen. I’d love a schedule that takes the best 70-some players and puts them in the same 20 or so events a year (including majors) and all of a sudden we have some simplicity, continuity, distinction and burgeoning rivalries. But what about the middle class? How many members are there? How does the Korn Ferry Tour factor in? What about the smaller events? It’s frustrating we still don’t have a great way to do this, but I am also happy I’m not the person in charge of this. Because it can’t be easy.

Colgan: Every so often, the history of a major professional sports league comes down to the brute force capacity of its leadership. For baseball, this happened with the pitch clock. For basketball, with the first and second “aprons.” For football, with the 2011 lockout. I think brute force is the biggest hurdle facing the PGA Tour, and we’ll know if Woods and PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp have the gumption for it soon enough.

Six-time major champ Nick Faldo said it will be “tough” for Rory McIlroy to win another major title, saying, in part, “it is like climbing Everest, you don’t turn around and say, ‘Let’s go up again next month.’ There was so much emotion at Augusta, and you cannot reproduce the emotion to win a major like that again.” Do you buy this? And what say you, how many more majors does Rory win in his career?

Dethier: Faldo’s right that you can’t reproduce that emotion. But you can certainly recharge and come back hungry for more. I’ll give Rory two more majors, seven in all, rarified air and one more than Faldo…

Berhow: It seemed like a bit of a cheap shot since technically you could say this about any recent major champ. But that’s what makes these guys great. They find ways to keep that drive and continue to push back the goal posts. Rory wins three more majors. He’ll have enough chances.

Colgan: The very centerpiece of Sir Nick’s argument here is wrong. The emotion was Rory’s greatest obstacle to breaking the major drought — not a superpower. A Rory McIlroy playing more freely, more aggressively, and more self-assuredly would have won eight majors over the last decade — and the freedom to live into that version of himself is what’s going to accelerate the last stage of his competitive life.

The PGA Tour released the finalists for its Player of the Year (Jack Nicklaus Award) with Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Ben Griffin earning nominees. While it seems likely Scottie snags his fourth straight this year, let’s look ahead: which player not on this list will be a nominee at this time next year?

Dethier: Cameron Young. The second half of this season, with his victory and Ryder Cup star show, was a turning point. Cam’s time is coming.

Berhow: Tommy Fleetwood. Another guy who got hot late and will continue to build off it. I also think a healthier Xander bounces back and returns to something closer to that 2024 form.

Colgan: Lots of fun answers to this question, in part because of the number of players who seemed to take a half-step back (due to injury or form or some other reason) in 2025. I’ll go with Ludvig Aberg, who was the trendiest pick in golf to win at Augusta in April. We’ve seen golfers take a step back in their second pro season before, only to bounce back in a severe way in Year 3. Aberg still has all the talent, it’s just a matter of time.

The PGA Tour and LPGA merge for the Grant Thornton Invitational this week in Florida. Which two-person pairing is the most intriguing to you?

Dethier: Bud Cauley and Jessica Korda for one simple reason — we haven’t seen Jess Korda play competitive golf in two years! In the meantime her younger sister has had a career’s-worth of successes, with a few rollercoaster dips mixed in for good measure. Fun week ahead.

Berhow: The Jessica Korda pick is a good one. I’ll go with Luke Clanton and Lottie Woad, a pair of former Florida State standouts who have the potential to be stars on the big tours.

Colgan: I can’t explain why, but it feels to me like Wyndham Clark and Lexi Thompson have lived similar lives. I’m excited to see them in action.

Mohamed Salah could be omitted from Liverpoolâ€s Champions League trip to Milan to play Inter on Tuesday after his outspoken attack on the club and Arne Slot.

Salahâ€s future at Anfield is in question after the incendiary interview he gave at Leeds on Saturday, in which he accused the club of throwing him under a bus. The 33-year-old also claimed he no longer has a relationship with Slot, who omitted the forward from his starting lineup for a third game in succession.

The Egypt forward has 19 months remaining on the £400,000-a-week contract he signed in April but is likely to be the subject of renewed interest from the Saudi Pro League when the transfer window reopens next month. Al-Ittihad, who failed in a £150m move for Salah in September 2023, and Al-Hilal are both believed to be keen on signing the third highest goalscorer in Liverpoolâ€s history.

Salahâ€s immediate future is also unclear. The forward reported for training on Sunday as scheduled. Members of the Liverpool hierarchy are understood to have discussed the situation but did not wish to inflame matters with a public response. Slot now has to decide whether to include the disillusioned player in his plans for Inter.

Liverpool will train at their AXA base in Kirkby on Monday morning, with the first 15 minutes open to the media. The squad will fly to Italy in the afternoon before Slot faces questions for the first time on Salahâ€s claims at a press conference at San Siro.

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Salah, who received a message of support from the Egyptian Football Association on social media on Sunday, suggested in his interview at Elland Road that he may have played his final game for Liverpool. He is due to report for Africa Cup of Nations duty next Monday, 48 hours after Liverpool host Brighton at Anfield, but it is uncertain whether he will be involved in the clubâ€s next two matches.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas said Saturday that Luis Suárez will be the one to decide whether he remains with the club next season, but emphasized that the door remains open.

The 38-year-old joined Inter Miami in December 2023 on a one-year contract, before the forward decided to extend the deal through the 2025 Major League Soccer season. His current contract is set to expire in the hours following the team’s MLS Cup appearance on Saturday.

– MLS Cup in Miami is all about Messi. Can Vancouver crash the party?
– Vancouver isn’t built around its star, and Müller & Co. are better for it
– Suárez targets major role for Inter Miami in MLS Cup final

“Luis Suárez is a legend of football, he is one of the best nines not only of this generation but of all time. Luis will have to make a decision when the season is over, so tomorrow,” Mas told reporters ahead of the clash with the Vancouver Whitecaps at Chase Stadium.

“In terms of the club, I want to say this because I have read a lot about Luis, I’ll say it in this context: If in the beginning of the year, they gave us a paper about a center forward that played more than 4000 minutes and scored more than 15/16 goals and 16/17 assists, everyone here would sign that paper to have a forward like that.

“Luis deserves to be able to make that decision to be able to leave through the front door and be celebrated like he should be by the club. And if he decides to stay at the club for another year, it would be great. I would like to see Suárez stay.

Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez arrive at Chase Stadium for Saturday’s MLS Cup final between Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps. Rich Storry/Getty Images

“Obviously then the conversations would be how Luis Suárez would stay, but obviously we would include [head coach, Javier] Mascherano and Luis, but the decision is up to him.”

Suárez concluded the 2025 MLS regular season with 10 goals and 10 assists in 28 appearances, before going on to record one assist in four playoff matches.

Mascherano recently made the call to replace Suárez with Mateo Silvetti in the starting lineup, incorporating the Argentine teenager in the previous three games for Inter Miami.

The decision originally stemmed from Suárez earning a one-game suspension for the final game of the Round One best-of-three series against Nashville SC, but Mascherano continued to play with the offensive trident of Silvetti, Lionel Messi and Tadeo Allende following the end of Suárez’s ban.

“At the end of the day, Luis [picked up the suspension], and that’s the reason we have a squad of players,” said Miami co-owner David Beckham. “That’s the reason we have a squad of good players that can come in and make a difference.

“When Luis picked up the suspension, there was an opportunity for someone else to come in and those players that come in have done really well, so that’s the opportunities that come along. It’s why we build a squad of players.”

Inter Miami heads into MLS Cup against the Whitecaps on Saturday after recording three consecutive victories with four or more goals. The team won 4-0 against Nashville, 4-0 against FC Cincinnati and 5-1 over New York City FC in the Eastern Conference final to reach the league final for the first time.

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Rohit Sharma (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.) Former Indian cricketers Mohammad Kaif and Irfan Pathan commended Rohit Sharma’s performance as he scored his 61st ODI fifty during the third match between India and South Africa in Visakhapatnam.Opening the innings with Jaiswal, Rohit scored 75 runs from 73 balls. The duo established a 155-run partnership at a run-a-ball pace while chasing 271.

Fans travel thousands of kilometres to watch Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma play

During his 75-run innings, the former Team India captain achieved the milestone of 20,000 international runs. His knock included seven fours and three sixes.”Hitman isn’t going anywhere! Has plenty left in the tank.. pillar of indian cricket,” Kaif posted on X.At 38 years old and having retired from Tests and T20Is, questions arose about Rohit’s ODI future and his ability to perform until the 2027 World Cup. His recent form shows 340 runs in his last five ODI innings.”Unreal consistency at the age of 38 by Rohit sharma. He is in total control,” Irfan Pathan shared on X.Rohit’s partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal marked his 35th century opening stand in ODIs. This achievement places him second on the all-time list, behind only Sachin Tendulkar who has 40 such partnerships.India won the toss and chose to field first in the match. South Africa managed to score 270 runs before being dismissed in 47.5 overs.In the chase, India displayed impressive batting prowess. Jaiswal remained not out on 116 runs.Rohit contributed 75 runs while Virat Kohli added 65 runs to the total.India secured a comfortable nine-wicket victory, winning the series 2-1.

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Itâ€s official: Netflix is buying Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal worth $82.7 billion, and it could reshape the entire entertainment industry—including the future of All Elite Wrestling.

On December 5, 2025, Netflix and WBD issued a joint press release confirming theyâ€ve entered into a definitive agreement. The deal includes Warner Bros. film and TV studios, HBO, and HBO Max, with Netflix agreeing to pay $27.75 per WBD share in a mix of cash and stock. That translates to an equity value of $72 billion, with the total enterprise value pegged at $82.7 billion.

Netflix said the move will give its subscribers access to an unprecedented library of content, ranging from Harry Potter and Game of Thrones to The Sopranos, The Big Bang Theory, and more—while building on its own franchises like Stranger Things and Squid Game.

“Our mission has always been to entertain the world,†said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. “By combining Warner Bros.†incredible library of shows and movies… with our culture-defining titles… weâ€ll be able to do that even better.â€

Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters added that this deal would benefit both consumers and content creators:

“With our global reach and proven business model, we can introduce a broader audience to the worlds they create—giving our members more options, attracting more fans… and strengthening the entire entertainment industry.â€

WBD CEO David Zaslav also weighed in:

“By coming together with Netflix, we will ensure people everywhere will continue to enjoy the worldâ€s most resonant stories for generations to come.â€

Now hereâ€s where things get real for AEW. AEWâ€s entire television and streaming presence—TNT, TBS, and Max—is under the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella. With Netflix now in control, the future of Tony Khanâ€s promotion could depend on whether AEW aligns with Netflixâ€s evolving content strategy. Netflix has already moved into weekly live wrestling by streaming WWE RAW starting in 2025, but thereâ€s no guarantee theyâ€ll make room for AEW, too.

If AEW no longer fits into the new parent companyâ€s plans, Khan may be forced to find a new media partner or restructure his entire broadcast model—especially as Netflix focuses on platform consolidation and cost-cutting.

While Netflix said it intends to maintain Warner Bros.†current operations, a lot can change as executives merge strategies and start trimming overlap. The companies also expect $2–3 billion in cost savings per year, a figure that could spell trouble for less-prioritized programming.

The acquisition is expected to close in 12 to 18 months, pending regulatory approval and the completion of WBDâ€s previously announced separation of its Global Networks division into a separate publicly traded company.

With AEW programming still tied to TBS, TNT, and Max, and Netflix already betting big on WWE, the next year could be one of the most uncertain periods in AEWâ€s broadcast history.

Do you think AEW will survive under Netflix ownership? Should Tony Khan start looking for a new home for Dynamite and Collision? Share your thoughts in the comments—we want to hear your take on how this industry shake-up affects pro wrestling.

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Auston Matthews is 28 years old and on pace for a 37-goal, 70-point NHL season, and yet Iâ€m here to reflect on “whatâ€s wrong with him,†so please allow that as context for the type of player weâ€re talking about here.

This is a player not being judged against his peers, by which any metric would show his season and contributions to date have been very good. Rather, he’s being judged against himself as someone whoâ€s set the bar so high it’s only attainable by the best few players on the planet.

Matthews is less than 20 months removed from finishing up a 69-goal, 107-point season, then a couple seasons more from his Hart Trophy win as the leagueâ€s MVP. For years heâ€s won faceoffs, stripped the opposition of pucks with a deft stick, and put up defensive numbers that earned him a Selke Trophy nomination.

But today, in every category, heâ€s taken steps back. He now throws fewer hits, has fewer takeaways, scores less, and is just generally less dominant. He doesnâ€t have the puck as much, doesnâ€t shoot it as hard, and isnâ€t skating as fast.

So, what gives? Heâ€s 28, not 38, and the true elite tend to have long plateaus of greatness in their careers, even when they fade a bit from their absolute heights.

Last season we know a lot of Matthews’ step back was injury related. Almost all of it, Iâ€d wager. Maddeningly, we donâ€t know exactly what that injury was, but we know at some point his wrist was an issue, and Iâ€ve pieced together enough bits of information to believe his back has given him trouble too (without real info, all we can do is speculate.) How much, we canâ€t know, but last year we plainly saw with our own eyes that he tried to play through it all, but was just not the same player.

That effort was admirable, but for a Leafs team that went to Game 7 of Round 2 against the eventual Cup champs, the elite version of Matthews couldâ€ve made all the difference. It was frustrating, and they hoped to see their captain get back to greatness.

This season he was supposedly healthy, but his stats lagged behind his usual output (and Iâ€m referring to his usual output when he played without Mitch Marner), he eventually took a couple hard pieces of contact from Nikita Zadorov and missed five straight games over two weeks.

The questions that were once quiet have grown in volume.

Will he ever be the same player again?

What are the Leafs if heâ€s only very good, and can they still win playoff rounds like that?

Heâ€s given them four points in four games since returning, and his underlying numbers have been way better, but folks arenâ€t here for his “underlying numbers.†Neat shot attempts dude, etc. etc.

He spoke with The Athletic this week, and said a lot about his progress, though it included phrasing like “I think Iâ€m getting there,†and implications that he would “certainly like to get to another level†and that “I think itâ€s turning in the right direction.â€

Whatâ€s hard with those questions is that the player and team prefer there to be an information vacuum around his injuries, so we can only speculate about what that means (gotta be his back, right?).

For the question: “Will he ever get there again,†the answer is “no.†He will never again be the leagueâ€s best player, in part because Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon are co-holding that title with merciless grips, while rising superstars like Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard try to climb their way up. Matthews was always on the fringe of that top tier, and for a couple seasons things went just perfectly. I think itâ€s impossible to even see him being a top-five player again, in part because of age (heâ€s not likely to get better post-28), and in part due to these injury slow-downs.

But thatâ€s not to say Matthews canâ€t still be great…and I do mean great-great.

A lot of the gameâ€s best players have adapted their style as theyâ€ve gotten older. Iâ€m thinking of Sidney Crosby specifically, and to a lesser degree, even former Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry. They donâ€t get faster or more dynamic, they get smarter. Those are more grindy types of players, but Matthews is routinely among the NHLâ€s shot-blocking leaders for forwards, and he does have great defensive ability. Thereâ€s a more calculated version of his game, a more methodical one, that can still be impactful given his ability to flat out rip pucks into the back of the net on minimal chances.

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If he settles into a version of his game thatâ€s maybe less powerful, but more all-around, can he be reliable and still have 50-goal seasons in him? A healthy Matthews could still do that. And if he scores 50 with an all-around defensive game, itâ€s reasonable to say he could still have years where heâ€s around the leagueâ€s top-10, which the Leafs could still build a winner around.

But my biggest question about Matthews’ loss of ability is, will he ever be the take-away king we saw him be for a couple seasons? That ability was a huge part of what kept his lines on offence and out of their own end, but if he’s slower or less strong, it may be nullified now. The Leafs need that part of his game to come back, and itâ€s an area that would worry me if I were them.

Barring some sort of off-season surgery, whatever injuries he’s had seem likely to bite off enough of his fastball to keep him from that “generational talent†tier of players. But again, thatâ€s not writing the guy off as someone who could still be at the top of a winning team.

Against Florida this week, Matthews showed those flashes. At even strength he had six scoring chances, a breakaway, and even passed up a few other looks where a more confident version of himself would pull the trigger.

And can’t that also come with more confidence?

One of his superpowers of old were these quick shots from bad angles where the goalies wouldnâ€t expect it, and only the most supremely confident players would even bother attempting. Making those sorts of efforts, which have nothing to do with injuries or age, is just about pure confidence. Thereâ€s no reason why he couldnâ€t find some runs of feeling good where those start to go in, too.

The Leafs need Matthews to build on the success he’s had since returning so far, and to stay healthy, so they in turn can build something sustainable this season. To keep him healthy, theyâ€d do well to back off his penalty-killing ice time and only deploy him on the third forward pair, if at all. They could try to keep him closer to 20 minutes a game than his season average, which is up over 21 (itâ€s already dropping from his October time on ice average, which was around 22 minutes).  They need him to play, and to play better than his sub-1.00 points per game pace.

It’s tough to forecast what the rest of Matthews’ career will look like, but other greats have had injury worries at different times in their own careers. When those subside, the skills that brought them to their great success are still lying in wait. Matthews is no different.

The more games big 34 plays in a row, the more reason the Leafs have to believe heâ€ll get closer to the version of his game that weâ€ll have to start calling his “best.†Even if heâ€s not going to be a Hart Trophy guy, thereâ€s surely a version of Matthews’ game with which they can still win.

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Darby Allin was legitimately hospitalized following his November 26 match against Kevin Knight on AEW Dynamite, and his status in the Continental Classic tournament is now up in the air.

The former TNT Champion—famous for putting his body on the line—suffered real injuries during the bout, and itâ€s not part of any storyline. On the December 3 edition of Dynamite, Excalibur announced that Allin was not cleared to compete and that further updates would be shared on Collision.

Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Radio confirmed the injury was legitimate and clarified rumors about the extent of Allinâ€s hospital stay.

“Somebody tweeted that he had been in the hospital for a week and he was still there. Thatâ€s not quite true. What happened was he got hurt in the Kevin Knight match last week,†Alvarez said. “The spot that looked the scariest was the coast-to-coast dropkick. He got smashed with that move. I donâ€t know if thatâ€s the move where he got hurt, but he got hurt.â€

As for where things stand now, Allin has been discharged and is back home, but his future in the tournament is unclear.

“He was in the hospital for a while, but they did clear him because he ended up going home. So he can travel. Heâ€s out of the hospital,†Alvarez added. “The impression I was given was theyâ€re going to find out more on Collision. He might stay in the tournament, and he might not. They have to, I guess, figure it out in the next few days, depending on how heâ€s doing.â€

Allin is part of the Gold League in AEWâ€s Continental Classic—a loaded block featuring Kazuchika Okada, Kyle Fletcher, “Speedball†Mike Bailey, PAC, and Kevin Knight. As of the December 3 Dynamite, Fletcher leads with 6 points, Okada has 3, and Allin sits at 0 after his loss to Knight.

If Allin is pulled from the tournament, AEW may be forced to award forfeits to his remaining opponents, which would drastically shake up the Gold League standings. Fans will likely get a final answer during Collision in Columbus, Ohio.

Do you think Darby Allin should continue in the tournament, or should AEW prioritize his recovery and pull him now? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

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Bryan Danielson just gave fans the clearest update yet on his health—and itâ€s not the comeback news many were hoping for.

After being off the active roster for over a year, The American Dragon revealed in a new interview with Chris Van Vliet that his neck issues have reached a critical point, and any hopes of an in-ring return are looking grim. Danielson confirmed heâ€s on the verge of needing neck surgery, and that increased travel due to his AEW Dynamite commentary gig has made things worse—not better.

“So I have degeneration throughout my entire neck from C1 to T2. Iâ€m on the cusp of needing surgery. Iâ€d really like to avoid it as much as possible. Iâ€d like to never get neck surgery. I was actually doing really well until I started traveling more for commentary, and now itâ€s really gone downhill.â€

Danielson admitted he had been holding onto hope—maybe even fooling himself—that a limited return could be possible. But reality has hit hard.

“I had these delusions of, ‘Okay, maybe I can get back and do a little bit of wrestling.†Now I see that they really are delusions, because this traveling is like… this is not a good idea.â€

When asked if he considers himself fully retired, Danielson didnâ€t dance around it — but he also made it clear heâ€s not ready to use the r-word just yet.

“I hate the r‑word because I was forced to retire before. I never consider myself fully retired. I think… this is how a lot of wrestlers think: ‘Well, I think I could do this in this situation if needed or called upon.â€â€

“But yeah—effectively, for the Bryan Danielson that I used to be, yeah, that guy doesnâ€t exist anymore.â€

Even though heâ€s not lacing up his boots weekly, Danielson hasnâ€t disappeared from AEW. Heâ€s still a regular on Dynamite commentary and even got physical at AEW All In: Texas, stepping in during a brawl with the Death Riders. But for those holding out hope that The American Dragon might roar again — this update feels like the closing of a chapter.

Danielsonâ€s honesty makes it clear: the physical toll of his legendary career is catching up, and the dream of one final match may not be worth the cost.

Do you think Bryan Danielson should step in the ring one last time, or is it time for him to prioritize his long-term health for good? Share your thoughts in the comments — and let us know how you feel about this new chapter in Bryan Danielsonâ€s career.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.

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The final question of Tiger Woods’ Tuesday press conference at the Hero World Challenge yielded an unexpectedly poignant answer.

“You’re chairing the Future Competitions Committee,”a reporter began. “l’d like to know, personally, what is your motivation to contribute heavily to the strength of the PGA Tour?”

It’s a question central to the present and future of men’s professional golf. Woods has enough money, prestige and time to do just about anything, of course — but he’s chosen to fill his days with Zoom calls and strategy meetings in an attempt to reinvent a tour on which his own competitive days are numbered. Is Woods careless with his time? Nobody thinks that. But nobody knew how carefullyhe’d thought about his decision to moonlight as a golf bureaucrat. Not until Woods answered the question.

“Well, the PGA Tour gave me an opportunity to chase after a childhood dream,” he said. “I got a chance to hit my first ball in my first PGA Tour event when I was 16 years old. I know that’s what, 33 years ago, but I’ve been involved with the PGA Tour ever since then.

“A little kid from Cypress, California, growing up on a par-3 course got a chance to play against the best players in the world and make it to World No. 1. I got a chance to be involved in a lot of different things on our Tour. This is a different opportunity to make an impact on the Tour.

“I did it with my golf clubs, I made a few putts here and there and was able to do that. Now I’m able to make an impact in a different way for other generations to come. Not just generations that I played against, but for future generations. Like a 16-year-old looking for a place to play, maybe hoping to play the PGA Tour.”

Woods’ monologue hit on a theme we haven’t heard much recently: That the PGA Tour isn’t a [winces] product in need of [winces again] optimization and [bangs head on desk] profit maximization. It asked us to question if the PGA Tour might also be something else entirely: A place where childhood dreams come true.

As Woods reminded us, his first Tour appearance came 33 years ago. He’s set to turn 50, which means he’s lived two-thirds of his life as a PGA Tour golfer. We’re all old, but every person fears the age when time is measured in multiples and fractions. Like this one: Woods has lived more than half his life since hosting the Hero World Challenge tournament for the first time; he launched his first limited-field invitational at the ripe age of 24 … 25 years ago. In this year’s field, only Akshay Bhatia — who turns 24 next month — is younger than Woods was then. Tom Lehman won the 2000 Williams World Challenge. He’s 66 now. Again, we’re all old.

“The guys that I played with when we first had the World Challenge early in the 2000s, they’re all — I’m the youngest one,” Woods said. “I’m about ready to turn 50, so those guys are all on the Champions Tour or even retired from the game of golf. They don’t play anymore.”

A glance around the media center served as a reminder that Woods’ longevity isn’t just about the players — he’s outlasted just about everybody. Reporters, Tour officials, industry trends. How many newspapers had golf writers covering that first event? By my count there were zero this time around.

Time wins and time changes. Hearing Woods speak in the Bahamas only amplified these truisms. The last member of the old guard is now responsible for leading a coalition taking a bulldozer — or at least a pair of sharpened shears — to the Tour schedule and structure as we’ve come to know it. The ultimate insider seems an unlikely fit to rethink the current structure, but that’s Woods’ directive as chairman of the new Future Competition Committee, whose stated goal is to create an “optimal competitive model” for professional golf.

“I mean, to be honest with you, we started with a blank slate,” Woods said. “What would be the best product we can possibly create? What would it look like?”

Enter his partner-in-revolution, new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp.

In generations past, candidates for Tour commissioner were graded on an unofficial rubric of traits like “golf background” and “golf handicap.” Rolapp, who was the NFL’s No. 2 before taking the Tour’s top job this summer, is woefully unqualified by those metrics but the envy of the sports world in nearly every other. In this strange time in golf, Rolapp’s golfing inexperience is treated as an advantage rather than a hindrance. His outside perspective means he has a fresh set of eyes. He and Woods are an unlikely pair — but as the ultimate insider and ultimate outsider, perhaps they’re perfectly complementary, too.

On Tuesday evening at Albany — the glitzy, exclusive Bahamas retreat that serves as Hero host — Woods and Rolapp led an on-site meeting for players on the progress of the Future Competitions Committee. The subtext was clear: the Tour’s two leaders were going to address the future.

Since his hiring, Tour pros have consistently described Rolapp using two words — “impressive” and “direct.” In no small part because of a general distrust of Tour leadership since the surprise LIV peace accords of June 2023, players make those two attributes sound like a ringing endorsement. The FCC’s plans are not finalized, but an unofficial player poll on Wednesday yielded positive reviews on their process and delivery. Rolapp is transparent. He makes things sound simple. He’s aware of the power of tradition but isn’t personally bound by it. He’s a pragmatist with a laser focus. And every player on site was reportedly in attendance at the meeting, a small but critical show of credibility.

Scottie Scheffler praised Rolapp’s smarts and his work ethic.

“I’ve been very pleased with the conversations that I’ve had with him, the things that I’ve been hearing,” the World No. 1 said. “Think they’re looking at things the right way and I’m excited about some of the changes they’re looking to make.”

Keegan Bradley praised his urgency.

“I think Brian’s trying to make changes right away and he’s definitely got a great vision to make the Tour the best as it can be,” the Ryder Cup captain said. “I really love the fact that we’re not waiting, like this isn’t ‘we’re changing in three years, four years.’ No, we’re doing this next year.”

As for Woods’ assessment?

“Brian’s been fantastic,” he said. “What he’s done so far in a short time with his leadership skills and his personality and how he handles situations, his calmness, his thoughtfulness, his directness, transparency, all the things that we were looking for and we needed on the Tour — he has delivered in spades.”

Now comes the hard part: Action.

Rolapp has met one-on-one with dozens of Tour pros, in person or over the phone. There’s concern about change on the horizon, but many players are resigned to it. After all, there’s a widespread understanding that the Tour has been operating inefficiently for decades — the product of another old guard that revered traditions even when they didn’t always make sense. Why is every event owned and operated by somebody different? Why isn’t the Tour in Chicago or Boston or Seattle or New York? Why is the Tour in Memphis in August? When you have Signature Events and Alternate Events, what does it really mean to win a PGA Tour event? Some things could use simplifying. Some traditions could use a shake-up. Time wins and time changes.

This is why Tiger Woods became a bureaucrat, and this is why he cares about Zoom calls: Because he knows that the old guard is replaced eventually — even when the old guard is Tiger Woods.

But the childhood dream lives on.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and his agent Alex Saratsis are having conversations with the Milwaukee Bucks about the two-time NBA MVP’s future — and discussing whether his best fit is staying or a move elsewhere, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

A resolution to these talks is expected in the coming weeks, sources said, which will result in shaping whether Antetokounmpo is available ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

Antetokounmpo came into the season having bought into the championship roster vision of general manager Jon Horst and coach Doc Rivers. Before the season started, sources said Antetokounmpo would examine the Bucks’ first 25 or so games this season and make decisions on his long-term future, depending on whether the team showed signs of competing in the Eastern Conference.

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The Bucks are 9-13, having lost eight of their past nine games, and are 11th in the Eastern Conference. Several sources have characterized the losing as frustrating for Antetokounmpo and the team’s front office, coaches and the rest of the players. But one source with direct knowledge of the situation described it as “the writing is on the wall” on the inevitable outcome for Antetokounmpo unless there is a dramatic turn of events in the Bucks’ season.

Over the offseason, Antetokounmpo explored external options and was open to playing for one team outside of Milwaukee — the New York Knicks — as a potential trade home. Sources described it as an exclusive negotiating window for the Knicks over a multiweek period in August, but that will not be the case moving forward.

Multiple other teams would be expected to emerge as suitors for the nine-time All-Star if trades are explored.

On Oct. 1, 2026, Antetokounmpo will be eligible for a four-year, $275 million maximum extension through the 2030-31 season. He’d be able to sign the same deal with another team six months after a trade, if he is moved.

Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 30.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists on 64% shooting, is talking to the slumping Bucks about his future with an eye on the Feb. 5 trade deadline, sources told ESPN. Getty Images

During training camp before the start of the season, Antetokounmpo acknowledged the temptation of joining another team, reiterating a desire to compete for a championship. So even though he emphasized his commitment to Milwaukee at the start of the year, he left a window open stating that it would be “human to change his mind.”

Milwaukee, meanwhile, believed a strong season would be enough to quell trade speculation for their superstar and the Bucks raced out to a 4-1 record to start the season. The Bucks, however, haven’t been able to sustain that level of competition, especially without Antetokounmpo on the floor.

The Bucks went 0-4 when Antetokounmpo had to sit out four consecutive games with a groin injury last month. Overall, the Bucks have a 1-5 record in games without Antetokounmpo. Even with Antetokounmpo back in the lineup over the past week, the Bucks have gone 1-2 entering Wednesday night, which includes a loss to the previously 2-16 Washington Wizards on Monday.

Milwaukee’s offense is averaging 126.9 points per 100 possessions with Antetokounmpo on the floor, which would lead the NBA, but 107.7 points per 100 possessions when he is not on the floor, which would rank third to last in the league.

Antetokounmpo, who turns 31 this week, is averaging 30.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists on 64% shooting.

ESPN’s Jamal Collier contributed to this report.

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