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This week’s 2025 Link Hong Kong Open is no normal Asian Tour event. There are huge rewards on the line for winning the event this year, namely spots in the 2026 Masters and Open Championship.

Given the major ramifications, dozens of LIV Golf pros are in the field this week. And after shooting the lowest score of his life in Round 1, phenom Tom Mckibbin, one of the newest members of LIV, has the best chance of claiming those major invites.

Here’s what you need to know.

Tom McKibbin’s controversial decision to join LIV

First, a little background on McKibbin. The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland was one of the most promising golf prospects in the world over the past few years.

In 2024, McKibbin played well enough of the DP World Tour to earn his PGA Tour card for 2025. But there was one complication for the up-and-coming star: LIV Golf had also made him an offer.

McKibbin is from Northern Ireland and grew up playing Holywood Golf Club, the same course where Rory McIlroy learned the game.

‘He’s giving up a lot’: Rory McIlroy tried to convince phenom not to join LIV Golf

By:

Kevin Cunningham

Given their connection, McKibbin called McIlroy to get his advice on the big decision he faced: should he join the PGA Tour with McIlroy or play on LIV Golf?

McIlroy tried to convince McKibbin to choose the PGA Tour, arguing that he risked giving up other opportunities if he went to LIV.

“I think what [McKibbin] potentially is sacrificing and giving up with access to majors, potential Ryder Cup spot,” McIlroy told reporters in January. “If I were in his position and I had his potential, which I think I have been before, I wouldn’t make that decision [to join LIV].”

Though McKibbin admitted to taking McIlroy’s advice into consideration, he ultimately decided to spurn the PGA Tour in favor of LIV.

The fact that he wasn’t qualified for the majors in 2025 at that point influenced his decision.

“But I think I wasn’t in — I’m not in those majors anyway at the minute, so it really didn’t bother me too much,” McKibbin said earlier this year.

But now McKibbin has a legitimate shot to qualify for two 2026 majors in Hong Kong.

Tom Mckibbin eyes Masters invite after shooting 60

More than two dozen LIV Golf pros are teeing it up at the Hong Kong Open, and only two of them already have spots in either the Masters or Open Championship in 2026. Patrick Reed, who shot 59 to win last year’s Hong Kong Open, is qualified for the Masters as a former champion.

Fellow LIV pro and major winner Louis Oosthuizen similarly will play the 2026 Open Champions as a past winner.

But most are in the field hoping to earn their way into the Masters and Open, a more difficult task for LIV pros since world ranking points are not awarded at LIV Golf events.

That proved to be enough incentive for McKibbin to have one of the best rounds of his career. The Northern Irish pro fired a six-under 60 on Thursday, with eight birdies, one eagle and zero bogeys.

Rory McIlroy’s LIV warning? Here’s why this young pro ignored it

By:

Josh Schrock

“It was obviously a very, very good round. I didn’t really miss too many shots, holed a few nice putts and took advantage of the two par-5s that there are out there. And yes, 60 shots later, I’m sitting here!” McKoibbin said after his round.

He added, “60 is the lowest round that I have ever shot – 62 has been my best before. So it was nice to break that, fantastic.”

Though he just missed tying Reed’s 59 from last year, McKibbin’s 60 actually set the course record, because Reed’s 59 was shot under lift, clean and place rules. He then followed it up with a 65 in the second round to extend a two-shot lead at the halfway mark. Peter Uihlein, Jazz Janewattananond and Kiradech Aphibarnrat are tied for second at 13 under.

Oct 26, 2025, 09:37 AM ET

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Pongsapak “Fifa” Laopakdee rallied from a six-shot deficit with a 4-under 68 and beat 16-year-old Taisei Nagasaki of Japan on the third playoff to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur, sending him to the Masters and the Open Championship next year.

Laopakdee, a junior at Arizona State, became the first player from Thailand to win the championship that began in 2010.

The winning shot for Laopakdee turned out to be a 6-iron that cleared the water with inches to spare on the 18th of the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club, staying on the slope just beyond the yellow hazard line. From there, it was a simple up-and-down for his fifth straight birdie dating to the 17th hole in regulation.

Laopakdee said he had told Arizona State coach Matt Thurmond, “I’ll win this event and be the first Thai amateur to play in the Masters.”

He looked into the camera after it was over and said, “Coach, I did it!”

Nagasaki, who started the final round with a five-shot lead over Rintaro Nakano, was tied with Laopakdee after a two-shot swing on the 15th hole. But the Japanese teen responded by making an 18-foot birdie on the 16th, driving the reachable par-4 17th for a birdie and hit an exquisite chip to 4 feet on the par-5 closing hole.

But he missed the birdie putt for the win, closing with a 74 to join Laopakdee at 15-under 273. Laopakdee had to get up-and-down from a back bunker to birdie the last two. He shot 5-under 32 on the back nine.

“After I finished 18, I didn’t even know I shot 5-under par on the back nine,” Laopakdee said. “It was amazing golf. Shout out to Taisei. He made my life so hard.”

More sensational shots followed in the playoff. Nagasaki chose to lay up on the 18th and clipped a wedge over the water to 2 feet for birdie to stay in the playoff after Laopakdee made birdie from behind the green.

Laopakdee used his power to set up another simple up-and-down on the reachable 17th in the playoff, and Nagasaki matched his birdie with another superb pitch.

But on the 18th for the third playoff hole, Nagasaki went well left of the green, and his chip from a sticky lie came out heavy and left him some 35 feet away. He two-putted for par.

“Very disappointed,” Nagasaki said through an interpreter as he used his shirt to wipe away tears. “I really struggled to make a score.”

Nakano closed with a 71 and finished third for the second straight year.

As WWE SmackDown took place, the wrestling world noticed a sudden “appearance” of a certain AEW star, who then responded on social media.

During the brawl between Jimmy Uso and Drew McIntyre, security personnel arrived to stop the two from tearing each other apart. As the segment continued, the internet saw an interesting tidbit, which is also seen in AEW television regularly.

Lance Archer, a current member of The Don Callis Family, is sporting braids and extensions, which is his signature look. One member of the security personnel from SmackDown ironically wore the same set.

You may check out this tweet below:

Whatâ€re ya doing on #SmackDown@LanceHoyt?? pic.twitter.com/HXrUnUzL8A

— “Hot Sauce†Bill Moss (@therealBillMoss) October 25, 2025

It was later revealed to be Doug Malo, who was famous for pushing off Raja Jackson from Syko Stu. He was one of the security guards from the McIntyre-Uso fiasco on SmackDown this week.

AEW star Lance Archer Reacts to His “Appearance” on WWE SmackDown

The internet definitely took note of “Lance Archer” being on SmackDown, and the said AEW star had to share his thoughts on X/Twitter.

When one user posted his “appearance” in WWE sporting his signature extensions, the Murderhawk Monster couldn’t help but marvel at the striking resemblance. He then claimed that everyone wants to be like him.

You may check out the tweet below:

Everyone wants to be the MURDERHAWK!

— The Murderhawk Monster Lance Archer (@LanceHoyt) October 25, 2025

For context, Archer was a former WWE superstar in his own right from 2009 to 2010. He performed in the ECW brand and had a feud with Shelton Benjamin before getting released on November 19, 2010.

After his stints at Global Force Wrestling (now TNA) and Japan, the Murderhawk Monster arrived in AEW to be Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ client. He even challenged Jon Moxley and Miro for the AEW and TNT Championships respectively, but was unsuccessful in both.

Aside from wrestling in the Jacksonville-based promotion, Archer also performs for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, which has been his home since 2011, despite being contracted to Tony Khan’s company. He was a former IWGP Tag Team Champion with Davey Boy Smith and a former IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion.

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For Marco Penge, what a difference a year has made.

On Sunday, Penge held off several challengers to win the Spanish Open and punch his ticket to the 2026 Masters and Open Championship. The 27-year-old Englishman has won three times on the DP World Tour this season, earned his PGA Tour card and appears to be headed for bigger things.

But 12 months ago, he was in the midst of a free fall. Penge had descended to No. 440 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and faced a career-defining, five-foot birdie putt at the Genesis Championship in Korea. Had Penge missed, he would have missed the cut and lost his DP World Tour card. He rolled it in and finished 22nd to narrowly keep his playing privileges.

But Penge’s year-long odyssey was only just beginning. He played last year under the knowledge that the DP World Tour was investigating him for breaching betting regulations. Penge admitted he placed bets on golf majors and the Ryder Cup, events he wasn’t playing in. He claims he didn’t know he wasn’t allowed to make small wagers on tournaments he wasn’t playing in. Regardless, the DP World Tour suspended Penge for three months in December.

He returned and won the Hainan Classic in April. An ADHD diagnosis in June, he said, helped him better understand himself and the type of training regimen he needed to follow. He won again at the Danish Golf Championship in August and yet again in Spain on Sunday.

Penge is headed to the PGA Tour as one of the year’s 10 best DP World Tour players who were not already exempt. And yet, as often has been the case in the fractured professional golf landscape, there have been unsubstantiated rumors in some corners that Penge might instead make the jump to LIV Golf, as Tom McKibbin did earlier this year.

On Sunday, Penge was asked about his future and whether LIV Golf is an option.

“I’m going to America tomorrow with my wife to find a place for when we move in January,” Penge said, via Ten Golf. “So as far as I’m aware, I’m playing the PGA Tour next year and hopefully I can have a great season and finish in the [FedEx Cup] Playoffs there and then come back to the DP World Tour and play the rest of the season here. Hopefully, I’ll have a great season and finish in the Playoffs there and then come back to the DP World Tour and play the rest of the season here.

“I love playing golf, and I’d play every week if my team let me. I want to be playing against the best players in the world, and I want to be playing national opens like this. When you win a couple of national opens, that’s something that I’ll never forget. It’s something my family will never forget. That’s my plan.”

In less than a year, Penge has gone from almost falling into the golf hinterlands to No. 31 in the world.

“It’s hard to believe where I was eight months ago to where I am today,” he said. “To do that [get to 31st in the world] on the DP World Tour, where the points are slightly less, is incredible [but] I’m not the sort of person to big myself up.”

The PGA Tour is next. At least, that’s the plan.

October 12, 2025

(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT)

The China Smash victory last year gives Wang Chuqin 10,900 ranking points, building a buffer of nearly 3,000 points ahead of No. 2 Lin Shidong.  Shidong has 8,075 points, a 2,025 buffer between his spot and Hugo Calderano in No. 3.  No other position in the Rankings is as safe, as most of the leads from one spot to the next are just a few hundred points – leads that could be overcome in a single event.

After Calderano, is Harimoto in fourth.  Felix Lebrun gained two positions to move up to No. 5.  The two players who Lebrun passed are Truls Moregard (now No. 6) and Liang Jingkun at No. 7.  Benedikt Duda remains the top German player at No. 8.  Xiang Peng holds No. 9.  And Darko Jorgic rounds out the Top 10 at No. 10.

China, obviously, is the strongest nation right now with four players in the top 10 – including the two top spots.  It is interesting to note that right now, they only have four players in the Top 20 and at many points over the last several decades there have been 6 or 7 Chinese players in that top echelon.  France, Germany, and Japan all have three players in the Top 20 – and Korea has almost reached that level as Jang Woojin is No. 21 while he has two teammates in the Top 20.

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MADRID — Marco Penge beat fellow Englishman Daniel Brown in a playoff to win the Spanish Open on Sunday and secure a spot in next year’s Masters and Open Championship.

Penge relinquished a four-shot lead but came out on top with a birdie on the first playoff hole to win his third European tour title this year.

“Dan and Joel (Girrbach) played great today, they were holing putts and I just couldn’t really get it in the hole, it felt like I was really up against it,†Penge said. “But I felt like I managed myself really well and I actually think tee to green, I feel like I played really solid. It doesn’t matter the putts, I think I used them all yesterday, but obviously holing that one there was worth the wait.â€

It was the first time the national tournament offered the winner an automatic spot for the Masters and the British Open.

“It’s crazy,†Penge said about playing in the Masters. “It’s a golf course that I’ve always wanted to play, because I feel like my game sets up really good for it.â€

Penge, who shot a 1-over 72 on Sunday, finished tied with Brown at 15 under for the tournament.

Brown, whose 31st birthday was on Saturday, started five shots back but he made a run after shooting a 4-under 67 in the final round. That was despite dealing with a right shoulder ailment that required treatment during the back nine. He forced a playoff with a birdie on the final hole.

The 27-year-old Penge also won at the Danish Golf Championship and the Hainan Classic.

Girrbach (69) was four shots back to start the day. The Swiss player finished third at 14 under for the tournament.

Home-crowd favorite Jon Rahm, who was seeking a record fourth Spanish Open title, wasn’t really in contention at the start of the final round, but he closed with a 6-under 65 to finish in a tie for ninth.

Shane Lowry, who like Rahm was back in action after helping Europe win the Ryder Cup in New York last month, didn’t make the cut at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid in the Spanish capital.

Milwaukee Admirals forward Joakim Kemell (25) fires a shot past Chicago Wolves defenseman Joel Nystrom (9) in a game Friday, April 18, 2025, at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Nashville Predators needed a serious shot in the arm to finish off a pre-season that had them in a bit of a tailspin.

Joakim Kemell provided it in a big way in Saturdayâ€s 3-2 overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes at Bridgestone Arena.

If there were any doubts as to whether the 5-foot-11, 182-pound Finnish winger has put himself on the Opening Night roster, he may have erased them with his performance Saturday. The Preds were in danger of falling into another lackluster spell until Kemell changed the game in a heartbeat.

The 21-year-old may not have scored a hat trick in terms of goals, but he did have a trio of big moments in the game: an overtime winning goal, a secondary assist on another, and a crunching hit on a player three inches taller that caused the Hurricanes to lose their composure.

After Carolinaâ€s Sebastian Aho drew an unsportsmanlike misconduct penalty, Kemell got the puck at the blueline and passed to his right. Brady Skjei fed it back to Kemell, who tallied the golden goal on a one-timer at 4:44 of the extra frame. Skjei and Fedor Svechkov each picked up an assist.

Joakim Kemell speaks to the media following the 3-2 overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025 at Bridgestone Arena. Video Courtesy of the Nashville Predators

“I like to shoot, so I hit the net and I can score sometimes,†Kemell said after the game.

A modest assessment, to be sure. But itâ€s what Kemell did earlier that had everybody in Bridgestone Arena buzzing.

Kemell delivered a massive hit to 6-foot-2 Andrei Svechnikov at center ice, causing the Russian winger to lose his stick.

This obviously didnâ€t sit well with the Canes. Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov took a swipe at Jonathan Marchessault, and Ahoâ€s unsportsmanlike misconduct set up a 4-on-3 man advantage for the Predators. Kemell made the most of the opportunity on the next shift.

“I mean, just a part of me,†Kemell said of his hit on Svechnikov after the game. “I like to play hard and I like to hit. I mean, that was good timing. I donâ€t know what to say… Good hit, good goal.â€

Predators center Ryan Oâ€Reilly is a 17-year NHL veteran, yet he was amazed by the intensity of Kemellâ€s hit.

“Thatâ€s one of the harder hits Iâ€ve seen in hockey, to be honest with you,†Oâ€Reilly said. “In overtime, you never really see that. That was pretty special.â€

Kemell contributed to the Predators†goal that put them ahead 2-1 at 4:59 of the second period, earning a secondary assist on Tyson Jostâ€s first unofficial goal as a Predator since being claimed on waivers Oct. 1.

Kemell played on a line with Jost and Svechkov, which had several quality shifts throughout the game.

“I’ve seen a lot of things, but I don’t think I’ve seen a hit like that in 3-on-3,” Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. “Then, to get a goal after they were trying to get at him, was pretty fun to be a part of.”

Taken 17th overall by the Predators in the 2022 NHL Draft, Kemell provided the intensity when the team needed it the most. Whether it can carry over into the regular season remains to be seen, but it at least ended the pre-season on a positive note for the Predators, who have shown a propensity for lackluster play in their last three games.

“I hope we keep that feeling, because we worked really hard for that feeling (Saturday),†Brunette said.

A player is often judged by how he responds when something is on the line. In the case of Kemell, it’s a final roster spot.

With Luke Evangelista now signed and ready to join the team, that could affect Kemell securing a top-six forward spot. But Matthew Wood being placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury may have kept the door open for Kemell. Saturday’s performance could have made those final decisions easier for the Preds†brass.

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Greg WyshynskiSep 19, 2025, 07:00 AM ETCloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.HENDERSON, NV — Connor Bedard didn’t take it…

WorldofVolley :: Poland and Netherlands secure Round of 16 spots at Volleyball World Championship – WorldOfVolley By continuing to use…

EDMONTON — A year ago, the Edmonton Oilers were returning to work after bitter disappointment, having clawed back from an 3-0 Stanley Cup Final deficit the previous spring, only to lose Game 7.

Today, the latest defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers is still very much a reality. But as strange as it might sound, having gone through a second summer of discontent, getting back on the horse gets a little bit easier this time around.

“Two years ago, it was heartbreaking. And you’re a little bit broken, a little bit beaten down emotionally,†Connor McDavid told Sportsnet earlier this month. “Last year was less emotional, less of a roller coaster. It was less draining, I would say.

“Everybody feels a little bit fresher, if that makes sense. It was easier to dust yourself off and get back to work.â€

And so the journey begins once again. Back at base camp, fresh off a summer of rest and training, another run up Everest with a vow to plant their flag at the peak this time.

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Two of the this seasonâ€s new faces arrived at the trade deadline last season, as a healthy Trent Frederic, on a new eight-year deal, becomes a part of Oilers†core, while defenceman Jake Walman enters the final year of his deal, and by all accounts would like to re-sign in Edmonton.

Matt Savoie will make a run at holding down a right wing spot, and has shown ahead of Ike Howard in rookie camp. Czech David Tomasek — who led the Swedish league in scoring — attempts to take his career to North America at age 29, while veteran Curtis Lazar is here to man a spot on the fourth line.

Andrew Mangiapane, signed as a UFA, inherits the right-wing sing spot next to Leon Draisaitl, the only 50-goal, 100-point man in the NHL last season.

But itâ€s not the new guys who drive the bus in Edmonton, as we all know. So letâ€s dig on a training camp that they hope will lead to a better summer next year.

Salary cap space: $225,834

Head coach: Kris Knoblauch

Assistant coaches: Paul McFarland, Mark Stuart, Peter Aubry

Key additions: Andrew Mangiapane, Ike Howard, David Tomasek, Curtis Lazar

WHAT WEâ€LL LEARN DURING PRE-SEASON

• Can Tomasek help an NHL team at age 29?

Tomasek led the Swedish Hockey League in goals (25) two seasons ago, and assists (33) and points (57) in 2024-25. He arrives in North America at age 29, having proven he has European hockey mastered, yet it’s a complete unknown when it comes to how his game will translate to the National Hockey League.

Tomasek has decent size (six-foot-one), an above-average one-timer, and the experience of a World Junior and two World Championships to help him assimilate. He shoots right, and slots in as a third-line winger who will battle Savoie for prime ice time in Edmontonâ€s top nine.

But, what is David Tomasek, really?

Is he Jiri Dopita, a Czech star whose game did not translate to the NHL in the early 2000s? Or is he some lesser version of Igor Larionov, who came over at age 28 and was an NHL superstar?

• Will Howard and Savoie both make the team?

Savoie and Howard are the two young, inexpensive wingers every good team needs to balance its books. But they have to be able to keep their heads above water in the NHL for their entry-level salaries to matter.

In two games between the Oilers rookies and the Calgary Flames rookies, Savoie stood out, while Howard did not. The fact that Savoie has a year of AHL hockey with Bakersfield under his belt — not to mention four games with the Oilers last season — gives him a clear advantage.

Howard has a training camp to show that there is top-nine left-wing spot with his name on it. In Edmonton, not Bakersfield.

• Is Zach Hyman fit?

Hyman exited the Western Conference Final last spring with a dislocated wrist and serious ligament damage, an injury he rehabbed all summer. Weâ€ll learn shortly if the Oilers expect him to be ready for Game 1 of the season, but right now the suspicion is that he will not be.

That will leave a training camp/early season spot next to McDavid open for the likes of Tomasek, Savoie and (theoretically) Howard to exploit for some early gains.

• What about Alec Regula?

GM Stan Bowman had Regula in Chicago, where the six-foot-four, right-shot defenceman played his 22 NHL games between 2021-23. Since then, heâ€s been largely injured, missing the entire 2024-25 campaign.

Bowman signed Regula to a two-year deal with an AAV of $775,000 because his Oilers are light on the right side. Can Regula find his way past one of Troy Stecher or Ty Emberson to stick in the Oilers†top-seven D-corps? Heâ€s a long shot.

• What can a new goalie coach mean?

Dustin Schwartz is out, Peter Aubry is in as goalie coach. So what does that mean for the Oilers†No. 1, Stuart Skinner?

Two years ago, Skinner was a top-10 NHL goalie, ranking T-3 among NHL starters in wins (36), 14th in save percentage (.905) and eighth in goals-against average (2.62). Last season, those stats fell to 26 wins, .896 and a 2.81 GAA.

At 26, Skinner enters the prime of his career, and in the final year of his contract, one really gets the feeling that this is a crucial campaign. Either he establishes himself as a top-10 goalie — one that the Oilers can win Cups with — or heâ€s not, and he becomes part of a trade.

Can Aubry help Skinnerâ€s east-west game? Can further maturity help Skinner find consistency? Weâ€re not sure that training camp will bear all of that out, but it is where the process is going to begin.

Skinner has the best season of his NHL career.

With two Stanley Cup trips under his belt and 26 playoff victories over the past three springs, itâ€s time for Skinner to prove his many detractors wrong. I believe he will this season, which could be an expensive exercise for the Oilers come contract time.

Nugent-Hopkins—McDavid—Hyman    Â

Podkolzin—Draisaitl—Mangiapane

Henrique—Frederic—Kapanen

Tomasek—Janmark—Lazar

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