Tiger Woods takes up PGA role but unification in golf is as distant as ever
will chair a newly created
PGA Tour
committee aimed at reshaping golf's competitive landscape in the United States. But comments made by Brian Rolapp, the Tour's newly appointed chief executive, showed that unification between the sport's traditional ecosystem and the Saudi Arabian‑backed
LIV
circuit is as distant as ever.
Woods, who has not competed since the 2024 Open Championship because of injury, was the headline name when Rolapp addressed the media in Atlanta on the eve of the Tour Championship. After just three weeks in office, the chief executive has formed a future competition committee that will also feature Patrick Cantlay and Adam Scott. Rolapp seems clear that the tournament landscape has to change.
'The purpose of this committee is pretty simple,' Rolapp said. 'We're going to design the best professional golf competitive model in the world for the benefit of PGA Tour fans, players and their partners. It is aimed at a holistic relook of how we compete. That is inclusive of regular season, postseason and off-season.
'We're going to focus on the evolution of our competitive model and the corresponding media products and sponsorship elements and model of the entire sport. The goal is not incremental change. The goal is significant change.'
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Creation of a meaningful break between PGA Tour seasons and guarantees that the most high-profile players will play in top events seem logical starting points for Woods.
Press conferences such as this once tended to focus on progress on a deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. A framework agreement was signed between the parties in summer 2023 with the supposed aim of uniting elite golf.
Progress, though, has been slow: the PGA Tour rejected various concession requests made by the PIF in late March, in exchange for $1.5 billion of investment. Key figures in this sport such as
Jon Rahm
,
Bryson DeChambeau
and
Brooks Koepka
play under the LIV banner and are therefore key absentees from the PGA Tour.
Jon Rahm is one of the biggest names to have switched allegiance to the LIV Golf tour. Photograph:Rolapp admitted he has not held discussions with the PIF. 'My primary focus is going to be on strengthening the Tour. Blank sheet of paper means blank sheet of paper. Whatever does that, I'll pursue aggressively. That's how I view it.'
At the Players Championship five months ago the PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan revealed that 70 per cent of fans surveyed wanted unification with LIV. Rolapp echoed that sentiment in June. Pressed on whether he agreed golf spectators want to see the best in the game compete against each other more often, Rolapp appeared to backtrack. He said: 'Yeah, golf fans want to see the best competition possible in the sport that they love in a competitive model that makes sense.'
Subsequently challenged on whether or not unification should be a priority, the chief executive seemed to rail against 'a LIV question'. He added: 'I'm going to focus on what I can control. I would offer to you that the best collection of golfers in the world are on the PGA Tour. I think there's a bunch of metrics that demonstrate that, from rankings to viewership to whatever you want to pick. I'm going to lean into that and strengthen that.
'I will also say that to the extent we can do anything that's going to further strengthen the PGA Tour, we'll do that. I'm interested in exploring whatever strengthens the PGA Tour.'
As he seeks to complete a sensational season with victory at the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup,
Scottie Scheffler
dismissed parallels with the once imperious Woods. The world No 1 has won five times in 2025, including at two Majors, to separate himself as the dominant figure in golf.
'It's very silly to be compared to Tiger Woods,' Scheffler said. 'Tiger is a guy that stands alone in the game of golf and I think he always will. Tiger inspired a whole generation of golfers. You've grown up watching that guy do what he did week-in, week-out, it was pretty amazing to see.'
Scheffler did credit Woods with a role in his development after being in the 15-time Major winner's company at the 2020 Masters. 'I've only played one round of tournament golf with Tiger Woods and it completely changed the way I look at how I play tournaments,' Scheffler said.
'I can't tell you the look on his face when we got to the first green. I look over, and we're in 20th place, kind of playing, yada, yada, yada, and I look over and this guy is just locked in. I was taken aback. I was like, holy smokes. Then we got to the second hole, and he had this chip shot and he looked at it like it was an up-and-down to win the tournament. I'm like: 'This is incredible. I've never seen anything like this before in my life.'' – Guardian
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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Man Utd's new front three of Mbeumo, Cunha & Sesko showed flashes against Arsenal – but will £200m revamp really work?
MANCHESTER UNITED may have lost their opening game of the new Premier League season to title-chasing Arsenal. But there were flashes of brilliance from their new-look front three, which will be a significant upgrade for Ruben Amorim this season. 16 It was not the opening result Ruben Amorim was hoping for, but there were positives Credit: AP Amorim's men looked more like a collective team than they did last season. United came into the match following a busy off-season, having revitalised their attacking options at a cost of a whopping £200MILLION. Two new attackers, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, started the match, while new star striker Benjamin Sesko was on the bench - although he did feature in the final 30 minutes. At the start of the game, it seemed that Cunha would be playing as the central striker, with Mason Mount and Mbeumo playing as the narrow attacking No. 10s behind him. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL SESK APPEAL Inside Benjamin Sesko's life including glam older Wag & controversial car The positioning and role of Cunha, however, was more versatile than that – until the introduction of Sesko in the second half. The game was just a taste of what United's three new attacking players can bring over the coming weeks and months. So with that in mind, SunSport's Tactics Exposed team is on hand to take an in-depth look at each of United's new attacking options and break down what fans can expect to see from them this season. Bryan Mbeumo When United secured the signing of Mbeumo from Brentford for a £71m fee, it was off the back of a strong season in which he finished with 20 goals and nine assists in all competitions. He appears to ideally suit the 3-4-2-1 system that is favoured by United's Portuguese head coach Amorim. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS 16 16 It is likely – and this was supported against Arsenal – that Mbeumo will start for United as the right-sided No.10 behind the main striker. From this position on the right, one of the biggest threats from Mbeumo comes from his off-the-ball movement. During his time at Brentford, he looked to make attacking runs in the channel, starting from deeper positions. Mbeumo can then accelerate to attack the space between the opposition's fullback and central defenders. Against Arsenal, we saw early signs of these runs and the danger that they'll bring. Glamorous Man Utd fan rocks up at Old Trafford in nothing but bodypaint but is 'not allowed into Arsenal game' 16 Bryan Mbeumo showed promising signs against Arsenal Credit: Getty 16 Mbeumo catches the Arsenal defence on their heels as he makes the run to receive Mount's pass Here, we see the kind of movement that we can expect this season from Mbeumo. As Cunha and Mount work to collect a loose ball, Mbeumo starts a run to attack the space through the channel The positioning and movement of Mbeumo throughout this match were interesting. He showed a clear tendency in the build-up phase, and when the ball came into the middle third, to come out wide to receive and support the attack. Mbeumo dropped back to goal to receive the ball and showed his touch and technical ability when receiving and linking up with teammates behind him. Also, he looked comfortable when getting the ball on the turn and looking to attack forward with aggression. As the play progressed into the middle third he narrowed off as he likes to play closer to the area and to goal. This was supported by the longer overlapping runs from Diogo Dalot from the right wingback position, and then the higher attacking positions from Amad Diallo when he came into that role. Mbeumo was difficult to play against for the opposition defenders as he varied his approach. At points, he released the ball to play in the wingback when he moved from deep to support. And at other points, he took the ball and drove inside towards the area. In this example, Mbeumo is in possession of the ball as United are on the attack. 16 Mbeumo creates confusion as he could go either way, with Dalot adding the option with a run on the outside The defender is isolated and cannot commit as he does not know which way Mbeumo will go. This time, he uses the overlap and plays the ball for Dalot to carry forward. The movement and attacking intelligence that Mbeumo showed throughout the match against Arsenal should excite United fans. Matheus Cunha United moved very quickly at the end of last season to trigger the release clause of the Brazil star Cunha to take him from Wolves for £62.5m. Similar to Mbeumo, United made the move for Cunha on the back of a strong season in which he scored 17 goals and had six assists. 16 16 While we think as the season goes on that Cunha will end up playing as the left-sided No.10 behind the main striker, he actually started against Arsenal as the main striker. Cunha was, however, still very versatile with his attacking positioning and movement as he moved and dropped deep to get on the ball. He would then either turn and driving in possession of the ball or link the play with teammates and move into advanced areas with his off the ball movement. Cunha consistently got into positions in which he could take the ball and then look to hurt the Arsenal backline. 16 Matheus Cunha was signed from Wolves for £62.5m Credit: Getty 16 Here, Cunha drops deep to act as a playmaker with seven United players more advanced up the pitch There were moments when Cunha dropped very deep, even as the central striker, and was deeper in the United half to help progress the ball. We see an example of this here as Cunha has dropped very deep and taken possession before turning and driving forward. It was interesting to see how effective Cunha was in the final third in terms of giving United a platform to attack from. He played as the main striker until the final 30 minutes, when Sesko was introduced for Mount, before dropping back to play as the 10. During the match, however, he completed all 11 passes that he attempted in the final third as he linked the play. He was consistently willing to take possession of the ball under pressure in advanced areas and to link the play with teammates moving to support the play. The Brazilian is also a threat in these situations, however, to take the ball on the turn and drive to goal in order to get a shot away. 16 Matheus Cunha is happy taking the ball in tight situations, with his back to goal Here, Cunha takes possession of the ball from a short forward pass from Bruno Fernandes on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area. He holds off the pressure from the defender and plays the ball back into the path of Bruno as he moves forward to attack the edge of the area. The positional versatility that we see from Cunha combined with his ability on the ball to combine with teammates and drive through space in the final third will help United to break down opposition teams. Benjamin Sesko The final new attacking player is Slovenian international striker Sesko, who was recruited from RB Leipzig for £74m. While he was not quite ready to start the first game of the season, we did see him come off the bench for the final 30 minutes. 16 16 And in that time, we saw what the striker will bring to the squad. Sesko likes to run at defences. He is far less effective when playing back to goal and receiving into his feet. This means he provides a very different option to Cunha as the No.9 in this game. The willingness of Sesko to make these runs and stretch the game provides a threat, but it also creates space underneath that the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo could take advantage of. 16 Benjamin Sesko made his debut against Arsenal Credit: Getty 16 Sesko has a knack of timing his runs perfectly to receive the ball from the defence As United are in possession in their own half with the man in possession under no pressure, Sesko times his run to break beyond the last line and allow the ball to be played over the top and into space. Sesko is a very physical and is 6' 5' tall, with the ability to routinely threaten space for his team. His off-the-ball movement is similar to that of Rasmus Hojlund, who is still in the United squad. But Sesko should provide more consistent threat through his ball striking and ability to maintain that pace when in possession of the ball. 16 Sesko makes clever runs, this time making a diagonal burst to free up space for Cunha Here, we see a clear example of Sesko making a diagonal run to force the opposition defensive line backwards and create space for teammates underneath. Cunha has taken possession of the ball and turned his man before driving towards the opposition half. As Sesko makes a darting diagonal run the entire defensive line for Arsenal is pushed backwards. A striker like Sesko, when compared to the profiles and positional tendencies of the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo, will create a lot of threat across the season for United. Man Utd's transfer deals IN Bryan Mbeumo - from Brentford - £71m Matheus Cunha - from Wolves - £62.5m Diego Leon - from Cerro Porteno - £7m Benjamin Sesko - from RB Leipzig - £74m TOTAL - £214.5m OUT Victor Lindelof - released Christian Eriksen - released TOTAL - £0m MAN UTD TRANSFER NEWS LIVE Conclusion We have gone through the three new attacking players for United and not even mentioned their best attacking threat from last season in Bruno Fernandes. The United captain will likely find himself moving deeper to play a more deep midfielder as opposed to one of the No10's. But his passing ability and aggressive nature from this role will be very strong for United. As the season progresses we are likely to see Sesko established as the main striker with Cunha and Mbeumo as the No.10's behind him. This will be the strongest attacking setup for Amorin and his United squad and a vast improvement on last season's attacking options.
Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Roy Keane holds off tears after showing old photos of parents
Roy Keane was fighting back the tears as he showed old photos of his parents, Maurice and Marie, on Gary Neville's Overlap podcast this week. The latest edition of 'Stick to Football' saw Keane, Neville, Jill Scott, Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher bring in old sentimental items for a show and tell section. After the others had gone through their items, Keane showcased old jerseys, old contracts and a few photographs of his early playing days at Manchester United. READ MORE: Roy Keane and Gary Neville tell all on their Manchester United contracts READ MORE: 'The best news' - Stephen Bradley reacts to son Josh's all-clear after three-year battle with leukaemia Looking back on a photo of his parents, Keane said: "You're on about photos, look at that there. "You're on about family, the ups and downs of football. But when you see your family at Wembley after you've won a big game..." A photo including Roy Keane's parents, Maurice and Marie. (Image: The Overlap YouTube channel) Keane was visibly emotional and was comforted by friend Wright with a firm hand on his shoulder. Gary Neville holding a photo of Roy Keane. (Image: The Overlap YouTube Channel) "That's beautiful,' Wright said on the photo. Scott and Neville carried on the conversation in a rare emotional moment for the ex-United captain. Keane's father, Maurice 'Mossie' Keane, sadly died in 2019 at the age of 79 following a stroke. He also showed a picture of him and his brothers taking a break from a kickabout: "I'm in a United top there, but that was my brother's, I think the Spurs ones were sold out." Keane and Neville also revealed details of their contracts at United, "There is a contract for £2.75m-a-year in 2000 to 2003,' said Neville (talking about Keane's contract). 'Signing on fee for £1m. Wow. So you got £3.75m-a-year.' 'Then you've renewed and gone to £3.5m-per-annum in 2003-2005. And then they put your wages down?' questioned Neville, with Keane explaining that at United, older players had their salaries reduced, but they were eligible for more performance-based bonuses. "That's double what I was earning in my last contract,' said Neville, comparing his contract to Keane's, with Jamie Carragher claiming that Neville was underpaid for the quality of player that he was. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Extra.ie
5 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Tadhg Beirne and wife Harriet expecting their first child
Tadhg Beirne and his wife Harriet have announced that they are expecting their first child together. The Ireland rugby star and his other half shared the exciting news on their third wedding anniversary. Posting on Instagram, the couple shared pictures of Harriet's growing bump as she wrote: 'Good things come to those who wait, happy 3rd wedding anniversary.' Tadhg and Harriet are expecting their first child. Pic: Instagram The photos show Tadhg and Harriet beaming with joy as she cradles her little bump. Friends, family and fans quickly flooded the comments with congratulatory messages and loving remarks. Peter O'Mahony's wife, Jessica, wrote: 'So happy', while Munster teammate RG Snyman's wife, Saskia, said: 'Oh perfect, congratulations you guys! Very very happy for yous!' The couple got married three years ago. Pic: Instagram One person commented: 'Huge huge huge congratulations! So happy for you.' Another added: 'Oh this is incredible news!! Congratulations both.' A third shared: 'Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous news! You are absolutely glowing.' Harriet shared the news on social media. Pic: Instagram While yet another wrote: 'Eeeeeek another addition to the gang. So excited for you guys!' The exciting announcement comes just after a busy summer for the pair, with Tadhg starring for the British and Irish Lions out in Australia. Harriet also flew out to support her husband as the side won the Tour series 2-1. The exciting announcement comes just after a busy summer for the pair, with Tadhg starring for the British and Irish Lions out in Australia. Pic:The happy couple got married three years ago at Kilkea Castle in Kildare. The pair were surrounded by family and friends, including Tadhg's Munster and Ireland teammates. Tadhg and Harriet started dating in 2018, after meeting on a night out in Cardiff following his return to Munster after playing for Welsh side Scarlets, as reported by Evoke. Harriet followed Tadhg home to Limerick and the rest is history. In 2020, Tadhg popped the question to Harriet after two years of dating, sharing on social media: 'Making 2020 one to remember, feeling very lucky.' It has continued to be a good few years for Tadhg after he was made captain of Munster in 2024. After Peter O'Mahony surprisingly stepped down as skipper following the World Cup, Tadhg became just the third Munster captain since 2013. Following the appointment, Tadhg said: 'It's a huge honour to be named as captain of Munster Rugby and to lead a great group of players into the new season. 'I have had a fantastic six years here and it's an incredibly proud moment for me and my family. 'Very few people have had the opportunity to captain Munster Rugby, and it's a massive honour to follow in the footsteps of some incredible players and leaders. 'I had the privilege of leading the team a number of times in the past and the job was always made easier by the amount of leaders we have in the squad. 'We have a very tight-knit group and it means a lot to me to lead the squad as captain for the season ahead.'
