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Jordan Spieth Confirms Health Breakthrough For PGA Tour Return
Jordan Spieth says his body is finally ready for competition after years of wrist surgery, marking a crucial stage in his comeback attempt.
Pro Golfer Sarah Schmelzel Reflects on Nearly Two-Decade-Long Health Struggle as She Eyes 2027 LPGA Tour Return (Exclusive)
The LPGA Tour veteran often recalled waking up and asking, “Is my body going to work for me or against me today?”
Who Won August and September: Original Films or Franchises?
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) I just heard someone say that if you’re reading a pundit or data analyst, and they don’t tell you that they got anything wrong, they’re not a pundit but an “influencer”. I agree with that. You have to tell your audience when you get things wrong, or they won’t (or shouldn’t) trust you as much. Today, we’ve got another edition of “What I Got Right, What I Got Wrong”. In general, I’m patting myself on the back (and patting very hard) about a few things like IP at the box office, LIV golf, horror films, crowdfunding movies, superheroes, and old people going to the theaters. That said, I also made a couple of data mistakes on the streaming bubble popping and HBO’s datecdotes, so I’m not perfect. But first, I need your feedback... Subscribe Follow-Ups: What Should We Call Mid-Budget Movies Which Aren’t Cinematic Enough for Theaters But Are Too Expensive to Make Money on Streaming? After I asked for feedback on what we should call straight-to-streaming films that are too big to pencil out on streaming but not really big enough to resonate in theaters, I got some great suggestions from you all, including... “Moldilocks” from John Aboud “Little Big Indie” from Travis Frick1 “Midflicks” from Jonathan Funke. “Extra-Medium” from Jona Nwuke. (Read the explanation in the footnote.) Between these and Brandon Katz—who suggested “Bermuda Budget Triangle”, “The Platform Gap” and “The Distribution Deadzone”—we’ve got some excellent suggestions. And they’re better than my suggestion, the “Streaming Budget Dead Zone”, so let’s take a poll! The winning entry becomes the new term. Loading... RIGHT: LIV Golf is Fully Bankrupt…Is Anyone Else Next? A few years ago, I was always a bit perplexed at all the articles I’d read praising LIV Golf and their strategy to disrupt the PGA. LIV Golf, a brand new professional golf league, offered PGA stars ten times what they made on the PGA Tour to join their new league. And folks praised this strategy for its initial “success” in that a lot of big names did indeed leave the PGA. Yeah, of course the players came over. LIV Golf paid them so, so, so much more! But LIV Golf hadn’t discovered a way to increase potential revenue. So think about this in basic business terms… They paid much more in costs… …but had no real way to increase revenue. That’s not a strategy! That’s deficit financing. It won’t work unless you bankrupt the competition (and then turn around and pay those same golfers much, much less). It’s not a sustainable strategy and only lasts as long as the company/person/nation backing it decides they’re cool with losing money. For LIV Golf, that meant Middle East oil wealth, in particular Saudi Arabian money. Clearly, the current Iran War has hurt Middle East finances, so they need to trim their more exorbitant spending. And LIV Golf was part of that trimming. This should be a major warning for others. TGL’s parent company, TMRW Sports, just got a $1 billion valuation, despite TGL’s (the indoor golf league) horrible TV viewership of less than half a million viewers per match. Unrivaled, the women’s basketball league, just secured a $650 valuation, despite its horrible TV viewership and a new rival (Project B) entering the scene next year. To relate this to streaming, Hollywood should ask which streamers may have wealthy patrons funding their losses. (Let’s be clear: Google, Amazon and Apple.) Could those patrons lose their appetite? For Amazon, probably not. But Apple has a new boss, so maybe! WRONG: My Analysis of the Streaming Bubble Was Missing a Week I’m going to be congratulating myself a lot today, but I make mistakes too, like this data goof. When I last compiled the data on the decline in TV shows, I was missing one week at the end of June. If you look at the first image, you can see that one week was mislabelled as “July”. Mainly, this image got updated to show a 27% decline, not 29%: This change doesn’t really impact the overall analysis, but it is two percent better. By the way, through the third quarter, the decline increased and it’s now a 30% decrease since 2022. (I’ll write/visualize this in an upcoming article.) But I want you to trust me and my data. Especially these days, when many people are using LLMs that I know are inserting faulty data into their charts, I want to keep earning my audience’s faith. So that’s the accurate data. RIGHT: IP Remains Very, Very Popular In July, I wrote a giant (and I mean giant) article on Backrooms, Obsession, and the box office, going over what we know, what we don’t know about what works in theaters, looking at YouTubers, IP, the horror genre, comic book movies, and a whole lot more. The month of August really tested a lot of my theses and, being honest, mostly supported my arguments. Let’s start with IP. Looking at 8-Aug (the weekend after Spider-Man: Brand New Day came out) to 18-Sep (the weekend that Resident Evil came out, which I think provides a nice bookend to this time period), there were seven films based on pre-existing IP: Resident Evil (2026) ($126 million) Practical Magic 2 ($65 million) _Insidious: Out of the Furthe_r ($65 million) Coyote Vs. Acme ($59 million) Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie ($53 million) Tony ($15 million) Super Troopers 3 ($7 million) Compare those to the notable original films from the past month—I actually could have included more movies, but here are just thirteen, bringing us to an even twenty films—including.... The End of Oak Street ($54 million) Buddy ($26 million) Mutiny ($15 million) By Any Means ($15 million) The Dog Stars ($14 million) Runner ($14 million) One Night Only ($11 million) Hope ($8 million) Spa Weekend ($7 million) The Uprising ($6 million) Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma ($6 million) Onslaught ($3 million) Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man ($2.8 million) Here’s that in chart form: Five of the top six films in this time period were all based on IP. I made a big chart of films that grossed over $200 million at the box office before Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey hit theaters. Let’s update that chart! By the way, if you want to see how I categorized each film—so another bar chart—here it is: I know that many of my fellow critics/pundits/analysts dislike films based on IP and how Hollywood is making so many of them. And I’m sympathetic to this point of view. As I’ve written many, many times before, you need a balance between existing franchises, new IP, and original films. And Hollywood clearly needs to make more films like Resident Evil (a well-made film from a visionary director) and fewer Practical Magic 2’s (which didn’t get critical or customer buzz). But at some point, critics and pundits need to contend with what audiences are telling them: Movie-goers aren’t showing up to original films. Audiences are speaking with their dollars, telling you they want more IP and franchises. You can try to convince studio heads to make fewer IP-based films and franchises, but the data and numbers aren’t there. Instead, critics need to work harder to convince audiences to show up for original films. Aim your ire/concern at the average person, not studio heads.2 Because they’re just making the films that audiences are telling them to make. WRONG: Original Horror Films Didn’t Break Out I’ll be honest, even though I wrote an article casting some skepticism on the horror genre in July, if you asked me to make a prediction, I would have predicted that, in August, a new, original horror film would have blown up. No, seriously, I just assumed that Obsession and Backrooms presaged a change in audience behavior. But none of the buzzy new original horror films from August—Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Onslaught (not an action film in spite of the ads), The End of Oak Street, Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man, or _Buddy—_broke out. To be clear, exactly one of those films (Buddy) had good “ROI”, but again—I try to be specific in my language—none were “popular” in any broad sense of the word. None of them will be “saving” movies theaters like Backrooms or _Obsession_helped save the summer. The new Insidious film and Resident Evil, both based on IP, were far and away the biggest horror films since July. (We’ll see if this changes in October/Halloween season.) RIGHT: Stay Skeptical about Crowdfunding... I’ve long been skeptical about crowd-investing platforms as one of Hollywood’s saviors, mainly because there’s so much hype/buzz. People need to stay more skeptical about more things, explaining both the potential upside but also the downsides. In particular, the media often hypes crowdfunding at the start and never checks in on the actual results after they’ve come in later. And August gave us our first update! _Ice Cream Man—_directed by Eli Roth—grossed $6 million off of a $5.5 million budget. This is a production of The Horror Section, which was one of the first “crowd investing” studios with 2,400 investors, which means that 2,400 investors probably lost money. They certainly aren’t getting as great of returns as if they had just invested their dollars in the stock market. Hopefully Stiletto (Tagline: “Someone’s Going to Make it Rain Blood!”) does better next month. WRONG: Another Data Goof Here’s another data error. When the first episode of House of the Dragon came out, HBO put out that it had 21.5 million viewers in the first three days, and I read that to mean in the US…but no, it was global. So my US-only datecdotes charts shouldn’t have included it. We never got US-only numbers for the first episode, but for the final episode, HBO put out that it had 11 million US viewers. (And that global dropped to 21 million viewers.) Here’s the updated chart (which I’ve since used in the Streaming Ratings Report): Still, this show is absolutely huge. RIGHT: Superhero Films Remain Very, Very Popular After Supergirl flopped, I read a few takes that “comic book movies are going the way of the Western”. Post-Spider-Man: Brand New Day, that take didn’t age well. To be fair, I have a very nuanced take on the superhero genre right now; it’s down right now, for a lot of reasons. But it’s not “dead”. Maybe _Spider-_Man is just a really popular character? I saw that take, and it’s a fair counter-argument. (But pundits arguing that superhero movies were dead should have mentioned this $1.5 billion counter-argument…) But is it just Spider-Man? The next Avengers film already has $50 million in pre-sales (and I was skeptical that that film would do well) and the Avengers: End Game re-release topped the box office two weekends ago (over three original films). And I wouldn’t bet against Batman or Superman. So maybe it’s just Spider-Man, Batman, Superman and the Avengers. Oh, and Deadpool, of course. And Black Panther. And Wolverine. And probably the X-Men. Plus a well-made Wonder Woman or the Hulk film could break out. But that’s it! It’s just those ten characters/teams. Oh, what’s that? Lanterns is also doing well on HBO? (See previous section…) To be fair, I’m actually pretty sympathetic to the argument that more popular characters—like Spider-Man and Batman—anchor more popular films. In fact, I made that exact argument three years ago when I first wrote about the “Marvel-cession”. In many ways, you can blame The Guardians of the Galaxy for fooling Marvel Studios (and the rest of us) into believing that any character could pop. It turns out, the list of iconic characters is probably smaller than most people think. But it’s probably too early to say that superhero films and comic book movies are dead unless “death” means a slight decline over a longtime. RIGHT: Who Killed Theaters? Old People I get frustrated whenever I see headlines or analysis about how young people are “returning” to theaters. As I’ve detailed(for years), young people have always powered the US box office, despite narratives about “kids these days” and their “phones”. Really, what’s changed post-2020/pandemic is that old people aren’t going to the movies nearly as much. This summer, I saw a movie (from an older director) in a theater near a retirement community, and multiple older people at the theater were talking about how this was their first time seeing a movie in years. I dislike personal anecdotes, so YouGov can fill in the data, best summarized by this headline: “Who killed movie theaters? Not the youths”. According to them, 64% of people aged 18-29 have seen a movie in the last year, but only 30% of 65-and-older. 20% of 18-29 have seen a movie in theaters in the last week and 42% in the last month. Here’s the polling data: Most concerning? Many Americans (17%) think theaters are a worse or much worse experience than watching films at home. Slight WRONG: Hadestown Opens Big A live theater capture of the Broadway musical, Hadestown, made $20 million at the US box office, which begs the question: was I wrong to be skeptical about musicals a few years ago? Yes and no. On the one hand, $20 million is a far cry from being “popular”, so yeah, the genre isn’t that popular overall and Hadestown is one of the more popular musicals from recent years (i.e. the “Taylor Swift Data Fallacy” in action). On the other, I doubt filming this cost all that much, and I don’t think that they spent much on marketing, so this is a good source of ancillary revenue. Smaller Updates WRONG: As I mentioned in a Streaming Ratings Report, I underestimated the budget for Enola Holmes 3. It probably cost more like $50 million, if not more. But... I’m not sure that it really matters? At sub-10 million hours, prices have to come down to make this work. WRONG: Netflix is giving Ink a 27-day in theaters! To quote the kids/YouTubers these days, let’s go! Now I might actually have a chance to see Danny Boyle’s latest in theaters. I’d complained about this in a “Coming Soon” section, but I was heartened to read that Netflix is giving multiple films longer theatrical windows this year. RIGHT: Netflix is sending 4-5 films per year to theaters. Netflix is slowly but surely sending more and more films to theaters, as I cautiously predicted earlier this year. For now, it’s just three big films and a number of awards contenders, but still, this is great news. And they’ll be releasing box office grosses! Just this week, Ted Sarandos confirmed that KPop Demon Hunters 2 will come to theaters (and my guess is it performs in the box office top ten at a minimum). WRONG: Angel has 3 million subscribers! How do I know this? Well, they told Deadline, who reported it. I marked this as “wrong”, since they’ve doubled their subscribers in one year but, you know, they don’t really have a hit film to speak of and they’re still losing money. WRONG: Furious was only renewed for one more season. I accidentally wrote “two more seasons” in my latest “Renewals, Cancellations, Un-Orders and Removals Update”. RIGHT: House of David is ending with its third season. In July, Prime Video renewed House of David for a third season, as I just wrote in my latest “Renewals and Cancellations” report. Well, now it’s ending after that third season. Why? As I’ve been writing, its viewership wasn’t great. I got feedback that this show didn’t cost very much, but it cost enough that its limited viewership didn’t save it. WRONG: Adults was a Hulu original! So I missed Adults when it first came out last year; I saw that it aired on FX and just assumed that it was a linear-first program. Turns out, it aired three episodes on FX, but binge-released the rest of its episodes the next day on Hulu. Huh. So I should have covered it last year! But I just wrote about it. 1 “When I was a kid in the 90s, if you wore a t-shirt to school that wasn’t too big and also wasn’t too small, but somehow didn’t quite fit, we’d say you were wearing an “extra-medium” shirt.” 2 As always, a huge exception is Disney, which barely makes anything original anymore.
Tony Romo Steps Back Into Spotlight After Arrest
Tony Romo makes his first public appearance since his summer arrest, shooting a 76 at a PGA Tour Q-School event in Oklahoma.
Free Play Days – PGA TOUR 2K25, The Escapists 2, Young Suns, and The Division 2
This weekend, Polterguys: Possession Party is available this weekend for XBOX Game Pass members, while WWE 2K26 and Wildgate are free for all. Jump in!
Free Play Days features four free Xbox games this weekend
After digging around in the Microsoft Store, we can reveal this weekend's Free Play Days games, which include PGA Tour 2K25 and The Division 2.
Sarah Schmelzel details 15-year health battle with plans to return to LPGA in 2027
Sarah Schmelzel fought a 15-year battle for a diagnosis of Stage IV endometriosis and after multiple surgeries, the 31-year-old LPGA Tour player is looking to return to the game she loves next year.
FedExCup Fall Schedule 2026
The 2026 FedExCup Fall is here. For many players, the next eight events could have a major impact on their 2027 PGA Tour season.While the FedExCup Fall doesn’t carry the same spotlight as the playoffs, it can be an important stretch for players looking to improve their position in the standings, secure playing opportunities and, […] The post FedExCup Fall Schedule 2026 appeared first on HEAVY.
Bridgeman rallies to win inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville
The 26-year-old from South Carolina won his first PGA Tour title earlier this year at Riviera in the Genesis Invitational.
PGA Tour gig helps laundry business pay bills and rebuild momentum
A struggling business owner is getting a boost because of Biltmore Championship Asheville.
Local businesses tee up golf-themed food for Biltmore Championship Asheville
The Biltmore Championship Asheville is officially underway, bringing PGA Tour competition to WNC and putting local businesses in front of a new crowd.
Biltmore Championship Odds, Picks And Best Bets For Asheville
Ben James, Jacob Bridgeman and Rasmus Højgaard headline the best bets as the PGA Tour opens its FedExCup Fall at a brand-new Asheville venue this week.
PGA Tour Finalizes Promotion, Relegation Model For 2028
The PGA Tour has finalized eligibility for its 2028 Championship and Challenger Series, creating promotion, relegation and a new last-chance route.
PGA Tour's new structure, plans for 2028 don't include LIV players
The PGA Tour mapped out its new two-tier system that will be incorporated for the 2028 season.
AbbVie named Official Pharmaceutical Sponsor of PGA TOUR, 2026 Presidents Cup; launches Birdies for Brain Health campaign
NORTH CHICAGO, Ill.– AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a global pharmaceutical leader, and the PGA TOUR announced Tuesday a partnership naming AbbVie the Official Pharmaceut
Please Stop Conflating Sports Betting Handle With Spending On Entertainment
Editor’s note: The Cashout for paid subscribers will publish on Tuesday. Every September there’s a huge uptick in how much people bet on sports with the start of football season. Which means it’s time to get ahead of a ridiculous narrative before it picks up steam on social media or in mainstream media. Subscribe Every few months I see some version of this: [ Charlie Bilello@charliebilello Americans bet over $165 billion on sports last year, which is more than they spent on movies, books, concerts and sports tickets - combined. 1:00 PM · Jun 28, 2026 · 4.1M Views 258 Replies · 674 Reposts · 4.23K Likes ](https://x.com/charliebilello/status/2071217050328895935?s=20) Fortune published this in July. The headline and start of the story tell the same narrative (emphasis added): Gambling becomes America’s favorite pastime as Americans spend more on sports bets than movies, arts, museums, and music combined: The North American box office totaled $8.87 billion in 2025, which is still 22% below pre-pandemic levels. Recorded music revenue hit a record $11.5 billion. Live music like concerts and festivals brought in $18.51 billion. Meanwhile, book publishers tracked by the Association of American Publishers reported $14.6 billion for the year. And the U.S. museum industry generated an estimated $16.4 billion. Add it up and the total comes to roughly $70 billion, which is less than half what Americans wagered on sports. The story, to its credit, goes on to tell us why sports betting is entirely different, although people who only read headlines will miss that nuance. (The tweet above definitely skips over the nuance.) I will mostly be preaching to the choir here, but it’s worth saying out loud: Wagering money on sports is not the same thing as spending on entertainment from a financial perspective. When you spend money on a movie or concert ticket, that money is gone. You exchanged money for an experience. It’s a good trade! I get to have fun for “x” dollars. (Unless the movie sucks, I guess.) When you bet money on sports, the money is not necessarily gone every time you wager it. It could be gone, but sometimes it’s not and you actually get more money back! That’s not “spending” money or something you should try to compare directly to entertainment spend. A far better comp would be how much people lose at sports betting. That number was more like $17 billion in the US last year, at least for state-regulated sportsbooks. Why are we trying to equate handle and entertainment spending? I dunno. It makes for splashy headlines, I guess. Now, people should be betting for entertainment, and not because they expect to win in the long term; no doubt about it. Anyway, here’s hoping I don’t see people saying Americans “spent” hundreds of millions of dollars on sports betting this fall. Mindway AI and DraftKings Expand Responsible Gaming Drive with Launch of Gamalyze American Football In time for the NFL kickoff, Mindway AI has expanded its partnership with DraftKings to launch Gamalyze American Football the second title in the neuroscience-based Gamalyze Sports collection. Following the success of Gamalyze Football (soccer) during the FIFA World Cup, this gridiron-themed update replaces static questionnaires with immersive, stadium-inspired gameplay. Backed by 10+ years of Aarhus University research, Gamalyze evaluates real-time decision-making to deliver instant, unbiased player risk assessments. Integrated into DraftKings’ platform and nationwide activations, it engages fans when excitement peaks. Ready to upgrade your player protection? Contact Mindway AI to try Gamalyze Sports today. Gambling news roundup 🚨The important stuff 1st NFL Sunday of Season ‘Champagne-Popping Day for Bettors’ (Covers): “The first NFL Sunday of the season was a champagne-popping day for bettors, while the book was left cleaning up the corks,” Caesars’ head of football Joey Feazel said prior to the Sunday night game. “Caesars Sportsbook reported that Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs, Baltimore’s Derrick Henry, Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor, and Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson were among the top five most-bet players to reach the end zone, and all of them cashed tickets.” [ Ben Fawkes@BFawkes22 A @CaesarsSports oddsmaker on how Week 1 has gone so far: “The first NFL Sunday of the season was a champagne-popping day for bettors, while the book was left cleaning up the corks.” ➡️8 of 10 most popular anytime TD scorers cashed 1:31 AM · Sep 14, 2026 · 276K Views 16 Replies · 16 Reposts · 615 Likes ](https://x.com/BFawkes22/status/2099310001927995849?s=20) 🔍 Are we already getting a “customer-friendly results” narrative in Week 1? NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke with CNBC about the prediction markets industry: “We think that there needs to be stronger regulations into the predictive markets,” Goodell said. “We want to see that to protect the integrity of our game. We want to make sure we’re protecting the consumers that are on those platforms for the NFL. So, we’re continuing to have conversations with them and talk to them about the things that we think they need to do to strengthen that so that they could be potential partners at some point in the future.” More on the NFL + PMs: [ Straight to the Point Quid Pro Quo The NFL has asked Kalshi and other prediction markets to remove certain easy to manipulate markets. Does a potential partnership hang in the balance… Read more 6 hours ago · 19 likes · Steve Ruddock ](https://straighttothepoint.substack.com/p/quid-pro-quo?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1472492) Kalshi was on my podcast?: Kalshi was on my podcast [ The Event Horizon Episode 32: Talking Prediction Market Enforcement With Kalshi’s Robert DeNault Kalshi? On my podcast? Yep… Listen now 5 hours ago · 6 likes · 1 comment · Dustin Gouker ](https://nexteventhorizon.substack.com/p/episode-32-talking-prediction-market-enforcement-kalshi?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1472492) DraftKings Enhances Responsible Engagement Efforts With New Customer Initiatives, Tools and Education (press release): DraftKings Inc. today announced a series of new initiatives designed to promote responsible engagement and increase awareness and use of the tools and resources to help customers make informed decisions and engage responsibly. The efforts include a new digital advertising campaign featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas that promotes responsible engagement, a PGA TOUR sweepstakes that promotes customer engagement with responsible engagement features, the launch of Gamalyze American Football in collaboration with Mindway AI, and new custom cool-off options that give customers enhanced flexibility when choosing a cool-off period. The initiatives build on DraftKings’ commitment to making responsible engagement an integral part of the customer experience and providing players with accessible tools and resources that help them make informed choices about their gaming experience. “At DraftKings, responsible engagement is embedded in how we operate and is essential to building trust with our customers and our long-term sustainability,” said Lori Kalani, Chief Responsible Gaming Officer at DraftKings. “We’ve continued to invest in tools and resources that give customers enhanced access to information about their play and more choices for managing how they engage. From My Budget Builder and My Stat Sheet to player-set limits and new custom cool-offs, we’re continuing to evolve our approach while promoting awareness and use of the tools and resources available to help customers play responsibly.” … DraftKings is launching a new digital advertising campaign featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas that continues the pair’s road trip and promotes responsible engagement and awareness of the tools and resources available to help customers make informed choices about their gaming experience and engage responsibly. The campaign was initially launched on Sep. 10th and will reach customers through digital channels, bringing responsible engagement messaging to fans in an engaging way. bet365 Launches “The Matchup,” a New Weekly Video Podcast Hosted by Super Bowl Champions Chris Harris Jr. and Emmanuel Sanders (press release): "bet365, a global leader in online sports betting and gaming, today announced the launch of “The Matchup,” a new weekly video podcast hosted by former Super Bowl Champions Chris Harris Jr. and Emmanuel Sanders. Featuring current and former NFL players, the original series marks a significant, intentional investment in football as bet365 works to become a go-to destination for U.S. bettors throughout the season. “The Matchup” premieres September 10, with new episodes released weekly in both video and audio formats. Full episodes will be available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever podcasts are available, with clips and additional content rolling out across YouTube, X, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and TikTok. The show is being produced by Last Row Digital Media. Each week, Harris and Sanders will be joined by guests from across the game to break down the biggest NFL matchups, unpack the latest league news and share perspectives that go beyond the box score. By bringing together two former players with distinct perspectives and firsthand experience, “The Matchup” will give audiences timely context and a deeper understanding of the teams, players and storylines shaping the week ahead. “Every great football conversation starts with a matchup—who has the edge, what everyone is overlooking and what could change the game,” said Chris Harris Jr. “Emmanuel and I have experienced the game from different perspectives, and we want the audience to feel like they are part of the conversation and leave every episode knowing more about the week ahead.” Today’s iGaming companies face new litigation threats as expansive consumer protection statutes spark lawsuits with sky’s-the-limit aspirations, sometimes backed by private funders. Clients of Ifrah Law have a staunch defender in Robert Ward – an agile litigator and case tactician who responds to the changing state of play with creative legal defenses and efficient case-closing strategies. Robert draws on federal clerkship experience and appellate defense work to advise iGaming clients on litigation exposure, white-collar risk, and regulatory defense across multiple jurisdictions. Read More: Robert Ward on Helping iGaming Clients Outmaneuver Lawsuit-Obsessed Adversaries 🔮 Prediction markets Update on legal action in Connecticut: [ Daniel Wallach@WALLACHLEGAL Connecticut says gaming service license holders which received subpoenas over sports prediction markets “are not under investigation” by the @CTDCP but may possess information that could assist the state “in evaluating the conduct of prediction market platforms.” 2:31 PM · Sep 13, 2026 · 844 Views 5 Likes ](https://x.com/WALLACHLEGAL/status/2099143914271670576?s=20) American Gaming Association Opposes CFTC Bid to Block New York Prediction-Market Enforcement (DeFi Rate): “The brief points to the Ninth Circuit’s Aug. 28 decision in KalshiEX LLC v. Assad, which the AGA says supports New York’s authority to regulate sports contracts as gambling. It also cites Kalshi advertising, product comparisons and reporting on Kalshi’s sports volume to argue that the economic product resembles a sportsbook wager more than a conventional financial hedge.” [ Daniel Wallach@WALLACHLEGAL AGA intervenes in CFTC v. NY case to oppose CFTC request for preliminary injunction, says the CFTC’s arguments “obfuscate a simple truth: prediction markets offer sports betting.” Highlights CA9 decision, @DustinGouker (6x), and $1.32 billion in OSB taxes for NY (0 from PMs). Daniel Wallach @WALLACHLEGAL High stakes hearing on Monday in CFTC v. New York State. If SDNY judge Lorna Schofield denies the CFTC’s motion for preliminary injunction, the New York AG would have a clearer path for securing a state court geofencing order against Kalshi, Coinbase, and Gemini Titan. 2:08 AM · Sep 13, 2026 · 4.78K Views 1 Reply · 2 Reposts · 8 Likes ](https://x.com/WALLACHLEGAL/status/2098957043474280584?s=20) Gaming Commission remains member of gambling council after questions raised over ties to Kalshi (Mass Live): “The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will not follow the leads of gaming regulators in Ohio and Michigan and drop ties with the National Council on Problem Gambling over its new association with Kalshi.” Sponsor’s messageTrusted Voices: Conversations About Betting is designed to equip adults, including parents and coaches, with tools and resources to talk to young people about gambling, including information on warning signs, risks and proxy betting. The program is led by retired professional basketball player Randy Livingston and his wife, basketball agent Anita Smith, who share their personal stories related to problem gambling, with the hope of preventing others from experiencing similar harms. Learn more and join the conversation here. 📣 Industry news Gaming M&A: Latest Mergers, Acquisitions and Deals (SBC Americas): “But what else is happening in the world of gaming mergers, acquisitions, investments, and partnerships? Here, we round up some of the news you might have missed.” BetMGM Named Official Sports Betting and Online Casino Partner of the Minnesota Vikings in Canada (press release): BetMGM, a leading iGaming and sports betting operator, announced a multi-year partnership with the Minnesota Vikings, naming it the Official Sports Betting Partner and Online Casino Partner of the team in Canada. The agreement gives BetMGM rights to use Vikings marks across approved sports betting, online casino and marketing activities in Canada. In addition, Vikings Big Kick LuckyTap™, a casino game by Design Works Gaming, is available now exclusively at BetMGM Casino in Alberta and Ontario. “Vikings fans bring a level of passion and loyalty that extends well beyond game day,” said Matt Prevost, Chief Revenue Officer at BetMGM. “As the home of one of the largest collections of sports-themed casino content in North America, BetMGM is uniquely positioned to combine sports fandom with iGaming. We are eager to start football season off strong with another fantastic partnership especially as we expand our reach in Canada to Alberta.” Martin Nance, Minnesota Vikings Chief Marketing Officer, said, “As we continue to deepen our connection with Vikings fans across Canada, we’re proud to welcome BetMGM as the team’s official sports betting and online casino partner in Canada. Their commitment to innovation and fan engagement aligns well with our organization, and we’re excited to create memorable experiences that celebrate Vikings football and connect with Canadian fans in new and meaningful ways.” Caesars Entertainment Launches Ball Rush Jackpots™ in New Jersey,the Latest Proprietary Online Title from Empire Creative™ (press release): Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR) (“Caesars”) today announced the launch of Ball Rush Jackpots™, a new ball-and-peg style online casino game developed by Empire Creative™, the Company’s in-house game development studio. Now live in New Jersey across Caesars Palace Online Casino, Caesars Sportsbook & Casino and Horseshoe Online Casino, Ball Rush Jackpots is expected to become available in additional jurisdictions where Caesars offers online casino gaming following regulatory approval. The title expands Caesars’ growing portfolio of proprietary online casino titles, following the successful launch of Ca$hline™ earlier this year and further diversifying the Company’s lineup beyond traditional slots and table games. Ball Rush Jackpots follows the traditional ball-drop gameplay experience where players drop a ball down a board filled with pegs to land in a prize slot. As balls navigate independently through a field of pegs, every drop creates new opportunities to collect feature symbols, unlock bonuses and pursue jackpots, delivering a different experience with every round. “Ball Rush Jackpots delivers a different kind of casino experience for our players, combining easy-to-understand gameplay with meaningful customization, exciting bonus opportunities and jackpot potential,” said Matthew Sunderland, Senior Vice President and Chief iGaming Officer at Caesars Digital. “As we continue expanding our proprietary content portfolio, we’re focused on creating games that are simple to pick up, rewarding to revisit and designed around the features players enjoy most.” Bally’s Corporation Secures New Financing to Support the Development of the Bally’s Bronx Project (press release): Bally’s Corporation (NYSE: BALY) (“Bally’s” or the “Company”) announced today that it secured new financing led by WhiteHawk Capital Partners, LP to fund further development of the Bally’s Bronx project and general corporate purposes. The new financing comprises closing date term loan commitments in an aggregate principal amount of $400 million and delayed draw term loan commitments in an aggregate principal amount of $160 million (together, the “Facilities”). … Bally’s Chairman of the Board, Soo Kim, commented, “This important financing allows us to progress the pre-construction planning process so that we are ready to complete the remainder of the capital raise and remain on schedule. Furthermore, the additional liquidity provides us greater flexibility for other capital opportunities.” WORLD JAI ALAI LEAGUE LAUNCHES CENTENNIAL SEASON AND ENTERS NEXT CHAPTER IN MIAMI (press release): The World Jai Alai League will open its 2026 fall season on Tuesday, September 15 at Miami’s JAM Arena, beginning a milestone season that marks 100 years since professional Jai Alai first arrived in Miami. Season X, the tenth season of the Battle Court team-based competition launched in 2022, will also be the first since entrepreneur and sports asset investor Rob Gough acquired the World Jai Alai League in August 2026. The acquisition marks the beginning of a new chapter for the league. World Jai Alai League will maintain the existing Battle Court competition and operating format, with Chief Operating Officer Scott Savin overseeing Season X. Gough and his team will use the coming months to listen to players and fans, evaluate opportunities across the league, and execute plans for a broader evolution of Jai Alai’s presentation, live experience, media, marketing and commercial strategy beginning in 2027. “This is a really unique moment for Jai Alai,” said Rob Gough, Owner of the World Jai Alai League. “We have a sport with more than 100 years of history in Miami, extraordinary athletes and incredible speed, but I also believe there is enormous untapped potential.” bet365 reveals most popular online slots in 3 US states in August (SBC Americas): “In its monthly Gaming Insights and Performance report, growing online casino operator bet365 tracks player trends and game performance in online slots across its North American online casino markets.” The Closing Line is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
LIV Golf files bankruptcy with post-Saudi Future uncertain
LIV Golf filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday, a dramatic fall for the Saudi-backed league that had big ambitions to challenge the supremacy of the PGA Tour. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment
PGA Tour Revamping Fan Code of Conduct Amid Sports Betting Concerns
Several players have raised concerns about sports betting's impact on the game.
More than a game: Why golf could be great for your health
Golf is bringing some of the world’s best athletes to Atlanta for the PGA Tour Championship but you don’t have to be a professional golfer to get some serious health benefits from the sport. Dr. Joseph Powers, a sports medicine physician with Northside Hospital, who is also providing on-the-course athlete care for the Tour Championship, joins us live to talk about golf.
Hovland and Gerard share lead at Tour Championship
Norway's Viktor Hovland and American Ryan Gerard led a crowded field chasing the PGA Tour Championship's $10 million top prize Friday at the final event of the FedEx Cup playoffs.Gerard, who has one PGA Tour victory to date and is playing in his first Tour Championship, made six birdies, including an epic 78-foot putt that rolled the length of the seventh green.
Jim Furyk named lead analyst for USA Sports', Golf Channel's PGA Tour and men's major coverage
Jim Furyk was named Wednesday as lead analyst for USA Sports and Golf Channel’s PGA Tour and men’s major coverage.
Jim Furyk named lead analyst for USA Sports', Golf Channel's PGA Tour and men's major coverage
Jim Furyk was named Wednesday as lead analyst for USA Sports and Golf Channel’s PGA Tour and men’s major coverage.
JIM FURYK NAMED LEAD ANALYST FOR USA SPORTS’ AND GOLF CHANNEL’S PGA TOUR AND MEN’S MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP COVERAGE WITH MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT
A global media and technology company.
Scheffler, McIlroy Headline Tour Championship Field At East Lake
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy headline the 2026 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club as the PGA Tour’s top 30 FedEx Cup players compete for a $10 million winner’s prize.
PGA Tour adds match-play format to season-ending playoffs
Elite golfers will compete in a two-week match play competition to cap the PGA Tour Championship Series starting in 2028, officials announced Tuesday.
Record $4.95 million raised for heart health in Alberta as Miyu Yamashita wins CPKC Women's Open
The 2026 CPKC Women's Open raised a record $4.95 million to support heart healthcare in Alberta, while on the golf course, Miyu Yamashita concluded a historic performance on Sunday to capture the 2026 CPKC Women's Open and her fourth LPGA Tour victory.
Highlights: BMW Championship, all rounds
Watch highlights from all rounds of the PGA Tour's 2026 BMW Championship from Bellerive Golf Course in St. Louis, Missouri.
Fenway Sports Group adding women’s TGL team alongside Boston Common Golf
The league plays a high-tech, indoor version of golf that features teams of top players from the PGA and LPGA tours.
Michael Brennan wins Wyndham Championship and qualifies for PGA Tour postseason
The victory moves Brennan from No. 105 to No. 47 in the FedEx Cup to be among the top 70 who advance to the FedEx Cup playoffs.
PGA Tour lures another NFL exec to lead media strategy
Brian Rolapp is continuing to bring some of his old NFL colleagues on board at the PGA Tour. Rolapp, the former head of the NFL’s media businesses who took the job of PGA Tour CEO last summer, has made another key hire from the NFL’s executive ranks. According to a report by Josh Carpenter and…
Memphis business community reacts to PGA Tour exit in 2028
Some members of the business community provide feedback about how the loss of the PGA Tour Championship Series will impact Memphis.
Wyndham Championship leaderboard, Round 1 tee times, PGA Tour updates
It's Round 1 of the 2026 Wyndham Championship on the PGA Tour. Follow for updates and highlights, plus tee times and how to watch.
Wyndham Championship PGA Picks: 10 Golfers to Watch This Week
With the Wyndham Championship here and the FedEx Cup approaching, PGA Tour fans wonder who to pick at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. Given this is the final week of the regular season on the PGA Tour, plenty of players will be looking to sneak into the FedEx Cup Playoffs or solidify their […] The post Wyndham Championship PGA Picks: 10 Golfers to Watch This Week appeared first on HEAVY.
'Putting Politics to One Side': Aaron Rai Makes Feelings Clear on DP World Tour's Future
Aaron Rai thinks the DP World Tour matches the PGA Tour’s high-level play and strong competitive depth—a stark contrast from what a majority believe. For professional golfers, the PGA Tour is the biggest platform to showcase their skills.
Amazon’s Andy Jassy sees a $1 trillion cloud built on businesses like the PGA Tour—which swapped its server trucks for AI broadcasts
AWS just posted $42.2 billion in revenue with its fastest growth in 18 quarters and the AI platform saw more spending last quarter than in every prior quarter since launch combined.
Arnold Palmer Invitational joins PGA Tour Championship Series
The Arnold Palmer Invitational joins the PGA Tour Championship Series lineup as the tour continues to slowly reveal its 2028 schedule.
⛳️ Y! Sports AM: The future is now
Jackson Koivun, the most hyped rookie in a generation, is already a PGA Tour champion.
Scottish Open leaderboard, Round 4 tee times, PGA Tour updates
It's the final round of the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open on the PGA Tour. Follow for updates and highlights, plus tee times and how to watch.
Scottish Open leaderboard, Round 3 tee times, PGA Tour updates
It's Round 3 of the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open on the PGA Tour. Follow for updates and highlights, plus tee times and how to watch.
Rory McIlroy
The Travelers Championship is the final signature event of the 2026 PGA Tour season, with a total purse of $20 million.
PGA Tour season money leaders on June 23, 2026
These players have earned the most cash on the the PGA Tour in 2026.
TV tower goes down during storm at the Memorial Tournament
An intense storm rolled through the Columbus area and led to third-round play being suspended at the Memorial Tournament on Saturday at Muirfield Village Golf Club (Dublin, OH). Roughly 30 minutes after play at the PGA Tour event was suspended, the storm caused a TV tower to go down near the 10th green. Thankfully, nobody…
Jack Nicklaus Has A Point About The PGA Tour Schedule
Fan Anticipation Golf still depends on buildup, rhythm and weeks that feel special. Player Fatigue Is Part Of The Product Player fatigue is often discussed as a player issue. It is also a fan issue.
Russell Henley's clubs: What's in his Charles Schwab-winning bag
Russell Henley won the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge on Sunday for his sixth PGA Tour win.
Advancing Global Sports Medicine Through Two Strategic Collaborations
Cleveland Clinic’s Global Peak Performance Center and PGA TOUR partnership pair advanced assessment with longitudinal follow-up to enhance clinical decision-making.
Advancing Global Sports Medicine Through Two Strategic Collaborations
Cleveland Clinic’s Global Peak Performance Center and PGA TOUR partnership pair advanced assessment with longitudinal follow-up to enhance clinical decision-making.
Wyndham Clark shoots 60 to win CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Wyndham Clark was 7 under over his final eight holes Sunday and closed with an 11-under 60 to overtake Si Woo Kim and win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson for his first PGA Tour win in two years. Clark's last victory was the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2024, where he also shot 60 in the third and final round in a tournament cut short by weather. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler started two shots behind and never got any closer.
Marco Penge announces he's stepping away to focus on health
Marco Penge, second in the Race to Dubai on the European tour to earn a PGA Tour card, is stepping away to attend to his health.
Top-50 PGA Tour golfer to take break from golf for health issue
Here's why Marco Penge, currently one of the top 50 golfers in the world, is taking a break from professional golf after the PGA Championship.
PGA Tour golfer Marco Penge steps away for mental health
Marco Penge is considered a rising star after winning three times on the DP World Tour. His best result this season was a T-4 in Tampa.
Kristoffer Reitan earns 2-shot win at Truist Championship
The 28-year-old PGA Tour rookie from Norway shot 2-under 69 on Sunday to earn a two-shot win over Rickie Fowler and Nicolai Hojgaard in Charlotte.
Rory McIlroy says LIV golfers returning to PGA is 'good business,' but still takes one more shot at them
Rory McIlroy said golfers who left for LIV Golf should be welcomed back to the PGA Tour, adding it is good business to make the tour stronger.
LIV Golf: Rory McIlroy says players returning to PGA Tour would be 'good business'
Rory McIlroy says bringing back LIV Golf defectors would be "good business" for the PGA Tour amid doubts over the future of the breakaway series.
Rory McIlroy speaks out on LIV Golf losing funding; DeChambeau and Rahm's possible paths back to the PGA Tour
McIlroy has long been one of LIV's biggest critics, but he's open to stars returning -- so long as they want to
Cameron Young's Trump comments after PGA Tour victory were non-political, which is what most of us want
Cameron Young's post-win comments about President Trump at the Cadillac Championship were politicized despite being basic respect for the office.
No.4 Young cruises to PGA title at Doral
World number four Cameron Young cruised through Sunday's final round despite a penalty to win the Cadillac Championship by six strokes, taking his third career PGA Tour triumph.The result came in Scheffler's final tuneup before defending his PGA Championship title in two weeks at Aronimink.
'As good as it gets' - Fitzpatricks win PGA pairs event
Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick make history by becoming the first brothers to win a PGA Tour event at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans pairs tournament.
PGA Tour lays off 4% of staff amid organizational right-sizing
The PGA Tour laid off 56 full-time employees, about 4% of its 1,300-plus staff, and froze hiring for 73 open roles as part of a right-sizing tied to its transition to a player-owned, for-profit structure.
PGA TOUR and Front Office Sports Announce Content Agreement
The multi-year deal will bring fans closer to the business stories that dominate conversations through content from key PGA TOUR moments.
Amid speculation about LIV Golf's future, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp open to new pathways for players to return
Matt Fitzpatrick holds off Scottie Scheffler in a playoff to claim RBC Heritage for second win of the season
Matt Fitzpatrick has now won twice in his last three starts on the PGA Tour.
Manheim Township fourth grader competes in event at Augusta National Sunday before Masters
Maggie Michaels’ dream golf foursome is her father, Tom, PGA Tour professional Tommy Fleetwood and Taylor Swift.
LIV Golf to shut down? Saudi Arabia financiers may pull support, leaving PGA Tour rival at crossroads
Four years after its dramatic launch, LIV Golf may be going out with a whimper
LIV Golf's future may hang in balance as execs meet, per report
As its five-year battle with the PGA Tour drags on, the Saudi-backed golf circuit has reportedly called executives in New York for "emergency summit."
Player tells Tiger to 'get a chauffeur'
Golf legend Gary Player, speaking at the Masters on Thursday, called on Tiger Woods to "get a chauffeur" after his DUI arrest last month.Player, like the Masters and PGA Tour, supported Woods in his fight to recover.
Gary Woodland grabs emotional first PGA Tour win after brain surgery, PTSD diagnosis: 'Just keep fighting'
"I’ve got a big fight ahead of me, and I’m going to keep going. But I’m proud of myself right now.”
Tiger Woods car accident live updates: PGA Tour legend arrested for DUI, released from jail after rollover crash near home in Jupiter Island, FL
2026 Houston Open longshot picks, odds, PGA props: This golf parlay could return almost $18,000
SportsLine's model has revealed a PGA Tour parlay that would return nearly $18,000 on a $10 bet
The Players: Spectators delayed entering ahead of third round of PGA Tour event after fatal shooting close to TPC Sawgrass
Spectators were delayed entering The Players ahead of the third round at TPC Sawgrass, following a fatal shooting close to the course the previous evening.
Rose six clear as he chases 13th PGA Tour win
England's Justin Rose is in a strong position to secure a 13th PGA Tour win after extending his lead to six shots at the Farmers Insurance Open on Saturday.
Patrick Reed leaving LIV Golf, will return to PGA Tour this year
The 2018 Masters champion follows Brooks Koepka back to the PGA Tour.
Koepka 'rang Woods first' over PGA Tour return
Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka says Tiger Woods was the first person he called to discuss a return to the PGA Tour after leaving the LIV Golf circuit.
Mysterious Health Issues Force 3 PGA Tour Pros to Exit $9.2M Tournament Midway
The 2026 American Express in La Quinta is already turning into a wild rollercoaster ride. World number one Scottie Scheffler leads the pack at 17-under par after two brilliant rounds.
Justin Thomas Issues Massive Health Update After Surgery Halted His PGA Tour Career
On a sabbatical from professional golf, Justin Thomas is recovering from a microdiscectomy he had back in November 2025. The 2-time major winner had been troubled with pain for a long time, and that hindered his abilities on the course.
Tiger Woods welcomes Brooks Koepka back to PGA Tour, gives health update
While slowly progressing in his own comeback, Tiger Woods is ecstatic as five-time major champion Brooks Koepka spurns LIV to rejoin PGA Tour.
Brooks Koepka leaves LIV Golf, potential PGA Tour return uncertain
The five-time major winner will leave LIV Golf after three-plus years; majors are still in play
Sky Sports extends PGA Tour partnership to 2029 in four-year golf broadcast rights deal in UK and Ireland
Sky Sports to remain the exclusive home of the PGA Tour in the UK and Ireland, with rights deal extension until the end of 2029 following on from recent extended agreements with the Ladies European Tour, DP World Tour, USGA and Augusta National
Blank Foundation to give $6 million to sports programs in metro Atlanta schools
The foundation, in partnership with Atlanta United, the Atlanta Falcons and the PGA Tour Superstore, will provide the funding to six school districts over three years.
Grant Thornton Invitational 2025: Teams, format and how to watch
Here's a look at the two-player PGA Tour and LPGA teams as well as the format and TV times.
“It’s been a tough year”: Tiger Woods shares updates on health, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour’s future
With his playing days currently in limbo, Woods is turning his attention to the Tour's future schedules.