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Rahm doesn't see 'many ways out' of multi-year LIV deal

Spain's Jon Rahm says LIV Golf players will likely have to make concessions to save the series after Saudi financial backers said they are pulling out after the 2026 season (Chris Graythen)

Two-time major champion Jon Rahm revealed he has several years remaining on his LIV Golf contract and doesn't "see many ways out" after agreeing to a new deal that allows him to play on the DP World Tour.

The 31-year-old Spaniard, a former world number one, spoke Tuesday ahead of this week's LIV Golf Virginia event at Trump National Washington.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which had promised long-term support for the series, said last week it will pull funding after the 2026 campaign concludes, plunging the upstart circuit into uncertainty over his future beyond this year.

But while the vexed question of how LIV players may return to the PGA Tour has dominated golf in recent weeks, Rahm said Tuesday he remained locked into his lucrative contract.

"I have several years on my contract left and I'm pretty sure they did a pretty good job when they drafted that, so I don't see many ways out," Rahm said.

"As of right now, I'm not really thinking about it since we still have a season to play and majors to compete for. So it's not something I want to think about just yet."

Rahm did however settle one long-running issue on Tuesday as the DP World Tour announced they reached a deal with the Spaniard that allows him to play on the European circuit this year while paying all outstanding fines since his 2024 jump to LIV.

"There's no longer a standoff. We were able to reach an agreement," Rahm said. "There was some concessions on both sides. I offered some, they extended an olive branch. That will not be a stress anymore."

Rahm will no longer have to worry about his place on the Europe side for the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland or future stops.

"The Ryder Cup is still really far away, but I'm happy that hopefully I won't have to think about any worries or any predicaments (ahead of) Adare Manor then or hopefully ever," Rahm said.

"I want to support the DP World Tour. There's a lot of events I want to play."

Rahm meanwhile admitted to shock at PIF's decision to pull the plug on LIV Golf, saying players had been assured financing from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund was in place for years to come.

While LIV Golf chief executive officer Scott O'Neil seeks new backers, two-time defending LIV season champion Rahm says players will likely face compromises if the series is to continue.

"I do believe that for the business plan to change, whatever they're coming up with, there will need to be some concessions on our part," Rahm said.

"It's a team effort. It's not about one person agreeing or not. We all, as captains and team owners and players involved in the league, need to in essence have a large majority to agree on for it to work."

- 'Only time will tell' -

Several big names jumped to LIV Golf from the PGA Tour, which banned those players from its events. Some players have made the move back, such as five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, but a return path for others remains uncertain.

Rahm, for his part, said he likes where he is at with LIV.

"We want to be here. It has been a lot of fun. I want to keep competing. I want to keep sharing some time with them," Rahm said.

"But only time will tell. Scott and his team have a lot of hard work to do, but obviously they're experienced in the area, and that's why they've been chosen to take this role."

Rahm, the 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters champion, jumped in 2024 and won the past two season crowns.

This year, in his final tuneup for next week's PGA Championship, Rahm has won LIV titles at Hong Kong in March and Mexico City in April.

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MLB Tigers star pitcher Skubal to undergo elbow surgery

Left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers will undergo surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow, the Major League Baseball club announced (Duane Burleson)

Two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner as top pitcher Tarik Skubal will undergo arthroscopic elbow surgery to remove loose bodies, Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers announced on Monday.

The move came after an elbow injury flared up on Sunday, with neither the Tigers nor the 29-year-old left-hander putting a timetable on his return from an injury that typically requires a two- or three-month recovery.

Skubal was pulled from a scheduled Monday start against Boston five days after an injury scare last Wednesday against Atlanta and sent to the injured list.

Skubal shook his left arm and grabbed his foream in Atlanta. He prepared for his next start but suffered a setback in work on Sunday.

"I thought I was progressing in a very positive manner," Skubal said. "Yesterday's catch play just didn't really go great, which led to getting scans and getting the information."

Skubal won a record $32 million arbitration decision to pitch this season and will be a free agent after the campaign.

"This is something I've kind of been dealing with," Skubal said. “But then again, it was progressing in a positive manner, so I wasn't very concerned about it."

Skubal has no ligament damage and is likely to pitch again this season.

"From my understanding, you just go take (the loose bodies) out," Skubal said. "I'm going to come back and be the same guy. I'm not really too worried about that."

Skubal is 3-2 this season with a 2.70 earned-run average and 45 strikeouts in 43.3 innings for the Tigers, who share the AL Central division lead with Cleveland at 18-17.

Skubal had Tommy John ligament replacement surgery and missed the 2017 college season, then had left forearm tendon surgery in August 2022 and missed 11 months.

Since then, Skubal has gone 41-15 with a 2.41 ERA in 511 innings over 84 starts. He led the AL in wins, strikeouts and ERA in 2024 for the pitching Triple Crown.

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Pistons rout Magic to cap comeback, book NBA playoff clash with Cavaliers

Detroit's Cade Cunningham throws down a dunk in the Pistons' series-clinching NBA playoff win over the Orlando Magic (Nic Antaya)

The Detroit Pistons routed the Orlando Magic 116-94 on Sunday to cap a remarkable NBA playoff comeback and book an Eastern Conference semi-final clash with Cleveland.

Cade Cunningham scored 32 points and handed out 12 assists and Tobias Harris added 30 points with nine rebounds as the Pistons, who trailed 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, wrapped up a 4-3 triumph.

In Cleveland, the Cavaliers weathered a hot start from Toronto to beat the Raptors 114-102 and secure a 4-3 win in a series in which the home team won every game.

The Pistons, who locked up the top seed in the East with the third-best record in the league, notched their first playoff series victory since 2008.

"It's great," Cunningham said after the Pistons became the 15th team to climb out of a 3-1 hole -- one day after the Philadelphia 76ers accomplished the feat against Boston.

"We had a great regular season, we built a lot of momentum going into these playoffs," Cunningham said. "To lose in the first round would have really stung.

"To come back from 3-1, odds against us, and to come back and win it at home -- it feels good."

Detroit had already fended off elimination with victories in games five and six against the Magic -- erasing a 24-point deficit on Friday to force Sunday's decider.

It's the second time the Pistons have rallied from 3-1 down to top the Magic, having accomplished the feat in the first round in 2003.

"They really pushed us to the limit," Cunningham said. "We've grown a lot because of this series, because of that team."

Paolo Banchero scored 38 points with nine rebounds and six assists for Orlando but got precious little scoring support.

Banchero scored the Magic's first 11 points and Orlando emerged from a tight first quarter with a two-point lead.

The back-and-forth action continued early in the second, Detroit finally creating some separation behind a 17-point second-quarter outburst from Harris.

They led 60-49 at halftime and pushed their lead to as many as 25, taking full advantage of 16 Magic turnovers that led to 19 Pistons points.

"We're excited for what's to come," Cunningham said. "We want to win games, win series and (our) ultimate goal is a championship."

That quest continues with game one against Cleveland on Tuesday.

- Allen masterclass -

The Cavs, behind a masterclass from center Jarrett Allen, notched the franchise's fifth straight game-seven triumph as they vanquished the Raptors for the fourth time in four post-season meetings.

Cleveland erased an early 10-point deficit to go into halftime tied at 49-49 and opened the third quarter on a 9-0 scoring run.

They out-scored the Raptors 38-19 in the third, Allen scoring 14 of his 22 points and pulling down 10 of his 19 rebounds in the period.

"I just wanted to show my teammates that we can win this game," said Allen, who added two steals and three blocked shots.

His dominance on the boards helped the Cavs win the rebounding battle 60-33.

"Energy and effort, that's what I believe wins games," Allen said. "If you do it on the defensive end, everything translates to the offense.

"Every single possession, it means a lot," he added of the game-seven intensity. "Every single possession means it could be the end of the season."

Donovan Mitchell added 22 points for Cleveland and emerged unscathed from his own energetic leap for a ball which landed him in the third row of Rocket Arena seats early in the third quarter.

Veteran James Harden chipped in 18 points.

Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with a game-high 24 points, but Toronto's ability to respond in the second half took a hit when foul trouble sent him to the bench for extended minutes.

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Teen Antonelli wins again in Miami to extend title race lead

Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli celebrates after winning the 2026 Miami Formula One Grand Prix (CHANDAN KHANNA)

Teenager Kimi Antonelli extended his lead in the drivers' world championship with a historic victory for Mercedes ahead of McLaren world champion Lando Norris in Sunday's dramatic Miami Grand Prix. 

The 19-year-old Italian became the first F1 driver to claim his first three wins in a row from his first three pole positions, after triumphs in China and Japan had hoisted him to the top of the title race. 

Driving with determination and elan, Antonelli struggled for ascendancy in the first part of the race before enjoying an undercut pit stop to win his duel with Norris in the closing stages.

In the first race following a five-week hiatus due to the conflict in the Middle East, Antonelli came home 3.264 seconds clear of Norris.

Norris's McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finished third, 23.828 seconds adrift. 

Mercedes driver George Russell, who began the season as championship favorite and won the opening race in Melbourne, finished fourth ahead of Red Bull's fiery and rejuvenated four-time champion Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who spun on the penultimate lap. 

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was seventh in the second Ferrari ahead of Franco Colapinto of Alpine and the two Williams drivers, Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.

Mercedes had dominated the opening three Grands Prix and arrived in Miami as the only top team without an upgrades package. But despite losing to Norris in Saturday's sprint race, they showed they remain on top. 

"What a race, man, woo!" exclaimed Antonelli on team radio after winning, "Oh my God!"

He later said: "The team did a great strategy and we had a massive undercut -- and I was able to bring it home. It was a tough race.

"I was a bit lucky when I locked up at the start behind Charles and then I did a mistake with energy management."

Norris described the result as "a mixed bag."

"We just got undercut. We should have boxed first, but Kimi did a good job and hats off to him and Mercedes," he said.

"A good race. He didn't make any mistakes and I'm gutted not to win, but I didn't have the pace."

- 'Just the beginning' -

The weather was significantly cooler than for Saturday's sprint, but without the forecast rain that had brought forward the start by three hours. 

Antonelli made a clean start from his third consecutive pole, but was passed on the inside by Leclerc as Verstappen hit a curb and spun, creating chaos.

Leclerc resisted Antonelli, with Norris third, until lap five when the teenager passed him, only for Leclerc to regain the lead. 

Almost immediately, Pierre Gasly lost control, half-rolled and hit the wall after a collision with Liam Lawson, and a safety car was deployed. 

Verstappen, who had fallen back, pitted on lap nine for hards, returning in 16th. 

Racing resumed on lap 12 with Leclerc resisting Norris until the champion powered by to become the third different leader as light rain arrived. 

Driving with fury, Verstappen, who had crossed a pit lane exit line and faced a post-race investigation, climbed back to sixth by lap 21 when Russell pitted for hards. 

Norris then led Antonelli by 3.2 seconds in the duel to define the race. 

Leclerc pitted for hards and retuned 10th, behind Russell -- much to the Frenchman's frustration.

Antonelli and Norris then also pitted, the champion losing the initiative to the young Italian.

This left the precocious Silver Arrows boy in front, with his team calming his nerves as McLaren's defending champion stalked him.

The pair were separated by less than a second after 40 laps.

After the frantic yo-yo passing of the early stages, the field stretched out when Leclerc passed Verstappen, on his long-worn tyres, before the Ferrari star's late spin gifted Piastri third place.

"This is just the beginning," said Antonelli, shrugging off the mounting excitement and expectation in his homeland.

He added: "I'm going to enjoy this one and then get straight back to work because Canada is in two weeks' time."

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