Sports
Rory McIlroy sang Journey in New Orleans. He also won the golf tournament
NEW ORLEANS — Rory McIlroy is on the TPC Louisiana 19th green stage with a beer in one hand and a microphone in the other. He’s got Mardi Gras beads around his neck standing next to one of his best friends, Shane Lowry, and the drunken New Orleans crowd keeps chanting.
“Rory! Rory! Rory!”
“Do you know any songs from the 80s?” the bandleader asks.
And then Journey starts playing.
The four-time major champ belted out “Don’t Stop Believing” early Sunday evening, tossing his head back to put his chest into the notes. Lowry just laughed and drank his beer watching his buddy make a fool of himself. As he walked off moments later, Lowry answered why he didn’t join — “I would have sung much better.”
McIlroy just won a golf tournament. And he needed to win a golf tournament. But far, far more than he needed anything on a scorecard, he needed this week. McIlroy needed to have fun.
This is not a drill. Rory McIlroy singing Don’t Stop Believing pic.twitter.com/y5PkEDoqo4
— Brody Miller (@BrodyAMiller) April 28, 2024
This all began with a “really drunken lunch” after their Ryder Cup win last fall. McIlroy asked Lowry if they could team up for the Zurich Classic — the PGA Tour’s only team event. Lowry has played this event before but, fearful of rejection, never asked McIlroy to team up. McIlroy sent Lowry a Christmastime text confirming. He was coming to New Orleans.
Fast forward to Saturday night, and just off Bourbon Street in the French Quarter at a classic white tablecloth Creole joint called Arnaud’s, McIlroy and Lowry received a standing ovation from the other diners. This isn’t even some casual weekend in Louisiana. It’s Jazz Fest. It’s NFL Draft week. The Pelicans are in the playoffs. Yet the people were so psyched to have the No. 2 player in the world they filled TPC Louisiana with the largest galleries anyone can recall and applauded them at restaurants. One TV reporter joked the last athlete to receive that was Reggie Bush nearly two decades ago.
“It was weird for me,” Lowry said. “That stuff doesn’t happen to me.”
“It doesn’t happen to me, either!” McIlroy joked.
“He’s getting old,” Lowry said with a cheeky grin. “But he can still move the needle a little bit. Rory brings a crowd, and people love him.”
A little context. McIlroy isn’t having a very good season. It became a running gag last week that Scottie Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott, is outearning McIlroy in 2024. And McIlroy has been having a stressful few years. He was the face of the PGA Tour in its war with LIV and the most public-facing policy board member. Then, he got blindsided by the PGA Tour entering into a framework agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (LIV’s owners), calling himself a “sacrificial lamb” as they sent him to speak to the media the next day.
He then reportedly lost a power battle over the future of the tour to Patrick Cantlay and decided to leave the board, with Sports Illustrated reporting Cantlay and others like Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth focused more on catering to the tour’s elites. McIlroy then changed his tune and campaigned for unification with LIV. He rubbed people the wrong way, criticizing Spieth publicly for saying the PGA Tour didn’t “need” the Saudis. He consistently made comments about the desire for money ruining the sport. He got in an awkward incident at the Players Championship with playing partners Spieth and Viktor Hovland.
Oh, and the golf has suffered. It’s all relative. He’s still top 30 nearly every week, but has just one PGA Tour finish better than 19th all season. When he finished T22 at the Masters two weeks ago, he got questions about whether he needed to blow up his swing and do a full reset.
Then, he went to New Orleans.
McIlroy was not locked in this week, at least not for most of the week. This week was about having fun with his old buddy Shane. They didn’t even practice when they got in Tuesday because the course was too busy, so they messed around at the chipping green instead. During the Wednesday Pro-Am, they hardly even played every other shot. They seemed to hit when they felt like it while walking and talking the rest. They crushed chargrilled oysters from Drago’s on the 10th hole and teased each other.
Who knows how worried they even were as they entered the seventh hole Sunday five back of the leaders. Yes, they’re competitors and want to win, but they were just going with the flow.
Then, McIlroy got hot. Playing alternate shot, they birdied four of the next five holes to get one back. McIlroy dropped a saucy little club twirl that he hasn’t shown in years on a perfect iron shot on 14. And right around that time, he clearly started to want it a bit more. When he put his drive on 16 into a bunker, he bent over and held his head down for a full minute in frustration.
But no worries. Lowry hit a perfect wedge from the bunker to the center of the green, and McIlroy hit a wide-breaking putt to take a share of the lead.
On the par-3 17th, Lowry’s tee shot flew into the crowd and he later missed a tough par putt. He was visibly disappointed with himself, but McIlroy speedily chased him off the green to say, “Hey, Shane. That was a good putt.”
“Rory is there backing me up this week,” Lowry said, “and he was a great teammate, and he made me believe in myself. It was good to have him there to do that.”
They then birdied 18 to send it to a playoff, and thanks to a missed putt by Martin Trainer in the playoff, McIlroy won his 25th PGA Tour tournament and Lowry earned himself a spot in the remaining PGA Tour signature events. Teamwork.
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry chased down Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer on Sunday in the Zurich Classic. (Stephen Lew / USA Today)
Yeah, maybe McIlroy was the key to the win this week, but there’s a chance Lowry was the key to a much-needed week for McIlroy. Because he admitted this week was about getting away from the stress.
“Absolutely,” he said. “The reason that Shane and I both started to play golf is because we thought it was fun at some stage in our life. I think sort of reinjecting a little bit of that fun back into it in a week like this week, it can always help.”
And as the event finished, tournament organizers could be seen celebrating the coup of one of the game’s biggest stars winning and possibly coming back next year to defend his title. This isn’t exactly one of the tour’s bigger events. They’d kill for McIlroy in the field again. So he was asked, “Has anyone started trying to sell you on returning?”
“I don’t think they need to try,” McIlroy said. “I think we’re coming back.”
(Top photo: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
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Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub refused to shake hands or even stand beside Israel Football Association Vice President Basim Sheikh Suliman during a tense exchange at the FIFA Congress Thursday.
Both officials were invited to the stage by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, but the Palestinian representative resisted efforts to bring him closer to his Israeli counterpart.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino shakes hands with Basim Sheikh Suliman (left), vice president of the Israeli Football Association, as Jibril Rajoub (right), president of the Palestine Football Association, leaves the stage at the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada, April 30, 2026. (Reuters/Jennifer Gauthier)
Infantino briefly placed a hand on Rajoub’s arm and gestured for him to step forward, but Rajoub did not comply.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the 2026 Semafor World Economy conference in Washington, D.C., on April 15, 2026. (Kent Nishimura/AFP)
The Palestinian FA, led by Rajoub, has long pushed for Israel to be suspended from international soccer competition.
Rajoub defended his decision, saying he remains committed to formal processes but believes stronger action is needed.
“I still respect and follow the legal procedure, but I think it’s time to understand that Israel should be sanctioned. The double-standard policy should stop,” Rajoub said, according to The Times of Israel.
“I refused to shake hands. Sport is sport. … For me, that should be respected, but if the other side is representing a criminal like Bibi [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] and speaking on behalf of Bibi as if Bibi is Mother Teresa, how can I shake hands or have a photo with such a man?
HS BASKETBALL COACH SUSPENDED AFTER HANGING UP PALESTINIAN FLAG, REFUSING TO SHAKE HANDS WITH JEWISH COACHES
A fan displays a Palestinian flag during a Nations League group stage match between France and Israel Nov. 14, 2024. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)
“I think Gianni has the right to try to bridge gaps and bring people together, but I think maybe he does not understand or does not know the deep suffering of the Palestinian people.”
After the exchange, Infantino addressed the room, urging cooperation.
“We will work together, President Rajoub, Vice President Suliman. Let’s work together to give hope to the children. These are complex matters,” Infantino said.
Speaking just before the incident, Suliman emphasized the unifying role of the sport.
“In football, there is no place for politics,” Suliman said. “Everyone has the right to play and compete. We are teaching children values like respect, equality and love for others, and we hope that by the next time we meet, the situation will be better. We extend a hand to the Palestinian FA in the spirit of those shared values.”
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Players from Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur line up before the UEFA Super Cup soccer match in Udine, Italy, on Aug. 13, 2025. (Denes Erdos/AP)
UEFA was reportedly moving toward a vote to suspend Israel over the war in Gaza in September, but the motion was put on pause.
Infantino announced no action would be taken against the team on Oct. 3 after a historic peace proposal by President Donald Trump and Netanyahu.
However, even after the peace proposal, Israeli sports teams have faced opposition and exclusion.
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Posted along the left-field fence at Birmingham High are the years it won City Section baseball titles: 1964, 1966, 1969, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023.
Nowhere is there any recognition for winning a West Valley League title. That’s because the current coach, Matt Mowry, has won five City titles and zero league titles during his 20 seasons. He might need to make room for a first West Valley title after the Patriots completed a two-game sweep this week of El Camino Real, winning on Friday 9-1.
Nathan Soto struck out five and walked none in six innings. Carlos Acuna, Toni Mendoza and Jordan Lindsay each had two hits.
The Patriots (22-4, 11-2) have a one-game lead over El Camino Real (18-8, 10-3) going into a two-game series with Cleveland next week. Athletic director Rick Prizant has always joked with Mowry that he wants City titles, not necessarily league titles, but the players were determined this season to end Mowry’s drought.
“Our guys came in with a good approach and stuck to it and performed in all aspects,” Mowry said.
The hitters continued their mastery of El Camino Real pitching, hitting one ball after another to right field. During a seven-run third inning, Aidan Martinez had the big hit, a two-run double down the right-field line. Acuna followed with an RBI single, Mendoza had a two-run single and JuJu Monroe-Truitt had an RBI single.
Chatsworth 1, Cleveland 0: Isaiah Sanchez threw a five-hit shutout for the Chancellors.
Granada Hills 5, Taft 1: Foss Bohlen struck out seven in six innings for the Highlanders, who close the regular season with a two-game series against El Camino Real next week.
Monroe 7, Chavez 1: The Vikings clinched the East Valley League title, their first league title since 1995. Felipe Gonzalez threw six scoreless innings.
Bell 11, Legacy 1: Jayden Rojas struck out six with no walks in five innings while giving up one hit. Armando Aguilar had two hits and two RBIs.
Garfield 11, South East 1: CJ Aguayo had a three-run triple and Victor Alvarez added three RBIs for Garfield.
Norco 7, Corona 2: Dylan Seward and Jacob Melendez hit home runs to help Norco clinch the Big VIII League championship. Melendez threw a complete game with five strikeouts and no walks.
Corona Santiago 7, Corona Centennial 6: Striker Pence homered for the Sharks. Jesse Mendoza had three hits for Centennial.
Villa Park 2, Cypress 0: Logan Hoppie threw the complete game with six strikeouts for Villa Park.
Oaks Christian 8, Calabasas 7: KJ Henrich broke a 7-7 tie with an RBI double in the seventh. Carson Sheffer hit his fourth home run and finished with three RBIs. Jack Brinkman had three hits. Auron Blackledge and Evan Barak homered for Calabasas.
Westlake 15, Newbury Park 6: Holden Backus had two hits and four RBIs for Westlake. Carson Richter hit a grand slam for Newbury Park.
Thousand Oaks 5, Agoura 4: The Lancers rallied from a 4-0 deficit. Jake Ange had a home run.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 2, Bishop Alemany 0: Holden Newhouse and JuJu Diaz-Jones combined for the shutout to help the Knights clinch a playoff spot from the Mission League.
Chaminade 9, Harvard-Westlake 5: Anthony Costa and Robby Morgan each had two hits and two RBIs and Isaiah Hearn hit a three-run home run to lead the Eagles. Louis Lappe went four for four to lead Harvard-Westlake.
Sierra Canyon 10, Loyola 0: Theo Swafford had a double and three-run home run for Sierra Canyon.
St. Francis 10, Crespi 6: Danny Izaguirre had two hits and four RBIs for St. Francis.
Temecula Valley 3, Vista Murrieta 2: Taden Krogsgaard had two hits for Temecula Valley.
JSerra 9, Santa Margarita 6: The Lions completed a three-game sweep of Santa Margarita. Blake Bowen hit a home run in all three games. Shane D’Arcy had three hits for JSerra.
St. John Bosco 6, Mater Dei 3: Jhett Ohira had two hits and two RBIs for the Braves. Sebastian Navarro homered for Mater Dei.
Orange Lutheran 3, Servite 1: Sam Principe threw a complete game, giving up three hits for Orange Lutheran.
Huntington Beach 8, Newport Harbor 1: Parker Leoff contributed two doubles for Huntington Beach.
West Ranch 10, Hart 2: Ty Diaz went three for three and Caydin Wilson had three RBIs as West Ranch earned a share of the Foothill League title.
Valencia 14, Golden Valley 1: Zach Davis had three hits and three RBIs for Valencia.
Redondo Union 10, Mira Costa 4: Keiji Hattori led the way with three hits for Redondo Union.
Softball
Granada Hills 16, Taft 2: Dahlia Perez had a grand slam during a 15-run second inning.
JSerra 3, Orange Lutheran 1: Liliana Escobar recorded 13 strikeouts and gave up three hits in the Trinity League win.
Norco 11, Corona Santiago 0: Peyton May struck out 13 and Sadie Burroughs hit a three-run home run for Norco.
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We’ve reached one of the best days of the week. Work winds down, we get to go home, crack open a cold one and reach for the remote. Tonight, my TV will be locked on three different NBA games that will all be closeout games.
There are two Eastern Conference matchups and one Western Conference battle. It starts with the Pistons looking to force Game 7 in Detroit.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Ethan Thompson defends during the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 12, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
The Pistons won the most games in the Eastern Conference this season. While that is a fact, they haven’t really looked like a dominating team in the first round of the playoffs. That isn’t to say that Detroit has been terrible, but they do look like some of the flaws that didn’t hurt them playing a team once and moving on, have been exposed in a seven-game set.
They are down, but they aren’t out yet, and if they win tonight, they get to bring the series back to Detroit for a decisive Game 7.
I do feel like we need to take a moment to appreciate just how good Cade Cunningham has been in this series. He was drafted first overall in the 2021 draft, so it isn’t like anyone should be shocked that he is good at basketball.
Anthony Black of the Orlando Magic dribbles the ball against the Detroit Pistons during the fourth quarter at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla., on April 6, 2026. (Rich Storry/Getty Images)
His first year in the league was decent, probably about in line with a No. 1 pick. His second year was derailed by injury. In year three, there were still injuries, and the team was a disaster. Last year, he took a big leap and scored 26.1 points per game. His Pistons team was fearless against the Knicks. This year, he led them to 60 wins and has averaged 32.6 points per game in the playoffs.
This is not the first time that an eighth seed has a chance to upset the first seed. The Magic are on the verge of adding their name to the list of teams to accomplish the feat. They only need to win one of the next two games in order to do it.
Technically, they will have had three chances to close out the series. The big issue with the Magic is that the team relies on everyone being available. It sounds obvious that if you lose one of your best players, like Franz Wagner, you’re going to struggle. But, the Magic are built around Wagern’s isolation, physicality and overall ability of Paolo Banchero, shooting from Desmond Bane and defense from Wendell Carter Jr. and Jalen Suggs.
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If you remove one of those players, the team certainly suffers. All teams would if you removed their second-best player, but Wagner being absent hurts quite a bit.
I expect him to be out in this game, and if he does go, I would be skeptical to see him play as much or with his normal level of production. He had 19 points in 24 minutes before he was done for the game in Game 4. The good news for Orlando is that this one is at home, so the role players may step up a bit.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham celebrates during the first half of an NBA game against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis on Nov. 24, 2025. (Michael Conroy/AP)
In Game 5, the Pistons took advantage of Wagner’s absence. Banchero was great, putting up 45 points, but Cunningham matched that output and was more efficient. Jamal Cain, who looked amazing in Game 5, started for the Magic, but he played just 25 minutes. Anthony Black got almost 40 minutes and was decent in his role.
The Pistons still only beat the Magic by seven points in that game. Orlando outscored the Pistons in two of the four quarters, and outside a bad first quarter, the Magic looked like the better team.
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I’m a bit surprised the Pistons are favored. The Magic have looked good at home and haven’t lost yet. Both teams are filled with role players and a superstar. The problem is, role players aren’t good on the road. Give me the Magic to cover, and I will sprinkle the moneyline as I think they win on their home floor.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
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