After a brief hiatus due to personal reasons, Tiger Woods is set to return to the indoor course. He will play in Tuesday’s highly anticipated TGL match at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens.

Woods, who was not only set to participate but also fulfill hosting duties at this weekend’s Genesis Invitational, faced a challenging decision. He withdrew from the event, citing that he was not emotionally prepared to play following the recent passing of his mother, Kultida, who died earlier this month at the age of 80.

Woods took to social media ahead of the tournament. ‘I planned to tee it up this week, but I’m just not ready,’ the golfer stated. ‘I did my best to prepare, knowing it’s what my Mom would have wanted, but I’m still processing her loss.’

Woods has indicated that he will join his Jupiter Links GC teammates, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner, as they face off against Cameron Young, Rickie Fowler, and Matt Fitzpatrick from the New York Golf Club.

Here’s how you can watch The Jupiter Links GC take on the New York Golf Club.

How to watch Tiger Woods play in TGL

The Jupiter Links will play the New York Golf Club at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Date: Tuesday, February 18
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

TGL Standings

As of the beginning of February, the Los Angeles Golf Club is leading the SoFi Cup standings with four points, closely followed by the Bay Golf Club with two points. Atlanta Drive and Jupiter Links Golf Club are tied for third place, also with two points, adding to the league’s intense rivalry.

1. Los Angeles Golf Club, 4 points
2. The Bay Golf Club, 2 points
3. Atlanta Drive GC, 2 points
4. Jupiter Links GC, 2 points
5. Boston Common Golf, 1 point
6. New York Golf Club, 0 points

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The bottom line to the settlement announced Saturday morning between the World Anti-Doping Agency and tennis’ top-ranked men’s player, Jannik Sinner, is that his year-long saga is now over with minimal damage to his career. 

Sinner, who tested positive for the steroid clostebol at last year’s Indian Wells tournament in California, accepted a three-month ban from WADA as both sides now avoid a hearing that was scheduled for April in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. 

The ban is back dated to begin on Feb. 9 and will expire on May 4. That means Sinner, who won the Australian Open last month, will not miss any Grand Slams and will be eligible to return just in time for the Italian Open in his home country beginning May 7. 

From that standpoint, the settlement is a huge win for Sinner. After the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s panel initially ruled last year that there was “no fault or negligence” found in Sinner’s case and did not suspend him, WADA sought a 1-to-2 year ban in its appeal of the case to CAS. Though most experts agreed that Sinner was more likely headed for a far shorter suspension akin to the one he ultimately accepted, an April hearing followed by a ruling weeks later would have imperiled his chances of playing the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. 

Though Sinner will miss an important chunk of the tennis season including Masters 1000-level events at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid, he is far enough ahead of No. 2 Alexander Zverev in the rankings (11,830 points to 8,135) that he could still be No. 1 when he returns. 

“This case had been hanging over me now for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year,” Sinner said in a statement Saturday. “I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realize WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love.”

Now, the bad news for Sinner: Many fans, and even some of his fellow players, may see this settlement as an admission of some guilt or wrongdoing — especially given the convenient timing of his suspension. 

“Bad day for tennis,” former top-15 player Nick Kyrgios, who has been harshly critical of Sinner, wrote on X. 

Three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka wrote, “I don’t believe in a clean sport anymore…” on the same social media app. 

The Professional Tennis Players Association, which was founded by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, also weighed in on X, where it posted a statement criticizing the ATP, WTA, Grand Slams, ITA and WADA.

‘The ‘system’ is not a system. It’s a club,’ the PTPA wrote. ‘Supposed case-by-case discretion is, in fact, merely cover for tailored deals, unfair treatment, and inconsistent rulings. It’s not just the different results for different players. It’s the lack of transparency. The lack of process. The lack of consistency. The lack of credibility in the alphabet soup of agencies charged with regulating our sports and athletes.’

Sinner has maintained since the positive test became public last summer that he did nothing wrong. His explanation, which the ITIA accepted, was that traces of the substance inadvertently entered his system via massage from his fitness trainer Umberto Ferrara. Sinner’s team contended that the trainer had been using a spray to treat a cut on his finger that is available over-the-counter in Italy and contains clostebol.

That explanation was at least partially supported by photos from Indian Wells last year, where the positive test occurred, showing Ferrara with a bandage on his hand. 

Still, if true, that would represent at minimum some sloppiness and negligence on the part of Ferrara, which Sinner is responsible for to some degree according to WADA standards. Ferrara is no longer part of Sinner’s team. 

It is, however, hard to imagine WADA accepting this short of a ban — and with timing this favorable to Sinner — if they believed there was a strong case against him to present in front of CAS. 

What the settlement does accomplish for WADA, however, is a measure of face-saving and precedent-keeping. Though it was highly unlikely for WADA to get a 1- or 2-year ban for Sinner given the publicly available facts of the case, it gets some measure of protection in future cases where an athlete might pass the blame for a positive test onto a member of their staff. 

“WADA accepts the athlete’s explanation for the cause of the violation as outlined in the first instance decision,” the organization’s statement said Saturday. “WADA accepts that Mr. Sinner did not intent to cheat, and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as a result of negligence of members of his entourage. 

“However, under the Code and by virtue of CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence. Based on the unique set of facts in this case, a three-month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate outcome.”

The U.S. women’s medal streak at the world championships is over.

Barely.

Paula Moltzan was fourth in the slalom Saturday morning, missing the bronze medal by just 0.02 seconds, while Mikaela Shiffrin finished fifth, just 0.05 seconds out of third place. It’s the first race at worlds without a U.S. woman on the podium after golds in the downhill (Breezy Johnson) and team combined (Johnson and Shiffrin), and bronzes in the super-G (Lauren Macuga) and giant slalom (Moltzan).

Still, this was still the best performance by the U.S. women at worlds in four decades, a promising sign a year out from the Milan Cortina Olympics. The four medals match the high for the Americans, and it’s the first time since 1985 that three different women have won individual medals.

‘It’s been so cool to watch all my teammates perform and succeed. That just makes it feel really bright for the future of our team,’ Shiffrin said.

‘I don’t remember during the time that I’ve been skiing having this much depth,’ she added. ‘It’s been incredible to watch that build over the years and culminating at this world championships. I hope it continues to build over the next year. And the next several years.’

This was the first time in seven appearances at the world championships that Shiffrin didn’t medal in the slalom, an event she’s won four times. A medal Saturday also would have been her 16th, making her the most-decorated skier ever at worlds.

But this was also just the third race for Shiffrin since she suffered a deep gash in her obliques after being punctured — she still doesn’t know by what — in a crash in the GS race at the World Cup in Killington, Vermont.

Or, as Shiffrin put it, eight weeks ago she was having surgery. Six weeks ago she was still in bed with a drainage tube. On Saturday, she had a top-five finish at the world championships, a heartbeat away from the podium.

‘It’s sort of strange to balance the feeling of, `I just want to make progress’ and then the feeling of where do the medals fit into that? Winning one gold was out-of-this-world, beyond expectations,’ Shiffrin said. ‘In the end, today was something I can learn from and hopefully continue to recover well for the rest of the season.’

Besides recovering from the injury itself, Shiffrin has to get herself back in race form. She was off the slopes for almost two months, and said before the slalom race that she’s still working on her consistency. She will have some great turns in training and sections where she feels she’s back to her old self, but it will take time until she can maintain that throughout the entire course in a two-run race.

And while she’s strong enough to race, she’s still working on her stamina.

All of it was evident in the second slalom run.

Shiffrin had been third in the first run, 0.72 seconds behind Switzerland’s Camille Rast. She made a slight error early in the second run but was quickly able to get herself back on track. She lost speed in the third section of the steep course, however, and couldn’t recoup it despite making a late push.

‘When I was coming down the final pitch today I was like, `Oh no,” Shiffrin said, laughing. ‘…The anaerobic endurance is coming, but it just takes time. It will be a continued recovery through the rest of the season.’

Shiffrin was third with two skiers still to go when she crossed the finish line. Austria’s Katharina Liensberger, up next, made a furious push at the end that was good enough to edge both Shiffrin and Moltzan off the podium.

Liensberger finished in 1:59.32, 0.02 seconds ahead of Moltzan and 0.05 seconds ahead of Shiffrin. It was a reversal of Moltzon’s fortunes in the GS, where she won the bronze medal by 0.01 seconds.

“Some days you’re on the right side of the hundredths, and some days you’re on the wrong,” Moltzan said on Peacock.

Rast won the slalom title and Wendy Holdener was second, giving Switzerland a 1-2 finish.

The World Cup season resumes next weekend in Sestriere, Italy, with two giant slalom races and a slalom. Shiffrin didn’t race GS at worlds, citing lingering PTSD from the crash at Killington. But she said Saturday that she’ll try and race it next weekend.

‘We’ll see. But I think I can get there to the point where my GS skiing is good enough without it being dangerous,’ she said.

Shiffrin’s next World Cup victory will be her 100th, extending a mark that is unlikely to ever be matched.

AUBURN — Friday was full of emotion for Auburn baseball sophomore Cade Belyeu.

The Tigers centerfielder started the day with difficult news. His mother, Staci Belyeu, died after a months-long battle with cancer.

His evening was full of higher spirits, however. Starting in Auburn’s season-opening 4-1 win over Holy Cross, Belyeu singled in his first at-bat. He followed it up with even bigger fireworks, hitting the program’s first home run of the season just hours after his mother’s death.

The ball, which was hit into the right-centerfield deck at Plainsman Park, was caught by a young fan and returned to the program, an administrator told the Montgomery Advertiser. It was given to Belyeu by Auburn coach Butch Thompson postgame.

Thompson said he got a call at 7:16 a.m. Friday, with Belyeu passing along the news of his mother’s death.

‘Then he said he wanted to play,’ Thompson said. ‘His mom, Staci, wanted him to play.’

A few hours later, Thompson said he was wrestling with whether or not Belyeu should see the field. So, he called his father, Roger Belyeu, and deferred to him.

‘He said Staci wanted him to play,’ Thompson said. ‘I think it was the most inspiring thing we’ve ever seen. Our crowd is just amazing. They absolutely sensed and knew what was going on with him. … An inspiration by Cade Belyeu.’

Belyeu, who wasn’t made available for Friday’s postgame, made some late-season waves as a freshman. An Auburn High School product, he mustered five of his eight home runs in the Tigers’ final seven games of 2024. He ended the year hitting .284, with seven extra-base hits and 20 RBIs.

In all, the season opener saw a 2-for-4 performance at the plate from him, matching a team-high in hits with shortstop Deric Fabian and second baseman Eric Snow as the Tigers cruised to a victory over the Crusaders. Florida transfer Cade Fisher got the start and posted 3⅓ hitless innings, though he was tacked for an earned run after his day ended.

‘That was literally the best thing I’ve ever seen in baseball,’ Snow said postgame of Belyeu’s home run. ‘It means more when the kid’s loving and caring in the locker room and works his butt off every day. That was literally the best thing I’ve ever seen.’

The Tigers used three pitchers in the win, with Cam Tilly and Carson Myers combining for a 5⅔-inning effort, in which neither gave up a run.

MESA, Ariz. — Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw was at his apartment Wednesday night when his phone buzzed. It was a text message from one of his best friends from Massachusetts, breathlessly telling him the breaking news.

Free agent third baseman Alex Bregman was signing a three-year, $120 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.

While everyone in Chicago moaned and groaned, with everyone from the Cubs front office to the players to the peanut vendors at Wrigley Field expressing their frustration, there was whooping and hollering from a certain apartment in town.

Shaw, who’s dealing with a minor strained oblique muscle, strolled into camp Friday for their first official workout as the happiest man in a Cubs uniform.

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

‘Oh my gosh, yeah, what a roller coaster of emotions,’’ Shaw said quietly to USA TODAY Sports after speaking to the media. “I followed it closely. Me and my fiancée talked about it. It was kind of exciting and unique in a way that such a big decision also affected my career in such a particular way as a young guy.

‘Now, you see yourself in these conversations and see yourself having the opportunity to hopefully play in the big leagues and have an impact on a team.’

Shaw was told all winter – and reiterated at the Cubs convention in January – that he would be given the first crack to earn the starting third base job. Then, February rolled around, and Bregman was still a free agent. Spring training started, and Bregman was still a free agent.

Suddenly, Jed Hoyer, the Cubs president of baseball operation and agent Scott Boras were talking regularly, numbers were being exchanged, and the Cubs were making a four-year, $115 million offer to sign him.

Shaw knew the ramifications.

If Bregman signed, he was out. Oh, he could have perhaps been asked to switch positions to second base, just as he switched from shortstop to third base last year. Most likely, he would be sent back to the minors. He could even be traded.

‘Now,’’ Shaw said, ‘there is clarity moving forward. For the team, the media, it’s nice to figure out that piece for all of us. There’s less questions about it, you can move forward together. This is our team.’

Certainly, there’s no hard feelings Shaw said. He has played in only 35 games in Triple-A, so he wasn’t about to tell management they’re making a mistake for not believing he can handle the job right now at a whole lot cheaper rate than Bregman.

‘I mean, at the end of the day, you understand it’s a business,’ Shaw said. ‘You want to have a team that’s going to be able to win a championship. You had a great player player like Bregman, it’s always a good thing for your team. And obviously they kind of reflected that in their sadness for not being able to sign him.’

Cubs players spent the past week saying how much they wanted Bregman, not necessarily recruiting him, but telling him how badly they’d love to have him. Two of his former teammates from the Houston Astros, Ryan Pressly and Kyle Tucker, didn’t hide their enthusiasm for the possibility of joining him in Chicago.

‘Breggy, first and foremost,’ Tucker said Friday, ‘is one of the best guys that you can have on a team, and one of the best players in the league. So, any team would be lucky to have a person like that. Obviously sad that I’m not going to be able to play with him this year, but you never know what the future holds.

‘He’s such a phenomenal person and player. I wasn’t trying to sway him one way or the other. It’s a personal decision. But I would have loved to have him.’

Shaw understands. He didn’t take it personal. He appreciated it, but certainly wasn’t expecting Hoyer, GM Carter Hawkins and manager Craig Counsell to talk to him two days ago, keeping him apprised of what’s going on.

‘I think he knows it’s come fast for him,’ Hoyer said. ‘He’s in the 2023 draft (selected 13th overall) and has moved really quickly. Ultimately, spots on the team are earned. He knows that. He’s got a great head on his shoulders, so I don’t think any of that stuff bothered him.

‘He’s here to play well, and we’ll see what happens.’

The Cubs veterans also say there’s no need to personally to say anything to Shaw. He’s just a 23-year-old kid who has never played a day in the big leagues. It’s not as if Shaw was a seasoned veteran and the Cubs were trying to dump him to improve the club.

‘I think he understands that,’’ veteran shortstop Dansby Swanson said. ‘It’s hard to explain, but I think that he knows and understands how valuable he is, and I think he’s smart enough to figure all of those things out on his own.

‘It’s not as harsh as it sounds, but I think so often we can kind of over-coach or over-help, and he’s such a gifted player, he can figures things out himself and be just fine.’’

Said veteran reliever Ryan Brasier: ‘I’m sure he’s like, ‘I’m supposed to be the guy. I want the job.’ But when you can get a guy like Bregman, that’s just part of it. It is what it is. There’s really nothing you can do about it, except now that we didn’t get him, go out and show them they made the right move by sticking with you.’

Shaw knows that he’s the top prospect in the organization, but still is unproven. There are plenty of instances a rookie has a great spring, and still is sent to the minors whether it’s for more experience or even for service-time manipulation.

‘There’s situations as a younger player where you could have an incredible spring and there’s no opportunity,’ second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “You could do nothing impactful in spring training games and have an opportunity. There’s so much out of your control.

‘I think he’s got a good sense of that. He strikes me as somebody who has a very strong sense of who he is as a player. There’s always going to be a new challenge, the next thing, and he seems just very, very adept at handling whatever that is coming his way.

“I’m just excited to see the kind of player he is.’

Shaw, who had a slash line of .298/.395/.534 at Triple-A Iowa, wants to prove the Cubs right by not dealing for a player who could have blocked his path for the next four years. He wants to show his teammates there’s no reason to be disappointed they’re not playing with Bregman.

He doesn’t have a chip on his shoulder, or carry a grudge, but certainly has confidence that one day folks could be talking about him as an All-Star like Bregman.

‘I don’t think anybody said anything that necessarily would have bene hurtful in any way,’ Shaw said. “They’re just being honest, and the honesty about the situation is that Bregman is a great player. So, I don’t think anybody at all needs to say anything to me.

‘At the end of the day, it’s a business, and you’re trying to put together a great team that wins. I’ve hoping to have a similar impact, have a successful season, and help win the division.

‘Really, that’s all I can ask for.’

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The 67th annual Daytona 500, known as the ‘Great American Race,’ will feature the best drivers in the sport chasing the chance to carve their names on the prestigious Harley J. Earl Trophy.

This year’s event has undergone a significant change, with the start time being rescheduled to begin one hour earlier. This decision, made by NASCAR in anticipation of possible inclement weather, means that the race, originally set for 2:30 p.m. ET, will now kick off at 1:30 p.m. ET. The aim is to ensure the race is completed before the expected rain arrives at the Daytona International Speedway.

Here’s the weather forecast leading up to the race, as the drivers prepare to rev their engines.

What is the weather forecast at the Daytona 500?

According to the Weather Channel, the weather at the race’s start will be 79 degrees and mostly cloudy. With a humidity level of 64% and wind speeds of 12 mph, it will feel more like 82 degrees.

How to watch Daytona 500 2025: Time, TV channel, streaming

The 2025 Daytona 500 will be broadcast on Fox. Streaming options include Fubo, which is offering a free trial for new subscribers, or FoxSports.com, or the Fox Sports app.

Date: Sunday, Feb. 16
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Stream: Fubo (free trial), FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app
Where: Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Florida)

Watch the Daytona 500 on Fubo (free trial)

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The identity of the Class of 2025 of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame just became a little clearer.

A group of 17 finalists for enshrinement were announced Friday as part of the NBA’s All-Star Game weekend, which kicked off in San Francisco.

Headlining the finalist class are former Nuggets and Knicks icon and 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, eight-time All-WNBA point guard Sue Bird, three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard and four-time WNBA champion Maya Moore.

The group of finalists was whittled from a list of nominees that were announced in mid-December. Nominees are sorted through six categories: North America, Women’s, Contributor, International, Women’s Veteran and Veteran.

Inductees into the Class of 2025 will be announced April 5, coinciding with the weekend of the NCAA’s men’s Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.

Now, a group of 24 voters will cast their selections to determine the shape of the class. For a finalist to get elected, they must secure a minimum of 18 affirmative votes, or a 75% majority. The group of voters consists of Hall of Famers, basketball executives and media members. Finalists are considered based on their achievements on and off the court.

The enshrinement ceremony for the Class of 2025 will take place Sept. 6 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The full list of finalists, with an asterisk (*) denoting a first-time nominee:

North America Committee

2008 US Olympic Men’s Basketball Team (team)

Known as the ‘Redeem Team,’ the 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team swept through its schedule with an 8-0 record at the Beijing Summer Games with an average margin of victory of 27.9 points per game.

Carmelo Anthony (player)*

Over his 19 seasons in the NBA, most notably with the Nuggets and Knicks, Anthony was a prolific shooter and scorer whose 28,289 career points ranks 10th all-time.

Danny Crawford (referee)*

He was an NBA official for 32 seasons (1985-2017) and officiated more than 2,000 regular-season games, 300 postseason games and was appointed to officiate at least one NBA Finals game in 23 consecutive seasons.

Billy Donovan (coach)*

Although his record in the NBA hasn’t been as prolific as it was in college, Donovan’s two consecutive national championships with the Florida Gators (2006 and 2007) elevated the program to previously uncharted territory; they remain the only national titles the Gators have won in men’s basketball.

Mark Few (coach)*

He has left his mark on Team USA as an assistant, but Few’s claim to fame is as the Gonzaga men’s head coach, where his .831 winning percentage makes him the winningest active coach by percentage.

Dwight Howard (player)*

Known as a dominant presence in the paint, Howard was a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, winning the award in consecutive seasons (2009-11). Howard ranks 10th in NBA history in rebounds (14,627) and 13th in blocks (2,228).

Marques Johnson (player)

Known as a pioneer of the point-forward hybrid position, Johnson averaged 20.1 points and 7.0 boards over 11 seasons, garnering five All-Star selections.

Jerry Welsh (coach)

A mainstay at SUNY Potsdam from 1968-91, Welsh compiled a record of 494-141 and led the Bears to the 1981 NCAA Division III national championship.

Buck Williams (player)

Williams was a force on the glass, ranking third all-time in offensive rebounds (4,526) and 16th in total rebounds (13,017).

Women’s Committee

Jennifer Azzi (player)

An inductee of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Azzi starred at Stanford, where she helped the Cardinal win the 1990 national championship and won the 1990 Naismith College Player of the Year award.

Sue Bird (player)*

Known as a pioneer and one of the greatest point guards of all time, Bird is a four-time WNBA champion and a league record 13-time All-Star who played all 21 seasons with the Seattle Storm. She is the all-time leader in wins (333), games played (580), assists (3,234), and minutes (18,079).

Sylvia Fowles (player)*

An eight-time All-Star and the 2017 WNBA Most Valuable Player, Fowles is also a four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2011, 2013, 2016, 2021).

Maya Moore (player)*

She played just seven seasons in the WNBA before she devoted her time to social justice reform, but Moore is a six-time All-Star and four-time champion. She averaged 23.9 points per game in 2014, leading the league, and propelling her to the 2014 WNBA Most Valuable Player award.

Women’s Veteran Committee

Molly Bolin (player)

She was the first player signed in Women’s Professional Basketball League history. Known for her scoring proficiency, Bolin’s 32.8 points per game in the 1980-81 season was the highest professional scoring average ever by a woman at that time.

International Committee

Dušan Ivković (coach)

The former Serbian player’s coaching career in Europe spanned a staggering six decades. Ivković won a pair of EuroLeague championships in 1997 and 2012 and is a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in the Class of 2017.

Contributors Committee

Micky Arison*

He bought the Miami Heat in 1995 and has ushered in a period of stability and success, overseeing three NBA championships (2006, 2012, 2013) and seven Eastern Conference championships.

Tal Brody

His 1977 Maccabi Tel Aviv team won the FIBA European Champions Cup, becoming the first Israeli squad to win that competition. In 1979, he won the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Israel Prize, and became the first athlete to ever win the award.