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The Open 2025: second round updates from Royal Portrush – live

Adam Scott should have won this Championship in 2012. But he bogeyed holes 69 through 72 at Lytham, handing the Claret Jug to Ernie Els on a silver platter. What the genial Scott would give to play that stretch again. Ah well, he’ll always have Augusta National, nine months later. What the Big Easy would give for a green jacket. Scott started this morning on +1 after a 72 yesterday, but he’s going backwards now, after a clumsy double bogey, his first of the week, at the short par-three 3rd. He over-clubs, his ball disappearing down the swale at the back … then he under-chips, his ball coming back towards his feet. A second chip doesn’t get close, and two putts later, he’s +3 and prodding the green with his putter in annoyance, not so genial right now.

Sergio Garcia missed a five-foot putt to win the Open at Carnoustie in 2007. He had his chance to win at Hoylake in 2014 too, but failed to get out of a bunker at the par-three 15th and that was that too. At 45 years of age, it’s not too late to right those wrongs, and yesterday’s opening round of 70 offered hope. But he’s started his second round horrendously, tugging his opening tee shot into the thick stuff down the left, finding a greenside bunker, failing to get onto the green, chipping short, then failing to make the eight-footer that remains for bogey. A double, and those shoulders are slumping already. We’ve seen this story too often before. Oh Sergio. He’s +1.

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Captain Harry Wilson backs Wallabies to surprise British & Irish Lions in first Test

  • Australia’s No 8 says team will try to ‘win every moment’ on Saturday

  • Nick Champion de Crespigny and Tom Lynagh come into injury-depleted squad

Australia captain Harry Wilson said the Wallabies were confident of beating the British & Irish Lions in the first Test at Lang Park on Saturday despite being heavy underdogs after losing several key players to injury.

The Wallabies have won only four of their last 11 Tests and on Saturday will be without regular fly-half Noah Lolesio and their best Test player of the last two years, loose forward Rob Valetini.

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You’re not going to believe who the Mets could have traded David Wright for (with comment from both GMs involved)

“You know,” Jim Duquette said as we left the Baseball Night in New York set on Thursday evening, two days before David Wright’s Mets Hall of Fame induction and number retirement ceremony. “I had the chance to trade David.”

“For who?” I asked, as anyone would.

A twinkle seemed to appear in Jim’s eye before he said the name: “Beltran.”

What?

Imagine that. David Wright for Carlos Beltran. Two of the best players in Mets history, traded for one another before they even became teammates.

“Is that known?”

“Nope,” Jim said.

He was right. Not even Beltran or Wright had heard of this before Thursday. We checked.

Now rewind to the summer of 2004. Duquette was the Mets’ general manager and looking to improve a team on the fringes of contention. He would trade pitching prospect Scott Kazmir to Tampa Bay for veteran Victor Zambrano (don’t even start; Jim has answered for that), but had bigger ambitions.

“It was the ‘04 trade deadline,” Duquette said. “That was when we traded Kazmir for Zambrano, but we were looking to improve both pitching and offense. Kansas City had Carlos Beltran available. Pittsburgh had [pitcher Kris] Benson. We really felt like we needed pitching before anything else.”

Still, Duquette was seeking a hitter. Several times, he called Kansas City Royals GM Allard Baird about Beltran, a free-agent-to-be on the trading block.

“Every time I would ask about Beltran, Allard said, ‘Well, I’ll trade you Beltran, but we want David Wright in return.’”

Wright was a top prospect who made his MLB debut right around the time of that trade discussion, on July 21, 2004.

“We were not trading David Wright at all,” Duquette said. “So, we would hang up the phone. We would call back and say, ‘Hey, any other thoughts about Beltran?’ And he would say, ‘David Wright.’”

Reached via text on Friday evening, Baird -- who later became a key member of general manager Brodie Van Wagenen’s Mets front office before departing when the team was sold in 2020 -- confirmed the talks, and elaborated on his interest in Wright. It cut far deeper than even Duquette realized.

“He was a complete player!” Baird wrote. “Besides the easy offensive and defensive projection, he was team above oneself. A winning player.

“In A-ball, he came out on the field all alone an hour before anyone else was there. All for what looked like was just the joy of being on the field. On a night he didn’t perform at the plate, he was the first one out of the dugout every inning to go play defense.”

Duquette was not going to trade Wright, so Baird instead sent Beltran to Houston in a three-team deal in which the Royals landed catcher John Buck, infielder Mark Teahan and pitcher Mike Wood, and the Oakland Athletics got reliever Octavio Dotel.

After that season, Omar Minaya replaced Duquette as Mets GM and signed Beltran as a free agent.

Wright became the face of the franchise — the Mets, that is. Not the Royals.

Beltran went on to become one of the greatest players Flushing has ever seen, and was Wright’s teammate for nearly six seasons. He now works in the front office.

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Winners, Losers from Damian Lillard’s return to Portland Trail Blazers

Within minutes of Damian Lillard's shocking release by the Milwaukee Bucks this summer, speculation about a landing spot began. The first names to come up were places he had expressed interest in previously — Portland and Miami — but not long after Golden State, Boston and the Los Angeles Lakers emerged as teams with interest. This was expected to be a long, slow process, during which Lillard would spend time recovering from his torn Achilles and considering his options.

It didn't take long — Lillard is returning to Portland on a three-year, $42 million contract.

That starts with him making $14 million from Portland this season — on top of the $54.1 million Milwaukee bought him out of. That's $68 million in this season, which he will miss most — and most likely all — of recovering.

Let's break down the winners and losers from this move — and it's pretty much all winners.

WINNER: Trail Blazers fans/basketball fans

This is an emotionally satisfying result.

Lillard could have spent this season rehabbing, watching how the league played out, then signed where he thought he had the best chance to chase a ring. Or, he could have waited and started a bidding war next summer to see who would pay him the most money and chased the almighty dollar.

Instead, he chose to follow his heart — he didn't wait and he chose the city he loves and that his family calls home, the franchise where he will go down as the greatest player in its history (all due respect to Bill Walton and Clyde Drexler). This is just good for sports.

It's been a good summer for Blazers fans. The franchise is being sold, a long overdue move. Adam Silver stated in Las Vegas this week that the league prefers not to see the team relocate cities (a polite way of saying it's not going anywhere), and the new owners will need to build a new arena. They drafted Yang Hansen, who may or may not pan out, but is infectious to watch.

And now Damian Lillard is coming home.

WINNER: Damian Lillard

When Damian Lillard was first traded to Milwaukee he was excited — he got to play with Giannis Antetokounmpo on a contender. This was an opportunity for him to cement his legacy with a ring.

Turns out, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Lillard learned that the hard way and struggled to adjust to life away from his family, which remained in Portland.

Milwaukee cutting Lillard lose means he had total control of whatever happened next: He could go where he wanted, when he wanted, and for as much money as he could get in the process. He got to set the priorities.

Portland was the priority. Lillard gets what he wants, and at essentially the mid-level exception, even for the year he is rehabbing. That's a fair price.

WINNER: Portland’s Young Stars

Mentoring young players matters. As talented as someone entering the league might be, having a professional organization and veteran presence in the locker room that shows them how to be an NBA player matters.

Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe, Yang Hansen and the rest of the young Blazers now have Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday in the locker room — two high-level, consummate pros.

This is only good for Portland in the long run.

LOSERS: Teams that struck out on Lillard

These teams lost out, but it's not fair to call them losers — they were never going to win this sweepstakes.

Still, the Miami Heat had flirted with Lillard going back to his trade out of Portland, he would have been a great fit next season. Boston reportedly showed interest, with Jayson Tatum handling the recruiting himself. It's not hard to imagine Tatum's pitch: "We know what it takes to get a ring, with your shooting and playmaking, when we reload in a year you can get your ring."

The Warriors were reportedly interested, and a backcourt featuring Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard would be fearsome. The Lakers reportedly showed interest, and Lillard, as a shooter and secondary shot creator alongside Luka Doncic in a year, would have been an interesting addition (and Doncic and Lillard would have formed the most clutch team in league history).

All of those teams had good cases to make. But Portland… there's no place like home.

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Could Penguins Swing Trade With Blue Jackets For Intriguing Winger?

Mar 15, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Yegor Chinakhov (59) controls the puck as New York Rangers defenseman Urho Vaakanainen (18) defends during the second period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins have been full of surprises throughout the summer.

And - aside from the hypothetical day when some big trade news drops about Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, or Bryan Rust - perhaps they'll have yet another one up their sleeve.

On Thursday, it was reported by agent Shumi Babaev that Columbus Blue Jackets right winger Yegor Chinakhov has requested a trade. The trade request, reportedly, comes as a result of "misunderstandings" with Blue Jackets' head caoch Dean Evason.

Chinakhov, 24, just finished his fourth NHL season with Columbus, registering seven goals and 15 points in 30 games. The intriguing young forward has the ability to put the puck in the net with his sniping ability, and his high hockey-IQ and excellent vision would pair well with both the veterans and the other young players in Pittsburgh's top-nine.

The biggest issue for Chinakhov throughout his NHL career up to this point has been his ability to stay healthy. Across four seasons, he has played in a total of only 175 games, and he has put up 34 goals and 71 points in that time. He was sidelined with a back injury that kept him out for most of last season and in 2023-24, which would be a reasonable concern for any GM or team interested in his services.

It was even a concern for his own GM in Don Waddell, who admitted that the winger struggled after his return last season - and was surprised that Babaev went public with the trade request. 

“I’m surprised he went public,” Waddell said. “But I’m not surprised because we’ve talked about it. He got back [from injury] and didn’t play well, and [he and Evason] fell out of favor. I told [Babaev], 'He has value, I will talk to teams. I have talked to teams. But I’m not just going to trade him because you said to trade him'.”

Given all of this, is this a player worth taking a chance on if you're Dubas and the Penguins?

For the past several weeks, there have been rumors abound concerning the future of Penguins' winger Rust, who has generated a ton of interest on the trade market. Per a report from The Fourth Period on Tuesday, Rust has recently been linked to three teams: the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Columbus. We did discuss the idea of a Rust trade to Columbus involving Chinakhov a few weeks back, but with Chinakhov on the block, could it make even more sense now?

3 Trade Destinations For Penguins’ Winger Bryan Rust - And What The Return Should Look Like3 Trade Destinations For Penguins’ Winger Bryan Rust - And What The Return Should Look LikeAccording to many, Day One of free agency has been a bit of letdown.

It very well could. 

With teams still poking around on Rust - and Chinakhov now in play - he could be the kind of player that pushes a deal over the finish line. If a hypothetical deal were to happen between Pittsburgh and Columbus involving Rust and Chinakhov, though, more would have to come back from Columbus in the deal.

Rust is a proven top-six scoring winger, having registered six consecutive 20-goal seasons, including a career-high 31 goals in 2024-25. Dubas has also reiterated on a few occasions that Rust will not come cheap and that he and the Penguins would have to be "blown away" in order to accept an offer for the 33-year-old veteran, who is a valuable piece of the puzzle both on the ice and in the locker room for the Penguins.

So - that being said - the starting point is, probably, a first-round pick for Rust. 2026 first-round picks are going to be valuable commodities in terms of trade value this season - especially fringe teams like Columbus - because the draft lottery happens to feature a generational talent in Gavin McKenna next season.

Oct 17, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Yegor Chinakhov (59) skates with the puck against the Buffalo Sabres in the second period at Nationwide Arena on Thursday. Mandatory Credit: Samantha Madar/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

If Chinakhov is part of the deal, Pittsburgh may either need to accept a 2026 conditional first-round pick or a straight-up 2027 first-round pick. Pushing back the first-rounder could also, potentially, mean that the Penguins may be able to squeeze one more asset out of the Blue Jackets in this trade scenario - possibly a B-level prospect or another pick.

Is this the right price for Rust? Honestly, who knows. It was reported by Frank Seravalli on Thursday that the Penguins are still "asking for a ton" for both Rust and Rakell, who has also generated a high degree of interest on the trade market after a career year (35 goals, 70 points). It's fair to assume that any Rust trade proposals thrown out into existence are, likely, lacking something if the asking price is truly that high.

But if the Penguins are truly interested in getting younger and acquiring young talent given the chance, Chinakhov is probably the type of player to take a flier on. Although Chinakhov alone isn't enough for Rust, he did register 10 goals and 17 points in 32 games for Omsk Avangard of the KHL in 2020-21 as well as 27 goals and 69 points in 56 games for Omskie Yastreby of the MHL - Russia's top junior league - during his draft year in 2019-20.

The 21st overall pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2020 NHL Draft, Chinakhov has not quite met expectations yet in the NHL. But it's safe to say that the talent and the potential is there, and these higher-ceiling young players are the exact kinds of guys Dubas should be taking chances on.

Even if Rust isn't the player going to Columbus as part of a bigger package, the Penguins have more than enough assets at this point to expend a few and take a chance on a player in need of a change of scenery. At the very least, Dubas should be making some phone calls to Waddell. 

NHL Trade Rumors: Penguins' Bryan Rust Linked To 3 TeamsNHL Trade Rumors: Penguins' Bryan Rust Linked To 3 TeamsPittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust is one of the NHL's top trade candidates right now. With the Penguins retooling, the 33-year-old winger would have the potential to land them a significant return if they decided to trade him.

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Former Penguins Goaltender Signs In KHL

Former Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Louis Domingue is continuing his playing career overseas.

Domingue signed a one-year deal with the KHL's Sibir Novosibirsk on Thursday after spending the 2024-25 season with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL team of the New York Rangers. He finished the season with a 7-20-1 record, a 3.32 goals-against average, and a .896 save percentage. 

He had been with the Wolf Pack for the previous three seasons after spending the 2021-22 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Domingue played in six playoff games for the Penguins against the Rangers in 2022 because of injuries to Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith, finishing with three wins, a 3.65 goals-against average, and a .898 save percentage. 

DeSmith was the starter for Game 1 of the series but got hurt during the game, paving the way for Domingue to take the net until Jarry was healthy enough for Game 7. The Penguins had a 3-1 lead in the series before the Rangers stormed back to win it in seven games thanks to an Artemi Panarin overtime goal. 

Domingue was picked by the Arizona Coyotes (now the Utah Mammoth) in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL Draft. 

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Featured Image Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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Red Wings' Patrick Kane Close To Setting Historic Milestone

Patrick Kane is back for another season with the Detroit Red Wings after agreeing to another one-year extension, and he could soon set NHL history. 

Kane, who has amassed 1,343 career points, is only 32 from passing Mike Modano's record of 1,374 points to become the highest scoring U.S.-born player of all time. 

Modano spent the final season of his NHL career with the Red Wings in 2010-11, though he missed multiple weeks after suffering a frightening wrist injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets in November 2010. 

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Kane, who only needs eight more goals to reach 500 for his career, has spoken glowingly about his time with the Red Wings, which was made easier when he first signed in December 2024 thanks to the presence of his former Chicago Blackhawks teammate and good friend Alex DeBrincat.

“It’s been great,” Kane said of his time with the Red Wings toward the end of last season. “Obviously really appreciative of Steve (Yzerman) and the organization to take a chance on me coming back from the surgery, and I think even last year it maybe didn’t so much feel like it was home, or like it was my team, or the team I played for. But coming into this year, and especially now, I definitely feel like a Red Wing now. It’s been a great place for me to continue my career, and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Following a slower start than he or the Red Wings would have liked last season, Kane immediately returned to his dangerous form when Todd McLellan took over behind the bench in late December. 

McLellan soon began skating Kane on a line with DeBrincat centered by rookie Marco Kasper, a combination that Red Wings fans can likely expect to see at the start of next season. 

The Red Wings will need Kane at his best next season if they are to have a chance at bringing playoff hockey to Little Caesars Arena for the first time next spring. 

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