Gabriel Bonfim is trying to remain positive after his UFC Fight Night 293 main event was canceled nine days out.
With Sean Brady out due to a staph infection, Bonfim (20-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) posted a short statement on Instagram hours after the news broke on Thursday. The welterweight bout was expected to headline the Nov. 7 card at Meta APEX.
"As some of you already know, my fight was canceled," Bonfim said in Portuguese. "Sean Brady is out of the fight. He says he got injured. A week before the fight, he tells us he got injured. You can't really understand it, right? But God knows all things and we keep moving forward. And on Nov. 7th I won't be fighting, unfortunately. Unfortunately I won't be fighting. But I believe there will be news coming soon and we keep going. The goal is just one: to be champion and we keep pushing. Thanks, thanks everyone, appreciate it."

#brady #won 't

Did Dak Prescott suffer injury after big hit vs. Packers? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Dak Prescott was battered, beaten, and bruised from all angles at Lambeau Field on Sunday night.
One hit on the Cowboys' quarterback left him on the ground for longer than usual.
Zaire Franklin ran through the gap, his path to Prescott unabated.
The Packers' defender drove his body straight into the quarterback's side and kept churning until he was on the ground.

#sporting #ground

Laughter filled the locker room when cameras caught Caitlin Clark accidentally spraying champagne in her face while celebrating Team USA's international championship win. The funny moment quickly went viral on social media.
Fans and supporters joined online conversations to share humorous reactions regarding the unfiltered celebration. Boyfriend Connor McCaffery also chimed in by reposting the amusing footage on his social media story.
Team USA had just completed a 14-point comeback against France to win its fifth straight FIBA Women's World Cup ******* le. The locker room celebration started quickly, but Clark forgot to wear protective goggles before opening a champagne bottle.
"I sprayed myself in the face on accident," Clark wrote in her Instagram story. The post also included a playful message that read, "Someone get Caitlin some goggles smh."
The clip came from Overtime WBB and spread across social media soon after the final. McCaffery reposted the footage on his own story, giving fans another reason to enjoy the moment.

#clark #Social #caitlin #mccaffery

Most college football non-conference games involving FBS teams have the home team paying the visiting team a negotiated appearance fee at some point in the months afterward. Such payouts tend to draw attention when an FCS team upsets an FBS team and receives a seven-figure payment along with it.
But nearly all the Texas Tech football non-conference games have game guarantees, too. Counting last week's season opener against Abilene Christian, the Red Raiders have 18 non-conference games scheduled through 2034, only one without an appearance fee.
Texas Tech is due $300,000 for its game against Oregon State on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon. The Oregon State payment to Tech is due by Dec. 31, according to the contract. The game is the second of a two-game series in which the Red Raiders routed the Beavers last year in Lubbock. Tech paid Oregon State $300,000 after that game.
More: Texas Tech football gears up for Oregon State passing attack
More: Can Texas Tech football handle Oregon State on the road? Our score prediction

#oregon #texas #conference

ATLANTA — A flash flood warning has been issued for the area around Bobby Dodd Stadium, where No. 18 Tennessee will play Georgia Tech on Sept. 12.
The warning is in effect until 1:30 p.m. ET, but rain is the forecast throughout the afternoon and early evening. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Heavy rains have fallen throughout the morning, and the forecast calls for them to continue until close to kickoff or perhaps early into the game.
The chance of rain will decrease to 10% at kickoff with a projected temperature of 80 degrees. Skies are supposed to clear out by halftime.
That should make for more favorable conditions for fans, including those traveling from Tennessee for the road game. The nonconference game is sold out at Bobby Dodd Stadium, which has a capacity of 51,913.

#forecast

American League triple-crown contender Yordan Alvarez is out of the Houston Astros' lineup for Friday due to a sore right ankle.
Alvarez twisted his ankle while running the bases in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. He went 0-for-3 with 3 strikeouts against Phillies starter Zack Wheeler.
But Alvarez reached base in the eighth inning on an intentional walk from José Alvarado. He advanced to third base on a Jose Altuve double, but stumbled over the bag and was checked out by trainers.
Alvarez stayed in the game, but did not have to run on a Daulton Varsho pop-up. As the designated hitter, he didn't have to take the field in the bottom of the inning.
Astros manager Joe Espada said no imaging was necessary for Alvarez's ankle, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. He did some hitting earlier in the day and could be available to pinch-hit.

#ankle #Phillies #inning

The last of the mainland-island matchups will be over by tonight.
Saint Louis plays at Sierra Canyon (Calif.) in a game that will close its two-game football journey. The Crusaders lost to IMG Academy, the No. 3-ranked team in the nation, 41-0 last week.
Voters in the Star-Advertiser Football 10 didn't seem to mind. Saint Louis (0-3) moved up a notch to No. 9 this week. Sierra Canyon (2-0) is another opponent in the national spotlight. The Trailblazers are ranked sixth in the country, and No. 5 in California (MaxPreps).
The menu is quite intriguing this weekend with a mix of league play and interleague pupus.
On Friday, Keaau plays at 'Iolani and Kailua hosts Damien. OIA Division I action kicks off with No. 7 Waipahu at Nanakuli, while Moanalua entertains Farrington.

#canyon #plays #ranked

Elversberg coach Vincent Wagner was handed a one-game suspension after the German Football Federation (DFB) denied the club's appeal.
The DFB announced the decision in a statement on Monday evening and said that another appeal has already been filed against the ruling.
Wagner won't be allowed to be on the bench with his players in the Bundesliga match against Bayern Munich on Sunday and will have to watch it from the stands.
The coach was suspended after he received a red card during the 4-3 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach last Saturday for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The decision was controversial because Wagner did not attack referee Martin Petersen neither physically nor verbally.

#wagner #coach #Football #federation

Just seven days from now, the 2026 NFL season will officially begin for our Minnesota Vikings, as they will host the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. That means the offseason is officially over, and we asked you as part of our SB Nation Reacts survey for this week exactly what you thought about it. We have those results, and for the most part it appears that folks were relatively happy with how things went.
Of those who took the time to respond to our survey, 45% gave the offseason a "B" grade, which is pretty good. Combine that with the 7% that graded it as an "A," and over half of our respondents think that the purple had a better-than-average offseason overall. Another 34% thought that the moves the team made merited a "C" grade, which is an average mark. So, the overwhelming majority of you seem to think that the offseason in Minnesota wasn't anything approaching a disaster or anything like that.
Still, a few of the people who responded were more on the "gloom and doom" end of the spectrum. There were 11% of the people who responded to the poll that gave the Vikings a "D" for their offseason moves, while the remaining 3% went as negative as possible and slapped a big ol' "F" on what the Vikings have done since the 2025 season came to an end. That seems a little harsh, but everyone is free to have their own perspective on things.
Frankly, I think a "B" is just about right. I think the Vikings addressed a lot of the things they needed to address. Hopefully the quarterback issue is solved, and if it is this team has a lot of potential to do some damage in 2026. The defense should continue to be a menace as long as there aren't too many injuries. Will it be enough to make a run in what should still be the most competitive division in the NFL? We'll have to see.
As always, we'd like to thank everyone who took the time to participate in this week's survey. Be sure to keep your eyes open for the next one!

#Vikings

The New England Patriots offensive line depth suffered a blow in the first game of the summer. The preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts saw the team's fourth and fifth interior linemen, Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich, both go down with injuries.
In order to not become vulnerable up front, the Patriots explored the free agency market. They ended up bringing in a player with immense experience and the necessary versatility to serve as a super-sub along the interior O-line.
Name: Greg Van Roten
Position: Guard/Center
Jersey number: 70

#Patriots #line #indianapolis #rupcich

The WNBA is back with a new collective bargaining agreement and million dollar players.
The Las Vegas Aces will be looking to run it back as defending champs with the reigning MVP, A'ja Wilson, leading the way. Lots of other contenders hope to have something to say about that including the Atlanta Dream, New York Liberty and Indiana Fever. The Fever, who were without floor leader Caitlin Clark for much of last season, are fully healthy. The Liberty, who were also bitten by the injury bug last season, already have Sabrina Ionesco on the sidelines after she rolled her ankle in a preseason game against the Connecticut Sun.
The Atlanta Dream also made the trade of the offseason, getting Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky to add to a roster which won 30 games last season.
Here is the full WNBA schedule for Aug. 30 and how to watch all the games. Or see our sortable basketball schedule to filter by team or conference.
USA TODAY Studio IX : Check out our women's sports hub for in-depth ***** ysis, commentary and more all season

#atlanta #dream #liberty #back

After a thrilling, 15-10 defensive-minded upset to open their 2026 college football season, the North Carolina Tar Heels will get Labor Day weekend off.
UNC (1-0) entered its Week Zero matchup vs. TCU as a touchdown-plus underdog, rightfully so considering the trajectory of each team's 2025 season. The Tar Heels traded punches with every first quarter blow from the Horned Frogs, then shut down their typically high-powered offense.
North Carolina gained contributions from virtually everyone on defense, highlighted by sophomore defensive lineman Xavier Lewis and Syracuse transfer Derek McDonald, who won ACC Player of the Week honors. Despite scoring just 13 points on offense, UNC looked much better under new OC Bobby Petrino, with ball movement and big plays the focus.
The Tar Heels will undoubtedly practice throughout this coming weekend, then prepare for their September 12 home opener vs. ETSU. If you plan on watching Week 1 games, though, here's five you should pay attention to as a North Carolina fan:
If you're spending your Friday night watching college football, this early-season matchup between Miami (FL) and Stanford is a must-watch.

#matchup

Joey Porter Jr. has reached the part of his contract standoff where the business side is getting harder to ignore. The Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback is back on the practice field, however, his Week 1 status remains uncertain if the Steelers don't get a deal done. That puts even more attention on a negotiation that has already dragged into September.
And Porter is not navigating it alone. His teammates have backed him throughout the process, with Jalen Ramsey publicly pushing the Steelers to pay him. Now Cameron Heyward has offered Porter something a little different: a veteran's warning about how personal these negotiations can become.
NFL Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
Heyward spoke about Porter's situation on September 2, and kept his message pretty simple: separate the contract from the locker room, even if that separation is easier said than done.
"Don't take it personal, but you will. It's a business at the end of the day. You know, there's **** ody in that locker room that doesn't want Joey on that field. And that will never change."

#pittsburgh #don 't #business #cornerback

The 2027 Women's World Cup is less than 11 months away as 32 teams will gather in Brazil for the tournament. For the United States women's national team, it's a chance to try and get back to being world champions after their ******* le was ******* ed in 2023 after holding it for eight years.
Now that the Women's World Cup match schedule has been released, all attention is starting to shift towards qualification. But, what does the USWNT need to do to qualify for the Women's World Cup?
We take a look at the road to the 2027 Women's World Cup and what awaits the USWNT this fall.
The October international window is the final round of friendlies before the qualification tournament. The USWNT, ranked second in the FIFA world rankings, plays a pair of friendlies against Spain, the top ranked team and defending Women's World Cup champions. It's not only a huge pair of matches between the top two ranked teams in the world, but also a barometer test.
Then, the November-December international window is when the 2026 Concacaf W Championship will take place in Texas. The tournament serves as both Women's World Cup qualifying and qualification for the 2028 Olympics. Eight teams (USA, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Haiti, and Panama) will compete in a single elimination tournament over the course of nine days in Mansfield, TX and Houston.

#qualification #eight #team

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Mets' September shakeup is not as much about contending as it is about development and preservation.
Mets interim manager Andy Green said Monday that the club would be calling up rookie outfielder Nick Morabito and right-handed pitcher Justin Hagenman when rosters across Major League Baseball expand from 26 to 28 players on Tuesday.
Those additions come after the club's roster was restructured further on Monday, with Mark Vientos reinstated from the injured list after sustaining a fractured right hand back on July 24. The Mets also saw Luis Robert Jr. claimed off waivers by the Orioles.
The Oriolies will close out $3 million on his deal for the season. They will also control the decision on his $20 million club option and potential $2 million buyout. Robert's exit opened the door for Vientos to return and an outfield ****** e to be be vacated for Morabito.
With a transformative few days for the Mets roster in the Sunshine State, here is how the Mets plan to use Morabito and Vientos, plus what Hagenman's call-up means for the Mets' rotation:

#vientos

Barcelona will play their second home game of the season at the Spotify Camp Nou on Monday when they welcome Rayo Vallecano for a La Liga Matchday 2 fixture.
Under Hansi Flick, FC Barcelona have started the new La Liga season in excellent form, claiming victories in both opening matches and sitting top of the table. They began with an emphatic 5-0 win away at Elche, then followed that up with a convincing 2-0 home success against Athletic Club, highlighting a potent attack and a reliable defence.
As they prepare for their Matchday 3 La Liga tie, Barcelona face several midfield absences that have forced Flick to reorganise his options.
Gavi is definitely out after suffering a right knee injury in the season opener against Elche; the club are managing his recovery cautiously with an eye on a mid-September return.
Frenkie de Jong also remains unavailable while he continues to recover from a persistent knee problem dating back to the World Cup, with no clear return date yet.

#matchday #flick #elche

Penn State is less than a week away as the Lions will be at home in six days to take on Marshall.
Wide receiver Koby Howard will be wearing No. 6 for Penn State this season. A year ago, Howard was getting buzz in camp about his play, but he didn't really start seeing the field very much until after James Franklin was fired.
Howard wound up starting four games for the Lions, appeared in all 13, and had seven catches for 133 yards. He showed his big play ability with three catches of better than 20 yards.
With two experienced Iowa State transfer receivers on the outside, it will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser gets Howard involved.
We will start to see how that looks in six days when Penn State opens the Matt Campbell era at Beaver Stadium against Marshall.

#penn #marshall #catches

How early is too early to release mock drafts? For some, it is never too early. That's kind of the beauty of the mock draft: projecting potential trades, surprise picks, and predicting where players might land. Some may think it is far too early to be looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft, but for one ESPN writer, the time is always right to be doing mock drafts.
Jordan Reid of ESPN went through and made predictions for the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft and has the Cleveland Browns making a blockbuster trade, moving up to the first overall pick.
The package? Picks 4, 32, a 2027 fourth-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick to move up and select Oregon QB Dante Moore:
I had the Dolphins trade out because they recently invested in Malik Willis. While a lot depends on Willis' performance this season, Miami does already have a promising young quarterback. Unless Shedeur Sanders makes a massive leap in Year 2 (which seems unlikely), the Browns do not. Deshaun Watson's contract ends after this season, as well, making this a perfect time for Cleveland to take another swing at that elusive franchise QB to join the young talent it has accumulated in the past couple drafts.
Moore has squeaky-clean mechanics, and his accuracy shined in his first year as a starter. This would be a good situation for him, with young players he can grow alongside. If he brings his stellar college play to the NFL, the Browns could turn things around quickly.

#draft #round #pick

Most fathers and daughters bond over shared activities like camping and hiking but for Georgina and Tony Dixon it is their shared love of monster trucks that brings them together.
Monster trucks have been part of 23-year-old Georgina's life since day one. Her dad bought his first monster truck, Swamp Thing, in 2003 - the year she was born.
Having grown up with the motorsport in Melksham, Wiltshire, Georgina has followed in her dad's footsteps and she is now thought to be the youngest female truck driver in the country.
"About two years ago, I started doing monster trucks full-time and I love it," she said. "It's absolutely amazing."
The pair are due to thrill crowds at Truck Fest South West at the Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet this weekend, performing stunts on the legendary Swamp Thing monster truck.

#truck

Manager Martin O'Neill hopes missing out on the Champions League will not mean Celtic miss out on prospective signings.
O'Neill's side will feature in the Europa League after Tuesday's 5-1 defeat by LASK after extra time, with the Austrian side winning the Champions League play-off 5-4 on aggregate.
The Scottish Premiership holders have signed four players so far this window, which closes next week.
"I'm hoping that's not the case," O'Neill said, when asked about the possibility of missing out on players.
"We're still trying to get some players in, we would need a few in obviously to supplement the squad.

#o 'neill

I woke up this morning thinking that perhaps this season **** nal might finally be victorious in the Champions League.
As the saying goes, "third time lucky", and maybe that might apply to Mikel Arteta's squadron of Gunners come May in Europe?
Admittedly, to some extent last season couldn't have got much better, after winning the league and also reaching the Champions League final for the first time in a generation.
After becoming Champions of England, **** nal were given the chance of earning the cherished label of Kings of Europe. They failed to capitalise on that opportunity, but nevertheless, the 2025/26 campaign was a memorable chapter in our 139-year club history.
On Saturday 30th May, the men in red and white took the lead in the Champions League final against the odds early on, only to be denied on penalties by PSG after drawing 1-1.

#season #might #time #gunners

A one-year contract extension for Arizona State women's basketball coach Molly Miller is in the works.
Axios first reported on the item, which will go before the Board of Regents later this month.
The deal would extend her contract through the 2030-31 season and would increase her base salary to $850,000 on May 1, 2027. She would also receive subsequent raises up to $1 million on May 1, 2030.
Miller led ASU to a 24-11 record and an NCAA tournament appearance in her first season.
The Sun Devils hadn't won more than 20 games since the 2019-20 season, when the pandemic canceled ASU's likely NCAA Tournament bid.

#ncaa #tournament #contract #state

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rafael Devers hit his 28th homer, a drive that bounced into McCovey Cove, and reliever Anthony Molina worked 4 1/3 scoreless innings as the San Francisco Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Drew Cavanaugh hit a two-run single in the first inning for San Francisco before Devers went deep in the fifth, his third homer in five games. It was his 16th longball at Oracle Park this season, the most by a Giant since Barry Bonds in 2007.
Sal Stewart scored the Reds' first run in 23 innings on his ninth-inning homer. His 28 home runs are the second most by a Reds rookie, trailing only Frank Robinson's 38 in 1956.
Cavanaugh finished 3 for 3 for his first career three-hit game. Nate Furman got his first major league hit, a single in the third.
Molina (1-0) relieved right-hander Adrian Houser, who left in the second inning with an apparent injury to his throwing arm. He allowed one hit and fanned a batter.

#molina

Jarrett Bell has been covering the NFL for USA TODAY since 1993 and is a recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Bill Nunn Memorial Award for career achievement. He's been a member of Hall of Fame selection committee since 1997 and has voted on AP awards and Super Bowl MVP panels for more than 25 years. Each Monday during the 2026 season, he'll take you around the league as only he can to uncover what mattered most and what it means. This story is from his latest column.
Ultimately, the legacy of O.J. Brigance went so far beyond football. Sure, as the leader of the Ravens special teams units, he fittingly made the first tackle of Super Bowl 35 on the opening kickoff. He had the distinction, too, of being the only player to win a Super Bowl and a Grey Cup while representing the same city, Baltimore.
Yet his defining legacy comes in more human terms, wrapped in the determined spirit Brigance demonstrated for so many years as he battled ALS – and remained active with the Ravens despite limited physical abilities.
The team announced the death of Brigance, 56, last Monday.
After being diagnosed with ALS in 2007, Brigance, who worked as the player development director following his playing days, kept an office at the team's headquarters and continued connecting with those relationships. He regularly attended practices, too.

#super #since #only

The New England Patriots have quite the duo at offensive guard heading into next season.
The Patriots signed star veteran guard Alijah Vera-Tucker in free agency to play opposite starting right guard Mike Onwenu in 2026. Both are expected to help the Patriots contend for the Super Bowl this season with great blocking in the interior.
Pro Football Focus ranked Onwenu No. 9 overall and Vera-Tucker No. 20 overall in their offensive guard rankings ahead of the 2026 NFL season, first highlighting Onwenu's prowess at the position.
"Playing a single position for the first time since 2022, he once again proved his value to the Patriots," PFF's Dalton Wasserman said. "Including the postseason, Onwenu led all offensive linemen with 1,344 snaps played in 2025, and his 77.1 PFF grade ranked ninth among qualified guards. He was also one of just six qualified guards to earn a 72.0-plus PFF grade both as a run blocker and in pass protection."
Onwenu helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl at the end of last season. He allowed only two sacks and 21 total pressures on the year and was among the notable underrated players in the league.

#season #offensive #super

Fabrizio Romano has reported that personal terms have been agreed between Yankuba Minteh and Liverpool over a potential move to Anfield for the Brighton winger.
The Reds have already seen two bids rejected by the south coast club in recent days, the second of which amounted to £60m (Sky Sports), as they pursue a late-window replacement for Mo Salah on the right flank.
The 22-year-old is currently sidelined for at least a couple of months with a leg injury he suffered in the Seagulls' pre-season win over Roma a fortnight ago, but that hasn't deterred the Merseyside club from testing the waters with a couple of unsuccessful offers for him.
(Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
According to Romano, Minteh would jump at the chance to sign for Liverpool and already has an agreement in place on personal terms, with the next step being for the two clubs to agree a fee for the Gambia forward.

#Liverpool #already #fabrizio

GENEVA (AP) — Gianni Infantino defied a request by one of his FIFA vice presidents to stay away from an Under-14 soccer event in the Caribbean and instead made a rare public appearance during the global furor over his failed plan to sell future World Cup profits to private investors.
On Saturday, Infantino posted photos on his Instagram account showing the FIFA president meeting political and soccer officials from the Dominican Republic on the sidelines of a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) youth tournament in the Punta Cana resort.
On Friday, Infantino had been asked not to go by Victor Montagliani, the Canadian president of Miami-based continental soccer body CONCACAF, to avoid being a distraction from the soccer games.
"I believe that considering the governance crisis surrounding FIFA as a result of your controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, the media will focus on this situation," Montagliani wrote in an emailed letter seen by The ****** ociated Press, "which will unfortunately significantly take away from the technical nature of the CFU youth competition."
"As such, I respectfully ask you in the name of football to reconsider your attendance as it will unfortunately undermine the technical nature of this important youth development activity," Montagliani wrote.

#fifa

Michael Chiesa remains bullish on Ian Machado Garry's upside despite falling short in his first bid at gold.
Machado Garry (17-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) suffered a unanimous decision loss to Islam Makhachev (29-1 MMA, 18-1 UFC) in their UFC 330 welterweight ******* le fight this month, but the Irishman was more competitive than many pundits and the oddsmakers indicated.
Although Machado Garry did not get the belt at UFC 330, retired welterweight standout turned UFC ******* yst and commentator Chiesa still saw flashes of brilliance. If Machado Garry can build on those going forward, it could lead him to the ultimate prize.
"Ian Garry's stock to me still goes up," Chiesa told MMA Junkie. "I don't think his stock goes down at all. There are people that definitely had him picked to win, and he didn't fight a bad fight. But he could have fought better. But his stock still goes up. He was able to defend takedowns. He made it really hard for Islam. He made Islam have to ditch MMA and focus on wrestling to get through the late rounds of that fight.
"Ian's stock still goes up. I can confidently say there is a world where he has a world ******* le someday. Especially given how young he is. 28 years old. He's got a lot of time to win a ******* le."

#still #Stock #title

Rams' low TE ranking from ESPN ***** yst doesn't make any sense originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Rams have the NFL's best roster, considering their all-in plan this offseason added Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Ty Simpson, and others to an already strong roster.
While they have some very exciting position groups, especially on the offensive side of the ball at running back and wide receiver, the tight end room is one fans can be excited about. It's a very deep group with some potentially high-impact players.
However, ESPN's Mike Clay named the Rams' TE room as the 30th-ranked in the NFL, ahead of only two teams. It's a surprisingly low ranking, and one that, quite frankly, doesn't make much sense.
Clay ranked the Rams at No. 30 in his TE ranking, and also called them a "Unit to watch" this upcoming season.

#Rams #room #ranked

Rory McIlroy fired an impressive six-under par 64 to headline a five-way tie for the lead on Thursday at the BMW Championship, the second event of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs.
It was a welcome return to form for second-ranked McIlroy, who admitted he felt "lost" in a 66th-place finish at the St. Jude Championship in Memphis last week -- his first start since he finished tied for 40th in the Open Championship.
The six-time major champion was tied for the lead Thursday at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri, with a trio of US Open winners -- Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark and JJ Spaun -- and Chris Gotterup.
World number one Scottie Scheffler, who was at his imperious best on the way to victory in Memphis last week, was meanwhile far from the logjam at the top.
Scheffler hit just six of 14 fairways and 11 of 18 greens in regulation on the way to a two-over par 72 that featured five bogeys and left him tied for 44th -- just one stroke better than the last-placed trio in the field of 50.

#championship