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Two-tier system among proposals for PGA Tour future

Iain Carter

Golf correspondent
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Promotion and relegation between different tiers of tournaments has been proposed by PGA Tour boss Brian Rolapp while unveiling his latest vision for the future of professional golf.

The Tiger Woods-chaired Future Competitions Committee, set up by Rolapp to provide a blueprint for pro golf’s future, is leaning towards a two-tier tour, with players switching levels depending on the quality of their performances.

“You see this work powerfully elsewhere, including in English football, where clubs move between the Premier [League] and the Championship based on their performance,” said Rolapp, who switched from the NFL to become PGA Tour CEO in June last year.

“Applying elements of that approach to the PGA Tour creates real consequence, lifting the competitive standard across the entire platform.

Rolapp suggested that the number of top-level $20m “signature events” could double. There are currently eight such competitions, including last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

Significantly, he added that these tournaments would expand their field size to about 120 players and include a 36-hole cut.

The tour has been experimenting with much smaller fields and no halfway guillotine, a model similar to the one used on the rival breakaway LIV tour.

But Rolapp said: “This means moving away from small fields and no-cut events. Our best events will have larger fields – ideally, we are targeting something closer to 120-player fields with a cut.

“That consistency matters. It helps fans know who they will see and showcases who they want to see, the most competitive players.”

Akshay Bhatia poses with a trophyGetty Images

Rolapp made no specific mention of his tour’s “strategic alliance” with Europe’s DP World Tour in his opening remarks. When asked, the American said: “We would like to extend that.

“In fact, we made a proposal to do that, to actually create a more mutual benefit relationship. So we hope we can do that.”

Under the current arrangement, the PGA Tour helps underpin the DP World Tour’s prize funds. The deal is up for review in 2027 but it is unclear whether the terms of the proposal to extend the relationship would remain as generous.

The European tour’s boss, Guy Kinnings, sat in the front row for Rolapp’s address and later confirmed to BBC Sport that he would like to see the partnership continue.

Rolapp was speaking not just to reporters but hundreds of PGA Tour sponsors, staff and associates. It was held in the huge atrium of the circuit’s grandly titled “Global Home” office complex.

The 53-year-old is one of America’s most highly respected sports executives. But the substance of his message struggled to fit the grandeur of the occasion.

This might suggest “significant change” is taking longer than he might have envisaged.

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Rolapp spoke of wanting to be “transparent” but refused to say how a $1.5bn (£1.1bn) investment by the powerful Strategic Sports Group might be utilised.

Inevitably, though, it will funnel into supporting what the new boss sees as vital change.

“The US [sports] media market and rights fees is $30bn (£22.4bn),” said Rolapp, who spent 22 years at the NFL.

“Currently the NFL is $12bn of that. They have made their public intentions clear; they would like to double that.

“So if you start doing that math and you’re anyone other than the National Football League, you start to ask yourself the questions.

“Next time I go to the media market, how do I make sure I have the most compelling product for fans and for our media partners so that we can compete in what is a very complicated media ecosystem?”

Rolapp added: “If you are in the sports business, it behooves you to put your house in order as much as possible.

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Alleged Certificate Discrepancy: LPDC Dismisses Complaint Against Deputy Speaker Kalu

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has dismissed a complaint filed against the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, on the ground that no prima facie case was established against him.

The LPDC panel held that the allegations bordering on NYSC participation, Nigerian Law School training, and enrolment at the Supreme Court fall entirely outside the LPDC’s jurisdiction as it dismissed the complaint for being fundamentally flawed both procedurally and substantively.

READ ALSO: Science Minister Uche Nnaji Resigns Over Certificate Scandal

The panel noted that the Statement of Facts was erroneously addressed to the Chairman of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee rather than the Chairman of the LPDC, as required under Rule 4 of the LPDC Rules, 2020. While the panel chose to overlook this error, it could not rescue the complaint on merit.

The LPDC stressed that it is established solely to regulate the professional conduct of enrolled legal practitioners in the discharge of their duties to the public, as provided under Section 10 of the Legal Practitioners Act.

I Wasn’t With Access Bank When Kogi Transactions Were Done, EFCC Witness Tells Court

A prosecution witness in the alleged money laundering trial of the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has said that the transactions between January 1, 2016, and April 2023, linked to the Kogi State government in Exhibit AH1, were done before he joined Access Bank Plc.

The witness, Olomotane Egoro, also noted, during the continuation of cross-examination on Wednesday, that he was not the account officer of the account in question.

Egoro, who is the 10th witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing trial, admitted, when asked, that his bank did not flout any rule of the Central Bank of Nigeria by approving the cheques brought by the third defendant, Abdulsalam Hudu.

On Exhibit AP, the banker noted that the opening package of that particular account (Fazab Business Enterprise) was not before the court.

He said he could not confirm the business for which Fazab Business Enterprise was registered, though he admitted that opening a corporate account required incorporation documents.

The banker added that he would also not know why the various local government areas paid money into Exhibit AP unless stated.

READ ALSO: Yahaya Bello Still Not Linked To Transactions – EFCC Witness

The defendant’s counsel, Zakari Abbas, asked if Access Bank approved all the cheques brought by one Yakubu Abenege; he answered in the positive.

“All the withdrawals were approved by the bank,” the witness responded.

He added that the bank did not breach any of the CBN rules.

The witness’s attention was then drawn to transactions of May 6, 2022, in Exhibit AP, where narrations were stated for the inflows.

He confirmed that the inflow into the account from Okehi Local Government was for the supply of medical items.

After cross-examination, Justice Maryann Anenih adjourned the case till Thursday, March 12, for the continuation of the trial.

The EFCC is prosecuting Bello, who served as governor of Kogi State from January 2016 to January 2024, on 19 counts of money laundering.

The charges allege diversion of ₦80.2 billion from the accounts of the Kogi State government and some local governments while he was in office.

‘Being abused by an English rider is not nice’ – jockeys clash at Cheltenham

Charlotte Coates

BBC Sport journalist at Cheltenham Festival
  • 59 Comments

Irish jockey Declan Queally accused English counterpart Nico de Boinville of “abusing” him before the opening race of day two at the Cheltenham Festival.

Queally, riding I’ll Sort That, and De Boinville on Act Of Innocence could be seen exhanging words at the start line as the Novices’ Hurdle was held up.

The Irish rider appeared to topple off his horse before the race started and had to be checked over by a doctor. He was given the all clear to race, along with Ballyfad, who was kicked pre-race and assessed by a vet in a chaotic few minutes.

A number of false starts to the planned rolling start meant the horses were moved to a standing start at the tape – leaving jockeys jostling for position.

Queally, who finished fifth in the race, told ITV Racing before entering the weight room post-race: “Being abused by an English rider, Nico de Boinville, not very nice.

“I am an amateur, coming over here and riding in front of my kids. Horrific.”

When informed of Queally’s comments about a difficult start to the race, De Boinville responded: “Maybe he should look in the mirror.”

Queally lodged a complaint following the incident and having obtained initial evidence, stewards have adjourned the matter in order to gather more evidence.

Queally, though, was given a one-day suspension for misconduct at the start.

Horse racing legend Ruby Walsh criticised the starters of the race and labelled it a “joke”.

He told ITV: “It’s 2026. How has nobody devised a tape that rolls in front of the horses?

“The tape should have been in front of them when they went onto the track and it should be moved in front of the horses.

“We can send missiles after fighter planes in the gulf but nobody can design a rolling flyaway tape.

“That’s the joke.”

Former Gold Cup-winning jockey Walsh added the trust is broken between the jockeys and the starters after similar scenes in the third race of the afternoon, the Handicap Hurdle, which was won by Jingko Blue.

In that race, a number of horses were sandwiched between the field and a fence when the roar went up, resulting in them losing ground early on.

“Big time (the trust is broken),” said Walsh. “The BHA [British Horseracing Authority] need to give their starters the right mechanisms to be able to start races.

“A quarter of this field had no chance. That’s why [Jingko Blue jockey] James Bowen ended up where he did.

“Lucky Place, Puturhandstogether, Rambo T, Bunting, HMS Seahorse, had no chance when the tape went back. Jingko Blue got a flyer.

Screen grab of the start of a race at Cheltenham Fesitval day twoITV

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UK court rejects bid to reinstate ‘terrorism’ charge against Kneecap rapper

British prosecutors have lost an appeal seeking to reinstate a “terrorism” charge against a member of Irish rap group Kneecap accused of waving a Hezbollah flag during a gig in London.

London’s High Court on Wednesday rejected prosecutors’ attempts to challenge a lower court’s decision to throw out the case against Liam O’Hanna in September due to a technical error.

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The decision means the case will not proceed. In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service said the High Court had “clarified how the law applies” to such cases and that it accepted “the judgement and will update our processes accordingly”.

O’Hanna – also known as Liam Og O hAnnaid (his name in Gaeilge, the Irish language) and by the stage name Mo Chara (“My Friend”) – was charged in May of last year with displaying a Hezbollah flag during a November 2024 concert in London, in violation of the United Kingdom’s 2000 Terrorism Act.

Kneecap’s members –  who rap in Gaeilge and English and have been outspoken in their condemnation of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip – have called the attempted prosecution a “British state witch-hunt”.

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 11: Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, aka Mo Chara, of the band Kneecap speaks during a press conference following a High Court ruling which upheld the decision to drop the terrorism case against him on March 11, 2026 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Irish language hip-hop group Kneecap called on supporters to attend the press conference in Belfast on Wednesday as the High Court in London ruled on the Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) appeal on an earlier decision to throw out terror charges against rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh. Ó hAnnaidh, who performs with Kneecap under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence after allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town in November 2024. The charge was dropped on a technicality in September 2025, which the CPS has appealed. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Liam O’Hanna (Liam Og O hAnnaid) welcomed the ruling during a news conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland [Charles McQuillan/Getty Images]

O’Hanna welcomed the ruling on Wednesday, saying during a news conference in Belfast that the case was “never about me, never about any threat to the public and never about terrorism”.

“It was always about Palestine, about what happens if you dare to speak up, about what happens if you can reach large groups of people and expose their hypocrisy, about the lengths Britain will go to cover up Israeli and US war crimes,” he said.

Cheered by supporters at the event, O’Hanna was joined by Kneecap bandmates JJ O Dochartaigh and Naoise O Caireallain – better known by their respective stage names, DJ Provai and Moglai Bap.

“Your own High Court ruled against you,” O’Hanna added, addressing the UK government.

FIFA World Cup: US war on Iran, Mexico violence, visa bans, Iraq qualifier

The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup kicks off in three months, but what was set to be one of the most straightforward editions to organise in the tournament’s history appears to be growing more complicated by the day.

The Israeli-United States war on Iran has created massive uncertainty across the globe, and FIFA’s showpiece event is already feeling the ramifications along with policy and political issues that were already rumbling in the Americas.

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Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the five issues the competition – cohosted by the US, Mexico and Canada – must resolve before the first match on June 11 between Mexico and South Africa.

Will Iran participate at FIFA World Cup 2026 in US?

Iran’s sports minister said on Wednesday that the country cannot ⁠⁠participate in the FIFA World ⁠Cup after the ⁠US killed its supreme leader.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated on the first day of the US-Israel war, and all of its national football team’s World Cup group games are to be played in US cities.

The US and Israeli attacks began on February 28. So far, 1,255 people have been killed in Iran and more than 12,000 wounded.

Iran has hit back with strikes on Israel, US military bases in neighbouring Middle East states and infrastructure in the region.

“Considering that this corrupt ⁠regime [the US] has ⁠assassinated our leader, under no circumstances ⁠can we ⁠participate in ⁠the World Cup,” Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali told ‌state television.

The American flag flutters near a sign pointing to the soccer stadium at Kino Sports Complex, where the Iranian men’s soccer team is scheduled to practice for the FIFA World Cup, in Tucson, Arizona
The US flag flies near a football stadium at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, where the Iranian national team is scheduled to practise for the World Cup [Rebecca Noble/Reuters]

Is the US willing to host Iran at World Cup in time of war?

US President Donald Trump would “welcome” Iran’s participation in the World Cup, according to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Before Iran’s announcement, Infantino took to Instagram on Wednesday to state that despite the war in the Middle East, Trump had reiterated his stance on Iran’s involvement during a meeting between the pair to discuss the upcoming tournament.

As the draw stands, the US and ‌Iran could come head-to-head at the tournament if they both ‌finish second in their respective groups. A July 3 elimination match in Dallas would be the outcome.

Meanwhile, if the US themselves refused to host the Iranian team, then FIFA could remove them as a World Cup host – a fate the Indonesia already befell.

As hosts of the men’s Under-20 World Cup three years ago, Indonesia refused to welcome Israel. FIFA dropped the tournament host just weeks before the scheduled first game and moved that competition to Argentina.

What is the latest on Iraq’s qualifications playoff match?

Iraq are facing major logistical issues as a result of the war before their March 31 qualifier for the World Cup.

The winner of Iraq’s intercontinental playoff against either Suriname or Bolivia will advance to the 2026 edition, but Iraqi airspace is closed until April 1 due to the war, and the squad is predominantly made up of players from the domestic league.

With the squad struggling to fully gather for the match, the head coach of the national team, Graham Arnold, asked FIFA on Monday to delay his team’s qualifier.

The match is due to be played in Monterrey, Mexico, and the host country issued some visas to Iraq’s players at their embassy in Qatar on March 8.

In a further complication, Mexico does not have an embassy in Iraq for the remaining players.

Mexico has issued an assurance to Iraq that it will “provide all necessary assistance in documenting the members of the Iraqi national team”.

Mexico violence raises questions over it hosting World Cup games

While the US and the rest of the world face complications related to the war on Iran, Mexico is facing its own internal issues.

A wave of violence was triggered in the country on February 23 after the killing of a drug lord who led one of the most powerful Mexican criminal organisations.

Gunmen torched cars and blocked highways in more than half a dozen states in the immediate aftermath of news of his killing.

The first match of the World Cup is being staged in Mexico City with a second on the same day in Guadalajara, which was rocked by last month’s violence.

Mexican officials thereafter sought to assure FIFA authorities and potential travellers that the tournament would be safe.

On Friday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico would deploy as many as 100,000 members of its security forces during the competition, assuring football fans that there was “no risk” in coming to the country.

Brazilian former soccer player Jose Roberto Gama de Oliveira 'Bebeto' shakes hands with Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum in front of the FIFA World Cup trophy during her morning press conference at the National Palace, in Mexico City
Former Brazilian football player Jose Roberto Gama de Oliveira shakes hands with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum during the FIFA World Cup trophy tour [Reuters]

What are the FIFA World Cup 2026 ticketing issues?

As with numerous global events in sport and entertainment, the availability and pricing of World Cup tickets for standard seats is a sore point for the general public.

Nearly 2 million tickets were sold in the first two sales phases for the 2026 edition, and demand was so intense that tickets were oversubscribed more than 30 ‌times.

The most expensive tickets for the opening game are being advertised at almost $900 while for the final, that figure is more than $8,000

Tickets in general cost at least $200 for matches involving leading nations. The cheapest tickets for the final cost $2,000 and the best seats $8,680.