editor@trianglesportsnet.com

CARY, NC – Vijay Singh played to his strengths and won the 2026 SAS Championship at Prestonwood Country Club on Sunday.

Co-leading at six-under par with Timothy O’Neal and Freddie Jacobson after 36 holes on Saturday, the World Golf Hall of Famer was the lone man standing on the 18th green raising the championship crystal upwards.

A three-under par 69 was all that was needed for the 63-year old to post his first PGA Tour Champions win of the season, and first since 2023.

“I haven’t won in a while,” Singh said.

“It’s always nice to win no matter where you’re playing, which tournament it is. It’s nice to win when you haven’t won in a while…This one feels good right now. Hopefully it’s going to boost me up for the next few events to come and for next year.”

—

Leaderboard: 2026 SAS Championship (Final)

—

Getting it done, finally

Prior to this year, the closest Singh had gotten to raising the crystal at Prestonwood was a T2 finish in 2017.

On a sunnier day than the previous one, a little warmer, but still windy – gusting up to 25 miles per hour – the challenge was to minimize mistakes.

Singh posted only one bogey on the day on the par-4 fifth hole while birdieing holes 7, 9, 10, and 12.

For the tournament he ranked second in bogeys (4), fourth in scrambling (13/17), and sixth in driving accuracy (35/45).

Despite challenges with the weather, Singh managed to stay under par for the day to earn his first win at Prestonwood.

“It was cold yesterday and it was really cold this morning,” Singh noted emphatically.

“It would have been different if it was only cold for me, you know what I mean? It was cold for everybody. I told Wayne (caddie), I said, you know, if it’s cold and windy, it’s going to be tough playing today so we just have to play well; don’t try to win the tournament in the first nine holes. I said it’s going to be a long day and let’s stick in there, and I played well on the back nine as well.”

Notables

2020 SAS champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els carded a bogey-free 69 to finish runner-up at 7-under…Defending 2025 SAS champion Alex Cejka and Tag Ridings each finished T3 at 6-under par…O’Neal (T5) finished double bogey-bogey on the last two holes to close with 73 after trailing Singh by one stroke through 16 holes…Mario Tiziani (T5) and World Golf Hall of Fame member Padraig Harrington (T18) matched the low round of the day at 4-under (68)…Jacobson (T10) faced his challenges midway through his round and carded a back-nine 40 en route to a final-round finish of 74.

—

Triangle Sports Network: 401-323-8960 | @tsportsnet

The post 2026 SAS Championship – Vijay Singh outdistances field to win at Prestonwood appeared first on Triangle Sports Network.

editor@trianglesportsnet.com

CARY, NC – One could say that you could ‘blame it on the rain’ for the shakeup that took place on the 2026 SAS Championship leaderboard following second-round play at Prestonwood Country Club on Saturday.

Following 36 holes of play, Timothy O’Neal, Vijay Singh, and Freddie Jacobson all sat on top, all at 6-under par, following a wet and cold day of play that was in stark contrast to Friday’s balmy opening round.

—

Leaderboard: 2026 SAS Championship

Tee Times: Split tees – Hole 1 / Hole 10

—

“Yeah, probably the coldest conditions we’ve had all year,” O’Neal said afterwards.

“Yesterday was perfect, and then today we had hand warmers today. A lot of different clubs into different holes today than we did yesterday. Tough, windy, cold, raining. Yeah, it was a very tough day, but I was lucky to finish the way I did.”

180-degree turnaround

After posting an impressive seven-under par 65 to lead following Round 1, Retief Goosen gave that all back on Saturday, struggling to finish seven-over par (79), not making any birdies or better throughout his round.

Though some like Goosen dropped back into the fray of the field, others grasped and rode the wind, gusting up to 25 miles per hour, behind them, rather than succumbing headlong into it.

Y.E. Yang (T29) carded the low round of the day by three strokes (65), beating the second-round average (74.159) by more than nine strokes.

Productive play under adverse conditions

O’Neal, Singh, and Jacobson played to four, three, and two-under respectively on the day, and put themselve in position to vye for their first SAS Championship title.

For Singh, the closest he’s gotten to raising the crystal at Prestonwood in nine appearance includes three top-10 finishes – T2 (2017), 3rd (2020), and T5 (2023).

“I played pretty solid. I drove the ball well when I needed to,” the 63-year old World Golf Hall of Famer said about his round.

“It was a really tough day. I mean, I don’t like cold, and in the beginning when we started off it was cold, wind and rain, but I managed. My caddie did a good job, he kept me in there and telling me to focus, focus, focus, and that’s what you need in conditions like this.”

Jacobson has added motivation to capture a win on Sunday.

A victory at the SAS would snap a winless streak of 5,593 days (or 15 years, 3 months, 22 days) on PGA Tour-sanctioned Tours dating back to the 2011 Travelers Championship.

“I was in the fairway lots, and managed to control the irons pretty well,” Jacobson said.

“I think I hit quite a lot of greens. Didn’t make as many putts as I wanted out there, I only had one one-putt on the greens in regulation, but scrambled OK from off the green a couple of times. Yeah, overall really happy with how I gave myself a good chance for a good score today.”

Looking ahead to Sunday Best

Making his fourth appearance at the SAS Championship, the 54-year old O’Neal has finished T27 (2023), T17 (2024) and T4 (2025) previously here.

In leading/co-leading heading into Sunday, his plan will be to more or less, ‘stay the course’.

“Well, for me it’s all about patience, one shot at a time,” O’Neal noted.

“Then just try to make some putts, that’s pretty much it. I guess I’m T-1 right now, but we’ll see. But tomorrow, same thing, just try to stay patient. It’s going to be cold again, so just try to hit a lot of greens and try to make some putts here and there.”

The youngest of the trio at 52 years old, Jacobson, making his debut appearance at the SAS, hopes to notch that first win on PGA Tour Champions in 43 starts.

It would be even more meaningful to do so having his son on his bag.

“It would mean a lot. I think I really feel like I played consistent over the last couple of years,” Jacobson noted.

“I’ve been in contention quite a lot. I haven’t really been carrying a big lead into Sundays or anything like that, but being in the mix, I think for anybody out here to win, it shifts. You get that kind of confidence and feel — it’s sometimes too long between the wins.

For some guys, it’s not, it can be every other week it seems like. But for a lot of us, I mean, years go by in between wins. I think once you know that once you get them, you just get that feel and that boost that you feel a little more comfortable the next time when you go down the stretch. I mean, if you haven’t won for a while, you’re just battling some nerves, and not having been there for a while and to break through and get it done always means a lot. So I would love to get it done.”

Notables

O’Neal seeks his second win on PGA Tour Champions (104th start). His previous win came at the 2024 Dominion Energy Charity Classic. Making his 25th start of the 2026 season, he has four top-10 finishes, and entered the week ranked No. 27 in the 2026 Charles Schwab Cup standings…Making his 19th start of the 2026 season, Jacobson has eight top-10 finishes. Entered the week ranked No. 20 in the 2026 Charles Schwab Cup standings…Chad Campbell and Søren Kjeldsen, both seeking their first win on PGA Tour Champions, each sit T4 at 5- under entering the final round.

—

Broadcast Schedule (ET)

Sunday: 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. (Golf Channel)

—

Triangle Sports Network: 401-323-8960 | @tsportsnet

The post 2026 SAS Championship – O’Neal, Singh, Jacobson lead heading into Sunday appeared first on Triangle Sports Network.

editor@trianglesportsnet.com

CARY, NC – A late scoring run put Retief Goosen at the top of the 2026 SAS Championship leaderboard following opening-round play Friday at Prestonwood Country Club.

Carding a 65 (-7) for the day, the World Golf Hall of Famer took advantage of pivotal approach shots on his final four holes, scoring birdie, par, eagle, birdie.

As a result, his 33 on the the back nine, coupled with 32 on the front, vaulted him into the overall lead.

“I hit a lot of good iron shots today for a change,” Goosen said after finishing as the clubhouse leader for the day.

“I’ve been hitting everything so far away from the hole, had no chances, and today I probably hit four, five shots within five feet. That makes it a little easier. And these greens are tricky, they’re very crusty and a breeze picked up a little bit. Yeah, overall very happy with the round.”

—

Leaderboard – 2026 SAS Championship

Tee Times: Split tees – Hole 1 / Hole 10

—

Just a stroke behind, Richard Green’s bogey-free 66 (-6) played to his strengths as he held on while Goosen made his run, finishing with birdies on 16 and 17 before staying level with par on 18.

“Pretty clean. Just didn’t do much wrong, did everything I needed to do right”, Green noted of his round.

“Hit the ball really well. I’m pretty excited about how I’m hitting it, and I’m trying to keep things pretty simple with my process on the greens. It’s not my favorite surface, but if I manage it with a good routine like I did today, I think I’ll do all right with it.”

Who’ll stop the rain

Following a beautiful day of sun and temperatures in the 80s, Goosen, seeking his first SAS title, leads the field into Round 2 play on Saturday with forecasts of rain into the early afternoon and much lower temperatures in the 60s.

“Well, we played this course before in some bad weather so I sort of expect, know what’s coming.” Goosen said.

“Yeah, it’s going to be just a 180-degree turn tomorrow. Just going to warm up and adjust, that’s all we can do.”

Notables

Green seeks his second win on PGA Tour Champions (98th start)…Close behind Goosen and Green, Tag Ridings (3rd) posted a 5-under 67. He seeks his first win on PGA Tour Champions (40th start)…Five players sit T4 at 4-under par: Soren Kjeldsen, David Duval, Paul Goydos, Chad Campbell and Freddie Jacobson all scored 68s in various ways…Never out of it, two-time SAS champion, 69-year-old World Golf Hall of Fame member Bernhard Langer (T9) opened with 69 (-3) to shoot his age or better for the 51st time on PGA Tour Champions.

—

Broadcast Schedule (ET)

Saturday: 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. (Golf Channel)

Sunday: 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. (Golf Channel)

—

Triangle Sports Network: 401-323-8960 | @tsportsnet

The post 2026 SAS Championship – Goosen shoots 65, leads field into Round 2 appeared first on Triangle Sports Network.

Peter Koutroumpis (@pksport)

editor@trianglesportsnet.com

RALEIGH, NC – The PGA Tour Champions is in town, as the regular season concludes this week at the 2026 SAS Championship, the 26th playing of the event starting Friday at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary.

Being held at Prestonwood every year since its debut in 2001, this year’s event once again brings 78 players in the field, including seven Hall of Famers, 18 PGA Tour Champions Major winners, 10 PGA Tour Major winners, along with 54 PGA Tour winners vying for spots to compete in the upcoming 2026 Charles Schwab Cup playoffs.

—

Leaderboard – 2026 SAS Championship

Round 1 Tee Times: Split tees – Hole 1 / Hole 10 – starting at 10:30 a.m.

—

Forging the path to the postseason

Seven World Golf Hall of Fame members are in the field, including 2020 champion Ernie Els, 2017 champion Colin Montgomerie and two-time winner Bernhard Langer (2012, 2018)

Nine past champions will tee it up, led by defending 2025 SAS champion Alex Cejka, who won by three strokes at 9-under 207 a year ago.

At the conclusion of the SAS Championship, the top 72 players in the Charles Schwab Cup standings will advance to the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, which begin next week at the Stifel Charity Classic in St. Louis.

The top 54 after St. Louis advance to the Simmons Bank Championship in Little Rock, and the top 36 after Little Rock reach the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix.

Show me the money

SAS Championship

Purse: $2,300,000 • Winner: $345,000

—

Charles Schwab Cup Standings

# Player Money

1 Stewart Cink $3,798,700

2 Zach Johnson $3,314,368

3 Steven Alker $2,265,087

4 Pádraig Harrington $1,760,924

5 Retief Goosen $1,609,467

6 Boo Weekley $1,426,711

7 George McNeill $1,283,839

8 Ben Crane $1,280,429

9 Ernie Els $1,250,614

10 Miguel Angel Jiménez $1,151,767

BOLD denotes player in 2026 field

—

Broadcast Schedule (ET)

Friday: 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. (Golf Channel)

Saturday: 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. (Golf Channel)

Sunday: 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. (Golf Channel)

—

Triangle Sports Network: 401-323-8960 | @tsportsnet

The post 2026 SAS Championship – Round 1 appeared first on Triangle Sports Network.

Peter Koutroumpis (@pksport)

editor@trianglesportsnet.com

RALEIGH, NC – As the Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup celebration continues throughout the summer with various players and team personnel getting to have their ‘Day with the Cup’, the Grayson Murray Foundation announced on Thursday a unique experience for two lucky fans and supporters to share in it all with defenseman Jaccob Slavin.

In an email release sent out to its patrons and supporters, titled “VIP Exclusive: THE STANLEY CUP, Jaccob Slavin + You!”, the Grayson Foundation online auction item offered up an opportunity to join in the Stanley Cup celebration with Slavin and his family.

The proceeds from the auction will support the Grayson Murray Foundation and its mission to raise awareness of mental health and addiction while advancing innovative services and research.

—

Bid Here: “VIP Exclusive: THE STANLEY CUP, Jaccob Slavin + You!”

As of 7/25/26 (3:25 p.m.), the current bid is $1200. The winning bid must be paid in full by August 22, 2026.

—

He was a Caniac

Grayson Murray, a Raleigh native, passed away at the age of 30 years old on May 24, 2024, as a result of suicide.

He forged his path to the PGA Tour early, embarking on a winding and adventurous journey and eventually becoming a pro golfer following many junior/high school and college days spent on the course and range around the country.

He set his mark in pro golf early in 2010, playing in Raleigh at the Country Club at Wakefield Plantation, making the cut at the Korn Ferry Tour’s UNC Health Championship, then known as the Rex Hospital Open, at the age of 16.

From there, he began and continued living the journeyman life of a pro golfer, eventually making it to the PGA Tour and winning his second career Tour event, the Sony Open, just months before his passing.

Keeping faith

Growing up a Carolina Hurricanes fan, Murray connected with the organization and players like Slavin, cheering on the team and being honored to show his support as a siren sounder at games on various occasions.

He and Slavin connected on a personal basis through their Christian faith and developed a bond that kept them in touch, including via text messages.

As an invited speaker at Murray’s memorial, Slavin shared a prayer and recollection of moments texting with Grayson during the Hurricanes’ playoff run that season.

Slavin noted during the memorial one of the final texts between the two:

“We had an exchange back and forth a little bit more”, Slavin began.

“He (Grayson) then went on to say, ‘I say life on Earth is a pre-game to the real party. Let’s enjoy while Jesus put us here for this short time, but recognize he has a purpose for us while we’re here. To impact people.’”

Making an impact

Such words seemed a precursor to the upcoming event that Slavin will be hosting in August.

As quoted per the Foundation’s release:

“The Grayson Murray Foundation is excited to offer an exclusive opportunity for one winner and a guest to celebrate the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup victory with Jaccob Slavin and his family.

On the morning of August 22, 2026, you will have the opportunity to meet Jaccob, spend time with the Stanley Cup, and capture photos from an experience you will never forget.”

—

VIP Experience Includes:

• An opportunity to see and take photos with the Stanley Cup
• Meet Jaccob Slavin and his family
• Admission for you and one guest to attend the event with the Grayson Murray Foundation Leadership team
• Priceless sports experience in Raleigh

—

When you think about it, though not listed, one final key item that this experience will include, which Slavin is helping to facilitate,  is that far more people – golf and hockey fans alike, among others – will learn more about Grayson Murray and help his legacy “to impact people” prophetically take hold even more.

—

Triangle Sports Network: 401-323-8960 | @tsportsnet

The post Grayson Murray Foundation auction offers chance to share Stanley Cup experience with Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin  appeared first on Triangle Sports Network.

editor@trianglesportsnet.com

LAS VEGAS, NV – The Carolina Hurricanes became the 2026 Stanley Cup champions, following a 3-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final series played at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday.

The Hurricanes capped off their run through the 2026 NHL playoffs with a 16-3 record, led by captain Jordan Staal who was voted the Conn Smythe Trophy winner, as the most valuable player in the playoffs.

Fueled by goals from Taylor Hall, Jackson Blake, and Nikolaj Ehlers and a 22-save shutout performance from goaltender Brandon Bussi, the Hurricanes won the Final series 4-2 overall – raising The Cup for the second time in franchise history, twenty years after winning the first.

Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour became the fourth individual in NHL history to captain a Stanley Cup winner (2006) and then lead that club to a championship as head coach.

Notables: Staal became the oldest Conn Smythe Trophy winner and claimed the first individual award of his 20-season NHL career. Staal completed a postseason in which he tied the NHL record for longest goal streak in a Stanley Cup Final (5 GP) and became the first player in 70 years to score in each of the first five games of the Final. Staal also became the first player in NHL history to go 17 years from one Stanley Cup to the next, adding to a championship he won with the 2009 Penguins…Bussi, who closed out the championship series with a shutout and a 3-1 record through four appearances (1.60 GAA, .931 SV%, 1 SO), became the first goaltender since 1975 (when the Preliminary Round was introduced) with a title-clinching win after not appearing in any of the previous three rounds. Bussi was also the second netminder in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1968) and eighth in League history with a Cup clincher after not starting during Game 1 of the Final.

—

Triangle Sports Network: 401-323-8960 | @tsportsnet

The post 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final – Carolina Hurricanes raise the Stanley Cup with 3-0 win over Vegas Golden Knights appeared first on Triangle Sports Network.

editor@trianglesportsnet.com

RALEIGH, NC – Just one more win – that’s all the Carolina Hurricanes need to raise the Stanley Cup.

The Hurricanes’ run through the 2026 National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs has been historic, exhilarating, and filled with suspenseful moments, and that has been magnified facing an equally formidable Vegas Golden Knights squad.

Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal extended his goal streak in the Final series to five games, tying the score 1-1 in the first period of Game 5 on Thursday at Lenovo Center.

As the Hurricanes eventually claimed a 4-2 win, the marker tied an NHL record and set a new franchise benchmark for goals in any playoff series.

Support from the franchise leaders

During the second and third periods, Andrei Svechnikov scored twice on the power play, and Sebastian Aho rounded out the offense with a goal to the delight of the raucous Canes faithful inside and outside of the building and at ‘watch parties’ throughout the city and state.

Goaltender Brandon Bussi earned his second straight win, stopping 21 of the 23 shots he faced, including 11 of 12 in the third period.

With the Stanley Cup in the building on Sunday night in T-Mobile Arena in Vegas, a third straight win in Game 6 over the Golden Knights will put Lord Stanley’s ‘holy grail’ firmly in the Canes hands to raise high in triumph for the first time in 20 years.

Notables: Goals from Svechnikov and Aho added to their career totals as the franchise’s two all-time playoff scoring leaders…Bussi became the first goaltender in NHL history to make his first two career playoff starts in the Stanley Cup Final and win both games…Carolina will try to win the organization’s second Cup, the first coming in 2006, after falling behind 2-1 in the series against the Golden Knights…In doing so the Canes will become the sixth team in NHL history – and first in more than a decade – to fall behind 2-1 in a best-of-seven Final and win three straight games to claim the Cup.

—

Triangle Sports Network: 401-323-8960 | @tsportsnet

The post 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final – Carolina Hurricanes one win away from raising the Cup appeared first on Triangle Sports Network.

Peter Koutroumpis (@pksport)

editor@trianglesportsnet.com

RALEIGH, NC – The 2026 UNC Health Championship cut line was drawn at 1-under par on Friday at Raleigh Country Club.

Leading the 69 remaining in the field of the Korn Ferry Tour event was Jeremy Paul, who carried his 36-hole lead at 13-under par into the weekend.

To start the third round, Alvaro Ortiz sits just two strokes behind the lead at -11, with Theo Humphrey in third at 8-under par, while Rick Lamb, Ross Steelman, and Tyler Wilkes start the weekend close at 7-under par.

Paul is set to tee off along with Ortiz at 12:35 p.m. on Saturday as the lead group.

—

2026 UNC Health Championship – Tee Times

—

Soft, but getting fast and firm quickly

Paul noted some significance related to the greens and the difficulty and ease of play he had on them during the first two rounds.

“Now with the rain at the beginning of the week, greens are a little bit more receptive, but they’re kind of firming up,” Paul said.

“It’s very difficult to judge some greens that are in the shade, they are kind of softer than others, so I think the difficult part is just judging, in terms of where you want to land it on the greens – because there’s so many little ridges, and just judging how firm the first bounce is gonna be.

“I mean, you know, over two days, I’ve been doing this for long enough that I know, like, you know, you don’t get ahead of yourself…My mindset’s always going into the round, I’m trying to, you know, play as I would be playing a week prior, and just do my own thing, play my own golf, and then at the end, see where the score ends up. I don’t I try to not watch the leaderboard too much because, you know, it doesn’t really help.”

—

2026 UNC Health Championship – Leaderboard

—

Notables: Paul is leading the event, only his third start at the UNC Health Championship – his best finish came in 2022 (T19)….He holed a 44-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to card a 6-under 64 to finish with nine birdies in the second round…Paul recorded a new 36-hole career-low score at 13-under 127, passing his previous 36-hole low score of 131…The lead marks the lowest 36-hole score at Raleigh Country Club as host of the UNC Health Championship – it matches the lowest 36-hole score in the history of the UNC Health Championship, posted in 2019 when the event was played at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation.

Triangle Sports Network: 401-323-8960 | @tsportsnet

The post 2026 UNC Health Championship – Tee times for Round 3 appeared first on Triangle Sports Network.