Tag: Night

Rebecca Grossman said in the ER she would be home if Mercedes hadn’t disabled her car, EMT testifies

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A Hidden Hills driver on trial for a hit-and-run killing of two boys said in an emergency room after her arrest that she would be home in her garage if the car’s safety system had not disabled her Mercedes, a hospital technician testified Thursday.

The startling testimony came during Rebecca Grossman’s murder trial in the deaths of brothers Mark and Jacob Iskander, 11 and 8, who were run down while crossing Triunfo Canyon Road at Saddle Mountain Drive in Westlake Village with their mother on Sept. 29, 2020.

Grossman, 60, is charged with two counts of murder, vehicular manslaughter and hit-run. Thursday’s testimony seemed to be an effort by prosecutors to support their allegation that she was seeking to flee in her heavily damaged Mercedes when the SUV’s safety system made the vehicle inoperable, about a third of a mile beyond the crosswalk.

Emergency medical technician Teryl Grasso testified she was working in the emergency room at Los Robles Regional Medical Center when Grossman was admitted after the crash.

“If they didn’t disable my car, I would have been at home in my garage right now,” Grossman said, according to Grasso under questioning by Deputy Dist. Atty. Jamie Castro.

Tony Buzbee, Grossman’s lead attorney, immediately asked why Grasso said “she was stalking the news,” seemingly insinuating she could have a bias and read all the stories about the incident. Buzbee also asked why it took three years for Grasso to come forward with the allegation.

The stalking phrase immediately led to objections from prosecutors, but Buzbee said it was Grasso’s phrase.

“I was stalking the news and I had to go therapy too,” Grasso replied. “I was traumatized”.

Grasso said she was prompted to come forward because of Grossman’s multiple comments that night and her behavior at the time. “I am not saying she did not care about those kids,”’ Grasso added.

Castro then asked whether she delayed coming forward because she was unsure if speaking would violate federal law that protects patient’s privacy.

Grasso said that was correct and that she eventually sought advice on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and learned she could report comments under these circumstances.

Grasso testified that she had therapy for nine months in connection with the incident. “I still cannot talk about that night without crying,” she said.

Buzbee earlier in the trial got a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy to acknowledge that when they found Grossman standing in front of her damaged vehicle it was about three-tenths of a mile from her home at the time in Westlake Village.

On Wednesday, Deputy Rafael Mejia testified that he found Grossman standing in front of her Mercedes a short distance from the crash site. The SUV had visible front-end damage, including a buckled fender on the passenger side, which sheriff’s officials photographed.

“She told me her vehicle was disabled by Mercedes-Benz and her air bags went off, and she did not know what was going on,” Mejia said. “She said she hit something, but she didn’t know what she hit.”

Mejia said he noticed what appeared to be blood spatter on Grossman’s vehicle, but acknowledged that he did not have it analyzed. He said the only parts found at the scene were from Grossman’s vehicle.

Prosecutors have presented witnesses that show that Grossman and her then-boyfriend, Scott Erickson, 55, a former pitcher for the Dodgers, sped through the intersection that evening after having drinks at a nearby restaurant.

Prosecutors on Thursday asked to put Royce Clayton, a former baseball player who had been drinking with Grossman and Erickson that night, back on the witness stand to clarify his previous testimony.

Clayton testified early this week explaining why he is no longer friends with Erickson. “I just don’t understand how he could be so negligent, and be responsible for running down kids.”

The judge, however, declined to allow Clayton back on the stand Thursday.

Much of Thursday was spent with Grossman’s legal team showing numerous shortcomings in how Deputy Michael Kelley conducted a sobriety test on Grossman when he arrested her. Kelley repeatedly conceded he did not follow very exact national standards for determining whether Grossman was impaired, including requiring that she walk a line and failing to time her during a one-legged stand.

Though she is not charged with driving under the influence, prosecutors say Grossman was impaired. An on-site breathalyzer test showed a blood-alcohol content of 0.076%, slightly below California’s legal limit of 0.08%. A blood sample taken three hours after the crash registered at the 0.08% mark. In addition, Valium was found in her blood, according to prosecutors.

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Richard Winton

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February 1, 2024
Sad – lost a good one

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My dog was put to sleep last night. She was my first dog and I had her for almost 10 years. She was the moodiest bitch on the planet but was always super sweet to me. I’ll miss hearing her close the laundry room door to hide from my kids and catch a break.
This is a toast to a real one.
Fry up some bacon just for your puppies once in a while. They deserve it.

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January 31, 2024
‘True Detective: Night Country’ Episode 3 Deep Dive

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Jo and Rob return to break down the third episode of True Detective: Night Country. They discuss the vast use of teal and what it might symbolize, why the flashback sequences are so effective, and Danvers’s (at times misguided) maternal instincts. Along the way, they talk about Hank’s ongoing suspiciousness and Navarro opening up for the first time. Later, they highlight some of the show’s most significant unanswered questions.

Hosts: Joanna Robinson and Rob Mahoney
Producer: Kai Grady

Subscribe: Spotify

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Joanna Robinson

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January 30, 2024
Double Detective: ‘True Detective: Night Country’ Episode 3 and ‘Monsieur Spade’ Episode 3

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Chris and Andy break down the latest episode of True Detective: Night Country. They talk about how the lack of Easter-egging in this episode worked to its advantage (1:00) and the dynamic between Danvers and Navarro (24:07). Then they talk about the latest episode of Monsieur Spade and the show’s very dense plotline (35:55).

Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
Producer: Kaya McMullen

Subscribe: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Stitcher / RSS

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Chris Ryan

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January 28, 2024
True Detective: Night Country is messing with us in episode 3

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It seems relatively routine — some “hillbillies” scuffling in the waiting room of a hospital, calling Danvers (Jodie Foster) away from an interrogation. Navarro (Kali Reis), left behind to monitor the bedridden victim, pokes her head around the corner, craning to see the commotion. And then, behind her, the man in the hospital bed suddenly sits up.

The scene is spooky enough on its own, a casual startle like a bag rustling in Audition. But the sound design makes it even more hair-raising: first a gasp on the audio track; now the man’s voice is different, gravelly and growling. “Hello, Evangeline. Your mother says hello. She’s waiting for you.” Then he points, lies back, seizes, and codes out. True Detective is on some shit with this one.

This seems as strong a case for the supernatural hanging over the town of Ennis as any, in an episode littered with unreal details like this. Heck, even at the beginning of the interview, Navarro was on edge, after the victim muttered the spectral phrase she previously heard in her car: She’s awake. But episode 3 is also concerned with the practical matter at hand, the murder of Annie K., giving us our best glimpse yet at the woman and whatever happened to her. The hour spends a lot of time tracking Annie’s movements — an Ariana Grande sweatshirt marking the start of a relationship, blue hair dye leading to someone who knew about Annie and her secret scientist boyfriend, the impact she had as a midwife and the vacuum she left behind.

Ultimately, the best piece of evidence so far comes out of last week’s cliffhanger, Annie’s phone containing the chilling final video she recorded somewhere in the ice, the screams of which play the episode out. It’s stomach-turning (Prior can’t even bring himself to watch it again), and just as chilling as the moment between Navarro and the surviving scientist. Something about this mystery feels beyond our comprehension, and paranormal explanations are increasingly looking like the easiest reason why. But there again, episode 3 is careful to remind us that not all is as it seems: As Danvers recounts the case that drove her and Navarro apart, we get her voice-over laid on top of a memory of the pair raiding a home the last time they worked together. There’s a weariness to Foster’s voice here, on all sides. She seems tired of the dead man’s excuses, of her inability to help a 19-year-old girl out of an obviously bad situation, of her own limitations. And as she relays the story, everything went to hell there: An abusive asshole killed his 19-year-old girlfriend, “then he shot himself.”

Photo: Michele K. Short/HBO

Two different huts, two very different interrogations for Navarro (Kali Reis) in True Detective: Night Country episode 3.
Photo: Michele K. Short/HBO

Only that’s not what we see; right after that line from Danvers, the man in the flashback turns, with a ghoulish look on his face, and begins whistling. It makes sense that Prior isn’t getting the full story from Danvers, and in the same way, that the audience isn’t getting all the gory details from Night Country (yet — hopefully). We can’t make sense yet of Annie K.’s murder, or what that damned orange is doing on the ice (and again in the opening credits, peeled and spiraling out as “Bury a Friend” plays over flashes of important scene-setting). One sympathizes with Navarro trying to cut through Danvers’ Socratic method — fuck your games — and still following up on the demand: Ask the question.

In this way, True Detective: Night Country is making a strong case for itself as the best season yet, making the journey along the way feel just as important as who killed Annie, or whether Navarro really saw a man get possessed. When the show tells us to look one way over another, it feels worth it, even when it might seem like a distraction from the matter — whatever matter — is at hand.

At the end of each Night Country credits sequence, there’s a new image. In episode 3, it’s a small fishing hut, isolated and lonely on the ice. What happens there is a breakthrough for the case, sure — Navarro finds the location of a former Tsalal researcher — but it’s more a personal breakthrough for Navarro, recounting some of her life story for one of the few people she trusts, who breaks a small smile when she huffs back into the hut to fulfill his ask. The conversation she has there goes beyond merely the case, and Night Country is smart to linger there. True Detective isn’t telling us everything, but that doesn’t mean it’s telling us nothing.

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Zosha Millman

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January 28, 2024
The Greatest Night in Pop has more star power per second than any other 2024 movie

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This initial report on The Greatest Night in Pop comes from our team following the premieres at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. We’ll update this piece when there’s more information about the movie’s release.

Logline

On Jan. 28, 1985, more than 40 of the United States’ most famous musicians, from Michael Jackson and Diana Ross to Paul Simon and Billy Joel, gathered in secret to record a charity song. “We Are the World” was intended as a fundraiser for famine relief in Africa. The Greatest Night in Pop, a documentary coming to Netflix soon, is about how that song got recorded in just one night.

Longerline

“We Are the World” is one of the bestselling, most popular singles of all time, featuring perhaps the most star-studded lineup to ever record together. Bao Nguyen’s film runs through the making of the song, from the initial idea to the writing to getting talent on board to the recording itself.

Nguyen presents all of this through archival footage from when the recording session was initially filmed, as well as talking-head interviews with some of the musicians involved, including Lionel Richie, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, and Kenny Loggins.

What’s The Greatest Night in Pop trying to do?

Besides just documenting one of the most important moments in 20th-century pop culture, The Greatest Night in Pop also tries to communicate the sheer star power that came together in A&M Studios on that night in 1985. It was a who’s who of the most famous musicians on the planet, which meant that there was both a clashing of egos and an easiness that came from shared levels of fame: These superstars were in the only room in the world where most of the people around them truly understood what life was like at that level of celebrity.

Does The Greatest Night in Pop live up to its premise?

The Greatest Night in Pop is after a more relaxed and celebratory version of the harried energy that director D.A. Pennebaker captured in Original Cast Album: Company, his filming of that album’s all-night recording session. Mostly, Nguyen gets it there. His doc is airy and fun, and while it narrativizes the night well, thanks in large part to Richie’s fantastic narration, it mostly has the good sense to get out of the way of the personalities that were actually in the room. This approach holds it back from being a truly great documentary: It rarely adds much context to the footage we’re seeing, beyond the backstory, and it pointedly avoids any controversy, or any criticism of even the most difficult celebrity participants. But the footage-forward approach does make the whole thing tremendously fun to watch.

Seeing Bob Dylan look uncomfortable in a sea of famous faces, Stevie Wonder joking around with Ray Charles, or Huey Lewis nervously working out a harmony is as close to unguarded as most of these stars have ever been on film. It’s a fascinating document. And the way every second of that footage is still captivating nearly 40 years later is a testament to the raw, all-encompassing, absolutely magnetic star power that everyone in that room has.

Image: Netflix

The quote that says it all

As the movie itself points out, the most important aspect of the whole night was when producer Quincy Jones posted a sign inside the recording studio that said “Check your ego at the door.” That’s what makes The Greatest Night in Pop feel special: It lets us inside the room where all-time great musicians simply felt like they were among friends and equals.

Most memeable moment

There are a number of incredible moments, like Waylon Jennings walking out of the recording studio while muttering “Ain’t no good ol’ boy ever sung in Swahili,” or Cyndi Lauper realizing that her massive necklaces were making so much noise that the microphones were picking them up alongside her voice. But if anything from this movie is going to be a meme, it’s Bob Dylan’s awkward grimace, right smack in the middle of the most famous faces in music, as he desperately tries to figure out how to sing in chorus with them. It’s incredible, and as Bob Dylan as anything could be.

Is The Greatest Night in Pop good?

Absolutely. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of documentary classics, falling short of the insight into the tortured circumstances and frustrated production of Original Cast Album: Company, or the pure musical excellence of Monterey Pop. But there’s something special about seeing these stars mingle that makes this movie a fascinating document on fame and the people behind it.

When can we see it?

The Greatest Night in Pop will be released on Netflix on Jan. 29.

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Austen Goslin

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January 27, 2024
‘True Detective: Night Country’ Theories

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Two episodes into True Detective: Night Country, Charles and Van dive into their theories about who could be the killer, how the polar bear figures into the mystery, and more.

Hosts: Charles Holmes and Van Lathan
Producers: Steve Ahlman and Sasha Ashall

Subscribe: Spotify

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Charles Holmes

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January 26, 2024
True Detective: Night Country is slowly starting to thaw its icy mystery

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The central mystery in True Detective: Night Country seems easy when the credits roll on episode 1. It’s not that viewers already have the answer, but it at least feels like we can see all the puzzle pieces in front of us. That is, until episode 2. The second, even better episode of Night Country deepens the season’s central mystery with clever world-building and the most disgusting and disturbing ice sculpture on television.

If True Detective: Night Country is about anything so far, it’s about Ennis. More than a little town in Alaska with the nighttime that lasts days, Ennis is a place that’s simultaneously peaceful and terrifying. Rose’s (Fiona Shaw) description of the town to Navarro (Kali Reis) seems close to perfect: a place where the universe comes apart at the seams. It’s a description that takes the strangeness of this world head-on but hints at the softer side of the town, too: The dead find their way back in Ennis (sometimes because they want you to join them). But Ennis is also the kind of town that feels careful and handmade; the seams are wearing like a well-loved toy, not tearing like cheap stitching from a factory.

It’s a beautiful and layered description, but it’s also one that clues us in to what the show is doing. Things here are supernatural, sure; something’s clearly afoot. But that doesn’t mean that zombies roam Ennis or that a quick seance will clear this whole mess up. The dead in Ennis are like the ice: It’s always there, but sometimes it shifts a little, so you’ll notice it. And neither one is giving up its secrets easily.

Episode 2 opens by unveiling the season’s central mystery: a frozen pile of the corpses of the Tsalal scientists, an introduction that comes with some pitch-black comedy involving a grisly hand-breaking that you have to laugh at just to break the tension. True Detective has a grand history of gruesome crime scenes that are gorgeous in their own dark-hearted way, but this is easily the series’ masterpiece so far. The frozen corpsicle is as grotesque as it is beautiful. It’s disfigured and horrible, each body with its own bizarre self-inflicted wounds, equally inexplicable and begging for some detailed reveal that might show us how any of this could have happened. The whole thing, sitting in the middle of an ice rink, a triumph of set dressing and design, looks like it could contain an infinite number of secrets and details, if only you had the misfortune to look at it for too long.

Photo: Michele K. Short/HBO

One of the show’s most brilliant and subtle strokes, though, is one that comes outside of the newly forever-cursed ice rink when Danvers (Jodie Foster) interrupts a classroom to ask her former booty call what exactly it is that Tsalal does. For the deaths of these scientists to merit something as extreme and seemingly otherworldly as their frozen remains would indicate, it seems perfect that their investigation was into something as utopian as the description Danvers gets. A cure-all, hidden away under millions of years of ice. A perfectly solvable puzzle, if only the ice would reveal its mysteries. The explanation makes perfect sense to Danvers; it’s her new burden too, after all.

And fittingly, she too turns to science to sort out her frozen puzzle. She and Pete (Finn Bennett) trot out all the classics that scientists have used for the Dyatlov Pass incident: paradoxical undressing, wild animals, some kind of invisible but natural force like gas or radiation. Not a single one sticks.

But the show’s too smart to let not having an answer defeat Danvers. She’s stubborn enough to stick to the case, and fight for it, but she’s not too stubborn to admit she needs Navarro’s help to figure it out. And with mysterious tattoos of spirals older than the ice, and a trailer full of creepy dolls, the show finally lets its two main detectives team up.

Technically, True Detective: Night Country’s second episode is mostly just table setting, getting our detectives together, laying out the facts and their complications, the oddities and their halfhearted explanations. But the show plays all this setup like Ennis finally boiling over. It’s a town at the edge of both the spiritual and physical worlds, and now it’s breaking open, little by little, under the weight of poison water and mine protests. And True Detective: Night Country is clearly eager to show us the secrets under the fragile ice of Ennis.

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Austen Goslin

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January 22, 2024
Breaking Down ‘True Detective: Night Country,’ Episode 2

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Chris and Andy discuss the second episode of True Detective: Night Country. They talk about some of the callbacks to True Detective Season 1 in this episode (1:00), the horror and paranormal elements that are becoming more prominent this season so far (17:49), and the way the environment plays a role in the plot (26:12).

Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
Producer: Kaya McMullen

Subscribe: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Stitcher / RSS

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It’s hard to know what to watch. That’s why we’re breaking down the Streaming Wars and recommending the best shows on streaming TV, from Netflix to Hulu to Disney+.

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Chris Ryan

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January 21, 2024
Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo pleads no contest to driving under the influence

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State Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo pleaded no contest Friday to driving under the influence of alcohol.

Carrillo, a Los Angeles Democrat who is running for a hotly contested Eastside City Council seat, was arrested Nov. 3 after she crashed into two parked cars in Northeast Los Angeles. Her blood-alcohol level was at least twice the legal limit, according to Los Angeles police.

Under the plea agreement, Carrillo must attend a three-month driving-under-the-influence program. Her driver’s license will be restricted so that she can drive only to work and the program.

Carrillo was not present at the Metropolitan Courthouse when her attorney, Alex Kessel, entered her plea to the misdemeanor charge. Deputy City Atty. Adam Micale agreed to drop a second charge of driving with a blood-alcohol count of .08% or higher.

In addition to the three-month state-licensed program, Carrillo must attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving class and perform 50 hours of community service. She must also pay about $2,000 in restitution.

Carrillo has been attending Alcoholic Anonymous meetings since her arrest, Kessel said.

He said the plea agreement was typical and that his client was “not getting any benefit from the norm.”

“Today, Assemblymember Carrillo, through her attorney, pled no contest to the charges she faced,” said a statement released by Carrillo’s Assembly office. “From day one, she has accepted responsibility for her actions and is committed to following the judge’s orders.”

Outside the courtroom, Kessel told reporters that Carrillo has wanted to “accept responsibility” since that night.

“This incident was an aberration in her life and shouldn’t stop her from doing the good work of what she always has done for the people of California and now for the city of Los Angeles,” Kessel said.

Micale declined to comment.

In a cellphone video obtained by Fox11, Carrillo appears to slur her speech and briefly lose her balance as two officers conduct a field sobriety test after responding to the scene on Monterey Road around 1:30 a.m.

“I’m sorry, I sneezed and lost [control] of the vehicle,” she told the officers.

Before the test was completed, one of the officers explained to bystanders “in the interest of transparency” that the LAPD has a policy that allows for this type of investigation to be conducted in a private location when a dignitary or elected official is involved.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore said he directed a review of body worn video, and the officer’s actions did “not appear to be inappropriate.”

One witness at the scene of the car crash said he heard a loud bang just as the collision occurred.

Carrillo’s car had struck another car, which then hit his, said the witness, who declined to provide his name out of privacy concerns. The man said he spoke with Carrillo, then called 911. “She had very slurred speech and was very disoriented,” the witness said.

Kessel said the subject of sneezing has not come up in his conversations with Carrillo.

“She felt completely fine, and there were some road issues,” said Kessel, who defined those issues as “curves in the road” and the late hour.

“As far as drinking and driving, she understands that she shouldn’t have,” he said. “But she accepted responsibility because there was a measurable amount of alcohol in her system. And she shouldn’t have had any alcohol while driving. And she 100% recognizes that.”

Kessel said that prior to that night, Carrillo had never been in trouble with the law.

“If there’s a personal issue with alcohol, I don’t think for the court process that makes a difference, because for that night in question, there was alcohol in her system,” he said. “And I think she’s addressing that. I’m not here to comment on her personal life.”

Carrillo, 43, was booked into jail at 4:07 a.m. and released that afternoon wearing a black suit and flip flops.

“I’m sorry, I’m going to get my ride,” she responded when a Times reporter asked if she had been drunk driving that night.

Carrillo’s opponents in the race to represent Council District 14 include incumbent Kevin de León, who faced widespread calls to step down in the wake of last year’s audio scandal, and Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles).

Another candidate, geriatric social worker Nadine Diaz, said Friday that the programs Carrillo will complete as part of her plea agreement are “a start” but that Carrillo should drop out of the election to focus on her health.

“I hope she gets help in regards to the situation. I think it’s serious,” Diaz said. “And I think at this point, she needs to be evaluated, her plan of action in regards to running, I hope — for mental health reasons, for self care.”

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Cindy Chang

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January 19, 2024
‘True Detective: Night Country’ Episode 1, With Creator Issa López

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Chris and Andy talk about the first episode of True Detective: Night Country. They discuss how it differs from the past True Detective iterations (1:00) and how the setting’s constant nighttime affects the story (24:56). Then Chris is joined by creator Issa López to talk about how she came up with the idea for the show and working with Jodie Foster (35:37).

Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
Guest: Issa López
Producer: Kaya McMullen

Subscribe: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Stitcher / RSS

The Ringer’s Streaming Guide

It’s hard to know what to watch. That’s why we’re breaking down the Streaming Wars and recommending the best shows on streaming TV, from Netflix to Hulu to Disney+.

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Chris Ryan

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January 14, 2024
Night Country gets True Detective’s vibe better than True Detective ever has

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True Detective is the rare show that was much more exciting and complicated after seven episodes than it is after three seasons. What started out as a brooding series about detectives looking into the dark heart of senseless, seemingly occult killings eventually transformed into a detective show mostly about men being sad. What is remarkable about the show’s newest season, True Detective: Night Country, is that in just one episode, new showrunner Issa López has managed to bring back the creeping, supernatural horror vibe that gave the first season so much promise.

The new season is set in the small town of Ennis, Alaska, and this first episode is mostly concerned with setting up the peculiarities of the town and the bones of this season’s mystery, along with getting to know our latest true detectives, of course. The show’s opening, and its central mystery, is classic cold-weather horror: A group of researchers in a secluded winter base suddenly disappear, only to be found far from their base, frozen deep in the ice.

Where the first season of the show hinted at the supernatural and the ways it sometimes may (or may not) peek through into our world, Night Country leaves no room for doubt. By the end of this episode, more than one character has had visions, and the condition the scientists are found in seems impossible to imagine happening naturally. But the true underline that makes the supernatural elements of the story undeniable is that local weirdo Rose (Fiona Shaw) is the one who finds the frozen scientists for the police, and the only reason she knew where to look is because some long-dead friend showed her the way.

López doesn’t let the supernatural overwhelm the rest of the world in Night Country’s first episode, but she’s unambiguous about its existence. This feels like a pointed response to the True Detective stories that have come before. Not combative, per se, but direct. While the previous seasons, particularly the first, led its characters from the natural and explainable world of crime toward something more supernatural, Night Country’s mystery is starting at unexplainable and working its way back.

Photo: Michele K. Short/HBO

But for all the ways that López seems to be responding to True Detective’s past in the first episode of her season, she makes her love for the series clear, too. When it comes to the cops looking into this case, López revels in characterizing them as every bit the same kind of broken bastards that original series creator Nic Pizzolatto placed at the center of his three seasons writing the show. Leading the investigation in Night Country is Liz Danvers (played marvelously by Jodie Foster), a brilliant cop with a mile-long record of pushing people away by being an absolute asshole. Then there’s Liz’s old partner Evangeline Navarro (boxer turned actor Kali Reis), a self-destructive hothead who let one case get stuck in her craw and consume her whole career.

The two cops don’t share the same dynamic as Matthew McConaughey’s Rust Cohle and Woody Harrelson’s Marty Hart, exactly, but it’s clear that López was after the same crackle the two had between them, and through just one episode she’s already seemed to nail it. The two only share brief scenes in episode 1, but the chemistry they have is instant and the bickering is pitch-perfect for cluing us in to the fact that they’re sure to work together again eventually.

Through just one episode, True Detective: Night Country feels like what True Detective was always supposed to be. Impossibly, it captures the vibes of the series’ best episodes better than anything in the second or third seasons ever achieved. López feels at war with the series’ history, not because she hates it, but because she loves it enough to want its best version. What Issa López wants is the twisty, supernatural, pitch-black mystery show that had the internet in an eight-week chokehold in 2014. And so far, she’s off to a great start.

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Austen Goslin

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January 14, 2024
‘Night Swim’ Dives Into the Deep End of Utterly Irrational Fears

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In the opening sequence of It, the 2017 film adaptation of Stephen King’s terrifying novel of the same name, Bill Denbrough is helping his little brother, Georgie, create a paper sailboat on a stormy day. To finish the project, though, Bill needs Georgie to grab some wax from the basement. It’s a simple task, but for an imaginative 6-year-old, the prospect of descending down into a dark, damp cellar is the stuff of nightmares. Director Andy Muschietti does a great job of capturing an irrational childhood fear and turning it into something we can all relate to. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to go down there, either:

Of course, Georgie returns from the basement unscathed, only to suffer a gruesome fate at the hands of the monstrous Pennywise later on. (Not to roast a small child’s survival instincts, but how are you not running for the hills when a creepy clown is hanging out in a sewer drain?!) Fear is an essential component of It: It’s something Pennywise feeds on while shape-shifting into whatever will scare its victim the most, rational or otherwise. Clearly, Pennywise was taking some cues from Hollywood.

For decades, the horror genre has terrorized audiences by homing in on phobias. Some of these fears are universal: After watching The Descent or Gerald’s Game, who wouldn’t be afraid of confined spaces with no means of escape? But there’s something to be said about horror movies that manage to mine scares from obscure fears: I didn’t even realize somniphobia was a thing until I watched A Nightmare on Elm Street. (Apologies to Freddy Krueger; I wasn’t really familiar with your game.) In that spirit, the first major horror release of 2024 imagines terror lurking within the most unexpected place of all: a sinister [checks notes] swimming pool?

In Night Swim, produced by horror icons James Wan and Jason Blum, professional baseball player Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) is forced into early retirement after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. As Ray and his wife, Eve (Kerry Condon), go about finding a new place to raise their two kids, they end up touring a home with a massive, run-down pool. Tired of constantly moving during Ray’s playing days, the couple is ready to put down some roots—even better, easy access to a pool is exactly what Ray needs to manage his condition with water therapy. But once the Wallers start using the pool, it’s clear that something is amiss. The pool lights ominously flicker at night, the family cat goes missing (RIP, Cider), and the characters experience creepy visions and hear voices. Haunted houses are a dime a dozen in the genre, but it’s not every day you watch a film about a killer swimming pool.

To be sure, water can be scary under the right circumstances: Jaws has long been cited as a major cause of people’s irrational fear of sharks; movies like Open Water and The Reef will make you think twice about an oceanic getaway. But those fears don’t necessarily translate from the sea to someone’s backyard—at least not without some ingenuity. Night Swim is based on writer-director Bryce McGuire’s 2014 short film of the same name, which he codirected with Rod Blackhurst. In the short, which runs only under four minutes with credits, a woman (Megalyn Echikunwoke) is swimming alone at night when she notices a shadowy figure watching her by the pool. When she comes up for air, nobody is there—not long after, she’s dragged down to the pool’s depths, never to be seen again. It’s effectively creepy in its simplicity, a premise grounded in the feeling you might’ve gotten as a kid that there’s something in the swimming pool waiting to attack you. At the same time, nothing about the short screams, “This needs the feature-length treatment.”

To McGuire’s credit, I can’t envision anyone working harder to convince moviegoers that a goddamn pool could be a proper horror villain. Like a student doing whatever it takes to meet the word count on an essay, Night Swim throws out every possible water-based scenario to torment the Wallers in its 90-odd-minute running time: swimming alone at night, swimming alone during the day, diving for quarters, a game of Marco Polo with some supernatural intervention, a possessed pool cover (?) that’s trying to drown a child, a pool party gone awry. The movie’s insistence on making the pool the centerpiece of absolutely everything occasionally hits the so-bad-it’s-good sweet spot, especially when the characters are saying things like:

“I used to be scared of pools.”

“We have a pool.” [Smiles]

“There’s something wrong with this pool!”

“This pool is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me!”

[Menacingly] “YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO SAY POLO!”

(In an alternate universe, cinema’s real-life Ocean Master, James Cameron, never recovers from directing Piranha II: The Spawning and Night Swim becomes his magnum opus.)

Against all odds, there are some interesting ideas at play in Night Swim. When characters are attacked, they get dragged down to a watery abyss that’s like a more literal spin on the Sunken Place: one of the rare times when the film is genuinely unsettling and creative in its aquatic imagery. For Ray, the pool also appears to be curing his MS, so much so that he attends his son’s baseball practice and hits a ball hard enough that it smashes one of the stadium lights. The fact that Ray thinks about the pool before blasting a home run implies some kind of psychic connection between man and water, which is just wonderfully batshit. (As I explained to my colleague Ben Lindbergh, the power of the pool flowed through him, which I don’t believe counts as one of MLB’s banned substances. For some reason, this movie loves baseball almost as much as it loves pools.)

But for all the absurd moments that rise to the surface of Night Swim, the film is never comfortable embracing all of its schlocky potential. Where Night Swim really flounders is in its attempts to explain the supernatural occurrences surrounding the pool and how it affects the people who use it. The notion of water as a powerful, malevolent force with a will of its own is certainly intriguing, but the film makes the fatal mistake of taking its pool-centric mythology far too seriously. Even as Ray develops an unhealthy obsession with his new hobby, like he’s Jack Torrance in board shorts, this isn’t the Overlook Hotel; it’s an evil swimming pool. Would it be so hard to fully dive into the deep end of silliness?

Alas, Night Swim doesn’t have enough waterlogged nonsense to qualify it for the so-bad-it’s-good canon. Horror obsessives will still find some joy in a movie in which Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon engage in passionate arguments about family, baseball, and whether their new pool is trying to murder them. But Night Swim won’t do for pools what Jaws did for the ocean: This is one irrational fear you won’t have to worry about resurfacing. That doesn’t mean, however, that McGuire is done trying to ruin our childhoods: On the heels of Night Swim, he’s a cowriter on Imaginary, Blumhouse’s upcoming horror flick about an imaginary friend in the form of a teddy bear with some nefarious intentions. Hopefully, Imaginary will do more with its wacky premise than McGuire’s lackluster directorial debut does. After all, when it comes to high-concept horror movies, it’s a sink or swim affair.

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Miles Surrey

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January 5, 2024
Photos: People's Park in Berkeley cleared in dead of night

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Under the cover of darkness, law enforcement officers converged on People’s Park and cleared activists from the green space early Thursday in preparation for construction of a housing complex for students.

Some resisters holed up for hours in a makeshift treehouse and on the roof of a single-story building in the park.

Police were met by protesters, chanting “Long live People’s Park” along with shouts of “Fight back!”

Activists protesting the clearing of People’s Park refused for hours to come down from a treehouse in the park but finally relented.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

A law enforcement officer points a weapon into a kitchen where activists were holed up at People’s Park.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Some protesters retreated to the roof of a building in the park before later agreeing to come down.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Authorities made multiple arrests as they cleared People’s Park in Berkeley.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

UC Berkeley police and other authorities clear People’s Park.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

At one point during the operation early Thursday morning, protesters ripped down police barriers and confrontations with law enforcement intensified.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

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Jason Armond

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January 4, 2024
Scottie Scheffler: World No 1 named PGA Tour Player of the Year for second consecutive season

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Scottie Scheffler has been voted PGA Tour player of the year over Masters champion Jon Rahm; a new season of golf begins on Thursday with The Sentry – live on Sky Sports Golf from 6pm on Thursday

Last Updated: 03/01/24 7:54pm

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Scottie Scheffler explained that he was thankful and relieved to win the 2023 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass but added he was very tired following the tournament

Scottie Scheffler explained that he was thankful and relieved to win the 2023 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass but added he was very tired following the tournament

Scottie Scheffler has been named PGA Tour Player of the Year as he won the Jack Nicklaus Award for a second consecutive year.

Scheffler is the first player to win Player of the Year honours in back-to-back seasons since Tiger Woods won the award in three straight years from 2005-2007.

The 27-year-old won twice during the 2022-23 season, successfully defending his title at the WM Phoenix Open and winning The Players Championship by five strokes.

In 23 starts, Scheffler recorded 13 top-fives and 17 top-10s, both high marks for any player in a single season on the tour since 2005.

He also set the PGA Tour record for most Official Money earned in a single season at $21,014,342, breaking his own record set last season ($14,046,910).

The Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards are determined by a member vote, with PGA Tour members who played in at least 15 official FedExCup events during the 2022-23 season eligible to vote.

Scheffler received 38 per cent of the vote for the Jack Nicklaus Award and was selected over four other nominees: Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm.

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Scottie Scheffler sunk a 20ft putt to win the 2023 Players Championship to return to the top of the world rankings

Scottie Scheffler sunk a 20ft putt to win the 2023 Players Championship to return to the top of the world rankings

Eric Cole, the only rookie to advance to the 2023 BMW Championship, has been announced as the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, receiving the Arnold Palmer Award.

Cole recorded two runner-up finishes on the season, including the 2023 Cognizant Classic (lost in a play-off) and the 2023 Zozo Championship.

Cole received 51 per cent of the vote for the Arnold Palmer Award and was selected over three other nominees: Ludvig Åberg, Nico Echavarria and Vincent Norrman.

New season of golf begins on Thursday

The 2024 PGA Tour season begins with The Sentry from January 4-7, held on the Plantation Course at Kapalua, Hawaii – live on Sky Sports Golf with the first round starting at 6pm.

World No 1 Scheffler leads the field which includes Team Europe Ryder Cup stars Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick, Ludvig Aberg, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose.

Watch the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and all of the majors in 2024 exclusively live on Sky Sports. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – just £21 a month for six months.

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January 3, 2024
Rory McIlroy concedes ‘mistake’ in being ‘too judgemental’ of initial players who joined LIV Golf

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“I was probably judgemental of the guys that went at the start and I think that was a bit of a mistake on my part,” concedes Rory McIlroy; McIlroy hopes “this division” in golf ends soon amid continuing extended talks between established tours and Saudi’s PIF over framework agreement

Last Updated: 03/01/24 11:42am

Rory McIlroy has expressed regret at being “too judgemental” on the tranche of players who initially defected to LIV Golf.

McIlroy, who had been initially outspoken in his criticism of the players who joined the Saudi-funded series in 2022, admitted he “basically went through the last two years with this altruistic approach of looking at the world in the way I’ve wanted to see” but had now “accepted reality” and that LIV is “part of our sport now”.

“I was probably judgemental of the guys that went at the start and I think that was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realise not everyone’s in my position or in Tiger [Woods]’ position,” McIlroy told the Stick to Football podcast with Sky Bet.

“You get this offer and what do you do?

“We all turned professional to make a living playing the sports that we do and I think that’s what I realised over the past two years, I can’t judge people for making that decision.

“So if I regret anything it was probably being too judgemental at the start.”

Asked how his relationship was with the players who had switched from the established tours, McIlroy replied: “Most things are cool, the one thing that has bothered me is I think we have all grown up and played on European Tour, PGA Tour and that has given us a platform to turn in to who we have and give us the profile.

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Rory McIlroy say its ‘certainly strange’ not having Ryder Cup veterans Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter around and it’ll really hit them this week.

Rory McIlroy say its ‘certainly strange’ not having Ryder Cup veterans Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter around and it’ll really hit them this week.

“So when people have played that for, say, 15 or 20 years and then they jump to LIV and then they just start talking cr** about where they’ve come from, that’s what bothers me because you wouldn’t be in this position if you didn’t have what you had coming up.”

McIlroy added: “I don’t begrudge anyone for going and taking that money and doing something different but don’t try and burn the place down on your way out.

“That’s sort of my attitude towards it because some people are happy playing in the existing structure, and that’s totally fine too. But I think it’s just created this division that hopefully will stop in the near future because I think it’s the best thing for golf.”

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Relive Rory McIlroy’s two wins, which saw him claim a fifth Race to Dubai title, and his starring role in Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph.

Relive Rory McIlroy’s two wins, which saw him claim a fifth Race to Dubai title, and his starring role in Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph.

The 34-year-old, a four-time major winner and current world No 2, said he had “never had an offer” from LIV to switch himself.

“I just didn’t engage,” he added. “At this point I’ve pretty much set my stall out.”

More to follow…

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January 3, 2024
Gun, ghost, coffin emojis: How ex-NBA player Chance Comanche confessed to strangling woman in Vegas

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Former NBA player Chance Comanche has admitted to working with his girlfriend to strangle a woman to death in Las Vegas earlier this month, according to authorities and court documents.

The former Beverly Hills High basketball star admitted to Las Vegas homicide detectives that he conspired with Sakari Harnden to kill Marayna Rodgers in the early hours of Dec. 6, a court filing said.

Comanche, 27, who played briefly for the Sacramento Kings in October and Portland Trail Blazers in April, was playing for the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League at the time of the killing. The team was in Las Vegas for a game the night of Dec. 5, and the court filing alleges that he and Harnden planned the killing days earlier through numerous text messages — some including emojis of a gun, a ghost and a coffin.

After they were unable to find someone to kill Rodgers for $3,000, Comanche and Harnden, 19, decided to carry out the killing themselves, the filing said. In a text message to Harnden on Dec. 4, Comanche wrote, “If you get a nice little thick piece of rope or sum sturdy I can do it from the back seat. Like how killers do it in the movies.”

According to the court filing, Harnden and Rodgers, 23, were prostitutes and acquaintances who had argued over a Rolex watch and the fact that Rodgers had revealed to others that Harnden had cooperated with police about a boyfriend’s involvement in a double homicide in Stockton earlier this year. The boyfriend, Iosua Sataua, was arrested in May along with a 16-year-old boy in the case.

The night of the killing in Las Vegas, Harnden told Rodgers that Comanche was a trick who was into kinky sex and wanted to tie them up and have sex with both of them, according to the court filing. Rodgers agreed, and while sitting in the front passenger seat of Harnden’s Mercedes-Benz willingly allowed Harnden to tie her hands together with zip ties, the filing said.

Comanche told detectives that he strangled Rodgers with an HDMI cord from the backseat and that Harnden strangled her with both hands around her neck, the filing said.

“Chance made reference to fluid coming out of Marayna’s mouth, which caused them to believe Marayna was dead,” the filing said.

Comanche and Harnden placed Rodgers’ body in a ditch and covered it with rocks, according to the court filing. The next morning Comanche boarded the team bus headed for the airport.

Las Vegas homicide detectives interviewed Comanche in Stockton on Friday. The court filing said he confessed to the killing and told detectives where Rodgers’ body was located.

A criminal complaint filed in Las Vegas court on Monday charged Comanche and Harnden with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Comanche appeared in a Sacramento County court on Tuesday and waived his extradition, meaning Las Vegas police will have 30 days to take him to Nevada.

In 2015, Comanche, a 6-foot-10 center, led Beverly Hills to its first CIF Southern Section championship since 1969, averaging 20 points and 16 rebounds a game. He chose Arizona over offers from Louisville and Gonzaga, and in two seasons averaged 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds a game.

Comanche declared for the 2017 NBA draft, forgoing the remaining two years of his college eligibility, but was not selected. Since then he’s bounced around the G League and in 2021 played for a professional team in Turkey.

The Trail Blazers signed Comanche to a 10-day contract in April and he appeared in one game, scoring seven points. He wasn’t re-signed but landed with the Sacramento Kings on a 10-day contract in October. The Stockton Kings released him shortly after his arrest.

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Steve Henson

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December 20, 2023
PGA Tour players to join LIV Golf? Greg Norman on why Jon Rahm’s move will see ‘more apples fall from the tree’

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Masters champion Jon Rahm will feature in the LIV Golf League from the 2024 season, with the Spaniard since suspended by the PGA Tour; Greg Norman anticipates more players to join the Saudi-backed circuit before the new campaign in February

Last Updated: 13/12/23 8:16pm

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Butch Harmon believes Jon Rahm’s departure might increase the urgency of the PGA Tour to form their Framework Agreement with LIV Golf

Butch Harmon believes Jon Rahm’s departure might increase the urgency of the PGA Tour to form their Framework Agreement with LIV Golf

LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman believes more PGA Tour players are interested in signing up for the 2024 season after Jon Rahm made his switch to the Saudi-backed circuit.

Rahm ended weeks of speculation about his golfing future when he committed to LIV Golf in a reported nine-figure deal, with the Masters champion joining a roster already containing multiple major champions.

The Spaniard has subsequently been suspended by the PGA Tour for moving to LIV Golf, with Norman expecting “more apples falling from the tree” ahead of the new campaign in February.

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Rich Beem gave his reaction to Jon Rahm’s dramatic move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf

Rich Beem gave his reaction to Jon Rahm’s dramatic move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf

“To have Jon [Rahm] on board was critically important to our next steps into the future and what we want to do,” Norman told the BBC’s World Business Report. “It will create a domino effect, there will be more apples falling from the tree – there’s no question about it, because LIV continues to grow and develop.”

“Since Jon signed, less than a week ago now, I know my phone is blowing up. I know we probably have eight to 12 players who are very, very keen to sit down and talk to us about coming on board. Time will tell. Right now, our roster is very close to being filled but maybe within two or three [players].

“It tells you the value of what our platform is, where these PGA Tour players see the opportunity that LIV offers. All the guys that play on LIV are just so happy about the decision that they’ve made.

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Sky Sports News’ Jamie Weir explains what impact Jon Rahm’s move to LIV Golf means for the sport as a whole

Sky Sports News’ Jamie Weir explains what impact Jon Rahm’s move to LIV Golf means for the sport as a whole

“LIV is a different platform to the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour and the players want to do both quite honestly, so we’ve created something special. It’s a franchise, it’s a team model and they have embraced it 100 per cent.”

Could LIV move away from 54-hole events?

Defending individual champion Talor Gooch says “discussions will be had” about expanding the LIV Golf format from 54 to 72 holes.

Talor Gooch won three LIV Golf League events in 2023

Gooch’s comments follow the circuit’s signing of Rahm, who previously criticised the Saudi-backed league’s format of 54-hole, no-cut events with shotgun starts.

“We haven’t had an open forum discussion with all the players,” Gooch told Golf Digest. “But you get both sides … guys who would welcome (playing 72 holes) and some guys who are opposed to it. Discussions will be had and it will be interesting to see what comes of it.

“I think LIV Golf was meant to be something different; I think it’s not supposed to be a carbon copy of the rest of professional golf. I lean towards keeping it at 54 holes.

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Former professional golfer Brandel Chamblee believes Jon Rahm’s decision to join LIV Golf is motivated by money and says the move is ‘short-sighted’

Former professional golfer Brandel Chamblee believes Jon Rahm’s decision to join LIV Golf is motivated by money and says the move is ‘short-sighted’

“Part of it, too, from my experience on the PGA Tour, was Thursdays are just irrelevant from a fan perspective (except for) only a couple times a year.”

Playing only 54 holes was one of the reasons why LIV’s application to receive Official World Golf Ranking points was denied in October, meaning those involved in the league continue to fall down the world rankings and put their qualification status for majors under threat.

Rahm to stay away from public events

Rahm said on Wednesday that he has decided to lay low and would avoid public events until February after agreeing to switch to LIV Golf, with the Spaniard surprised to find TV cameras at an event he was attending in the northern Spanish city of Bilbao.

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After Jon Rahm’s move to LIV Golf was confirmed, we take a look back at some of his remarks about the rival tour over the past year

After Jon Rahm’s move to LIV Golf was confirmed, we take a look back at some of his remarks about the rival tour over the past year

“I didn’t think there would be any cameras and that it would be a bit more intimate,” Rahm told a select audience at the Sociedad Bilbaina hall, where he was to receive the ‘Dama Bilbaina’ prize in recognition of his sporting career.

“I am under very strict instructions not to do public events, which I have imposed on myself a little bit for myself, and for the change I have given to the world of golf in the last week,” Rahm said, giving a categorical “No!” when asked if he was planning to give an interview.

“There will be nothing until February, I’m not allowed to.”

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Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley says there has been a ‘seismic shift’ in golf following Jon Rahm’s decision to join LIV Golf

Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley says there has been a ‘seismic shift’ in golf following Jon Rahm’s decision to join LIV Golf

PGA Tour members demand information over future plans

A group of 21 PGA Tour players have employed law firm Susman Godfrey LLP to address a letter to the PGA Tour policy board, demanding more transparency over ongoing negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and an outside equity group.

The PGA Tour said in a memo on Sunday that it is advancing negotiations with the PIF, as a deadline to finalize details from the June 6 framework agreement approaches on December 31, but is also in talks with a consortium of US professional sports owners.

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Rickie Fowler insists he’s not affected by Jon Rahm’s shock move to LIV Golf, but concedes it’s not good for the sport to be divided

Rickie Fowler insists he’s not affected by Jon Rahm’s shock move to LIV Golf, but concedes it’s not good for the sport to be divided

With the future of men’s professional golf in the balance, players like Chez Reavie, James Hahn and former Masters champion Danny Willett were among those wanting to know what’s coming.

“The board has recently received multiple bids by prospective capital partners that will potentially transform how the PGA Tour operates, who controls it, and who owns it,” attorney Jacob Buchdahl wrote.

“All but a handful of PGA Tour players have been kept entirely in the dark about the prospective transaction, how it will impact them, and what conflicts of interest may impact the decision-makers.

“We demand full disclosure of the details and analyses of any proposals by prospective capital partners, which should be shared promptly with all tour players.”

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December 13, 2023
PGA Tour confirm Jon Rahm’s indefinite suspension as Masters champion removed from FedEx Cup eligibility list

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PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan in memo to players: “In accordance with the PGA Tour Tournament Regulations, Jon Rahm has been notified he is suspended and no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play due to his association with a series of unauthorised tournaments”

Last Updated: 12/12/23 9:31am

Jon Rahm has been suspended from all PGA Tour tournament play and removed from the FedEx Cup eligibility points list

The PGA Tour has notified Jon Rahm he has been suspended indefinitely for signing with Saudi-funded LIV Golf, a move which sees him removed from the FedEx Cup eligibility points list.

After weeks of speculation, Rahm confirmed on Thursday that he had signed for LIV Golf in a deal understood to be worth up to £450m.

Rahm himself had stated an intention to retain his PGA Tour membership, but as has been the approach since the inaugural LIV event in June 2022, each member to join the rival circuit has been banned, with Rahm the latest despite golf’s potential merger between the PGA Tour and Saudi’s PIF.

Rahm, a former critic of LIV, will be the highest-ranked player to join the league, with the world No 3 enjoying an impressive 2023 that saw him win four times on the PGA Tour – including victory at The Masters – and be part of Europe’s successful Ryder Cup team.

“As you will recall, last year we communicated our commitment to ensure that suspended members do not negatively impact other players’ tournament eligibility, position on the Priority Rankings or eligibility to compete in the Players and Signature Events,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a memo to players.

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After Rahm’s move to LIV Golf was confirmed, we take a look back at some of his remarks about the rival tour over the past year

After Rahm’s move to LIV Golf was confirmed, we take a look back at some of his remarks about the rival tour over the past year

“Consequently the Policy Board established a new ranking – called the ‘FedEx Cup Playoffs & Eligibility Points List’ – that removes players who are under suspension for their participation in an unauthorised tournament or their association with a series of unauthorised tournaments from the FedEx Cup Points List.

“In accordance with the PGA Tour Tournament Regulations, Jon Rahm has been notified that he is suspended and no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play due to his association with a series of unauthorised tournaments.”

Mackenzie Hughes and Carl Yuan are the immediate beneficiaries of Rahm’s decision to sign with the rival league.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan released a memo to players confirming Rahm’s suspension

Hughes goes from No 51 to No 50, and now is eligible for all seven of the $20m signature events in 2024. It also means Yuan, who was signed up for Q-school this week, moves up one spot to No 125 and has a full PGA Tour card for next year.

The tour last year distinguished between the FedEx Cup standings and a separate list related to eligibility for the postseason and for status. The distinction was so players defecting to LIV would not have a negative impact on those who stayed behind.

Among those who benefited last year were Rickie Fowler, who got into the postseason because of all the players who left for LIV; and Jimmy Walker and Rory Sabbatini, who moved up on the career money list and were able to use one-time exemptions to keep full status.

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Butch Harmon believes Rahm’s departure might increase the urgency of the PGA Tour to form a merger with LIV Golf

Butch Harmon believes Rahm’s departure might increase the urgency of the PGA Tour to form a merger with LIV Golf

This year, Hughes narrowly missed out on the top 50. He kept his 51st position through the autumn, which only would have guaranteed him spots in the first two $20m events. Now the Canadian can count on the likes of the Wells Fargo Championship in his home residence of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Social media had been buzzing about the possibility of Tony Finau – he and Rahm are close friends – also leaving for LIV. Finau took to Instagram on Monday and said he was “looking forward to playing my 10th season on the PGA Tour”.

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Rich Beem gave his reaction to Rahm’s dramatic move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf

Rich Beem gave his reaction to Rahm’s dramatic move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf

“See y’all in Maui!” he concluded, adding the hash tag, “#imnotleaving.”

Monahan also said in the memo that the policy board and management recently met with a group of players upset that signature events will offer disproportionately more FedEx Cup points than the other events, leading to concerns it will be difficult for players outside the top 50 to fairly compete.

Monahan said the board will review how the new system is working in June and evaluate whether changes are in order for 2025.

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December 12, 2023
Camilo Villegas: PGA Tour golfer reflects on life’s ups and downs after ending nine-year title drought

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Camilo Villegas recently broke a nine-year title drought and shares his journey which includes the passing of his daughter, Mia, in 2020 and why he has the words ‘attitude’ and ‘positive energy’ as tattoos; Watch every PGA Tour event live on Sky Sports Golf in 2024

By Camilo Villegas, PGA Tour golfer

Last Updated: 05/12/23 1:00pm

Camilo Villegas reflects on the ups and downs of life on and off the golf course following his recent Butterfield Bermuda Championship win

I enjoyed two very special weeks in November where I finished runner-up in the World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico and then went on to win the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

It’s been a real journey, and life is a journey where it goes up and down. You’ve got to go back to that Colombian kid who came to the US with a dream, played college golf, played the Korn Ferry Tour in 2005 and then everything kicked off on the PGA Tour and I managed to win a couple of FedExCup Playoffs events in 2008.

You would think that kid was on top of the world – and I was at a point in time. I was feeling pretty good from a performance point of view.

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After claiming his first victory in nine years, Camilo Villegas shared why his win in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship was such an emotional moment for him.

After claiming his first victory in nine years, Camilo Villegas shared why his win in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship was such an emotional moment for him.

But as I look at where I am now and everything that has happened, I believe I’m a better person. Maybe the results haven’t been there but this journey has been interesting.

To lose my PGA Tour card, to go through an injury, to lose my baby daughter in 2020, to create Mia’s Miracles (a charitable initiative to help others facing challenges), to go back to the Korn Ferry Tour, to keep grinding, to have doubts, to have fears, to have tears, have smiles – you just never know where life takes you.

Despite all the doubts, I never stopped waking up early, 5-5.30am, in the morning to do what I like to do because in all honesty, the cool thing about those two weeks is not so much the results but the process and what’s been behind those results.

As much as I enjoy reflecting on my win and the energy that I have received from the world of golf and those outside of golf, trust me, it’s been unbelievable. I had 900 messages on my phone and I’m going to reply to all of them.

To lose my PGA Tour card, to go through an injury, to lose my baby daughter in 2020, to create Mia’s Miracles, to go back to the Korn Ferry Tour, to keep grinding, to have doubts, to have fears, to have tears, have smiles – you just never know where life takes you.

Camilo Villegas

It’s unbelievable to be honest. You kind of stop believing after nine years but I never stopped waking up early and putting in the work. You’ve got to keep a path and keep your mind to where it needs to be. I’m a hard worker and I love having a purpose every morning and that’s kind of what I did.

I’ve got tattoos on my arms which says ‘attitude’ and ‘positive energy’ and sometimes, I forget to look at them. There are a lot of things you can’t control in life, but I guess these two, you can.

You’ve got to have good attitude in life, and it’s easier said than done at times. And energy, you can bring the energy not only to yourself but to the people around you and that’s something we all should strive for.

There were bumps but that’s life. I wish my little Mia is here with us but she’s not and she’s truly in a better place after a long battle that she wasn’t going to win.

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I accepted that. We turned that tragedy into something very positive with Mia’s Miracles. My wife reads messages from people we help on Mia’s Miracles every week and I go, ‘Man, if Mia was here, we wouldn’t be able to do this’.

At the beginning of the year, things were not going great and I made a little swing change. I’ve never been too excited about big swing changes but I trusted the guy I started working with, Jose Campra, and he told me he needed a year. I’m glad it took less than that, as here we are with a trophy.

Interestingly, I never felt so comfortable being in contention during those two weeks. It’s weird, even strange. When I was in contention back in the day, I didn’t have this calmness.

I’ve got to analyse what happened and try to replicate it more often. I was good at reacting to missed putts or lip-outs, which I’m not used to being like that before. There was a calmness in me.

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Highlights from the fourth round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course, Bermuda.

Highlights from the fourth round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course, Bermuda.

It was nice to have the Latin players come out to celebrate with me on the 18th green. I guess it was also payback as I sprayed Nico Echavarria with champagne when he won the Puerto Rico Open and he got me back. It’s great as it’s two wins for two Colombians this year, both guys growing up on the same golf course in Medellin.

I tell my wife all the time that if we do things in the right way, people will look at you in a positive way and respect you. I think that’s what I try to do. I enjoy being around the younger generation and sharing what I’ve lived.

Life is about experiences. You get good and bad ones and you try to learn from both. I was young once too and I had guys who helped me throughout my career.

I always want to accomplish more but I’m at peace with what I’ve accomplished already. It’s all about sharing it with others, especially the Latin kids who represent our region and grow the game of golf in South America.

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December 5, 2023