The PGA Championship highlights a full weekend of sports action.
The golf tournament returns to May for the first time in seven decades at a colorful course legendary for its difficulty.
The timing couldn’t be better for Tiger Woods, who reclaimed his place on golf’s throne with a stunning victory last month at the Masters Tournament.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for a jam-packed weekend of sports excitement. We’ll also see the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown in the Preakness Stakes, conference finals in the NBA and NHL, and more exciting soccer from Europe.
Oh, and the biggest game of the week will play out Sunday night with the series finale of “Game of Thrones.” (OK, it’s technically not a sport, but somebody’s gotta win!)
Here’s your “Thrones”-themed guide to the weekend’s biggest sports events:
PGA Championship
For the first time since 1949, the PGA Championship will be in May. For almost 50 years, the golf tournament has been in August and was more of an afterthought than a marquee event.
The golf world will descend on Bethpage State Park on Long Island, New York, where the world’s best golfers will “take the black” – the Black Course, that is. It’s a course so difficult it comes with a warning sign.
But Woods has won there before, claiming a US Open title in 2002. Fresh off a Masters win at Augusta National, Woods entered play feeling as confident as Queen Cersei inside the Red Keep, but struggled on Thursday, shooting 2 over par.
Woods headlines a field that includes 99 of the world’s top 100 golfers. Should Tiger stumble, “hold the door” for Brooks Koepka, who shot a course record 63 Thursday. But with so many incredible athletes competing, it would take a three-eyed raven to predict who will walk away with the Wanamaker Trophy.
Watch it:
Friday at 1 p.m. ET on TNT
Saturday at 11 a.m. ET on TNT and 2 p.m. ET on CBS
Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on TNT and 2 p.m. ET on CBS
Also streaming live on PGA.com
International viewers, check your local listings
Preakness Stakes
Horse racing’s Triple Crown will resume with the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. But there will be a notable absence.
It’s been more than 20 years since a Kentucky Derby winner didn’t run the Preakness. This week, neither Derby winner Country House nor disqualified momentary Derby winner Maximum Security will be in the 13-horse field. Running the Preakness Stakes without the Kentucky Derby winner feels a bit like Winterfell without Ned Stark, but the show must go on.
There’s still a slew of incredible horses worthy of Khal Drogo vying for the crown at Pimlico. Among the favorites are Improbable, War of WIll and Anothertwistafate. But it was a 65-1 underdog that paid big at the Kentucky Derby, so don’t count out the long shots.
Watch it: Saturday at 6:48 p.m. ET on NBC / International viewers, check your local listings
NBA Conference Finals
Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers
In an NBA Conference Finals first, two brothers are going head to head at the Western Conference Finals. Warriors’ star Stephen Curry duels with brother Seth Curry in the biggest fraternal showdown since “Cleganebowl.” The Warriors have jumped out to a 2-0 series lead, but now the scene shifts “north of the wall” to Portland.
Watch it: Game 3, Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN / International viewers, check your local listings
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Toronto Raptors
Like the Baratheons battling the Targaryens (Stags vs. Dragons – get it?), the Eastern Conference Finals could turn into a war of attrition. Two of the NBA’s most electric players will be on display as “the Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Milwaukee against Kawhi Leonard and Toronto.
Watch it:
Game 2, Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3, Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on TNT
International viewers, check your local listings
NHL Conference Finals: St. Louis Blues vs San Jose Sharks
In the Western Conference Finals, San Jose holds a 2-1 series lead over St. Louis after a controversial missed call allowed the Sharks to steal Game 3. “Winter is coming” for the Blues if they can’t find a way to bounce back from that crushing loss.
The Boston Bruins await the winner of the series after sweeping the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes with Red Wedding ruthlessness. The Bruins have looked so dominant on the ice, they should consider changing their name to the Night Kings.
Watch it:
Game 4, Friday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network
Game 5, Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC
International viewers, check your local listings
MLB games to watch
Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees
David versus Goliath comparisons are so last century. Think of this matchup as the Viper vs. the Mountain. The nimble, crafty Rays will have to use every trick in the book to come out ahead against the powerful juggernaut that is the Yankees. But while the Yankees have 27 World Series titles and almost three times the payroll, it’s the Rays currently leading the American League East by half a game over the Yankees.
Watch it:
Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET
Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET
Sunday at 1:05 p.m. ET
Check your local listings or stream on MLB.tv
Houston Astros vs. Boston Red Sox
If the thought of watching the Yankees makes you feel sicker than King Joffrey at the Purple Wedding, maybe you’d prefer watching a 2018 American League Championship Series rematch between the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. This series also features the last two World Series champions, with the Red Sox having won in 2018 and the Astros taking the title in 2017.
Watch it:
Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET
Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET on FOX’s regional coverage
Sunday at 1:05 p.m. ET
Check your local listings or stream on MLB.tv
FA Cup: Manchester City vs. Watford
Manchester City clashes with Watford in the FA Cup final on Saturday at Wembley Stadium in London. Prince William, the Football Association president, will be there to honor the winning club and lend the event royal flair.
Manchester City is coming off back-to-back Premier League championships that saw the club tally the two highest point totals ever seen in the Premier League. A group hasn’t looked this dominant since the White Walkers sacked Hardhome.
As a 14-1 underdog, Watford has as much chance of winning the FA Cup as Gendry Baratheon does of ending up on the Iron Throne, but they do have the support of musical royalty. Sir Elton John, who has a biopic movie coming later this month, is the club’s Honorary Life-President. Elton formerly owned the club, his 8-year old son is signed to Watford’s junior team, and the team even enters the field to “I’m Still Standing.”
The FA Cup is soccer’s oldest cup competition and sees clubs from all levels of English soccer compete against each other.
Watch it: Saturday at noon ET on ESPN+ / International viewers, check your local listings
The Bundesliga Title
Germany’s Bundesliga is set to give soccer fans the weekend’s second most anticipated season finale on Saturday.
Perennial frontrunner Bayern Munich, which has won the league 28 times including six consecutive seasons, leads Borussia Dortmund by two points entering the season’s final fixtures. To put it in perspective, Borussia Dortmund will need a clutch performance on par with Arya Stark at the Battle of Winterfell plus a bit of luck to claim the title.
In order for Dortmund to come from behind, they will need a win coupled with a Munich loss. American star Christian Pulisic will be playing his final game for Dortmund before he makes the move to English club Chelsea next season.
Watch it:
Bayern Munich vs Eintracht Frankfurt, Saturday at 9:30 a.m. ET on FOX
Borussia M’gladbach vs Borussia Dortmund, Saturday at 9:30 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
International viewers, check your local listings
‘Game of Thrones’ series finale
And finally, the most hotly anticipated contest of the weekend: Who will win the game of thrones?
If you didn’t realize HBO’s hit series “Game of Thrones” is coming to an end this Sunday, “you know nothing.”
Although there’s only one episode left, the battle for Westeros’ Iron Throne is still very much up for grabs. Daenerys Targaryen is looking like a strong favorite after achieving a dominant victory last week.
But several contenders are poised to knock the Mother of Dragons off her perch. People’s champ Jon Snow is a popular choice, and he has the home-field advantage in Westeros. If you’re seeking an underdog to root for, look no further than the Stark sisters. If the cards fall just right, either Sansa Stark or Arya Stark could find herself in position to take the Iron Throne.
Or could it be someone no one is expecting? It’s anyone’s guess at this point, and we’ll have to wait until Sunday night to find out.
Watch it: Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO / International viewers, check your local listings
