A Little League baseball team from Venezuela was denied visas to travel to the U.S. for a major tournament.

The Cacique Mara Little League team was unable to obtain the appropriate visas required to enter the country for the Senior League Baseball World Series, which is being played just outside Greenville, S.C. this week. The tournament is for teams with players aged 13–16, one level up from the more well-known Little League World Series, which includes players aged 10–12, and begins Aug. 17.

Little League International called the situation “extremely disappointing” in a statement. The team told the AP that it traveled to Colombia two weeks ago to apply for visas at the U.S. embassy in Bogotá. “It is a mockery on the part of Little League to keep us here in Bogotá with the hope that our children can fulfill their dreams of participating in a world championship,” the team said in a statement. “What do we do with so much injustice, what do we do with the pain that was caused to our children?”

Cacique Mara was replaced by the Santa María de Aguayo team from Mexico, which lost the Latin American championship game. 

A senior State Department official told the Washington Post on Saturday that officials were “working to review the case to confirm proper procedures were followed and necessary appeals were submitted by the visa applicants.”

Venezuela is one of 12 countries that received a full suspension of entry by U.S. President Donald Trump’s travel ban in June. The ban is not expected to impact professional leagues with large international player pools like MLB and the NBA.

Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin unexpectedly reported to training camp on Sunday, after losing out on more than $800,000 from holding out for a new contract this offseason.

McLaurin, who turns 30 in September, is set to earn $19.65 million in total cash in the final season of a three-year, $68 million contract. However, he’s collected fines totaling $200,000 for missing the start of training camp, $105,000 for missing minicap, and forfeited a $500,000 workout bonus.

On Sunday, McLaurin spoke to reporters and signed autographs for fans. “It’s tough, but it’s a business,” he said. “Right now, I’m just trying to take things day by day.” McLaurin isn’t practicing yet and was placed on Washington’s physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury.

McLaurin’s 13 receiving touchdowns were second in the NFL last season. He had 1,096 receiving yards, which ranked 15th. His $19.65 million salary ranks 15th among receivers, after Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase reset the market in March with a four-year, $161 million extension that carries a new money average annual value of $40.25 million.

State of the League

McLaurin’s contract dispute is one of the NFL’s highest-profile at the moment, after the Bengals signed rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart to his four-year, $18.97 million contract on Friday. Stewart, the No. 17 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, was the last rookie to sign their deal, with language over guarantees complicating talks. However, veteran Cincinnati edge rusher Trey Hendrickson is still holding out.

Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons has been a full participant in training camp, despite his desire to receive a raise. Parsons is entering his fifth season, set to earn $24 million in the final year of his rookie contract, and is a likely candidate to surpass Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt as the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.

Rising golf star Lottie Woad won her first start as a professional on Sunday, after not being allowed to accept prize money during two stellar performances as an amateur earlier this month. 

Woad, 21, won the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three strokes, cashing a $300,000 first-place check. The victory comes just a few weeks after Woad won the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, a Ladies European Tour event, but had to forfeit the $79,000 winner’s check. She also tied for third at the Amundi Evian Championship, one of the five LPGA majors, which would have paid her $485,200. 

“I don’t even know what the winner’s check is,” Woad said after her victory. “But yeah, I mean, a lot of people have obviously talked about me not winning any money. … Didn’t make too much difference. And then I knew if I kept playing how I was, then it would all work out.”

Woad, who is from England, played collegiately at Florida State and had major NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals with Titleist, FootJoy, Upper Deck, and fintech company Novellus. She had held the No. 1 spot in the women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings since last July.

CNBC Saves the Day

After the third round ended with Woad in contention, the LPGA worked last-minute to give the final round broadcast additional TV exposure Sunday morning. 

Originally, NBC Sports was only set to stream the final round live and show a tape delay on Golf Channel Sunday afternoon. However, the company ended up airing the conclusion of the tournament live on CNBC from 9–11 a.m. ET.  Golf Channel aired the Senior Open Championship Sunday morning. 

Getting better TV exposure is a top priority for new LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler. “For so many sports, it’s easy to know when to turn on the TV or click open an app and find the players you want to see at predictable times. It’s really, really hard to do that today with women’s golf,” Kessler told Front Office Sports after his hire was announced in May.

Woad will make her next start later this week at the AIG Women’s Open, which is the final major of the year.