Sam Darnold has inspired confidence in his coach and teammates throughout this career-changing season. With the Vikings facing another late deficit, they had no doubt he’d deliver.

Darnold connected with a well-covered Justin Jefferson with 3:51 left for his third touchdown pass of the game, and Minnesota outlasted Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks 27-24 on Sunday to keep pace with Detroit for the top spot in the NFC.

After the Seahawks took the lead on Smith’s third TD pass, Darnold led a 30-second drive that was aided by a 15-yard facemask penalty. He stepped up in a collapsing pocket and launched a deep ball that Jefferson hauled in just short of the goal line with two defenders closing in.

“There wasn’t really one guy — and I know I’m not speaking just for myself — (who didn’t think) we’re going to go down and we’re going to get a touchdown,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said.

“And I think the level of confidence that that group has in their quarterback and the level of confidence the quarterback has in the 10 guys in the huddle is significant. And that’s how you’re able to go do that in that moment on the road at this place where you can’t hear yourself think.”

Golf superstar Tiger Woods was thrilled by son Charlie’s first hole-in-one, but Team Langer got the better of the Woods duo in a playoff for the PNC Championship family golf event crown on Sunday.

The ace by 15-year-old Charlie Woods at the 176-yard, par-three fourth hole at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando briefly lifted the duo into the solo lead in the 36-hole two-player scramble event.

The youngster watched his seven-iron shot as far as he could, but it took the cheers from the crowd to let him know it had landed some six feet from the pin and rolled into the cup.

A beaming Tiger Woods gave his son a hard hug, then a playful shove in celebration.

“It was a perfect seven-iron, so just kind of hit it,” Charlie Woods told Golf Channel as he walked toward the fourth green. “It was awesome! I didn’t think it went in.”

The elder Woods called it “an unbelievable moment”.

“That two-hole stretch, that was his first eagle he ever made out there on three, and then his first hole-in-one,” the 15-time major champion said.

After grabbing a share of the overnight lead with a first-round 59, the Woods duo combined for a 57 on Sunday and a record-setting 36-hole score of 28-under.

Tiger Woods reacts with son Charlie Woods after Charlie’s hole-in-one at the PNC Championship

But two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer and his son Jason, who were in the three-way tie for the lead to start the day, posted the same score.

At the first playoff hole, Bernhard Langer curled in an eagle putt to seal the duo’s second straight victory in the 20-team event.

Langer has now won six PNC titles – four with Jason and two with son Stefan.

Despite the tournament’s laid-back atmosphere, there were plenty of fireworks on Sunday.

Paddy Harrington, son of three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, also had a hole-in-one, saying his ace at the par-three eighth was the first of his life.

“I’ve never been as excited,” Padraig Harrington said. “I’ve never hit a shot that I’ve been as excited.”

The event was a chance for Tiger Woods, who turns 49 on December 30, to get a taste of some friendly competition for the first time since he missed the cut at the British Open at Royal Troon.

Woods, whose 82 US PGA Tour titles are tied with Sam Snead for most in history, has said he has a long way to go to be ready to return to elite tournament play after undergoing a sixth back surgery in September.

He also continues to deal with lower leg injuries suffered in a 2021 car crash, but was able to walk rather than use a cart for both rounds in Orlando, where the rules would have allowed it.

“I did a few things here and there,” Woods said, but added that for him the week “is all about family”.

“This is about bonding and it’s about having a great time, and we did that,” said Woods, whose daughter Sam caddied for him.

Tottenham Hotspur survived a furious Manchester United comeback to reach the League Cup semi-finals with a 4-3 home victory in a gripping tie littered with bizarre errors on Thursday.

Ange Postecoglou’s side were cruising against a lacklustre United with Dominic Solanke’s double and a goal for Dejan Kulusevski putting them 3-0 up after 54 minutes.

But the home crowd were left chewing their fingernails as two terrible mistakes by their keeper Fraser Forster allowed substitutes Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo to give United hope.

There were still 20 minutes left when Diallo made it 3-2 and United were close to equalising on several occasions before Son Heung-min appeared to have sealed it in odd fashion, deceiving United keeper Altay Bayindir directly from a corner.

There was still time for Jonny Evans to head a third for United in stoppage time but a relieved Tottenham hung on to secure a two-legged semi-final against holders Liverpool.

Arsenal face Newcastle United in the other semi-final.

“Being 3-0 up we could have dealt with the game better, killed some time but we made it hard for ourselves, but the important thing is we won and we’re through,” Solanke said.

“That’s football, we stick together. Mistakes are a part of football, we dug in, we showed spirit and got the job done.”

Postecoglou’s side let a 2-0 lead slip to lose 4-3 at home to Chelsea in their last home game and for a while it looked as though their innate ability to shoot themselves in the foot was coming back to bite them.

In Johannesburg, these soccer players are preparing for the biggest game of their lives.

This time, however, the fans went home happy and Postecoglou moves a step closer to making good on his reputation for securing silverware in his second season at clubs and delivering a first cup for Spurs since they won the League Cup in 2008.

Tottenham are at full stretch because of injuries but still dominated Ruben Amorim’s side which showed five changes to the starting lineup that stunned Manchester City on Sunday but still had no place for want-away forward Marcus Rashford.

Solanke put the hosts in front in the 15th minute when Bayindir fumbled a well-hit shot by Pedro Porro and the striker fired in the rebound off the post.

Bruno Fernandes had a couple of efforts and Rasmus Hojlund volleyed wide but Tottenham were comfortable and in cruise control straight after the interval when Lisandro Martinez could only turn a James Maddison cut-back into the path of Kulusevski who made no mistake.

Solanke was then allowed to dribble across the area before sliding a shot inside the post in the 54th minute and the tie looked over as a contest.

But Forster then played a casual pass out of his area and Fernandes intercepted and the ball reached Zirkzee to tap in.

Forster then compounded that error by taking an age to make a routine clearance and Diallo slid in to charge down his kick and divert the ball into the net.

Tottenham looked a bundle of nerves as United swept forward but captain Son restored calm with an inswinging corner that went over the head of Bayindir to ripple the net.

Substitute Evans’ riposte came too late to save United who will regret the way they started the tie.