Looking for sports this week? Triangle offers Canes, NCAA baseball, soccer, golf
Sports fans in the Triangle will have a lot to pick and choose from this week. Call it a sports smorgasbord.
The Carolina Hurricanes play Game 5 in the Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens at Lenovo Center on Friday night.
North Carolina’s Tar Heels will host an NCAA baseball regional in Chapel Hill, bringing in East Carolina, Tennessee and VCU. In Cary, the NCAA Division II World Series will begin play.
Also in Cary, The Soccer Tournament returns, bringing players and celebrities from around the world to compete at WakeMed Soccer Park. Played in a 7v7 format over six days beginning Wednesday, with games lasting one hour, teams battle to win three $1 million prizes.
Then there’s the UNC Health Championship at Raleigh Country Club. That’s the Korn Ferry Tour event that runs Thursday through Sunday and benefits NC Children’s, the state’s first freestanding children’s hospital, and other local non-profits such as First Tee.
“The Triangle is a fantastic sports market year-round, but this weekend ranks among the busiest and most exciting I can remember,” Scott Dupree, executive director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, said Tuesday. “There’s something for everyone. And these are big-time events.
“That’s the textbook definition of ‘jam-packed.’ It’s an unforgettable weekend for sports fans, of course, but it’s also great for our region in terms of visitor spending and economic development. Just an incredible weekend all the way around.”
Trace Crowe, a former Auburn golfer who now lives in Raleigh, was the winner a year ago, finishing 21 under par on the Donald Ross course near downtown Raleigh. With rounds of 68-62-64-65, he took a five-shot victory that paid $180,000.
Crowe, who has playing rights on the PGA Tour this year, won’t be returning to defend his title. But another Raleigh golfer, Doc Redman, could be the man to watch.
Redman is coming in on a golf heater, having won the Visit Knoxville Open on Sunday in a sudden-death playoff. It was the second Korn Ferry victory of the year for the former Clemson golfer, the 2017 U.S. Amateur champion, and has him second on the tour points list.
Redman, 28, posted a career-low 259 total, 25 under par at Holston Hills Country Club, another Ross-designed course. He won the tournament with an eagle on the first playoff hole.
The Hurricanes are one of the UNC Health Championship sponsors and Saturday will be UNC Health Day featuring the Hurricanes. One new fan contest will be “Bussi’s Putt Stop” near the 17th green, where fans use a hockey stick to try and putt past a cutout of Canes goalie Brandon Bussi.
“With the Hurricanes, UNC Heath is the official health provider, so we have a longstanding partnership that is essential to what we do here in the championship,” tournament director Brian Krusoe said. “It’s super exciting having them in our hometown here, even though sometimes we’re having (tournament events) and the playoffs happening at the same time.
“Even though they’ve gone through playoff runs, they’ve always been supportive of us and UNC Health and what our mission is.”
Triangle sports calendar
Carolina Hurricanes: Friday, 8 p.m., Raleigh.
Game 5 of NHL Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens at Lenovo Center.
NCAA baseball: May 29-June 1, Chapel Hill.
UNC’s Tar Heels host the Chapel Hill Regional at Boshamer Stadium that brings in teams from East Carolina, Tennessee and VCU.
NCAA Division II World Series: May 29-June 6, Cary.
The tournament is being played at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary as a 56-team field is down to eight teams. Tampa won the 2025 title, its 10th, and is back to defend.
UNC Health Championship: May 28-31, Raleigh.
The Korn Ferry tournament returns to Raleigh Country Club for the 72-hole event, which benefits NC Children’s hospital.
TST soccer: May 27-June 1, Cary
The Soccer Tournament takes over Cary’s WakeMed Soccer Park as men’s and women’s players from around the world compete in a 7v7 team format for three $1 million cash prizes.
This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Looking for sports this week? Triangle offers Canes, NCAA baseball, soccer, golf."
