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Archives for June 2021

U.S. Open Golf: Final Round Notes

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SAN DIEGO – Mackenzie Hughes, Louis Oosthuizen and Russell Henley share the lead entering today’s final round of the U.S. Open.

Hughes and Henley are seeking their first major championship victory while the other three players in the Top-5 have a combined six major wins.

Oosthuizen is 1-for-2 in major championships with the 54-hole lead/co-lead (won 2010 Open Championship and lost in a playoff in 2015 Open Championship).

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau can become the eighth player to successfully defend U.S. Open title. He is only two strokes back.

Also two strokes back, 2011 U.S. Open winner Rory McIlroy is looking to become the 20th player to win five men’s major championships.

U.S. Open Leaderboard After 54 Holes

Mackenzie Hughes 73-67-68—208 (-5)

Louis Oosthuizen 67-71-70—208 (-5)

Russell Henley 67-70-71—208 (-5)

Rory McIlroy 70-73-67—210 (-3)

Bryson DeChambeau 73-69-68—210 (-3)

Saturday at the U.S. Open ⛳️

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121st U.S. Open at Torrey Pines:

COURSE: Torrey Pines Golf Course (South), San Diego, CA

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @USOpenGolf

OFFICIAL SITE: (U.S. Open Championship) – PGA Tour site (link)

TV COVERAGE: Today, June 19, Round 3 coverage 11:00am to 9pm (EDT) on NBC. For Sunday, June 20th’s final round, Golf Channel’s coverage runs from 10:00am to 12:00pm Noon (EDT) and NBC takes over from 12:00pm Noon to 9:00pm (EDT) (or conclusion).

STREAMING: Streaming coverage primarily will be provided by Peacock, USOpen.com and the U.S. Open app.

Round 3 today: Featured Groups: All day (Peacock, USOpen.com, U.S. Open App); Featured Holes (11, 12 and 13): All day (Peacock, USOpen.com, U.S. Open App).

Final Round on Sunday: Featured Groups: All day (Peacock, USOpen.com, U.S. Open App)’; Featured Holes (11, 12 and 13): All day (Peacock, USOpen.com, U.S. Open App)

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM announced its schedule as the exclusive national radio broadcaster for the 121st U.S. Open Championship, played June 17-20 at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Coverage today begins at 10:00am (EDT) and will run through the completion of play both today and Sunday, including possible two-hole aggregate playoff. The U.S. Open Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on USOpen.com, the app and a link through from PGATour.com

How to Watch: In case of changes, see: (PGATourCom)

U.S. Open at Torrey Pines: Notebook for Round 3

A month after his first European Tour win in his 478th start, 48-year-old Richard Bland became the oldest player to take a 36-hole lead/co-lead in the U.S. Open.

Russell Henley took the outright lead with birdie at his 17th hole, but dropped back into a tie after his only bogey of the day on his final hole.

Following his runner-up finish at the 2020 U.S. Open, Matthew Wolff enters the weekend just one stroke back.

Making his 15th U.S. Open start, Bubba Watson (T5/-3) made five birdies in a six-hole stretch on his outgoing nine to shoot a 4-under (67). Watson’s lone Top-10 finish, a T-5, came in his second start in the event in 2007. He missed the cut at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines after opening with back-to-back 77s.

San Diego native Xander Schauffele (T-7) at (-2) followed a 2-under (69) in round one with an even-par (71). He’s finished inside the Top-10 in each previous U.S. Open start (T-5/2017, T-6/2018, T-3/2019, 5th/2020).

Notables to miss the cut: Matt Kuchar (+6), Tony Finau (+8), Webb Simpson (+10), and Justin Rose (+13).

U.S. Open Leaderboard After 36 Holes

Russell Henley 67-70—137 (-5)

Richard Bland 70-67—137 (-5)

Louis Oosthuizen 67-71—138 (-4)

Matthew Wolff 70-68—138 (-4)

36-hole cut: 71 players at 4-over (146) from a field of 147 professionals and nine amateurs

Ball Named NBA Rookie of Year

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CHARLOTTE – Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was named recipient of the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the 2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, the NBA announced. He is the third player to win the annual award with Charlotte, joining Larry Johnson (1991-92) and Emeka Okafor (2004-05).

Ball received 84 first-place votes and earned 465 total points from a global panel of 99 sportswriters and broadcasters. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards received the other 15 first-place votes and finished in second place with 309 points. Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton finished in third place with 114 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Ball averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.59 steals in 28.8 minutes in 51 games (31 starts), leading all rookies in assists and steals and ranking second in points and rebounds. He is the seventh rookie to average at least 15.0 points, 6.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.50 steals in a season since steals became an official statistic in the 1973-74 season, joining Magic Johnson (1979-80), Penny Hardaway (1993-94), Steve Francis (1999-00), Chris Paul (2005-06), Michael Carter-Williams (2013-14) and Ben Simmons (2017-18). Ball was one of two NBA players to reach all four of those averages this season, along with Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler.

On Jan. 9, Ball recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists against the Atlanta Hawks at 19 years, 140 days old, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to have a triple-double. In other standout performances, Ball posted a career-high 34 points, eight assists and zero turnovers against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 5 in his third career start, and he had 30 points, eight assists, six rebounds and four steals against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 1. Despite missing 21 games with a wrist injury, Ball finished with the second-most assists (313) and third-most three-pointers made (92) by a rookie in Hornets history.

Ball was selected as the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in each of the first three months of the season (December/January, February and March). He was also named to the U.S. Team for the 2021 NBA Rising Stars rosters.

Charlotte selected Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Ball played for the Illawara Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League during the 2019-20 season, where he was named the NBL Rookie of the Year.

The Kia NBA Rookie of the Year trophy is named in honor of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Eddie Gottlieb, one of the NBA’s founders. Gottlieb coached the Philadelphia Warriors to the 1946-47 championship in the league’s first season.

The voting results for the 2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.

VOTING RESULTS: 2020-21 KIA NBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD
 
Player (Team) 1st Place Votes(5 Points) 2nd Place Votes(3 Points) 3rd Place Votes(1 Point) Total Points
LaMelo Ball (Charlotte) 84 15 0 465
Anthony Edwards (Minnesota) 15 75 9 309
Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento) 0 9 87 114
Saddiq Bey (Detroit) 0 0 3 3

2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Voting Results

Bruins Sign Blidh

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BOSTON – Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced the club signed forward Anton Blidh to a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL cap hit of $750,000.  Blidh, 26, has played five seasons for the Bruins. In 2020-21, the 6-foot, 185-pound forward skated in 10 games, scoring one goal. In 38 career NHL games, Blidh has recorded two goals and one assist.

Blidh has appeared in 278 games with the Providence Bruins since coming to North America in 2015, totaling 46 goals, 42 assists, a plus-31 rating and 247 penalty minutes.

The Molnlycke, Sweden native was originally selected by the Bruins in the sixth round (180th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Celtics Trade Walker; Begin to Rebuild

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BOSTON – The Boston Celtics are reportedly trading guard Kemba Walker, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 draft and a 2025 second-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for center-forward Al Horford, 7-2 center prospect Moses Brown and a second-round pick in 2023, according to ESPN.

The trade would be new Celtics head of basketball Operations Brad Stevens‘ first move as GM after he was recently promoted from his head coaching position.

Walker joined the Celtics in 2019, the same offseason Horford departed from Boston in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. Horford played three prior seasons with the Celtics after beginning his career in Atlanta. The oft-injured Walker averaged 19.9 points and 4.8 assists in two seasons with the Celtics. His contract calls for payment of $34 million, $36m and $37m over the next three years.

Horford can be expected to provide veteran leadership in an otherwise youthful Celtics locker room and ease the team leadership role from that of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Horford’s NBA contract calls for $27.5 million, $27m and $26.5m in 2022-23, but only $14.5m of that amount is guaranteed in the final year.

In addition to re-shaping a chemistry-lacking roster, Stevens is also in search of the next Celtics head coach. In recent days, the NBA has experienced a drastic upheaval of head coaches with longtime head coach of the Dallas Mavericks and head of the NBA Coaches Association Rick Carlisle unexpectedly stepping down from the Mavericks Thursday. Carlisle played for the Celtics in the mid-1980s. In addition, Scott Brooks was unable to come to terms in Washington DC and Stan Van Gundy was relieved of his duties in New Orleans. Veteran coach Mike D’Antoni is available as are former Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts, former Indiana coach Nate Bjorkgren and former Orlando coach Steve Clifford.

Henley Leads with Oosthuizen at Side

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U.S. Open at Torrey Pines: Round 2 Notebook

Russell Henley carded his sixth career score of (67) or better in a major championship and his first since the 2018 PGA Championship (65/R-2). To date, Henley’s best finish in 26 career major championship appearances was a T-11 at the 2017 Masters Tournament.

Louis Oosthuizen is one of three players to finish in the Top 10 at the U.S. Open in 2019 (T-7) and 2020 (3rd). The others were Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele. He is currently T-1 with Henley at (-4) but is only through 16 holes in R-1.

Brooks Koepka shot 2-under (69) and he extended his tournament-record streak of rounds in the 60s to six and now ties Sam Snead for most consecutive sub-par rounds in tournament history (6).

Partial Round 1 Leaderboard

Russell Henley 67 (-4)

Louis Oosthuizen -4 thru 16*

Francesco Molinari 68 (-3)

Rafa Cabrera Bello 68 (-3)

Note: The start of the 1st round was delayed 1 hour, 30 minutes due to fog and began at 8:15am (PDT). The first round was suspended due to darkness with 36 players left on the course and will resume today at 6:50 am (PDT).

NBA All-Rookie Teams

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NEW YORK – Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards were unanimously selected to the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie First Team, the NBA announced today.  Ball, the 2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, and Edwards received NBA All-Rookie First Team votes on all 99 ballots from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

Joining Ball and Edwards (198 total points each) on the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie First Team are Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton (197 points; 98 First Team votes), Detroit Pistons forward Saddiq Bey (162 points; 63 First Team votes) and Houston Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate (154 points; 57 First Team votes).

Ball led first-year NBA players in assists (6.1 apg) and steals (1.59 spg) and ranked second in scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounding (5.9 rpg).  He won the first three Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards.  Edwards, the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, averaged a rookie-high 19.3 points per game.  He was named the Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month in each of the final three months of the season.

Haliburton, who won the first two Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards, ranked third among rookies in scoring (13.0 ppg) and second in assists (5.3 apg).  Bey, the 19th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, made a rookie-leading 175 three-pointers and was named the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 8.  Tate, who was not selected in the 2018 NBA Draft, averaged 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds with the Rockets after playing last season for the Sydney Kings in Australia’s National Basketball League.

The 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Second Team consists of New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley (148 points), Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (88), Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (71), Cleveland Cavaliers guard-forward Isaac Okoro (53) and Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (50).

The media voting panel selected five players for the NBA All-Rookie First Team and five players for the NBA All-Rookie Second Team at any position.  Players received two points for each First Team vote and one point for each Second Team vote.

The voting results for the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Team are below.  The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.

 

2020-21 NBA ALL-ROOKIE FIRST TEAM
 
Player (Team) First Team Votes

(2 Points)

 Second Team Votes

(1 Point)

 Total

Points
LaMelo Ball (Charlotte) 99 0 198
Anthony Edwards (Minnesota) 99 0 198
Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento) 98 1 197
Saddiq Bey (Detroit) 63 36 162
Jae’Sean Tate (Houston) 57 40 154

 

2020-21 NBA ALL-ROOKIE SECOND TEAM
 
Player (Team) First Team Votes

(2 Points)

 Second Team Votes (1 Point) Total

Points
Immanuel Quickley (New York) 51 46 148
Desmond Bane (Memphis) 9 70 88
Isaiah Stewart (Detroit) 8 55 71
Isaac Okoro (Cleveland) 1 51 53
Patrick Williams (Chicago) 2 46 50

Below are the other players who received votes for the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Team.

OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING VOTES
 
Player (Team) First Team Votes

(2 Points)

 Second Team Votes (1 Point) Total

Points
Facundo Campazzo (Denver) 3 36 42
Cole Anthony (Orlando) 1 38 40
James Wiseman (Golden State) 3 18 24
Payton Pritchard (Boston) 0 20 20
Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota) 1 13 15
Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia) 0 9 9
Théo Maledon (Oklahoma City) 0 5 5
Xavier Tillman (Memphis) 0 4 4
KJ Martin (Houston) 0 3 3
Chuma Okeke (Orlando) 0 2 2
Devin Vassell (San Antonio) 0 1 1
Aleksej Pokuševski (Oklahoma City) 0 1 1

Red Sox Earn an Off-Day

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox eased into a single day break Thursday with a three-game winning streak but a (6-4) record over their last 10 games, but claimed a two-game mini-series sweep over the struggling Atlanta Braves and are (9-4) over their last 13 games.

The pair of 10-8 victories over the Braves indicated some of the symptoms facing the Sox starting rotation. In the opener against the Braves, SP Garrett Richards allowed  six runs, four earned. Richards holds a 4.36 ERA, overall, but in his last three starts (14 innings pitched), the right hander has allowed 26 hits and 11 earned runs.

Wednesday night’s starter, Eduardo Rodriguez, began the season 5-0 with a 3.82 ERA and .260 opponent batting average over his first six (33.0 IP, 33-for-127, 14 ER) games. He then went 0-4 with a 8.49 ERA and .331 opponent average over his six starts (29.2 IP, 41- for-124, 28 ER) leading into the Braves game. The Sox posted an early 5-0 lead for Rodriguez but the left hander gave up four runs off six hits and a walk, and allowed Atlanta to erase a five-run deficit to 5-4.

The trend was contagious for Martin Perez as he’s allowed 11 runs in 3.1 innings pitched in his last two starts and Nick Pivetta  who coughed-up six runs in his last start.

Starting pitching woes aside, the Sox are currently a season-high 15 games above .500 at (42-27) after concluding a testy 17 consecutive game-day stretch, all against 2020 MLB Playoff teams. They’ll pick it up again Friday night at Kansas City for a three-game series against the Royals.

Nick Pivetta, Martin Perez and Nathan Eovaldi will start for Boston over the weekend before the club earns another rare off-day this Monday.

 

 

Let the U.S. Open Begin

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The 2021 U.S. Open Golf Championship

COURSE: Torrey Pines Golf Course (South), San Diego, CA

ARCHITECT: William Bell/1957, Rees Jones/2002/2019

YARDS/PAR: 7,685 yards/Par 71

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $12,500,000 /$2,250,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Bryson DeChambeau (2020)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Winner: 600

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @USOpenGolf

OFFICIAL SITE: (U.S. Open Championship) – PGA Tour site (link)

TV COVERAGE: Today, June 17:  9:45am to 12:30pm (EDT) on Peacock Network. 12:30pm to 7pm (EDT) on Golf Channel and 7:00pm to 10pm (EDT) on NBC. Round 2 coverage, Friday, June 18: 9:45am to 12:30pm (EDT) on Peacock Network, 12:30pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel, and 6:00pm to 9pm (EDT) on NBC.

On Saturday, June 19, Round 3 coverage 11:00am to 9pm (EDT) on NBC. For Sunday, June 20th’s final round, Golf Channel’s coverage runs from 10:00am to 12:00pm Noon (EDT) and NBC takes over from 12:00pm Noon to 9:00pm (EDT) (or conclusion).

STREAMING: Streaming coverage primarily will be provided by Peacock, USOpen.com and the U.S. Open app. Fans can catch exclusive early coverage of Rounds 1 and 2 on Peacock, as well as the final hour of coverage up to the last putt for the two opening days of play. Featured Group and Featured Hole coverage of holes 11-13 can also be found on Peacock, USOpen.com and the U.S. Open.

Round 3 on Saturday: Featured Groups: All day (Peacock, USOpen.com, U.S. Open App); Featured Holes (11, 12 and 13): All day (Peacock, USOpen.com, U.S. Open App).

Final Round on Sunday: Featured Groups: All day (Peacock, USOpen.com, U.S. Open App)’; Featured Holes (11, 12 and 13): All day (Peacock, USOpen.com, U.S. Open App)

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM announced its schedule as the exclusive national radio broadcaster for the 121st U.S. Open Championship, played June 17-20 at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Coverage today and Friday begins at 6:45am local/9:45am (EDT) and continues through the completion of play. On the weekend, SiriusXM’s on-course coverage will begin at 10:00am (EDT) and will run through the completion of play both Saturday and Sunday, including possible two-hole aggregate playoff. The U.S. Open Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on USOpen.com, the app and a link through from PGATour.com

How to Watch: In case of changes, see: (PGATourCom)

U.S. Open at Torrey Pines: Notebook

The U.S. Open returns to its traditional month of June after being played in September 2020 due to the pandemic. The U.S. Open marks the third and final tournament to be contested twice in the 2020-21 PGA Tour Season (Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, Masters) and the second-to-last opportunity for a winner to earn 600 FedExCup points before the start of the FedExCup playoffs.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau won the 2020 U.S. Open in September at Winged Foot Golf Club (NY). Entering the week at No. 2 in the FedExCup standings, DeChambeau seeks to become eighth player to successfully defend a U.S. Open title (Most recent: Brooks Koepka, 2018).

Four-time major champion and two-time U.S. Open winner Brooks Koepkais coming off a missed cut in his most recent PGA TOUR start (Palmetto Championship at Congaree), but also missed the cut at the AT&T Byron Nelson the week before his runner-up at last month’s PGA Championship.

San Diego native Xander Schauffele finished T-2 at the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open, his best finish in his first six starts. Schauffele has six Top-fives in 16 career major starts.

During his title defense at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago, Jon Rahm was up by six strokes when he was forced to withdraw after 54 holes due to a positive COVID-19 test. Rahm has been medically cleared to play and will seek his first major win at the site of first PGA Tour victory (2017 Farmers Insurance Open).

PGA Tour: 121st U.S. Open – 1st Look

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COURSE: Torrey Pines Golf Course (South), San Diego, CA

ARCHITECT: William Bell/1957, Rees Jones/2002/2019

YARDS/PAR: 7,685 yards/Par 71

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $12,500,000 /$2,250,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Bryson DeChambeau (2020)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Winner: 600

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @USOpenGolf

OFFICIAL SITE: (U.S. Open Championship) – PGA Tour site (link)

TV COVERAGE: Thursday, June 17: 9:45am to 12:30pm (EDT) on Peacock Network. 12:30pm to 7pm (EDT) on Golf Channel and 7:00pm to 10pm (EDT) on NBC. Round 2 coverage, Friday, June 18: 9:45am to 12:30pm (EDT) on Peacock Network, 12:30pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel, and 6:00pm to 9pm (EDT) on NBC.

On Saturday, June 19, Round 3 coverage 11:00am to 9pm (EDT) on NBC. For Sunday, June 20th’s final round, Golf Channel’s coverage runs from 10:00am to 12:00pm Noon (EDT) and NBC takes over from 12:00pm Noon to 9:00pm (EDT) (or conclusion).

STREAMING: Streaming coverage primarily will be provided by Peacock, USOpen.com and the U.S. Open app. Fans can catch exclusive early coverage of Rounds 1 and 2 on Peacock, as well as the final hour of coverage up to the last putt for the two opening days of play. Featured Group and Featured Hole coverage of holes 11-13 can also be found on Peacock, USOpen.com and the U.S. Open.

Round 3 on Saturday: Featured Groups: All day (Peacock, USOpen.com, U.S. Open App); Featured Holes (11, 12 and 13): All day (Peacock, USOpen.com, U.S. Open App).

Final Round on Sunday: Featured Groups: All day (Peacock, USOpen.com, U.S. Open App)’; Featured Holes (11, 12 and 13): All day (Peacock, USOpen.com, U.S. Open App)

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM announced its schedule as the exclusive national radio broadcaster for the 121st U.S. Open Championship, played June 17-20 at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Coverage on Thursday and Friday begins at 6:45am local/9:45am (EDT) and continues through the completion of play. On the weekend, SiriusXM’s on-course coverage will begin at 10:00am (EDT) and will run through the completion of play both Saturday and Sunday, including possible two-hole aggregate playoff. The U.S. Open Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on USOpen.com, the app and a link through from PGATour.com

How to Watch: In case of changes, see: (PGATourCom)

U.S. Open at Torrey Pines: Notebook

This week the PGA Tour stops in San Diego, California for the 121st United States Open Golf Champion ship. This year marks the second time that Torrey Pines GC will host the U.S. Open. The previous Open was in 2008 and it was Tiger Woods who took the honors in a playoff victory over Rocco Mediate. Torrey Pines regularly plays host on the PGA Tour to the Farmers Insurance Open. Patrick Reed is the defending champ at that tournament which was last held this past January 28-31st.

The 2008 U.S. Open and Woods’ victory over Mediate is one of the most memorable events in history, many comparing it to the 1986 Masters win by Jack Nicklaus. “That U.S. Open was three full days of incredible scenes. It topped ’86, absolutely,” said the esteemed Tommy Roy, longtime Executive Producer and a man on-site for all the big time and weekly tournaments with his role for NBC Sports and The Golf Channel.

The layout for Torrey Pines this week reads 7,685 yards on the Par-71 (35-36) making the “South” course play as one of the longest US Open history. There are some 82 bunkers in play off the tee and on approach, but only one hole – the signature 18th – has water in play.

The U.S. Open returns to its traditional month of June after being played in September 2020 due to the pandemic. The U.S. Open marks the third and final tournament to be contested twice in the 2020-21 PGA Tour Season (Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, Masters) and the second-to-last opportunity for a winner to earn 600 FedExCup points before the start of the FedExCup playoffs.

Jon Rahm of Spain is cleared to play in the U.S. Open after a quarantine because of his COVID-19+ test while he was six strokes ahead at the recent Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio. Rahm was forced to withdraw.

Phil Mickelson, coming off a stunning and improbable victory at the PGA Championship last month, needs to win the U.S. Open to complete his career Grand Slam.

All 30 of the Top 30 FedExCup points leaders are in the field this weekend at Torrey Pines.