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Archives for January 2022

Cantley, Hodges Tied at AMEX

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The American Express – Second Round Preview

LaQUINTA – Dating back to last seson, Patrick Cantlay is 28-under in his last three rounds at The American Express (65-61-62). He is T-1 with Lee Hodges who holds lead/co-lead for the first time in his PGA Tour career.

Hodges is an Alabama native and PGA Tour rookie who made his 14th career start this weekend and eighth this season. His debut at The American Express came after finishing No. 8 on Korn Ferry Tour points standings last season.

K.H. Lee posted a (64) for low score of the day at Stadium Course as the other leaders played the easier LaQuinta CC course. Danny Lee, Tom Hoge, Seamus Power and Greyson Sigg posted (65s) for low score of the day at the Nicklaus Course.

K.H. Lee (Korea), Danny Lee (New Zealand) and Seamus Power (Ireland) are the only non-American players in the Top-10.

AMEX Leaderboard after Round 1:

Lee Hodges (LQ) – 62 (-10)

Patrick Cantlay (LQ) – 62 (-10)

K.H. Lee (SC) – 64 (-8)

Cameron Young (LQ) – 64 (-8)

Eight players – 65 (-7)

Big East in the Top 25

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NEW YORK – Providence and Connecticut, ranked 21st and 25th, respectively, in this week’s Associated Press poll, registered Thursday wins.

The Friars began their game against Georgetown with a 13-0 start, then stopped a Hoya comeback attempt in an 83-75 victory at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Ed Croswell and Al Durham each scored 15 points. Croswell shot 7-of-7 from the floor. Coach Ed Cooley registered his 209th win at Providence (15-2, 5-1 BIG EAST), tying him with former coach and BIG EAST founder Dave Gavitt. Georgetown (6-9, 0-4 BE) trimmed a 16-point deficit in the second half to four, but the Hoyas could not complete the comeback. Donald Curry scored a game-high 21 points and Kaiden Rice added 19. The duo shot a combined 10-of-16 from 3-point range.

UConn and Butler met for the second time in three days. The end result was the same with the Huskies (13-4, 4-2 BE) pulling away in the final minutes for a 75-56 win at Hinkle Fieldhouse. UConn wing Tyrese Martin scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half. Adama Sanogo added 15 points and nine rebounds. UConn won the rebounding battle 39-25. The Bulldogs (9-9, 2-5 BE), who led 28-24 at halftime, were led by Chuck Harris’ 16 points.

BIG EAST play continues Saturday with a pair of noon ET tipoffs. No. 11 Villanova will try to bounce back from Wednesday’s loss to Marquette when it plays at Georgetown on FOX. St. John’s hosts Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden on FS1. DePaul visits Creighton on CBS Sports Network at 5:30 p.m.

Celtics Acquire Bol and Dozier

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from official News Release) – The Boston Celtics acquired center Bol Bol, and guard P.J. Dozier from the Denver Nuggets as part of a three-team deal with Denver and San Antonio. Boston sent Juancho Hernangomez and cash considerations to San Antonio to complete the deal.

Bol (7-2, 220), 22, holds career averages of 2.7 points (47.8% FG, 37.8% 3-PT), 1.2 rebounds, and 6.2 minutes in 53 games (two starts) over three NBA seasons with Denver. He has competed in 14 games with the Nuggets in 2021-22, including a career-high 11-point performance on 5-of-7 shooting in 20 minutes played at Houston on Jan. 1.

Originally selected in the second round (44th overall) of the 2019 NBA Draft, Bol averaged 21.0 points (56.1% FG, 52.0% 3-PT, 75.7% FT), 9.6 rebounds, and 29.8 minutes in nine games during his lone collegiate season at Oregon in 2018-19.

Dozier (6-6, 205), 25, has averaged 6.4 points (40.7% FG, 31.9% 3-PT), 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 18.0 minutes in 105 NBA games over five seasons with Oklahoma City, Boston, and Denver. Dozier, who has averaged 5.4 points in 18.9 minutes this season, produced a career-high 7.7 points on 41.7% shooting in 50 games with Denver in 2020-21.

Hernangomez played in 18 games during his lone season with the Celtics in 2021-22, averaging 1.1 points, and 1.4 rebounds in 5.3 minutes.

PGA TOUR Heads to LaQuinta | AMEX

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Preview | The American Express

COURSE(s): PGA West (Stadium) – LaQuinta, California along with PGA WEST (Nicklaus Tournament), and La Quinta Country Club.

ARCHITECT: Pete Dye

YARDS/PAR: 7,147 yards/Par 72

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $7,600,000/$1,368,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Si Woo Kim

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points / to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @theamexgolf

OFFICIAL SITE: (The American Express)

TV COVERAGE: All four days of TV coverage is from 3:00pm to 7:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel.

PGA TOUR LIVE STREAMING on ESPN+: Streaming coverage will be featured on ESPN-Plus Thursday through Sunday with Main Feed, Featured Hole and Featured Groups from 11:30am to 7:00pm (ET).

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM Radio will have live radio coverage of the The American Express with Thursday and Friday broadcasts from 1:00pm to 7:00pm (ET). Weekend coverage on Sirius XM Radio runs from 2:00pm to 7:00pm. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92 or online via PGATour(dot)com.

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

The American Express – Tournament Preview

LaQUINTA – California native Patrick Cantlay, the 2021 FedExCup Champion, will make his fourth start at The American Express after his 2021 runner-up finish. Cantlay set the 18-hole record at the Stadium Course at PGA WEST with 11 birdies en route to a final-round (61), but the 22-under (266) fell one shot short of Si Woo Kim’s winning total. Si Woo Kim will look to be the first player to successfully defend his title at The American Express since Johnny Miller won back-to-back in 1975 and 1976.

The La Quinta Country Club and pro-am portion return for the 63rd annual The American Express after being eliminated in 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Each professional will be grouped with amateurs for the first three rounds before the low 70 professionals (and ties) will play their final round at the Stadium Course at PGA WEST.

World No. 1 and 2018 American Express champion Jon Rahm will enter the week in top form having finished runner-up to Cameron Smith at the Sentry Tournament of Champions to open the 2022 calendar. Rahm will be the first World No. 1 to tee it up at The American Express since former FedExCup Champion Justin Rose in 2019.

Big East: UConn Defeats Butler

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HARTFORD – In the only game Tuesday, No. 25 Connecticut used balanced scoring to defeat Butler 76-59 at XL Center in Connecticut. The Huskies (12-4, 3-2 BIG EAST) built a 39-24 lead by halftime and maintained a double-digit advantage throughout the second half. R.J. Cole led UConn with 17 points. Adama Sanogo and Andre Jackson produced double-doubles. Sanogo had 13 points and 15 rebounds while Jackson finished with 12 points and 10 boards.

 The Bulldogs (9-8, 2-4 BE) got 36 points from the freshman duo of Jayden Taylor (19 points) and Simas Lukosius (17). The game was a reschedule of a Jan. 1 contest. The two teams turn around quickly to meet at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Thursday.

FS1 has two of the three Wednesday contests. At 7 p.m. ET, St. John’s visits Creighton. The Johnnies will be aiming for their first win this season outside of New York City. Julian Champagnie leads the BIG EAST in scoring with a 21.4 average. Creighton has played only three games in the last 33 days – all on the road. At 9 p.m., DePaul hosts Xavier. The Blue Demons are coming off a 96-92 win over Seton Hall last Thursday. The Musketeers have four players averaging double figures in scoring from 11.2 points per game to 12.3.

No. 11 Villanova hosts Marquette at 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. The Wildcats are riding a six-game winning streak and have held two of their last four opponents to less than 43 points. The Golden Eagles have won four straight games while averaging 85.0 points in the wins.

Maverick Carter Joins Sox Foundation

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BOSTON – (Staff report from Official News Release) – The Red Sox Foundation added entrepreneur Maverick Carter to its Board of Directors. In his role, Carter will help develop and achieve the Foundation’s strategic goals and mission of improving lives throughout New England in the areas of health, recreation, and education. The new board appointment builds on a longstanding relationship between Carter and Fenway Sports Group that began in 2010 through a strategic partnership with LRMR Ventures. That relationship further deepened when Carter – through his relationship with NBA superstar LeBron James – became a member of FSG’s ownership group in March 2021.

“For the past decade, I have had the privilege of working closely with Mav and have seen firsthand how he incorporates community and service into every aspect of his work,” said Red Sox Foundation Chairman Tom Werner. “In addition to his incredible business acumen, his experience in sports philanthropy and athlete empowerment will be invaluable in how we continue to grow the programs and vision of the Red Sox Foundation. We are fortunate to have his talent and wisdom and look forward to deepening his connection to the Red Sox and FSG family.”

Throughout his career, Carter has significantly impacted the sports and media landscape and helped usher in a new era of athlete empowerment through his longtime business partnership with LeBron James and as CEO of The SpringHill Company, which owns notable brands including athlete empowerment brand UNINTERRUPTED and its More Than movement, the trailblazing hit show for leading cultural conversations, The Shop, and their blockbuster family film, Space Jam: A New Legacy.

Carter has channeled his passionate curiosity and determination to uplift others into building brands that develop authentic, award-winning content spanning several platforms, all with a common thread of empowering others. With an extensive background in marketing and business development, Carter was instrumental in building LRMR Ventures and in securing James’ lifetime deal with Nike, the first in the company’s history.

Carter also lends his time, experience, and strategic insights to leading companies and nonprofit organizations, starting as a founding Board Member of the LeBron James Family Foundation that is committed to creating generational change in his hometown of Akron. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Live Nation Entertainment and Equinox Group as well as the Advisory Council for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and Walmart’s Opportunity Leadership Council, among others.

“Empowerment is at the center of everything I do, whether that be in business, family or philanthropy,” said Maverick Carter. “It’s an honor for me to join the Red Sox Foundation’s Board of Directors and have the opportunity to help inspire and empower families and communities in Boston and beyond.”

New Commitment to Women’s Hockey

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BOSTON – (Staff report from Official News Release) – At a sports business conference by the The Carnegie Initiative for inclusion and acceptance in the sport of hockey staged today in Boston, the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) made public a commitment from its Board of Governors to invest over $25 million in direct payments and benefits to its players in the next three years. The pledge includes more than $7.5 million in salary and benefits for the 2022-23 season. The commitment represents the largest one-time independent investment in the history of professional women’s hockey and will ‘provide more financial opportunities for athletes while directly enhancing the player experience,” said a league statement.

“The PHF has been steadfast in its vision to grow the game under a new era that truly provides leading opportunities for athletes in the sport who deserve to be treated as professionals,” said Tyler Tumminia, PHF Commissioner. “This amazing investment by (franchise) ownership reaffirms the strength of their commitment to being difference-makers who advance the professional game so that our athletes can thrive as role models who continue to inspire the next generation.”

The investment to our professional players, which includes cash, full healthcare benefits provided by their club, and equity in the teams, will support the current athletes and attract new players. At the heart of the financial commitment  is a substantial salary cap increase to $750,000 for next year, 150 percent more than the current record figure of $300,000 that is available per team.

The PHF will further support its growth and the development opportunities for its athletes through expansion, updating facilities, purchasing new equipment, and increasing ice time in the form of more practices and an expanded 28 game schedule. All players will benefit from 10 percent of the equity of each team, which will be contributed to an investment pool owned by the PHF players, enabling them to share in the league’s financial success. Additionally, players will have control over their own likeness and be able to profit from their image.

“On behalf of the Board of Governors we are proud to play a part in bringing women’s sports to the next level by investing in the PHF,” said John Boynton, Chairman of the federation’s Board of Governors. “We see the PHF as a platform to address the inequities that women athletes face. We also believe in the sustainability of our developing business model and embrace our responsibility to build a platform that grows this dynamic league to historic heights.”

Over the last 18 months, the PHF has pivoted from a single entity structure to a joint venture model, with all six member clubs owned and operated by private ownership groups in their respective markets. The PHF also generated landmark broadcast and corporate partnerships, the largest sponsorship revenues in its history, and received record digital viewership and engagement during a shortened season. Prior to the 2021-22 campaign, the league announced a historic name change and refreshed logo to redefine the brand based on the skill and talent of the athletes as opposed to their gender.

 

 

Big East: Weekly Honors to Sanogo

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NEW YORK – Connecticut forward Adama Sanogo has been named BIG EAST Player of the Week and Creighton guard Ryan Nembhard has been selected BIG EAST Freshman of the Week. Sanogo helped push the Huskies past St. John’s in overtime and Nembhard had a strong all-around performance in a defeat at Xavier.

BIG EAST Player of the Week

Adama Sanogo, UConn, F, So. – Sanogo powered the Huskies to an 86-78 overtime win against St. John’s with 26 points, 18 rebounds and six blocked shots. The rebound total was the highest recorded by any BIG EAST player this season. Sanogo also made 10-of-17 shots from the field. He is averaging 15.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks for the season. It was UConn’s only game of the week.

BIG EAST Freshman of the Week

Ryan Nembhard, Creighton, G, Fr. – Nembhard posted 18 points, six assists and three steals in an 80-73 loss at Xavier in the Bluejays’ only game of the week. Nembhard has earned Freshman of the Week honors five times this season. For the year, he is averaging 12.5 points and 4.5 assists.

BIG EAST Honor Roll

David Jones, DePaul, F, So. – In a 1-1 week, averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals. In a win against Seton Hall (96-92), had 24 points, eight rebounds and five steals.

Darryl Morsell, Marquette, G, Gr. – Averaged 21.0 points in a 2-0 week. Registered 26 points and five rebounds in a win over Seton Hall (73-72).

Julian Champagnie, St. John’s, F, Jr. – Averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in a 1-1 week. Had 25 points, six boards and three steals in a win over Georgetown (88-69).

Collin Gillespie, Villanova, G, Gr. – Averaged 19.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in a 2-0 week. Had 21 points in a win at Xavier (64-60) and 17 points in a victory against Butler (82-42).

Colby Jones, G, So. – Averaged 11.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in a 1-1 week. Posted 16 points and nine rebounds in a win against Creighton (80-73).

 

Matsuyama Wins SONY Open in Playoff

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HONOLULU – Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama came from behind to win his eighth career PGA Tour victory, tying K.J. Choi for most wins by a player from Asia. Matsuyama became the first two-time winner of the 2021-22 PGA TOUR wrap-around season (2021 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, 2022 Sony Open in Hawaii) and the the ninth consecutive Sony Open champion who competed in the Sentry Tournament of Champions the weekend beforehand.

Matsuyama closed with 63-63 (126), his career-low closing 36-hole score and became the first player to win a playoff with an eagle since J.J. Henry at the 2015 Barracuda Championship.

Runner-up Russell Henley was seeking to become sixth multiple winner of the event (Jimmy Walker/2014, 2015; Ernie Els/2003, 2004; Lanny Wadkins/1988, 1991; Corey Pavin/1986, 1987; Hubert Green/1978, 1979). Henley shot a (29) going out on his final round.

After going bogey-free for 54 holes for the first time in his career, Matt Kuchar (T-7) bogeyed No. 5 in the final round, ending a streak of 60 consecutive holes without a bogey (58 this week).

SONY Open in Hawaii | Final Leaderboard

*Hideki Matsuyama 66-65-63-63—257 (-23)

Russell Henley 62-63-67-65—257 (-23)

Kevin Kisner 68-64-65-64—261 (-19)

Seamus Power 63-68-65-65—261 (-19)

*Won with an eagle-3 on the first playoff hole (No. 18)