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Terry Lyons

Bills Crush Dolphins; Tua Hurt

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MIAMI GARDENS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Buffalo’s RB James Cook tallied three touchdowns, Ja’Marcus Ingram grabbed the first two interceptions of his career and the Bills trounced the Miami Dolphins 31-10 on Thursday in Florida.

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Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was intercepted three times, including a pick-6 by Ingram that blew the game open early in the third quarter. Tagovailoa later sustained a concussion when he collided with Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin and left the game under his own power.

Skylar Thompson finished out the game at quarterback for Miami. De’Von Achane led the Dolphins with 96 rushing yards on 22 carries, seven catches for 69 yards and a receiving score.

Cook — who had two rushing touchdowns all of last year — ran for two scores and caught another on Thursday while gaining 78 yards on the ground for the Bills (2-0). Josh Allen completed an efficient 13 of 19 passes for 139 yards and one TD.

Buffalo defeated Miami (1-1) for the 12th time in their past 13 meetings (regular season and playoffs).

On Miami’s first possession of the second half, Tagovailoa was under duress and tried to throw a pass out of bounds, but it didn’t reach the far sideline and Ingram fielded it for an easy 31-yard pick-six.

 

Jin Young Ko Leads FM at Boston

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NORTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jin Young Ko shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after three rounds at the inaugural FM Championship at TPC Boston.

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The South Korea native bookended her day with birdies on the first two holes and the last two holes and added two more against a single bogey to take control at 11 under heading into the final round Sunday.

“I just wanted to have good golf this week in Boston,” Ko said. “I mean, a lot of Korean fans out there, so they are cheering me so much. I feel really loved. Yeah, one more round to go. I will focus myself tomorrow.”

Lauren Coughlin sits alone in second place after carding her third straight 69, putting her at 9 under for the tournament.

“Still trying to go play my game, stay in my bubble, do what I could do, hit good shots, and try to make some putts,” Coughlin said.

Three golfers are within three strokes of Ko at 8 under: Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (67), Allisen Corpuz (67) and Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul (69).

“I just felt really comfortable with the putter this week. Been seeing a lot more putts go in,” Corpuz said. ” … Been able to get a few close and make the birdie putts.”

South Korean Haeran Ryu had shot a 10-under-par 62 on Friday to take a commanding six-stroke lead, but she had a Saturday to forget, suffering two double-bogeys among her first four holes and carding another five bogeys on her way to a 6-over 78.

Still, Ryu is tied for sixth with Germany’s Alexandra Forsterling (67) at 7 under despite the disastrous round and lurks within striking distance of her second career win.

At the other end of the spectrum, an impressive 8-under 64 vaulted China’s Ruixin Liu into contention. Her day included an eagle on the par-4 10th and eight birdies to go along with a pair of bogeys. That put her in a tie for eighth with Yealimi Noh (73).

“For me the biggest difference is I was able to hit more fairways compared to the first two days, so I gave myself more opportunities for birdies,” Liu said.

“I don’t have any expectation today because I barely made the cut … I’m just very grateful I’m able to play today, so I think that’s the most important reason why I’m able to shoot this low.”

Marina Alex, who led after one round, posted a 4-over 76 to fall into a tie for 46th at even par.

–Field Level Media

Diamondbacks Ride Win Streak

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The visiting Arizona Diamondbacks can complete a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a victory Sunday. Arizona won the opener, 12-2, on Friday night and posted a 4-1 victory on Saturday. The Diamondbacks enter Sunday’s matchup on a five-game winning streak, all on the road.

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Saturday’s win gave the Diamondbacks their 11th series victory in the last 12 tries. The only exception came last weekend, when Tampa Bay swept a three-game series as Arizona began its nine-game trip. The Diamondbacks are 25-8 since the All-Star break.

Arizona’s starting pitchers — Ryne Nelson on Friday and Zac Gallen on Saturday — combined to allow two runs on seven hits in 12 innings.

“Those guys (the Diamondbacks) are really good,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “What they do is not just against us — it’s against everybody. It’s a different type of pitching, too. Different angles, they change speeds, they don’t give in. You have to be very stubborn in the zone.

“They’re really good at what they do. They’re probably one of the best teams in the big leagues right now. They’re athletic, they run the bases well, they put good at-bats — it’s a complete team.”

Arizona’s Eugenio Suarez has four hits and seven RBIs in the series. He collected five RBIs — including a grand slam — on Friday and had a two-run double in Saturday’s win.

Boston’s pitchers walked six on Saturday, including four in the seventh when Arizona scored two runs without getting a hit.

“When the pitcher has good stuff or he’s attacking and we’re not getting hits, I think our patience will pay off,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’re going to get some baserunners and create some run-scoring opportunities. That’s what we did today.”

A walk forced in the first run in the seventh, and the second scored on a wild pitch by Brennan Bernardino.

“At this level we cannot do that, obviously,” Cora said. “We had the right matchups. It just didn’t work out.”

 

 

Sunday’s pitching matchup has Arizona right-hander Merrill Kelly (3-0, 3.63 ERA) facing Boston righty Tanner Houck (8-8, 3.01).

Kelly has made two starts since returning from the 60-day injured list with a shoulder injury. He gave up two runs in five innings to beat the Phillies in the first start, then allowed six runs and eight hits in five innings during an 8-7 loss to Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg on Aug. 18.

Kelly has faced the Red Sox twice in his career and has a 1-1 record with a 1.26 ERA. He has 19 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings against Boston, and struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Red Sox last season.

Houck has made three straight quality starts, and gave up three runs (two earned) in six innings of a 5-4 loss to Houston on Monday. He made his only career start against Arizona last season — opposing Kelly in that 10-strikeout game — and took a loss after surrendering four runs on six hits in four innings. Arizona’s Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo each homered against Houck.

The Red Sox are expecting outfielder Tyler O’Neill to play Sunday after he missed the last three games because of a swollen finger on his left hand.

“He should be in the lineup,” Cora said.

–Field Level Media

Houston to Start Verlander

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Ttart HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – As Houston’s right-hand pitcher Ronel Blanco labored for 3 2/3 innings in the Astros’ 6-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, the return of veteran right-hander Justin Verlander gained an additional measure of significance.

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Verlander will make his first start since June 9 when host Houston and Boston meet on Wednesday afternoon for the rubber match of a three-game series.

Neck discomfort landed Verlander (3-2, 3.95 ERA) on the 15-day injured list back on June 18. With his arm back in the fold, the Astros will utilize a six-man rotation for the immediate future, a strategy that should lighten the workload for Blanco and rookie Spencer Arrighetti, both of whom are in uncharted waters as big-leaguers.

“It’s big getting JV on the mound. It’s getting one of the best back in there,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “We know what he means. We know he’s part of this winning culture and getting him back is a big boost for our team, especially down the stretch.”

The Astros did not announce a pitch count for Verlander against the Red Sox, but they will exercise caution. Verlander, 41, has worked only 57 innings this season after tossing 162 1/3 for Houston and the New York Mets in 2023, his lowest total in a 162-game season since he threw 133 1/3 innings for the Detroit Tigers in 2015.

“We’ll see how the outing goes and how efficient he is,” Espada said. “I don’t want to put a number because he can surprise us. But we’re going to keep a close eye on his workload for sure.”

Verlander is 6-6 with a 2.74 ERA over 20 career starts against the Red Sox.

Right-hander Cooper Criswell (5-4, 4.56) will start for Boston in the series finale on Wednesday.

It will be the first start since July 23 for Criswell, who is 1-0 with an 8.10 ERA and a blown save over his past five relief appearances. Criswell made 12 consecutive starts before his most recent stint out of the bullpen and went 4-3 with a 3.99 ERA during that stretch. The start against the Astros will mark his fourth consecutive road appearance.

Criswell will be making his first career appearance against Houston.

The Red Sox pulled out all the stops to even this three-game series on Tuesday, needing a monster 4-for-4 performance from center fielder Jarren Duran atop the order plus a 2-for-3 showing from first baseman Triston Casas, who homered, walked twice and drove in three runs.

Mix in a bullpen that allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings, and Boston found a successful formula to defeat the Astros for the first time in five games this season to set the table for a potential series victory.

“We knew we were gonna have our hands full coming into the week, with this series (against Houston),” Casas said. “We’re playing good baseball, and (Tuesday) was a full team effort.”

The Red Sox have won three of their past five games, while the Astros have won 11 of their past 13, with four of those victories coming against Boston.

–Field Level Media

Orioles Bats Heating Up

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Baltimore Orioles have been looking like significant offensive threats again and that should bode well for the American League East contenders. They meet the visiting Boston Red Sox again Friday night at Camden Yards.

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The Orioles won their second in a row by beating the Red Sox 5-1 in the series opener Thursday.

“They hit the ball hard,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “They grind at-bats.”

The Orioles have won six of seven meetings against Boston this year.

Baltimore’s big bats are cranking up again. Gunnar Henderson, who has 31 home runs, has homered in back-to-back games for the first time since June 25-26.

“I feel like we’ve been making strides in the right direction,” Henderson said.

Cedric Mullins, who also homered in the series opener, is finding the groove as well.

“It has been awesome to make those adjustments and see them incorporate themselves out on the field, staying on that path, staying to the grind, so I can be productive for the team,” Mullins said.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Mullins looks ready to be a difference maker.

“He’s always a power threat,” Hyde said. “He just changes the game for us ’cause it’s premier, premier defense in center field to go with it. He’s playing with some confidence right now, and it’s fun to watch.”

The Red Sox have lost two games in a row and six of their past eight.

The one run scored for Boston matched its lowest output since the All-Star break. The Red Sox also scored one run in the first game after the layoff against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Orioles are scheduled to start ace Corbin Burnes (12-4, 2.71 ERA) for the second game of the series. He’s 3-0 in his past five starts, though he had a no-decision Saturday at Tampa Bay after giving up three runs in six innings.

Burnes didn’t allow an earned run across seven innings in a home victory against Boston on May 29. He held the Red Sox to one run in seven innings on the road in April. He is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three career starts against Boston.

Right-hander Cooper Criswell (4-4, 4.02) is expected to return from the COVID-19 injured list and start Friday. He was roughed up in his only career start against Baltimore for seven runs on seven hits in four innings during Boston’s 11-3 loss on May 27.

Cora said there’s a huge emphasis on keeping the Orioles off the bases with free passes to try to limit big innings.

“They have to earn it, and they do that,” Cora said. “They’re very good at what they do.”

On Thursday night, the Red Sox got two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings of relief from Chase Shugart in his big-league debut. He allowed one run.

“He found the strike zone with good stuff,” Cora said. “He wasn’t afraid.”

Meanwhile, the Orioles sent infielder Coby Mayo back to Triple-A Norfolk a day after he picked up his first major league hit.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | August 11

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The 2024 Olympic Games are the first to have both Men and Women’s Teams from two countries play for the Gold Medal (FIBA)

FROM the LYONS’ DEN in BOSTON – We all should’ve known better. When it came time for the United States Men’s Olympic team to seal a victory, whether it be the semifinals against Serbia or the gold medal game against an incredible, upstart national team of France, there was only one person in the gym to count on.

For the people who are tagged as NBA lifers, we met the guy in 1991 when his Dad, Dell Curry of the hometown Hornets, was competing in the NBA Three-Point Shootout in Charlotte. Dell’s son, Stephen, was pictured sitting right on his Dad’s lap, high-fiving his favorite NBA players and flashing his tremendous smile for all to see.
Steph Curry, on his Dad’s lap, along with West Coach Don Nelson, Sacramento’s Mitch Richmond and New Jersey’s Drazen Petrovic (NBA)

Young Steph blended in with the thousands of credentialed players, friends, family, media and dignitaries who hovered around the NBA All-Star Game festivities in February of 1991. Quite frankly, this columnist didn’t even think of him again until a phone call came in as Midnight Madness struck for the 2006 college basketball season.

“Do you know Dell Curry,” asked Davidson coach Bob McKillop (my mentor and longtime basketball maven who coached Holy Trinity HS in 1977 and beyond? Of course, McKillop went on to be the decorated (and now retired) head coach of Davidson College and remained in close touch with so many of us on a monthly basis from June ‘77 until today.

“Yes, sure,” was the answer, “but why do you ask?”

“I have his son – who’s going to be a freshman on the Davidson team. He’s the best player I’ve ever had.”

McKillop wasn’t kidding.

Steph Curry led Davidson for three years, including a magical run in the 2008 NCAA’s that brought the Wildcats within a game of the Final Four.

On recall, there were two things that stood out about Steph when he played college ball for Davidson in the Southern Conference.

  1. He kept getting better and better. Every game, every year.
  2. He was the best shooter anyone had ever seen.

Nowadays, the 36-year old, four-time NBA champion and sure-fire first ballot Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer is known the world around. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the seventh overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft. He’s a 10-time NBA All-Star and a two time league MVP. Curry even made the NBA’s exclusive 75th Anniversary all-time team.

Fast forward to his very first (and only) gold medal game for the Olympics, and it was today, Saturday August 10, 2024, in Paris France where Curry proved himself as the undisputed greatest shooter of a basketball the world has ever seen. And, he did it under intense pressure.

France’s amazing 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama tipped in a shot with 2:58 remaining in the fourth quarter of the gold medal game to cut the USA’s lead to three points, 82-79.

It was Curry Time.

Steph drained a three-point field goal with 2:48 to extend the US lead to six, 85-79. Then, after two key free throws by Kevin Durant (“Call him KD Tres Bien”), Curry drained another long three-pointer to create a nine-point cushion with 1:58 remaining in the game.

France would not let up. Wembanyama hit a three-pointer of his own to make it a six-point game with just under a minute remaining.

It was Curry Time, yet again.

With :35 seconds left in the game, the incredible Curry hit his third consecutive shot from “centre-ville” to ice the game for the United States, 96-87. Devin Booker’s lay-up at the :21-second mark closed out the scoring and the USA earned its fifth consecutive gold medal at the Olympic Games, making the 2004 bronze medal in Athens seem like a 20-year old fading memory.

Aside from winning the game for the USA, Curry also saved his longtime coach, Steve Kerr, from the embarrassment and criticism he would’ve received upon returning to the States. Golden State’s Kerr – ably assisted by Ty Lue (Los Angeles Clippers), Mark Few (Gonzaga) and Erik Spoelstra(Miami Heat) – juggled line-ups and combinations throughout the tournament, sitting Boston’s Jayson Tatum twice for entire games, including the semis (medal round) when the USA needed an offensive spark and an aggressive, “take-it-to-the-basket” scorer.

Even the great Bob Cousy questioned Kerr’s coaching decisions, stating on radio broadcasts and to the Boston Globe: “This isn’t just a snub,” Cousy said. “This is an embarrassment for that poor kid all over the [expletive] world. The Olympics have gotten that big. Everyone’s going to think that there’s something wrong this this kid.

“Not playing Tatum at all says to the world, ‘Not only is he not top five, he’s not good enough to get into a close game.’ I can’t figure out Kerr’s thinking, and he’s done it twice, so he obviously feels strongly about it.”

One thing is for sure, the snub to Tatum spoiled a golden year for Boston Celtics basketball. Kerr’s coaches decision will follow Tatum all around the NBA next season and the storyline will build to a crescendo when the Celtics meet the Golden State Warriors, two times in the 2024-25 regular season. When you’re hearing it from The Cooz, you’re in trouble.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Fighting against every ounce of common sense in my mind and keeping to an iron-clad rule of never, ever stating that the most recent occurrence is the “best,” there’s a constant thought and growing conviction to call the 2024 Paris Summer Games the very best of my lifetime.

It’s damn near impossible to top the 2000 Summer Olympics, held in Sydney, but somehow the beauty of Paris – placing the scenic views of the Eiffel Tower just ahead of the Sydney Opera House, on the shore of Sydney Harbor. While the 2000 Games were outstanding, Paris 2024 was backed-up by incredible performances across the great span of sporting events.

Paris 2024 got off to a rocky and worrisome start as a terror attack struck the French rail lines on the day before the Games began. But, the organizers endured and the athletes took over the show.

The long list of Olympic stand-out performances is even too much list all of them for this week’s While We’re Young (Ideas), but let’s look at just a few from swimming, athletics (track and field), volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s gymnastics with a once-in-a-generation performance by the USA’s Simon Biles and a follow-up by Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade was simply amazing.

Tennis saw 37-year old Novak Djokovic earn the gold, while men’s golf saw once-in-three-generations professional PGA Tour player, Scottie Scheffler, come from behind to earn his golden token.

Add the story of the USA’s Noah Lyles, competing after contracting the COVID-19 virus and trying to gut-it-out, while a hometown hero from France, Léon Marchand, was winning gold in the swimming pool.

Add USA swimming legend Katie Ledecky, along with Bobby Finke and Nic Fink and there was more to marvel at in the pool.

Looking back at last week’s missive, both swimmer Nic Fink (son of NBA events superstar, Peter) and soccer mindfielder Samantha Coffey (daughter of former New York Daily News columnist and dear friend Wayne Coffey) earned gold medals. Fink added a silver, too.

TIDBITS AND GOLDEN NUGGETS: Here’s a couple more notes from the Men’s Basketball Tournament which concluded in Paris on Saturday:

Final Standings of the Men’s Basketball at Paris 2024

1. USA

2. France

3. Serbia

4. Germany

5. Canada

6. Australia

7. Greece

8. Brazil

9. Spain

10. South Sudan

11. Japan

12. Puerto Rico

Surprisingly, the Most Valuable Player award went to the USA’s Lebron James over Stephen Curry. How did that happen? I do NOT know, unless they voted over the entire tournament and not the medal round games.

The five tournament All-Stars: James, Curry, Serbia’s Nikola Jokic,Germany’s Dennis Schroder and France’s Victor Wembanyama. This reporter would’ve had Curry as the MVP and France’s Guerschon Yabuseleon the All-Star list over Schroder.

The “BIGGEST” take-away from the Paris Summer Games, maybe across any sport, was the play of Wembanyama. Although he was totally distraught after the gold medal game, and actually seeking consolation from his fellow NBA stars, like Kevin Durant, Wembanyama, age 20, showed a passion and sheer love of the game that is refreshing, today, but will be a force to be reckoned with starting tomorrow. The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama led the French team in scoring with 15.8 points, rebounds at 9.7, assists at 3.3, steals with 2.0 and blocks with 1.7 per game. However, his 26 points, seven rebounds and two assists in the gold medal game proved there’s a superstar in the making. In fact, he’s made.

The hometown French crowd at Bercy, singing La Marseillaise (see last week’s Words & Music section) as the Bleu accepted their silver medals was a sight to be seen and put a finishing touch on the Paris Games that have edged the 2000 Olympics in my mind.

Sox Facing Royals in Key Series

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KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – As the visiting Boston Red Sox prepare for the middle game of a pivotal three-game series against the Kansas City Royals, they expect to soon receive a bullpen boost with the return of right-handers Chris Martin and Justin Slaten.

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On the injured list since July 4, Martin may return during the series with the Royals.

“He’s on his way here,” Boston manager Alex Cora said on Monday. “He’s staying at home one more night. We’ll know more (Tuesday) night. If he’s ready, he’ll be activated Wednesday.”

Slaten, dealing with right elbow inflammation like Martin, has been sidelined since July 8.

“(He was) playing catch (Monday), up to 120 (feet),” Cora said, “so, that’s a good sign. When you get up to there, the bullpen is right around the corner.”

The Red Sox recently received surprising news about Trevor Story, who has missed all but eight games due to left shoulder dislocation and was thought to be lost for the year.

Instead, the shortstop has made significant progress and could return this season.

“I never thought we were going to get to this point,” Cora said. “I’m excited. Obviously, not a hundred percent that it’s going to happen, but the fact that he is doing everything possible to make it happen is great.”

Story is travelling with the club and swinging a bat.

“He’s hitting underhand tosses, front tosses this past weekend,” Cora said. “That’s close to BP. He’s moving well. His swing looks great.”

After winning the series opener 9-5 on Monday, Boston will send right-hander Brayan Bello (10-5, 5.13 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday as they look for their third straight series victory.

In two career starts against the Royals, Bello is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA. He collected a win on July 14 vs. Kansas City despite surrendering homers to Salvador Perez and Adam Frazier. He threw 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits.

In three starts since, Bello has been consistent, throwing at least five innings while allowing three or fewer runs each time.

The Royals will counter with right-hander Seth Lugo (13-5, 2.57 ERA). He has made four career appearances — one start — against the Red Sox, going 0-2 with a 7.56 ERA. The lone start was a loss on July 13, when he allowed five runs on 10 hits, including a home run by Rafael Devers, in five innings.

Lugo beat the Detroit Tigers in his latest start, allowing a run on four hits in eight innings on Thursday.

“A lot of soft contact, a lot of pitch efficiency,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It looked like he had everything working. He got soft contact on changeups, some swing-and-miss on the breaking ball, had the two-seamer going. All in all, he was in command the whole night.”

While Bobby Witt Jr. has earned most of the Royals’ offensive headlines, teammate Vinnie Pasquantino has also contributed as Kansas City has homered in 11 straight games, tied for the fourth-longest streak in club history.

In the Monday loss, Pasquantino extended his hitting streak to nine games with his 16th homer. He has five long balls in his past six games.

“Vinnie’s a run producer,” Quatraro said. “He’s had some good games for us, especially lately.”

In 35 games since June 24, Pasquantino is hitting .329 with nine homers and 34 RBIs. His 51 home-game RBIs lead the majors.

–Field Level Media

 

Abreu, Red Sox Pound Rangers

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ARLINGTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Wilyer Abreu posted his first career multi-home run game on Sunday to power the Boston Red Sox to a 7-2 victory over the Texas Rangers in central Texas.

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Abreu had a solo shot in the fourth inning then hit a three-run homer in the sixth to finish with four RBIs. His second blast was his 12th of the season and handed Boston a 6-2 lead.

Jarren Duran (No. 14) and David Hamilton (No. 6) each added a solo home run for the Red Sox, who won the rubber game of the three-game series. Duran had three hits and two RBIs in the victory.

Two of Boston’s four home runs came against Nate Eovaldi, who gave up five runs on seven hits in five innings. Eovaldi (8-5) struck out seven and walked one.

Cam Booser (2-2) tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win. Booser took over for Boston starter Nick Pivetta with two outs in the fifth and did not allow a hit.

Texas received solo home runs from Corey Seager (No. 22) and Josh Jung (No. 3), who had two of the team’s three hits.

The Rangers opened the scoring on Seager’s drive in the first,and doubled their advantage when Jung homered in the second. The Red Sox have allowed a major-league-leading 33 home runs in 15 games since the All-Star break.

Duran’s RBI double in the third drove in Hamilton to make it 2-1. Abreu’s home run in the fourth tied the game and Duran’s blast put the Red Sox in front 3-2 in the fifth.

In the sixth, Rafael Devers singled to extend his hitting streak to 10 games and Connor Wong doubled. Eovaldi was then lifted for Walter Pennington, who then gave up Abreu’s three-run shot. Devers extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Hamilton’s home run stretched Boston’s lead to 7-2 in the seventh.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Olympic ⛳️

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

FROM the LYONS’ DEN in BOSTON – It’s time to “tee-up” a patented TL timeline of a column. It works when there’s any Olympic golf tournament, staged in Paris, France, and the time zone change brings live golf into your quiet, basement TV at three in the morning – a little like Ryder Cup times.

You know the rules. (There’s none).

Here we go:

August 1, 2024

4:11am – After my iPhone alarm had been moved to snooze twice since its 3:00am setting, a large cup of coffee – let’s call it Cafe au lait for the occasion – was made with the care of a Parisian shoppe owner while doing everything humanly possible to not awake our two wonderful canines.

As one would expect, the early bird – that’s the lève tôt pour moi – was rewarded with the 4:11am ET/10:11am (local) tee time threesome – trio – of World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler of the USA, Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg being introduced to the crowds of Le Golf National, located at Saint Quentin en Yvelines, to the west/southwest of Paris.

To set the scene properly, it’s important to note, the starter at Le Golf National could easily double as the cropier at the Casino de Monte-Carlo’s Baccarat table. You might remember the scene from the 2018 Ryder Cup (17 1⁄2 – to – 10 1⁄2 win by Europe), as the Albatros Course looked and played in near perfect condition.

5:00am – There’s a few general thoughts running through your columnist’s mind. They’ll be addressed now, and presented in stream of consciousness mode.

Golf returned to the Olympic Games in 2016 (Rio) and is being contested for only the fifth time in the modern Olympics. The sport was first played in the Olympics in 1900, as the 1896 modern Olympics in Greece did not have a suitable golf course to play. In 1900, at the Compiègne Club in France, both men and woman competed in the sport. Only four nations were represented (France, Great Britain, the United States and Greece).

Charles Sands, a representative of the St. Andrews Golf Club in Yonkers, New York finished the 36 hole tournament, shooting (82)+(85) for (167), defeating Walter Rutherford of Jedburgh, Scotland (Great Britain) by one stroke. In the women’s competition, Margaret Abbott of Chicago Golf Club. Abbott (born in Calcutta) shot a (47) to win and became the first ever American female to medal in the Olympic Games. The bad news was that she received a gilded porcelein bowl as a trophy, rather than a gold medal. The incredible news, Abbott’s mother finished seventh.

St. Louis was celebrating the World’s Fair in 1904 and hosted a two country (USA and Canada) golf tournament at the Glen Echo course in St. Louis. A 20-year-old American, H. Chandler Egan, a Harvard student and the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, was the heavy favorite to claim the gold medal in match play format. Egan met Canadian George Lyon in the 36-hole final but lost 3 and 2 in difficult conditions.

Golf was not included in the Olympic Games for 112 years after St. Louis. Fast forward 90 years to October 9, 2009, in Copenhagen when the 121st IOC session determined golf would be reinstated to the Summer Olympics and for plaqnning purposes, the sport returned in grand form at the 2016 Games at Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Interestingly, the USOC’s Bob Condron was named venue chief – a very smart move for the brand new course constructed for the event.

Britain’s Justin Rose and Korea’s Inbee Park took the gold medals in Rio.

Of course, the global pandemic wreaked havoc but golf returned in 2021 at the Tokyo Games when Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda, both representing the United States of America, won the men’s and women’s events. They remain defending champions until medals are awarded this week.

Keep in mind, unlike the usual PGA Tour, DP World Golf or LIV Golf event when some 50-70+ players will have a slice of the sizable purse, this week, only three players in both the men’s and women’s events are recognized as winners. In other words, you get the same prize for fourth as you do for 60th – “nuthin.”

5:55am – The featured group of defending champion Schauffele – winner of two of ‘24’s four majors in the PGA Championship and the recent Open Championship – was placed with Spain’s Jon Rahm who won his first LIV Golf title only a week ago, and Norway’s Viktor Hovland, the reigning FedEx Cup Champion and winner of a cool $18 million for his efforts, joined the party.

Remember, for their entire PGA Tour careers, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, winners of 25 majors and 135 tour titles, earned a combined $7,595,888. (US).

6:06am – France’s Mathieu Pavon teed-off as the hometown hero but he was overshadowed a bit by his playing partners, Collin Morikawa of the USA and MattFitzpatrick of England.

6:15am – Two – yes, count ‘em, two dogs woke up and sought me out in our home basement and both were happy to cuddle-up and return to sleep for a while. Both Penny (Lane), our 3.5 year old Irish Golden Doodle (heavy on the Golden Retriever and Poodle side) and (Mighty) Max of Silver Hammer fame, our 1-year old english Springer Doodle, of the happiest, mellowist, craziest dog of all-time fame, remained silent, observing golf’s most important rule – “No Barking” at 6:15am.

A second wind cup of (Dunkin Donuts – original) coffee was brewed and poured into an Ember ceramic mug. BTW, the Ember Cup might be the greatest invention of the century, and I applaud (sis-in-law) for her generous Christmas gift. The glowing blue light, turned white hot, somehow keeps the coffee at its perfect temperature which can be set to the desired degree (120-145 degree Fahrenheit and that’s 48.9-62.8º degrees in Celsius – for all my many subscribers spread across the globe or those covering the golf tournament in the outskirts of Paris.

Speaking of which, please don’t categorize this as a rant. It’s a sincere wish.

HOW in the WORLD can an Olympic Golf tournament be staged without a one-day team match play event for gold, silver and bronze medals? Each country to qualify would pick two players to compete in a bracket-type, Match Play tournament, not unlike the WGC tournament which used to be on the PGA schedule. It would add a lot to the golf experience at the Olympics, and maybe add two days for the players to remain on the road. … Mixed doubles would be great too. (Four Ball).

It’s “on” to the rest of the morning:

6:30am – The “regular” alarm clocks ring. Thursday, August 1, 2024 is now, officially beginning in this Boston household.

6:39am – The final threesome of the day – Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay, Joel Girrbachof Switzerland, and Tapio Pulkkanen of Finland – are the first tee. Meanwhile, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama became the clubhouse leader for the first round by shooting an (8-under) (63), three strokes ahead of a group of two players at (-6) and four players (and growing) at (minus 5).

By days end, Hideki Matsuyama, the Japan native and popular PGA Tour player, carded a bogey-free, 8-under (63) to top the 60-athlete, first-round leaderboard on a sultry day in the outskirts of Paris. Round 1 was victim to two weather delays.

August 2, 2024

The second round saw American Xander Schauffele card a 36-hole total of (131), tying the low 36-hole Olympic mark that he recorded at the 2020 in ‘21) Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan closed with a double-bogey (6) for a 3-under (68) in his Friday play, but he leads the field with 15 birdies through the opening two rounds.

Fatigue was kicking in on the second day of the 4:00am (ET) wake-up, never mind the third day.

August 3, 2024

Spain’s Jon Rahm posted his second consecutive (66) and he hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation. Rahm leads the field in Greens in Regulation (87.04%) and Driving Accuracy (80.95%) through three rounds.

Schauffele’s third round score (68) marked his second consecutive Olympics when he, at least, had a share of the 54-hole lead. Not bad. Schauffele can become the first back-to-back medalist in the men’s Olympic golf history.

Former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick of Great Britain withdrew from the Olympic men’s golf competition after he shot an (81) in the third round. He was nursing a thumb injury.

That leads us to the posting of WWYI (Saturday night at 10:00am ET) and the start of the final round of the tournament, beginning at 3:00am but highlighted when the leaders tee-it-up at 6:39am ET). So, if you’re reading this Saturday night, you know the deal.

If you’re reading it on Sunday morning, turn on the Golf Channel.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Buzzword Bingo for NBC’s coverage of the Men’s Olympic basketball tournament. Here’s a Top 10.

  1. International basketball is catching up. (psst, that happened at least 24 years ago).
  2. They check their ego at the door. (psst, there’s no ego check closet).
  3. The level of talent, is incredible. Twelve alpha-dogs.
  4. The USA hasn’t had all that much time to prepare.
  5. They have to play the right way.
  6. They’re playing for one another.
  7. This is bigger than me, individually.
  8. Take care of the basketball and defend the way you can.
  9. You’ve got guys that are willing to sacrifice.
  10. The coaching staff has done an amazing job. (a comment that can go 180-degrees if there’s an upset in the next round when it’s “On to Bercy”

RIP: There’s been far too many Rest in Peace notifications in this missive, but it’s a must to convey sincere condolences to the wife, Taryn Faith, and three daughters of Andy Jasner, a Philadelphia-based writer/reporter known to many of us through his late father, Phil Jasner, who wrote for the Philadelphia Daily News.

One minute Andy, 55, was filing a story on the Philadelphia Phillies, the next, he was gone, a victim of a massive heart attack which shook our world on Friday, August 2. The news spread quickly on Friday afternoon and the weekend. “I am simply speechless over this tragedy,” wrote one WWYI subscriber who emailed this morning.

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Texas Ends Losing Streak vs Red Sox

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ARLINGTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Texas’ sluggers Jonah Heim and Leody Taveras hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning to help the Rangers end a three-game losing streak by beating the Boston Red Sox 7-4 on Saturday in Texas.

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Heim hit a three-run homer against Boston starter Tanner Houck that tied the game at 3. Taveras followed with a solo home run against Houck to put Texas in front, 4-3.

Josh Smith had three hits for Texas, which had 13 hits in the game.

Boston’s Rob Refsnyder had two solo home runs, an RBI double and a single during a four-hit game. Refsnyder hit his sixth home run of the season in the first inning, and then collected home run No. 7 in the fourth. It was the first multi-homer game of his career.

Jose Leclerc (5-4) earned the win for tossing two-third of an inning of scoreless relief. Leclerc struck out Ceddanne Rafaela with the bases loaded to end the fourth.

Texas closer Kirby Yates recorded four outs to earn his 20th save. Yates entered the game with runners on first and second with two outs in the eighth. He struck out Jarren Duran with the bases loaded to end the inning.

Houck (8-8) allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

Boston’s Rafael Devers extended his hitting streak to 10 games when he doubled in the fourth. Connor Wong followed with an RBI single that extended Boston’s lead to 3-0.

After scoring four runs in their half of the fourth on the home runs by Heim (No. 10) and Taveras (No. 9), the Rangers took a 7-3 lead by adding three runs in the sixth. Ezequiel Duran, Taveras and Smith each had an RBI single in the inning.

The Red Sox sliced their deficit to 7-4 when Refsnyder’s double in the seventh drove in Rafaela, who opened the inning with a single.

Boston outfielder Tyler O’Neill did not play Saturday. Boston manager Alex Cora said O’Neill is dealing with an illness and may not be available Sunday either.

–Field Level Media