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The Open Championship

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PGA Tour, LIV Players Tee-it-Up at Royal Portrush

PORTRUSH (Northern Ireland) – The 2025 Open Championship is the 33rd of 36 FedEx Cup regular season events. It is the final major of the season. Also being contested this weekend, The Barracuda, is the 34th of 36 events. There are only three weeks remaining until the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs

This weekend:

  • It’s the final major championship of the season (Previous Winners: Rory McIlroy/Masters Tournament, Scottie Scheffler/PGA Championship, J.J. Spaun/U.S. Open)
  • The Open returns to Royal Portrush for the third time: 1951 (won by MaxFaulkner), 2019 (Shane Lowry)
  • Adam Scott is scheduled to make his 97th consecutive major championship appearance, dating to the 2001 Open Championship; only Jack Nicklaus (146) has played in more than 100 straight majors
  • Chris Gotterup, winner of last week’s Genesis Scottish Open, qualified for The Open Championship via The Open Qualifying Series as one of the top three finishers, not otherwise qualified (others: Nicolai Højgaard, Matti Schmid).
  • The last player to win on TOUR and win a major the following week: RoryMcIlroy (2014 WGCBridgestone Invitational, 2014 PGA Championship). (The PGA used two be the final major of the season).

The 153rd Open | Royal Portrush

  • 54 players in the field competed in the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, including nine of the Top 10.
  • The last 11 winners of The Open Championship won the event for the first time, starting with Phil Mickelson in 2013, tying the longest streak of first-time winners at The Open (1994-2004).
  • With three weeks remaining until the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, notable players in the field outside the Top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings entering The Open Championship include: Rickie Fowler (No. 71), Nicolai Højgaard (No. 73), Wyndham Clark (No. 78), Adam Scott (No. 83), Rasmus Højgaard (No. 84), Tom Kim (No. 87)

The Open | Tournament Preview

COURSE: Royal Portrush Golf Club, Portrush Northern Ireland

YARDAGE/PAR: 7,381 yards and a Par 71

ARCHITECT: Harry Colt

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Xander Schauffele

PRIZE Money (Purse/Winner’s Share): $17,000,000/$3,100,000

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 750

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @TheOpen

PGA TOUR SITE: (The Open)

PGA Tour: Gotterup Ties Course Record

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NORTH BERWICK (Scotland) – Chris Gotterup tied the course record with a 9-under-par 61 to take a two-shot lead at the midway point of the Genesis Scottish Open on Friday in Scotland.

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The round included a 6-under 29 on the front nine of The Renaissance Club to move Gotterup to 11-under 129 for the tournament.

England’s Harry Hall was alone in second place at 9 under following a 6-under 64 in the second round.

Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (65) was in a group of three tied for third place at 8 under, along with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick (63) and Marco Penge (67).

Gotterup, 25, is looking for his second career PGA victory. He won at Myrtle Beach last year.

Gotterup carded nine birdies in the bogey-free round, six coming during his dynamic front nine.

“I definitely played good today,” Gotterup said. “Not a lot of wind in the morning which was obviously beneficial. But yeah, it’s funny, when it flips you get some holes that you like and some holes that you don’t like and vice versa.

“I think there’s definitely certain holes that feel nice. Nice three pars to finish. You just take what you can get, what the course gives you with the wind.”

Gotterup is trying to play his way into next week’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush. He currently has a flight to California scheduled for Monday.

Gotterup missed the cut in eight of his first 12 events this season but has rallied by making eight of the past nine cuts. He had four straight top-20 finishes in one stretch.

Hall, 27, had seven birdies and one bogey during his strong round. He followed that lone bogey with a stretch of four birdies in a row at Nos. 3-6.

“This wind position allows you to hold the green on a couple par-5s, and yeah, it made 5s drivable,” Hall said. “Definitely an easier wind.”

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy improved three shots in the second round to a 65 and is in a group of seven tied for sixth place at 7 under overall. McIlroy was the biggest mover in the group, jumping 27 spots.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” McIlroy said. “I did a lot of good things today. Still a couple of loose shots here and there but overall I thought it was a good day and obviously excited for the weekend right in the thick of things, in contention going into the last two days, and you know that’s where — if there is anything you need to work on in your game, that’s where it’s going to show when you’re under that sort of pressure trying to win a golf tournament.”

First-round leaders Sepp Straka of Austria and American Jake Knapp also were at 7 under after each shot a 1-under 69. Another first-round leader, Victor Perez of France, was at 6 under following an even-par 70, while Nico Echavarria of Colombia plummeted from a tie at the top to a tie for 27th at 4 under following a 72.

U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun failed to make the cut after a 72 that put him at 2 over par through two rounds. Scotland’s Calum Hill was just one shot off the lead after the opening round but failed to make the cut after shooting a 7-over 77 on Friday.

Collin Morikawa (4 over) also missed the cut.

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour: Campbell Wins John Deere

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SILVIS – (Wire Service Report) – It was quite a golf anniversary for Brian Campbell. Ten years to the week since he made his PGA Tour debut, he won the John Deere Classic.

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Campbell’s par on the first playoff hole gave him his second career victory on the tour, winning Sunday at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill.

“It all started here as an amateur, my first invite here,” Campbell said. “I’ve loved it ever since.”

He loves it even more now.

Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo scrambled on the extra hole, the par-4 18th, and Campbell’s steady approach was enough.

Campbell, who also won the Mexico Open at Vidanta World in a February playoff, and Grillo, bidding for his third PGA Tour triumph, both posted 4-under-par 67s to finish regulation at 18-under 266. Campbell is the sixth multiple winner on the tour this year.

“To be let alone in a playoff and to finish it off this way, it’s just been amazing,” Campbell said.

Campbell’s double bogey on No. 15 nearly cost him, but he rolled in a birdie two holes later.

As he waited to see if there would be a playoff, Campbell opted for rest instead of going through another warm-up. He figured he had hit enough shots during the tournament.

“It’s grueling out here. We’re sweating. It’s just hot,” he said. “I think we really needed to take a break, get some water, rather than go out and beat balls and putt for who knows how many minutes.”

Grillo’s tee shot on the playoff hole went into the right rough and he never fully recovered from that.

“I think I hit every fairway today, except for that first in the playoff,” he said.

David Lipsky, who was in the final pairing, hit his tee shot into the rough on No. 18 and missed a par-saving putt from 15 feet away, dropping out of a would-be spot in the playoff with his 68. He tied for third place with Kevin Roy (65).

“I’m just really happy how I had a really good mindset, kept plugging away and grinded it out,” Lipsky said.

Lipsky’s bogey on No. 15 put his title chances in jeopardy, but an eagle 3 on No. 17 — coming on a putt of less than 8 feet — pushed him into a share for the lead.

“I’m going to look at the positives and take that from this week,” he said.

Carson Young (64), Lucas Glover (64), Jacob Bridgeman (64), Matt Kuchar (66), Kurt Kitayama (67) and Max Homa (69) all ended at 16 under in a tie for fifth place.

Again, the leaderboard was full of contenders.

“The first scoreboard I saw everybody was going bananas, and you kind of knew that would happen,” Glover said. “No wind, soft conditions, the rain (Saturday) softened everything up.”

Seventeen golfers, including amateur Jackson Koivun, ended up within three shots of the lead. Koivun (67), a 20-year-old, was among seven golfers at 15 under.

Homa was 3 under for the day through four holes and held the lead at 16 under before an uneven finish.

Beau Hossler and Michael Thorbjornsen set the early pace with torrid 63s for the day’s best rounds.

Third-round leader Davis Thompson shot 72 and tied for 18th place at 14 under. His fourth bogey of the day came on the final hole.

First-round and 36-hole leader Doug Ghim dropped to a tie for 31st place at 11 under after his Sunday score of 69.

South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter, who won the Rocket Mortgage Classic in a playoff a week earlier for his first tour victory, withdrew prior to the final round.

–Field Level Media

Ghim Holds On at John Deere

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SILVIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Doug Ghim shot a 3-under-par 68 and held onto a one-stroke lead over Max Homa and a group of contenders at the John Deere Classic on Friday in Illinois.

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Homa is part of a five-way tie for second after also posting a 68 late Friday afternoon at TPC Deere Run. He matched Ghim at 12 under with a birdie at the par-5 17th hole, but after finding a bunker off the 18th tee he failed to save par and dropped back a shot.

“They couldn’t make it today but I’m anticipating family coming (Saturday), and I’m excited about that,” Ghim said.

Ghim made an eagle for the second straight round, holing out from 179 yards away at the par-4 15th.

“I guess holing out two days in a row is always nice,” he said. “It’s been couple years since I think I holed out from the fairway. To get two back-to-back days is a great.”

He reached 13 under for the tournament with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 4-5, but Ghim bogeyed his closing hole, No. 9.

Homa entered the week an abysmal No. 122 in the FedEx Cup standings amid a disappointing season, but now he’s in the mix for his first win since 2023.

“I don’t think really much changes” on the weekend, Homa said. “I mean, just play the golf course. You’re going to have to shoot really low. If you went out there and tried to do something specific, I’m not so sure that is going to work. Somebody can go out there and shoot 11-under out there and jump everybody.

“So just go do what we did today and play another round of golf. Just keep waiting until the back nine on Sunday basically.”

The round of the day belonged to defending champion Davis Thompson, whose bogey-free 63 catapulted him to 11 under. Tied with Homa and Thompson are Brian Campbell (66), David Lipsky (67) and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo (66).

“(On Thursday) I hit a lot of great putts early but they were just burning the edges,” said Thompson, who made four birdies on each nine Friday. “Then I was able to make a few on the back nine (Thursday) and just ride that momentum into today.”

Colombia’s Camilo Villegas (66) and Si Woo Kim of South Korea (67) are part of a group at 10 under as the second round finished up late Friday.

Rickie Fowler dropped four shots in a four-hole span on his back nine, with two bogeys and a double bogey, but he birdied No. 17 to finish up a 1-over 72 and get to 5 under, which wound up being the cut line at the end of the day.

Notable names who missed the cut included Tom Kim of South Korea (4 under), Australian Jason Day (2 under), J.T. Poston (1 under) and Canadian Adam Hadwin (2 over).

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour Making Changes

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH – (Wire Service Report) – The PGA Tour has restructured the distribution of playoff bonuses, including the FedEx Cup champion this season earning $10 million in prize money instead of $25 million as in the past two years.

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The new payouts from the $100 million total in bonus money — first reported Wednesday by Front Office Sports and posted on the PGA Tour website — were revealed weeks after an announcement in May that the Tour Championship’s “starting strokes” format will be eliminated. The season-ending tournament in August — for the top 30 following two previous playoff events — will be a standard 72-hole stroke-play format at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

The new three-tier system will reward golfers based on the FedEx Cup points standings after the regular-season finale at the Wyndham Championship (the top 10 splitting $20 million, with No. 1 getting $10 million), and after the second playoff event, the BMW Championship (top 30 splitting $23.93 million, with No. 1 getting $5 million).

The Tour Championship winner will get $10 million of the remaining prize money ($57.08 million), with the rest paid to the other 29 players based on their finishes. Players ranked Nos. 31-150 will divide $17.08 million in deferrals.

“To account for the increased volatility of the final event, reward season-long performance and recognize the significance of the FedExCup, the FedExCup bonus distributions for the top 30 positions were rebalanced,” the PGA Tour posted on its website.

Front Office Sports worked the scenario that if current points leader Scottie Scheffler is the No. 1 at the end of the regular season and after the BMW Championship and then wins the Tour Championship, he will receive the same total of $25 he collected for winning the 2024 FedEx Cup.

The tour also posted that there are no changes in 2025 for the Comcast Business Tour Top 10, which pays $40 million to the top 10 players in the standings at the end of the regular season. First place is worth $8 million, and each place earns less down to $2 million for 10th place.

The bonus structure was led, per the Front Office Sports report, by the PGA Tour Player Advisory Council’s business subcommittee, which consists of Maverick McNealy, Keith Mitchell, Brandt Snedeker and Kevin Kisner, and is overseen and player director Patrick Cantlay.

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour: Potgieter Wins in Playoff

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DETROIT – (Wire Service Report) – As a grueling playoff unfolded in the Rocket Classic, South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter was determined to have enough pace on what became the final putt Sunday.

Potgieter drained an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole to secure his first PGA Tour victory by winning the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club.

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“Struggled to make putts. Left a lot short,” Potgieter said. “Finally got one to the hole.”

Potgieter outlasted Max Greyserman in an extended playoff that began with three golfers. Chris Kirk’s bogey on the second playoff hole cost him a chance and reduced the playoff to two golfers.

Potgieter, a big-hitting 20-year-old, began the tournament with a 62 on Thursday and ended up with the biggest prize. He is the youngest South African to win on tour.

“Big thanks to my family, friends, coaches, everyone who has been involved to kind of get me to this point,” Potgieter said.

The trio of Potgieter, Greyserman and Kirk finished 72 holes at 22-under-par 266.

“This one is going to sting a little bit,” Greyserman said.

Potgieter, who became the seventh-youngest PGA Tour winner since 1983, and Greyserman both had birdies on the par-5 14th hole — the fourth stop in the playoff — before Potgieter sank the winning putt on the par-3 15th hole.

Kirk and Greyserman shot final-round 5-under-par 67s and Potgieter, who was the first- and third-round leader, had 69.

Kirk had the best chance on the first playoff hole, but he was off the mark on a birdie putt of slightly more than 9 feet.

“It’s a shame that first playoff hole,” Kirk said. “Hit just three perfect shots and I misread that putt a little bit. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Greyserman missed from 11 feet on the second extra hole before Kirk was eliminated with a three-putt bogey moments later.

“Just really disappointed right now,” Kirk said. “Felt like I played great today. I’m happy with the way I played.”

[Read more…] about PGA Tour: Potgieter Wins in Playoff

Bradley Wins at 72nd Hole

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CROMWELL – (Staff Report) – In a 360-degree turnaround on the 72nd and last hole of play at the 2025 Travelers Championship, New England born and bred Keegan Bradley scored a one shot victory over England’s Tommy Fleetwood to win the last of the PGA Tour’s signature Events and a $4 million jackpot.

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Fleetwood missed a 6-foot-eight-inch putt on the 18th hole before Bradley holed a 5-foot-eight-inch putt for the win. Fleetwood began the final round with a three stroke lead over Bradley and Russell Henley in an attempt to win on USA soil for the first time. Fleetwood is an eight-time winner on the European Tour.

Fleetwood started slowly, playing the first four holes with a three over par score but he maintained his lead. The pressure mounted for the final three holes and Fleetwood bogeyed two of those three – No. 16 and No. 18 – and finished (-14) while Bradley birdied No. 15 and No. 18 to finish (-15) for the victory which provided him with 700 FedEx Cup points.

The 700-point haul vaulted Bradley to No. 8 in the FedEx Cup year-long standings. Fleetwood earned 375 points for his T-2 and is No. 10 on the FedEx Cup point list.

Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 and FedEx Cup point leader for 2025, finished T-6 and earned 375 points. After shooting (62) in the opening round on Thursday, Scheffler struggled in the wind on Friday (69, 1-under) and Saturday (72, +2 over).

Henley finished tied for second place with Fleetwood while Jason Day and Harris English finished T-4. Harris was among five players to shoot (65) on Sunday. US Open champion J.J. Spaun carded a (63) in his final round and finished T-14.

Bradley was greeted by his entire family after sinking the winning putt in front of a pro-New England and USA crown at TPC River Highlands, just south of Hartford, Connecticut. Bradley was born in Woodstock, Vermont, and grew up in nearby Hopkinton, Massachusetts, often attending the very tournament he’s now won twice.

TL’s Sunday Notebook | June 22

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While We’re Young (Ideas) at TPC River Highlands

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CROMWELL (Connecticut) – As your trusty columnist plunges in a pool of “Coppertone,” (that’s OG for sun block), blows in the wind gusts that made Friday’s round at the 2025 Travelers Championship golf tournament hit a low average a 70.68, and while we agonize over the Moving Day results for tournament leaders – Justin Thomas, and Scottie Scheffler – there’s no better time than today to set golf aside for a paragraph or three and a review great Game 7s in NBA history.

Game 7s

Here’s a look at all of the Game 7s in NBA history:

Year, Result

2016 Cleveland Cavaliers def. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 93-89

2013 MIAMI HEAT defeat San Antonio Spurs 95-88

2010 LOS ANGELES LAKERS def. Boston Celtics 83-79

2005 SAN ANTONIO SPURS def. Detroit Pistons 81-74

1994 HOUSTON ROCKETS def. New York Knicks 90-84

1988 LOS ANGELES LAKERS def. Detroit Pistons 108-105

1984 BOSTON CELTICS def. Los Angeles Lakers 111-102

1978 Washington Bullets def. SEATTLE SUPERSONICS 105-99

1974 Boston Celtics defeat MILWAUKEE BUCKS 102-87

1970 NEW YORK KNICKS def. Los Angeles Lakers 113-99

1969 Boston Celtics def. LOS ANGELES LAKERS 108-106

1966 BOSTON CELTICS def. Los Angeles Lakers 95-93

1962 BOSTON CELTICS def. Los Angeles Lakers 110-107 (OT)

1960 BOSTON CELTICS def. St. Louis Hawks 122-103

1957 BOSTON CELTICS def. St. Louis Hawks 125-123 (2 OT)

1955 SYRACUSE NATIONALS def. Fort Wayne Pistons 92-81

1954 MINNEAPOLIS LAKERS def. Syracuse Nationals 87-80

1952 MINNEAPOLIS LAKERS def. New York Knicks 82-65

1951 ROCHESTER ROYALS def. New York Knicks 79-75

That’s a total of 19 Game 7s with the home team going 15-4. Not too shabby for the home squads.

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TL TENURE: In my tenure at NBA HQ, there were only three Game 7s over the 26 years. They came in 1984, ‘88 and 1994. (Look who is in far right corner of the photo above from ’84)

Without a doubt, the 1984 “NBA World Championship Series” (that’s pre-NBA Finals lingo), was the best game and the best series I’ve ever seen in person. I worked a then-record 135 consecutive Finals games with Game 1 of the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers sweep over the LA Lakers – Moses Malone called it “Fo, fo, and Fo,” but it went “Fo, Five and Fo” – in a disappointing quick series that Moses, Dr. J and Company just dominated. That next year – 1984 – were were primed for greatness.

The Celtics and LA Lakers delivered with the Cs taking Game 7 on the parquet in the old Boston Garden, 111-102. It was an epic series with Hall of Famers deep on each team’s roster.

LA Lakers:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Michael Cooper

Earvin “Magic Johnson

Bob McAdoo

Jamaal Wilkes

James Worthy

Boston Celtics:

Larry Bird

Dennis Johnson

Kevin McHale

Robert Parish

Both team coaches, KC Jones of the Celtics (enshrined as a player) and Pat Riley of the Lakers (enshrined as a coach) were at the respective helms of their legendary clubs.

In Game 7 back in ‘84, the Boston Garden indoor temperature that was an issue in Game 5 was not as bad (indoor temperatures hovered around 91°F rather than 97 during the game, due to additional fans brought in to attempt to cool the air). The Celtics were led by Cedric Maxwell who had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Larry Bird (Indiana State) avenged the 1979 NCAA Final Four loss to Magic Johnson (Michigan State) and Bird won the MVP honors for the series.

Earlier Celtics teams lived by the motto, “No rebounds, no rings.” The great Bill Russell ecelled in Game 7s, snagging 40 rebounds in 1962, 35 rebounds in 1960 and 32 rebounds in 1966.

In 1988, “Big Game” James Worthy has 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the LA Lakers to a 108-105 Game 7 victory. In the 2-3-2 format for home games, the series switched back to LA with the Lakers trailing the Pistons 2-games-3, but the Lakers prevailed, taking the last two games of the series. Game 6 is remembered for Detroit’s Isiah Thomas spraining his ankle, badly, but still scoring 25 of his 43 points in the third quarter, gimping on the ankle. Worthy won the MVP of the series.

One item of note: The 2025 NBA Finals are a turning point for the league. An age of parity in the league has brought about two incredibly talented teams, one the model for the other. Get ready for more of these type match-ups, as the strong, long, fast, deep, versatile NBA clubs will outlast the traditional types. Since the 2018 NBA Finals, there’s been a different champion each and every year, including 2025. That defines a new era in NBA basketball and it’s … FAN-tastic.

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Seattle Mariner’s catcher Cal Raleigh is on his way to a record-breaking season. Raleigh broke Hall of Famer Johnny Bench‘s 1970 record for home runs by a catcher before the All-Star break, hitting his major-league-leading 28th and 29th in the Seattle Mariners’ 9-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

Looking ahead, Raleigh will attempt to break these numbers for a single season:

2021 – Sal Perez (Kansas City Royals) – (48)

1970 – Johnny Bench (Cincinnati Reds) – (45)

2003 – Javy Lopez (Atlanta Braves) – (43)

Mike Piazza (Dodgers and Mets) is the all-time leader for career home runs with 427 (396 hit as a catcher). Raleigh has 122 dingers on his career.

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AT THE TRAVELERS: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had a rough round on Friday, playing in wind gusts of 30 mph. After shooting a scorching (62) on Thursday, Scheffler followed with a (69) on Friday, including a double-bogey on No. 17 as he came in at 35. Scheffler began the third round with a triple bogey on Saturday and later experienced a double bogey on No. 8. He had five birdies on the day but shot a 2-over, 72, and will tee-off Sunday as a player T-8.

Thomas was worse. He had a bogey on No. 2 and a dreaded quadruple bogey (9) on No. 13 and finished 3-over, 73 and enters Sunday play T-14.

Between the two leaders, they hit for the cycle with bogey – double bogey – triple bogey and quadruple bogey.

On the other hand, Tommy Fleetwood did some moving on “Moving Day,” shooting a 7-under, 63, and leads Russell Henley by three strokes. Henley shot a best-of-week (61) on Saturday to sit T-2 and three back.

New England native Keegan Bradley – captain of the USA Ryder Cup team this Fall – shot a (63) with seven birdies and a bogey free round.

Digital Sports Desk and sister e-news PGA Tour Brunch will be on site at TPC River Highlands, just south of Hartford, Connecticut where we write from on Saturday and Sunday.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Sam Coffey, daughter of former NY Daily News columnist Wayne Coffey, was named to the active roster for the upcoming threesome of friendlies for the US Women’s National Team. The product of The Masters School in Westchester County, Boston College and Penn State will take her place against No. 25 Ireland (June 26 & 29) and No. 8 Canada (July 2). … Those games will be broadcast on Turner (TNT/TruTV).

The 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be staged on Friday, June 27 (7:00pm ET, ESPN) and Saturday, June 28 (12 Noon ET, NHL Net). The event will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

RAFA and RAFAEL: When Rafael Devers was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the San Francisco Giants, it broke up a strong bond between teammates – CeddanneRafaela and the discarded Devers. The MLB scheduling gods brought them back together on Friday night.

“He’s like my big brother. I really looked up to him when I was coming up,” said Rafaela. “So it’s always a pleasure for me to watch him play and watch him perform. I think, yeah, it was fun.”

Yes, it was fun for Rafaela and Boston as the Red Sox took a 7-5 victory at SF’s Oracle Park. Rafaela came through with a rally-starting double, an RBI single and a towering solo homer while Devers had a rough 0-for-5 night at the plate. Devers enjoyed some revenge on Saturday when he homered off former teammate Brayan Bello in the third inning of his SF Giants’ 3-2 win over the Sox.

PHIL STEELE and COLLEGE FOOTBALL: WWYI has written of the great College Basketball preview publication called Blue Ribbon Basketball. For College Football, it’s Phil Steele’s 2025 College Football Preview. The 75-page bible for college footy is already in mailboxes all around the nation and it’s available for purchase by clicking HERE.

Boston College fans can read about the fact their football team will face a Top 25 of toughest schedule in 2025. BC comes in at No. 11 in the country for that tough schedule dictating the chance to have a drop-off from their (7-6) 2024 record when they lost to Nebraska in the Pinstripe Bowl.

THIS JEST IN: The Stanley Cup got a little “banged up” this week, thanks to the Florida Panthers’ celebration of back-to-back titles. The greatest trophy in all the world is cracked and the bottom is dented, but it’s not the first time and likely not the last.

The Panthers won their second consecutive championship on home ice Tuesday night, beating Edmonton in six games. The team, following decades of tradition, partied with the Cup into the wee hours and kept the revelry going in Fort Lauderdale well into Wednesday afternoon. After the damage was done, a spokesperson for the Hockey Hall of Fame said the keepers of the Cup are taking appropriate measures and plan to have it repaired by the city-wide celebration parade today. Made of silver and a nickel alloy, the 37-pound Cup is relatively malleable, and has a history of dealing with the reckless abandon days of lore.

In 1906, a year after being drop-kicked into a canal in Ottawa, Canada, the Montreal Wanderers took possession of The Cup by defeating Ottawa in a rematch. After a night of revelry, the players decided to take the Cup for an official picture at JimmyRice’s photography shop. Pleased with their photo, the players then exited Rice’s and crossed the street for a cold beer, but they did so without Lord Stanley’s Cup.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: The University of Wisconsin sued the University of Miami on Friday, formally accusing the Florida school of tampering with a football player under a “financial contract” with the Badgers.

The decision to sue could become a watershed moment in the current era of college athletics. Never before has a university accused another of tampering with one of its athletes, who did not have contracts before the dawn of name, image and likeness rights this decade.

“While we reluctantly bring this case, we stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field,” the school said in a statement.

Though Wisconsin’s lawsuit only refers to the player as Student Athlete A, the subject of the case is cornerback Xavier Lucas, who left Wisconsin and enrolled at Miami over the winter without ever entering the transfer portal.

There was no word on college basketball coaches walking across the gym during conference games and handing an opponent a check for $1.2 million.

Fleetwood Moves In at Travelers

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CROMWELL – Saturday’s round at the Travelers Championship was a definitive Moving Day. Tommy Fleetwood moved in while Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas moved out.

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The world No. 1 and 2024 Travelers Championship winner, Scheffler (T8/-7), opened the third round with a triple bogey (7). It marked 300 days since his last triple on TOUR (No. 10/R4/2024 BMW Championship).

Justin Thomas was worse. He had a bogey on No. 2 and a dreaded quadruple bogey (9) on No. 13 to finish 3-over, (73). He enters Sunday play T-14.

Fleetwood carded a bogey-free (63), including five birdies and one eagle on No. 13. It marked the fifth time he eagled the par-5 13th at TPC River Highlands, the most of any hole in his TOUR career. His (194) marks his lowest 54-hole total on TOUR (previous: 195/2018 BMW Championship/finish: T8).

It’s the second time Fleetwood holds a 54-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR but he’s 0-for-1 to date (2020 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches/3rd). Fleetwood leads Russell Henley by three strokes. Henley shot a best-of-week (61) on Saturday to sit T-2 and three back.

General Notes:

The popular 2023 Travelers Championship winner, Keegan Bradley (T2/-13), carded seven birdies en route to a bogey-free (63). Bradley seeks his eighth career title on TOUR and first since 2024 BMW Championship He could become eighth multiple-time winner of the event (first since Bubba Watson in 2018).

Australian Jason Day (4th/-11) seeks his 14th career TOUR win and first since 2023 THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. His best result in 10 appearances at Travelers Championship was a T8/2019. His best finish in 11 starts this season: T3/American Express.

The Travelers | Leaderboard After 54 Holes

1 Tommy Fleetwood 66 65 63 194 (-16)

T2 Russell Henley 68 68 61 197 (-13)

T2 Keegan Bradley 64 70 63 197 (-13)

4 Jason Day 66 66 67 199 (-11)

Full Leaderboard: (PGATourCom)

PGA Tour: Weekend at Cromwell

by

CROMWELL – What was the song of the day on Friday at the 2025 Travelers Championship?

“Who’s peekin’ out from under a stairway

Callin’ a name that’s lighter than air?

Who’s bendin’ down to give me a rainbow?

Everyone knows it’s Windy.”

With apologies to The Association (music group of the ‘60s), yes, it was quite windy on Friday, especially when Scottie Scheffler was on the course.

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Scheffler remains T-1st along with scorching hot Justin Thomas (64) and veteran Tommy Fleetwood (65), who each dodged the windy conditions to post big time scores to roll into contention for the $4m first place prize this weekend at beautiful TPC River Highlands.

Thomas carded five consecutive birdies (Nos. 11-15) en route to his (64), his ninth consecutive round in the 60s at TPC River Highlands. It’s his 15th career 36-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR and second this season (RBC Heritage/Won) and he’s batting .500, 7-for-14 in converting to victory to date.

Thomas’ 4-under (31) tied his lowest back-nine score at this event (fifth time) and he’s a remarkable 34-under in his last nine rounds at Travelers Championship.

Tommy Fleetwood is the only player with multiple eagles through 36 holes (Nos. 13 and 15/R2). Friday marked his seventh career stroke-play round on TOUR with multiple eagles (most recent: 2023 U.S. Open/R4)

Fleetwood’s is a cumulative 6-under on holes No. 13 and 15 combined through 36 holes.

General Notes:

First-round co-leader Austin Eckroat (T5/-7) made his fourth start at the Travelers Championship (T47/2021, T24/2023, T27/2024). He made his PGA TOUR debut at the 2021 Travelers Championship on a sponsor exemption.

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy (T9/-5) was 3-over through four holes en route to carding a 1-over (71). McIlroy has finished in the Top-20 in five previous starts at the Travelers Championship (best: T7/2023).

Popular 13-time PGA TOUR winner Jason Day’s (4th/-8) is on track for his best result in 10 appearances at Travelers Championship is T8/2019. His best finish in 11 starts this season was a T3/American Express.

The 70.686 scoring average Friday marked the highest single-round scoring average at Travelers Championship since 2017 (70.824/R2).

Si Woo Kim withdrew during the second round with a back injury.

The Travelers | Leaderboard After 36 Holes

 

T1 Justin Thomas 67 64 131 (-9)

T1 Scottie Scheffler 62 69 131 (-9)

T1 Tommy Fleetwood 66 65 131 (-9)

4 Jason Day 66 66 132 (-8)