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PGA Tour: Watson, Hickok Co-Leaders at Travelers

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The Travelers: Final Round Notebook

Tournament co-leader Kramer Hickok is seeking his first career PGA Tour victory in his 68th start while fellow co-leader Bubba Watson looks to join Billy Casper as a four-time Travelers Championship winner.

Second-round leader Jason Day sits one stroke back looking for his 13th PGA Tour title but first since 2018.

Defending champion Dustin Johnson fired the low round of the day (65) to sit T-9 at 7-under after he birdied six of his last twelve holes.

Abraham Ancer and Kyle Stanley both used their 7-irons to record aces at the 180-yard 8th hole.

As the final round begins, there are 38 players within five strokes of the lead.

Travelers Leaderboard – After 54 Holes

Kramer Hickok 63-69-68 – 200 (-10)

Bubba Watson 66-66-68 – 200 (-10)

Cameron Smith 67-68-66—201 (-9)

Russell Henley 67-66-68—201 (-9)

Jason Day 69-62-70 – 201 (-9)

See PGA Tour Brunch for additional daily coverage.

Saturday at The Travelers

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The Travelers: 2021 Notebook

CROMWELL – At 9-under (131), Jason Day holds his first 36-hole lead/co-lead in a non-major since 2017 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Beginning on No. 10, the Australia native notched eight birdies en route to bogey-free 8-under (62). That score marked his lowest score in 24 rounds at the Travelers Championship (Previously: (63) in R-2/2019).

Bubba Watson opened with back-to-back rounds of (66) or better for the third time in his Tour career. He offset one bogey with five birdies for a 4-under (66) on Friday. His previous back-to-back rounds of (66) or better were at the 2010 The American Express/T-2, and 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open/T-2).

Kramer Hickok (T-2) is chasing his first career Tour victory in his 68th start.

K.H. Lee made eagle on the par-5 13th hole and par-4 15th hole, marking the first time in his career with multiple eagles in one round.

Defending Travelers Championship winner Dustin Johnson sits T-58 at 2-under.

The 36-hole cutline was (-2) with 79 players at 2-under (138) advancing from a field of 156 professionals.

Travelers Leaderboard – After 36 Holes

Jason Day 69-62 – 131 (-9)

Bubba Watson 66-66 – 132 (-8)

Kramer Hickok 63-69 – 132 (-8)

Seven players 133 (-7)

PGA Tour: Kodaira, Hickok Lead After 18

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The Travelers: Opening Round 2021 Notebook

Satoshi Kodaira made six birdies, one eagle in bid to become the season’s second tournament winner from Japan (Hideki Matsuyama/2021 Masters Tournament).

Kramer Hickok offset a bogey at his first hole with eight birdies, good for a PGA Tour career-low 7-under (63).

Following missed cuts in both previous Travelers Championship starts, Talor Gooch opened with a bogey-free 6-under (64).

In his first start at the Travelers Championship, Maverick McNealy opened with a bogey-free 5-under (65).

World No. 2 Dustin Johnson birdied his last two holes to open with an even-par (70) in effort to join Phil Mickelson as only players to successfully defend a Travelers Championship title.

Travelers Leaderboard – After 18 Holes

Kramer Hickok 63 (-7)

Satoshi Kodaira 63 (-7)

Talor Gooch 64 (-6)

Five players 65 (-5)

The Travelers Tees-Off in Connecticut

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PGA Tour “Travelers” to Nearby Cromwell, Conn

COURSE: TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut

ARCHITECT: Robert J. Ross/Maurice Kearney

YARDS/PAR: 6,841 yards/Par 70

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $7,400,000 /$1,332,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Dustin Johnson (2020)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Total/Winner: 2,989/500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @TravelersChamp

OFFICIAL SITE: (The Travelers)

TV COVERAGE: Today, June 24 and Friday, June 25:  3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. 

On Saturday, June 26, Round 3 coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. CBS takes over from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT). On Sunday, June 27: Golf Channel starts-off the coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) and CBS wraps it up from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

STREAMING: Streaming coverage with Featured Groups via PGA Live from 6:45am to 6:00pm (EDT) today and Friday. PGA Live Coverage expands on the weekend with Featured Groups streaming 8:00am to 3:00pm (EDT) and Featured Holes 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on both Saturday and Sunday.

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio returns for today and Friday coverage 12:00pm Noon to 6:00pm (EDT). Weekend coverage on PGA Tour Radio airs from 1:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) or until conclusion. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com

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

The Travelers: 2021 Notebook

Scheduled to compete in this week’s field are three of the four players with multiple wins this season: Bryson DeChambeau (2020 U.S. Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard), Stewart Cink (Fortinet Championship, RBC Heritage) and Patrick Cantlay (ZOZO Championship @ Sherwood, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday). With a victory on Sunday, one of the three could become the first player to win three titles during the 2020-21 season.

The 2021 Travelers Championship marks the beginning of the FedEx Cup playoff stretch. With only nine events remaining until the start of the playoffs, Jon Rahm moved to No. 2 in the FedExCup standings and within 137 points of leader Patrick Cantlay.

The Travelers Championship has a long history of awarding sponsor exemptions to up-and-coming players. Previous sponsor exemptions for some of the Tour’s biggest stars included: Webb Simpson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Matthew Wolff, Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa.

In 2021, sponsor exemptions include PGA Tour University top-ranked players John Pak and Davis Thompson, Oklahoma State product Austin Eckroat, who is making his first Tour start as a professional, and Chase Koepka, who qualified on Monday before the 2020 Travelers Championship but withdrew as a precaution after COVID exposure.

The Basics:

Tournament Tee Times begin today at 6:45am (EDT) through 2:00pm (EDT).

Weather: Today’s forecast calls for sunny skies and a comfortable 67-degrees, low humidity at 46% and a 0% chance of rain. Winds 6-12 mph. Friday forecast calls for 30% chance of showers, temps 53-80-degrees with southerly winds, 7-14 mph.

PGA Tour: The Travelers Preview

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First Look at The Travelers

COURSE: TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut

ARCHITECT: Robert J. Ross/Maurice Kearney

YARDS/PAR: 6,841 yards/Par 70

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $7,400,000 /$1,332,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Dustin Johnson (2020)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Total/Winner: 2,989/500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @TravelersChamp

OFFICIAL SITE: (The Travelers)

TV COVERAGE: Thursday, June 24 and Friday, June 25:  3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. 

On Saturday, June 26, Round 3 coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. CBS takes over from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT). On Sunday, June 27: Golf Channel starts-off the coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) and CBS wraps it up from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

STREAMING: Streaming coverage with Featured Groups via PGA Live from 6:45am to 6:00pm (EDT) on Thursday and Friday. PGA Live Coverage expands on the weekend with Featured Groups streaming 8:00am to 3:00pm (EDT) and Featured Holes 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on both Saturday and Sunday.

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio returns for Thursday and Friday coverage 12:00pm Noon to 6:00pm (EDT). Weekend coverage on PGA Tour Radio airs from 1:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) or until conclusion. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com

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

The Travelers: 2021 Notebook

The 2021 Travelers Championship field includes 99 PGA Tour winners, the most in an event since the 2021 PLAYERS Championship. Two-time Travelers Championship winner Phil Mickelson leads the pack with 45 wins, while the Tour’s most recent first-time winner, South Africa’s Garrick Higgo, will make just his second start since winning the Palmetto Championship at Congaree to earn PGA Tour membership.

Dustin Johnson will attempt to become the second player to successfully defend a Travelers Championship title. The 2020 win was Johnson’s first of three during the 2019-20 season and he went on to win the FedExCup, becoming the first player to win the Travelers Championship and the FedExCup title in the same season. Johnson relinquished the No. 1 position in the Official World Golf Ranking to U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm on Sunday, snapping a streak of 43 weeks as the world’s top-ranked player.

Three-time Travelers Championship winner Bubba Watson (2010, 2015, 2018) will make his 15th appearance and is seeking to tie Billy Casper for most wins in tournament history (4).

There were 27 rounds of (64) or better at the Travelers Championship in 2020, the most in a week since the event moved to TPC River Highlands in 1984. There were 1,774 birdies made in 2020, fifth-most of any event during the 2019-20 PGA Tour season.

The Basics:

Tournament Tee Times begin Thursday at 6:45am (EDT) through 2:00pm (EDT).

Weather: Thursday’s forecast calls for sunny skies and a comfortable 67-degrees, low humidity at 46% and a 0% chance of rain.

NFL’s Nassib Makes Announcement

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WEST CHESTER (PENN) – Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib said in a public social media announcement that he is gay, making him the first active NFL player to acknowledge his homosexuality.

He made his personal announcement on social media outlet, Instagram.

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“I’m at my house here in West Chester, Pennsylvania,” Nassib, 28, said. “I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now but finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest. I really have the best life, I’ve got the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for.

“I’m a pretty private person so I hope you guys know that I’m really not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important. I actually hope that like one day, videos like this and the whole coming out process are not necessary, but until then I am gonna do my best and do my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting, that’s compassionate.”

Raiders team owner Mark Davis said to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “These are personal decisions. It’s 2021, and he’s a Raider. If he’s happy, I’m happy. It takes courage. I thought we got to the point where this wasn’t (a prominent news story). It doesn’t change my opinion of him as a man or as a Raider.”

Eli Manning Helps NY Giants Sports Biz

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EAST RUTHERFORD – Former New York Giants quarterback and Super Bowl champion Eli Manning is back with the franchise in a front-office role, about 18 months after his final game as New York’s quarterback.

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Manning, who led the team to two Super Bowl championships, will work in business development, marketing, and community and corporate relations areas. In addition, he will contribute to content development and fan activities, which include a lifestyle series for broadcast to debut in the fall.

The team also announced Monday that Manning will be inducted into the Giants’ Ring of Honor and his No. 10 jersey retired during a special halftime ceremony Sept. 26 when the Giants host the Atlanta Falcons at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

Manning, 40, said he is delighted to accept the new job and to become the 43rd member of the Ring of Honor.

“It’s incredibly exciting to be back,” Manning said. “Staying involved with this organization is very important to me. I love the organization, love the Giants and the fans, and so I want to do anything possible to help them out and be a part of it.”

USA Basketball Names Women’s Olympic Hoops Team for Tokyo

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COLORADO SPRINGS – (Source: Official News Release) – With just over four weeks to go before the 2020 – call it (2021) – Olympic Opening Ceremony, the U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team was unveiled Monday morning. The squad features two five-time Olympians, one four-time Olympian, one three-time Olympian, two who will be competing in their second Olympics and six who will step on the Olympic court for the first time this summer.

Team selections for the six-time defending Olympic gold medalists USA were made by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee and pending approval by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

Headlining the team are longtime USA National Team members Sue Bird (Seattle Storm) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), who each donned a USA Basketball jersey for the first time in 2000 and own a combined eight Olympic and seven FIBA World Cup gold medals, and three-time Olympic gold medalist Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx), who also captured gold at the 2010 FIBA World Cup.

Expecting to play in a third Olympic Games is Tina Charles (Washington Mystics), a three-time World Cup gold medalist; while 2016 Olympic gold medalists Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury) and Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm), each of whom have captured at two World Cup gold medals, return to chase a second Olympic gold in Tokyo.

Two athletes who are pursuing their first Olympic gold medal and who already own a FIBA World Cup gold medal are Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm) and A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces).

Stepping onto the world stage for the first time at a FIBA senior-level five-on-five competition will be Ariel Atkins (Washington Mystics), Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Skylar Diggins-Smith (Phoenix Mercury) and Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces).

“USA Basketball has never been in a better place,” said U.S. Olympic Team head coach Dawn Staley (South Carolina), who claimed three gold medals as an athlete and helped guide two more Olympic teams to gold as an assistant coach. “I’m honored to be the coach of such an amazing collection of talented women, both those named to the team and those who gave their all the last few years but won’t be with us in Tokyo. The fact that some of the players who won’t suit up this summer would start for any other country is a testament to their talent and to what USA Basketball has done to build a program that lifts up our female athletes every single day. I’m so proud to be the coach of Team USA and like all of the coaches, support staff, and our players, I can’t wait to make America proud this summer.”

“USA Basketball is proud to announce the athletes who have been selected to play on our USA Women’s National Team at the Tokyo Olympics,” said retired Gen. Martin Dempsey , chairman of the USA Basketball Board of Directors. “These young women are elite athletes. Just as important, they are women of character who will represent our country on the world stage with honor, dignity, and respect on and off the court.

Buffalo Bills to Rebuild (Stadium)

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ORCHARD PARK – The Buffalo Bills are planning to build a new outdoor stadium in the Buffalo suburbs of Orchard Park, multiple media reports said Friday.

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The facility would include partial covering for seating and would require up to five years to complete, with official opening no sooner than 2025 but more likely in the Fall of 2026 or 2027.

The WROC-TV report said downtown Buffalo was given strong consideration as a building site, but remaining in Orchard Park is more cost effective.

“The team still needs to obtain government approvals in a variety of areas, including funding. All of which could delay the timeline,” read the report.