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F1 Spanish Grand Prix: What comes next in the Red Bull-McLaren-Ferrari fight? f,spanish,grand,prix,what,comes,next,in,the,red,bull,mclaren,ferrari,fight,sbnation,com,front-page,formula-one,2024-formula-one

On: June 17, 2024 By: admin

Two weeks ago the Formula 1 grid arrived in Montreal with visions of a true title fight on the minds of fans and drivers alike. “I don’t think either championship is over by any means,” Oscar Piastri declared to me when I sat down with the McLaren driver for an exclusive interview following his second-place finish in the Monaco Grand Prix.

“The Constructors’ [Championship] I would say is still open. We’re still a third of the way through the year. So it’s definitely still all to play for. I would say, of course, we’re at a bit of a disadvantage being as far back as we are, but it’s certainly not impossible,” continued Piastri “And yeah, I think even in the Drivers’ Championship, it’s not done and dusted yet.”

However, Max Verstappen had something to say about that latter point in Montreal.

Verstappen’s win in the Canadian Grand Prix, coupled with a DNF for Charles Leclerc, his closest challenger in the Drivers’ Championship, meant the Red Bull driver pulled 25 points further head of his nearest threat. Even with Lando Norris’ P2 in Montreal, Verstappen’s first-place finish saw him gain a few more points on the McLaren driver.

Now, the Constructors’ Championship was another matter. Sergio Pérez suffered a DNF of his own, so while Verstappen added 25 points to Red Bull’s account with his win, Norris’ P2 and Piastri’s P4 saw McLaren bank 28 points in the Canadian Grand Prix. Those two results, coupled with the Ferrari double DNF, meant the field on the Constructors’ side of things tightened up even more in Montreal.

As Piastri said, neither championship is “done and dusted” just yet. And things have only tightened more in the Constructors’ Championship these past few weeks.

Will things tighten even more in Barcelona? That is surely the biggest storyline to watch this week as the F1 grid heads to the Spanish Grand Prix.

But it is not the only one.

What awaits on the driver market front?

Will the fluid driver transfer market deliver more news this week?

With the F1 world descending upon Barcelona, the focus likely shifts to Carlos Sainz, Jr. The Spanish driver has yet to confirm his plans for the 2025 season, when Lewis Hamilton slides into the seat Sainz currently occupies at Ferrari.

Rumors have surrounded Sainz ever since that announcement, with teams such as Mercedes, Sauber — soon to become the Audi works team — and most recently Williams linked with the accomplished driver.

Late last week reports surfaced that despite expectations that Sainz would move to Sauber, ahead of the transition to Audi, that Williams was in the driver’s seat to land the driver. According to these reports, Williams has offered Sainz a four-year deal, giving the driver a potential out after two seasons if he believes the team has not made sufficient progress in his mind.

Of course, nothing is official until ink is put to paper, and Sainz himself has brushed aside various reporting already this season.

“The only thing I can tell you is there is nothing locked in. I’ve seen reports, I don’t know if it’s in Spain, people saying I’ve signed. I look at those things and it makes me laugh because I remember seeing reports three months ago that I had signed for Mercedes, reports that I had signed for Red Bull. Now obviously those places are not going to happen,” said Sainz earlier this month.

“So it’s funny now seeing people say I’ve signed for Williams. It makes me laugh that this goes a bit unpunished for some media person. It concerns me that people can get away with that kind of stuff,” added Sainz. “When I have something to announce, you guys will be the first to know and I will be here openly talking about my future.”

Now Sainz is just one of the drivers yet to announce his future plans. Other drivers we are waiting to hear from include Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon, and more. But with the grid in Sainz’s home country, it is fair to turn our thoughts to an announcement from him first.

The future of F1 in Barcelona

As the grid arrives in Barcelona for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, the future of Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on the F1 grid is in severe doubt. At the start of this calendar year it was announced that the Spanish Grand Prix will move to a new street circuit in Madrid beginning in 2026, on a track that will city’s exhibition center.

The new location will extremely accessible for fans, as the new circuit will be just five minutes away from Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez airport, and near local Metro and train stations. According to the announcement, “ … it is estimated that 90% of fans will be able to travel to the paddock via public transport, while those staying in local accommodation will be a short walk away from the venue.”

While that might be great news for fans, it calls into question the future of an event in Barcelona.

Will Spain soon host two races, or will the new circuit in Madrid remain the sole race on Spanish soil going forward? Or perhaps Barcelona will again host F1 pre-season testing, as it did until 2023, when the site of pre-season testing was moved to Bahrain.

The next step in the never-ending development wars

We are truly in the thick of the 2024 F1 season, and when you add in the layer of a true title fight shaping up — at least when it comes to the Constructors’ Championship — every upgrade matters.

And as you might expect, teams are bringing a host of upgrades to Barcelona ahead of the upcoming tripleheader (more on that in a second).

Andrea Stella, the McLaren Team Principal, teased some upcoming upgrades for the Woking-based outfit recently. “For the coming races, we will have some upgrades, but they won’t be a single kind of big upgrade like we have seen over the last 12 months,” said Stella. “This is more some individual components where we found a little bit of performance and rather than waiting to deploy everything together once ready we take it track side.

“So I won’t say what but we will see some new stuff coming over the few coming races.”

McLaren, thanks to a P2 from Lando Norris and a P4 from Oscar Piastri last time out, actually gained three points in their chase of Red Bull at the top of the Constructors’ standings. And with Ferrari dealt a double DNF in Canada, McLaren pulled 28 points closer to the Scuderia, and they now trail Ferrari by just 40 points.

While Mercedes is a bit farther back in that fight, the Silver Arrows are coming off their best weekend of the year, with George Russell notching a podium finish in Montreal. That result comes as the team has been rolling out a series of upgrades, starting with the Miami Grand Prix. That package has included a new front wing, with Russell utilized in the Monaco Grand Prix and then Lewis Hamilton utilized in Montreal.

But the Silver Arrows are not done, as a new floor is coming for the W15.

“I think definitely, since Imola, we’ve taken the right steps and put parts on the car that are working, something that we were struggling in the past couple of years,” said Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff recently. “Now directionally we seem to be adding performance every weekend and we have new stuff coming also, new parts coming in Barcelona that should help us. So I would very much hope that we can continue this positive trajectory.”

While the new floor is a big component, and a new front wing is something certainly visible to the naked eye, Wolff outlined that Mercedes has been bringing many new components these past few weeks, some of which might not be visible to the untrained eye.

“Sometimes when you bring a highly-visible part like a bodywork or front wing, this is pretty much the talk of what has changed the performance,” added the Mercedes boss.

“But the truth is we have, over the last three races, brought so many new parts, visible and invisible for the eye, that have contributed milliseconds to more performance. I think this is where those marginal gains then have that positive effect. That was just a huge effort of the factory, so I think the wheel has started to get some real motion on it.”

As for Ferrari, the Scuderia planned on bringing their latest set of upgrades later this season, but reports out of Maranello indicate that they may push those new components out for the Spanish Grand Prix, given the disaster that was the Canadian Grand Prix for the team. According to Formu1a.uno, Ferrari was targeting Silverstone for another aggressive package, but the team may be “ … accelerating production times to introduce the most important innovations already in Barcelona.”

Will that truly be the case? We’ll know more in a few days.

Finally there is Red Bull. Will they have some upgrades of their own in Barcelona?

Team Principal Christian Horner hinted recently that they indeed might have some new components ready for Barcelona. “It’s a possible yes,” said Horner when asked if Red Bull would roll out some upgrades in Barcelona. “We’re closer to the top of the curve, so you get into a law of diminishing returns. But there will be subtle upgrades over the summer months.”

As the F1 schedule hits the summer the action on the track — and in the factories — heats up.

Round 1 of a tripleheader

When the 2024 F1 schedule was announced, many noticed that the calendar called for three different triple headers.

The first is upon us.

This weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix kicks off three straight weeks of racing. Following the Spanish Grand Prix, the grid will head to Red Bull Ring, for the Austrian Grand Prix. That weekend adds even one more layer, as the Austrian Grand Prix is one of six F1 Sprint race weekends.

Following Austria, the grid then heads to historic Silverstone, the site of the British Grand Prix.

Beyond the usual challenges an F1 week presents for teams and drivers, having three straight weeks of racing adds even more hurdles — and potential problems — for the ten teams to endure.

So buckle up friends, as a lot of F1 action is heading your way these next three weeks.

33 soon … ?

When the grid arrived in Barcelona a year ago, Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso were in many ways the talk of the F1 world. Aston Martin was still second in the Constructors’ Championship standings, one point ahead of third-place Mercedes. As for Alonso himself, he was in third place, 12 points behind Sergio Pérez. As you might expect from that place in the standings, the veteran driver was in fine form, having five podiums in six starts.

That beginning of the 2023 season led to talk of “33 soon?”, the rallying cry that followed Alonso’s quest for his elusive 33rd grand prix victory. With the grid arriving in Barcelona, there was hope that perhaps Alonso would earn that elusive victory in front of a home crowd.

However, if anything the results in the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix told the story of what was to come for Aston Martin down the stretch a year ago. Alonso finished down in seventh — behind teammate Lance Stroll — and he would see the podium just three more times over the rest of the year.

“I think sixth and seventh positions were the maximum for us. I thought our performance seemed better in qualifying, so I think we need to look at why and aim to bounce back for Canada,” said Alonso after the race. “We still scored some solid points and we had no risk at the end of the race. I want to thank the fans for their passion, energy and support this weekend. It was very emotional and special for me.”

Canada was one of those final three podiums for Alonso in 2023, as he finished P2 behind Max Verstappen. But that elusive 33rd victory has yet to materialize for the veteran driver.

Can he make some magic happen at home this weekend?

U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau wins; 5 takeaways from Pinehurst u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,wins,takeaways,from,pinehurst,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news,liv-golf

On: June 17, 2024 By: admin

Bryson DeChambeau is now a two-time U.S. Open champion, clinching the title at Pinehurst No. 2 four years after he did so at Winged Foot in New York. He did not have his best stuff on Sunday, but he found a way to get the job done, thanks partly to Rory McIlroy, who made three bogies over his final four holes to lose by one.

With his win, DeChambeau enters rare territory, joining Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods as the only players to have ever won a U.S. Amateur and multiple U.S. Open titles—pretty good company to join. On the flip side, McIlroy’s major drought continues, as his downfall on Sunday was perhaps the most heartbreaking moment of his illustrious career.

Here are five takeaways from the sandhills of North Carolina:

1. An all-time classic U.S. Open

The 124th U.S. Open will go down in the history books as one of the best ever. We had two of the best players in the world—Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy—duking it out on a challenging golf course on the back nine, leaving everyone on the edge of their seats.

You can not ask for anything more at a major championship. Every shot was a must-watch, from DeChambeau’s third shot on the 10th all the way to his heroic sand save on the 18th hole. Rory McIlroy produced magical moments, too, until his putter went ice cold on the 16th and 18th holes, which shocked the world and left everyone in disbelief.

But this is a tournament people will remember for a long time.

In the post-round press conference, Kevin Van Valkenburg of No Laying Up said to DeChambeau, “It doesn’t feel like too much hyperbole to feel like this is one of the great U.S. Opens in history.”

Before Van Valkenburg could finish his question, DeChambeau chimed in, saying, “Wow,” doing so in disbelief after a rollercoaster day that could have gone either way.

DeChambeau then said that he felt “thankful” to have been a part of it. But in all seriousness, the golfing world should count their blessings to have witnessed such a great championship amid so much division within the sport.

2. Bryson DeChambeau—second best in the world?

Bryson DeChambeau has played better across the three major championships than any other player, including Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler won The Masters, The Players, and three other Signature Events this season. But in the tournaments where he has played alongside DeChambeau, the LIV Golf star got the better of him twice.

DeChambeau tied for 6th at Augusta National and then finished solo second to Xander Schauffele at Valhalla. Now, he is the U.S. Open champion, triumphing on a course where Scheffler sorely struggled for four straight days.

Scheffler is still the top-ranked player in the world, but at this point, DeChambeau should slide in as the number two.

Bryson DeChambeau, U.S. Open — Bryson DeChambeau raises his arms after winning.

He has proven himself on the biggest stages this season, demonstrating a skillset that stretches beyond his ability to hit 350-yard drives. His short game was incredible all week; he made putts when needed, except on the par-3 15th on Sunday. DeChambeau stepped up and hit the shots when he had to, with no bigger one coming on the 18th hole, where he got up and down from the bunker 55 yards short of the green.

Best of all, golf fans have embraced DeChambeau. They used to view him as a pariah; now, he’s arguably the sport’s biggest star.

3. Rory McIlroy’s collapse worse than Mickelson’s in ‘06, Dustin Johnson’s in ‘15

I’m not so sure Rory McIlroy can ever recover from what transpired down the stretch on Sunday.

Let’s start with the tee shot on the par-3 15th, a hole that he bogeyed on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. At that point, McIlroy sat at 8-under par, with firm control of the tournament. He had just made birdies on the 9th, 10th, 12th, and 13th holes to pull ahead and into the solo lead.

But on this very hole, McIlroy knew that any shot long was dead. So, from 205 yards out, McIlroy pulled a 7-iron. He then hit a lower draw than normal, trying to pound one into the center of the green. But since McIlroy hits a draw, and a right-to-left ball flight does not land softly, his shot bounced hard on the firm surface and rolled off the back of this ‘Turtleback’ green. It settled up against wiregrass, assuring a bogey.

Rory McIlroy, U.S. Open — Rory McIlroy walks up the 15th hole.

So, why in the world did he attempt to rocket a hard, low 7-iron, instead of a high fade, perhaps with a 6-iron? Even if he came up short, he could have saved par to that hole location. But as soon as he went over, the collapse was on.

Then came the difficult par-4 16th.

McIlroy hammered a drive, played a smart second shot, and a par looked all but assured—until he missed his par attempt from 2-feet-9-inches. That miss shocked the world, as it marked McIlroy’s first miss from inside three feet all season, per Justin Ray.

Suddenly, McIlroy sat at 6-under, with DeChambeau tied right behind him. Two more pars would likely force a playoff, and a birdie on either 17 or 18 would win, thus snapping the drought.

He missed his tee shot left into the bunker on 17 but managed to save par. Then, on 18, McIlroy pounded a drive again, but it missed the fairway left and nestled up against the wiregrass. Why McIlroy did not opt to hit a 3-wood here is another pressing question in his decision-making.

Anyhow, he scurried his second shot from the native area to about 20 yards short of the pin, right in front of the green. He then hit a solid chip, but it carried a bit too much pace, settling 3-feet-6-inches above the hole. That set the stage for a slippery, downhill slider that nobody would want to have in a U.S. Open.

McIlroy missed that, too, signing for a 1-under 69 and finishing the U.S. Open at 5-under overall. DeChambeau, of course, made his miraculous par behind him, thus winning the title and leaving McIlroy sick to his stomach.

But why does this collapse rank higher than Phil Mickelson’s mishap on the 72nd hole at Winged Foot in 2006 and higher than Dustin Johnson’s three-putt gaffe at Chambers Bay in 2015?

Both Mickelson and Johnson faced the music after their respective collapses.

McIlroy did not.

Mickelson, after blowing it on 18 and handing the title to Geoff Ogilvy, famously said, “I’m in shock, I can’t believe I’ve just done that. I’m such an idiot.”

Johnson, meanwhile, received 11 questions from the media in 2015, each of them primarily focused on what transpired on the 18th green, where he gifted the championship to Jordan Spieth.

“Disappointed,” Johnson said on that fateful Father’s Day in the Pacific Northwest.

“I had all the chances in the world. I’m really proud of the way I hit the ball. Proud of the way I handled myself all day.”

Do you know how many questions McIlroy fielded on Sunday?

Zero.

Instead of talking to the press, or to anyone from NBC Sports for that matter, McIlroy bolted to his car before DeChambeau even accepted the trophy. His private plane was in the air by 7:30 p.m. ET, roughly 40 minutes after he missed on 18, and he landed in South Florida an hour and 14 minutes later, per Radar Atlas.

Phil Mickelson, U.S. Open — Phil Mickelson after the end of the 2006 U.S. Open.

I understand that facing scrutiny in the age of social media and 24/7 news coverage is demanding and difficult, especially in moments of heartbreak and agony. I also know that he has a lot going on in his personal life. But McIlroy makes millions of dollars to play golf. Hundreds of people also cover the sport, making nowhere close to what McIlroy earns. It’s their job to share McIlroy’s perspective with millions around the world in an effort to grow the game and provide a viewpoint on one of the biggest events in the sport.

It’s also McIlroy’s duty to explain what happened.

Do you think Scott Norwood of the Buffalo Bills wanted to meet the media after he missed the game-winning field goal in Super Bowl XV? No. But he did. Norwood answered every single question—just like Mickelson and Johnson.

That’s what professional athletes do. McIlroy fell short of that, and because he blew off the media and failed to explain himself, his collapse tops those seen in 2006 and 2015.

McIlroy knows that too—hence his decision to get out of dodge.

4. Props to Pinehurst No. 2

Take a bow, Pinehurst No. 2.

You delivered a marvelous, thrilling championship that entertained everyone for an entire week.

We saw diabolical shots, ‘Ping-Pong’ games, putts off greens, surreal chip-ins, unthinkable holes-in-one, and an all-world finish that we will remember forever.

The strategy required on this golf course is also second to none, as this Donald Ross masterpiece made players think more about angles than anything else.

The 4th fairway at Pinehurst No. 2 during the 2024 U.S. Open.

The greens, as crazy as they are, starred like an Oscar-winning actor.

The native wiregrass that lined every fairway, with 75 different plants scattered about, left everyone wondering what would happen next on every single shot that went there.

The layout of the course is also a thing of beauty. Tricky par-3s befuddle the player towards the end of each nine, while the 5th and 10th holes—both par-5s—provided rare birdie opportunities earlier on.

All in all, the course delivered, but there is one thing that Pinehurst No. 2 can do for when this championship returns in 2029: make the wiregrass more abundant and more penal. Plenty of players had clean shots from there all week. The U.S. Open prides itself on being golf’s most demanding test, so why not add more of a challenge to the waste area? It will only entertain everyone else even more.

5. An ode to Johnson Wagner, Golf Channel’s biggest star

After the championship concluded, Johnson Wagner of the Golf Channel decided to re-create the shot Bryson DeChambeau hit on 18.

Mind you, Wagner has become a golf celebrity in recent months simply because of these short segments on live television.

Since The Players Championship in March, Wagner, on ‘Live From,’ has: hummed balls into the side of a hill, roped a punch shot off a tree, climbed into the woods to asses a Xander Schauffele ruling, twice got the yips on air, and then, this week, he walked through why Tony Finau and Ludvig Åberg collapsed on the 13th hole.

But nothing could top what he did on Sunday.

After rocketing an attempt over the green, DeChambeau pulled up to the spot where he played his now-famous shot and embraced Wagner. Then, DeChambeau told Wagner to hit another one, with the champion as a witness. He also provided some insight on how to play the shot.

With a 50-degree wedge in hand, Wagner hit a perfect chunk and run. His ball landed on the green and rolled towards the cup, just as DeChambeau’s did in regulation.

But Wagner’s ball stopped even closer than DeChambeau’s, which elicited a massive celebration from the now-reigning U.S. Open champion and Golf Channel’s newest, and now, biggest star.

Even Scott Van Pelt of ESPN referred to Johnson as such, an honor worthy of tremendous recognition. So bravo, Johnson, for closing out a memorable week at Pinehurst No. 2 in style.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

Bryson DeChambeau wins $4.3 million, see full U.S. Open payout bryson,dechambeau,wins,million,see,full,u,s,open,payout,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news,liv-golf

On: June 17, 2024 By: admin

After two top 10s at the Masters and PGA Championship, Bryson DeChambeau came out on top at the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

The LIV Golf captain held off Rory McIlroy, thanks to a phenomenal bunker shot he had on the 18th. His par save on the last gave DeChambeau the win by one, as he took home his second U.S. Open title since 2020.

His bank account will see $4.3 million added to it because of his win.

Funny enough, DeChambeau’s remarkable par save on 18 reminded many of his hero, Payne Stewart, who holed an 18-footer to win in 1999. Granted, DeChambeau’s par attempt was a little shorter than Stewart’s, but it was a special moment for the former SMU golfer.

In his three major championship starts this season, DeChambeau has won a total of $6,993,000. His tie for 6th at the Masters awarded him with $695,000. He then took home $1,998,000 for placing second at the PGA Championship and won $4,300,000 this week at the U.S. Open.

McIlory’s solo second place did earn him $2,322,000, bringing his season total to $10,034,665, which puts him third behind Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler.

Ludvig Åberg tied for 12th with Sergio Garcia and added $409,279 to his bank account. The Swedish phenom now sits fifth on the PGA Tour money list for the 2024 season, as he has earned a total of $7,686,998 to date.

Let’s check out how much each player made this week at Pinehurst.

U.S. Open Prize Money Payout:

1: Bryson DeChambeau: $4,300,000
2: Rory McIlroy: $2,322,000
T3: Tony Finau: $1,229,051
T3: Patrick Cantlay: $1,229,051
5: Matthieu Pavon: $843,765
6: Hideki Matsuyama: $748,154
T7: Russell Henley: $639,289
T7: Xander Schauffele: $639,289
T9: Sam Burns: $502,391
T9: Davis Thompson: $502,391
T9: Corey Conners: $502,391
T12: Sergio Garcia: $409,279
T12: Ludvig Åberg: $409,279
T14: Thomas Detry: $351,581
T14: Collin Morikawa: $351,581
T16: Tommy Fleetwood: $299,218
T16: Akshay Bhatia: $299,218
T16: Taylor Pendrith: $299,218
T19: Shane Lowry: $255,759
T19: Aaron Rai: $255,759
T21: Max Greyserman: $203,607
T21: Daniel Berger: $203,607
T21: Min Woo Lee: $203,607
T21: Stephan Jaeger: $203,607
T21: Brian Harman: $203,607
T26: Brooks Koepka: $153,281
T26: Zac Blair: $153,281
T26: Chris Kirk: $153,281
T26: Neal Shipley (a): $0
T26: Tom Kim: $153,281
T26: Tyrrell Hatton: $153,281
T32: Adam Scott: $126,901
T32: Si Woo Kim: $126,901
T32: Sahith Theegala: $126,901
T32: Keegan Bradley: $126,901
T32: Isaiah Salinda: $126,901
T32: Christiaan Bezuidenhout: $126,901
T32: Cameron Smith: $126,901
T32: J.T. Poston: $126,901
T32: Denny McCarthy:$126,901
T41: Frankie Capan III: $72,305
T41: Harris English: $72,305
T41: Jordan Spieth: $72,305
T41: Scottie Scheffler: $72,305
T41: Tom McKibbin: $72,305
T41: Tim Widing: $72,305
T41: Emiliano Grillo: $72,305
T41: Billy Horschel:$72,305
T41: Luke Clanton (a): $0
T50: Justin Lower: $51,065
T50: Matt Kuchar: $51,065
T50: Nicolai Højgaard: $51,065
T50: Mark Hubbard: $51,065
54: Nico Echavarria: $47,370
55: David Puig: $46,501
T56: S.H. Kim: $44,546
T56: Ben Kohles: $44,546
T56: Ryan Fox: $44,546
T56: Sepp Straka: $44,546
T56: Greyson Sigg: $44,546
T56: Brian Campbell: $44,546
T56: Adam Svensson: $44,546
T56: Wyndham Clark: $44,546
T64: Matthew Fitzpatrick: $42,155
T64: Francesco Molinari: $42,155
T64: Martin Kaymer: $42,155
T67: Cameron Young: $41,286
T67: Brendon Todd: $41,286
69: Dean Burmester: $40,417
T70: Gunner Broin (a): $0
T70: Brandon Wu: $39,548
72: Sam Bennett: $39,548
73: Jackson Suber:$39,113

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

U.S. Open: Rory McIlroy squeals out of Pinehurst after heartbreak u,s,open,rory,mcilroy,squeals,out,of,pinehurst,after,heartbreak,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 17, 2024 By: admin

Rory McIlroy left Pinehurst No. 2 as soon as Bryson DeChambeau putted out for a one stroke victory.

Multiple reporters on the ground saw McIlroy bolt right for his courtesy car and leave the golf course as fast as he could. Alan Bastable of Golf.com caught it on video.

McIlroy did not conduct any media interviews, nor did he speak to anyone from NBC Sports.

McIlroy could not stomach his latest major championship heartbreak, with this one hurting more than all the other ones combined.

He looked completely dejected in the scoring room afterward, and understandably so.

The Northern Irishman stood on the tee at the par-3 15th hole at 8-under par, with DeChambeau trailing him by one. But he airmailed the green with a 7-iron, which led to a bogey four. His demise would get worse from there.

On the next hole, McIlroy had a 2-foot-6-inch putt for par and inexplicably missed. His second straight bogey dropped him back to 6-under for the championship and into a tie with DeChambeau with two holes to play.

After making an up-and-down to save par on 17, McIlroy pulled his drive left into the native area on 18, drawing a poor lie with wiregrass right in front of his ball. He then hit his second shot just short of the green, barely escpaing the sand trap that guards the front of the putting surface. McIlroy played his third shot to 3-feet-9-inches behind the hole, and like he did on 16, he missed that putt too.

Just like that, McIlroy dropped three shots over his final four holes as his collapse at the 124th U.S. Open will live on forever.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau among 5 best dressed players u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,among,best,dressed,players,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-opinions,liv-golf

On: June 17, 2024 By: admin

One of the emerging niches in professional golf is fashion. What these PGA Tour and LIV Golf players wear continues to spark intense discussions on social media.

That said, fashion is a subjective topic with no right answer.

The 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 saw mostly traditional vibes from the players, but some took risks. Sergio Garcia did so with his fashion, but none looked great. Meanwhile, Hideki Matsuyama wore stripped polos all four days, and those did not delight the eyes, either.

Not all those risks paid off, but some do.

Nevertheless, after the first two rounds, we gave you a list of five players, but how many of those players made the final cut?

To make this final list, plenty of variables are considered, including fit, coloring, details, and risk level. But the player must compete in all four rounds, too. Those who missed the cut are not eligible.

So, without further ado, check out the five best-dressed golfers from Pinehurst No. 2.

5. Ludvig Åberg

Ludvig Åberg dropped from second to fifth on this list because he wore navy again on Sunday.

Granted, it was a sharp outfit, but seeing him in a different color would have been great. Give the people some pink or lavender moments, Åberg; your skin tone is perfect for it.

When he brought out the green on Saturday, it was a huge win. That color looks fantastic on his skin tone and is unique. Navy is a great color most of the time, but seeing it repeatedly gets boring.

Ranking: 8/10

4. Min Woo Lee

Coming out of nowhere to land in the fourth spot is Min Woo Lee. The Lululemon scripting was on fire this week. He gave four strong looks, but this blue from Thursday and his Sunday outfit were the favorites.

Yes, they are pretty neutral, but the sunglasses and the flow—he has a high level of confidence about him. Lee knows what colors look good on him, and each week, Lululemon makes him look incredible. The only note is for him to branch out with the pants, but other than that, Lee cooked on the golf fashion front.

Ranking: 9/10

3. Collin Morikawa

Surprise! Another Adidas athlete on the best-dressed list is Collin Morikawa. From Thursday’s peach vibes to this fantastic green and blue moment, the two-time major winner put together four solid days of outfits.

This blue goes so well with that shade of green, so it was great to see him put on the brighter pants with it. All four days were strong for Morikawa, but Thursday and Sunday were the best moments.

Ranking: 9.5/10

2. Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy finished the U.S. Open in heartbreaking fashion, and this loss will likely sting for a while. However, the Northern Irishman looked clean all four days. That light blue on Sunday was a great choice for his skin tone.

The pants were pretty dull, but it is hard not to have him on this list when all four days were tailored correctly, and he did not repeat too much. If he had given us a bright pant on Sunday, that would have elevated him into the No. 1 spot.

Regardless, he gave four great looks that most golfers would enjoy wearing.

Rating: 9.8/10

1. Bryson DeChambeau

Bryson DeChambeau is the 124th U.S. Open winner. His incredible up-and-down on 18 will go down in the history books as one of the best shots ever. But his outfits were fantastic as well. The look on Saturday was the best because the pants were a different shade of blue.

DeCahmbeau’s peach floral polo was a good color for those pants, making him look even more tan. The look was clean but just bold enough to be remembered.

Then on Sunday, his small stripped polo looked a touch busy on the screen, but seeing the belt and shade of pants, it is hard to give the best-dressed title to anyone else. DeChambeau won the crowds over and showed how fun golf can be, which also came through in his fashion.

His outfits backed up the impressive golf. His color scheme went together each day, and the cohesion was perfect. Even though DeChambeau gave us something different, it all went together.

Rating: 10/10

U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau’s epic par trumped by Johnson Wagner u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,s,epic,par,trumped,by,johnson,wagner,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news,liv-golf

On: June 17, 2024 By: admin

Did Johnson Wagner win the U.S. Open?

He might have.

After Bryson DeChambeau triumphed over Rory McIlroy in epic fashion at Pinehurst No. 2, Wagner, now a Golf Channel legend, decided to re-enact the best shot of the day: DeChambeau’s third from the sand on 18.

During the tournament, DeChambeau faced a 55-yard shot from the bunker, a daunting shot often regarded as the most difficult in professional golf. DeChambeau proceeded to execute it perfectly with a 55-degree wedge, stuffing his approach to four feet. He then made the putt for par, thus clinching his second U.S. Open title.

About two hours later, after DeChambeau paraded around Pinehurst No. 2, embracing all the fans, Wagner picked that shot for his famous demonstration.

Mind you, Wagner has become a golf celebrity in recent months simply because of these short segments. Since The Players Championship in March, Wagner, on live television, has: hummed balls into the side of a hill, roped a punch shot off a tree, climbed into the woods to asses a Xander Schauffele ruling, twice got the yips on air, and then, this week, he walked through why Tony Finau and Ludvig Åberg collapsed on the 13th hole.

But nothing could top what he did on Sunday.

With a 50-degree wedge in hand, Wagner hit a perfect chunk and run. His ball landed on the green and rolled towards the cup, just as DeChambeau’s did in regulation.

But Wagner’s ball stopped even closer than DeChambeau’s, which elicited a massive celebration from the now-reigning U.S. Open champion and Golf Channel’s newest, and now, biggest star.

Considering Wagner’s trials and tribulations on live television this year, he celebrated this shot with authority. DeChambeau even handed him the trophy, which Wagner jokingly accepted with a big smile on his face.

Live From the U.S. Open has always been the go-to show for golf fans before, during, and after major championships, but Wagner’s presence has made that even more so.

So congratulations on winning the 124th U.S. Open, Johnson Wagner. You deserve it.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau’s win has fans singing his praises u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,s,win,has,fans,singing,his,praises,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-fan-reactions,liv-golf

On: June 17, 2024 By: admin

Bryson DeChambeau is now a two-time U.S. Open champion as he conquered Pinehurst No. 2 in epic fashion on Sunday.

DeChambeau hit an incredible 55-yard bunker shot that rolled to three feet on the 18th hole. He then made his par putt just like Payne Stewart famously did 25 years ago. That final putt put the finishing touches on a 1-over 71, which had him finishing at 6-under-par, one stroke ahead of Rory McIlroy.

When DeChambeau needed his best, he provided it in the biggest moment. That bunker shot may go down as one of the greatest in golf history, given the difficulty and the circumstances. If he had not executed that shot the way he did, there could have been a playoff, at least.

Nevertheless, the LIV Golf captain won the crowd over this week at Pinehurst.

Chants of USA-USA-USA and De-Cham-beau, De-Cham-beau, De-Cham-beau whistled across the course. The fans loved him, and DeChambeau’s image change seems complete.

After he won, social media messages flourished. Fans praised the two-time U.S. Open winner for his performance on the course and for his remarkable display of talent.

All DeChambeau wants to do is grow golf.

These reactions to his winning the U.S. Open showed he is already achieving that goal:

Ludicrous scenes. Bryson DeChambeau is running at a hundred miles an hour around Pinehurst, giving every fan present a chance to touch the US Open trophy.

This is why major championship golf is one of the few things I love as much now as when I was a boy. Pure folklore. pic.twitter.com/YQEcZuccHi

— Nick Metcalfe (@Nick_Metcalfe) June 16, 2024

This video of him running around with the U.S. Open trophy so the crowd could touch it is priceless. He told fans to try and touch it, so DeChambeau attempted to make it happen. Not everyone gets to feel the U.S. Open trophy, but DeChambeau may not have won without this crowd.

Golf influencer Paige Spiranac said it perfectly, “Such amazing golf, drama and entertainment! This is what golf needs.”

This sport needs a personality like DeChambeau.

Wow what an incredible US Open! Congratulations to Bryson Dechambeau! Such amazing golf, drama and entertainment! This is what golf needs

— Paige Spiranac (@PaigeSpiranac) June 16, 2024

I can’t believe I’m a Bryson DeChambeau fan now. Love the energy, crowd engagement, and the 180 turn in attitude. The right guy won today.… however, I will not be getting single length clubs.

— Nate Boyer (@NateBoyer37) June 16, 2024

ESPN’s Jeff Darlington also made a good point about DeChambeau—he is a needle mover. People flock to him and get excited when the LIV Golf star does well.

Meanwhile, if he wasn’t already, Bryson DeChambeau sure seems to be have become this weekend what golf is continually seeking: A needle mover.

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) June 16, 2024

Even Brooks Koepka congratulated his fellow LIV Golf member.

DeChambeau now has two U.S. Open’s—only the 23rd player in history to achieve this, and he did so dramatically. Better yet, he joins Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods in winning a U.S. Amateur title and multiple U.S. Opens. That’s pretty good company.

The third major of the year did not disappoint, and much like the PGA Championship, DeChambeau continues to show how incredible golf can be.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s rivalry is a good thing for the WNBA, and they know it caitlin,clark,and,angel,reese,s,rivalry,is,a,good,thing,for,the,wnba,and,they,know,it,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,wnba,womens-sports,all-womens-sports,wnba-content,dot-com-grid-coverage

On: June 17, 2024 By: admin

INDIANAPOLIS — It may still be very early in their respective journeys, but Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark will be tied to one another no matter what happens over the rest of their careers.

Even before simultaneously entering the WNBA as part of one of the most heralded rookie classes ever, Clark and Reese — and especially the competitive college clashes between their Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers, respectively — played a huge role in bringing the women’s game to a national audience.

Sunday offered the latest chapter in their rapidly growing rivalry. For the second time in as many meetings against the Chicago Sky, Clark was hit with a hard foul. This time, it was Reese who caught Clark in the head on a block attempt, a play that was eventually deemed a Flagrant-1 foul.

While it likely won’t create the national firestorm the last flagrant foul against Clark in a game against the Sky did, it was a watershed moment between the two in another game that came down to the wire, a recurring theme in matchups between the pair.

Clark had arguably her best game in the WNBA, flirting with a triple-double while finishing with 23 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds, as well as a couple of late clutch plays — including an assist to NaLyssa Smith and a pair of free throws in the final 30 seconds — that helped seal a fifth win of the season for the Fever (5-10) and fourth in the last six games.

Reese left her mark as well, scoring 11 points to go with 13 rebounds (5 of them were offensive), and 5 assists.

After the game, though, there was only one topic to discuss. After cursory first questions to open their pressers, the second question for both Clark and Reese postgame was about the flagrant foul.

“What’s going through my mind is I need to make these two free throws,” Clark said when asked about Reese’s flagrant foul. “That’s all I’m thinking about. It’s just part of basketball. It is what it is. She’s trying to make a play on the ball and get the block but, yeah, it happens.”

Reese, meanwhile, was far shorter with her response, calling the foul a “basketball play” and stating that she was going for the ball. Neither wanted to make a big deal about it, but that won’t stop the take train from going down the tracks — and potentially derailing women’s basketball discourse for a few days once again.

Clark and Reese are no strangers to being in this spotlight, nor is it new for them to do it together. Sunday was the eighth time the pair have faced off, including in college. Reese won the first four meetings, culminating in the national title game in 2023 in which the first viral moment between the two came when Reese taunted Clark in the waning seconds of the game.

Clark, though, has won the three most recent meetings. That includes the Elite Eight contest earlier this year and the two WNBA meetings between the pair so far.

While their duels in the Big Ten when Reese was at Maryland in her freshman and sophomore seasons before transferring to LSU didn’t capture the national audience, their tournament showdowns certainly did. The pair helped set the record for the most-watched women’s college basketball game of all time in 2023 at 9.9 million viewers.

This spring in a rematch with a Final Four berth on the line, they obliterated that record, with 12 million fans tuning into the game. In their first WNBA meeting this season, 1.5 million fans tuned in, the fourth-largest audience to watch a WNBA game in the last two decades at the time.

After years of commanding enormous audiences on the collegiate level, Clark and Reese are now bringing a whole new set of eyes to the professional ranks.

“They love to watch us,” Reese said of her and Clark before Sunday’s meeting. “I think we’ve done a great job bringing a lot of fans to the league from college. I think we both have done that from our respective schools and [having] our championship runs and going to the Final Four. I think we did a great job bringing fans from college to the league and…we’ll continue to help [the league] grow.”

Given the events and controversy that took place in the first meeting between the Fever and Sky in their first meeting, the TV audience for Sunday’s game will almost certainly be another large one. Gainbridge Fieldhouse was sold out for the fourth time this season, and the fans were as loud as they’ve been all year.

It’s inarguable that Reese and Clark are compelling television: two of the best young players in the world squaring off with one another time and time again as they help grow the game along the way.

But what Clark thinks draws audiences most, though, is the “emotion and passion” the two play those showdowns with.

“I think people love to see that,” Clark said. “I think that’s maybe not something that was always appreciated in women’s sports and it should be. That’s what makes it fun. We’re competitors. That’s the way the game should be. It’s going to get a little feisty, it’s going to get a little physical but at the end of the day, both teams are just trying to win.

“I think what she’s done with her platform is incredible. She has an entire fanbase that has supported her [with] what she did at Maryland and then LSU. Obviously, I’ve played her for a very long time and she’s been a tremendous player. It’s been fun to get to compete against. I think it’s been really good for the game. People just love seeing great matchups. But also, at the same time, people tune in for these matchups but then they get to see how amazing these teams are and then they find new players to support and continue to come back for them, too. So, I think that’s another benefit of it, honestly.”

Sunday was another noteworthy moment in the rivalry. Even if both downplayed it, the headlines from the game won’t be about Clark’s near-triple-double or Reese’s double-double. It will bring attention to the league, but not in the way either desire.

The pair, though, is bringing lots of the wanted attention to the league as well. And Reese and Clark will have plenty of opportunities to provide more memorable moments against one another.

The WNBA is not chock full of rivalries that resonate on a national scale the way Clark’s and Reese’s do. The Liberty and Aces are a clear one as the league’s two superteams, but outside of that, there aren’t many other nationally-known rivalries.

Pregame, Fever head coach Christie Sides was asked if their matchups against the Sky feel like rivalry games. Sides, who served as an assistant in Chicago from 2011 through 2016, said it was a “huge” rivalry and has been for many years. But even if that’s how it felt to those on the inside already, the addition of Reese and Clark was always going to bring it up a couple of notches now.

They’re two of the bright young stars in this game and have already defined an era of the college game. They look to be on the path to doing the same in the WNBA as well.

And if they do, it could help elevate the league to its highest levels yet.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.

LPGA: Lilia Vu outlasts Lexi Thompson in epic playoff lpga,lilia,vu,outlasts,lexi,thompson,in,epic,playoff,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,lpga-golf,golf-news

On: June 17, 2024 By: admin

Somehow, someway, Lilia Vu is an LPGA winner again.

Vu, the second-best player in the world behind Nelly Korda, has battled a back injury for most of the season. She even missed the U.S. Women’s Open two weeks ago, and had to withdraw from the Chevron Championship in April because of her back. But Vu overcame that ailment—and an eight-shot deficit on Sunday—to win the Meijer LPGA Classic in thrilling fashion.

Vu carded a 7-under 65 to climb up the leaderboard on Sunday, as she finished at 16-under-par, putting her in a tie with Lexi Thompson and Grace Kim after 72 holes. The trio needed three holes to determine the winner, but in the end, Vu made a birdie putt on the third playoff hole to seal the deal.

“I wasn’t thinking about winning,” Vu said.

“This was the one day I was playing really well. Felt really good with my swing. Coming back from an injury, I was a little up in the air, not knowing my swing, and I felt like I didn’t know where my arms were if I wasn’t tight. I was just trying to make contact today. That’s it.”

Like Vu, Thompson came from behind to get into the playoff. She fired a 4-under 68 on Sunday, while Kim, the 54-hole leader, carded a 1-over 73 on Sunday to fall back to the field.

After all three ladies made birdies on the first two extra holes, they walked over to the par-5 4th. After each player found the green in regulation, Thompson and Kim missed their putts to extend the playoff while Vu sank her birdie putt for the win.

“I think my mindset when it comes to putting is pretty simple: It goes in, or it doesn’t,” Vu said.

“I don’t put a lot of pressure on it. That relieves the pressure for me, and I go for it.”

Vu won her first LPGA win in Thailand in February 2023 from six shots back, so she has experience coming from behind.

“I felt like my first win I had blinders on,” Vu said.

“In the final round, I was focused on making birdies. I felt like that today. I felt like I left some out there, too. So once I got the opportunity for the playoff, I got to the box, and my caddie said, ‘There is nothing to lose now.’ We just went out there and played.”

Vu called this one of her most meaningful wins because she did not know if she could ever play golf pain-free again.

But clearly, she can.

Now, Vu has her fifth career LPGA victory as she eyes another major championship at next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Hopefully, her back holds up for her at Sahalee.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau outlasts Rory McIlroy, wins u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,outlasts,rory,mcilroy,wins,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 16, 2024 By: admin

Words can barely describe the scenes that played out down the stretch at Pinehurst No. 2 on Sunday.

But in the end, Bryson DeChambeau emerged victorious, winning his second U.S. Open title in four years. He shot a 1-over 71 on Sunday, needing every single stroke to outlast Rory McIlroy by one.

It all came down to the 18th hole, where McIlroy, in the group ahead of DeChambeau, missed a 3-foot-9-inch par putt to drop down to 5-under for the championship. Had that putt dropped, McIlroy likely would have forced a playoff with DeChambeau, who stood in the fairway at 6-under.

DeChambeau made a brilliant par save to seize the title. His drive went way left off the tee and settled on a root under a tree. He then scuttled his second shot up and into the bunker 50 yards short of the green, greatly diminishing his chances of saving par.

Yet, he got the job done. DeChambeau hit a wonderful third shot from the sand, as it stopped four feet away from the cup. He called it the greatest shot of his life during the ceremony afterward.

DeChambeau then went on to roll it in for par, much unlike McIlroy minutes before.

Meanwhile, this loss will hurt McIlroy for years to come. He had a terrific chance to seize his first major in a decade and held a two-shot lead at one point on the back nine. But his putter went completely cold over the final three holes. He missed a 2-foot-6-inch putt on the 16th hole, which not only horrified everyone watching but also put him in a tie with DeChambeau at 6-under. McIlroy also made a bogey on the par-3 15th after air-mailing the green.

Then his misstep at 18 happened, giving DeChambeau the opportunity to make par and win the U.S. Open.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.