On Friday at Red Bull Ring Williams driver Logan Sargeant did something he had never done before in his Formula 1 career.
Finish ahead of teammate Alexander Albon in qualifying.
While Albon struggled with the balance of his FW46 during both the first practice session and Friday’s F1 Sprint Qualifying, finding himself eliminated in SQ1, Sargeant put together a strong first segment of qualifying, advancing into SQ2.
While the American driver saw his time deleted in SQ2 for exceeding track limits and will start today’s F1 Sprint Race in P15, he hailed the effort on Friday as a “good step forward” following a difficult Spanish Grand Prix.
“SQ1 was a good build-up, however in SQ2, I didn’t quite get Turn 1 and 3 right, attempting to make it up in the second half of the lap,” described Sargeant in the team’s post-session report. “I managed this, but then clipped the gravel in Turn 6 and that was unfortunately out. I’m still happy with my session and think it’s a good place to be starting tomorrow. The conditions are changing from session to session.
“We are being proactive with set-up and countering the differences and I feel like we did a good job and turned things around from FP1 to Sprint Qualifying, so we’ll just keep trying to do a bit more of the same. It’s been a good step forward from Barcelona.”
Williams Sporting Director Sven Smeets praised the effort from the team’s second-year driver, noting Sargeant is in a “good position” to try and notch a result today.
“Logan did a good job and got into SQ2 with a clean and decent last push lap. In SQ2, we knew he had to give it his all to gain some places on the grid but unfortunately couldn’t get it all lined up and his lap was deleted,” described Smeets. “Nevertheless, he will be in a good position tomorrow to fight and look out for opportunities.”
Sargeant has just one point over his year-plus in F1, which came at last season’s United States Grand Prix when he was promoted to P10 following post-race disqualifications handed down to Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. But can the young driver follow up a good Friday, with an even better Saturday?
Neal Shipley is no longer an amateur golfer but officially a professional. He made his PGA Tour Americas start last week at The Beachlands Victoria Open and finished T9.
Shipley received a sponsorship exemption into the Rocket Mortgage Classic to make his first PGA Tour start as a professional. He is no stranger to the PGA Tour, though, as he took the world by storm at The Masters and U.S. Open.
The former Ohio State Buckeye finished low amateur at both majors, becoming the second player in the last 25 years to achieve this feat. Viktor Hovland was the other player to do it in 2019.
Friday at Detroit Golf Club saw him card a 4-under 68 to follow his Thursday 5-under 67 score. He sits at 9-under total and four shots behind the leader, Akshay Bhatia. Despite being a new kid on the block, Shipley does not consider it.
“With my experience with the majors, I don’t feel like there’s a big learning curve for me,” Shipley said.
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
“Pretty fortunate to have had two great experiences at Augusta and Pinehurst. I’ve been in the mix at both at certain times throughout the week, so I feel comfortable. I had a great week last week as a professional as well. So getting settled in and playing good golf, and good golf travels no matter if you’re an amateur or a professional.”
He began his day with a bogey on the par-4 2nd but rebounded and put together a solid round. Shipley recorded two more birdies on the front, then three more on the back nine as he came home in 33 strokes.
In six rounds to start his professional career, Neal Shipley has already made 42 birdies and an eagle. He is currently tied for seventh at 9-under after 36 holes at the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, which means he will make the cut for a third time against PGA Tour players
The 23-year-old is No. 4 in strokes gained approach to the green, picking up +4.296 shots. He is also T10 in strokes gained total at +5.970.
“Had a good first two days so far. Played steady golf today, which I was pretty happy about,” he said. “Hope to keep that up in the weekend and maybe even go a little bit lower. Throw in a low round tomorrow, and we’ll be right in the mix.”
Shipley sits in a good spot heading into Saturday and the rest of the weekend. His PGA Tour journey does not stop in Detroit, as he will also play in next week’s John Deere Classic.
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.
The 2024 NBA Draft never had a consensus No. 1 overall prospect at any point in the cycle. That won’t be the case next year. Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg feels like a lock to go first in the 2025 NBA Draft, and his looming entrance to the league is about to set off a race to the bottom for teams who realize they aren’t good enough to make the playoffs.
Now that the 2024 draft has come and gone, and it’s time to look ahead to the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg is the clear top prospect entering the cycle, but he’s far from the only big-time talent. The 2025 class is significantly stronger than the 2024 class throughout the lottery, with more potential All-Star talent available and greater depth throughout the first round.
I’ve been lucky enough to cover the NBA Draft for SB Nation for more than a decade, and every year I drop my big board for next year the day after the draft. You can go back and read my early boards for a fun trip down memory lane from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 here.
The 2025 NBA Draft looks like one of the stronger classes I’ve evaluated a year out. Here’s our first way-too-early projection of the class.
NBA Draft 2025 preseason board
Rank
Name
From
Position
Age
Rank
Name
From
Position
Age
1
Cooper Flagg
Duke
F
Freshman
2
Ace Bailey
Rutgers
F
Freshman
3
Dylan Harper
Rutgers
G
Freshman
4
Nolan Traore
France
F
Born 2006
5
Khaman Maluach
Duke
C
Born 2006
6
VJ Edgecombe
Baylor
G
Freshman
7
Liam McNeeley
UConn
F
Freshman
8
Tre Johnson
Texas
G
Freshman
9
Rocco Zikarsky
Australia
C
Born 2006
10
Ian Jackson
North Carolina
G
Freshman
11
Egor Demin
BYU
G
Freshman
12
Jalil Bethea
Miami
G
Freshman
13
Donnie Freeman
Syracuse
F
Freshman
14
Will Riley
Illinois
G
Freshman
15
Hugo Gonzalez
Spain
F
Born 2006
16
Michael Ruzic
Croatia
F
Born 2006
17
Noa Essengue
France
F
Born 2006
18
Collin Murray-Boyles
South Carolina
F
Sophomore
19
Isaiah Evans
Duke
G
Freshman
20
Boogie Fland
Arkansas
G
Freshman
21
Dink Pate
USA
G
Born 2006
22
Asa Newell
Georgia
F
Freshman
23
Milan Momcilovic
Iowa State
F
Sophomore
24
Flory Bidunga
Kansas
C
Freshman
25
Derrion Reid
Alabama
F
Freshman
26
Drake Powell
UNC
G/F
Freshman
27
Kwame Evans Jr.
Oregon
F/C
Sophomore
28
Jarin Stevenson
Alabama
F
Sophomore
29
Izan Almansa
Spain
C
Born 2005
30
Tucker DeVries
West Virginia
F
Senior
Cooper Flagg is the clear-cut No. 1 prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft
The 2025 NBA Draft class is deep with talent, but Flagg is in a tier by himself as the top prospect in the class. The incoming Duke forward will be college basketball’s biggest one-and-done superstar since Zion Williamson. He’s a legitimate franchise-altering talent, and his skill set is perfect for modern basketball.
Flagg’s greatest gift is his versatility. At 6’9 with a 7-foot wingspan, he can vacillate between a variety of roles at both ends of the floor, and perform at a high level in all of them. His athleticism, IQ, and motor are all off the charts, and his skill level is getting there, too.
Flagg is an elite defensive prospect. He moves his feet incredibly well on the perimeter for someone his size, showing the ability to switch across the positional spectrum in most matchups. He’s equally adept at being a wing stopper on the perimeter or manning the backline as a secondary rim protector. His shot blocking ability might be his strongest individual skill right now: he gets off the floor so quickly as a leaper, and can absorb contact in the air while still contesting the shot. He’s the type of player who can erase mistakes by his teammates as a help defender, force turnovers that lead to transition opportunities, or stand strong as a point-of-attack defender.
Flagg can fit into any offense right now in a connector role, and he has the potential to be so much more than that down the line. He has a high offensive baseline as a big forward who can space the floor, hit spot-up threes, make quick passing reads, and attack the basket with power in transition or as a cutter. Flagg’s upside gets scary as he starts to develop with the ball in his hands, and he made major strides in that regard as a senior at Montverde Academy. Flagg looked comfortable ripping pull-up threes, getting into his mid-range bag, and attacking in isolations. He’s going to be such a load going downhill as his handle develops. He looks like he should be able to skillfully play either side of the pick-and-roll.
Flagg is extremely young for his grade after reclassifying to essentially skip his senior year of high school. With a Dec. 2006 birthday, he’ll only be 17 years old to start the season for Duke, and won’t turn 19 years old until halfway through his rookie season. There’s going to be some early growing pains for any player that young as they jump up a level, but Flagg is only in this position already because he really is that talented. Victor Wembanyama aside, it’s hard to remember the last draft prospect who had this many different ways of impacting the game.
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey vie for No. 2 overall at Rutgers
Rutgers has hadn’t had a player selected in the NBA Draft since 2010. That’s about to change in a big way next year after landing the No. 2 and No. 3 overall recruits in the class of 2025 in Dylan Harper and Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey.
Harper is the son of long-time NBA guard Ron Harper, and the younger brother of former Rutgers star Ron Harper Jr. At 6’5 with a 6’10 wingspan, Dylan Harper is a bulky combo guard with an advanced feel for the game and the ability to play on- or off-the-ball. The lefty plays with good pace as a lead ball handler, and he’s able to use his big frame to carve out space going downhill. He’s a skilled finisher with either hand, and will showcase some advanced footwork on drives. He’s also an active mover and good cutter off the ball with flashes of real shooting versatility. Harper shoots confidently from range whether he’s taking a pull-up or spacing the floor as a spot-up shooter. He’s not an elite athlete or the best shooter, but he’s relatively strong in both areas while having plus positional size and the ability to read the floor as a live dribble passer. Even if the shot isn’t falling, Harper adds value as a rebounder and transition threat. It will be interesting to see how quick he looks defensively (is he better at defending guards or wings?) and where his shot-making numbers come in at.
Bailey is just oozing with talent as a tall wing with excellent athleticism and deep shooting range. Listed at 6’10, 200 pounds by Rutgers, Bailey has takeover scoring ability when his jumper is hot. He’s so big that it’s hard to contest his shot, and he shoots it effortlessly off pull-ups and quickly off spot-ups. Bailey makes some extremely difficult looks, which feels like both a gift and a curse. It would be nice to see him get downhill more with his dunk contest-worthy athleticism, but to this point he likes to settle for jumpers. Bailey could stand to improve his ability to read the floor as a passer and tighten his ball handling ability, but he has gifts you just can’t teach. It’s also worth noting he’s extremely young his class with an Aug. 2006 birthday, meaning he’ll still be 18 years old on draft day in 2025. He’s likely going to be awesome in transition, he should contribute on the offensive glass, and as he gets stronger he should provide some secondary rim protection. He will have a high-floor as a deadly off-ball threat with his size and shooting, and it’s possible his shot-making gives him significant upside beyond that. Bailey is far from a finished product, but his upside feels like the second highest in the class right now even if there will be some frustrating moments along the way.
The pairing between Bailey and Harper at Rutgers will be fascinating to watch, and should be a mutually beneficial context for both players.
France is back with more potential lottery prospects
The French have been all over the NBA lottery in recent years. Killian Hayes (2020), Ousmane Dieng (2022), Bilal Coulibaly (2023), Victor Wembanyama (2023), Alex Sarr (2024), Zaccharie Risacher (2024), and Tidjane Salaun (2024) have all been lottery picks in recent years. The French connection isn’t going away any time soon.
The international class for the 2025 NBA Draft looks like a strong group, and French guard Nolan Traore currently feels like the cream of the crop. Traore is a 6’5 point guard who bypassed offers from top college programs (including Duke) to stay with his club team Saint-Quentin in the top French pro league. He’s been on an absolute heater to open 2024 with strong showing at Nike Hoop Summit and a record-setting 45-point display at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals. The arrow is only trending up from here.
Traore is a big lead guard who feels like he’s in full control of the game. He’s at his best in the pick-and-roll, where he can use his bust to get past the first line of defense, and then threaten the defense with his scoring or playmaking. Traore isn’t the type of guard who throw down a huge dunk in traffic, but he has tremendous scoring craft in close with floaters and touch shots over contests. He’s also an impressive live dribble passer who looks comfortable making a variety of reads. Traore appears comfortable self-creating his own looks from three-point range, and did so on high volume this past season, but the percentage hovered around 30 percent. If he shoots it better, he’ll have a chance to go as high as No. 2, and feels like a safe bet to ultimately land in the top-10.
Noa Essengue is another talented French prospect who will earn lottery looks in 2025. The 6’9 forward is long and athletic and consistently plays with a high motor. He’s attacks the basket with an impressive amount of power and touch as a roll man or cutter. He should have tremendous defensive versatility, and some ability to be a small ball big man. He looks very good as a rebounder and defensive playmaker who can generate transition opportunities for his team. He’s not much of a shooter or playmaker yet, but has a high floor as an energy guy with real NBA size and athleticism who has been productive in big settings.
The 2025 NBA Draft is deep with talent throughout the lottery
VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor: Edgecombe is a super athletic guard who succeeds with slashing, transition scoring, and defensive playmaking. While he’s a tad small for an off-ball player (he measured at 6’3 with a 6’5 wingspan), Edgecombe’s blend of speed, power, and agility is made for getting into the paint and finishing above the rim. He can force turnovers as an aggressive defender, and no one is stopping him on the break. It will be interesting to see where his playmaking ability and shooting comes in.
Liam McNeeley, F, UConn: McNeely is a perfect fit in UConn’s whirling offensive system. The 6’9 forward is first and foremost expected to be one of the best shooters in this class after reportedly hitting better than 44 percent of his threes each of the last two years while playing with Cooper Flagg at Montverde. He also looks comfortable attacking the defense on closeouts with impressive footwork and some ability to read the floor as a passer while on the move. No one does a better job of accentuating his players’ strengths than Danny Hurley, so it feels like a safe bet he’s going to have a very good season.
Khaman Maluach, C, Duke: Malauch has monster physical tools as a 7’2 center with a 7’5 wingspan and strong 250 pound frame. Players that big should not move as well as Malauch does. His mobility with this level of power and length makes his long-term ceiling sky-high. He just still seems to be very raw in terms of feel for the game on both ends. How big of a role Duke will trust him to play this year remains to be seen, but with a good season he should be the first big off the board.
For the first time in history, the NBA Draft is taking place over two nights.
Ahead of the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, the gang on ESPN got together to ponder a number of questions. Atop that list? Where might Bronny James come off the board? After falling out of the first round — as was largely expected — James is waiting to hear where his NBA journey begins.
As is his father, LeBron James.
That led Stephen A. Smith to ponder a once-in-a-lifetime scenario: Bronny coming off the board during the second round to the New York Knicks, and LeBron joining the Knicks on a league minimum salary to play with his son, and the rest of the loaded Knicks roster.
However, Adrian Wojnarowski had a rebuttal question.
Who would Stephen A. Smith take such a big paycut for?
That left Smith — who is usually ready with an answer for anything — searching for a response.
You can see the entire exchange in this below clip, with Wojnarowski’s question coming in at the 1:14 mark:
“That is the greatest question I’ve been asked in a decade.”
Adrian Wojnarowski nips Stephen A Smith’s LeBron-to-the-Knicks dreams in the bud before the 2nd round of the NBA Draft pic.twitter.com/sN11DuaUe2
Of course there is some context that is helpful here, as Smith is entering the final year of his current contract at ESPN. Smith has reportedly received an offer in the $18 million range annually, but is reportedly seeking a contract in the neighborhood of $25 million. All of that context makes this clip even better.
We have 28 picks left to go — the first two picks are now in for the second round — but it might be hard to top this moment tonight.
Lee Westwood opened the U.S. Senior Open at Newport Country Club with an impressive 4-under 66, but nobody could have guessed that he felt bothered by a longstanding policy out on the course.
And no, it is not the fact that this championship is 72 holes, unlike LIV Golf events and tournaments on the PGA Tour Champions, which are 54 holes.
“I think I can manage it,” Westwood said of the 72-hole competition.
“It’s playing in trousers that’s bothering me more.”
Unlike other top men’s circuits, LIV Golf allows players to wear shorts. The PGA Tour and major championships, meanwhile, do not let men dress in anything but pants during competition.
“72 holes won’t be a problem,” Westwood continued.
“It’s looking down and seeing me legs in trousers. I prefer to get me legs out.”
With his legs out last week, Westwood posted his best finish in a LIV Golf event since joining the Saudi-backed circuit in the summer of 2022. He parlayed that T-3 finish with a strong start at Newport Country Club, where he sits in a tie for third with Padraig Harrington, Jeff Maggert, Alex Cejka, and Bob Estes at 4-under. This group is three strokes behind leaders Richard Green and Hiroyuki Fujita, who carded 7-under 63s on Thursday morning.
Lee Westwood hits a shot during the first round of the 2024 U.S. Senior Open.Photo by Jonathan Ernst/USGA
“Playing a bit more, I think, and just having a run of a few weeks where I’ve not put the golf clubs down altogether. This is a good time of year to play a few tournaments. When I’m not at tournaments, keep my eye in, do a bit of practice. Weather is getting a bit better in England so green conditions are a bit better and that makes me want to practice. Yeah, that’s basically it. Just that sharpens me up,” Westwood said of his recent stretch of strong play.
“Always played well and been sharper when I’ve not gone home and put the clubs away. It’s a balancing act. I don’t want to play all the time now, and I can’t play all the time. It’s just not good for my body. I try and do what I can when I’m away from the golf course. I focus more on the gym work and staying flexible and strong. Injury prevention more than anything.”
Westwood began the championship with an eagle on the par-5 1st hole after sticking his second shot to 10 feet away. He made the putt and went on to play his final 17 holes in 2-under, highlighted by four birdies but beset by a pair of bogies on the par-4 8th and par-4 15th.
Not bad for a guy who wishes he could play in shorts.
“You notice most of the guys wear shorts in practice,” Westwood added.
“You can see how many people are comfortable, especially when it gets a bit warm putting a pair the shorts on.”
Maybe that will be another change the professional game adopts soon. But for now, Westwood and every other player at Newport this week will have to continue to don trousers, whether he likes them or not.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThroughfor more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
Tom Brady, from the University of Michigan, is hoping to clinch a spot on the United States Olympic Track and Field this week, competing in the men’s 5000 meters.
Of course, we are not talking about THAT Tom Brady.
No, we are talking about Tom Brady, the member of the Michigan Track and Field Team who is the school’s record-holder in both the indoor 5000 meters, as well as the outdoor 10,000 meters. That Tom Brady gets his Olympic quest underway later today, in the opening heat of the men’s 5000 meters.
However, there are some eerie similarities between the two athletes, beyond the University of Michigan. Consider this: Brady’s personal best in this event, the 5000 meters, came at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational back in February.
That event was held at Boston University.
Brady’s other focus is the 10,000 meters, and as indicated above he holds the Michigan record in that event. Where did he set that record?
Stanford University, in the San Francisco Bay area, near where the other Tom Brady grew up.
One thing the two do not share, however? Their NFL allegiances. Obviously Tom Brady the NFL quarterback has his ties to the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But Tom Brady the Olympic hopeful?
He is a Chicago Bears fan, through and through.
“Growing up in Chicago, for some reason there’s some kind of rivalry with Tom Brady there. I don’t know why but I think it’s because he destroys us every time we play him,” Brady said in a profile of him back in 2023. “Except for the last time, that was a good time.”
Included in that profile was this bit: “Brady will never root for the 20-year NFL veteran because of his “unhealthy” Chicago Bears obsession, but he respects Brady’s work ethic, and for that, he admits Tom Brady is the greatest NFL player of all time.”
But that Tom Brady never made an Olympic team, even though his mom once said he was the fastest player in the NFL.
The other Tom Brady might do just that this weekend.
A Dodgers ball boy made the play of a lifetime on Wednesday when he made a bare-handed catch of a ball that was rocketing towards the bullpen — or perhaps more accurately, rocketing towards Shohei Ohtani’s head.
Ohtani hit the deck immediately, realizing that the errant ball was on a collision course with his face, a move that a majority of other players around him did as well. On this day the bat boy became a bat man, casually plucking it out of thin air and protecting the Dodgers’ $700M investment.
“Protecting the most important player in baseball” is right up there in the pantheon of amazing things a bat boy could achieve. If the team didn’t give this dude a bonus of a lifetime then what are we even doing here? It’s not outside the realm of possibility to think that if that ball actually made contact with Ohtani he would have missed signifiant time, but now we don’t need to worry about that.
On Feb. 1, 2024, the two-time Masters champion ruptured his Achilles while playing pickleball and miraculously returned to the PGA Tour Champions three months later. This injury typically takes 12 months to recover, but the 66-year-old German has insisted on returning to competition.
Since his three-month hiatus, Langer has played in five events, recording a pair of top 10s at the Regions Tradition and the Principal Charity Classic, where he finished third. He most recently tied for 21st at the Dick’s Open, but if not for a second-round 3-over 75, he would have fared better.
Yet, Langer, who uses a golf cart to get around, still has lingering issues stemming from the injury. He admitted as such ahead of this week’s U.S. Senior Open at Newport Country Club, where he will defend his title.
“My leg and my ankle are swollen. It’s fatigue. I don’t have the range of motion in my foot,” Langer said.
Bernhard Langer during the 2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
“There are various things that aren’t there yet. My balance is not where I want it to be, and my strength. My calf muscle is probably one or two inches smaller than the other leg. I can’t get on my tiptoes. Right foot, I can do that. Just my right foot. I tried it on my left and nothing. I’ve got a ways to go, but I’m happy to be playing golf. The good thing is I can get carts in tournaments because right now, I can’t walk four or five days, 18 holes. It’s impossible. I tried to walk nine holes, and that was a stretch. That’s where we are at the moment—hopefully improving every week.”
No doubt that Langer has seen improvement since his Achilles injury, but he can still compete because of his health, which he takes great pride in.
“You have to be reasonably healthy because if not, you can’t do what you want to do and can’t swing the way you want to swing,” Langer added.
“I was born with a competitive nature, so I have a healthy drive and live a disciplined life, which probably helps. And the willingness to put in the work. I’m 66, and many people say, ‘Why don’t you retire?’ I guess I could, but I love the game of golf, and I love to compete. I’m still good enough to compete and be up there where I can win tournaments. When that changes, when I feel like I’m going to finish in the bottom third of the field every week I compete, then it’s probably time to quit. Hopefully, I will know when that is.”
Langer continues to finish in the upper tier of PGA Tour Champions events, despite many of his competitors being 10-to-15 years younger than him. But he has no plans to slow down, which can be attributed to his healthy lifestyle.
He does not drink alcohol. He does not smoke.
Instead, Langer, like Gary Player has done for years, continues to exercise and stretch every day. He has done so for as long as he can remember.
“The body functions better when we move the body,” Langer explained.
Bernhard Langer hits a chip-shot during the Dick’s Open.Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images
“If we become too sedentary, you’ll pay the price for it sooner or later. I talked to my physical therapist, and he said, ‘If you lay two weeks in the hospital, just two weeks, don’t do anything, guess how much strength you lose? 50 percent.’ I was shocked. That only encourages me to do more, do something every day instead of just lying around for a few days in a row.”
Despite his impressive health regimens, did Langer have concerns about how his body would function after his injury?
Of course, he did.
But two months after his operation, Langer’s surgeon and physical therapist approached him and said, “I think you can try and putt a little bit and chip.”
He then progressed to hitting 50-yard and 100-yard shots. A week or two later, his medical team gave him the green light to try full swings with his driver and irons.
“I hit some wedges, no problem. If I can hit a full wedge, I can hit a full 7-iron. Hit a full 7-iron, no problem. Grabbed the 3-iron, no problem. The next day I grabbed the driver and had no problem swinging the club,” Langer said.
Bernhard Langer at the Principal Charity Classic.Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
“But I was very concerned at the beginning that I would change my swing because of my injury, and I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t want to come back sooner and create a new swing that probably wouldn’t be as good, and then I’d have to spend weeks and months redoing later when I’m better at what I taught myself.”
Langer then brought in his swing coach and went to the driving range.
“I don’t want to change my swing,” Langer said to his coach.
“I want to swing the way I did before, and if my body doesn’t allow me, I’m not going to play.”
Well, Langer and his coach looked at his swing, and it looked perfectly fine.
“That was very encouraging because that meant now I can practice and compete if I can get a golf cart because I couldn’t walk,” Langer added.
“As long as they give me a golf cart, I can actually play in tournaments.”
Not only can he play, but Langer continues to compete with some of the best senior players on the planet—almost as if he did not sustain this injury in the first place.
Yet, he believes he can win the U.S. Senior Open, which would mark an incredible feat given the circumstances. It would likely go down as the most improbable win in U.S. Senior Open history should Langer go on to win.
But would you be surprised?
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThroughfor more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
There has been a lot of change at the quarterback position for the Denver Broncos in 2024. In came rookie first-round pick Bo Nix and beleaguered former first-round pick Zach Wilson; out went former Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson. The lone holdover, Jarrett Stidham, was the Broncos’ starting quarterback in their final two games last season.
As with any situation involving a rookie quarterback, there will likely be talk of a competition and all that heading into training camp. However, given the Broncos long run of bad seasons, we may be safe to assume Bo Nix will be starting sooner rather than later.
Will Bo Nix land at the top of the Broncos depth chart?
Here is where I predict the Broncos depth chart lands on Week 1 and why I think each player is poised to secure their respective spots on the positional depth chart.
QB1. Bo Nix
A perennial losing team over the last eight season isn’t going to draft a quarterback 12th overall and have him sit for a year. This is Bo Nix’s time to shine… or flop.
All the rumors and reports ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft seemed to center around the Broncos being the perfect fit for Nix, but most analysts had him as the fifth or sixth best quarterback in the draft. That would suggest he would be a late first or early second-round pick at best. However, the run on quarterbacks in the top 10 forced Denver’s hand. Many called it a horrible reach, but imagine the Broncos quarterback situation right now had they risked losing out on Nix by playing the value game? It would not be good to say the least.
Despite being the sixth quarterback taken in the draft, Nix was the No. 3 guy on the Broncos’ board all along and they absolutely love the kid.
“I would say, you can feel his 61 games played in college,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said of Nix after mandatory minicamp in mid-June. “With experience, a calmness comes along with it. So he certainly doesn’t feel like a rookie. He’s learning a brand-new system, so whether you’re a veteran or a rookie coming in, that’s common to all these people. He has seen a lot and doesn’t make the same mistake twice very often. There is a maturity level. I think when you draft a guy who is a little bit older, you hope that that comes with it, but he’s certainly shown that.”
Given the amount of games Nix has played and his age, it is unlikely Denver drafted him to sit for a year. They need a starting quarterback now.
Zach Wilson has been in the league for three seasons already and is just six months older than rookie Bo Nix. It just wouldn’t make sense for Bo Nix not to start Week 1. If he doesn’t, then the Broncos’ draft class is in serious doubt right out of the gate considering how little draft capital they had in the first two days of this year’s draft.
QB2. Zach Wilson
When Denver traded for Zach Wilson, I loved the idea of bringing in a project like him to potentially salvage his career. As a top draft picks, the pedigree is there and coaches will just need to work on bringing back the confidence.
The former No. 2 overall pick by the New York Jets has struggled to live up to his draft status with just a 57% completion rate and 6,293 yards with 23 touchdowns against 25 interceptions in his three-year career. It didn’t help that he was drafted by the Jets, who have struggled — like the Broncos — to field a competitive football team in recent years.
If he could get a few years under a coaching staff led by Sean Payton, I could see his later career being revitalized for a guy like Wilson.
QB3. Jarrett Stidham
At the end of the day, I do think Jarrett Stidham will likely be the better option as the Week 1 backup to Bo Nix. However, due to his contract and Wilson’s draft pedigree, I think he ends up the odd man out.
The main reason I think Wilson ends up beating out Stidham is on the money side of things. Both he and Wilson are under contract just for this year, but Wilson’s cap number is just $2.7 million compared to Stidham’s $7 million. From a pure numbers standpoint, it would seem like if they are somewhat close for that backup spot that Wilson will get the nod due to his contract and his draft pedigree.
I like Stidham as a backup a lot, and if he ends up beating out Wilson then I will not be sad about that.
What to expect from a Bo Nix-led Broncos team in 2024
There was a reason why many draft analysts had Bo Nix pegged as a top prospect for Sean Payton and his offensive system. The two seemed to be a perfect match for what Nix excels at and what Payton wants to do in his offense. We should also remember that Payton had a broken Russell Wilson in prime position to challenge for a playoff run late last season before those wheels finally came off, so perhaps the ceiling should even be raised a bit with a rookie quarterback at the helm.
As someone who watched a lot of film on the Broncos last year, Wilson left a lot of big plays out there. If Nix can begin seeing just a fraction of those wide-open receivers, then this offense is poised to make a respectable leap forward.
Obviously as a fan, I’ll be hoping for that outcome, but there will be growing pains — the kind that always come with a first-year starting quarterback. Denver will need to maintain a good defense and a strong rushing attack for Nix to excel and lead this team to the playoffs this season.
Poll
What do you think the Week 1 depth chart will be on Week 1?
Welcome to Playing Through’s new morning ritual: Golf Talk Today.
Each morning will feature a Golf Talk Today, in which the crew will discuss various elements of the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and other professional golf tournaments.
Today begins a way too early discussion about the 2024 Presidents Cup. Team USA will travel to the Royal Montreal Golf Club from Sept. 24 to 29 to take on Team International.
Professional golf will get another trip to Canada in 2024 after a widely successful RBC Canadian Open. The golf fans in the Great White North do not disappoint, but will it be too much of a home event for the Americans?
In 2022, Team USA won its ninth consecutive Presidents Cup 17.5-12.5, improving to 12-1-1 all-time in this competition. While the Presidents Cup does not have as long a history as its fellow biennial Ryder Cup event, it still draws in crowds.
This year’s Team USA captain is Jim Furyk, and the International captain is Mike Weir.
There are six American PGA Tour players that qualify through points, per the Presidents Cup website. It did not mention LIV golf players because they were denied qualification last year. Various events receive points in the qualifying standings. Furyk will also get six captain picks.
7: Tony Finau: 3,780 8: Max Homa: 3,772 9: Brian Harman: 3,669 10: Chris Kirk: 3,265 11: Russell Henley: 3,235 12: Sam Burns: 3,160 13: Akshay Bhatia: 3,102 14: Justin Thomas: 2,918
Scottie Scheffler holds a commanding lead in the standings. After six PGA Tour victories this season, he has all but officially secured his spot.
Many of the Ryder Cup team members from Rome could see themselves in Canada.
However, will Furyk take a similar approach to Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson?
A later Golf Talk Today will feature a more detailed discussion about who Furyk should have on his team.
Team USA Presidents Cup hot take
This take will be short and sweet.
Bryson DeChambeau should easily be on Team USA for the Presidents Cup.
Despite playing for LIV Golf, DeChambeau finished inside the top 10 in two majors and won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. He is playing phenomenally right now, and the former SMU golfer will be a great addition.
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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.
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